Chapter 8: Paper Talismans

The sky grew darker, and true night descended. The surroundings were silent, and the forest appeared even more sinister. Xiao Qiu suddenly stood up and said, "First, let's start a fire"

The officer remained motionless, and Erliang bent down to look for a while, then timidly raised his head and said softly, "It seems he is dead."

The officer smiled, "You must be joking. Even the most ordinary talismans cannot be used by people like you. Moreover, these are all high-quality paper talismans..."

"That is not robbery; you are the criminal, so the items naturally belong to us. Just as when you captured us, you took all our belongings, didn't you?" Xiao Qiu immediately countered, and his argument received unanimous agreement from the youths. Even if the 'spoils' had already been discarded, they insisted on their simple rights.

"Let me give it a try," said Erliang. The result was still the same. The young men took turns attempting it, and the paper talisman proved to be quite sturdy, showing no signs of damage whatsoever; it simply did not ignite as the officer had described.

You?" Xiao Qiu stood with her hands on her hips in front of him, "If you had a way, you would have escaped by yourself long ago.

"I do not know the way, and I have no paper talismans to assist me. Where can I run to?" The officer tried his best to make his voice sound sincere

The youth of Yelin Town are very innocent, lacking much suspicion towards others. Even in fear, they sleep very soundly. Xiao Qiu and Fang Fang gradually leaned their bodies, eventually resting their heads against each other

Daliang then felt at ease to entrust it to Xiaoqiu

Xiao Qiu had no objections, and neither did the others. They were all exhausted, sitting against a large tree, lacking the energy to chat, and gradually fell asleep

Even for the usually adventurous Qiu, it was impossible to find any edible wild fruits in this desolate forest. He struggled to stand up and looked around, saying, "We must first find that small river"

The two-pin steering officer said fiercely: "Is deceiving people fun? Hand over the sacrificial fire."

The chestnut horse has a gentle temperament; it remains indifferent even when strangers approach.

The fool shook his head even faster, "I can't go alone; that snake... we don't have enough to fill its gaps."

With nothing more to say, Ershuan jumped up again, kicking over the campfire. The burning twigs touched the damp ground and were quickly extinguished.

Before going to bed, Xiao Qiu said to the officer: "Don't think about escaping"

Fangfang surprisingly did not fall; she was supported by a force, remaining no more than five steps away from Xiaoqiu. Her face was frighteningly pale, yet she did not collapse, but instead slowly sat down

Everyone walked in different directions, leaving marks along the way, and would return after a while, perhaps making some discoveries. Xiao Qiu came up with this idea

Do you know the method?" Er Shuan, feeling impatient, handed the paper talisman to Fang Fang

Next to arrive was the young officer, his hands bound. However, unencumbered by armor, his desire to survive was strong, allowing him to run faster than most of the other youths

This place resembles a haunt favored by demons, yet no one has suggested the idea of relocating.

At the mention of the enormous serpent demon, the youths became alert, and no one dared to venture in a single direction. Even in pairs or threes, they felt uneasy; they only wished to stay together

In the end, Ershuan kicked once more and said, "This is what you get for lying."

"For the time being, it will be kept with me; it will still belong to you in the future"

In the dead of night, the officer quietly rose, gently moved about, and stealthily approached Xiao Qiu. After observing for a while, he found it difficult to steal back the paper talisman and had no choice but to give up, turning instead towards the chestnut horse.

The chestnut horse affectionately nuzzled against Xiao Qiu's head, carrying on its back the two bundles given to Fang Fang by the Wind Granny

The young men were at a loss, waiting for someone to tell them what to do. Upon hearing the words, they immediately got up and searched for some dry branches nearby, gathering them into a pile. Erliang took out the newly acquired fire-starting tools and struck the flint vigorously with the fire steel, igniting the tinder. He carefully shielded it with his hands and cautiously lit the bonfire.

The officer felt as if the blood within his body and the images in the book had instantly turned to ice.

