Senior sister, stop working and go home for dinner.

Chapter 146 Coolie Blue

A few days later, several vans slowly drove along the newly built mountain road towards the gate of Yunyin Sect.

Chen Anran, along with Zhao Mengmeng and Qi Lan, were already waiting in an open space ahead.

"Are you sure you don't need to ask someone for help?"

"Why make such a fuss over a few stone statues?" Qi Lan pulled down the brim of his hat, his face full of arrogance. "I'll show you the physical strength and foundation of the demon race in a moment."

The truck came to a smooth stop, and Bin Dasheng jumped out, respectfully saying to Chen Anran, "Boss."

After exchanging greetings, Bin Dasheng and his apprentice opened the carriage door. Inside were stone statues fixed in place with wooden frames and foam, varying in size, but most were about half a person's height and looked quite heavy.

Qi Lan's amber eyes swept over the stone statues, and a confident smile curved her lips beneath her baseball cap.

"That's all?"

Chen Anran smiled without saying a word and made a "please go ahead" gesture.

Without further ado, Qi Lan walked to the back of the car and locked her gaze on a medium-sized statue of a deity holding a sword. She took a deep breath, and without any apparent effort, she simply put her hands on the base of the statue, slightly lowered her waist and abdomen, and with a soft shout, she steadily lifted the statue, which would have required at least two strong men to lift.

She wasn't even out of breath, and she even had the energy to adjust her posture to make the stone statue fit her body's center of gravity better. Then she started walking towards the sect on the mountain, her steps steady, as if she were carrying not a stone, but a large box of cotton.

"Fellow Daoist Qi, you have great strength," Chen Anran praised from behind.

Qi Lan didn't turn her head, but the brim of her hat moved slightly as a response, her back view exuding "relaxation and joy".

Bin Dasheng and his disciples stared in disbelief, muttering, "This female Taoist priest... she truly possesses divine power!"

Not only were they stunned, but when Qi Lan carried the stone statue past the resort construction site, it also attracted the attention of many workers, and many even took out their mobile phones to take pictures.

Next, Qi Lan repeated the process, easily moving two smaller statues. After several trips, her breathing remained steady, though a slight sheen of sweat appeared on her nose. Standing before Chen Anran, she dusted off her hands. "How was it? I told you, it's a piece of cake."

"Fellow Daoist Qi's physical skills are superb, truly admirable." Chen Anran nodded, then, as if just remembering something, pointed to a huge object at the deepest part of the truck, covered by a thick tarpaulin and clearly several times larger than the other stone statues. "Oh right, I almost forgot, there's also this 'big guy,' which is the main deity statue. I'll have to trouble Fellow Daoist Qi to bring it up the mountain as well."

Qi Lan followed his finger and her heart skipped a beat. The outline... seemed a bit beyond her expectations. But she had already made her bold statement; how could she back down now?

She pulled down the brim of her hat, pretended to be calm, walked to the back of the truck, and ripped off the tarpaulin.

A massive seated deity statue, nearly two people tall, solid and heavy, with intricate carvings, came into view. Its size and weight were enough to make one feel breathless just by looking at it.

Qi Lan: "..."

Bin Dasheng added in a low voice, "Boss, this statue is made from a single piece of high-quality bluestone, so it's... a bit heavy."

Qi Lan silently estimated that this weight was probably much heavier than the three statues she had just moved combined. She took a deep breath, this time adopting a proper stance, firmly planting her arms around the broad base of the statue, focusing her energy in her dantian, and suddenly exerting force—

"rise!"

The statue lifted off the ground with a thud, but it was clear that Qi Lan's arm and leg muscles tensed instantly, and the veins on her forehead under her baseball cap bulged slightly. She gritted her teeth and slowly moved off the truck, leaving a shallow footprint on the ground with each step.

"Heave-ho...heave-ho..."

Chen Anran thoughtfully suggested from the side, "Fellow Daoist Qi, why don't we let Huiming lend a hand? Although his foundation has been damaged, he is still a martial monk with a background in physical martial arts."

"No, no need!" Qi Lan squeezed out the two words through gritted teeth, stubbornly maintaining her last shred of dignity. She adjusted her posture, almost half-carrying and half-dragging the giant statue, and began to walk up the mountain.

The previous ease and carefree feeling was completely gone, replaced by a difficult struggle. The mountain path was steep and the stone steps were uneven. Every step Qi Lan took was extremely difficult. Sweat quickly soaked the back of her clothes, and the hair under the brim of her hat stuck to her forehead.

One moment she would hoist the statue onto her shoulder, feeling as if her shoulder was about to be crushed; the next she would drag it along, feeling as if her arm was about to dislocate. In her hands, the enormous statue seemed to have become the heaviest burden in the world.

Chen Anran followed behind her with Zhao Mengmeng and Huiming.

Zhao Mengmeng whispered, "Sister Qi Lan... seems to be working very hard."

Huiming clasped his hands together, his face showing reluctance: "Amitabha, Benefactor Qi Lan... your perseverance is commendable."

"Who told her to be so confident just now..." Chen Anran followed leisurely behind, occasionally "kindly" reminding him: "Fellow Daoist Qi, the road on the left is slippery, watch your step." "There's a tree on the right, don't bump into the statue."

Qi Lan didn't even have the strength to glare at him at this moment; all her attention was focused on wrestling with this "troublesome" deity.

Finally, when Qi Lan practically crawled to drag the last giant statue into the temporary side hall, and leaned against the door frame, panting heavily as if she had collapsed, Chen Anran timely handed her a cup of warm tea.

"Thank you for your hard work, Fellow Daoist Qi." Chen Anran said with a gentle smile.

Qi Lan took the teacup, drank it all in one gulp, and even her glare at him was weary. She groaned weakly, "Chen, An, Ran... you're really something..."

She decided that from now on, whenever Chen Anran mentioned any of the "three things," she would have to ask for the details first! This hard work almost cost her her dignity as a demon!

After catching her breath, Qi Lan turned her gaze to the statues.

Qi Lan caught her breath and glanced at the statues that had been roughly arranged in the hall. These stone statues were exquisitely carved, the figures lifelike, some majestic, some refined, some resolute, each with a unique form and extraordinary bearing. However, upon closer inspection, she discovered that none of these faces or attire corresponded to any of the Taoist deities, Buddhist bodhisattvas, or even any named deities from folk legends that she knew.

Zhao Mengmeng curiously leaned closer, tilting her head to examine them: "Master, these statues... they're so majestic! Who are they? I don't recognize any of them!"

Lin Xiaoman and Su Wan, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, also entered the side hall. Su Wan's gaze calmly swept over the statues of gods, a barely perceptible hint of doubt flickering in her clear, cold eyes. She was well-read, knowledgeable in ancient and modern legends and various beliefs, yet she couldn't recognize the origins of these statues.

Huiming clasped his hands together, his brows slightly furrowed. He carefully examined one of the statues, a deity with phoenix eyes, silkworm eyebrows, a face like a red date, a long, flowing beard, and holding what appeared to be a long-handled weapon. He pondered, "Such a majestic aura seems to resemble that of a Vajra who subdues demons, yet... it is quite different from any of the Dharma Protectors or Arhats in our Buddhist tradition. This humble monk is ignorant and does not recognize it."