This is a good mask and can be called a treasure. Of course, this is only judged according to Ji Yuan's personal standards. After all, he has his own interests and ideas in his judgment. If it were Lao Long or some more serious practitioners, they would think that this mask is useless and is at most a gadget.
But then again, as Hu Yun's debut work, Ji Yuan responded to it with a positive attitude. He handed the mask back to Hu Yun and encouraged him.
"Even if you gave him an ordinary mask, Yin Qing would like it. What's more, this is really a good thing. It has such an effect after refining an artifact for the first time. Your years of practice are worth it!"
Hu Yun straightened his chest like a human, grabbed the mask with his claws, and was proud for a while before hesitantly speaking.
"That was something I spent a lot of spiritual energy on, and I also used some of the spiritual hair on my body to make it. In fact, I failed a few times along the way. I was really lucky to be able to do it so well."
After thinking for a while, Hu Yun said again.
"Although this mask is fun, it also has obvious shortcomings. It requires a lot from the user. Intelligence is one of the requirements, and one must also be clear about what one is thinking and be able to imagine a full, disembodied image in order to use this mask well. Otherwise, it's just for fun."
“Knowing humility is also a big step forward!”
Ji Yuan smiled and touched the red fox's head. The two fox ears bounced up and then pressed down after his hand stroked them back and forth.
Hu Yun felt embarrassed by Ji Yuan's praise. His already fiery red hair looked even brighter and redder. It seemed that the respected Mr. Ji had only praised him a few times, or almost never praised him, as far as he could remember.
"I, I'll go get ready and give Yin Qing a surprise later!"
With that said, Hu Yun ran away holding the mask as if escaping. Seeing Ji Yuan nodding and smiling behind him, he then turned around and continued to deal with the chessboard in front of him.
In the evening, Yin Zhaoxian and Yin Qing rode in the same carriage as usual, and returned home from the Secretariat, surrounded by guards and servants.
And because today is the day for classes in Menxia Province, Yin Zhong also came back with his father and brother.
After the father and his two sons changed into their casual clothes, they walked towards the courtyard of the guest house together.
Hu Yun started shouting when he heard footsteps from afar.
"Yin Qing! Yin Qing! The gift I prepared for you is finally ready, come quickly!"
Hearing the voice, he immediately quickened his pace with a smile. Yin Zhong next to him was even more excited than his brother, and they ran all the way over together.
When they arrived at the guest house, Hu Yun was sitting in the yard, wagging his tail, with a clear smile on his fox face as he looked at the two brothers who came out of the corridor and approached him.
"Hey, Yin Qing, guess what I gave you? Hu'er can also guess!"
Yin Zhong spoke first.
"It must be something good brought from Niu Kui Mountain, right?"
"No, you guessed wrong. Now it's Yin Qing's turn to guess. Each person can only guess once!"
Hu Yun was a little worried that the two brothers would keep guessing and get it right, and then there would be no sense of surprise. After hearing what he said, Yin Qing thought for a moment and replied.
"It's either delicious or fun. You've been busy for so many days, so it must be fun, right?"
Hu Yun was very dissatisfied.
"You can't be considered to have guessed correctly, you have to tell me what it is!"
Yin Qing spread his hands.
"There are thousands of interesting things in the world. Your uncle Hu Yun is a fox fairy, and his vision is far beyond that of mortals like us. I, Yin Qing, have limited knowledge, so how can I guess it? You should be merciful and tell us!"
"Hey, you do make sense! Then I'll let you know!"
Hu Yun was quite proud. He reached a paw into the big fluffy tail and pulled out a fiery red fox mask, which even had a fluorescent flash on it.
Yin Zhong fell in love with the mask almost immediately after taking one look at it. He looked at his brother and then at the mask, his face full of envy.
Not to mention Yin Zhong, even Yin Qing couldn't hide his joy when he saw the mask.
"This, is it for me?"
"Here, take it. It was meant for you."
Hu Yun handed it to Yin Qing casually, as if he was giving away a trivial trinket. After Yin Qing reached out and carefully took it, Yin Zhaoxian, who was a few steps behind in the corridor, slowly came over.
Yin Zhaoxian just glanced at the mask and saw a fiery glow flowing on the mask, and a trace of Hu Yun's characteristic smell flowing.
In the face of such righteousness, this kind of thing was naturally ineffective against Yin Zhaoxian, but he would not say it out loud. He knew that this should be a treasure, so he asked with curiosity.
"Wow, what a beautiful mask. Was it made by Hu Yun? You are amazing. Many skilled craftsmen are not as skillful as you!"
"Yes, what a beautiful mask, I want one too..."
Yin Zhong's voice was filled with envy. Yin Qing was clearly already in his thirties, but he couldn't let go of the mask. Every detail on it was exquisite, and the hair seemed to be flowing in the wind, and it was very comfortable to hold.
Hu Yun had been praised so many times today that his fur had turned even redder. He scratched his head with his paw, stood up on his hind legs and said to Yin Qing.
"Yin Qing, this mask is not an ordinary toy. There are tricks to it. Mr. Ji has praised it. Let me teach you how to play with it!"
