Chapter 99: Tie your belt and run away

In order to support his only son, Old Master Zhang found a disabled paper-folding craftsman as his godfather.

It is said among the people that the lives of the lowest class of people are cheap, but their children are easier to raise.

However, when Paper Zhang was three years old, he fell seriously ill and was in critical condition.

His godfather, a paper-maker who had been supported by the Zhang family for three years, was also loyal. When Zhang's life was hanging by a thread, he used all his life's work to make a scapegoat for him.

He dragged his broken body and held the paper man to the mass grave outside Zhangjia Town. He called out Paper Zhang's name three times and burned the paper man, successfully tricking away the wandering ghost that was haunting Paper Zhang.

Paper-making Zhang thus survived, but his godfather was soon taken away by the deceived ghosts.

The villagers in Zhangjia Town were discussing privately, saying that without the protection of his paper-folding godfather, Paper-folding Zhang was destined not to live long, and they were all speculating that the Zhang family would be extinct in this generation.

But Old Master Zhang didn't believe in it. He went around seeking talismans and gods, and hired a sorcerer to raise the paper-made Zhang until he was sixteen years old.

After the age of sixteen, Zhang's Yin-Yang eyes became more mature, and his ability to summon ghosts became stronger.

Old Master Zhang had no choice but to spend money to send the paper-made Zhang to a Buddhist temple, allowing him to become a resident lay Buddhist temporarily residing in the temple.

Fortunately, this Buddhist temple is a branch of Southern Shaolin. Not only did Zhang Zhizha resolve the troubles brought by his Yin-Yang Vision, but he also began to embark on the path of spiritual practice.

Although Zhizha Zhang was not old when he started practicing, he had missed the best time. In order to go further on the path, he started spending money.

Over the years, half of the Zhang family's wealth flowed away like water in his hands.

If it were just this, he couldn't actually be called a prodigal son, he just turned his financial resources into strength.

But what he did afterwards not only destroyed the Zhang family, which had been passed down for more than 200 years, but also angered his own father to death.

In order to gain the favor of the temple abbot so that he could be recommended to become a monk in Southern Shaolin.

Without Grandpa Zhang's knowledge, Paper Zhang sold all his property and wanted to donate it to the temple where he was temporarily staying.

He imitated Jigong and broke into the house to get in.

The temple that took him in was initially unwilling to accept his donation, even though Paper Zhang was the only heir of the Zhang family, he still had an elderly father who was still alive.

The monks on the mountain all advised him that the most important thing in spiritual practice is to cultivate the mind, which is the same whether on the mountain or at the foot of the mountain.

They all suggested that he go home to take care of his old father first. After that, if his Buddhist devotion was still firm, it would not be too late for him to come back to the mountain to be ordained.

At that time, Grandpa Zhang was still alive, and Paper Zhang wanted to donate the Zhang family's property without his father's consent. This was extremely inappropriate in ancient times when filial piety was valued.

Only those temples that have forgotten their original intentions and are only greedy will accept this ill-gotten gains, while orthodox temples that uphold the Buddhist spirit will not.

When Old Master Zhang first sent his son to the temple, he only hoped that he could protect himself and avoid being harassed by wandering ghosts in the future.

Little did he expect that not only would he lose his money, but his son would also leave him.

Unable to accept this fact, Old Master Zhang became furious and eventually passed away.

But the death of Old Master Zhang broke the deadlock, making the donation of Paper Zhang barrier-free both in terms of procedures and secular concepts.

In addition, his behavior of giving up his family home to become a Buddhist was similar to that of the monk Dao Ji in the Southern Song Dynasty. The temple abbot who had originally had complaints about him began to look at him with admiration.

He even felt that he might have discovered a powerful person similar to Monk Dao Ji.

For this reason, the abbot personally shaved his head for him and, against all odds, gave him the only spot in the temple to study at Southern Shaolin.

After becoming ordained, Paper Zhang set out on his journey to Southern Shaolin.

With piety and expectation, he longs to study Buddhism in depth and practice diligently.

However, what he had not expected was that the path of cultivation was not a smooth one, but was full of various tests and hardships.

