American variety show world begins with subduing Jason

"Master Lü is currently practicing his magic at the Taoist altar. Please follow me, esteemed guest."

Although the two paper dolls were ugly in appearance, their words and actions were pure and innocent. They hopped and skipped ahead to lead the way, turning a horror movie into a horror comedy and diluting most of the gloomy and creepy atmosphere.

Zhu Mingyao followed behind, his admiration growing with each passing moment.

The art of paper-cutting soldiers is widely practiced, but it is not considered a high-level technique. His teacher, Zhang Shouzhong, nicknamed "Paper Man Zhang" in the martial arts world, was a master of this art. The paper soldiers he created were so lifelike that they could be mistaken for real people in broad daylight.

These two puppets are crudely designed and weak. If they were made by Zhu Mingyao, he would definitely be scolded by his teacher for being too unskilled.

However, one cannot judge a book by its cover. Only true experts know that to be able to refine a paper puppet to such an extent is nothing short of miraculous!

Not only are their movements fluid and natural, but they can also interact with people and answer questions with ease, clearly demonstrating that they possess a complete set of logical thinking. Achieving this is hundreds of times more difficult than simply enhancing the paper doll's combat power.

Whether it's the guardian soldiers of the Xuanmen Refining Cultivation Sect, the undead servants created by wizards, or the puppet constructs of alchemists, in essence, as summoned creatures, their intelligence always has a certain limit. Let alone speaking and communicating, those that can react flexibly in battle are considered top-grade.

Only a rare few of the finest specimens can go further and give birth to true divinity.

To put it bluntly, even beings created using evil magic that imprisons human souls wouldn't possess more spirituality than the two paper figures before us.

This is practically a virtual artificial intelligence simulated using magic!

As expected of the "Marshal of the Three Altars," Elder Lü Hetong is a master of various miscellaneous Taoist arts, including Maomei, Lulu, and others. His research on guardian spirits, deities, and altar soldiers has reached a state of perfection, and he has returned to the orthodox path from the unorthodox one.

Zhu Mingyao admired the sight in his heart, and continued walking down the stairs for several dozen meters. A bright light shone down, and he suddenly felt a sense of openness. It was a spacious basement.

Large and small brass floor tiles are engraved with talismans, forming the Bagua diagram, which guard a blue stone altar. On the altar are three half-human-sized painted porcelain statues, with the Supreme Taoist Ancestor in the center, and the Celestial Master Xu Xun and the Fairy Chen of Linshui on either side.

Below are several low tables made of cedar wood, on which are placed various ritual implements, including dragon horns, bells and knives, command flags, golden bells, golden whips, swords, court tablets, horsewhips, flying arrows, thunder decrees, rulers, celestial rulers, hand warmers, water bowls, and torture sticks.

A slightly thin old man, dressed in a black cloth short robe, was sitting on a futon below the stage, staring intently at the heavy, dark iron cauldron in front of him.

At each of the four corners of the iron cauldron stood a small, armored, and ferocious-looking ghost general, puffing out its cheeks and blowing out puffs of grayish-brown eerie fire, which enveloped a strangely shaped black mist and raged freely.

Upon seeing Zhu Mingyao arrive, Lü Hetong waved his hand, and the lid of the cauldron, inlaid with gleaming blades and shaped like a mountain of knives, crashed down and fit snugly onto the lid.

A smile forced across his stern face as he pulled over a straw cushion. "Hmm, you're here. Sit down!"

Knowing that the senior colleague was somewhat socially awkward and not very good at socializing, Zhu Mingyao quickly explained his purpose.

“Your teacher has already given prior notice… Divine Essence has many uses. The Merchant Guild occasionally acquires some, but I just use them up without a second thought. Right now, I really don’t have any left to exchange with you,” Lü Hetong said after a moment of contemplation.

"As for Brother Zhang's suggestion to refine a Dharma Officer General, I have other opinions. Your magic weapon is arranged according to the gods in the inner realm and is also integrated with the divine soul. Before all the gods of each palace have returned to their positions, it is best not to accommodate too strong a Dharma protector, so as to avoid the danger of the guest usurping the master."

He took the box from Zhu Mingyao and tapped it:

"So it's better to refine it into a magic weapon. The merchant guild happens to have a damaged item with the corresponding attribute in its collection, which can be used to repair and improve it."

Listening to advice leads to a good meal, and since the other party was an expert in the field, Zhu Mingyao naturally followed suit.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, senior."

"Don't panic, there's also..." Lu Hetong rolled up his sleeves, opened the box and took a look, then coughed lightly, somewhat embarrassed to speak.

"I know the rules of the Chamber of Commerce. Please let me know if there's anything I can do for you." Zhu Mingyao understood and decided to speak directly to avoid embarrassing the tech-savvy old man.