The youth of Yelin Town no longer formed factions, but instead gathered anxiously in a tight group, hiding behind a thick tree. Ershuan tightly gripped the long sword in his hand, thinking that he must make everyone acknowledge him as the leader.

Fangfang did not respond, "I won't either, but I read a book that mentioned paper talismans should be burned with some kind of ritual fire, and there is no need to wave them around."

Not long after, the others caught up, and most of the heavy "spoils" had been discarded along the way. The last one was Ershuan, who still clung to the long sword, refusing to let go no matter what.

An old horse knows the way; with this horse, what need is there for paper talismans? The officer secretly ridiculed the foolishness of this group of youths

The boys were divided into two groups. Xiao Qiu, Fang Fang, Da Liang, and Er Liang sat on one side, while Er Shuan, Leng Zi, Xiao Gou, Zhu Zi, and Xiao Shun sat on the other side. They were not originally playing together, and at this moment, there was a sense of estrangement.

Xiao Qiu ran out, charging towards the monster under the bewildered gazes of the crowd. After a short while, she returned leading a horse, "It is a chestnut horse. I was truly stunned, I didn't even hear its sound."

"Paper talisman?" Daliang felt around his body and took out the stack of papers, "What is this called, a paper talisman? How much is it worth?"

Ershuan, furious, attempted to charge at someone but was firmly held back by his companions

"Let's take a break and discuss it when he wakes up," said Xiao Qiu

Are you looking for death? The officer finally awakened, and his first words were filled with disdain, as if the beating had no effect on him at all

The rations were divided among them; although they were far from sufficient to fill their stomachs, their hearts were no longer as anxious.

With two punches and a kick, he knocked the officer to the ground, then mounted him and alternated his fists to deliver a fierce beating, "This is what you get for lying..."

Xiao Qiu even shared a piece of dry food with the officer and used a dagger to cut the ropes on his hands, saying, "After you finish the food, lead us out of the forest"

The boys took off running, still unable to discern the direction, instinctively running downhill with the books in hand, which helped conserve some energy. Xiao Qiu, Da Liang, and Er Liang, having grown up herding in the woods, were more familiar with the terrain, and thus ran at the front.

As soon as the word "death" was mentioned, the atmosphere immediately changed; even Ershuan seemed a bit frightened, swallowing hard and mumbling something that no one could clearly hear.

Ershuan sat on the ground, shaking his head, "How do I find it?"

The officer slowly shook his head, but upon noticing the unfriendly gazes around him, he changed his words, "The third one is an invisibility talisman, and the seventh one is a guidance talisman. Hold them between your index and middle fingers, give them a gentle flick up and down, but don't apply too much force. If the paper talisman catches fire, it will release the spell; if it doesn't catch fire—that means you cannot use it."

Xiao Qiu first picked out the seventh card and, following the method described by the officer, flicked it a few times. The paper talisman only made a rustling sound, without even a spark flying out.

Fangfang peeked out from behind Qiu and whispered, "It seems that the paper talisman is not used this way"

The night in the forest was thick, visibility limited to just a few meters. However, everyone sensed that a colossal creature was gradually approaching from a distance, getting closer and closer, until it finally stopped and emitted the same strange sound as before

He is a boy who refuses to come out of the jungle during the day, and others call him "Baldy." At this moment, he is grinning at the officer as if they have been good friends since childhood

The officer did not answer Daliang's question, his gaze shifting back and forth between Xiaoqiu and Ershuan, trying to determine who was the leader of the group of children. Finally, he said to Xiaoqiu: "Return the paper talisman to me, and I will lead you away from the snake demon and out of the forest. I find that snake demon a bit strange; it may have already been infected by the demonic seed, so the farther we stay away from it, the better."

