"Am I hallucinating?"
"Hey, over here. Look at me."The Paper Craftsman—who had been observing quietly—could no longer hold back his frustration. He was standing right there on the ground, yet they weren't even looking at him. With a huff, he floated up into the air. The small paper figure hovered midair, vivid and lifelike, its features and expressions meticulously cut—eyebrows, eyes, mouth, even its emotions were clearly visible.
"A paper man? Where did it come from?"
"That's incredible! I've heard stories of paper-cutting artisans who could make paper dolls that looked almost alive, but I never imagined they could fly and talk! This has to be the work of a cultivator!"
"Paper elder, please help us escape! We don't want to die here! We don't want to be devoured by those vicious ghosts! We're just pitiful souls!"
The dungeon, once silent, now erupted in a commotion. Hope was rekindled in the eyes of the trapped souls. Perhaps—just perhaps—this paper figure could bring salvation. Whether it truly could didn't matter; survival came first.
Inside one of the prison cells, a young girl looked up at the paper figure, her eyes shining with something unusual.She could tell—this paper figure alone could not save them.Not without a miracle.
"This here is just a paper clone—a manifestation created through my paper arts, imbued with a sliver of my consciousness. It doesn't possess great strength. I cannot save you—not with this," the Paper Craftsman shook his head with regret.
Even if he wanted to help, he couldn't. The entire outer city was crawling with ghost troops. Trying to smuggle these living souls out would be suicide. They'd be spotted instantly.
"Then what can you do?" the girl asked, calm but direct.
"I can't do much in here. But outside, the Red-Robed Ghost King is already being watched by the Ghost Envoys. It won't be long before they strike. Once the ghost king is slain, you'll all be freed. You can return to the cycle of reincarnation, or, if you choose, walk the path of ghost cultivation. Either way, your fate will no longer be bound here."
"How long will that take?"
"That ghost king is ravenous," someone muttered, voice tinged with despair. "He used to eat hundreds—maybe thousands—of souls a day. Now it's tens of thousands. He's accelerating. I fear in just a few days, we'll all be consumed."
Even if the ghost king was destroyed, what good would it be if they were already gone?
"I can't change that," the Paper Craftsman sighed. "But I'll report everything to the Ghost Envoys. They'll determine when to act."
Suddenly, the young girl looked at him seriously. "Senior Paper Man, I don't know if I'll live, but before anything happens, may I ask one favor?"
"What is it? If I can do it, I will."
"I have a brother in the mortal world. He's the best brother in the world. His name is Yi Tianxing, ruler of the Great Yi Dynasty. If you ever meet him, please tell him: even if I reincarnate, I will never forget him. No matter how long it takes or how hard the road, one day—I will find him again. I've always been waiting for him."
She spoke with unwavering resolve, each word soaked with longing and willpower.Even if she perished, even if she reincarnated countless times—her heart would never forget.Her only wish was for this message to reach her brother. So he would know… she was waiting.
"What?! You're the sister of Yi Tianxing—the Great Yi Emperor? That's impossible! Were you kidnapped from the dynasty by the ghost king? That… that's unthinkable!"
The Paper Craftsman almost lost control. He'd spent time with Yi Tianxing in recent days, never realizing his true identity. Everyone simply referred to him as "Fellow Daoist Yi."
But the Great Yi was no ordinary dynasty—it was the top fortune dynasty of the human race.Back in the Divine-Demon Battlefield, Yi Tianxing had shaken the heavens by subduing countless genius cultivators from other races. His fame had long since spread far and wide.
And this girl—this pitiful soul—was his sister?
"You're not lying. I can see it now. You're cloaked in dynastic fate. The fortune of an imperial court rests on you… a divine aura. You truly are a princess of Great Yi!"
Even the small paper figure began trembling from excitement.
If he could help this girl escape… that would mean forging a direct karmic link with Great Yi!That was a golden opportunity—one that could bring immeasurable future benefits.
"Little girl, wait right here. This old man's going to fetch help!"Heart burning with urgency, the Paper Craftsman left immediately. He thought of the Decomposer. He thought of Yi Tianxing.
They were powerful.Strong enough to make a miracle possible.
Suddenly—
Crack!
The dungeon gates creaked open.
A guard entered and instantly spotted the floating paper figure. "What is this! Who dares trespass in the dungeon?!"
"Damn! I've been spotted. Time to run!"The Paper Craftsman shouted. The paper figure shone with white light and tried to escape.
But—slam!
A glowing barrier appeared out of thin air. Symbols shimmered across it.The paper figure collided and bounced back.
"It's a barrier! No!"With a shriek, the paper doll burst into flames—burning itself into ash in mere seconds.
The guards immediately searched the dungeon thoroughly.Finding nothing else, they reinforced security. Additional sentries began patrolling within.Clearly, they knew the outer world was growing dangerous—and any slip might cost them dearly.
Meanwhile—at Yellow Springs Inn, in a quiet guest room—
The Paper Craftsman's eyes flew open."Damn it, one paper clone wasted. But the information I got… priceless."He leapt up and raced out of the room.
A moment later, he found Yi Tianxing and the Decomposer, pulling them both into a hidden room on the sixth floor and immediately throwing up a sound-proof barrier.
Yi Tianxing raised an eyebrow and chuckled."Friend, dragging us here in such a hurry—surely not just for dinner?"
The Decomposer also grinned."If something's going on, just say it. We're all comrades here in the underworld."
The Paper Craftsman took a deep breath."Do you two know about the Great Yi Dynasty?"
The Decomposer gave him a weird look."Of course. The greatest fortune dynasty in existence."
Yi Tianxing's expression turned even stranger.
Was his identity exposed?
Had the innkeeper revealed something? He doubted that—but still, it felt… awkward.
The Paper Craftsman continued, serious now:"Great Yi is humanity's shining beacon. If one could establish a connection with them, it would be a tremendous boon. And right now, I have such an opportunity. Are you two willing to help?"
Yi Tianxing leaned forward. "What do you mean?"
"I used a paper clone to scout Red Flame City. In one of its prisons, I found… the ghost king's prisoners. Among them is a young girl—she is the Princess of Great Yi, the Emperor's younger sister."
"What?!"Yi Tianxing's entire body jolted. Even with his composed heart, he couldn't suppress a cry of shock.