Some viewers in the chat had already gone to the scene to take a look. Since filming was prohibited, they could only describe it.
[The police have cordoned off the area. Looks like it really is serious. Even the cops who try to go inside end up walking back out for no reason.]
[Holy crap, is it really that spooky? Hasn't anyone taken pictures or videos?]
[Didn't they say filming wasn't allowed?]
[Honestly, I really can't see anything wrong here. Aside from the lights being off inside and it being a little cold nearby, there's really nothing strange.]
Qu Nanzhu put down his phone. Knowing what he wanted to do, the eighteen little paper figures beside him scrambled to get in front of him. Qu Nanzhu caught the two jumping highest between his fingers and infused them with merit.
"Go," he said softly.
At those softly spoken words, Number Ten and Little Eighteen shot out the window with a whoosh, vanishing in an instant.
Qu Nanzhu reassured Bai Ting, "All right, don't be scared. I've sent two reliable friends to find you. Can you wait a moment?"
Bai Ting sobbed as she asked, "How long until they get here...?"
Qu Nanzhu sensed their location. "Any second now."
[Hmm, I feel like Qu Bao just did something incredible.]
[Exactly. I noticed today that Qu Bao keeps looking off-camera. What's outside the frame?!]
[Our baby isn't living with someone, is he?!!]
[I'm so done with you romance-brained people. Can't it just be a friend or something?]
[Leaving that aside, isn't anyone curious who the two reliable friends Qu Bao mentioned are?]
[Me, me, me! I'm really curious!]
As it happened, Bai Ting asked too. She really wanted someone to talk to right now, and sniffled as she asked, "Big brother, who are those friends you mentioned?"
Qu Nanzhu felt he ought to tell her in advance so she wouldn't get frightened again. He picked up a little paper figure making a fuss beside him and showed her. "Two little paper figures. Look, they look like this."
The little paper figure, suddenly grabbed: "!?" Let me go!
It struggled twice in Qu Nanzhu's hand. Its restraints disappeared as suddenly as they had come, and the little paper figure shot out of frame, then smacked flat against the ceiling.
Number Eight: "..."
Bai Ting stared, dumbfounded.
So did the viewers in the livestream. Clutching their phones and tablets, they practically wanted to shove their eyes into the screens to check whether they'd seen wrong.
That little paper figure had just moved, hadn't it?!
Hadn't they said no one could make paper figures that moved?
[Watching Qu Bao's livestream reshapes my whole worldview every day.]
[I remember when Qu Bao was cutting out paper figures last night, some guy said they couldn't move. Now he's been slapped in the face.]
[Are we sure it isn't special effects? With today's technology, effects like that shouldn't be hard, right?]
[Then tell us exactly what part isn't hard. Besides, why would Master Qu need to do that? You can't even post clips from his livestream.]
[That comment hurts. I can't even make a video to recommend Qu Bao. Waaaah.]
As far as Qu Nanzhu was concerned, he was already used to being restricted.
Outside Bai Ting's home, the on-duty celestial master watching the livestream shook the phone in his hand in disbelief.
This has to be fake. Am I seeing things? Didn't the masters say the Paper Person Technique had been lost long ago?
His brain was still reloading its save when he saw two streaks of golden light fly over from the distance.
Within a second, they darted to the window of the caller's home.
With his Heavenly Eye open, he could see a little more than ordinary people, so the house that looked quiet to everyone else was wreathed in black energy in his eyes, with ghostly silhouettes occasionally appearing.
The arrival of those two little paper figures was like the coming of light.
The young policewoman beside him tugged his sleeve. "Am I seeing things? There seem to be two things glowing gold over there."
The young celestial master: "..."
The young celestial master said, "Don't worry, you're not seeing things. Those are our reinforcements."
But was it his imagination, or did those two little paper figures seem eager to have a go?
Number Ten and Little Eighteen carried the merit Qu Nanzhu had bestowed on them. Never mind one mid-level evil ghost-they wouldn't be afraid even if ten more like it showed up.
