Paper Man, Wooden Sword

In Fanliang Land, the period from the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month to the 15th day of the first lunar month is a major time for worshipping the river god.

First came all sorts of pastries and fruits, served in turn, followed by Nuo opera performances before the gods, and daily kowtows and incense burning.

The medicinal powder and incense paste burned in the cauldron are all top-quality materials selected throughout the year, and are truly effective incense.

The selection of human sacrifices also takes place during the most auspicious ten days or so, culminating in the formal human sacrifice ceremony on the last day, where the selected offerings are placed on the altar.

The seven sorcerers were able to receive a blessing on this final day, becoming younger and more energetic. All the costs and mistakes they had made in their practice and use of sorcery could be repaired.

Therefore, ever since the seven sorcerers were no longer of one mind.

These ten days or so became the most intense period of their struggle.

Everyone is vying to be the one who receives the most blessings, and also vying to suppress others.

We're currently experiencing something like that.

The paper doll wizard only realized that something terrible had happened to the Heichi Nancang family when he subconsciously thought that another wizard had committed the murder.

However, once the paper curtain automatically rolled up to the top of the sedan door, the paper wizard looked closely and noticed something amiss.

The traces at the scene did not resemble the work of any wizard.

"Keep your eyes peeled, your ears open, and your nose catching all the scents of the world—go!"

The paper figure's white sleeves billowed, and a long row of paper cranes flew out from them, scattering in all directions, most of them hovering in the low sky.

A small number of paper cranes glided inch by inch along the ground, as if carefully sniffing the scents of the earth.

Ensure the perpetrator is no longer hiding at the scene.

Paper cranes also flew into the hall and saw the corpse monsters, who were now standing still.

In order to command them effectively, Heichi Nancang had almost completely worn down the inherent ferocity of these corpse monsters, so that he could act instantly with their minds in unison.

But for this very reason, once Heichi Nancang died, these corpse monsters fell into a state of ignorance and rigidity, like withered wood.

At this moment, about a hundred Black Tooth Clan gathered at the back of the hall, prostrated themselves on the ground, and kowtowed repeatedly to the sedan chair.

"This humble servant pays respects to the Gao Ming Wizard!"

Under the rule of Heichi Nancang, these people were in awe of the wizard. When they saw that Heichi Wizard had been killed, they were terrified and did not dare to approach the area.

Only after the murderer had been gone for a long time, and they saw the paper sedan chair flying towards them, did they dare to approach.

Amidst the sounds of bowing and worship, several more figures arrived one after another.

Three of the shamans were Broad Ears Clan. After mastering shamanic arts, their ears could transform, becoming as large as wings.

They fly at low altitudes by flapping their ears, and once they land, their ears shrink rapidly to the size of pig ears.

Although the three had large ears, they were all tall and thin.

The burly man and the woman among the three were father and daughter, standing only a few feet apart, each holding a long bamboo cane.

There was another one-eyed man, several feet away from them, holding a short bamboo stick in his hand.

Although they came from the same clan, the three did not have a particularly harmonious relationship.

Another old man, wearing a lotus leaf hat, short in stature, with thick, long white hair and beard, slowly emerged from the shadows of the house.

Finally, a man in a golden robe with Heichi arrived. He had high brow bones, thin cheeks, and a tuft of beard like a sharp cone.

All five wizards saw the Heichi Nancang lying dead on the wall, his body embedded tightly, and their faces twitched.

The Lotus Leaf Old Man said in a deep voice, "Gao Ming, was it you who attacked Heichi Nancang?"

The paper-figure wizard sat motionless in the sedan chair, not even sparing the old man a glance. "Does this look like something I would do?"

The old man chuckled strangely, but said nothing more.

The sorceress with wide ears stated bluntly, "The one most likely to make a move is Heichi San."

"Moreover, he was the most attentive to this place, yet he was the last to arrive. Did he rush back to change his clothes after the murder, which caused the delay? That's very suspicious."

Heichi San's eyes widened.

Gao Ming suddenly raised his voice. "Guards of the Heichi Clan, you must have witnessed something. Why don't you speak up?!"

Although he had a paper body, his voice was deep and powerful.

When the other wizards arrived, instead of asking about the situation, they started interrogating each other, which greatly annoyed him.