Because of Monk Yuekong's advocacy, the monks of Southern Shaolin were completely different from those of Northern Shaolin and lived an extremely hard life.

The monks in the temple, regardless of their level of cultivation or their status, must grow vegetables, fetch water and chop firewood by themselves.

They even have to learn carpentry and masonry skills to take on the daily maintenance of the temple.

This is undoubtedly a huge challenge for Zhang, the paper-making artist.

He was spoiled since childhood and had never really worked, let alone farm work.

Although he had some basic training, when he first started working, blisters formed on his palms and his shoulders were red and swollen from the rubbing of the carrying pole.

What troubled him even more was that he found that he could not adapt to the life here. His understanding of Buddhism always remained superficial and it was difficult to go deeper.

If he had not been valued by the middle and high-level monks of Southern Shaolin because of his reputation as "Little Dao Ji", he could have often listened to them explain the Dharma.

His progress in cultivation can only be described as horrible.

However, even though he was given special treatment, his cultivation was always at the bottom among his fellow disciples.

As time went by, he became bored with Buddhism.

If you don’t believe in Buddha, Buddha will not save you.

His cultivation began to stagnate and even began to regress. This huge gap made Zhang Zhizha begin to question his choice.

He often wondered whether he should give up his spiritual path and return to his previous life.

Paper-Zha Zhang once tried to turn back, but the Zhangjia Town he had sold no longer belonged to him.

When the villagers saw him, they still called him "Master Zhang", but the sense of courtesy made him feel uncomfortable.

The Qing government at that time kept a close watch on Southern Shaolin because of the Hongmen.

They were the first among all people to notice something unusual about the paper figurine.

After several attempts, it was discovered that the paper-made Buddha's heart was not as firm as the legend said.

They seized upon Zhang's vanity and began to use their rich spiritual resources to win him over.

In order to keep the title of "Little Dao Ji".

Zhang Zhizha knew that the people who approached him had bad intentions, but he still chose to step into the trap they designed.

This is why Paper Zhang betrayed Southern Shaolin later.

Paper-folding artist Zhang eventually gave up his Southern Shaolin Buddhist training and turned to paper-folding. All these changes stemmed from the choice he made at that time.

…………

The night was as dark as ink, and the figure of Second Uncle looked particularly lonely in the dim lobby of Paradise.

He gritted his teeth and sent Zhu Dachang to the underworld with his own hands.

In the corner of the lobby, three fake ghost messengers who had just gone out on business from the Paradise Spirit House were not spared and were killed one by one by the second uncle.

In the Extra Edition of Paradise, Qianzuru witnessed all this with confusion and bewilderment written all over her face: "What on earth is going on?"

After dealing with everything, the second uncle turned to look at Qianhe, with a sad smile on his face.

He took a deep breath, as if he wanted to pour out all his secrets: "Daoyou, if you have any questions, feel free to ask.

I will tell you everything I know, in order to repay the kindness of the two Taoist friends."

Qian He frowned and asked, "Favor? I don't remember any favors between my fellow apprentices and you. We have already paid for the five blue talismans."

Second Uncle's eyes were full of gratitude: "The dark clouds hanging over Zhuma Town have been dispersed by your senior brother.

From now on, people of the Zhu and Ma families no longer have to select young boys and girls every year to sacrifice to the devil Zhang Yifei, also known as the Paper Zhang in the world.

This is a great favor to the Zhu and Ma families."

The battle at the Paradise Spirit House took place above the Paradise.

Although the Second Uncle's cultivation level was not high, he had a deep connection with the Ji Le Spirit House. In addition, he witnessed with his own eyes the scene where the paper-made Zhang was dragged away by Ding Hai like a dead dog.

Believing that Paper Zhang might never come back, he naturally felt grateful to Ding Hai and Chizuru.

"Paper-making Zhang?" Qianhe's heart moved. He was not unfamiliar with this name. He was once the third on his sect's wanted list.

But isn't he dead?
Although the sect still has a wanted poster for him, it is mainly to warn future generations to be aware of the situation when they encounter someone like Paper-Zha Zhang who damages the sect's reputation.

