Volume 1, Chapter 6: Lawless

"You know the art of paper manipulation?"

"Is a minor bit of paper manipulation worth such shock from you, my lord? What haven't the people of the Heaven-Reaching Bureau seen before?" Cheng Xi looked at him, bewildered.

"To cut paper into a sentient being requires chanting spells, drawing essence, and burying it beneath bluestone for forty-nine days, waiting for it to gain a soul before it can be used."

Li Zhi'an’s gaze swept over the cluttered table where the scraps of paper and scissors lay—this paper creature had clearly been cut by her just moments ago.

To use a paper construct the moment it leaves the scissors—such a skill was something only that old man at the Imperial Observatory possessed.

Cheng Zhouxing must have lost his mind to be willing to cast such a daughter out of his house.

Cheng Xi muttered inwardly that had she known he would execute a sudden about-face, she would have certainly put on a show and struck a pose. Who knew he would abandon all decorum and just barge in like that? It was also her own fault for being too weak; she hadn't even sensed his approach.

"This paper doll is just an empty shell; it can only do some rough chores like sweeping. It can't do anything else," Cheng Xi said, her expression unchanging.

With its back turned to Cheng Xi, the paper doll’s upturned mouth immediately flattened. Its previously sparkling eyes lost their luster, and its sweeping motions became dull and sluggish.

Li Zhi'an glanced at the paper doll’s back, a flicker of suspicion crossing his eyes. He looked back at Cheng Xi, who wore a look of innocent, guileless composure, as if he were the one being unreasonable. He heard her say, "It’s just an ordinary paper doll."

As soon as the words left her lips, the paper doll became even more sluggish.

Just then, Jiang Boyu arrived in a rush with his men. He bumped right into the sweeping paper doll upon entering, momentarily thinking he had walked into the wrong place. What was going on here?

Before Jiang Boyu could speak, he saw his superior turn and leave. Not daring to ask questions, he immediately followed.

"Go and investigate everything about Cheng Xi over these past few years."

"Yes, my lord." Seeing his superior’s face as dark as iron, Jiang Boyu promptly complied.

Once they were gone, Cheng Xi slumped into a chair, relieved, and looked at the paper doll. "Go and shut the door."

The paper doll immediately went over, closed the courtyard gate, and slid the bolt into place.

Cheng Xi felt a bit dazed as she watched it. "How about I give you a name?"

The paper doll tilted its head, its mouth stretching upward in a truly uncanny grin, and nodded its head at a ninety-degree angle.

"Let’s call you Baohua."

With a name, the paper doll seemed to gain a new spark of vitality; its eyes became more agile as it picked up the broom to continue sweeping. Within an hour, it had cleaned the entire small courtyard, upstairs and down, making everything look brand new.

During this time, Cheng Xi cut a set of clothes for it—a peach-pink blouse and a willow-green skirt. She even cut paper into fine silk-like strands, dyed them carefully with ink, and after they dried, pasted them onto its head, giving it the appearance of dark, flowing hair.

Baohua kept checking its reflection in the water vat, clearly delighted.

Cheng Xi, whose constitution was weak, had exhausted herself creating Baohua and fell asleep before dark.

Baohua guarded the door. Suddenly, a faint, rustling sound emerged. A sharp glint flashed in its pitch-black eyes. Its arm, which had appeared normal, suddenly elongated, and it dragged a dark shadow from the corner by its throat.

A heavy scent of blood wafted out. Baohua’s fingertips were stained red, and with a look of disdain, it shook its hand and pinned the shadow under its foot. The shadow struggled violently but could not break free from beneath Baohua’s foot; already severely wounded, it eventually lost its strength and fainted.

The next morning, Cheng Xi was awakened by hunger. Too lazy to groom herself, she rose, tied her hair back with a handkerchief, and opened the door to find a bound ball of fur on the ground.

"Baohua."

Instantly, Baohua dashed up from downstairs, its paper legs moving so fast they left a blur, yet its skirt swayed like gentle waves, without a hint of disarray. Cheng Xi smiled; this was a paper doll that loved beauty.

