Beast Power Paper Talisman, Eighty Percent Strength

The sun rose and set, and three days passed in the blink of an eye.

But some people's lives had already been forever lost three days prior.

Although the bandits who ambushed Master Xu had disappeared collectively, the news of Master Xu being killed in his own mansion within the city eventually leaked out, spreading throughout Linyuan City.

For a time, Linyuan City became a place of fear and suspicion, with even the wealthy and affluent feeling a sense of impending danger.

Meanwhile, this situation seemed to have no bearing on Chu Ge, the deep-water giant crocodile who had casually annihilated the bandit leader.

Inside a secret chamber of the Chu Family, oil lamps illuminated the room brightly.

Chu Ge was using a pair of scissors to trim Gold Paper, then, along with colored wax paper, cold gold, liquid gold, silver, cinnabar, and other materials placed beside him, he began drawing intricate patterns on the paper.

Over the past three days, he had already finished processing the painted Fu Wei shadow puppets.

Now, he was just waiting for the other materials to be prepared before he could create the shadow puppet paper figures.

However, he now intended to use his wood carving skills to create a talisman totem for himself that would enhance his strength—a Beast Power Paper Talisman.

For ordinary paper cutting, the materials could be bamboo paper or Xuan paper.

But for creating Beast Power Paper Talismans, Gold Paper or specially tanned Animal Hide Paper was best.

Different types of paper had varying adaptations to spiritual energy, thus achieving different effects.

For instance, Gold Paper was more durable, heat-resistant, and long-lasting, generally serving as the core for carrying spiritual energy, enduring without easy damage.

He had now reached the Blood Change Realm, his cultivation gradually stabilizing. His blood within his bone marrow had accelerated with the nourishing meals over the past few days, his strength greatly advancing, and he had firmly settled in the early stage of the Blood Change Realm.

However, considering the threat of the Iron Token Envoys from the Heaven and Earth Incense Cult, Chu Ge felt the need to prepare multiple means of self-protection, with Beast Power Paper Talismans being one of his trump cards.

Beast Power Paper Talismans not only had requirements for the basic paper materials but also needed extremely expensive and rare ingredients such as Tiger Bone Powder, Giant Python Blood, Ivory Powder, and Giant Whale Oil. Special ink was developed to draw the patterns, thereby creating a medium capable of carrying spiritual energy.

It had taken Chu Ge a year and a half just to collect these materials.

For now, he didn't even have the ability to directly cut such a talisman; instead, he was carving it based on the patterns in the Five Mao Mountain Marvelous Skill manual, using his wood carving technique.

Wood carving involved using a knife to imitate woodblock printing on paper.

After three days of practice, Chu Ge had failed several times in the process, wasting a considerable amount of materials. Now, he had gradually found a feel for it.

As the sharp knife glided across the Gold Paper, a winding, continuous line of cut paper gradually emerged.

Simultaneously, Chu Ge, using his other hand, divided his attention, quickly tracing the line with a small brush dipped in special ink, applying the first layer of ink.

"This operation is quite troublesome. If only a skilled craftsman could create a special fine-tip brush, similar to a fountain pen but extremely sharp and capable of cutting Gold Paper, perhaps my success rate and efficiency in creating spiritual energy paper talismans would improve."

This thought flashed through Chu Ge's mind, and he immediately refocused his attention on the task.

Meanwhile, after an in-depth investigation into the ambush of Master Xu, the yamen runners of the County Town, based on various clues, gradually traced the culprits to the Thirteen Golden Spear Bandits, who had recently been active outside the city.

Inside the County Town Yamen.

City Guard Captain Tian Youji sat in the main seat, frowning as he reviewed the report on the Xu Family case. He said in a deep voice, "The Thirteen Golden Spear Bandits, this group originally came from the Western Regions as horse bandits. They were pursued by the imperial court but were then developed by the Heaven and Earth Incense Cult into their pawns for robbery and plunder, providing them with shelter.

These bandits showed their tracks a while ago when they plundered merchants outside the city.

However, they are very cunning, and I couldn't confirm their identities immediately.

It seems they have already made contact with a nearby Skyfire Cult stronghold. I had planned to wait for the Demon Suppressing Division to send experts before apprehending them all, but I didn't expect... they have become so rampant!"

A young yamen runner, who was presenting the case file, hesitated and said, "Sir, I suspect the Thirteen Golden Spear Bandits have already fled.

