Chapter 7 Paper Man City 04
"What did you say?"
Lin Shenyin didn't seem to understand what he said, "Someone has already arrived?"
The housekeeper of Zhu's house yawned and said, "Yes, I have arrived a long time ago. I just finished talking to Master Zhu. Now... I should rest."
Lin Shenyin frowned: "Are you sure they are wizards? Not ghosts pretending to be wizards? We were attacked by ghosts on the way here, they are very likely the same thing."
"No. I am the one who receives everyone. There is a shadow under everyone. If it is a ghost, how could I not notice it?"
"But there are ghosts that can hide and look just like real people, and shadows are not..."
Seeing that he was pestering her endlessly, the butler became impatient, "Alright, alright! I can guarantee a thousand times that they are the wizards that Master Zhu has been waiting for for many days!"
The argument between the two attracted Brother Xiong and others who were waiting in the distance. They were ambushed by invisible ghosts on the road and finally found the entrance to Flatiron Town with great difficulty. Now they were too tired to speak.
Jiang Xinhui asked worriedly, "Why are they arguing?"
Brother Xiong said unhappily, "Who knows what happened?"
Jiang Xinhui said: "Let's go and take a look... We can't let him do all the work all the time."
Hearing this, Brother Xiong snorted, feeling very disdainful in his heart.
He had already blamed Lin Shenyin for his injury. If he had not relied on him to find the town in the end, he would have wanted to beat up this shameless boy halfway.
Having said that, whether they have a place to rest tonight depends on whether Lord Zhu will invite them.
As they approached Lin Shenyin, they heard the housekeeper impatiently say, "If you still don't believe me, I can tell you their names. Jiang Yuelu, Leng Jing, Zhao Xiaoxuan, Chen Chuan. These are the wizards who just came in."
"There is also an extremely noble young master with a few servants. Am I right, right, them?"
When Xiong Ge and the others heard that Jiang Yuelu and the others had arrived first, they were stunned. The housekeeper glanced at them and changed the subject: "Are you all wizards? You don't look like wizards at all."
"They were able to find the way up the city wall, and they were not afraid of the paper figures in our town, but arrived early. You said you were wizards, so why don't you act together?"
The butler sneered, "I didn't hear them mention any lost wizard companions... maybe, maybe -"
"Maybe you are the ghosts pretending to be you!"
Brother Xiong shouted angrily: "What did you say - who are you calling a ghost?"
"I was almost killed by a ghost along the way, and you actually said I was a ghost in disguise?!"
Lin Shenyin frowned and said, "Okay, stop arguing."
"Stop arguing?" Brother Xiong laughed angrily, "What qualifications do you have to order me around? Aren't you the one who boasts about your extraordinary abilities, Wizard Lin? We followed you because we trusted you, but you almost led us into a ditch!"
"Just say less..." Jiang Xinhui advised in a low voice.
"Don't pretend to be a good person!" Brother Xiong glared at them, "Tell me what you think, it would be better if you followed Leng Jing, haven't you ever thought about it?! If you followed Leng Jing, we would be the ones who can rest now."
"Instead of standing here, being looked down upon, suspected, and thought to be ghosts by a butler!"
Brother Xiong vented all his anger in one breath, breathing heavily, and his large body looked like a black bear in the shadows.
Jiang Xinhui and others who were yelled at by him lowered their heads and kept silent. Lin Shenyin, who was in the eye of the storm and whose trust had plummeted, did not have any extra expression. He seemed to be quite confident in his own strength and did not take other people's judgment into consideration.
Seeing that they all had their own opinions, the housekeeper was about to close the door and send the guests away, but he heard a voice behind him: "I know them, let them come in and rest."
The person who came was Jiang Yuelu.
He had been listening in the corner for a long time. The butler remembered him, the wizard personally appointed by the distinguished prince to accompany him at night, and immediately laughed: "Wizard Jiang, there are so many of them, are they all here?"
Jiang Yuelu nodded and said, "My prince loves to hunt for strange things. He has invited many talented people to travel with him. He has always respected wizards. If he knew that they were framed as ghosts, he would probably not be very happy..."