Avoid repeating the same mistakes and damaging the future of the sect.

The second uncle, who didn't know Qianhe knew nothing, misunderstood: "Seventy years ago, Zhizha Zhang returned to Zhuma Town as a wandering sorcerer.

At that time, my brother and I didn't know his true identity. We became his disciples and learned some basic techniques.

Although we are not geniuses in Taoism, there are no big monsters around Zhuma Town, so we live a peaceful life.

For some unknown reason, Paper Zhang was very kind to my brother and me and the people in the town at that time.

However, forty years ago, after he mastered the unique skill of the Bliss Spirit House, everything changed dramatically. "

Second Uncle's voice was filled with resentment and helplessness.

"He tore off the nice guy mask he had been wearing for 30 years and revealed his true nature.

After Zhang the Paper-made entered the Paradise Spirit House, he gained immortality, but he was also filled with emptiness and loneliness.

He frantically extracted the souls of the townspeople and imprisoned them in the Elysian Spirit House to serve him.

Not only that, he also requires Zhuma Town to send a pair of boys and girls every year to inject fresh blood into the servants of the Paradise Spirit House. "

Qianzuru was furious after hearing this. He never thought that this seemingly peaceful town actually hid such a cruel secret.

He clenched his fists, his eyes flashing with anger: "Why don't you resist?"

The second uncle smiled bitterly: "Resistance? It's easier said than done.

Paper-making Zhang has profound cultivation, and the Paradise Spirit House is even more bizarre.

After my brother discovered the truth forty years ago, he teamed up with other monks to raid the paper-making hall.

However, the four Transcendent Realm masters and eleven Foundation Establishment cultivators were all defeated by him, their souls were taken away, and they became slaves.

In order to protect the townspeople, I could only watch him gradually push the town into the abyss. "

"What is the real story behind Zhu Dachang's resurrection?" After gaining a preliminary understanding of human nature, Qianhe no longer believed that his second uncle would send the family's only bloodline to the Paradise Spirit House.

"That damned Ma Linxiang was murdered by those tomb robbers and was filled with resentment. That night, his resentment did not dissipate and he turned into a ghost.

"Zhu Dachang, this brainless man, actually believed the lies and took the initiative to extinguish his own yang fire, allowing Ma Linxiang to possess him and use his body to seek revenge."

Zhu Dachang and Ma Linxiang both practiced boxing and ate overnight porridge. Their martial arts skills were well-known in the surrounding area.

The group of tomb robbers were able to kill Ma Linxiang probably because they were caught off guard.

If they meet in a tough battle, he will most likely not be a match for Ma Linxiang.

No wonder the person who came to Jilehao to report the news that morning said that Mrs. Linxiang and her entire family were killed by Zhu Dachang.

As for why Zhu Dachang ended up like this, Qianhe already knew it.

He is so stupid.

After death, people become ghosts, which are completely different from the people they were in life.

Although ghosts have human form, they are actually a collection of negative emotions from their lifetime.

Its malice towards humans is far beyond people's imagination.

Ma Linxiang might not have thought of hurting Zhu Dachang during his lifetime, but after becoming a ghost, how could he tolerate his former friend living well in the world?

"The town has not yet chosen which boy will be sacrificed to the paper-cutting ceremony this year.

After what happened to Zhu Dachang, I took advantage of the situation and reported his name and date of birth to the paper-cut artist.

This way, the town won’t have to choose a virgin this year.”

When Second Uncle said this, a hint of sadness flashed in his eyes. There was no one to carry on their lineage.

"Where is Xiaoyun?" Qianhe suddenly asked, "Why did you lie to her and have a ghost marriage with Zhu Dachang? Wait!" Qianhe suddenly thought of a terrible speculation.

"She is your nephew's wife, how can you push her out as a virgin?"

Qianhe shuddered, although the three fake ghost officials looked funny, once they got serious, ordinary people were no match for them.

If Ding Hai had not taken them and Zhu Dachang away, Xiaoyun would probably have never known the truth until his death based on the means he prepared according to his second uncle's words.

