A Visual Magic Trick

It involved one more step than a regular paper doll... or rather, one more cost, but Carlos's method this time was immediately effective.

His description was clever; logically speaking, every state of his body that existed without his consent was a potential hazard that could cause him harm.

If anyone causes him harm that allows them to control his body, this state will be materialized in the paper doll, so that Carlos will be aware of it.

As soon as he finished speaking, Carlos waited for the result to appear on the paper figure, Yu Xing also waited to see how this almost inviolable power of rules would determine his current existence.

The little paper figure with a speck of bright red smeared between its brows reacted for a moment.

Amidst the "shared" anticipation of the two, the paper figure twitched in Carlos's hand, then struggled to its feet. Suddenly, most of its facial features melted away, and the melted ink mingled together again, wriggling like thin worms, eventually merging to form a new Chinese character.

[Mirror]

Yu Xing was puzzled. A mirror? What did he have to do with mirrors?

Carlos, however, did not have any subjective feelings of denial. After seeing the word, he squinted and looked up at the large mirror above the toilet sink.

He wondered if he was under some kind of curse related to mirrors. Would he imitate the actions of the person in the mirror in reality?

This guess was perfectly reasonable. Carlos's first reaction was that it was the Lingren's doing. After all, the Lingren hadn't appeared in front of him for quite some time. Apart from the uncertainty about whether Xiao Yao was in danger, the Lingren should have done something to give him a headache.

If it turns out that the spirit in the mirror can indeed control him in reality, and Xiao Yao suddenly tells others that he has been infected by the vengeful spirit virus, with the mirror as evidence, then it would indeed put Carlos in a difficult position.

In a flash, he had figured out the entire chain of conspiracy and felt that his thinking made perfect sense.

Carlos held the small paper figure with the character "mirror" appearing in his hand, and with a calm demeanor as if he had already seen through the conspiracy, he walked step by step towards the washbasin.

His reflection gradually appeared in the mirror. His superior height allowed his entire upper body to be reflected in the mirror. He stared at himself in the mirror and revealed a provocative smile.

His soft, wavy, gray-blue hair was fluffy and his exposed face and neck had a healthy, fair complexion. His somewhat mixed-race appearance made his age very ambiguous; one could say he was in his early twenties, or one could say he was already twenty-seven or twenty-eight.

Above her high, straight nose were a pair of bright green eyes that shone like gemstones and were as deep and clear as the finest jade.

Even wearing the base's uniform white, loose-fitting clothes that resembled hospital gowns couldn't hide his striking good looks.

Carlos murmured, "Control of the mirror?"

Unsure whether the Lingren was watching him, Carlos maintained his usual air of mystery and the composure of Magician controlling the entire scene. But in Yu Xing's eyes...

This person was like a complete idiot, trying to outsmart thin air, and even admiring his own beauty in front of the mirror.

Yu Xing: "..."

He wanted to laugh, but felt it wouldn't be very kind of him to do so. Most importantly, he couldn't laugh right now, which was such a pity.

Because he was attached to Carlos's body, it was a kind of possession state. So when his will was very strong, he could drive this body to make some small movements, and those few things that made Carlos feel like he was seeing ghosts were all done by Yu Xing.

So mirrors really are useless after all?

A sentence flashed through Yu Xing's mind. The next moment, Carlos showed Yu Xing that it was best not to use the adjective "idiot" too early.

Carlos observed the reflection in the mirror for a long time but couldn't see anything unusual. So he picked up the small paper figure he was holding in his palm with one hand, and in the other hand, he held a pair of sacrificial scissors that Yu Xing had never seen before.

The scissors were entirely black, rusty and weathered, giving them a worn and dilapidated look. However, sacrificial offerings with obvious signs of time are generally not of poor quality.

Carlos muttered incantations once more, "At the cost of the paper offering, complete another perfect magic trick. Let all the entanglements within me be revealed as the paper figure shatters."

With no one around and not a stage where lines needed to be recited in dramatic inflections, Carlos recited these seemingly cheesy, ritualistic phrases in a low, soothing rhythm.

It sounded like a muttered monologue when bored, or a prayer to a familiar divine friend. Coupled with Carlos's naturally soothing voice, these few words had a suggestive and hypnotic effect.

As soon as he finished speaking, Carlos used the scissors in his hand to cut off the head of the paper figure with a drop of blood between its eyebrows.

A crisp "snap" sounded.

The paper figure was cut in two, and seemed to let out a brief scream. Horrible blood began to gush from the blade of the scissors, as if a piece of flesh had just been cut.

The rust stains became infected with blood, turning into red marks.

Carlos felt a sudden clarity before his eyes, and the reflection in the mirror began to slowly change. His surroundings were normal; only his reflection was changing.

Ah, so it's finally time for the mischievous ghost to reveal its true form?

For a ghost that has established a connection with itself, forcibly attacking its reflection in a mirror would only result in both the shadow and the real person suffering the same fate. What Carlos did was to transform this connection into a state that can be separated, so that the person in reality and the reflection in the mirror no longer live and die together.

This way, he can punish any ghosts that dare to cause trouble in front of him without restraint.

Until a second ago, Carlos still thought so.

However, a second later, his green eyes Yu Xing of Yu Xing, who also had a slightly surprised expression in the mirror.

Carlos: "...?"

Yu Xing: "... Oh dear."

Yu Xing discovered that he had been restrained one less time; at least he could speak again.

After Carlos cut it with the scissors, he watched helplessly as his reflection in the mirror transformed from Carlos himself into a figure attached to Carlos.

In other words, he is the one looking in the mirror now, and the image Carlos sees in the mirror is also him.

No wonder the paper doll's clue was "mirror"—it was a way to reveal its true form!

In the ensuing awkward silence, Carlos spoke first.

His expression was complicated; this was clearly a serious performance mishap for the Magician.

How could it be you?

All the questions contain a variety of meanings, such as "How did you get here?", "So it was you who caused the trouble", and "I thought you were coming, but I didn't expect you to get here like this".

Yu Xing blinked, looking utterly innocent in the mirror. He'd been caught red-handed possessing someone, and had also taken a moment to appreciate Carlos's "composed" demeanor. He felt he deserved a beating, both morally and logically.

Whether he was allowed to fight or even if he could win was another matter, but Yu Xing. He tried to calm Carlos's constantly changing expression and gave a big, fake smile, "Think of it this way, you know, Magician, there are always magic shows happening around you, and this! is just a visual magic surprise~"

Carlos's face was practically frozen; he rarely showed such a blank expression as Zhao Yijiu.

Surprise, my foot!