The old things I repaired have become fine

Chapter 656 Retreat! Retreat! Retreat even further! —This plot seems familiar?
"go back!"

"go back!"

Shen Le slightly parted his feet, squatted down in a horse stance, stretched out his arms, and pressed down forcefully. His spiritual power surged forth as he stared intently at the kiln while shouting orders.

He disregarded the shock and the presence of the stake-holding master standing beside him, and simultaneously uttered the rebuke conveyed through his spiritual power:

"go back!!!"

The pile driver stared at Shen Le in shock. He glanced at the man, then at the kiln, repeating this process over and over again.

The entire kiln creaked and swayed slightly. The bricks sealing the kiln bed arch, the edges of the kiln bed, and the kiln entrance bulged and swelled, while the dry, cracked mud blocks covering the kiln entrance kept cracking and spreading fine lines.

Judging from its appearance, the kiln could collapse at any moment, or even explode with a loud bang!

But how could that be—there was no fire in the kiln, or rather, the flames from the pine wood had been completely extinguished.

Wait a minute, what was that white dot of light that Shen Le pushed into the kiln just now? And what was that blazing white fire inside the kiln?
Who is he talking to? Is he pushing the porcelain into the kiln to be fired? Does the porcelain understand him?

If only I could understand, I could hope that Shen Le could give me a way to communicate with the porcelain in the kiln while firing it.

This ensures that their needs are met in a timely manner, maximizing the success rate of kiln firing!
He had a thousand questions he wanted to ask Shen Le, and a thousand reasons he wanted to discuss this brand-new kiln firing mechanism with Shen Le.

However, Shen Le didn't pay him any attention for a second. He was completely focused on the kiln, and his palms had changed from being outstretched to being clenched. He pressed down, brought them together, and squeezed them tightly.

Flames roared before the kiln, and strange noises echoed from within. Sweat poured down Shen Le's forehead; his legs trembled slightly, and his body leaned forward, as if he were about to plunge headfirst into the kiln.

However, two beams of white light, faster and more swift than him, pierced through the fire gate and rushed into the kiln!
"!!!"

The stake-carrying craftsman opened his mouth, his throat dry, and for a moment he couldn't utter a sound. The next moment, he swallowed his own words:
The ones who rushed into the kiln were old acquaintances, the two boys sent from "there," with unusually pale skin and icy expressions, looking almost inhuman.

They had rushed in once before, and returned safely without incident.
So this time... this time, let them do whatever they want!
Sure enough, after the two rushed in, the kiln quickly quieted down. It stopped vibrating, stopped trembling, and stopped bulging bricks out here and there.

The kiln that Shen Le had previously built had straight, flat outer walls with smooth, teardrop-like curves. Now, the bricks no longer bulge upwards, and it has returned to its previous pleasing and perfect state...

Shen Le smiled with relief. After the two porcelain spirits rushed into the kiln, they simultaneously pounced and embraced the porcelain tower. One hugged the base, the other the tip, both pleading in unison:
Stop it! Stop it!

Let's talk this out! We can discuss any needs you may have!

What do you want? More fire? More spiritual fire? To get out? We can talk about anything! If you disobey and ruin the kiln, you'll get nothing!

If you misbehave, we'll beat you up first!

Through a combination of persuasion, physical control, and threats of force, they finally brought the porcelain tower under control.

Shen Le breathed a long sigh of relief and, based on the feedback from the communication inside, continued to increase the firepower:
Flames surged in, and two porcelain demons took over control and grooming it, leading it to the porcelain tower where its entire body was evenly scorched.

Although the two porcelain demons also absorbed some of it themselves, which could be considered profiteering, these flames were drawn from heaven and earth anyway, so...

Whatever...

Shen Le even took out a few pieces of spirit wood—cut down from the secret realm, which he carried with him, intending to have Little Inkstone make some furniture, or a piece of boat plank, or a door or window—and stuffed them into the furnace.

As soon as the spirit wood was inserted, the flames immediately intensified, and the two porcelain demons simultaneously let out a joyful sigh:
Ah...it feels so good...more, a little more!

On Mr. Zhao's side, the spiritual energy in the secret realm is limited. They can only get this much in a year, which is just enough to give them a mediocre bath with flames to burn off the grime and maintain their spirituality.