The second uncle disagreed: "All the Yunying virgins in the town can be regarded as virgins. She is also a town resident, so why can't she be considered a virgin?

She and Zhu Dachang had been engaged since childhood and they had a deep relationship.

Even though they need to serve the paper-making Zhang after entering the Paradise Spirit House, they can still live together with each other.

I believe that even if she knew the truth, she would be happy to accept it, as a couple should share the joys and sorrows together."

Looking at the calm face of her second uncle, Qianhe felt a chill in her heart and her hair stood on end.

It's not fear, it's anger.

The old man in front of him had already become indifferent to life after experiencing too many life and death situations. "I'll give you three days to prepare for your funeral. You will commit suicide after three days." Qianhe looked at his second uncle coldly, with a resolute tone, and issued a death notice.

In the early years, Qianhe was angry but also understood the choice made by the second uncle because of the threat from the paper-making Zhang.

Not everyone has the courage to die standing.

However, Qianhe was shocked by the second uncle's attitude towards Xiaoyun.

This seemingly upright old man's heart has long been distorted by paper-made figures.

"Let me commit suicide?" Second Uncle's face instantly froze after hearing this. He never thought that Qianhe would ask him to pay with his life because of Xiaoyun's matter.

His lips moved slightly as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he chose to remain silent.

"I know what you're thinking, and I understand that you don't think you're wrong." Chizuru said calmly.

"But since you arbitrarily decided Xiaoyun's fate, you are no different from a paper figure.

If you continue to live, you will only bring endless harm to Zhuma Town, because you have lost the benevolence and righteousness of a righteous person."

Qianhe's voice became louder and louder, and every word was like a hammer hitting the second uncle's heart.

Second Uncle lowered his head, clenched his hands, and tried hard to control his emotions.

But Qianhe showed no mercy and continued coldly: "I will monitor you. If you still don't commit suicide after three days, I will do it myself."

After saying that, Qianhe turned and left without giving her second uncle any chance to refute.

He knew that the second uncle in front of him was beyond help.

After returning to the inn, Qianhe relayed her second uncle's words to Ding Hai and asked him what he thought of his notice.

"According to the law, he should be severely punished; according to the village rules and regulations, he is guilty but does not need to be put to death." Ding Hai affirmed Qianhe's decision, "From a moral and ethical point of view, there is nothing wrong with your approach."

The second uncle helped Zhang Zhizha to commit atrocities, even if it was not his intention, but as an accomplice, he is still guilty.

Eighty lives were lost in forty years. Although Zhang the Paper-Made Man was the chief culprit, the second uncle was also to blame.

In addition, according to Ding Xie's opinion, the townspeople of Zhuma Town knew nothing about the annual sacrifice of young boys and girls to paper-cut figures.

This matter has never been made fair and open, which means that which child to sacrifice depends entirely on the wishes of the second uncle.

This means that the second uncle can easily decide the life and death of all the boys and girls in the town without even any behind-the-scenes manipulation.

In the absence of external supervision, will the second uncle act in a biased manner?

Ding Hai believes that if Zhu Dachang had not been so stupid as to seek his own death, his second uncle would never have sent his name and birth date to the Ji Le Spirit House in his lifetime.

"Brother, do you think Second Uncle will choose to commit suicide in a dignified way?" Qianhe looked at the dark night sky outside the window, a hint of doubt in his voice.

Deciding on a person's life or death was something he had never experienced before, and Chizuru was not sure if this was the right thing to do.

Ding Hai shook his head without hesitation and expressed his thoughts: "Have you ever seen a selfish person who can face life and death calmly?

But as you said to him, if he won't be decent, then you can help him be decent."

Qianhe sighed, knowing that what Ding Hai said was likely to happen.

Although my second uncle appears to be upright and selfless, his heart has long been corrupted and he would not give up his life easily.

For the next two days, Qianhe kept secretly observing her second uncle to make sure he would not escape.

The next night, an unexpected person appeared in the inn - it was Xiaoyun.

How come she is here?

"Hello, Taoist Priest." Xiaoyun walked into the inn and went straight towards Ding Hai.

In response to Xiaoyun's greeting, Ding Hai nodded and savored the word "Taoist priest".

