Chapter 16: Don't Eat!

This "Mie Changsheng" seems quite intelligent.

It feels like the people inside are vivid and lifelike, not as rigid as I imagined; they aren't like NPCs in ordinary online games who must complete designated tasks.

If they can't do it, they just give up on their own.

Gu Jiangming was also deep in thought about his next move while looking at the screen; his current Daoist cultivation was such that he had no fear of facing the Paper-Clinging Demon head-on.

The main thing is that this demon is far more sinister than others; it is very likely the type that cannot be exorcised through physical means.

He truly lacked knowledge and understanding of this demon.

A new message popped up on the screen.

【Your disciple Xu Qingyun has achieved a breakthrough in his realm during the process of slaying demons and eliminating devils; his Daoist cultivation has advanced accordingly, and he has gradually gained a new grasp of the Shushan Sect's Qimen Imperial Sword Art.】

Seeing this small piece of information in the simulation, Gu Jiangming chose to stop receiving such notifications.

He wanted options that would be of significant help to his current self.

【Yes/No: Use Qimen·Grotto-Heaven Eye to retrospect the past and analyze the weaknesses encountered during the battle with the Paper-Clinging Demon.】

The Grotto-Heaven Eye has this effect too?

Gu Jiangming's eyes lit up, and he decisively chose to retrospect.

【You cast the Qimen·Grotto-Heaven Eye in public; your robe hem fluttered without wind, your long hair flew, and your eyes lit up with a pale golden light, seemingly tracing the events that had occurred previously.】

【Through the Grotto-Heaven Eye, you retrospect the information of the battle and obtained a new piece of news.】

【The Paper-Clinging Demon is a demonic creature that survives through the gaps in the human heart; as long as a person's heart is sufficiently resilient, strong, and impeccable, it cannot turn them into a paper person out of thin air.】

【But as long as there are people in the world who harbor evil thoughts, it is Immortal and Indestructible.】

【You can only eliminate the existence of the Paper-Clinging Demon by finding its true form and sealing it.】

【"What kind of Qimen is this?" Mu Qing looked at the technique you had paused, and she, who rarely spoke, could not help but ask.】

【"A Qimen passed down in my family; it's just that one isn't allowed to even take a look at it."】

【"The Grotto-Heaven Eye." Gu Jiangming pointed to his own heart and said: "It is a Qimen I realized from the family mental cultivation methods in the secular world."】

【Mu Qing could not help but sigh: "No wonder Celestial Master Zhang said your talent is extraordinary; you are truly different from ordinary people."】

【"Those who have the Dao in their hearts will naturally be helped by the Dao." Zhang Tianze said meaningfully, "Seeing it today, the Paper-Clinging Demon is indeed not something an ordinary cultivator can contend with; I wonder when the experts of the Buddhist Sect will emerge from the mountains."】

【Suddenly, someone in the inn sneered, "If you want the Buddhist Sect to take action, you'll have to wait until the world is on the verge of collapse before they are willing to come out."】

【"Only then will they absorb more Believers to recognize their Buddha and believe in their Dao."】

【"I am the rogue cultivator Qiu Jue; I heard there were strange rumors in Yangzhou, so I came to investigate. I wonder if the three fellow Daoists would allow me to join you?"】

【Before his voice had even faded, a person wearing a monk's robe walked over slowly, "Why would the benefactor say such a thing? Gossiping behind people's backs is not the act of a good person."】

【Jingtu Temple's Monk Fahua said with a smile: "I have met all fellow Daoists. I am here to slay demons in Yangzhou under the orders of the Abbot, and I greet Celestial Master Zhang of Longhu Mountain here."】

【"And Honored Lord Gu of Shushan." Fahua walked to Gu Jiangming's side, nodding to signal friendliness, when suddenly, his eyes narrowed slightly, "However, why is there a demonic aura on the Honored Lord?"】

【The atmosphere stagnated.】

【Zhang Tianze said with a chuckle: "Monk, oh monk, my disciple just fought with the Paper-Clinging Demon; what is so strange about him having an extra bit of demonic aura on him?"】

【"Oh? So Honored Lord Gu has a connection with Longhu Mountain. Since there is a guarantee from the Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain, then this monk will not ask further." Fahua chanted a few scriptures and walked up the stairs to find a private room.】

【You smelled a familiar scent on him.】

【It was just like the light hidden deep within your own body.】

【That's right, what this monk is practicing is likely... Merit.】

And at the same time Gu Jiangming had just returned to the inn.

Jiu Jiu immediately found the Paper-Clinging Demon that was wreaking havoc in Yangzhou; as a member of the Demon Race, thanks to the social network of seeing each other constantly, she was still able to communicate with the other party.

After all, they were both of the Demon Race.

