Chapter 313: Burning the Paper People

"Xiao San, how are those two people doing?"

Among the crowd of Paper People, the one in the lead was none other than the shopkeeper of this Paper Inn; he tilted his head at this moment to ask a Paper Person beside him, who was strikingly the same gatekeeping Paper Person who had blocked Li Heng outside the door earlier.

"No movement, they seem to be cultivating."

The child-like gatekeeping Paper Person replied.

The shopkeeper Paper Person breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

"That's good, that's good."

"You must absolutely not let those two people disturb our clan's ceremony! This is a brand-new Dotting Ceremony, using not the essence blood of Human-Livestock, but the true essence blood of humans from the Present World; it will also be of great benefit to you little ones."

Everything here, and the conversation between the two, was fully seen and heard by Li Heng. He could not help but recall a rumor regarding Paper People, which was that Paper People could not have eyes; once they had eyes, they truly came to life.

This so-called Dotting Ceremony before him.

Seemed to be related to this rumor?

Using human essence blood to dot the eyes, to paint the eyes?

It is simply courting death!

Li Heng was instantly filled with killing intent.

The secret place he saw before him was filled with human bones everywhere; judging by the traces of time remaining on these skeletons, this kind of ceremony had not happened just once.

At this moment, within that secret place.

The shopkeeper Paper Person took a step forward.

He looked at the many Paper People before him and laughed loudly, "Today is once again the time for the Dotting Ceremony, and this ceremony is different from the past; it uses the true essence blood of humans. It is truly a rare good fortune not seen in a hundred years. You little ones are in luck."

As soon as these words were spoken, the Paper People waiting for the dotting immediately became restless, and a wave of joy arose among them.

The most crucial matter for their Paper Person Clan was the Dotting Ceremony; whether the ceremony succeeded, and whether the eyes dotted were of high quality, determined their future to a great extent.

Now, the essence blood they were using was actually the blood of true humans, not that group of Human-Livestock with incomplete souls? One must know that the ancestor of their Paper Person Clan used the blood of true humans!

"Alright, the Dotting Ceremony begins now."

The shopkeeper Paper Person announced the start of the ceremony, then looked at the humans beside them who were imprisoned and unable to escape, watching them in great terror, and smiled coldly.

"Hehe, please become the good fortune of our clan!"

After saying this, ten Paper People walked out from the crowd of Paper People; judging by their aura, they were all in the Dharma Aspect Realm. Each of them held an exquisite Paper Dagger and walked toward these humans.

Preparing to begin the slaughter.

"Hehe, what an interesting thing."

Suddenly, Li Heng's words rang through this secret place, causing the Paper People within to be stunned. The leading shopkeeper's expression changed instantly; had an accident happened after all?

He spoke in a cold voice, showing not the slightest weakness.

"I do not know who is playing god, but this is a key ceremony of our clan. I ask the peeper in the dark to leave obediently; our clan's ceremony has already been reported to Yellow Springs Road."

"If anyone dares to disrupt the ceremony, what awaits you is not only the pursuit of my Paper Person Clan, but also the accountability of Yellow Springs Road. Can you afford to provoke Yellow Springs Road!"

The shopkeeper Paper Person spoke with resounding force, feeling satisfied in his heart.

Usually, in this Ghost City, whenever they saw people from Yellow Springs Road, they would tuck their tails between their legs and act with caution, never daring to offend them in the slightest. They even offered various benefits and resources regularly.

Now, they could finally use the name of Yellow Springs Road.

"Hehe, you all are truly interesting."

Li Heng broke through the Void, crossed the layers of Void blockades set up by the Paper Person Clan, and his figure arrived in this secret place, standing opposite this group of Paper People with a calm expression.

The shopkeeper was startled at the sight.

"It is you?"

"Why, is it strange that it is me?"

Li Heng said calmly.

The shopkeeper's expression was ugly. After a brief silence, he bowed to Li Heng. "As an honored guest of Yellow Springs Road, I ask you to please abide by the rules of Yellow Springs Road and not disturb our clan's ceremony."

"What if I say no?"

Li Heng said indifferently.

"You must know that an honored guest of Yellow Springs Road is only an honored guest, not Yellow Springs Road itself. I hope you will think twice before acting, and not let your head get hot for a moment, doing something you will regret."

"Besides, how has my Paper Person Clan ever offended you? During the day, we even treated you with courtesy and did not slack off in the slightest. Why must you appear here and disrupt our clan's ceremony?"

"There is no benefit to you."

The shopkeeper Paper Person grinned, giving him plenty of face.

"What you say does make some sense."

Li Heng smiled slightly upon hearing this.

The shopkeeper Paper Person breathed a sigh of relief at the sight; it seemed this person was deterred by the prestige of Yellow Springs Road and his Paper Person Clan and intended to give up?

"Unfortunately, I refuse."

Li Heng spoke indifferently once again.

The shopkeeper Paper Person's expression instantly turned ugly. The ten Paper People holding Paper Daggers also stepped forward, their auras erupting, vaguely locking onto the surroundings, and they looked coldly at Li Heng.

"Does the honored guest really want to be an enemy of my Paper Person Clan?"

