Chapter 40 Don't be afraid, I'm not human.

Xu Cangyu had a spirit-locking ring on his wrist and was locked in a room. The two guards at the door looked like twins, and even their clothes and expressions were identical, which made people feel uncomfortable.

Light shone through the window, and only upon closer inspection could one see that even the window itself was painted on, while the two or three fragrant flower branches beside it were lifelike paper flowers.

He picked it up, glanced at it, and then tossed it into the vase.

"No wonder there are rumors that there are no living people in Wumenli. Who wouldn't feel like they're in the underworld when they go to such a ghostly place?"

Upon opening the door, both boys turned around and said in unison:

Are you hungry?

Although he didn't feel comfortable with these two people, he had to be polite and agreeable since he needed their help, so he nodded and said "Mm".

The two boys chuckled, their smiles stiffening: "Then you'll continue to starve. The sect leader only wants us to guard the doors."

"A day and a night shouldn't be enough to starve me to death here, right? Where are the fasting pills?"

The two men's smiles remained unchanged. "The sect leader only instructed us to guard the doors."

Xu Zangyu felt a chill run down his spine from their laughter. He noticed that the two of them hadn't blinked, and his smile gradually froze. He closed the door without saying a word.

The shadows outside the window revealed that the two people were still looking inside and hadn't turned their heads. After a long while, they turned back to their original positions in unison and at a steady pace.

Xu Zangyu couldn't help but curse inwardly: What bad luck! Can't we even use a living person?

Rubbing his arms, which were covered in goosebumps, Xu Cangyu slumped onto the bed. Fortunately, the bed wasn't made of paper, and the blankets on it weren't made of paper either.

The dressing mirror on the windowsill reflected a deathly pale face. Xu Zangyu glanced up casually and was startled. It turned out that his blank, pale face was quite terrifying.

He didn't consider himself a coward, but after staying here for a while, he became suspicious.

Covering his back with that mirror made the chill feel much better. He had thought the Ascetic Cliff was terrifying enough, but he never imagined there was something even more sinister.

He would rather be imprisoned in the Tianyi Sect's jail than suffer in this godforsaken place.

*

Go to Wumen is a truly awful place. It's the only lifeless sect, hidden deep in the mountains and forests. The mountain roads are covered by heavy snow, and if you take one wrong step, you'll fall into a maze filled with poisonous fog.

The bells on the rooftops rang crisply, shaking off a clump of snow. Before it could hit anyone who happened to step on it, a folding fan blocked the fall.

"We have guests."

Chu Shu saw a person sitting in the snow-covered courtyard. The surrounding area was covered with snow, but this person was untouched by the snow.

His first impression was that it was lifeless; if the person hadn't spoken, he would have barely noticed anyone in the courtyard.

He hadn't realized that the Go-No-Door sect still existed; he had thought it had been wiped out long ago.

"The sect leader has captured one of my disciples named Xu Zangyu?"

"Perhaps... There are always some clueless people who provoke us and we can't get close to them." Wen Qianchu replied rather casually.

"I am sincerely seeking peace with the sect leader," Chu Shu said, taking out a heavy money bag. He opened a corner, revealing a dazzling golden light inside. Moreover, it was a Qiankun bag, containing even more than what was visible.

“My junior brother is timid and has no intention of harming anyone. He is unable to control his subordinates and has caused trouble for the sect leader. I hope the sect leader will forgive him. Here is ten thousand taels of gold. I wonder if this matter can be settled privately.”

Ten thousand taels of gold—a good price. Unfortunately, it didn't even catch Wen Qianchu's eye.

"I accept this as compensation, but a private settlement wouldn't be this price."

He gripped the folding fan tightly in his hand to avoid being slapped by Chu Shu.

He's just a disciple with no way out. Asking him for ten thousand taels of gold is an overestimation of his abilities. Wen Qianchu actually has the nerve to raise the price on the spot.

Wen Qianchu curled her lips into a cold smile. "Your ten thousand taels not only bought the life of my disciple, but also... the evidence of Xu Cangyu's assault and extortion. If it were anyone else, it would be one thing, but those who have nowhere to turn are always vengeful. Your gold cannot buy my disciple's forbearance."

He has no way out and no morals. If Chu Shu wasn't afraid that he would kill someone directly, she wouldn't have tolerated him again and again.

"In that case, why don't you name a price, Sect Leader?"

Wen Qianchu then showed some interest, his gaze falling on the gilded fan in Chu Shu's hand. "How is your fan?"

The facade of restraint was almost shattered, and his clenched fists cracked loudly.

A cultivator's natal weapon is equivalent to their second life. Even a desperate person wouldn't abandon their natal weapon to survive. Chu Shu was so angry she almost vomited blood. She took a deep breath and said, "I need to see the person first."

Wen Qianchu raised an eyebrow in surprise, not immediately agreeing, but looking up at the startled birds flying from the branches, a tuft of feathers fluttering down, its meaning profound.

