PTYS Chapter 189

The movements of the four paper figures were indistinguishable from those of living people. Their red-glowing eyes locked onto Xiao Qian, Shen Qingqiu, Shen Wanlin, and Xiao Muyu, attacking them ruthlessly.

Xiao Muyu frowned deeply. These paper figures seemed to harbor the most malice towards the Xiao and Shen families. As long as the four of them were present, the figures would always prioritize attacking them.

The room felt isolated from the outside world; no matter how loudly Xiao Qian and Shen Wanlin shouted, no one came to their aid.

Both Xiao Qian and Shen Wanlin had martial skills but no weapons. Despite their notorious pasts, they still fulfilled their roles as fathers, desperately protecting Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu.

Chen Kaijie and Zuo Tiantian were frantically trying to break down the door, but it wouldn’t budge. Even the broken windows were sealed up. Miao Anli had clearly prepared for a situation where there would be no escape.

Xiao Qian and Shen Wanlin stood at the forefront, while Mei Qianqian stood in the corner, her expression conflicted as she watched everything unfold. Xiao Muyu glanced at her, and Mei Qianqian averted her gaze, looking down to avoid eye contact.

Xiao Muyu understood that some grudges had to be settled. Despite any internal struggle, in Mei Qianqian’s eyes, Shen Wanlin and Xiao Qian deserved to die.

The paper figures were agile and strong. The room was small, making it impossible to dodge their attacks.

One of the paper figures, Dong Zhongxuan, took a kick from Xiao Qian head-on. Even though Xiao Qian used all his strength, the figure only staggered slightly, then smiled and grabbed Xiao Qian’s leg with lightning speed.

Realizing something was wrong, Xiao Qian tried to pull back, but it was too late. He screamed in agony as the paper figure crushed his leg with its bare hands, the sound of bones breaking echoing through the room. Xiao Qian’s right leg became limp, hanging down as if all the bones had been removed.

At first, Xiao Qian kept kicking at the paper figure, but soon he collapsed, clawing at the ground in pain, his face turning pale and sweat pouring from his brow.

The scene was horrifying. Mei Qianqian watched Xiao Qian, who, amidst his agony, screamed at her, “A-Qian, I truly love you! I deserve your hatred, but please, let Muyu go. I beg you!”

Chen Kaijie and the others, understanding this was a grudge among NPCs, moved towards Shen Qingqiu, avoiding involvement.

Xiao Muyu felt conflicted. With her memories restored, she had developed feelings for her character. Despite Xiao Qian’s wickedness, he was a good father to her.

“Father.” Xiao Muyu’s expression was complex. She had to maintain her character, which meant standing with Xiao Qian. But the outcome…

“System, I need confirmation. Are these really the game rules? Do I have to fully immerse myself?”

After calling out to Xiao Qian, Xiao Muyu kicked aside another paper figure and quickly moved to his side.

“Confirmed. Please follow your character’s settings. Your performance is lacking; your father is dying, and your expression isn’t right!”

Xiao Muyu gritted her teeth and moved forward.

Shen Qingqiu was furious, feeling helpless as she had to wait for someone to save her. Xiao Muyu couldn’t ignore Xiao Qian while worrying about her. How could this be managed?

Meanwhile, Miao Anli laughed maniacally, black ink oozing from his orifices, creating a bizarre scene. Mei Qianqian, watching Xiao Qian, cried continuously.

Xiao Muyu, equally anxious, stabbed at the paper figure holding Xiao Qian, forcing it to release him.

But Shen Wanlin was already overwhelmed by the two Dong family paper figures, and he fell heavily at Shen Qingqiu’s feet.

Despite not sympathizing with Shen Wanlin, Shen Qingqiu stood in front of him, unwilling to let her father be killed.

Shen Wanlin grabbed her, spitting blood and staring at Miao Anli with bloodshot eyes. “I admit, I was blinded by greed and killed the Dong family for their wealth. For twenty years, I’ve lived in fear and guilt.

“For over ten years, my wife and I have been estranged because of this. She has prayed and offered sacrifices to the Dong family for years to atone for my sins.

