The skin and bones of a paper person can be separated.

 

Although they knew the village chief was also trying to break free from the Mountain God’s control, that didn’t mean his stance aligned with the players’. The group watched him cautiously. Cao Qian, the strongest fighter, clenched her fists, ready for battle.

Only Xing Ye remained calm. He said to the village chief, “When did you arrive?”

“Ahem,” the village chief coughed lightly, “I’ve been listening to the Cao family’s movements. Not just four people—even if a single bird flew in, I would know. The moment you entered, I knew, but I didn’t dare approach. I stayed outside the window watching you. Only when you found the rag doll did I come in.”

He glanced at Cao Qian. “Indeed, the only one who could find the rag doll is you. If possible, I wouldn’t want Heihei to become a sacrifice, but there’s no choice—this is the final Mountain God ritual, and the Cao family must go.”

When the village chief’s feet touched the ground, there was no sound at all. His body was so light it seemed weightless. Xing Ye listened carefully but could hear no breathing.

Yesterday, Xing Ye had seen the village chief in the daytime; he had looked human. Now he resembled nothing more than a sheet of paper.

Xing Ye asked, “Did the living corpses in the black fog give you any trouble, this paper person?”

The village chief chuckled twice, “They’re just brains-dried up corpses, with no eyes at all.”

“I see,” Xing Ye said, looking at the village chief. “I don’t know how you did it, but the reason you can evade the black fog and remain undetected is because you’re now only a sheet of paper, isn’t that right?”

Qian Daniu jumped behind Cao Heihei, leaving only half her face and one eye peeking out at the village chief.

Xing Ye continued, “When you helped my father—when Yang Dazhuang became a paper person—you first changed the outer skin and said the bones would be replaced a few days later. That shows that the skin and bones of a paper person can be separated. Li Datou and the others—I don’t know if their paper people could do this—but yours can. Paper without bones becomes extremely light and loses all vital signs. The black fog shouldn’t be able to detect you. This means, whether day or night, you can move freely.”

The village chief looked at Xing Ye. “How do you know the steps to turn a living person into a paper person? Xiao Mao, you’re a clever child—smarter than I imagined—but unfortunately, you will still die.”

In the pitch-black night, the village chief, reduced to a single sheet of skin, gloomily spoke of death for everyone. It looked like a scene straight out of a horror film, and Qian Daniu was nearly terrified to death.

But Xing Ye and Cao Qian remained calm. Cao Qian held Qian Daniu’s hand and said to the village chief, “I believe the paper skin cannot remain separated from the bones for long. Every ability has a time limit. There are four of us. Why do you think you can defeat us?”

The village chief sighed softly and said to Cao Qian, “Heihei, you are so straightforward. You see, Xiao Mao already noticed it.”

He drooped his eyelids and glanced at Yang Xiaomao.

Xing Ye said, “The paper skin’s mobility does have a time limit, but I think an hour or two should be fine. I remember after my mother died, several strong men suddenly appeared near the village chief’s house. So it seems the village chief has helpers.”

“Hehehe, Xiao Mao really is clever,” the village chief laughed.

He raised his hand and lightly clapped twice. A faint “rustle-rustle” came from the air. Behind him, a dozen or so paper people slowly emerged.

Cao Qian reacted instantly. She punched through a window, intending to escape with everyone, but as the glass shattered, another dozen paper people floated in.

They moved silently; only when the breeze stirred would there be a faint sound.

The black fog did not appear; it had no reaction to these paper people.

The village chief said, “I’m doing this for the village. If we kill the Mountain God, Mountain God Village will be freed, and everyone can leave and live normal lives.”

Xing Ye asked, “Do you really think paper people like you can live normal lives in the outside world?”

The village chief sighed lightly. “If we don’t say it, let everyone just think they’re residents of a closed mountain village, isn’t that fine?”

Xing Ye said to the village chief, “Many items in the village show that it’s been controlled by the Mountain God since the 70s or 80s, when technology was primitive. You probably don’t realize how much the world changes in fifty years. A village isolated for fifty years is a big deal. The media would publicize it, and you would be taken for blood tests. Paper people’s identities couldn’t remain hidden.”

Indeed, with 70s–80s thinking, the villagers of Mountain God Village could not comprehend the Internet era.

The village chief merely waved his hand, and the paper people floated toward them, holding knives.

Cao Qian reached out, discovering the paper people were extremely soft. Her punches hit like striking a bedsheet fluttering in the wind. No matter her strength, she couldn’t hurt them.

She pulled out the “Surgeon’s Scalpel” —a prop QR code Xing Ye had prepared before leaving the village party secretary’s house for safety.

She slashed a paper person, leaving only a shallow mark.

The “Surgeon’s Scalpel” was found in a surgical amputation room. Despite being small, it could cut through flesh and bone. Yet now, it could not harm paper people—proving they were no longer flesh and blood.