The guards, sensing his fury, were terrified and prostrated themselves on the ground.

"It was a Horse-Faced Jufu who killed the wizard, demolished several houses, and stole the best batch of fragrant pills and powders."

The expressions on the faces of all the wizards changed.

The Lotus Leaf Old Man asked, "Is it a white-haired Horse-Faced Jufu?"

The guard said, "No, his fur should be black, with a hint of red."

Heichi San sneered, "What does fur color matter? You can just dye it any color you want."

"This land is filled with the ashes of the Black Tooth Clan; Heichi Nancang should have been able to escape underground."

Heichi San is referring to the pit in the ground.

"He was caught and killed after he launched his escape. It must be Ma Mianjufu's magical power of manipulating earth and stone that hindered his escape."

The Lotus Leaf Old Man hesitated and said, "But Ma Lingbai came to us to conspire on something important. What reason would he have to attack Heichi Nancang?"

The sorceress with wide ears touched her ear and said, "It wasn't Ma Lingbai. He's been drinking in my house since evening and hasn't left."

Upon hearing this, the other wizards all turned to look at her.

Ma Lingbai is also a Horse-Faced Jufu.

More than half a month ago, he found the upper reaches of the Fanliang River in the deep mountains, went downstream, and came to this area to talk to seven shamans.

He displayed his formidable skills and sturdy build, easily destroying several magical artifacts and gaining the attention of the seven sorcerers.

"Ma Lingbai has come representing the God of Vengeance."

Gao Ming said, "He has a mission: to cooperate with the God of Flowing Waves whom we worship to open a secret passage to the human world."

"If this succeeds, those living people who benefit greatly from this will be worth many times more than the fragrant pills and powders collected by the Heichi family."

"Before facilitating communication between the two gods on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, he wouldn't risk offending the God of Flowing Waves by attacking our sorcerer."

Gao Ming's words were reasonable and well-founded, and the others understood them after a little thought.

The Witch with Wide Ears laughed and said, "But since the murderer is also a Horse-Faced, Ma Lingbai might know something about him."

"I think we should cordon off the Heichi family's residence first and have Ma Lingbai thoroughly inspect it several times. We should all leave now and not disturb the atmosphere here."

As soon as he said that, Gao Ming knew things were going to go wrong.

Heichi San indeed began to sneer like a night owl.

"This is all the property of my Heichi clan. You can inspect it, but you'll have to let me inventory everything first before you move it out."

"Otherwise, if you fence this place off, how am I supposed to know that something might appear in the Guang'er clan's home the very next day?"

The Wide-Eared Witch said calmly, "Are you still considered a member of the Black Tooth Clan?"

Heichi San's eyes flashed with a sharp look. "Did you take good care of that monkey in bed? Why are you so comfortable letting him come and help?"

The witch with wide ears raised her eyebrows and suddenly slammed her bamboo staff into the ground.

The bamboo cane only went in a little over three inches, but the ground seemed to be greatly stimulated.

Three zhang in front of the witch, a large mound rose from the ground, and the soil cracked open.

A black whirlwind burst forth from the ground, accompanied by a howling wind, moving at incredible speed.

The whirlwind, about half a person's height, was funnel-shaped and not particularly large.

But as the wind swirled and crashed past, the air was filled with a metallic smell.

One of the Black Tooth Clan guards, who had been lying too far forward, was brushed by the wind.

Suddenly, all the flesh and blood in his head disappeared, leaving only a skull riddled with holes.

"You killed my clansmen at will?!"

Heichi San found an excuse and flicked his sleeve.

A fist-sized, hollowed-out golden sphere shot through the air and crashed into the ground with a bang.

The black whirlwind, which was half a person's height, was instantly shattered by the impact of the golden ball.

The golden ball crashed to the ground, spinning rapidly, then suddenly emitted thick smoke and burst into flames.

Heichi San's lips moved rapidly, golden sparks flying Heichi, so fast that they left faint afterimages, indistinguishable, as he raised his finger in mid-air.

Clang!

The golden ball bounced up with a thud, accompanied by thick smoke and fire, like a tiny shooting star, and shot towards the witch.

The witch's two ears suddenly expanded to the size of wings, and her body soared into the air.