As for the reason she found the Paper-Clinging Demon, it was simple: she naturally did not want the other party to hurt Gu Jiangming.

【"Fun, fun, fun! You actually came to me hoping I wouldn't hurt someone."】

【A paper person ran back and forth in the courtyard, jumping and appearing in front of Yin Jiujiu, "Why do you want to help him? Why do you want to help him? You are a demon, or is he a demon? But he is a human, and a human who cultivates the Dao at that."】

【The Paper-Clinging Demon's voice was sometimes childish and sometimes became strange.】

【"I am not helping you, I am a demon—"】

【The Paper-Clinging Demon suddenly turned into a short, young paper child, and it said in a low voice: "The Yao Lord told us to unleash our true nature; I have long wanted to come out and play—"】

【"You must not listen to the Yao Lord's words and kill wantonly; that harms the harmony of Heaven, and violating the rules set by Heaven and Earth will surely come with a price." Yin Jiujiu feigned a threatening tone to scare it.】

【"Look, the Yao Lord doesn't even take action himself; he only lets you demons act as his pawns."】

【"Like you, a newly appeared demon, you are the easiest to be deceived. I, Guhuoniao, am a Great Demon; I would not lie to a little demon like you."】

【"Really? Really? Really?" The Paper-Clinging Demon suddenly laughed: "Good thing I kept a backup plan."】

【"I only kill evil people, bad people." The Paper-Clinging Demon held its stomach and laughed: "Only they are afraid of me, and only they get turned into paper people by me."】

【"Look at these few called the Yangzhou Eight Eccentrics; before they died, one after another they used techniques to flee for their lives. They were scared to death of me, and some even pushed their own people over to block the disaster."】

【"And this house I just moved into."】

【"The grandmother of this family came from the countryside to the city to seek help from her eldest son. The eldest son's wife disliked the old woman for being dirty and smelly, and fearing it would ruin their family's feng shui, she drove her to the second son's house. The second son felt his mother was better to his eldest brother and youngest brother, so he drove his own mother to the third son's house."】

【"The third son also felt his mother was better to his eldest and second brothers, so he sent his own mother back to the eldest brother's doorstep."】

【"The grandmother cried and shouted all night, but the eldest son never opened the door. In this weather, even a paper person feels cold, let alone an old woman?"】

【"The result was that the eldest son of this family just let his own mother freeze to death in front of the house. After she breathed her last, his mother's evil thoughts found me, the Paper-Clinging Demon, and asked me to kill their whole family."】

【"So, I turned them all into paper people."】

【"I transformed into their paper mother, and when I took their lives one by one, the look of fear in their eyes was too interesting, too interesting."】

【Speaking of this, one by one, the paper people suddenly came to life, and an elderly middle-aged man poured tea respectfully, "Mother, I will be filial to you."】

【"Do you see? Will Heaven and Earth punish me for such things?" The paper person shook its head and said with certainty: "Naturally, they will not."】

【"People with crooked hearts will all be afraid of me, the paper person, but which person dares to say they have never harbored evil thoughts?" The Paper-Clinging Demon said with a smile: "I am not helping you, because I am a demon."】

"I want to teach someone a lesson."

"Teach a lesson to someone who harbors evil intentions!"

Speaking of this, Jiu Jiu suddenly took out a box of osmanthus cakes.

"What is this?" the paper person asked with some curiosity.

"This is a pastry that humans love to eat, and it is also a pastry that I love to eat," Jiu Jiu pointed at the osmanthus cakes and said calmly, "Perhaps you might not necessarily need it, but if you encounter someone you cannot deal with, then take out this box of osmanthus cakes."

"It might just save your life."

Jia Zhi laughed up at the sky again: "As long as it is a human, there is no one I cannot deal with."

"Besides, I, a paper person, am unkillable!"

"However, I have never eaten things that humans love to eat; let me taste the flavor of an osmanthus cake."

"You are not allowed to eat it," Jiu Jiu said coldly, "This is a pastry I made for someone else; except for him, no one is allowed to eat it."

"You are quite a strange demon; you say this box of pastries can save my life, yet you say no one except him is allowed to eat it, but how do you know that the person I cannot deal with is the person who can eat this box of pastries?"

"But since I, the paper person, see that you have no evil intentions, I will believe your nonsense this once; I accept these pastries."

"Forget it, for the sake of you treating me, the paper person, well, I do not want to owe you this favor."

"I, the paper person, will help you this one time; speak, which person are you not allowing me to harm?"

"His name is Gu Jiangming," Jiu Jiu said.

"Fine, I, the paper person, swear that I will not harm the person you mentioned; of course, provided he does not provoke me."

"Otherwise, I, the paper person, will not care about any favors!"

(End of this chapter)