“I know our sins are unforgivable, but Yu Rou and Qingqiu are innocent.

“I surrender myself. Do whatever you want with me, but please, spare Qingqiu. She called you uncle for ten years. Yu Rou sacrificed herself to protect her.

“Yu Rou never wronged you. Don’t you have any feelings for her after ten years of marriage?”

Shen Wanlin looked at Shen Yurou with deep pain. Having lost his father young, he had only Shen Yurou and his mother. But over ten years ago, his mother also passed away, leaving a ten-year-old Shen Yurou.

For years, they depended on each other, forming a strong bond. Shen Yurou’s death devastated Shen Wanlin, and he feared Shen Qingqiu would also die.

Miao Anli, looking like a puppet, wore a strange smile, his face stiff and rigid. But at the mention of Shen Yurou, his black eyes moved, and black ink flowed more profusely from his eyes.

His face twitched as he opened his mouth, spewing brown liquid mixed with mud and water plants.

Mei Qianqian turned pale, “You went this far? I warned you there would be consequences. The dead can’t come back.

Brother An, why didn’t you listen to me? He’s not your brother, nor your parents. They’re dead. Forcing them back only creates vengeful spirits. Once they kill these enemies, they’ll lose control!”

Mei Qianqian, initially pained, now looked terrified and desperate. She couldn’t remain a bystander anymore.

Xiao Muyu had managed to fight the paper figures, but when Miao Anli collapsed, spitting mud, Dong Zhongxuan’s paper figure changed.

He seemed more alive. When Xiao Muyu’s knife cut his arm, it felt like cutting flesh.

Seeing red blood seep from the wound, Xiao Muyu’s heart sank.

“Mother, what did he do?” Xiao Muyu asked, fearful.

But before she could get an answer, Xiao Qian screamed, “Muyu, watch out!”

Xiao Muyu couldn’t react in time. The now very fast Dong Zhongxuan almost instantly appeared in front of her.

She was hit on the shoulder, feeling as if struck by a boulder. Her left arm and shoulder went numb with pain, and she was thrown across the room, crashing into a table.

“Don’t! Hurt her, come after me! I killed your family, not her. Please, don’t hurt her!” Xiao Qian cried, dragging his crippled leg towards her.

Shen Qingqiu’s eyes widened, her face changing. Without thinking, she rolled to Xiao Muyu’s side.

Lifting Xiao Muyu, she glanced at her, then turned to Dong Zhongxuan, her gray eyes icy.

Grabbing the dropped knife, she faced Dong Zhongxuan with a deadly look.

When he attacked again, Shen Qingqiu dodged, landing a punch to his abdomen and slashing his shoulder.

Both collided fiercely, Shen Qingqiu falling in pain from the system’s punishment, but her eyes remained filled with determination.

“Touch her again, and I’ll cut off your head!”

Xiao Qian stared in shock, panting on the floor.

Chen Kaijie, seeing this, kicked the paper bride, sending her crashing down, screaming.

Su Jin mercilessly kicked her away, then pulled Zuo Tiantian to shield Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu.

Xiao Muyu, unable to move her left side, was anxious seeing Shen Qingqiu defy the system.

“Don’t force it. I’m fine. Breaking the rules leads to punishment and failure,” Xiao Muyu urged, trying to reassure Shen Qingqiu.

“I trust you, but I can’t stand seeing you hurt,” Shen Qingqiu replied, biting her lip.

Xiao Muyu smiled sadly, knowing Shen Qingqiu’s protective nature was torturous.

Xiao Qian and Shen Wanlin, devastated and seeing Miao Anli’s eerie transformation, were too shocked to notice Shen Qingqiu’s behavior. Mei Qianqian, pale, murmured, “I thought he only used that ritual to summon Dong Zhongxuan’s vengeful spirit. But he sacrificed himself. My paper figures were meant to house spirits, not to be awakened. I never thought he would go this far.”

“But Brother An, he exchanged bodies with Second Brother. Second Brother’s paper body will become flesh and blood, while Brother An… he…”

Mei Qianqian couldn’t continue speaking because she didn’t fully understand the consequences of such a forbidden technique. She only knew that Miao Anli would turn into a paper figure, and the soul summoned back would linger in the human world, living through the flesh formed by the paper figure due to the sacrificial ritual. But could there really be a way to reverse life and death in this world?