A country has its laws, and a family has its rules. Any large, formal organization has strict rules and regulations.

The Chinese Chamber of Commerce was no exception. If anyone wanted to take public funds for private use, they had to exchange them for merit or something of equal value. This applied even to the senior leaders and elders. Otherwise, if everyone followed suit, the warehouse would be filled with rats after a few years.

"Don't worry, I'll find you a few easy, low-paying jobs, just enough to make up the number."

The young man was understanding, and Lü Hetong felt pleased. He pulled out a scroll of paintings from his sleeve. On the snow-white Xuan paper, there were continuous black shadows, with specks of crimson sparks floating slowly among them, giving off an eerie aura that was both scorching and chilling.

"I recently got inspiration from some materials sent by the authorities and came up with this one-off gadget. It can absorb the evil thoughts of people around you and create something like a hellish transformation and some monster phantoms. You can take it and play with it."

Zhu Mingyao was overjoyed to receive a red envelope after visiting his elders and bowed sincerely to express his gratitude.

After seeing him to the door, Lü Hetong turned around and went back to the basement, repeating the outsourced work he had been doing for some time.

The iron cauldron opened again, and hundreds of sharp blades flew about, forming an illusory mountain of knives. The chilling aura was terrifying, and it scooped up the black mist churning within the Yin Fire.

"This monster is neither ghost nor demon; it's truly rare. It won't be easy for the federal government to find its weakness..."

The black mist condensed and took shape, restoring its original appearance. The nurse's outfit outlined her curvaceous figure with its shapely breasts and buttocks, enough to stir the heartstrings of any normal man, provided that her ashen skin was excluded, and also...

...a face covered in blood and gore.

Chapter 369 Montana, Wool Town

"Heaven and earth are natural, and impurities disperse. The cave is mysterious and vast, radiant with the primordial energy. The mighty spirits of the eight directions make me natural. Lingbao..."

The incantation to purify heaven and earth descended with its melodious cadence, and the wisps of grayish-black gloom, barely visible to the naked eye, vanished instantly, leaving only the faint, musty smell of oxidized wood lingering in the air.

It was as if a dirty piece of glass covered in dust had been washed clean with water, and the surrounding scenery suddenly became much more vibrant.

Pushing open the Victorian-style paneled doors, Zhu Mingyao slowly walked out of the old mansion.

Passing by the overgrown courtyard, he paused briefly, beckoned to the dried-up pond, and summoned a white, lustrous pebble. With a flick of his index finger, the four seal characters for "Suppress Evil and Avert Calamity" formed a small talisman and were imprinted on it.

Zhu Mingyao casually shoved the newly made, simple stone guardian into the ground, nodded to the real estate agent who came up to him, letting him go and negotiate the final arrangements with the client, while he himself drifted away.

Along the charming country lanes, the North American carnations struggle to unfurl their spike-like inflorescences covered in white down, vying for space with clusters of newly sprouting wild mint. Occasionally, a few blue mist grasses sneak out to bloom with a string of pale purple flowers, attracting the buzzing of bees. The vibrant life force of nature shines through.

In those days, smartphones were not yet widespread, so there were no hordes of internet celebrities taking photos and enjoying the spring scenery, disturbing the peace and quiet. Facing the crisp spring breeze, the young man walked on the simple and quiet gravel path, opening the file book tucked under his arm.

The midday sun filtered through the branches, casting warm patches of light on the paper and illuminating the lines of text.

"...The targets around Sacramento have also been dealt with." The ballpoint pen twirled between his fingers, adding a red checkmark to the third-to-last line.

Zhu Mingyao was very satisfied with his efficiency in getting so much work done within a week.

With Elder Lü Hetong's dedicated care, the tasks assigned by Hualian were mostly easy jobs involving warding off evil spirits and maintaining good feng shui. The few scenes that required fighting only involved eliminating a few ghosts, which allowed Zhu Mingyao to relive the days when he used to exorcise evil spirits and catch ghosts to earn pocket money.

As a large, reputable organization, even with someone looking out for them, they still try to be fair and impartial. Although the task was relatively easy, it was quite tedious, with the tasks scattered throughout the area within a few hundred kilometers of San Francisco. If it weren't for his high level of cultivation and quick legs, it would have taken at least twice as long for someone else.

Now that all the locations within Jinzhou have been sorted, the last two will require a longer journey, and they happen to be in the same direction...

He unfolded a map of the Federation, his gaze falling on a vast plain bordering the northern neighbor.

……

……

On the vast plains of eastern Montana, the air is filled with the scent of early spring. Patches of tender green corn stalks sway gently in the breeze, like green waves gently rolling across the earth.

One after another, plump sheep spread their four hooves and ran happily, like white clouds falling to the ground from the sky.