"What’s this?" she asked, pointing at the tightly bound creature.

Baohua gestured a few times. Cheng Xi was slightly surprised. "You caught this?"

Baohua nodded proudly. It was very capable; it was just a furry beast, after all.

Cheng Xi looked at the bundle on the ground with a complex expression, then turned to Baohua. "Do you know what this is?"

Baohua shook its head—it did not.

"You really know how to find work for me," Cheng Xi muttered. She nudged the small fur-ball with the tip of her toe. "If you keep playing dead, I’ll skin you, pull your tendons, and braise you."

The fur-ball’s hair stood on end, and it immediately rolled over.

"To be able to escape the Heaven-Reaching Bureau, you’ve got quite the talent. This is my first time seeing a living Four-Pupil Demon Fox. Open your eyes and let me have a look."

The Four-Pupil Demon Fox bared its teeth at Cheng Xi, its eyes flashing with intense malice.

Cheng Xi kept a deadpan face. "Baohua, drag it away, skin it, pull its tendons, and notify the Heaven-Reaching Bureau to come collect the carcass."

Baohua grabbed the fox by the scruff of its neck and prepared to haul it downstairs.

"Wait... wait a moment!" A crisp voice sounded, filled with urgency and terror. "You can't kill me."

Cheng Xi paused. Even without shifting into human form, it could speak? She waved her hand, and Baohua brought it back.

"So, it’s a male fox spirit."

The Four-Pupil Demon Fox subconsciously curled its body, glaring at Cheng Xi as if she were a hooligan. Cheng Xi clicked her tongue. It was thin-skinned, but she wasn't a lecher; she had only made the comment because his voice sounded like that of a youth.

"Why were you captured by the Heaven-Reaching Bureau, and why did you escape?" Cheng Xi asked.

"They kept draining my blood! It hurt, so of course I had to escape!" the fox retorted angrily.

"Draining your blood?" Cheng Xi frowned. "Oh, your blood is indeed of some use. You still haven't answered why you were captured."

"For killing people, obviously."

Cheng Xi remembered. "Jiang Boyu said you killed over a hundred people in the Golden Capital. Why kill so many?"

"I was cultivating peacefully in the deep mountains. I went out to hunt, and when I came back, my home was gone, and my treasures had all been stolen. Naturally, I had to take revenge."

Cheng Xi: ...

"What will it take for you to let me go?" the fox asked.

The ropes binding it were made of something unknown; not only could it not break free, but the more it struggled, the tighter they pulled. That paper doll looked ordinary but possessed the strength of an ox and moved with the speed of lightning.

"A life for a life."

"They destroyed my home and robbed me first!"

"You are of no use to me, and keeping you is a risk."

"You’re a talismancer, aren't you? You can't carry heavy loads or handle manual labor. The government has strict orders against paper dolls walking the streets and frightening commoners. If you keep me, once I shift into human form, I’ll be your butler."

Once he escaped this crisis and shifted, he would kill her and run away!

Cheng Xi watched the little fox, whose eyes were darting around; it hadn't even grown its full coat, yet it had plenty of schemes. Her thoughts shifted, and she said slowly, "Being my butler isn't out of the question. But since I’m taking such a risk to save you, to show your sincerity, you must sign a contract with me—the kind witnessed by heaven and earth. How about it?"

"No!"

Cheng Xi couldn't be bothered to waste words. She looked at Baohua. "Can you cook?"

Baohua’s mouth twitched—it looked even more uncanny—and it shook its hands.

"Oh, right, you aren't waterproof or fireproof." Cheng Xi felt annoyed, and the fox’s continued screeching made her even more irritated. "Hang it up!"

Even after transmigrating, she still had to cook for herself. A world without food delivery was truly infuriating.

Cooking was out of the question. She pushed open the courtyard door, intending to go out and buy breakfast. As she opened the door, she found Jiang Boyu, dressed in his official uniform with a long saber at his waist, standing outside with guards from the Heaven-Reaching Bureau. He held an orb in his hand that was glowing with a faint, eerie light.

Cheng Xi couldn't help but curse under her breath.

The Demon-Seeking Orb!