"An enemy of the rules of Yellow Springs Road?"

The shopkeeper Paper Person still would not give up.

He continued to pin labels on Li Heng and apply pressure.

Li Heng suddenly laughed upon hearing this.

"Since you know I am an honored guest of Yellow Springs Road, yet I have suddenly appeared to disrupt this so-called ceremony of yours, have you not considered that this is actually at the instruction of Yellow Springs Road?"

"That Yellow Springs Road does not want this so-called ceremony of yours to proceed at all?"

The Paper People were shaken and stunned upon hearing this; what he said made sense.

The expression of the innkeeper Paper Person also became uncertain.

He had indeed considered this possibility, but later he felt it was unlikely, because Yellow Springs Road did not have much need to make things difficult for their Paper Person Clan, and their clan was not without backers.

However, after hearing Li Heng's words.

His heart began to waver again.

Although their Paper Person Clan did have corresponding backers, backers were after all just backers; the heavens are high and the emperor is far away, and a local official is better than a distant superior. If Yellow Springs Road truly wanted to make a move against them, they would have to die.

"Does Yellow Springs Road really want to make a move against my clan?"

After the innkeeper asked this, he felt he had asked a foolish question; who would answer such a simple and direct question?

"Actually, I don't know either."

Li Heng narrowed his eyes and smiled, surprisingly answering it.

These Paper Persons were stunned once again.

What was this sentence again?

Could it be that he really wasn't from Yellow Springs Road and what he said just now was only to scare them? Suddenly, anger rose from their hearts, filled with righteous indignation, wishing they could tear Li Heng apart directly—how dare he play them!

The innkeeper Paper Person narrowed his eyes.

"Who exactly are you? What is your background!"

"Back in the daytime, when you, a Living Dead with a flesh-and-blood body, checked into my Paper Inn, I already felt something was strange. Could it be that you were sent by my clan's rivals to disrupt the ritual?"

"But this is truly a grand gesture!"

"To actually be able to dispatch someone possessing a Yellow Springs Bone Token."

The innkeeper Paper Person gave a cold laugh, analyzing the situation.

He suddenly felt he understood.

"How much did they give you? My clan will double it for you. If you can name the clan or creature that hired you behind the scenes, my clan can give even more—triple the reward, how about that?"

He looked at Li Heng with full confidence.

Li Heng's expression was subtle; this was truly interesting, he was actually being treated as someone else's mercenary. "Actually, I wasn't sent by anyone else; it's just that your ritual disturbed my cultivation."

"It was too annoying, so I appeared."

He said calmly; this was indeed one of the truths. His hearing was too good, there was no helping it.

The group of Paper Persons was completely dumbfounded.

Just for this reason, being disturbed, being made noisy?

Are you lying to a ghost! Ah, no, they are ghosts.

Then let's put it another way: even ghosts wouldn't believe that!

Being fooled by Li Heng like this, the innkeeper suddenly lost his patience and became somewhat irritated.

"Since the lord was only disturbed, then please return. We will ensure it is quiet for the subsequent ritual and will not disturb the lord again."

He made a gesture inviting Li Heng to leave.

Unless absolutely necessary, he did not want to make a move against an existence who held a Yellow Springs Bone Token and was a guest of Yellow Springs Road, because that would be equivalent to hitting Yellow Springs Road as well.

Li Heng shook his head.

"That won't do. You don't know what I lost just now because I was disturbed by you."

"Then what was lost?"

A sense of foreboding rose in the innkeeper Paper Person's heart, but hindered by that Yellow Springs Bone Token at Li Heng's waist, he could only ask helplessly.

"The opportunity to break through to Heavenly Ghost."

Li Heng said very seriously.

"Just now I was in seclusion, my spirit wandering in Tianwai, and I captured a trace of spiritual insight that could allow me to achieve Heavenly Ghost. Unfortunately, I was disturbed by you, and that trace of spiritual insight accidentally slipped away and disappeared."

"Tell me, how should you compensate for this matter!"

Li Heng's expression turned unkind.

The group of Paper Persons led by the innkeeper Paper Person opened their mouths wide upon hearing this, feeling their intelligence had been insulted. Lying to ghosts, and an opportunity to break through to Heavenly Ghost? He's asking for the moon, isn't he!?

If you were truly at Dharma Aspect Peak, about to break through to the Heavenly Ghost realm.

Would you still be making things difficult for us small clans now?

The innkeeper Paper Person was angered into laughter and let out a cackling sound.

"Lord, my clan is not so easily fooled."

Li Heng was disdainful upon hearing this.

"Summer insects cannot speak of ice. There are countless opportunities in the Yin World; that trace of spiritual insight was something that could allow me to ascend to the heavens in one step, yet it was made to disappear by you. Tell me what should be done."

"Good, good, good, good, good!"

"My clan will send you to find those spiritual insights—kill!"

At the innkeeper Paper Person's command, the Paper Persons holding Paper Daggers immediately charged at Li Heng, each manifesting their Dharma Aspect, wanting to kill Li Heng in an instant.

Seeing this, Li Heng sighed; how boring.

He had originally wanted to act a bit more.