The magnificent sunset cast a shimmering golden glow, adorning the sparse maple forest with a resplendent golden light. The winding road, like a black ribbon, meandered across the land, joining hands with a stone-paved man-made canal to lead directly into the town.

The murmuring stream has smoothed the sharp edges of the blue stone bricks, inadvertently revealing a weight of history.

Although the quiet countryside is not as bustling as the big city, it still has its own entertainment activities to pass the time. As evening approaches, residents who have finished a hard day's work come out of their homes in twos and threes and gather in the bar at the town's crossroads.

"Flush! Haha, I won!"

Half a bottle of finely foamed malt beer was emptied in an instant. The rugged-looking man excitedly wiped his mouth, a few drops of beer accidentally splashing onto his police uniform.

"Give me the money, give me the money!"

Sighing, the rancher, dressed in denim overalls, picked off the bits of wool clinging to his clothes and reluctantly slapped a few coins onto the counter.

"Kane, you're supposed to be on duty at the police station today, right? Get back here right now, or I'll file a complaint against you!"

"Whatever." The man laughed heartily, pushed the coin toward the white-haired old bartender, and ordered another plate of pan-fried lamb chops.

"Our respected town mayor received a phone call at noon saying that an important person was coming to help resolve the neurotic complaints from tourists from other places, so he sent me here to wait." He pointed to the open door, then turned around, picked up two peanuts to accompany his drink, and chewed them with a crunching sound.

"Police or detectives? To be honest, those backpackers are talking nonsense! How can they prove that the person was lost here?"

A cheerful young voice interrupted his complaint, “If the mayor you’re talking about is Mr. Jeff Rogins, then I’m the one you’re waiting for.”

Kane turned around in surprise and saw a young Asian man with black hair and black eyes standing behind him, carrying a shoulder bag.

"Your driving skills are truly impressive; I didn't hear a single sound," the man said politely after verifying his identity.

“You’re mistaken, officer, because…” Zhu Mingyao chuckled softly, “I walked here.”

……

……

"Besides their amazing martial arts skills, when did these people of Eastern ethnicity start practicing long-distance running?"

Even after they escorted the man into the town government building, he was still deep in thought.

However, neither the waiting superior nor the mysterious nameless visitor had time to pay attention to the doubts in his heart.

"Welcome, I am Mayor Jeff Roggins." Perhaps to appear more solemn and formal, the gray-haired mayor had changed into a neat formal suit, and his beard was neatly trimmed, even though it was already night. Only the occasional irritability in his eyes revealed his bad mood.

Could you please provide more details?

Zhu Mingyao shook hands with the other party gently and inquired carefully.

The information only indicates unusual disappearances and suspects supernatural evil spirits, but lacks detailed information.

The old mayor sighed sadly, “Livingslanch is one of the earliest settlements in the state. It used to be one of the centers of agriculture and wool textile industry. It has a lot of historical sites and is a rare cultural landscape in sparsely populated Montana.”

"So basically every month a lot of tourists come, which brings some extra income to the town, but since three months ago..." His voice became dry, like an unpalatable stale pancake.

"One after another, tourists have claimed that their companions mysteriously disappeared after the tour was completed."

Roggins' face scrunched up in distress. "So far, there have been four reports, but we've requested more manpower from our superiors and conducted a town-wide search, yet we haven't found anything."

He shrugged helplessly. "I initially thought it was a mistake, since it's normal for travelers on the road to part ways and reunite. But my son, who works at your chamber of commerce, became very anxious after hearing about it and insisted on asking for help."

Chapter 370 Things that have grown old and become spirits

After explaining the situation, Roggins became somewhat uneasy:

“I watched the live broadcast in New York a while ago. Now it’s all over the news on TV, there are a lot of rumors circulating, and the government’s information is also ambiguous. Just to be on the safe side, I took his advice.”

He looked embarrassed, then smiled hesitantly, saying, "But you should be able to tell that we haven't publicized it much. After all, the nature of the matter is still uncertain, and we need to consider the potential impact..."

Zhu Mingyao nodded slightly, understanding the unspoken message.

Midwestern towns like Livingstone lost their former economic importance after the completion of the Western Development Program, and most of them declined, barely making ends meet through rudimentary farming and animal husbandry.

Therefore, as tourism is an important source of local income, it is absolutely crucial that no scandals occur.

"Please rest assured, I will do my best to handle this matter discreetly and ensure that everything is resolved without attracting attention."

"Thank you so much." Having received the promise he wanted, the old mayor rubbed his hands gratefully. "I'll go and arrange dinner. You must try our crispy roasted lamb chops; it's a famous dish in our town."

"Thank you for your hospitality, but before enjoying the delicious food, I would like to take a stroll around the town first."