West Lake was originally a bustling area, but as it was late, there were very few pedestrians on the road. The pursuers might have made arrangements in advance.
So the street was now quiet, with no one around, only the flashing advertising light boxes reminding everyone that this was not a static scene.
However, in the middle of the main road, a sedan chair suddenly appeared. Upon closer inspection, the sedan chair was also made of paper.
The sedan chair was carried by sixteen paper figures with pale faces and rosy cheeks, some crying and some laughing, each with a different expression. However, their expressions were all terrifyingly unnatural, ones that a living person could not possibly make.
The sixteen paper figures sang and danced, carrying the sedan chair while scattering yellow paper into the sky.
Even though Yan Shouyi and the others had witnessed grand spectacles before, they couldn't help but feel a chill down their spines at this sight!
"What is that thing ahead?!" Lin Zitong gripped the steering wheel, hesitating whether to crash into it or take a detour.
Yan Shouyi said in a deep voice, "It looks like a ghost king making a procession, but there are no minor ghosts clearing the way, which is unusual."
"And where would a ghost king come from in Rongcheng now?" Long Feicheng shouted from behind.
All three great ghost kings of Rongcheng were dead. Even if a new ghost king's forces were to enter Rongcheng, Yan Shouyi should have received the news.
"What do we do now?" Lin Zitong asked.
Yan Shouyi gritted his teeth, "They are not here with good intentions, so we shouldn't be polite either. Let's just crash into it!"
"Alright!"
Lin Zitong stomped on the accelerator. The car's engine roared like an explosion, as if it were about to blow up the next second.
Wang Jiwan tightly gripped the handrail and said nervously, "Shouldn't we reconsider?"
"What's there to consider at this point!"
Yan Shouyi slammed his palm on the car roof, and golden light instantly enveloped the vehicle!
"Heaven and Earth, Xuan Sect, Myriad Qi's Root. Cultivate for myriad kalpas, attain my divine powers. Within and beyond the Three Realms, only the Way is supreme. Golden light appears swiftly, protecting my body!"
The Golden Light Incantation was successfully cast, and the golden light, highly effective against evil beings, tightly wrapped the car.
Whoosh—
The car, like an arrow, sped towards the sedan chair parked in the middle of the road.
"We're about to hit it! Everyone hold on tight!" Lin Zitong shouted.
Just as the car was about to collide with the sedan chair, the sedan curtain was suddenly lifted, revealing a man with a pale face and a very effeminate appearance!
The man merely beckoned, and the approaching car was lifted into the air, flying over the sedan chair, and crashing heavily onto the ground!
The car flipped several times before finally coming to a stop against the curb.
Everyone screamed, feeling as if their internal organs had been dislocated by the impact.
"Little brother!"
Wang Jiwan was the first to react. He rushed to check on Wang Zilai.
"He's fine!" Long Feicheng shouted from the trunk, "I'm protecting him!!"
Yan Shouyi snapped back to his senses and told everyone to get out of the car quickly.
After getting out of the car, they quickly opened the trunk. Long Feicheng was holding Wang Zilai in his arms, his own head bleeding, but Wang Zilai was completely unharmed.
Seeing this, Wang Jiwan sincerely thanked Long Feicheng.
"Little Long, can you still stand?" Yan Shouyi asked.
"I can..."
Long Feicheng stumbled to his feet, but it was clearly a struggle. Seeing this, Chang Shan immediately carried Long Feicheng on his back.
Yan Shouyi glanced warily at the sedan chair and said, "We shouldn't stay here for long. Everyone, hurry and go. If we really can't make it... I'll stay behind to hold off those guys! Wang Jiwan, don't worry about anything else. No matter what, you must go and see Uncle Zou!!"
Wang Jiwan gritted his teeth, also carrying Wang Zilai on his back, and they all ran towards West Lake.
Fortunately, they had already reached the outskirts of West Lake Scenic Area, and the agreed-upon location was not far.
The effeminate man in the sedan chair, seeing Yan Shouyi and the others trying to escape, waved his hand. The paper figures carrying the sedan chair actually took out their weapons and, with cold smiles, chased after them!
"Hurry!" Yan Shouyi yelled.
Everyone fled in a panic. Lin Zitong kept close to Yan Shouyi, frowning, and said,
"Big fool, did you figure out their origin?"
Yan Shouyi said in a deep voice, "Paper cutters!"
"Is the person in the sedan chair related to A Gong?" Lin Zitong asked in surprise.
"Although they are both paper cutters, over the years, even the same profession will eventually have different inheritance directions. There are not only Lu Ban's descendants of my lineage in this world, but there must also be other paper-cutting descendants. It's not yet certain whether this paper cutter knows A Gong," Yan Shouyi said. "This guy is very powerful, much more so than A Gong. We shouldn't confront him directly for now. Let's make plans after Wang Jiwan has met Uncle Zou!"
"Understood!"
Yan Shouyi's group and the paper figures entered the West Lake area, one after the other. The scenic area guards were nowhere to be seen, and the area was deserted.
The paper figures were very fast. They all ran on all fours in a grotesque posture, like wild dogs.
As soon as the group entered West Lake, the paper figures were already hot on their heels.