"Going to Wumen is not a place you can just wander into. Young people may be brave, but don't lose your lives."

Chu Shu's heart tightened, almost thinking that Wen Qianchu had seen through everything, but he quickly looked away, as if it were just a casual remark.

Have we been discovered?

"You've certainly put on a good show."

Chu Shu's breath hitched, and the gilded fan, unable to bear the weight in her hands, bent slightly.

*

As he drifted off to sleep, a soft rustling sound woke Xu Zangyu. The mirror he had covered with his own hands was now being rearranged.

A person was sitting in front of the mirror, wearing the exact same clothes as him, and even the half of his face reflected in the mirror was exactly the same.

However, when you turn to the other side, you see a flat face without any features.

The rustling sound was the sound of the pen tip drawing facial features on that face.

Before Xu Zangyu could look away, he met the gaze of the person in the mirror. The person in the mirror forced a stiff smile. "Don't be afraid, I'm not human."

Xu Zangyu: "......"

Listen to yourself and see how sinister those words are.

It was another paper figure, just like the two outside the door. Xu Zangyu had expected it, so he wasn't scared to the point of fainting.

This thing wasn't meant to scare him intentionally. It drew his facial features, compared them to him in a mirror, and imitated his manner of speaking.

Do I look like you now?

Aside from a few subtle unnatural movements, it almost perfectly replicated his every move, and it's unclear how long this thing had been observing him.

Why are you copying me?

"Aren't you afraid of being punished? You stay here, and I'll go out and do the work for you, how about that? It's been a long time since I've felt like a human being."

"Not very good."

If this thing wants to replace him, how can he survive?

"I know you don't want to, but unfortunately you have no choice."

Cold fingers pressed against his brow, and Xu Zangyu felt his hands and feet suddenly freeze. Then, those hands squeezed him into a thin little paper figure and hung him under the octagonal lantern hanging from the roof beam, becoming a decoration just like the other little paper figures above.

The paper figure staring at him suddenly shushed: "Don't speak, someone's coming."

"......"

The problem is that he can't say a single word.

The paper figure lay on its side on the bed, mimicking his posture. A moment later, swords clashed outside, and two figures fell, limp and turning into two thin sheets of paper. The door opened, revealing Xiao Mingxin, who was supposed to be on the Ascetic Cliff.

"Junior brother."

The person in the bed was woken up by him and rushed into his arms in surprise, "Senior Brother Xiao."

"They may have hurt you."

Xu Zangyu shook his head. "How could the sect leader hurt me? I am his..."

Realizing he was about to say something wrong, he quickly corrected himself: "I am his bargaining chip."

The paper figure wasn't exactly a living person. It was buried in Xiao Mingxin's neck, and its breath was full of fresh yang energy. He couldn't help but lean closer and take another breath.

This person has a lot of yang energy; taking a breath of it shouldn't be detected.

Xu Zangyu, hanging above Xiao Mingxin's head, saw the paper figure's eyes turn red and wanted to warn him, but he couldn't move.

The paper figure gave him a defiant look and buried itself even deeper.

But Xiao Mingxin suddenly pushed him away, and the paper figure almost stumbled.

"Senior Brother Xiao?"

Xiao Mingxin apologized, "Are you alright? I thought I felt someone watching us just now."

The paper figure's smile was stiff, and it dared not look up in Xu Zangyu's direction. "Am I mistaken? I'm the only one in the room."

Xiao Mingxin drew his sword, "This place is strange. The two paper figures with eyes painted at the entrance are not living beings. Perhaps there are others hidden here."

The paper figure tugged at his sleeve in fear, "Ah? It's not a living person, Senior Brother Xiao, let's go quickly, I'm a little scared."

Xiao Mingxin patted his shoulder, "It's okay, if I can kill those two outside the door, I can kill the others."

The paper figure's expression grew increasingly stiff, before he managed a fawning smile as Xiao Mingxin cupped his face in her hands.

But the next moment, Xiao Mingxin swiftly chopped off his head with a knife.

"..." Xu Zangyu, who was hanging on the lamp, felt a chill on his neck.

There was no horrible blood. The head that Xiao Mingxin held in his hands became a thin sheet of paper, which he let go of and threw away, folding it together with the body on the ground.

"Junior brother."

He shouted into the air.

No one responded.

His cold gaze swept across every corner of the room, finally settling on the lanterns overhead. The sword's edge held the tiny figures hanging below, ready to be sliced ​​in two with the slightest force.

Xu Zangyu silently prayed that Xiao Mingxin would show mercy and not cut him in half like a paper doll, because even a living god couldn't piece him back together if he did.

As the sword light approached, Xu Cangyu had even prepared his last words, but suddenly his scalp tingled, as if the thread holding him up had snapped.

He floated in the air until he was caught by a hand.

"Junior brother?"

