Volume One, Chapter 10: Such Talent Wasted on You

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Cheng Xi went upstairs, frowned, and sat by the window, lost in thought for a long while before calling Baohua up. “Go bring that jar here.”

Baohua refused to move.

Cheng Xi laughed in exasperation. “Are you still disgusted by it?”

Baohua remained motionless.

Cheng Xi: …

The paper doll she had nurtured possessed such a strong personality; it was truly a source of worry.

She could only get up and head downstairs herself, and this time Baohua immediately followed.

Cheng Xi suddenly understood and smiled. “You’re afraid that jar will stink up my room, aren’t you?”

Baohua nodded.

Cheng Xi felt a bit better. “You’re really considerate of me.”

Baohua made a sweeping gesture, as if to clean, which made the corner of Cheng Xi’s mouth twitch—so she was worried about having to do the hard work of cleaning if the room got stinky!

Truly a precious talent!

But was Baohua’s awareness developing too rapidly?

Cheng Xi stopped, reached out, and took off Baohua’s veil, scrutinizing her carefully.

Baohua stood there, motionless except for her eyes darting around incessantly.

Cheng Xi stared into those eyes. She clearly remembered that when she first gave Baohua life, her eyes were not so lively.

Seeing those pupils spinning like a pair of rollerblades, she suddenly recalled something. “What about that Spirit-Infusing Pill?”

Baohua’s eyes froze instantly.

Cheng Xi: …

“Show it to me!”

Baohua visibly tensed, the hem of her skirt trembling slightly.

Taking a deep breath, Cheng Xi remembered that Baohua had treasured the pill and tucked it inside her bodice. She reached out to retrieve it.

Baohua abruptly took a step back. “Gone… the flower… ate it…”

Cheng Xi staggered, nearly tripping over herself.

“Ate it?” Cheng Xi could no longer remain calm. “When did this happen?”

“The… second day.”

She ate it the very next day?

“It was… so fragrant, the flower… couldn’t resist.”

So fragrant?

What did that mean?

Wasn’t it just an ordinary Spirit-Infusing Pill?

Just as she pondered, Baohua rolled up her sleeves, and Cheng Xi saw the thin paper arm swelling up.

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She remembered what Cheng Fenglan had said about paper demons...

“Have you become a demon?”

Baohua looked at Cheng Xi with a confused expression and then shook her head, clearly not knowing.

Cheng Xi was puzzled too. Could it be that the Spirit-Infusing Pill given by Li Zhian to her originally was somehow strange?

She knew her talisman drawing was somewhat unorthodox and often caused anomalies.

But such a drastic change in such a short time, even in her previous life, was unattainable.

Last time, it took her several years to nurture Baohua into form. This time, the speed was far too fast.

Surely the Spirit-Infusing Pill was at fault.

“You said the pill was very fragrant just now. How fragrant?”

Fragrant enough to cause a paper doll to eat it?

She had no internal organs or digestive system—how could she ‘eat’ it?

Baohua tilted her head, seemingly struggling to express herself properly. After a while, unable to describe it correctly, she lifted her skirt.

Cheng Xi saw brownish stains lingering on her two paper legs and immediately understood. “You rubbed the pill on your body?”

Baohua paused, then nodded as if realizing it was so.

Cheng Xi was baffled. “Rubbing it on your body counts as eating it?”

What kind of logic was that?

Baohua didn’t answer, expression blank.

Cheng Xi frowned even more. Where exactly was the problem?

She needed to investigate thoroughly. If this was true, could her own fragile health be caused by something else? Moreover, there were two other paper demons at Qinghe Academy. She had to confirm whether they differed from Baohua.

It seemed a visit to Qinghe Academy was necessary.

Suddenly, she froze. It dawned on her that something was amiss.

Baohua had spoken!

Recalling a casual joke from a few days ago, she never thought it would come true!

Even more troubling, things seemed more complicated now.

Cheng Xi looked at Baohua and said, “Don’t speak in front of others from now on. I’m too weak to protect you.”

Whether the paper demons at Qinghe Academy could talk was unknown, but caution was best.

Baohua nodded repeatedly.

Suppressing her irritation, Cheng Xi glanced at the neatly arranged herbs in a corner of the courtyard. Nearby lay the jar, its mouth slightly askew, clearly thrown there carelessly.

The corner of Cheng Xi’s mouth twitched. She went forward, picked up the jar, and immediately a strong fishy smell spread out.

Baohua took a step back.

Cheng Xi looked at her speechlessly. A paper doll more delicate than herself? Was that even reasonable?

She crouched to examine the jar carefully, recalling the young girl’s words from that day and the recent incidents of man-eating in the city.

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What kind of demon was capable of eating people remained unknown. The jar smelled pungent, but its mouth was intact without damage, so it likely wasn’t related.

“Dig a hole.”

Baohua immediately fetched a shovel. With great strength, she quickly dug a hole.

Cheng Xi lifted the jar and turned around. Seeing the hole, she was speechless—it was at least two meters deep.

Baohua must have hated the jar so much that she wanted to bury it deep underground.

She tossed the jar in, which fell from such a height without a scratch.

Baohua immediately filled the hole with soil, then stomped on it firmly several times.

Cheng Xi was both amused and exasperated. She washed her hands first, then slowly went upstairs, saying as she walked, “Go out and have a look tonight.”

“Okay,” Baohua replied.

Cheng Xi thought for a moment and added, “You’re strong and fast, so if you encounter anything, don’t fight. Just observe carefully and retreat quickly.”

“Oh~”

Hearing that reluctant tone, Cheng Xi snorted. “I’m frail now, my spirit damaged. Being able to create you is already the limit. If you get hurt, you’ll just be a cripple.”

“Run!”

Cheng Xi: …

Quick to change with the wind, indeed!

Cheng Xi changed clothes and lay down, exhausted. She waved at Baohua.

Baohua closed the door behind her, went downstairs, locked the shop, and then flattened herself out on the counter like a sheet of paper.

As night deepened, Cheng Xi slept on, while Baohua rose.

She opened a window, gazed at the moon, and when it reached its zenith, she swiftly flipped out, closed the window behind her, and disappeared into the night.

Cheng Xi sensed something but was too weak to open her eyes, drifting drowsily.

Suddenly, a sharp pain struck her chest. She jolted awake, sweating on her forehead. She immediately put on her shoes and went downstairs.

Baohua was nowhere to be seen in front of the counter.

She remembered sending Baohua out to investigate the man-eating demon.

Could something have happened to Baohua?

Ignoring everything else, she checked the door Baohua had barricaded firmly, then the window, and quickly climbed out.

The night air was chilly, causing her to shiver. The atmosphere felt heavy with dark energy.

She felt a faint connection with Baohua, though her current weakness made it vague. Instinctively, she headed west.

Under the night’s shroud, every household’s doors and windows were tightly closed, utterly silent.

After a short walk, Cheng Xi leaned against the wall, gasping. In her previous life, roaming heaven and earth was easy; she had never been so miserable.

Suddenly, she lunged forward, tumbling several times on the ground. A few feathers brushed past her head, embedding themselves three centimeters into the wall.

She drew a deep breath, turned around to face the wall, and saw a pair of jet-black eyes locked onto her.

A man-eating demon?

Her luck was truly extraordinary!