The housekeeper nodded repeatedly: "Of course, of course. I hope Wizard Jiang can say a few good words for me in front of the prince... Everyone, please come in, please come in!"
A group of people rushed in, only Brother Xiong gave the housekeeper a fierce look, and Lin Shenyin followed at the end.
He still didn't take Jiang Yuelu seriously, and still thought that they had found the right place thanks to Leng Jing's divination. There were wooden ladders on both sides of the city wall, and he just had bad luck, so he chose a broken ladder.
No matter what setbacks you encounter, they will not affect the outcome.
He will definitely be the winner.
So he didn't care about other people's contempt or disdain. As long as he had God's instructions... as long as God's voice kept ringing in his ears, he would surely have the most beautiful ending...
No one noticed that as Lin Shenyin walked to the end, a smile appeared on his face, and a flash of crazy scarlet appeared in the depths of his eyes.
-
On the criss-crossing corridors of the Zhu family mansion, Jiang Yuelu was leading a group of people towards the backyard, where were the guest rooms allocated by the housekeeper for them to rest. The further in they went, the quieter and more secluded it became. The innermost room, which was warm in winter and cool in summer, was Young Master Xia's resting place.
He counted the number of people and said, "There are only two guest rooms left here. How about one for the girls and one for the boys?"
Jiang Xinhui and her companions naturally agreed. Brother Xiong grumbled in dissatisfaction: "There are only two of them, so of course they can stay in one room...but there are four of us."
Jiang Yuelu looked at him and smiled: "Actually, the room is quite big."
"Just go to sleep." A voice came from behind, "We have to get up again at midnight."
The person who spoke was Lin Shenyin. Jiang Yuelu nodded: "You guys are going to get up at midnight?"
"Our great wizard predicted that the first round of questions will begin tonight." Brother Xiong said sarcastically, "If it's true, then we should congratulate Wizard Lin. After all, this is the first time he has not performed poorly."
He had forgotten that it was Lin Shenyin who brought him out of the maze-like mountains in the first place.
Lin Shenyin ignored him and said, "Go to bed early." He didn't seem to have any intention of sharing a dormitory with Brother Xiong. He sat on the stone bench in the yard, waiting for midnight to fall.
"Wizard Jiang."
When she turned around, she found that Jiang Xinhui had not left yet. She looked at Lin Shenyin hesitantly, feeling that she was a bit like a betrayer at the moment, and her voice could not help but become smaller: "Do you think you can answer the questions tonight?"
Jiang Yuelu nodded and said, "Yes. So go and have a rest. The longer you can sleep, the better."
He knew that Lin Shenyin was not exaggerating.
Half an hour ago, also in this place, Leng Jing told them very seriously that based on his previous experience of taking exams, on the first night, candidates would usually be asked to answer the first three multiple-choice questions which were less difficult.
Leng Jing was very cautious: "If you answer incorrectly, there will be a punishment. Although it is not fatal... it is still very uncomfortable to be punished."
"So you guys take this."
He had already regarded the three wizards who followed him as his own people. He opened the treasure chest and gave them out casually. This time he took out a dark brown iron piece, "Where are your student cards? Take them out."
After entering the Paper Man City, the black card that was shrunk from the registration form also came in with Jiang Yuelu. He had been keeping it in his wide sleeves. Now, after hearing Leng Jing's words, he thought about it and pretended to search for it on his body, "I don't know where I put it. Let me look for it."
His sixth sense told him that the student card was a very important thing for a student, and he couldn't just give it to Leng Jing based on the fact that he had only met him a few times.
Zhao Xiaoxuan and Chen Chuan handed them over very quickly.
Seeing them casually stuffing the student cards into their socks, Leng Jing was a little speechless, "...Actually, the student cards are quite useful. After you enter the school, there will be a special teacher to teach you how to use them."
Xiaoxuan asked: "Can't you teach us? I mean...if you teach us, we can use it in this exam room."
Leng Jing shook his head, "I won't help you. This is the rule of the academy."