One of the paper figures drew its bow and shot an arrow at Long Feicheng!
Clang!
Ling Xiaoxiao, running beside Chang Shan, suddenly threw an Emei刺, deflecting the arrow.
Seeing this, Long Feicheng couldn't help but say, "Junior Sister Ling, I owe you a life-saving grace. I'll offer myself in return someday!!"
Ling Xiaoxiao gave him a sidelong glance.
A paper figure also approached Wang Zilai from behind, but instead of delivering a killing blow like it did to Long Feicheng, it reached out to grab Wang Zilai.
A whistling sound echoed through the air, and the paper figure's outstretched hand was instantly severed. The severed hand fell to the ground and quickly turned to ash.
Wang Jiwan, holding Wang Zilai in one arm and the赊刀人's cleaver in the other, seemed to have a realization and said,
"Yan Shouyi, these guys are after my brother!!"
"Why do you say that?!" Yan Shouyi asked loudly.
"They tried to kill us all, but they want to capture my brother alive. They must want to capture my brother so that he can predict the future for them!"
What Wang Jiwan said was very convincing, and Yan Shouyi had the same suspicion. So he simply shouted,
"Everyone, get close to Wang Jiwan and Wang Zilai. Don't let these guys capture Wang Zilai!"
Everyone was not a novice who had never fought before. Upon hearing Yan Shouyi's words, they all moved closer to Wang Jiwan and voluntarily positioned themselves behind the two brothers, shielding them from the grotesque paper figures.
Wang Jiwan also put away his knife and switched from carrying Wang Zilai on his back to holding him in his arms.
Wang Zilai, unable to speak, did not scream. He hugged his brother tightly, resting his head on Wang Jiwan's shoulder, and looked back at the paper figures trying to capture him.
The paper figures began to shoot arrows incessantly, but all of them were blocked by Lin Zitong's red divine umbrella. Yan Shouyi used the art of Qimen Dunjia to barely delay the paper figures' advance.
However, the paper figures were like persistent cockroaches, clinging like stubborn gum. No matter what methods they used, they could only slow them down, and in the blink of an eye, they would catch up again!
"That small house ahead is it. Old Jin and Uncle Zou are both there!" Lin Zitong suddenly shouted.
By the West Lake, there was a temporarily erected hut. Old Jin stood outside smoking, his worried expression clearly indicating that he was contemplating how to extend Zou the blind man's life for another second.
Suddenly, Old Jin heard a commotion and looked up in the direction of Yan Shouyi and the others. Seeing Yan Shouyi and his group appear, Old Jin couldn't help but shout,
"You've finally come. Hurry..."
Mid-sentence, Old Jin sensed something was wrong. Yan Shouyi and the others looked panicked, and something was clearly chasing them from behind.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a group of paper figures!
Old Jin yelled, "What's going on!"
"We'll explain later. Is Uncle Zou inside?!" Yan Shouyi asked loudly.
"Yes, but he's only got one breath left!!"
Yan Shouyi breathed a sigh of relief. It was good they had arrived.
The group rushed to the hut, and before they could say anything, the paper figures followed them.
Yan Shouyi immediately drew his Zanpakuto and met them head-on, "Wang Jiwan, don't worry about us. Hurry into the house and talk to Uncle Zou!"
The others also unleashed their unique abilities, creating time for Wang Jiwan.
Wang Jiwan cast a grateful glance at everyone, then put down Wang Zilai, took a deep breath, and walked into the house.
Old Jin hid in a corner, trembling, and looked at the injured Long Feicheng, "What the hell is going on?"
"How the hell should I know!" Long Feicheng said with a bitter face, "I didn't do anything, who did I offend!"
The paper figures' attacks were fierce, and their numbers were large. Even if they could defeat the paper figures, they couldn't defend against their all-pervasive assaults.
While everyone was distracted, Yan Nanfei silently began setting up a formation around the hut.
After a series of operations, he retreated to the doorway of the hut and sat cross-legged, taking out the pocket watch-sized compass he was holding.
"Heaven, Earth, Sun, Moon, Stars, I summon the spirits of Fengdu.
Following Qi, I seize and bring them, pursuing spirits to reveal their true forms.
Regardless of gods or ghosts, choose any demon or spirit.
The Eight Generals hear my call, and with utmost urgency, reveal their true forms!"
Around the hut, eight beams of golden light shot up from the ground, followed by majestic generals wielding weapons, emerging from the earth!
Each general stood guard like a door god, their weapons connected to form a barrier, driving away all the paper figures approaching the hut!
Yan Shouyi and the others immediately relaxed.
The paper figures refused to give up and tried to approach, but without exception, they were blocked by the golden light. No matter how they knocked or attacked the barrier, they achieved no results.
Yan Shouyi turned his head and saw Yan Nanfei displaying his divine powers, he couldn't help but give him a thumbs-up, "Impressive!"
Long Feicheng was even more generous with his praise, "I didn't expect Senior Brother Yan to be so powerful. It's like a small knife slicing buttocks, opening my eyes!"
However, Yan Nanfei's expression was solemn, and he said in a deep voice,
"This is the Eight Generals guarding the Eight Directions. With my current strength, I can maintain this formation for at most five minutes. After five minutes, I will also be powerless!"