Chapter Ninety-Eight: The Paper Effigy Takes a Life

I locked up the shop and headed home in the evening. The room I rented was not far from the coffee shop, close enough to walk.

The whole street had been unusually quiet today. I had no idea why.

On the way back, the road, already lacking any bustle, was utterly deserted. Not a single pedestrian in sight.

A strange sensation crept over me. I turned to look behind me. Nothing. Just emptiness. Had I become too sensitive?

Then I noticed Wang Yue staring toward something as well.

"What did you see?"

"I... I think there’s something there..."

A faint rustling came from that direction. There really was something.

I was about to go look when Wang Yue grabbed me.

"Brother Luo, don’t go... I have a really bad feeling about this..."

This kid’s instincts had always been frighteningly accurate. I stopped, glanced once more toward that spot, and kept walking home.

Then came a sharp, eerie burst of laughter.

I whirled around, and dread flooded my chest. That laugh was absolutely not normal.

The rustling grew louder and louder. A white blur shot out of the darkness and hurtled straight toward me.

"Watch out!"

I shoved Wang Yue aside and dodged to the other side myself.

Missing its first strike, the white blur changed direction. Only then did I get a clear look at it: a paper effigy, crudely made, with a ghastly pale face twisted into something unnatural, its features drawn with almost careless strokes. Yet for some reason, it looked oddly familiar.

The thing closed in on me, and I darted aside at once. Then it struck me: this was the very paper figure the old woman had propped beside the rattle bell, the one she had first intended to give me. That damned crone had set her mind on my death from the start. When her earlier scheme failed, she had sent this thing after me.

"Heeheehee..."

The paper effigy gave a chilling laugh and lunged again.

I muttered the Ghost-Repelling Formula, but it had no effect whatsoever. The paper figure was right on top of me, and I hurriedly slipped away.

It seemed the formula only worked on ghosts and spirits, not on these strange things.

The thing was incredibly nimble and quickly turned again.

"Brother Luo, look out!" Wang Yue shouted.

In an instant it was in front of me. I had no time to dodge before a pair of paper hands clamped around my throat.

Damn it, brute force had never been my strong suit. The thing was made of paper, and yet its grip was terrifyingly strong, crushing my throat as if it meant to snap my neck in half.

My throat burned with pain. I could not breathe. The agony was unbearable. I smashed my fists against its face, then grabbed at its bamboo-and-wood frame and paper-wrapped arms, trying to tear it off me. Somehow, this thing was tougher than a living person.

"Heeheehee..."

That ghastly laughter came from the distorted paper face, the blood-red mouth seeming to curl upward.

"Brother Luo!"

Wang Yue cried out, and a brick came flying from the side, hitting the paper effigy squarely on the head. Its head tilted at an odd angle, and its hands loosened.

I gasped for breath and urged Wang Yue to run.

Before we had taken more than a few steps, the paper figure came flying at us again, locked on to me completely.

I ran toward a utility pole. The thing came at me from behind, and I instantly sidestepped. It slammed into the pole, yet suffered no damage at all. With its crooked head, it let out that sinister laugh again, turned, and struck at me once more. Its hands seized the front of my shirt, and its pale, twisted face was right before my eyes.

A sudden wave of pain shot through me. Its fingers had actually pierced through my clothes and into my flesh.

"Brother Luo!"

Wang Yue shouted and rushed over, grabbing the paper figure’s feet and pulling hard. But he could not budge it at all.

I seized its arms, trying to keep them from sinking in any further.

"Heeheehee..."

The paper figure laughed with chilling malice as it dragged me backward.

Wang Yue was still holding its feet and being dragged along with it. He staggered and stumbled, but he gritted his teeth and refused to let go.

"Let go, now!" I shouted.

He ignored me and kept clinging to the paper figure’s feet with all his strength.

The thing swayed from side to side, dragging me between the roadside trees. Wang Yue was slammed against a tree trunk and forced to release his grip.

The paper figure hauled me into the wall behind the trees. Its hands drove into my chest, and the blood pouring out stained its paper fingers red.

Its pale, distorted face turned toward me, and a cold, uncanny voice said flatly, "The disciple of Old Ma deserves to die. You all deserve to die."

So that old crone really did have a grudge against Old Ma.

Its hands kept forcing deeper in, already piercing into my ribs. Blood streamed out and soaked the front of my clothes crimson.

"Brother Luo!"

Wang Yue screamed and ran over, trying to tear the paper figure away.

The thing gave a sudden swing and knocked him to the ground. Wang Yue scrambled up and lunged for its feet, but the paper figure flung him aside again, sending him crashing into a roadside tree.

"You... cough, cough... you’d better run! This thing is after me!" I cried out with great difficulty.

Its hands drove deeper still, as if it truly meant to bore through my chest. That damned crone. I would remember this grudge. If I survived this time, I would never let her off.

Wang Yue got back up from the ground and ignored everything I said. With a furious shout, he rushed forward, wrapped both arms around the paper figure’s legs, and pulled with all his might.

"Heeheehee..."

The paper figure let out a sinister laugh, as though angered, and suddenly drew its hands out of my chest. I could not help crying out in pain. A gush of blood spilled out and splashed onto the ground.

One hand pressed against my chest, I looked at Wang Yue. The paper figure’s body twisted backward in an impossible contortion, and its bloodstained arms reached for him.

"Let... let go!" I shouted.

Wang Yue froze, then hurriedly released his grip and tried to retreat. But the paper figure gave him no chance to escape. Its bloodied hands shot straight for his throat.

"Watch out!"

I rushed forward and shoved Wang Yue aside. My throat tightened at once as the thing’s hands closed around my neck instead.

"Brother Luo!" Wang Yue cried in panic.

I waved him away weakly, signaling for him to run and leave me alone. This thing had come for me alone. There was no reason for him to stay and make a pointless sacrifice.

Wang Yue shook his head hard. Then he stared at the paper figure and suddenly roared in fury, "You vile thing, controlled by someone else! I won’t let you hurt him!"

He glared at the paper figure, rushed forward again, muttering under his breath as he swiftly formed a hand seal and struck at it.

"Aaah—"

A strange scream rang out. The grip on my throat suddenly slackened, and the paper figure burst into flames, falling from the air.

Within the burning blaze came wave after wave of shrill, bizarre cries. The paper figure struggled once, then went still, motionless at last as the fire consumed it.

I drew in great gulps of air and looked at Wang Yue. He stood quietly watching the flames, somewhat dazed.