He took the rules of the academy very seriously. This was why he had a disagreement with Lin Shenyin at the beginning. Leng Jing believed that no matter what, he had to follow the academy's arrangements. Since the NPCs and their personalities were arranged, they must strictly follow the rules and settings. Seeing Lin Shenyin's casual attitude, Leng Jing couldn't help but quarrel with him.
These are what Xiaoxuan told herself.
"Okay." Leng Jing brought the topic back, "After entering the test room——"
Xiaoxuan asked: "What is the test room? Where is it? How do we get in?"
Leng Jing pursed his lips, "When you were in class in the human world, didn't anyone teach you not to interrupt others when they were talking?"
Xiaoxuan said awkwardly: "...I'm sorry."
Chen Chuan looked at his girlfriend's pitiful appearance and hardened his heart. He did not speak for her, but just blocked her behind him to prevent the wizard from suddenly attacking. "She won't do anything unruly again, I promise. You continue talking."
Leng Jing held up the three small pieces of black iron, which were only as big as the corners of a student card. "After entering the test room, we will be isolated from each other and will no longer be able to hear each other's voices."
"But as long as we put this cheating stone on our student ID, we can keep in touch."
Xiaoxuan moved, wanting to say something but stopping herself. Leng Jing glanced at her, and she didn't dare to speak either.
Finally, it was Jiang Yuelu who asked, "Since it's called a cheating stone, is cheating allowed in the exam room?"
Leng Jing said, "Actually, it has another name. It is a common mineral in the academy, but someone discovered that it can be used as a communication stone in the examination room. So compared to its original... unremarkable name, it is more widely known as the cheating stone."
"Your worry is justified, but don't worry."
Leng Jing's eyes swept over.
"The requirements of the academy are very strict. Any cheating behavior that goes beyond the rules will be strictly prohibited. The cheating stone can be used, which means it has not crossed the red line of the academy."
Since even Leng Jing, who values rules, said so, it shouldn't matter much. Jiang Yuelu thought about it, took out the student card from his sleeve and handed it to Leng Jing, who took it, holding three cards in one hand and three iron pieces in the other, and drew transparent arcs in the air with both hands, like a simple spell completed silently.
The three of them stared at the air, as if they could see the distant academy through the dust.
"Okay." Leng Jing returned the card to the three people, "Although it's just three multiple-choice questions, you still have to be careful."
Chen Chuan held the card in his palm, and a surge of blood rose spontaneously: "Let's high-five!"
Jiang Yuelu and Leng Jing looked confused: "High five?"
"Yes!" Chen Chuan was very excited: "Don't people in anime always high-five and swear when they set out to fight a boss? I feel so excited every time I see it, let's do it too!"
Leng Jing: "No."
Xiaoxuan also shook her head.
Chen Chuan: "Why?"
Leng Jing turned his head away, "Too stupid."
Xiaoxuan: “Yeah.”
Chen Chuan: “…”
Jiang Yuelu looked at them and couldn't help laughing, "Okay, just listen to him." Then she stretched out her hand towards Chen Chuan.
Chen Chuan forcefully pulled Xiaoxuan's hand, and the three of them looked at Leng Jing together.
Leng Jing said helplessly: "..."
The four people turned their palms upwards and raised them again and again with great enthusiasm. Chen Chuan shouted, "Yoho, yoho, the Little Deer Spirit Team, move forward courageously——"
After putting down his hand and taking a few steps, Jiang Yuelu realized something was wrong: "He said...what team?"
Not only Xiaoxuan was shaking her shoulders and laughing, but even Leng Jing, who was trying to keep his mouth tight, was laughing. The moon in the sky was silently watching them through the clouds, as if it was puzzled by people's joy.
After all, death is coming soon.
-
“Whatever you see, don’t be afraid.”
"You will enter a room with mirrors on all four sides. The mirrors can reflect your greatest fears. You must resist the interference of the mirrors and think about the questions. Don't give rash answers."
Jiang Yuelu recalled Leng Jing's words.