Normally, Xiaoyun shouldn't know his true identity, but she knows it now. It seems that her second uncle has revealed a lot of things to her.

"Second uncle would like to ask the Taoist priest to persuade your junior brother not to kill him." Xiaoyun said earnestly.

"Why?" Ding Hai asked directly.

Xiao Yun took a deep breath and said slowly: "I know that Second Uncle has made many mistakes, but he did not do it intentionally. I hope you can give him a chance to reform."

"No." Ding Hai rejected Xiaoyun's proposal without hesitation.

On the surface, Qianhe issued a death order to her second uncle because of his attitude towards Xiaoyun, but in fact, it was because her second uncle no longer took human life seriously.

Without the Paper Zhang pressing down on him, he showed signs of becoming the new 'Paper Zhang'.

"Did you know that he actually wanted to kill you the night before last?"

"Yes, before I came, my second uncle had already told me everything, including the paper-making page, the Paradise Spirit House, and the fact that Brother Zhu and I were chosen as the boy and girl."

"Then why are you still begging for him? Are you blinded by love?" Ding Hai looked at the woman in front of him who seemed to be in love.

"Brother Zhu was a good man. If he were alive, I would definitely marry him. But the dead are gone. I have to look forward."

"So, the second uncle found you and tempted you with huge profits."

“No, but in Zhuma Town, Zhu and Ma are big surnames, and our Zhong family fled famine and settled here 30 years ago.

A single word from my second uncle could cause our whole family to be ostracized or even starve to death on the streets.

"So the reason you chose Zhu Dachang and were even willing to have a ghost marriage with him was probably mainly because of this reason." Ding Hai felt deeply moved as he looked at this man who seemed to be in love but was actually quite clear-headed.

She was born in the wrong era.

"Emotion and reality, each accounts for half."

"But what does your business have to do with us brothers? It seems that there is no friendship between us."

"I can give you my body. There is no prettier girl than me in this town."

Looking at Xiaoyun, who was wearing mourning clothes and looked cute and charming, Ding Hai had to admit that she was right.

But Ding Hai still looked down on her, not because she was not beautiful.

But it’s because Ding Hai will not veto Chizuru’s decision for the sake of a woman.

Faced with Ding Hai's indifference, Xiaoyun's eyes showed confusion and resentment.

Isn't she beautiful enough?
Thinking that the mayor and second uncle were waiting for her reply, Xiaoyun's eyes flashed with determination: "I'll sleep with you for free."

"Sleeping with me for free?" Ding Hai asked back, roughly guessing Xiaoyun's intention.

This clear-headed woman, for some unknown reason, set her sights on him, hoping to use his name to cover herself with a tiger skin.

"Yes, I will sleep with you tonight for free. I don't ask for any promises, and I won't use your name to damage your reputation afterwards. I just ask you to spend one night with me."

Looking at Xiaoyun, who was willing to humiliate herself in order to save her family's lives, a hint of admiration flashed in Ding Hai's eyes.

The times restricted her, otherwise she would have shone more brightly.

If a woman, especially a beautiful woman, takes the initiative to propose to him, Ding Hai will naturally not refuse.

He walked up to Xiaoyun and picked her up in his arms.

Xiaoyun looks thin, but actually she is not thin where she should be fat, and not fat where she should be thin.

In front of the inn waiter, Ding Hai took her back to the room without hesitation.

"Ah" Xiaoyun was suddenly picked up by Ding Hai and looked a little uncomfortable.

She only had time to exclaim, and then closed her eyes tightly. Although she had decided to give herself to Ding Kai, she still couldn't hide her shyness and nervousness at this moment.

However, this emotion was soon replaced by an unprecedented sense of security.

Ding Hai's broad and strong shoulders gave her the long-lost sense of security.

His resolute and handsome face made her let down all her guard and prepare to devote herself to him.

Back in the room, Ding Hai gently placed Xiao Yun on the bed and bent down to unbutton the first button of her shirt.

Xiaoyun closed her eyes tightly, not daring to look at Ding Hai, but her body trembled uncontrollably.