It's better with Shen Le. I went on a business trip with him and so far, my income has been equivalent to at least three years of normal income!
Shen Le didn't mind letting them share a little more. He just instructed:

【Keep an eye on the porcelain tower for me! Burn it thoroughly this time, restore it to its original state, anything goes—if it causes any more trouble, I'm never fixing it again!】

"Don't worry!" the two porcelain spirits replied in unison.
We're watching it closely; we have to finish it off this time!

Having someone (?) watching you closely makes a difference.

The porcelain demon can absorb some external fire spirit power, but it cannot absorb the spirituality inherited from this kiln and this kiln site, which is condensed from human activities and emotions.

With the support of Shen Le's spiritual power and flames, the porcelain tower began to steadily absorb this spiritual energy, transforming it into a part of itself, and began to heal its physical damage.
One crack, two cracks, one piece damaged, another piece damaged.

Shen Le carefully applied the porcelain powder that had been filled in. Under the scorching heat of the flames, the powder gradually changed shape, becoming hard, pure, and exceptionally delicate, and then it merged with the original tower body.

From bottom to top, from inside to outside, from large defects to small cracks.

While patiently providing support, Shen Le listened to the two porcelain demons chattering on and on, constantly bringing him good news:
The crack at the very bottom of the tower has been filled!

The first level of the tower has been repaired!

[The second layer is being added now, almost done! It'll be finished soon!]

[Add more fuel to the fire! Add more fuel to the fire! Increase the spiritual energy supply!]

Do you think I'm a gas stove? You can't just tell me to turn it up and I'll just turn the knob!

Shen Le silently complained, then added another piece of spirit wood to the firebox...

After a full 12 hours of vigorous heating, the porcelain tower finally emitted a satisfied "gurgling" sound, which sounded like a burp.

On either side of the tower, two porcelain demons shouted in unison:
【It's done! It's done!】

[Opening the kiln! Opening the kiln!]

"Shouldn't the kiln be opened only after it's cooled down?" Shen Le shouted back. The two porcelain spirits shouted back again:

[Open the kiln first! We need to get out!]

Is that so? Shen Le looked inquiringly at the stake-holding master beside him. The master spread his hands, making a "whatever you want" gesture:

What's there to say?

You don't need my help watching the fire anymore, you don't need my help controlling the rhythm of adding and subtracting the heat. From now on, you can control it yourself, do whatever you think is best! Sigh, if I had two friends who could physically climb into the kiln and watch each piece of porcelain being made, I wouldn't need the master craftsman's help watching the fire either…

Shen Le smiled apologetically at him. Then, turning to face the kiln door, her face hardened.
[Get out yourself! Come out the same way you went in!]

Didn't you guys slide in just now?!
You said it! Step back!

A loud shout came from inside the kiln. Shen Le was taken aback:
This plot seems familiar; where have I seen it before?

He pulled the stake-holding master back two steps. Inside, they were still shouting:

【Stand back! 】

[Step back again!]

[Refund a little more!]

"Fine, I'll move aside and wait on the side of the kiln entrance, okay?" Shen Le shrugged, pulled the stake-holding master along a 90-degree arc, and stood on the side of the kiln.

With a loud bang, bricks flew everywhere, mud shards flew like bullets, and dust billowed like smoke, directly filling a fan-shaped area 20 meters in front of the kiln.

Shen Le waited patiently for a moment, and when the noise inside subsided, he saw two beautiful women, one after the other, stride out. Their bodies were clean and bright, and they were spotless.

Looking again at the sealed kiln door, it had completely disappeared, with broken bricks scattered all over the ground, revealing the dark firebox and kiln bed...

"Uh... thank goodness you didn't blow the whole kiln up..."

"No, no, not at all." Stepping out of the kiln, the two porcelain spirits switched from communicating through mental energy to speaking directly, and came over with smiles to shake hands with Shen Le.

A rosy, pearly pink hue rose to their porcelain-white cheeks, whether from being heated but not cooled completely, or from absorbing some strange substance, giving them a blush...

Shen Le looked at them suspiciously, resolutely refusing to reach out and shake their hands. "Your face is still this color. Has your body cooled down yet?"
I am still just a mortal!
If you accidentally shake my hand, will it get severely burned?!

The two porcelain spirits looked down at their palms, smiled, and stepped back. Each stood on one side of the kiln entrance, calmly saying:
"We're just trying to get the kiln out, so of course we just need to open the kiln door. It's not like we're trapped underneath and have to lift the whole kiln up..."

Shen Le: "..."

I was wondering where that sense of déjà vu came from!

The kiln door opened, and hot air rushed out, causing the entire kiln to cool down at an extremely rapid pace.