After midnight, they met at the porch in front of the backyard. The wizards gathered together without any prior arrangement. After suffering the loss of acting alone, Brother Xiong and others suddenly remembered that they could also listen to Leng Jing's opinion.
As experienced people, Lin Shenyin and Leng Jing told them a lot of experience in answering questions, and Jiang Yuelu wrote them down one by one.
He was not standing in a very conspicuous position, but Leng Jing saw him at a glance, "Jiang Yuelu, do you have anything to add?" Hearing this, everyone turned around and looked at him.
Jiang Yuelu thought about it and nodded: "Yes, there are some."
He told the wizards who came later about the offerings at the shrine. Because they were the last to arrive, they did not see Lord Zhu, and therefore did not know that the shrine was not dedicated to a god, but a living person.
"His name is Qin Xue." Jiang Yuelu said, "Lin Shenyin and Leng Jing both said that the content of the answers will be related to our experience so far, so what we see and hear after entering the city may be related to the content of the answers. We might as well exchange information and fill in the gaps."
Xiao Xuan said hurriedly: "Yes, yes, you can also tell me what happened after entering the city."
Jiang Xinhui thought about it and said it out without reservation.
It turned out that they didn't find a good wooden ladder, so they took the old route taken by Jiang Yuelu and others. But because of all the trouble, it was already dark when they entered the city, and they were all attacked by invisible ghosts.
Jiang Yuelu asked: "Can't see?"
Jiang Xinhui had a hard time describing what it was. She frantically gestured for a long time before Lin Shenyin took over. "I could only hear a rustling sound as they approached, like a bunch of bugs walking. But their attack..."
Even without saying it, it was clear that the attack was much stronger than that of the bugs. Even the strongest bear brother's coat was torn, and there was a long and thin wound near his neck, as if it had been scratched by a sharp weapon.
Leng Jing nodded, "It's almost time, is there anything else you want to add?"
Jiang Yuelu thought for a moment and said, "Some of these things were not encountered when we entered the city, but were recorded in the exam papers. I'll talk about them too."
He repeated the introduction of Yidou Town on the test paper in the most concise and understandable words, and even listed the local specialties and cultural landscape in detail. Jiang Xinhui, Xiong Ge and others' mouths gradually opened into O shapes after hearing this. Seeing that they were the same as themselves before, Chen Chuan and Zhao Xiaoxuan smiled at each other, feeling a sense of pride in their hearts.
"...That's it in a nutshell." Jiang Yuelu said with a dry mouth.
Jiang Xinhui wanted to ask about the key points that she hadn't written down, but Lin Shenyin suddenly raised her finger and whispered, "Shh, it's coming."
Before he could ask him what was coming, Jiang Yuelu's front was suddenly clear, as if a flock of crows flapped their wings and wiped out all the people and scenery. Everything became quiet again, and a square mirror appeared in her field of vision.
Looking up, the mirror was so high that he could not see the top. He seemed to be trapped in the middle of a rectangular block made of mirrors.
The mirror surface was smooth and bright without any dust, except for four yellow paper talismans facing each other in a high and unreachable position.
"Candidates please make sure you have no foreign objects on you and sit on the floor facing the mirror."
"Do not be disrespectful to the gods. Please remain respectful until the end of the exam."
Jiang Yuelu sat down as instructed, and another sitting self appeared in the mirror. This was the first time he had seen himself so clearly in such a long time. Unlike the confusion he had a year ago, he now had a goal, and his eyes were as bright as sparks.
I will definitely rescue you.
I want to find all three and have them return to me intact.
"E3091X-"Paperman City" first test, start now."
As the sound disappeared, some invisible changes seemed to have taken place in the answering room composed of four mirror spaces. The black mist spreading from the bottom quickly enveloped the mirror in front, and the other self disappeared.
The figure that appeared again grabbed his throat strongly.
Three children. The faces he knew best.
Yan Fei, Yan Yin, and Yan Lu were surrounded by the rolling red flames.
She looked at him with great grievance, and her words were like a materialized iron whip lashing his conscience.
"Brother, why don't you come to rescue us?"
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