Mei Qianqian looked at Dong Zhongxuan in front of her. The face, almost identical to the one in her memory, slowly came to life. However, there was no trace of her second brother’s warm and cheerful smile on that face. The eyes, which used to be full of starlight and high spirits, now only held darkness, bloodthirst, and deep resentment.

Dong Zhongxuan initially intended to act, but he saw Shen Qingqiu’s gaze and felt a bit of fear.

He then looked down and touched his own body, noticing a large gash inflicted by this woman. His eyes, glowing with a seductive red light, grew even more gloomy.

Soon, he let out a hoarse sound from his throat, and immediately, the other three paper figures stopped in their tracks.

Chen Kaijie, Zuo Tian, Su Jin, and Shen Wanlin, along with the fallen Xiao Qian, all looked at Dong Zhongxuan.

At this moment, Shen Wanlin and Xiao Qian realized that Miao Anli could no longer control this paper figure. No matter how much they begged, it was useless. They might all die here.

Xiao Qian, hair disheveled and eyes blank, glanced at Shen Wanlin and began to laugh hysterically, only to end up crying painfully. “Retribution, retribution, we deserve this, we should die, but it has nothing to do with them. Big Brother, it has nothing to do with them.”

“Ah Qian, think of something, at least open the door, open the door and take these children away, okay? We deserve to die, we will stay here to face death. I’m begging you, please! You know so much, you must have a way.” He prostrated on the ground, glanced at Xiao Muyu, and desperately kowtowed to Mei Qianqian.

Mei Qianqian turned her head, looking at this man, her heart filled with pain. After discovering the truth, she didn’t even want to look at him out of disgust. She couldn’t imagine that the man who cherished her so much was actually the executioner who destroyed the Dong family.

However, she was truly grateful to Xiao Qian in the beginning. She wished he were dead but couldn’t bear to see him kowtow to her.

She glanced at Xiao Muyu and felt even more heartbroken. Xiao Muyu lost her mother at such a young age. The sensible girl resented Xiao Qian and was always awkward with her, but she never blamed her.

Although Xiao Muyu seemed bad-tempered, she respected her. Despite not calling her “mother” for so many years, she never took out her anger on her because of her mother’s issue. Mei Qianqian didn’t want to harm her.

Time didn’t allow her to continue struggling. Over there, Dong Zhongxuan turned his head to look at Miao Anli, stretched out his hand and grabbed the air. Miao Anli fell into his hand like a ragdoll.

He looked down at Miao Anli and smiled. That paper-white face surprisingly gained some color, while Miao Anli’s face increasingly resembled a paper figure.

Miao Anli initially twitched, then gradually stiffened. His eyes stared blankly at Shen Yurou until they lost their light.

Xiao Muyu’s heart tightened. “Stop him!” she shouted, leaping forward and kicking Dong Zhongxuan’s arm. Chen Kaijie and Su Jin, holding chairs, rushed up as well.

Dong Zhongxuan’s head turned ninety degrees, looking at Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu, his eyes full of interest. “Kill them.”

He was speaking to the paper figures. Instantly, the three paper figures rushed forward, blocking Chen Kaijie.

This time, Xiao Qian and Shen Wanlin were lifted like puppets.

In Dong Zhongxuan’s hand, there were two more paper figures with the birth dates of Shen Wanlin and Xiao Qian written on them.

He raised his hand to block Xiao Muyu’s strike. Miao Anli was mercilessly thrown aside, his limbs turning into paper and falling lightly beside Shen Yurou.

The three paper figures laughed and called out. Amid their laughter, Dong Zhongxuan pointed at Xiao Qian’s left leg and then violently broke it, crushing the other leg as if kneading dough.

Shen Wanlin’s abdomen was also ripped open by his hand, and he stirred inside. Both were still alive, screaming in agony.

Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu stood frozen. Their birth dates had already been revealed, making them the next lambs to be slaughtered. He was toying with them.