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Xing Ruyi squinted her eyes, glancing at the intricately crafted paper figures while saying to Wang San, "Brother Wang, you should head back first. I have some personal matters to attend to along the way, and it wouldn't be convenient for you to accompany me."
Wang San was also watching the group of people and shook his head upon hearing Xing Ruyi's words. "I should escort you home, Miss. It's late at night, and as a woman from the Maternal Family, it's not very safe for you. As for the personal matters you mentioned, don't worry; I'll just stand back and won't interfere."
Seeing that the group was getting closer and that Wang San was being so stubborn, Xing Ruyi sighed and glanced ahead, signaling to Wang San, "Brother Wang, can you see that group of people?"
"I see them! I wonder which wealthy family it is; it's already this late, yet they dare to walk around on the streets," Wang San replied, taking another look. His eyesight wasn't very good, so things appeared somewhat blurry from a distance; in modern terms, he was nearsighted.
"Brother Wang, are you sure you can see clearly?" Xing Ruyi noticed Wang San's actions and understood that his eyesight wasn't great. Otherwise, given his commoner background, even if he wasn't afraid, he would still feel anxious.
"I can vaguely see a group of carriages and horses, but my eyesight isn't good enough to make out their features or shapes clearly. Otherwise, I would know what kind of noble has arrived in Luoyang."
Just as Wang San finished speaking, a flurry of paper money floated down from above. This paper money was more than usual; it was large and finely cut, similar in size to regular copper coins.
Wang San squinted and looked up. "Why is it snowing so early this year?"
When he reached out to catch a piece of paper money and saw it clearly, he exclaimed in surprise, "What? This isn't paper money! Could there really be someone mourning at this hour?"
"It's not mourning; it's a procession for the deceased," Xing Ruyi pointed out the paper figures that were almost upon them. "Brother Wang, can you see what those two leading figures are?"
Wang San rubbed his eyes again and then said with confusion, "That man looks a lot like Wang Cheng."
"Wang Cheng!" Now it was Xing Ruyi's turn to be surprised. "Are you sure you looked closely?"
"It just looks a bit like him but isn't him. Wang Cheng's features aren't this sharp; however, the face shape and mouth are quite similar."
"It's Wang Shu!" Xing Ruyi examined the paper figures closely; the male figure was on the left and the female on the right. The left one clearly wore a warrior's attire. Wang Fu had mentioned that Wang Shu had a very rugged appearance and had served in the military, even reaching the rank of Vanguard General. The female figure on the right had bright eyes and white teeth but wore plain clothing. There was also a faint black line around her neck that likely represented a noose; if she wasn't mistaken, this female paper figure probably represented Purple Jade.
"Paper figures! They are paper figures! My goodness, this is the first time I've seen paper figures walking at night!" Wang San finally recognized what the lantern-bearing figures were but reacted in a way that surprised Xing Ruyi. Although he felt some fear, he was more curious. If Xing Ruyi hadn't stopped him, he would have rushed over to examine how those paper figures walked.
At that moment, just as Xing Ruyi held back Wang San, she heard his next question: "Ruyi, do these paper figures need lanterns to walk? Could it be that their eyes can see too?"
As soon as he finished speaking, both leading paper figures turned their eyeballs toward them in unison.
Wang San jumped back in shock; a man over seven feet tall instinctively hid behind Xing Ruyi. She looked down at him with exasperation at his reaction. Perhaps realizing his behavior was inappropriate, Wang San hesitantly moved to stand beside her again and whispered, "Ruyi, did you just see that? The paper figures' eyes can turn? Could they be... alive?"
"Paper figures are just paper figures; how could they possibly be alive? At most, they are just tricks used by someone behind the scenes to scare people," Xing Ruyi replied dismissively while gently pointing her hand; immediately afterward, the paper figures' eyeballs turned back again.
"The so-called yang does not walk the yin path, and the yin does not borrow the yang way. Is there anyone who doesn't understand this rule?"
A gust of cold wind suddenly arose, and Xing Ruyi shielded her eyes with her sleeve, following the direction of the wind. In the eye of the wind, she saw a redwood coffin, atop which sat a charming woman. Judging by her age, she appeared to be around thirty. Even in the night, her red lips were strikingly bright, and her entire demeanor was enchanting and alluring.
"Could it be that Gu Zhanggui has returned?" Xing Ruyi thought of the coffin shop owner mentioned in Wang San's story. Although the age didn't quite match, ever since encountering something inexplicable, Xing Ruyi had become indifferent to age. In this Golden Age of the Tang Dynasty, not only was there royal power and wealth, but also evil spirits roamed freely; it was possible that among ten people on the street, one could be a successfully cultivated demon.
As for whether Gu Anniang was a spirit that had transformed into a human or a human who had fallen into demonic ways to become a spirit, that was beside the point. Just those two paper figures were enough for Xing Ruyi to speculate about her.
As their eyes met, the paper figures carrying the coffin had already stopped in front of Xing Ruyi. She looked up at the enchanting woman and said to Wang San behind her, "It's dark and windy tonight; you don't need to see me off, Brother Wang."
"You must be Wang Fu's son? You do resemble your father somewhat," the woman shifted her posture into a seductive reclining position and lazily glanced at Wang San with her beautiful eyes. "Don't worry; considering my past friendship with your father, I won't make things difficult for you. Listen to this lady; it's dark and windy tonight, and it's not suitable to send someone off. You should hurry back!"