The evil ghost had sensed two immensely dangerous presences and was already hiding. Number Ten charged into the black mist without another word. Little Eighteen searched around outside, then charged in after him.
The young celestial master's phone kept beeping. He opened it and saw Fuchenzi frantically messaging him.
Daoist Priest Fuchen: [Daoming, did you see those two paper figures?]
Daoist Priest Fuchen: [Take some pictures for me.]
Daoist Priest Fuchen: [??? Where are you, brat?]
Daoist Priest Fuchen: [You're usually so sharp. Why are you useless when it matters?]
Daoist Priest Fuchen: [I really need to talk to your master and have him knock some sense into you.]
It wasn't just Daoist Priest Fuchen. The other seniors were frantically messaging him too.
Daoming swore this was absolutely the most popular he'd ever been with his elders.
Just then, intermittent, bloodcurdling screams began coming through Bai Ting's side of the livestream.
Bai Ting was like a wind-up doll, springing up every time something howled outside. The viewers' sense of humor and their morals were throwing elbows at each other.
Then Bai Ting felt something wriggle under her blanket. She turned her screen toward it to use as a flashlight-a flat little paper figure.
Little Eighteen propped up her flat body, split her mouth into a grin, and let out two high-pitched sounds-
"Hee-hee!"
Bai Ting answered her with a hysterical scream.
"Aaaah-!"
Bai Ting instantly flung off the blanket wrapped tightly around her and shrank into the corner of the bed.
Little Eighteen, still propping herself up: "..." No more hee-hee.
[I don't know whether to feel sorry for Bai Ting or myself.]
[Feel sorry for Qu Bao. He looks like he's already lost the will to live.]
[He specifically showed her a paper figure to prepare her, but who would've thought the little paper figure would still come out on top?]
[Honestly, though, that little paper figure's laugh really was terrifying. Just like a female ghost.]
Refusing to give up, Little Eighteen took another two steps forward.
Bai Ting waved at her, trying to stop her from coming closer.
She knew Master Qu had sent her to save her, but she was truly terrified of these supernatural things right now, so please, don't come any closer!
Qu Nanzhu could see her resistance to the little paper figure. Knowing this still called for the people's police, he told Little Eighteen to go help Number Ten.
Little Eighteen drooped her head dejectedly, unable to understand why anyone would dislike her when she was so cute.
It must be that evil ghost's fault.
At that thought, Little Eighteen immediately became filled with murderous intent.
The evil ghost wasn't hard to kill, but he was hard to catch. Number Ten was trapped in the illusion he had created, and being unfamiliar with the home, Number Ten had been led out of the house several times.
Daoming had thought he wouldn't get a chance to film them, but when he saw golden light flying in and out, his hands moved faster than his brain. He pulled out his phone and started recording.
The young policewoman beside him tugged his sleeve again and reminded him, "Daoming, filming isn't allowed here."
Daoming explained quietly, "We'll only circulate it internally."
The young policewoman scrunched up her face. "Then remember to write a self-criticism report for the boss."
Daoming looked at her in disbelief.
With Little Eighteen cutting off the escape routes, the two little figures soon caught the evil ghost and gave it a vicious beating.
Sharing Number Ten's hearing, Qu Nanzhu heard the evil ghost frantically begging for mercy, along with Little Eighteen's gleefully unrestrained "kekeke" laughter. He couldn't help chuckling softly.
"All right, it's dealt with. Bai Ting, can you walk out on your own?"
[Huh? That's it? Has it even been five minutes?]
[Nope, not even four. So this is God Qu?]
[I'm at the scene. I don't know how to describe it. It was like watching a laser pointer show, just a dot of light zipping around, and then the police could go in.]
[If the police hadn't kept failing to get inside earlier, I'd have thought this was all an act.]
[Same. And why aren't we allowed to film or livestream at the scene?!]
[Not being allowed to film is normal, isn't it? You can't even post clips of God Qu's livestream. And look how many gifts those big spenders have sent. It's more than enough to get him on the hourly rankings, but look-our God Qu's livestream isn't even at the very bottom.]
[Ah, the powers that be. Ah, suppression.]