The Paper Effigy Underground Palace's Secret to Aperture Opening (Double-length chapter, monthly vote bonus 4/8)

Xu Jin emerged from a room with a somewhat blank expression.

He could no longer remember how many paper rooms he had left in disappointment over the past few days.

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Every time he entered one, he thought he would discover something new and find the opportunity to become Kong Xunzhen's disciple, yet every time he came away empty-handed.

To find that opportunity, he had gone nearly a week without a proper night's sleep.

He slept roughly four or five hours a day, though that was only an estimate. It might have been even less, since there was no way to tell the time here.

Looking wearily at the paper offerings walking along the street, Xu Jin had more than once considered tearing them apart to see whether the supposed opportunity was hidden inside them.

But Kong Xunzhen's warning before leaving still echoed in his ears, and he dared not disobey.

With a sigh, Xu Jin trudged toward the next house.

After searching another seven or eight homes, Xu Jin felt exhausted.

He wanted to rest, but he was afraid of wasting time.

Keeping his weary eyes open, Xu Jin forced himself to continue searching. He reached the edge of the underground palace without finding anything.

"No, I really can't keep going. In this state, I might miss the opportunity even if it were right in front of me."

Having found an excuse, Xu Jin no longer wanted to push himself.

He glanced around, about to find a corner to sleep in, when his gaze suddenly fixed on something.

Several dozen meters behind him and to one side, a figure was walking back and forth.

One look told Xu Jin that it was that peasant, Chen Bai.

Shaking his head, Xu Jin ignored him and sat down