With a slight movement of his thought, a wisp of emerald-green, Yin-filled flame rose from the Void, directly igniting these ten attacking Paper Persons and instantly burning them to ashes.

This flame was actually Sun True Fire.

However, hindered by the fact that there were spectators watching and he was in the Yin World, Li Heng used a bit of Source Power to disguise it as Yin fire and demonic fire.

The next moment, Source Power +100,000.

Li Heng felt even more disdainful.

One was only worth 10,000; clearly, they weren't even at Dharma Aspect Peak, likely just early-stage Dharma Aspect. For this level to dare to clamor in front of him was simply courting death.

The innkeeper Paper Person was instantly terrified and hurriedly turned to run; he was actually a cultivator of the fire Dao, the nemesis of their Paper Person Clan!

However, it was a pity; before he could run a few more steps, flames rose up from his body, and in just a single breath, this shopkeeper was instantly reduced to ashes.

Source Power +30,000, clearly the level of a mid-stage Dharma Aspect.

"Burn these too."

Li Heng muttered to himself, looking at the pile of shivering small Paper Persons nearby, and tossed another wisp of flame over, intending to burn them all away; if they were a clan, they should be neat and tidy.

"Your Excellency, show mercy!"

"Fire, extinguish!"

Suddenly, the Judge's figure appeared and called out anxiously, the book in his hand moving without wind, pages fluttering; the shadows merged with the local Yin World Dharma Law, and then he spoke, invoking the local Dharma Law, his words carrying the power of law, wanting to make Li Heng's flames go out.

However, these flames were, in essence, Sun True Fire.

How could this be something he could shake?

The flames still bypassed every obstacle he had set, ignored his command, and plunged straight into the group of Paper Persons, instantly burning them to ashes.

These Paper Persons were all small ones that had not undergone the so-called Dotting Ceremony, their strength weak; added together, they only gave him a little over 10,000 Source Power.

But Li Heng did not care.

Burned is burned; it looked pleasing to the eye, neat and tidy.

At this moment, the Judge, who had arrived a step late, was completely stunned.

He had thought Li Heng would tangle with the Paper Person Clan for a while, so he hadn't spared much energy to notice this matter; by the time he noticed, everything was too late.

And what had just happened?

He actually couldn't extinguish that streak of flame?

What kind of flame was this, exactly?

Could it be some kind of Terror demonic fire or Yin fire?

He was horrified in his heart, feeling more and more that this Living Dead had already exceeded his control and expectations. An existence with this kind of strength, even if it ran to that Ghost Place, might not necessarily become his cannon fodder, sacrifice, or scapegoat obediently.

Involuntarily, he regretted it.

If he had known, he would have been better off ignoring the existence of this Living Dead.

Yet he had to go and run his mouth, inviting this Living Dead to go to that Ghost Place; if this Living Dead caused trouble and led to the failure of his schemes, what should he do?

"Oh, it's the Judge; what are you doing here so late?"

"Could it be you want to warm yourself by the fire?" Li Heng pointed at the flames that had not yet fully extinguished, saying with an innocent expression.

The Judge suppressed the shock in his heart and shook his head with a sigh. "Your Excellency, oh Your Excellency, do you know you have caused a great disaster? This Paper Person Clan has a Tian Gui Old Ancestor!"

Li Heng feigned a start.

"Then why didn't you say so earlier."

Hearing this, the Judge felt so depressed he could spit blood.

Who could have imagined you would be so ruthless, killing so many Paper Persons directly, and with such terrifying strength that this group of Paper Persons had no power to resist at all; it was completely a massacre.

At this time, he no longer cared why this Living Dead had attacked the Paper Person Clan. He knew, excluding this damn Living Dead, excluding the variable that exceeded his expectations.

The Judge hurriedly took out a Token from his bosom again.

The Token was entirely gray-black, with only a large character for "Order" written on it.

"Your Excellency, this is a Token to pass through the Yellow Springs Road Node to the vast Yin World outside; take this Token and flee quickly. If that Tian Gui Old Ancestor arrives, you are finished."

He anxiously stuffed the Token to Li Heng, urging him.

The Judge now only wanted to kick Li Heng out of the ranks heading to the Ghost Place; if he really let this Living Dead go to the Ghost Place with them, God knows what changes would occur!

"No, no, I must abide by the rules of the Yellow Springs Road and help you all go to that Ghost Place once; I cannot break my word."

Li Heng shook his head and said firmly.

The Judge was stunned upon hearing this; was this Living Dead going to cling to him?

"The situation is urgent now, this is no time to be willful. Although I have only met Your Excellency a few times, I feel like we are old friends at first sight, and I do not wish for you, an old friend, to die at the hands of the Tian Gui Old Ancestor."

He said excitedly.

Li Heng nodded with a moved expression.

"Since that is the case, I must not let down Brother Judge's expectations!"

"Rest assured, I am determined to help with this favor!"

Li Heng patted his chest and said with a hearty laugh.

The Judge fell silent instantly, cursing foul language in his heart, *Fuck! *

Fine, since you are heartless, don't blame me for being unrighteous!

A trace of hidden viciousness flashed imperceptibly in the Judge's eyes...