Chapter Ten: Crafting Spirit Paper

“Yes, Uncle!”
After hearing his uncle’s words, Fang You didn’t dare to linger. He rose at once and hurried after the girl who had just left.
His uncle watched Fang You’s retreating figure. “He didn’t even bring a gift or anything—still just a boy wet behind the ears. Ah...”
Meanwhile, the girl carrying the paper figures of a boy and a girl was striding quickly along the road.
“Ding dong.”
Her phone suddenly chimed with a text message:
“Lin Xue, are you here yet? Everyone’s waiting for you!”
The girl named Lin Xue hastily replied, “I’ll be there soon!”
After sending the message, Lin Xue quickened her pace, marching forward with the paper boy and girl in tow.
“Oh no, I haven’t drawn the eyes on them yet—I must finish before the funeral!”
Thinking this, Lin Xue quickly took a brush from her bag and, walking briskly, painted lifelike eyes beneath the foreheads of the paper boy and girl.
Yet, for an instant, a faint smile seemed to flicker at the corners of the paper figures’ mouths, but Lin Xue didn’t notice.
Just then, a thick fog began to rise around her.
“What’s this? There wasn’t supposed to be fog today.”
The mist grew denser, but pressed for time, Lin Xue pressed on.
Suddenly, she felt something tap her on the back.
Lin Xue spun around, but saw nothing behind her.
“Big sister, don’t go any further!”
A childish voice sounded, and turning back, Lin Xue found a small boy standing before her, gazing up at her.
“Whose child are you? Why aren’t you home? What are you doing here?”
Lin Xue looked at the boy—he seemed vaguely familiar.
“Big sister won’t burn us, will she?”
A little girl appeared behind Lin Xue, her cheeks rosy, but her eyes hollow and lifeless.
“Burn you? What are you talking about?” Lin Xue asked in confusion.
“Don’t go any further. Don’t throw us into the brazier to burn!” The boy spoke as he edged closer to her.
“Put us down, I’m so afraid of fire!” The girl behind her echoed, drawing nearer as she spoke.
“What do you mean, burn you? What are you saying?” Lin Xue was utterly baffled.

Suddenly, Lin Xue’s phone chimed again with a new message.
She glanced down, but in the next instant, realized the paper boy and girl she’d been holding were gone.
“Where did my newly bought paper figures go?”
“Don’t burn us, we don’t want to be burned, we don’t want to be burned, we—”
The voices of the boy and girl suddenly grew deep and chilling.
Lin Xue looked up and immediately collapsed to the ground.
The children who had stood before and behind her were now transformed into paper effigies.
“Don’t go any further, don’t burn us!”
Suddenly, the paper boy lunged forward, grabbing Lin Xue’s feet, while the paper girl seized her hands from behind.
“Heh heh heh heh heh!”
“Ah ha ha ha ha!”
The paper figures cackled with sinister, eerie laughter.
At that moment, a taxi approached from afar, its horn blaring. The thick fog had made it impossible for the driver to see Lin Xue, trapped helplessly on the ground.
“Oh no, help, help!”
As the taxi was about to hit her, a figure flashed into view.
“Maoshan Ghost-Slaying Incantation!”
A flaming peach-wood sword swept through the air, slashing at the paper boy and girl.
“Ah! Ah!”
In an instant, the paper figures burst into flames. Lin Xue felt someone grasp her shoulders and drag her quickly aside.
The taxi sped past, leaving nothing behind but the dying ash of burnt paper.
“Are you alright? My name is Fang You, just now...”
“Ah! Ah! Ghosts, ghosts!”
Terrified, Lin Xue clung to Fang You for dear life.
“Please, calm yourself, miss!” Fang You gasped, nearly suffocated by her grip.
“There were two child ghosts just now trying to harm me!” Lin Xue stammered, still shaken.

“I understand, I understand. I am Fang You, a disciple of Maoshan. I’ve dealt with it already.” Fang You gently pushed Lin Xue away and took a deep breath.
“A... Taoist?”
Hearing the word Maoshan and seeing the young man’s Taoist robes, Lin Xue felt a surge of relief.
“But I see you’re plagued by misfortune lately. It seems a great disaster may befall you in the coming days. Have you noticed anything strange recently?”
Fang You observed that even after saving Lin Xue, the aura of bad luck on her forehead hadn’t diminished one bit. This calamity was clearly unavoidable.
“A disaster will befall me?” Lin Xue, frightened, grasped Fang You’s hands. “What should I do?”
“When you bought the paper figures, you mentioned your classmate passed away. May I accompany you to take a look?”
“Of course, no problem. If a Taoist comes to pray, my classmate’s family will surely feel more at ease.”
Fang You helped Lin Xue to her feet. Still shaken, she stumbled and fell against Fang You.
“Uh...” Fang You awkwardly steadied her again.
“Sorry. Right, my classmate’s funeral is just ahead. Let’s hurry over.”
With that, Lin Xue took Fang You and rushed toward the funeral.
Ahead, at a grave site, a middle-aged couple knelt before a coffin, weeping bitterly as they gazed at their daughter’s remains.
“Daughter, oh daughter, why did you die so young? Your parents are heartbroken!”
“Please accept my condolences,” the funeral host soothed gently from the side.
On the coffin’s face, the deceased’s photo showed a beautiful young woman, with the name Lin Qiu written beneath.
“Why hasn’t Lin Xue arrived yet?”
“To be late on a day like this? This isn’t school, you know!”
“Ah...”
Other classmates, gathered to bid farewell, whispered disapprovingly of Lin Xue’s absence.
“Sorry, I’m late!”
From afar, Lin Xue approached, her clothes somewhat disheveled.
Behind her followed a Maoshan Taoist in traditional robes.
“Lin Xue, you’re finally here!”
“Did you bring the paper figures?”
“Uh, who’s this?”
“It’s a long story,” Lin Xue said awkwardly. “This is a Maoshan Taoist I met on the way. He can help guide our dear friend Lin Qiu on her journey.”