Key Materials for the Substitute Doll

Green paper figure.

Its large, clear black and white eyes moved slowly, as if secretly observing everything in the room.

Just then.

A line of small ink characters appeared before Pei Si.

[Promotion Requirements: Increased materials required for advancement to Paper Craftsman (White); the paper figures made by the master are sold throughout the county; the paper craftsmanship is praised by the people of the county]

"Should I upgrade?"

"Upgrade!"

Pei Si murmured to himself.

Within his sea of ​​consciousness, the bronze mirror of the Four Gods and Twelve Zodiac Animals trembled slightly, and a wisp of azure light entered Pei Si's body.

[Judge: Pei Si]

【Job Title: Paper Craftsman (Young)】

[Taoist Arts: Proficient in paper crafting, and able to use it for my own purposes]

[Job Evaluation: Paper-making is one of the eight arts of Yin, using bamboo as the bone and paper as the skin! It connects the Yin and Yang, and comforts the spirits of the deceased.]

[Paper Craftsman (Blue)] can obtain the Taoist skill [Paper Bone Spirit Condensation].

[Taoist Arts Overview: By solidifying paper and bone, and imbuing fragments of the original source with spiritual intelligence, it is possible to generate sentience!]

"【Paper Bone Spirit Condensation】: The appraiser fills the paper figure with the primordial fragments obtained from slaying the demon, allowing the paper figure to undergo a spiritual transformation, gaining sentience, increasing the density of the paper bones, making it impervious to ordinary cuts and axe blows, and developing meridians. When the primordial fragments' energy is exhausted, they can be replaced!"

[Promotion Requirements: The paper figures you create must become the most reliable fighting force for the survivors of the county! Your paper figures must kill/repel three monsters! Create five paper figures representing different professions!]

Small ink characters are faintly visible.

A glint flashed in Pei Si's eyes.

The paper craftsman has been promoted, and this demonic frenzy that swept through the county town has also brought customers to his paper figures!

But what exactly is the fragment of the 'strange' origin needed for the [Paper Bone Spirit Condensation]?

The key point is that the instructions for making the substitute doll did not require the addition of the original fragments of the "ghost"!

Either Zhang Xiao deliberately held back, or he truly didn't need to...

Pei Si unconsciously placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, formed a hand seal, and manifested pure energy, forming a ghost-collecting and ghost-eating official.

"Is it Lu Shuangshuang?" Pei Si murmured to himself.

"No," the ghost-collecting and ghost-eating official replied inwardly.

A cold glint flashed.

The body of "Lu Shuangshuang" was split in two, and a sharp shriek and wail were heard as the lone soul possessing it was killed.

Pei Si sheathed his knife, and the craftsmanship of making substitute life puppets came to mind.

Pei Si took out the materials for making the substitute doll. With the help of his skills in paper crafting, Pei Si made the substitute doll with ease.

Skeleton, paper cover, coloring.

In no time at all, a substitute doll was completed.

The substitute doll is entirely black, about a foot tall, with its eyes tightly closed and two square pieces of red paper stuck to its eyelids. The words "substitute" and "life" are written on the red paper.

Pei Si placed a strand of hair with his birth date and time tied to it into the substitute doll, sealed it, and then pricked his middle finger, letting a drop of golden blood fall onto the doll's head.

Pei Si waited for a quarter of an hour, but the advancement materials for [Shepherd] did not increase.

The attempt to create a substitute doll failed.

A cold glint flashed in Pei Si's eyes; Zhang Xiao had indeed been hiding something.

Pei Si took out paper and pen, wrote a letter, and sent a messenger with a red talisman to deliver it to Qingcheng Mountain.

The reply arrived in less than half an hour.

It turned out to be Qingfeng's messenger.

"Fragments of the Origin of the Strange refer to the remnants left after a ghost or spirit that has cultivated to a certain stage is killed. These fragments can be used to make strange artifacts, and the strange artifacts made have a chance to be imbued with the abilities of the strange creature in its previous life."

"For example, the commander of this wave of demons was a sick monster. After killing him, there were fragments. Junior Brother Nian, you might need them urgently, so I sent them along with this letter."