Hu Yun explained in detail some of the characteristics of the mask, including how to use it, what to avoid, the limits of its sustainability and realism, etc.
"Well, it's quite complicated, right? So I have to teach you carefully in the next few days, otherwise you won't be able to use it, and it will be a waste of my efforts!"
Hu Yun spoke earnestly, and then saw Yin Qing trying to put on the mask.
"What you want in your heart should be three-dimensional, from temperament to appearance, it can't be bad, and the same goes for personality, right?"
A few breaths after the mask was put on, a faint fiery fluorescence seemed to flow on Yin Qing's body, like ripples on the water. Then his figure became like a reflection in the water, blurred by the disturbance of the water waves, and when it became clear again, he had changed his appearance.
Yin Zhong was startled, then his eyes widened.
"Yu, Uncle Yu?"
The brother who was originally standing next to him turned into Yu Haishan, the prefect of Gyeonggi Prefecture in Yin Zhong's eyes, but his clothes were still Yin Qing's clothes.
"What?"
Hu Yun was also in a daze. Yin Qing actually succeeded in one try? Hu Yun felt that there were still many details that he had not explained clearly!
Yin Zhaoxian on the side looked at Yin Qing's current appearance with narrowed eyes and stroked his beard. At first glance, he also looked like Yu Haishan, but he could smell the "smell of Hu Yun" on Yin Qing. Looking more closely, there was a faint red glow, but he had to admit that this mask was magical.
"Master Yin, let the kids deal with their own issues. Come over and play a game of chess?"
Yin Zhaoxian smiled and walked towards Ji Yuan who was sitting at a table in the yard a little further away.
"Haha, that's exactly what I meant!"
As he approached the stone table, he saw that Ji Yuan had already set up a chess endgame. He had actually seen this endgame many times. Although there were some differences each time, he could generally recognize that it was a similar game.
"Mr. Ji is setting this up again?"
"Well, I can't put it right, I can't remember it, forget it."
Ji Yuan smiled and picked up the chess pieces on the board and put them back into the chess box one by one. Yin Zhaoxian also sat down and picked up chess pieces of another color.
…
About half an hour later, a team of guards came trotting in neat steps on Rong'an Street where the Yin Mansion was located. Behind them were two luxurious carriages, and around them were some guards and servants with unusual clothing and appearance.
The team soon arrived at the gate of Yin's mansion and stopped. When the guards at the gate saw this, they knew that an important person had arrived, but they couldn't tell where the guards were wearing their uniforms, and there was no identification on the carriage, so they didn't know who the person was.
"I wonder which gentleman is visiting? Let's go in and inform the master!"
The foreman at the door did not dare to be negligent. He led his men down the steps of Yin's mansion and came to the front of the queue to greet them with a bow.
On the carriage in the distance, the thick fur curtain was lifted from the inside, and a man in a tall hat and black shirt came down from it. The head guard at the gate was startled, thinking that it was a eunuch. The person in the carriage must be either from the palace or related to the royal family!
The eunuch always bent his body slightly when he walked, and it seemed that he was taking small steps, but in fact his speed was not slow. He quickly passed the group of guards and came in front of the foreman of the gate of Yin's Mansion. The eunuch's slightly sharp voice rang out.
"This messenger from the Prime Minister's residence, go in and inform Lord Yin that the third young master has brought his wife and daughter to visit him. Tell Lord Yin and he will know who it is."
The third young master
The gatekeeper frowned, but did not dare to be negligent and bowed.
"I will go and inform the master right away. Please wait for a moment!"
"Well, thank you for your help."
After the eunuch finished speaking, he turned around and walked towards the carriage. The guards at the gate did not dare to delay and quickly ran back to the mansion.
Not long after, Chen Ayuan trotted briskly to the guest house in the backyard of Yin's mansion. After subconsciously glancing at the red fox who was talking to Yin Qing and Yin Zhong, he quickly came to the table where Yin Zhaoxian and Ji Yuan were playing chess.
In this yard, even if there was an urgent matter, Chen Ayuan would slow down his pace and then bow.
"Master, Mr. Ji, I am sorry to interrupt your chess game."
"What's up?"
Yin Zhaoxian put down the piece and turned to look at his loyal servant.
"My Lord, there is a procession of carriages outside. It is quite a big event. There is a eunuch in the procession who informed the gatekeepers that the Third Young Master is visiting with his wife and daughter."
Yin Zhaoxian frowned.
"Third Young Master?"
"Dad, the emperor is here!"
Yin Qing also heard the conversation here and expressed his guess with a certain tone.
"Oh, yes, it must be the Emperor who has come! Mr. Ji, it looks like this game of chess between you and me is going to end in a draw!"
Ji Yuan smiled and nodded at him.
"You, you can't tell who's the winner? I'll win in less than twenty moves."
"Hey, hey, hey, how can you say that? How do you know I don't have a backup plan? The emperor is coming, and I have to go to receive him. I'll do it another day, another day!"
Yin Zhaoxian stood up first, then hurriedly followed Chen Ayuan, and also brought Yin Qing and Yin Chong with him. Since the emperor was coming in person, naturally the whole family had to go to greet him.