Xu Cangyu couldn't speak, he could only glare at him. After Xiao Mingxin channeled his spiritual energy into Xu Cangyu's brow, Xu Cangyu finally felt that he could move again.

However, he hadn't gotten used to this body yet, and when he jumped up, he almost fell off Xiao Mingxin's arms.

"careful."

Xiao Mingxin carefully pulled him back, afraid that if she used too much force, she would tear him apart.

"Phew, that scared me to death." It shrank to the size of a palm, and when it was in Xiao Mingxin's hand, the ground felt very high, almost like an abyss to him.

He turned his head and looked at his body from left to right, then suddenly deflated, "Uh... I'm so flat. Senior Brother, can't you help me return to normal?"

Xiao Mingxin's expression was grave. "The secret technique of the paper doll that leads nowhere can only be known by those who have nowhere to go. Perhaps I can find a solution after I have studied it for a while."

The little paper figure suddenly went limp and collapsed half-dead in Xiao Mingxin's hands.

"It's over, it's over. If someone sees me like this, I'll either be beaten to death like a ghost, or I'll be soaked to dust by a rainstorm."

Xiao Mingxin poked him with her finger to comfort him, "That won't happen."

Xu Cangyu was limp like a dead dog, originally not wanting to move at all, but suddenly his limbs stood up against his will, and he leaped up from Xiao Mingxin's grasp. He didn't fall to the ground, but was pulled forward by a faint red thread.

Xiao Mingxin used his spiritual power to block, but seeing Xu Zangyu's body being pulled and deformed by the two forces, he still let go.

The little man was eventually taken into the hands of the person outside the door.

"Since neither of you is sincere in seeking peace, don't blame me for being ruthless."

His eyes were icy as he looked at the paper figures on the ground. With a wave of his hand, the paper figures were glued back together.

"Thank you, Master."

The gatekeeper touched his restored body with delight, then looked at Xiao Mingxin, who was holding a sword, and shrank back. The paper figure inside with Xu Cangyu's face lowered its head timidly, not daring to look at Wen Qianchu.

This sight only made him more disgusted. "Useless idiot, next time I might as well just burn you."

"Disciple knows his mistake, thank you Master for saving him."

He looked up, and Wen Qianchu couldn't help but frown at the face he saw. "You changed your face."

“...Yes.” He didn’t dare to say more.

Chu Shu, standing outside the door, stared at the person in Wen Qianchu's hands with a grim expression.

If Xiao Mingxin hadn't seen through the fake Wen Qianchu, they would have not only lost everything on this trip, but also brought back a spy with nowhere to go.

"Sect Master, we have offended you this time. We hope you will forgive us."

Chu Shu had never been so humble to anyone before, but there was nothing she could do; Wen Qianchu was simply too cold-hearted.

"It's not that I don't want to talk to you two, it's just that the Heavenly Sect is probably not up to you two to decide right now."

The little figure in the palm of the hand was pulled by the red thread and shook, revealing Xu Cangyu who suddenly grew larger. Xu Cangyu swayed before realizing that he had turned back.

Thinking the sect leader was showing mercy, they saw him smile maliciously, "A few more distinguished guests have arrived. Who do you think they're looking for?"

Xu Zangyu's hands and feet were ice-cold; this day had finally come.

Whether you stick your head out or not, there's no escaping it.

A cold wind howled, and Xu Cangyu walked numbly outside. Chu Shu blocked his way, smoothing a stray strand of hair from his ear. "Don't be nervous. Tianyi Sect has no precedent for killing its own disciples—"

He suddenly stopped speaking.

Wen Qianchu scoffed, "Really? I've heard that your sect's second elder died at the hands of Sect Leader Chu."

Chu Shu's face turned deathly pale.

Xu Cangyu remembered that the Second Elder, who had passed away long ago, was actually Chu Shu's father. It was rumored that he had sold fake medicine to amass wealth, causing several deaths, and was hunted down and killed by other sects. So, it was the sect leader who personally took action?

The sect leader was indeed impartial and incorruptible.

If even an elder cannot escape accountability, how much more so an ordinary disciple like him?

As expected, Wen Qianchu saw three equally unpleasant faces, and couldn't hide the smile on her lips.

"Why worry so much? Sect Leader Chu wouldn't kill his own son-in-law for an outsider."

This statement was entirely a jab at Xu Zangyu's past boastfulness, and the deliberate emphasis on the word "son-in-law" made it hard not to hear the sarcasm in it.

She appears to be the daughter of the sect leader, but is actually the son of a sinner.

She has a secret identity and lives as a woman.

The precarious halo has fallen, leaving only a laughing stock for others to mock.

His status is borrowed, and the admiration of others is also borrowed. Without these, what else can support his arrogance?

The person next to him was stiff as a board. Xu Zangyu looked over with concern and reminded him, "There are steps ahead, Chu Shu."

It took a long time for that blank face to twist and regain its usual arrogant look. "Hmm... It's cold and the snow is slippery, so we should definitely watch where we're going."