“It really is you!” Du Moyu couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

Due to the distance and position, the azure light could only cover the paper figure from the waist down, but that was enough, because the paper figure was wearing Lei Mingyu's pants and shoes.

This paper figure… was Lei Mingyu!

Lei Mingyu was currently being pushed back by a strange force. Chen Hao didn't hesitate and was the first to rush over, grabbing the paper figure Lei Mingyu's arm and dragging him back.

A few seconds later, Du Moyu's eyes froze. Behind a tree, a pale white face appeared.

Another paper figure… was back.

No, not back, but attracted by the burning rhino horn!

The paper figure no longer hid, and with a few jumps, it was only a few meters away from them. Du Moyu hardened his heart, rushed out, and grabbed the other arm of the paper figure Lei Mingyu.

The two of them exerted force together and finally pulled the paper figure back. They immediately closed the door as they entered.

"Bang!"

After a loud noise, the paper figure outside slammed hard into the door. The door shook slightly a few times, but the wooden door, which had seemed so fragile, was now extremely sturdy, without any signs of damage.

The paper figure got up from the ground and roared at the panting Du Moyu, "Good for you, Du Moyu! Are you blocking the door and not letting Brother Hao open it for me?"

Du Moyu: "Damn it, Lei Mingyu, you ungrateful bastard! I saved you and I saved the wrong person! If you have the guts, go out again and see if I care about you!"

Lei Mingyu was just flustered and spoke without thinking. Being scolded by Du Moyu, the writer, he couldn't find a retort.

Chen Hao saw the paper figure's embarrassment, waved his hand, and told the unforgiving Du Moyu to let him off the hook.

"No way!" Du Moyu jumped up and down, cursing, "Lei Mingyu, you son of a b*tch, you explain yourself clearly!"

Lei Mingyu, who had never lowered his head, finally apologized to Du Moyu, and the matter was considered over.

"Lei Mingyu." Seeing his companion return, Chen Hao breathed a sigh of relief and asked in a low voice, "What exactly is the situation outside? Do you know about the other groups?"

Hearing this, Lei Mingyu shook his head, his voice muffled. "I don't know. The fog outside is very thick. I can only see the situation on my side, but one thing is certain: among the five of us paper figures, only one is the ghost."

Glancing at Lei Mingyu, Du Moyu crossed his arms and sneered, "No need to tell us. That ghost is much more sensible than you. It's especially polite outside."

Chen Hao rubbed his brows. He didn't know the situation of the other groups, especially Jiang Cheng and Wang Fugui. Although he believed that the two of them should be fine.

But nothing was absolute. If only Wang Fugui died, he could barely accept it, but if Jiang Cheng opened the wrong door, causing both of them to die, then the allies they had finally found would be lost.

And without the help of Jiang Cheng and Wang Fugui, it would be extremely difficult for them to fight against Yu Chengmu, A Biao, and the others with just the three of them. Honestly, Chen Hao thought the chances of winning were extremely low.

"You must… survive." Chen Hao prayed in his heart, even if the starting point was a bit selfish.

…

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

Outside a厢房 (xiāngfáng, wing-room) lit with candlelight, a paper figure was futilely banging on the door. The door was being pounded loudly, but the old man inside was just sitting cross-legged on the bed, closing his eyes and resting.

Outside, the paper figure's mournful and helpless wails sounded, with some resentment mixed in.

Because from beginning to end, the old man in the room had not approached the door, or even said a word to him through the door.

Not a single word!

The paper figure didn't understand, why?

According to Yu Chengmu's ability, even if he couldn't immediately guess his identity, he would find other ways to verify it, and as long as he wanted to, he could definitely save himself.

But Yu Chengmu remained indifferent.

Zhang Junyu couldn't figure it out.

"Rumble…"

Thunder rumbled in the sky.

No, this time it wasn't just in the sky, but overhead.

Just now, a bolt of lightning flashed, illuminating the paper figure's helpless eyes.

Seemingly knowing that everything was too late, the time limit had also disappeared. The paper figure knelt in front of the wing-room door, raised its arm, and hit the door again and again.

The 4th 更 (gēng, watch) was almost here.

Hearing the thunder outside getting closer, Yu Chengmu finally opened his eyes, got out of bed, paced slowly to behind the door, and the first sentence he spoke made the paper figure Zhang Junyu stunned.

"Junyu." Yu Chengmu said in a drawn-out tone, "I know it's you."

The paper figure reacted and was furious, waving its fists and hitting the door heavily, venting its dissatisfaction and unwillingness. It also knew that it was going to die, even if the door was opened now, it was probably impossible to save him.

But it just wanted to know why. Why would Yu Chengmu… treat him like this?

Lifting his heavy eyelids, Yu Chengmu exhaled lightly, "Can't figure out why, right? Okay, I'll let you die knowing why. After all, you've been by my side for so many years. Even if you haven't contributed, you've still worked hard. I, Yu Chengmu, still remember that."

"Junyu, you can be considered half my disciple, but over the years, you've been colluding with Jia Jinliang behind my back, helping him trick me into talking. Several deals I secretly made were ruined by you. You have to admit that, right?"

There was a violent knocking sound from outside the door, as if in protest.

Yu Chengmu sneered, "I know what you want to say. You think I'm unfair in distributing the benefits, and that the share I give you is too small, so you're dissatisfied."

"But I want to remind you, you're only fit to help out. You're not worth that price at all!" Yu Chengmu's tone changed, becoming icy cold. "Even that, I think I've given you too much. Without me, you're nothing!"

"Hehe, since you're about to die, I won't talk to you about these things. Of course, I, Yu Chengmu, am not a stingy person. These things… are not enough for me to abandon you."

"But who told you to have such bad luck?" Yu Chengmu said with some regret, "You've encountered such a mission. Don't hold any grudges. Don't say it's you, even Jia Jinliang and that A Biao, even if they don't die in the mission, I'll still send them on their way in the end."

The paper figure outside was stunned. It never expected that Yu Chengmu, this old thing, would be so insidious.

"All of you are going to die. Since dying sooner or later is the same, I advise you to get on your way sooner." Yu Chengmu put his hands behind his back, his waist slightly straightened, looking like a Taoist master, squinting his eyes and saying, "By the way, seeing that you're about to die, I'll tell you another big secret. This mission is a scheme set up by many top experts in the陰行 (yīnháng, underworld business), even at the cost of many lives."

"According to my calculations, the last survivor of this mission… will be only one person, and that person will receive an enormous benefit." Yu Chengmu's entire face was distorted with excitement, "Dahe Niangniang…"