The bamboo staff pierced the air in mid-air, causing the air ahead to tilt and the airflow to meander and swirl.

Three black whirlwinds materialized out of thin air and surged toward the golden sphere in a staggered pattern.

The witch's father hesitated for a moment, then his eyes lit up as he thought about dividing the spoils of the Heichi family's fortune, and he drew a line on the ground with his bamboo staff.

Five whirlwinds, each the size of a human head, sprouted from the horizontal line he drew.

His individual strength may not be as great as his daughter's, but he is definitely more agile.

But as soon as the five whirlwinds appeared, the paper figures inside the sedan chair began to move.

"Enough!!"

The paper figure's body and the voice seemed to arrive at the same time.

The moment the paper figure moved forward, its entire body flattened, as if it had become a silhouette in a shadow puppet show.

If it were just a piece of soft paper, even with that speed, it wouldn't necessarily be that scary.

But this paper figure also had something else attached to its waist.

It was a red lacquered wooden sword, which appeared to be made of peach wood.

When the paper figure arrived in front of Guang'er's father, it suddenly turned into a three-dimensional form, its hand already drawing a long sword from its waist, and swung it across.

He annihilated the five black whirlwinds, each the size of a human head, with a single sword strike.

Guang'er's father felt a tremor in his heart, as his feet were lifted by the black current and he slid backward rapidly.

The paper figure didn't chase him at all; it simply floated lightly into the air.

His eyes were as black as lacquer, his cheeks were as white as snow, but there was a trace of bright red blood on his lips.

The paper doll, created through evil magic, uses softness to overcome hardness and activates a peach wood sword brimming with yang energy.

The longsword shattered the sound barrier in an instant, striking the golden firework sphere with pinpoint accuracy.

A transparent, sharp aura pierced through the golden sphere, extinguishing all the smoke and fire, dimming the sphere, and sending it flying back towards its owner.

The paper figure twisted, and the longsword changed direction in an instant.

The whirlwind that came from behind was pierced straight through by the wooden sword.

In a short time, the red lacquered wooden sword unleashed hundreds of sword flourishes.

Waaaaaaah!!!!

The sword's cry was sharp and long, and the speed at which the sword churned was even faster than the speed at which a whirlwind spun.

He completely controlled the whirlwind, which was half the size of a person, and swung it back.

The other two whirlwinds, pulled by the suction, collided with this whirlwind.

The three whirlwinds vanished in mid-air, and a burst of air shot out.

The witch with wide ears was thrown off balance and rolled backward before flapping her ears in surprise and uncertainty to regain her footing.

The paper figure floated back to the ground, its toes barely touching the ground before it floated back into the sedan chair.

Instead of sheathing the peach wood sword at his waist, he placed it across his lap.

Heichi San used his golden sleeve to block his golden ball, but he let out a muffled groan and looked at the paper figure with great surprise.

The one-eyed, wide-eared man and the Lotus Leaf Old Man both turned solemn, their steps shifting as they filled the empty spaces.

After the two of them changed positions, the three people who had been fighting just moments before suddenly appeared to be in harmony with each other.

The five people looked at the paper sedan chair together, seemingly sharing a common hatred for the enemy.

Have you all calmed down?

The paper figure Gao Ming glanced at the group of people and cursed inwardly.

He had been quietly accumulating strength, never revealing his full power, because he knew that such a situation might arise.

Originally, I planned to wait until after the blessing on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month this year, when my strength had improved further, and with the addition of Heichi Nancang, I could make a final decision on these five people.

Such a grand plan was ruined by a brainless Horse-Faced.

"Now that we've calmed down, leave the Black Tooth Clan's things here for now, and don't touch them."

The paper figure said grimly, "Now, please have Ma Lingbai come and take a look."

The corpses on the wall remained embedded there, the stench of blood mingling with the smell of the undead.

No one could tell that there was a drop of blood in the corpse that had been cursed and altered.

On the open field.

Chu Tianshu carried a large package on his back, sensing the "Divided Spirit Blood Curse" as he walked.

"Hmm, the unusual sound of wind, the sound of fireworks exploding, the sound of breaking the sound barrier, and... the whistling of a sword..."

"Wow, there's an unexpected bonus."

"God of Vengeance, that damned monkey is still as wicked as ever!"

(End of this chapter)