"As for the reward, junior brother, you'll cook us a big meal when you return to the mountain!"

Pei Si smiled.

The disciples of the Dragon Slayer lineage are truly united, thriving, and full of vitality.

My two senior sisters, Qingfeng and Mingyue, have been very kind to me.

Pei Si picked up a shard the size of a fingernail and placed it on the head of the tiny substitute doll.

In the blink of an eye, the fragment was absorbed by the substitute puppet.

【晋升条件：牵羊倌（青）进阶材料增加，获下宝/灵十件（10/10），中宝/灵三件（3/3），上宝/灵一件（1/1）；替命偶一件（1/1）！】

A wisp of blue light emanated from the Four Gods and Twelve Zodiac Animals bronze mirror and entered Pei Si's body.

[Judge: Pei Si]

【Position: Shepherd (Blue)】

[Taoist Arts: Holding Treasure and Leading Sheep, Sheep Tracks Leading the Way, Substitute Death]

[Job Evaluation: Wandering through demonic mountains and treacherous seas as if walking on flat ground, observing the heavens and contemplating the earth, treading the dragon's lair, seeking treasures in the north and guiding spirits in the south, searching for celestial and terrestrial treasures, leading all kinds of spiritual sheep—this is the Shepherd!]

[Shepherd (Purple)], you can obtain the skill [Steal a Sheep].

[A Summary of Taoist Arts: Seize every opportunity, even the smallest gain. Lesser Yin, Lesser Yang. Taking advantage of others' misfortunes is merely following the prevailing trend!]

"【Stealing】: The appraiser must visualize the owner's appearance and the appearance of the item they wish to steal. After activating the skill, there is a chance that the item will be directly stolen!"

[Note: The more information you have about the owner and the item itself, such as its location and origin, the higher the probability of successfully bringing it back.]

[Promotion Requirements: The Wind-Stabilizing Pearl held by the Wind-Thunder Centipede, the Toad Skin shed by the Moon Toad, and the Fire Cloud Pill held by the Fire Cloud Spirit Fox!]

The small ink-wash characters are hidden.

Pei Si took a deep breath, his eyes filled with joy. He had finally grasped the most crucial [Life Substitute] technique.

In addition to the sword talisman bestowed upon him by his master, he now has the trump card of the substitute life puppet!

Having an extra life can sometimes change a lot.

[Stealing]?

Pei Si's lips curled up; this was interesting.

"Those who invade the territory of our Great Wu..."

Pei Si suppressed the surging thoughts in his heart, realizing that the art of "stealing on the sly" was too domineering.

If you steal the enemy's weapon during a battle, they'll be overjoyed.

Pei Si put away the substitute doll, and the image of the 'paper beauty' appeared in his mind.

With his current skills, making such paper beauties would be effortless for him.

"But where is the paper beauty that Zhang Xiao made? It's still missing."

The thought had just formed in Pei Si's mind.

"Snap, snap..."

I heard the sound of paper rubbing behind me.

Alarm bells rang in Pei Si's mind, but he didn't stop tying paper with his hands.

In less than five breaths, a paper figure of a swordsman stood in front of Pei Si.

With a thought, Pei Si drew his sword and slashed at Pei Si's back. In an instant, the room was filled with the sound of paper tearing.

Pei Si seized the opportunity to turn around, draw his sword, and replace the officers and soldiers.

Before him stood a stunningly beautiful woman, eighteen feet tall, with red lips, white teeth, and a cinnabar mole between her brows, who was smiling as she looked at Pei Si.

The beautiful woman was wearing a pair of embroidered shoes.

Pei Si felt a chill run down his spine; this was the paper beauty wielding a guillotine he had seen in his nightmares.

Moreover, it is also a container capable of receiving the arrival of the Red Lantern Goddess.

The brand on the back of Pei Si's hand was slightly warm.

"Are you kidding me? I just thought about it in my mind and she came looking for me? Has she transformed into some kind of superstitious being?!"

Pei Si murmured to himself.

He wasn't sure whether the paper beauty had just happened to arrive here or had heard his thoughts and descended directly!

Pei Si's pupils contracted slightly.

In my field of vision, the paper beauty moved.