Ding Hai felt her heartbeat suddenly speed up and her breathing became rapid.

However, at this moment, Ding Hai stopped all his actions and whispered in her ear: "Are you really ready?"

Xiaoyun suddenly opened her eyes and saw Ding Hai's deep and playful eyes.

She suddenly felt an inexplicable surge of courage and anger in her heart, and nodded: "I'm ready."

Ding Hai smiled slightly, then kissed her gently on the lips, then stood up and walked aside.

"Okay, I've collected the interest, and I've shown the things to those who are interested.

You can stay here for one night and leave tomorrow morning." Ding Hai decided to help the girl in front of him.

"By the way, let me remind you of one thing. I won't stay in Guangdong for too long. You'd better make plans early. My tiger skin will get torn if I keep pulling it for too long.

Besides, the mayor of your town is an old fox who is no less capable than your second uncle. Pay more attention to him, or all your plans will fail."

The next morning, Ding Hai, who had been meditating in his bedroom all night, opened the window and carefully looked at Zhuma Town shrouded in a thin mist.

The air is shrouded in clouds and fog, and the atmosphere is hazy.

It's a good weather to send people on their way.

Looking back at Xiaoyun who was sleeping soundly on the bed in the bedroom, Ding Hai quickly left the inn.

Early in the morning, Qianhe waited outside the Paradise for her second uncle to make a choice.

Soon, the figure of the second uncle appeared in Qianhe's sight. He looked haggard, but his eyes flashed with unwillingness and determination.

"It seems that you, Second Uncle, have made the most undignified choice?" Qianhe sighed.

Second Uncle said nothing, his eyes fixed deep into the mist.

"Are you waiting for the foreign rifle team that you and the mayor arranged last night? If so, there is no need to wait any longer, they will not come." Qianhe bluntly broke the second uncle's expectations.

Zhuma Town is the hometown of the second uncle. Now that Qianhe has decided to send him on his way, she will naturally guard against external interference.

Ding Hai's absence is precisely to deal with these unpredictable external forces.

Hearing this, a look of despair appeared on my second uncle's face, as he only had a few years left to live.

But this doesn't mean he doesn't want to live anymore.

There was a sharp flash in his eyes, and several paper figures floated out from his sleeves and swelled in the wind, transforming into a team of soldiers equipped with swords and armor.

"Since you want to kill me, please come and take it yourself. Soldiers, listen to my order: kill." Although he was afraid of Ding Hai, he could only dream of making him sit there and wait to die.

Seeing this, Qianhe activated his magic power and a tiny arc of electricity instantly appeared in his palm.

It's palm thunder.

The rest of the people can rely on the help of the Faraday cage to forcibly learn thunder magic, and Qianhe is naturally even more capable of it.

Moreover, his palm thunder is even more powerful than those of others.

After all, he has a master of thunder magic by his side who he can ask for advice from time to time.

The electric arc flickered and turned into a bolt of lightning that struck the team of paper soldiers.

"boom!"

When the thunder struck, those paper warriors instantly turned into fireballs and dissipated into the air in an instant.

When Second Uncle saw this, his face suddenly darkened.

He spent a lot of effort to refine these paper warriors, and each of them has a certain combat power.

But at this moment, in front of this thunder, it seemed like paper and collapsed at the first touch.

"Your Excellency has a good trick!" said the second uncle coldly.

"Second uncle, since you are unwilling to leave in a dignified manner, let me give you a ride." Qianhe moved and pounced towards the second uncle.

His body was as fast as lightning, and he arrived in front of Second Uncle in the blink of an eye.

Upon seeing this, the second uncle's face changed drastically and he hurriedly mobilized his magic power to try to resist.

But Qianhe's palm thunder is so powerful, how could he withstand it?

I saw a bolt of lightning strike down, and my second uncle screamed and flew backwards.

The Second Uncle, with limited cultivation, is not considered outstanding among ordinary folk wizards, so how could he stop Chizuru who was carefully trained by Ding Hai?

At noon, two thin figures quietly left Zhuma Town before the fog dissipated.

　Kawenka went crazy today, this is the only chapter
　　
　
(End of this chapter)