Yan Hebi tried to help but was pushed away; these paper people targeted Xing Ye’s group.

Qian Daniu tremblingly tried to scan a QR code on her wristband, but someone grabbed her hand—she could do nothing, nearly bursting into tears.

Only Xing Ye remained calm, saying to the village chief, “I also want to kill the Mountain God.”

“Really?” the village chief raised his eyelids. “Then go die. Your blood will be the weapon to kill the Mountain God.”

“I just don’t think your method can truly kill the Mountain God,” Xing Ye continued calmly, even as several paper people grabbed him. “Why do you think the blood of a few sacrifices can kill it? We don’t even know what the Mountain God is. Have you seen it?”

He pressed the mirror on his chest hard, preventing Lu Mingze from using “Unparalleled Beauty” to transfer consciousness to the indoor mirrors.

There were too many people; the ability couldn’t control all of them and would expose Lu Mingze’s power.

Cao Qian’s swan crystal called out a few times, but the village chief and paper people ignored it. Linlin’s powers, “Lack of Ambition” and “self-deception”, could not control the paper people.

Xing Ye constantly observed the paper people. If they intended to kill, he would use “Kua Fu Chasing the Sun” to stop time—a last-resort ability, only one minute in 24 hours. He planned to negotiate with the village chief first.

The village chief waved his hand; the paper people elongated like ropes, binding several people. Cao Qian, the strongest, was bound the tightest.

The paper people snatched the cloth strips from Xing Ye and handed them to the village chief. He examined them. Xing Ye asked, “Can you read? Understand them?”

The village chief chuckled, “Of course. Aunt Cao taught me a bit back then.”

Aunt Cao referred to Cao Heihei’s grandmother.

“Oh, then look at the last cloth scrap,” Xing Ye said.

Previously, they had only looked at the first few scraps. The village chief likely heard their discussion, but the last scrap, containing special content, was saved for last. Now he entered the room.

“Of course I know it… hehe… what is this?” The village chief almost tore when the light revealed the last scrap.

“That… I’m not really sure,” Xing Ye said. “Probably only the Cao family can understand it.”

“Luckily, Heihei hasn’t been killed yet.” The village chief placed the scrap in front of Cao Qian and asked,
“Heihei, what does this say?”

Cao Qian glanced: the scrap was densely embroidered with letters—clearly Chinese Pinyin, not English. The village chief… didn’t recognize Pinyin?

“I know,” Cao Qian said calmly, “but even if I tell you, you’ll still kill me afterwards — why should I tell you?”

“This…” The village chief puffed up and then shrank down like a balloon, looking extremely embarrassed and uncomfortable.

“Sacrifices can’t all be paper-person hybrids; at least three must be real living people. There really is no one else who can take your place.”

Everyone: “……”

That village chief was so honest — he couldn’t even lie properly. He didn’t even recognize Hanyu Pinyin, yet he thought he could lead the paper people to integrate into modern society. How naïve.

Xing Ye said, “Alright then, let’s not make things hard for you. First tell us: why can the blood of these sacrifices kill the Mountain God? How do you know this?”

Yang Xiaomao’s small face was full of heroic resolve: “I’m not afraid to die. If our lives can end this sacrificial practice, I don’t mind. But we must die with a clear purpose; we cannot die in vain!”

Cao Heihei also said, “I’m not afraid of death either. My grandmother’s wish was for the people of Mountain God Village to get out. To fulfil my grandmother’s wish, I’m willing to die.”

Qian Daniu, seeing the two big players speak up, chimed in: “I’m timid and I’m pretty afraid of death, but it seems no one asked my opinion. At least let me die knowing why.”

Looking at the determined faces of the children, the village chief sighed deeply: “This has to be told from decades ago.”

“No problem — there’s still a day and a night left before the Mountain God ritual. Take your time.” Yan Hebi said.

Better tell more — tell until the paper people can’t hold out and must put their bones back.

The village chief glared at Yan Hebi, ordered the paper people to hold Li Datou down, and recalled: “More than forty years ago, at the third Mountain God ritual, I was one of the sacrifices. I, Qin Laoda (the party secretary’s older brother), and another child were chosen as offerings. Because the ritual procedure was not yet perfected then, the guards produced by the second Mountain God ritual were only two, and those two escorted me up the mountain.

“I was terrified and asked the guards whether I would be selected, but those guards’ eyes went glassy — they seemed unable to hear us and only wanted to escort us into a cave.

“I tried to escape several times but the guards always caught me and brought me back. So, I decided that since the situation had reached that point I might as well finish it — I found a way to kill the guards.”

Hearing this, Xing Ye asked, “Paper people can’t die, right? How did you kill the guards?”

 

 

Translator : DarNan