According to my investigation, there have been no more merchants or travelers harassed by the Thirteen Bandits in or outside the city these past few days. It's as if they've all suddenly gone quiet, which is uncharacteristic of their usual behavior."

Tian Youji let out a cold snort and chuckled, "A leopard can't change its spots. They committed a major crime in the city and are now hiding out of fear, but they can only hide for so long. When hunger strikes, they'll come out again."

He paused, recalling news from other towns, and said gravely, "The Heaven and Earth Incense Cult has become increasingly rampant in recent years. Many wealthy merchants in various towns have suffered. I suspect they might be planning something new.

Go and notify the major wealthy merchants in the city to hire more guards and increase their vigilance. Try to avoid leaving the city."

"Yes!" The yamen runner turned, revealing a sallow face. It was none other than Little Qin, who had previously traded spirit fish with Chu Ge.

Tian Youji watched Little Qin leave, his eyes flashing with a cold glint. He was weighing the potential casualties if he were to lead his men to attack the Heaven and Earth Incense Cult stronghold and eliminate these madmen right now.

"It still depends on how many experts the Demon Suppressing Division sends. I also need to pay Brother Hu a visit."

After a long while, a sigh echoed from within the room.

The Great Zhou was becoming increasingly chaotic and declining. Various forces, both righteous and nefarious, were emerging everywhere.

Within the Demon Suppressing Division, there were also rumors of intense internal strife, and they might not pay much attention to a small city like Linyuan.

In the Chu Family's secret chamber, which had been sprayed with deodorizing incense.

A stone vat weighing two thousand pounds was suddenly flung away by Chu Ge, the air whistling as it was compressed, creating a suffocating atmosphere.

The moment he threw the vat, Chu Ge bent his knees and sprang forward like a tiger descending a mountain, his momentum unstoppable.

In the blink of an eye, he had reached the predicted landing spot. He suddenly stood upright like a fierce tiger, his arms exerting force as he lifted. With a roar, his back muscles bulged like an expanding, knotting dough, emanating immense power, revealing a ferocious ghost face.

The Tiger Crouching Technique was a hard-qigong. At this moment, Chu Ge's circulation of qi and blood was like a tiger standing on its hind legs, possessing immense strength.

"Bang!"

The ground trembled, and dust swirled.

Chu Ge's body flickered. Without even needing to unload the force, a paper-cut pattern on his back, resembling a talisman, trembled slightly. The multi-colored patterns on it seemed to flash, and the strange power attached to the paper talisman formed a peculiar force that merged into his body, allowing him to forcefully withstand the heavy stone vat falling from above.

A stone vat weighing two thousand jin could be easily lifted by someone who had reached the Blood Change Realm.

The difficult part, however, was forcefully catching the stone vat while it was falling at high speed.

The impact force carried by such speed was incomparable to merely lifting two thousand jin.

Chu Ge exhaled, and with a "rumble," he put down the stone roller.

"After using the Beast Power Paper Talisman, my strength increased by about eighty percent! The duration is about ten breaths."

Chu Ge felt it carefully and sensed the power from the paper talisman on his back fading. He tore off a paper talisman from his back to examine it.

Sensing that a wisp of the strange power infused into the paper talisman had been consumed, he felt a pang of pain but also made a judgment.

"It seems that using it once consumes a wisp of strange power and lasts for about ten breaths.

This should not be the limit of the paper talisman's effect, but the limit of my skill."

This paper talisman was precisely the Beast Power Paper Talisman he had created in the past two days.

The pattern on the paper talisman was very complex, depicting a strange totem with the head of a tiger, the tail of a dragon, and the body of an elephant. Every strand of hair and whisker was present, with muscles and textures depicted with exquisite detail, symbolizing power.

With Chu Ge's current paper-cutting skills, he could only use wood carving techniques to cut out this paper talisman. Therefore, it couldn't be considered a good paper talisman, and its efficacy and number of uses were limited.

However, by using this Beast Power Paper Talisman as a medium, he could borrow the power of strange energy in advance to enhance his own strength.

"I just don't know how it compares to the so-called secret technique of strange power used by that Iron Token Envoy?"

Chu Ge pondered, reattached the paper talisman, put on his clothes, and walked out of the secret chamber.

"Young master, the eldest young lady has sent a letter and a package! Also, Bailiff Qin from the county yamen is here to visit!"

Steward Fu, upon seeing Chu Ge emerge from the secret chamber, immediately stepped forward with a letter and a package to report.

He knew that the young master had been waiting a long time for this reply.