Wang San felt his throat tighten; he initially wanted to insist on staying. After all, Xing Ruyi was someone he had invited; leaving her behind would be inappropriate both emotionally and logically. But just then, all those paper figures turned their eyes toward him simultaneously. Wang San's legs went weak, and he instinctively turned around, using whatever strength he had left to stumble back into the alley.
Once Wang San returned to the alley, Xing Ruyi finally focused all her attention on the woman.
"Gu Anniang?"
"That's me!"
"Are you human or demon? I can tell you have plenty of yin energy but no ghostly aura."
"As for what I am now? I'm afraid I can't disclose that because I want to know the answer myself. I can only tell you that Gu Anniang used to be a person—a living, breathing person." Gu Anniang sat up, supporting herself on the coffin lid while her gaze wandered over Xing Ruyi. "If I'm not mistaken, you should be surnamed Xing and have a lovely name called Fox Demon."
"That's right; I am Xing Ruyi!"
"They say seeing is better than hearing; however, Ruyi is quite the opposite—this real person is not much different from what I've heard."
"Is that meant as a compliment?" Xing Ruyi replied as she walked over to examine one of the paper figures. "Did you make these paper figures yourself? Your craftsmanship is impressive; they look very lifelike. But using magic to extract living souls to animate these paper figures—aren't you afraid of retribution, Gu Anniang?"
"Miss Xing's question is quite interesting. If Gu Anniang were afraid, why would I practice such sorcery? Since I've done it, whether it's divine retribution or earthly punishment doesn't matter much—it's just death and destruction for me. For Gu Anniang, it may not necessarily be a bad thing." Gu Anniang jumped down from the coffin lid and lightly traced her finger across one of the paper figures beside her. "Just now you praised my paper-making skills; if I may boast a little—this craft is passed down through my family.
Back in the day when my father was still alive, whenever there was a funeral in Luoyang City, people would come to buy from my family. Unfortunately, Gu Anniang is a woman and somewhat lacking in ambition; aside from this skill in making paper figures, I'm mediocre at everything else. In this regard, I'm not as good as Miss Xing; I've heard you're proficient in everything, especially skilled at exorcising evil spirits."
"That's an exaggeration; Fox Demon is just someone who runs a rouge and face powder shop," Xing Ruyi said with a smile. "As for exorcising evil spirits—it depends on my mood and chance encounters. If I happen upon something troublesome, catching it would just be a way to refine my skills."
With that said, Xing Ruyi swiftly reached out toward Gu Anniang's neck.
Gu Anniang's gaze turned cold, and she instinctively stepped back, her whole body seeming to float as if she were walking on a gust of wind.
"Pretty quick on your feet!" Xing Ruyi said, chasing after her for a couple of steps. Just as she was about to catch up with Gu Anniang, she suddenly stopped. Then she turned around and charged straight at the coffin.
With a loud bang, the coffin fell to the ground, and the four paper bearers looked at each other in confusion.
"What are you all standing there for?" Gu Anniang shouted coldly, and the paper figures immediately surrounded Xing Ruyi.
"Tsk tsk! So many paper figures attacking me at once, it's quite intimidating. However, I’ve heard that paper figures fear fire. I wonder if this Ghost Fire I borrowed from hell will have the same effect," Xing Ruyi said, igniting a flicker of Ghost Fire at her fingertips. She moved gracefully among the paper figures, quickly setting the ghostly blue flames onto them.
Sizzle! Crackle!
The paper figures quickly caught fire, and in their desperation to survive, they began to stumble around chaotically, even trying to seek refuge with Gu Anniang. Unfortunately, Gu Anniang, with her cold demeanor, had no intention of helping them. In just a short while, these lifelike paper figures were burned to ashes, and the lingering souls scattered into the air. By sunrise, these remaining souls would also be completely consumed.
"I didn't expect that the owner of Ruyi Rouge would actually be a Ghost Messenger from the underworld," Gu Anniang remarked as she looked at the pile of burnt paper figures. Though her face remained cold, she did not show any more emotion. "As a Ghost Messenger, you should follow the rules of your underworld. Burning these souls so hastily—aren't you afraid of repercussions from the one below?"
"Repercussions for me? On what grounds!" Xing Ruyi shrugged. "First of all, the souls of the living were taken by you and placed into these paper figures; it has nothing to do with me. Even if the underworld comes after it, wanting to punish or condemn someone to the eighteen layers of hell, it can only be you—the true culprit. Secondly, those paper figures clearly attacked me under your command. Even though I carry a token from the underworld and have a mission to assist in soul capturing, when danger arises, self-preservation is my priority. Therefore, my actions just now can only be considered self-defense; even if the underworld is unhappy about it, there's nothing I can do. And thirdly—and this is most important—who told you that I am a Ghost Messenger from the underworld who must obey orders from the King of Hell?"
"You—" Gu Anniang opened her mouth but felt her throat tighten suddenly. When she opened her eyes again, she found that Xing Ruyi had somehow come right in front of her. At that moment, those hands accustomed to applying Rouge and Face Powder were gripping her throat: "Indeed, this paper figure was crafted with great care by Gu Anniang; too bad it will soon be reduced to ashes."
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