[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-dark-and-dawn-light-years":3,"chapter-dark-and-dawn-light-years-dark-and-dawn-light-years-chapter-208":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Dark and Dawn Light-Years",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2264808,4420,"Chapter 208: The Combined Effect of Artistic Techniques","dark-and-dawn-light-years-chapter-208",208,"\u003Cp>After leaving Yuecheng, the funeral procession increased its pace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By noon, under the glare of the sun, all the paper figures reverted to their original forms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But since they could still walk, they simply lost the feel of living people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because they traveled along the official road, they encountered many travelers and merchant caravans; each person who saw the paper figures walking down the great road was terrified, scrambling to either side of the road.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after the paper figure procession had passed far away did these people dare emerge from the grasses and regroup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Qingqing sat inside the paper sedan, yawned, and said, “Do the paper figures need to rest?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin shook his head: “No. Walk as far as you can.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Li Lin was idly playing with the five-colored divine bone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although he wasn’t meditating—this situation wasn’t suitable for meditation—the divine bone still slightly increased his spiritual energy recovery rate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin estimated that by evening, he could use the Paper Figure Art again to reanimate these paper figures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sir, I still don’t know your identity,” Zhou Qingqing said, looking at Li Lin with gratitude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin smiled: “It’s better if you don’t know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand,” Zhou Qingqing said, grasping Li Lin’s meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Qingqing took some dried meat from her satchel, gave a piece to her son Xiao Hua, then pulled out a sweet pastry and asked, “Want some?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin was indeed hungry; he took it, tasted it, and said, “Tastes good—not too sweet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m quite skilled at making pastries,” Zhou Qingqing sighed. “Of course, back in the brothel, this was one of my ways to attract clients.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Li Lin ate the pastry, he asked, “You gave away all three of your children back then—why not find them again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not so much that I gave them away as that their fathers sent people to quietly take them away,” Zhou Qingqing said with a smile. “They didn’t want a brothel woman tainting their bloodline.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Zhou Qingqing smiled now, her eyes were filled with sorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin smiled: “Qin Donglai truly misunderstood you—he thought far too poorly of you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Actually, it wasn’t like that. If he hadn’t redeemed me… in the brothel, to survive, I would have naturally acted exactly as he imagined—flattering and compliant,” Zhou Qingqing said slowly. “But since he redeemed me, I naturally wanted to be a good woman, a good wife, a good mother. Don’t you think it’s ridiculous—a mere brothel woman wanting to reform?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People’s thoughts change depending on their environment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the brothel, Zhou Qingqing only cared about earning money—for her future, for her old age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after becoming Qin Donglai’s concubine, her environment changed, so it was natural for her ideals to change too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin smiled and said, “Having such thoughts is always good. I believe you’ll become a good woman in the future.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you,” Zhou Qingqing said gratefully, smiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evening arrived quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin directed the paper figures to the roadside and led them into the woods beside the official road.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These paper figures were now somewhat worn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, Li Lin had prepared in advance: the procession included paper packhorses and paper wheelbarrows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the cargo they carried was paper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin first scattered Divine Barrier Powder around, then processed several sheets of paper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, over a dozen paper figures resembling retainers approached, picked up the processed yellow paper, and distributed it to all the paper figures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Paper figures with damage would tear off a corner of the yellow paper and stick it onto themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the damaged areas would be restored as good as new.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Paper figures with more damage tore off more yellow paper; those with little damage simply tore off a small piece.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the paper figures work, Zhou Qingqing asked curiously, “Why aren’t they coming alive this time?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now the paper figures looked like nothing but paper figures—they didn’t resemble living people as they had in the morning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That was illusion art!” Li Lin explained. “Illusion art requires spiritual… vital energy to sustain long-term. It’s a completely different concept from Paper Figure Art.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Li Lin said, in the morning he had used both illusion art and Paper Figure Art simultaneously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The illusion art consisted of several characters he learned from the Northern Flow Goulin Cave Sect, each painted on the back of the paper figures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through long practice, he had now mastered the basic applications of the Immortal Characters and could be considered a minor adept in illusion art.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One must admit: arts related to Immortals are powerful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These so-called illusions, when refined to their deepest level, cease to be illusions—they become real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, if an illusion perfectly replicates all information of a living being or object… then the false becomes true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immortal illusion art possesses this ability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Lin could not yet achieve it—he was still far from it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could only barely maintain the false information in the paper figures for a short time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, it was still impressive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost everyone had been fooled by his illusion art.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Qingqing looked at Li Lin and asked, “Do you think my son might one day have the chance to become your disciple?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin smiled but said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Qingqing bit her lip, her eyes glistening: “I’m willing to do anything, sir.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her declaration was unmistakable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Lin still shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt nothing for Zhou Qingqing, even though she was attractive and well-formed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But… Li Lin was unwilling to casually teach his arts to others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, Zhou Qingqing wasn’t like Uncle Zhao—he hadn’t saved Li Lin’s life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Qingqing lowered her head in disappointment, and suddenly, many thoughts weighed on her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Women, after all, are emotional creatures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Children had fewer such thoughts; he ate his dry biscuit, stared at the paper figures with wide eyes, then slowly leaned against his mother and fell asleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Qingqing spread out a carpet, placed the child on it, and covered him with a blanket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin dug a pit beside them, moved the fire inside it, reducing the risk of the flame being spotted from outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this time, many small paper figures climbed down from the larger ones and began patrolling nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These small paper figures had always been with the procession—Zhou Qingqing simply hadn’t noticed them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin spread out a carpet beside the fire pit and lay down to rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Qingqing had been somewhat afraid, but seeing Li Lin sleep peacefully and hundreds of paper figures standing guard around them, she relaxed and lay down to sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin slept for two hours, then suddenly opened his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He walked over and gently nudged Zhou Qingqing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Qingqing woke up; by the dim firelight, she saw Li Lin crouched beside her, and her face flushed: “Sir… could you move somewhere else? Xiao Hua is right here—what if he hears?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin gave her an exasperated look and said, “Someone’s coming after us. I’ll give you a black cloth—cover yourself and Xiao Hua completely. No matter what happens, don’t leave this circle. Understood?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Qingqing froze, her expression tightening. She bit her lip, looked at him with a pitiful gaze, and nodded softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1213,"2026-06-19T19:39:19.696Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","fc3ee2901e5453673e0f23027ed55daf780af9ad4b84fa1aa80fcffa74223aeb","dark-and-dawn-light-years-chapter-209","dark-and-dawn-light-years-chapter-207",221,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fdark-and-dawn-light-years-cover.jpg"]