Before the traditional two-day, two-night cooling period was over, eight hours later, the two porcelain demons went back in and carried the porcelain tower out.

Shen Le circled the steaming porcelain tower, the air around it appearing slightly distorted, three times, examining it carefully from top to bottom, and was somewhat dissatisfied:
"Hey, where are the forty-nine porcelain swords in this tower? And what about those porcelain sculptures? Why are they all crooked and overturned? You promised they'd be fired all at once, but they didn't turn out right!"

Porcelain Demon: "..."

Oh no, I was fooled by this tower!

We supervised the kiln, but we only ensured the integrity of the tower body; we didn't supervise the things inside!
Will Shen Le make us spit out the spiritual energy?

Even if he doesn't return the spiritual energy, if he complains to Mr. Zhao about us, we'll be utterly humiliated!
The only thing to do now is to make amends as soon as possible. The two porcelain demons quickly approached the porcelain tower. One squatted down in a ball, while the other stretched out on the spot, turning his two legs into sticks, and in one go, he pulled himself up to the top of the tower.

Clinging to the eaves, I spoke with the porcelain sculptures inside the tower and the shrine at its spire, then translated the conversation back to Shen Le:

"It said that this is only where it was born, not where it will ultimately be completed. It can only absorb so much power in this kiln; it still needs to go to other kilns..."

Shen Le: ? ? ?
So you mean I have to go find another kiln, or even more than one, and then repair it, put you in it, and refire it?
I...maybe I shouldn't work with Professor Zhang and the others anymore. I'll report to the Special Affairs Bureau and do the work myself, it'll be faster...

He was filled with resentment and practically wanted to beat the porcelain tower to a pulp. If it weren't for the fragrant and sweet carrots hanging in front of him, promising him a flying sword to play with after repairing the tower, he would have really given up.

Seeing his unfriendly expression, the two porcelain spirits quickly turned around and revealed their porcelain towers. One on each side, their pink-glazed lips moved with unnatural agility, chattering away:

"It means that the swords and the sealed monsters inside were all made elsewhere and then forged into one!"
Especially in sword forging, the crucial power for sword forging cannot be obtained here, so it's not the fault of the system!

Okay, okay, it doesn't sound like it's entirely unreasonable. Shen Le sighed helplessly, swaying slightly as he walked over a little:
"I understand. I'll continue communicating with it. Please ask it when it will cool down? At least cool enough for me to touch!"

"It says it will take another half day... If you want it to go faster, give it a cold bath..."

"Absolutely not! — Isn't it afraid of blowing itself up while washing?!"

They chatted, complained, and nagged each other, exchanging barbs. After half a day, Shen Le finally sat cross-legged in front of the porcelain pagoda, placed his hands on it, closed his eyes, and concentrated:
"Come on... what exactly happened to you afterward, and what are your needs now? Show me around..."

Her vision slowly darkened. When she opened her eyes again, Shen Le let out a soft sigh of relief, a surge of joy welling up inside her:
Finally, we can see it!

Finally, my eyesight is restored!

Not only was he given sight, but also touch, arms and legs, and his whole body. To be precise, he was finally able to experience things in the first person, instead of lying in the dark and having to strain his ears to listen!

"Master! Master!"

After spacing out for a while, a somewhat familiar old man's voice shouted repeatedly. Shen Le turned around and quickly ran over, only to see the old man waving at him:

"Young master, come and take a look, is this hillside suitable?"

"what……"

Shen Le was bewildered. So, I'm now in the shoes of that young master from the Lu family? Just taken away by the "immortal master," and now I have to start from scratch, building my own kiln and firing it?
Should we start with site selection?!
He turned his head and looked around, then closed his eyes and tried hard to recall. During the excavation of the kiln site, he recorded the orientation of the three dragon kilns, the height of the hillside, the slope, and so on.
The hillside is rocky and soily, the surrounding forest belt is sparse and dense, and the stream flows at the foot of the mountain;

The scenes I witnessed firsthand, the things the teacher had talked about, and the words the kiln masters and stake-carving masters had uttered...

"The slope and orientation are both good. As for the soil quality, I'll go up and take a look!"

He grabbed a shovel and began to climb the hillside, huffing and puffing. As he climbed, he grieved.
No way, no way...

In reality, I built a kiln and fired a porcelain tower myself. Does that mean I have to build a kiln and fire a porcelain tower myself in my memory?

As far as I can remember, there wasn't a machine that could help!
In my memory, could I cheat using magic?!
(End of this chapter)