Chapter 12: The Paper Doll's Message

Since Dean Feng sincerely sought my advice, I was naturally happy to help.

"Of course there is a way to resolve it. Breaking this ominous formation isn’t difficult, as long as you don’t try to tackle too much at once. You just need to remove either the ‘Step by Step Ascend’ or the ‘Rivers Converging into the Sea’ formation."

Dean Feng suddenly understood and cautiously asked, "Mazǐ, which one do you think I should remove?"

I said, "Your villa is built against the mountain, already enjoying a certain altitude, which makes it very suitable for the ‘Step by Step Ascend’ formation."

"The ‘Rivers Converging into the Sea’ formation is better suited for flat plains, commonly found in Jiangnan gardens. Forcing it onto a villa in the northern mountainous region feels somewhat out of place."

"So, I suggest removing the ‘Rivers Converging into the Sea’ formation and keeping the ‘Step by Step Ascend’ formation."

Dean Feng trusted my judgment completely and immediately nodded, saying, "Alright, let’s do it your way!"

Then he took my hand earnestly and said, "Mazǐ, you’ve really helped me a lot this time. If you hadn’t pointed out the flaws, I’d have been completely duped by Lin Yulang, that charlatan! How can two brothers from the same family have such different levels of skill? It’s like night and day!"

I chuckled and was about to reply when suddenly a terrified scream echoed nearby.

"Help! Help!"

The voice was unmistakably familiar—it was my wife, Gu Qianxi.

But at this moment, I was at Dean Feng’s villa, while Gu Qianxi was at the ancestral home of the Gu family, more than ten kilometers apart. How could I possibly hear her scream?

This all started earlier when I left the hotel, folding a paper figure for her on a whim.

Among all the various trades, the lowest tier belongs to craftsmen, the most common people in the martial world.

These craftsmen are diverse and peculiar.

Some mold clay figures, some blow sugar art, some fold paper figures...

Though these crafts seem trivial, they harbor great power.

Over the years at the mass graveyard, I had the fortune to meet a craftsman from the very bottom tier.

This elderly gentleman came from a long line specializing in paper art.

Paper figures, paper horses, paper sedan chairs, paper ingots for funerals—he crafted all with lifelike precision.

Even more incredible, not only did his paper creations look real, they could actually perform their functions.

A paper horse could run; a paper sedan chair could carry a person; paper figures could walk on the ground, speak aloud, wield weapons, and even fight.

I learned the craft of folding paper figures from him.

The paper figure I folded for Gu Qianxi looked like an ordinary trinket, but it was connected to my heart and senses.

Whatever it could hear, I could hear; whatever it saw, I saw; whatever it felt, I felt.

It was a protective talisman I placed beside her.

If anything happened near her or any disturbance arose, I could immediately sense it.

This explained why I could clearly hear my wife’s scream from over ten kilometers away.

Upon learning she was in danger, I quickly apologized to Dean Feng.

"Dean Feng, I’m sorry, an emergency has come up that I need to handle."

Dean Feng was understanding, immediately nodding.

"Mazǐ, go ahead."

I strode to a quiet corner of the villa, sat cross-legged, closed my eyes, and focused inward, connecting my senses to the paper figure back at Gu’s ancestral home.

In the next moment, the scene shifted—I was at Gu Qianxi’s side in the form of the paper figure.

Looking around, I saw Gu Qianxi sitting on the bed, clutching a strange eye mask.

Inside the mask, countless white maggots squirmed and wriggled!

The sight was revolting beyond words!

No, wait!

Upon closer inspection, those weren’t maggots at all.

They were slender little snakes!

Their scales gleamed brightly; their triangular heads bristled with sharp teeth!

Clearly, these were highly venomous snakes!

"Help!"

Gu Qianxi’s face turned pale with fright as she screamed helplessly.

I quickly said in a low voice, "Wife, don’t be afraid, I’m here!"

Hearing my voice, Gu Qianxi was both startled and delighted.

"Mazǐ? Is that you? Have you come back?"

But she looked around and saw no sign of me. Her big eyes filled with confusion as she wondered aloud, "Mazǐ? Was that you speaking just now? Or am I hallucinating because I’m scared?"

I immediately explained, "Wife, my physical body is still at Dean Feng’s villa. It’s the paper figure talking to you. Don’t be afraid. Even as a paper figure, I can protect you."

After saying this, I leapt from the bedside table onto her bed.

Gu Qianxi turned to see the paper figure I had folded not only speaking but running and jumping around. Shocked and curious, she stammered, "My heavens, is this really happening? Mazǐ, are you controlling this paper figure? Am I not hallucinating from eating poisonous mushrooms?"

I shook my head.

"Of course not. Silly wife, don’t just stand there—throw that eye mask to the ground! Toss it down now!"

"There are venomous snakes inside that mask. One bite and you won’t survive!"

Gu Qianxi didn’t hesitate. She quickly threw the eye mask to the floor as I instructed.

"Take that!"

As it fell, white snakes continued wriggling out from the eye mask.

Standing at the bedside, I looked at the mask and said gravely, "Wife, I guessed right. The person who blinded you back then hasn’t given up. They’re trying to poison you again!"

"Don’t worry. I’m rushing home now. Stay quietly in your room, don’t make a sound. Don’t open the door for anyone. Wait for me to come back."

Gu Qianxi obediently nodded and said seriously, "Okay, Mazǐ. I’ll do as you say. I’ll stay in my room and pretend to be dead. If anyone knocks, I won’t open the door. I won’t see anyone. I’ll just wait for you."

After warning her, I sprang off the bed, landing directly on the eye mask.

Then, with a whoosh, the paper figure burst into blue flames—fierce and intense—which instantly incinerated the eye mask and all the venomous snakes inside into ashes!

At the same time, I suddenly opened my eyes in Dean Feng’s villa.

"Hmph, how dare they try to harm my wife while I’m away! Such audacity!"

"Since you’ve dared to show yourself, don’t blame me for tracing you down and wiping you out!"

I stood up and strode over to Dean Feng.

"Dean Feng, I’ve already broken the villa’s ominous feng shui formation. Something urgent has come up at home and I must leave now. Farewell."

Seeing my hurried expression, Dean Feng knew something serious was going on and didn’t try to stop me.

He quickly ordered, "Someone, send Mazǐ home in my private car!"