At this moment, a strange sound came from afar, resembling the bubbling of river water, yet also akin to the low roar of a wild beast

Xiao Qiu extended her hand towards Da Liang, "Give it to me"

At this moment, the young officer no longer exuded any authority; his smooth uniform was more severely damaged than others, his face was covered in sweat, dirt, and remnants of illustrations, yet his eyes still held a hint of disdain. "Now you understand the terror of the serpent demon, right? I have a way to safely exit the forest"

Daliang and Erliang fell down, gasping with their mouths open

The officer did not expect his guess to be confirmed so quickly; he jumped up and unsteadily joined the group of young boys

After a long time, Erliang was the first to speak, "I am about to starve."

The officer had a lot to say, but in the end, it turned into a brief grunt. He had always regarded himself as an adult, disdainful of arguing with children. "Fine, the things belong to you, but will you know how to use them?" His gaze swept over, landing on Daliang. "Are those paper talismans still around?"

They have entered deep into the dense forest, where the ground is almost devoid of wild grass, covered only by a thick layer of dry leaves. Looking up, one cannot see the daylight; it is vaguely dusk outside.

Unaware of how much time had passed, even the most agile Xiao Qiu could no longer run, collapsing onto the ground. Even when the giant snake appeared above, opening its mouth to devour him, he had no desire to move.

The officer grasped the reins and turned to glance at the sleeping youths, thinking to himself that soon these country boys would understand the unforgivable mistake they had made, especially that one who dared to strike him, Ershuan, and the rather arrogant Xiaoqiu.

The officer's trick was exposed on the spot, yet he seemed unfazed, speaking in a tone meant to teach a lesson: "The ritual of fire cannot be handed over; it must be learned and used by oneself. For people like you... it might take about ten years to learn something as simple as this."

The officer has sat up, his face marked with bruises. "Last night, it was the firelight that revealed your whereabouts. I didn't expect you to have such poor memory, making a fire in this forest. It can be seen from afar. Are you inviting the snake demon over?"

Daliang hesitated a bit, "Several copies, all for you?"

He reminded everyone that there are pains in this world that are more real than those of the snake demon, and several bellies seemed to understand his words, emitting a series of gurgling sounds.

The officer, with an expression unchanged on his dirty face, said, "Hmm... the paper talismans can only be used to evade demons, not to kill them. Return them to me; the snake demon will catch up sooner or later. This is not a place to linger."

The young boys all came out, standing around the chestnut horse. Being able to see familiar animals in the dense forest brought them great comfort. When Fangfang rummaged through the bundle and found a few pieces of leftover dry food, everyone was practically ready to cheer.

The officer stood up, his height similar to that of Xiao Qiu, appearing not particularly sturdy. "That is because you all took my belongings."

It is too late. The officer sniffed the unfamiliar rations and displayed a look of disgust. Fortunately, it was dark, and no one noticed. The compass can only indicate the direction; it is too dark for us to proceed. Let us wait until tomorrow morning.

Xiao Qiu counted and found twelve talismans. The paper was white with a hint of yellow, and the characters on it were pitch black, as if freshly written. He could hardly recognize any normal characters, let alone the esoteric talismans. "Tell me which one to use and how to use it"

Daliang checked the officer's nose and mouth, "There is still breath, he has fainted."

The flames gradually grew stronger, and the heat and light dispelled much of the fear in the hearts of the young men, yet no one was willing to speak, nor did anyone know what the next step should be

The officer cannot sleep; he has specific requirements for where he sleeps, and he is also harboring a plan

"Why didn't you use paper talismans from the beginning?" Xiao Qiu harbored deep suspicion towards the young man, recalling his fierce attitude towards both herself and Fang Fang

He skillfully leaped onto the horse's back, just about to urge the horse to flee, when he suddenly spotted something emerging a dozen steps to his left front.

The boys were all stunned, and Fangfang, frightened, shrank behind Xiaoqiu. After a while, Daliang and the others finally surrounded them and forcibly pulled Ershuan apart.

What did you say? Ershuan raised his fist and shook it a couple of times

What is wrong with people like us? Do we have fewer arms and legs than you? Aren't you the one who was caught by us as a criminal?