From Paper Craftsman to World-Suppressing Immortal

Zhang Zhixuan watched as the woman walked out of the house and bowed to Master Zhao: "Uncle, please don't be offended. I am weak and have recently caught a cold. I was lying on the kang feeling dizzy and couldn't come out to greet you in time. I am truly sorry."

At this moment, it was Uncle Zhao who felt embarrassed: "Oh dear, niece-in-law, you're too kind. It was I who came here unexpectedly. I didn't have anything else to do today, I just came to see how you two are doing. Now that I see you're doing well, I'm relieved."

A young couple?

You don't look that old, so why are your eyesight so poor? This is a paper-mâché wife...

Zhang Zhixuan's mind was buzzing. He looked at the paper figure again, wondering how a paper woman could come to life. Could it be related to the "Hundred Trades" he had just activated?

"Now that Uncle is here, don't rush to leave. I'll cook right away, please have a meal here."

"Brother Xuan'er, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and invite your uncle in for a seat." The woman scolded softly, acting like a young wife who was the mistress of the house.

Zhang Zhixuan was stunned. He opened his mouth, the words almost spilling out: "No way, you, a frail woman, want to keep your uncle for dinner?"

Master Zhao knew that the other party was just being polite. This family was so poor that they couldn't even keep a mouse, yet they wanted to keep people for a meal.

Knowing this, Master Zhao was still very satisfied: "Look how virtuous my nephew's wife is. This spendthrift is lucky to have married you. If my sister and brother-in-law knew this in the afterlife, they would be happy. Let's skip dinner today. I have other things to do. I'll come back another day to try my nephew's wife's cooking."

Old Master Zhao chuckled and pulled a cloth bag from his pocket, handing it to Zhang Zhixuan: "Take this five yuan. Buy some things for the household, and live a good life from now on. Once you have a wife, don't go gambling again!"

"Don't worry, Uncle, I'll change from now on." Whether it's true or not, now that he was acting, he had to go all the way. Zhang Zhixuan quickly agreed, hoping to get rid of this uncle as soon as possible.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Master Zhao turned and left.

The woman warmly saw Master Zhao off, and before parting, she didn't forget to say politely, "Uncle, take care, come again when you have time."

When the woman returned from the doorway, Zhang Zhixuan stood in the courtyard, staring intently at her.

Seeing Zhang Zhixuan staring straight at her, Paper Wife also opened her beautiful phoenix eyes and looked at him.

Zhang Zhixuan's face remained calm, showing no fear whatsoever. After all, he was a transmigrator who had died once before, so at worst he could just die again. What was there to be afraid of in a life he had gained for free?

The two of them just stood there, and any unrelated person who saw them would probably think that the young couple were gazing at each other with affection.

After a while, the paper wife giggled and said in a sweet and charming voice, "Staring at me like that makes me shy."

Zhang Zhixuan shuddered, a chill running down his spine: "Are you a human or a ghost?"

"Then look closely, do I look like a human, or a ghost?"

The paper-daughter-in-law gently stroked the hair on her forehead, her phoenix eyes looking at Zhang Zhixuan. A smile appeared on her pale and sallow face. As she spoke, she took a step, swaying her waist, her figure as light as if blown by the wind, and floated over silently.

"Stop! Don't come any closer! You're definitely not human!"

As Zhang Zhixuan watched the paper bride float towards him, he subconsciously took a few steps back and hurriedly picked up a bamboo stick to block in front of him.

"Hehehe, Brother Xuan'er is right, I'm not human, but I'm not a ghost either."

"I am a spirit born of heaven and earth."

"Elves? Fairies?" Zhang Zhixuan was taken aback; this was an answer he hadn't considered.

"Zhang Zhixuan, I've done you a favor today, so how about you do me a favor in return? Don't worry, you won't be working for nothing. You'll definitely get your share of the rewards after it's done."

The paper bride stopped two meters away from Zhang Zhixuan, but her figure still floated, her pale face revealing neither sunshine nor gloom.

The other party was neither human nor ghost, but a spirit born of heaven and earth. Zhang Zhixuan could not tell whether it was good or evil at this moment.

However, I don't have the means to control it right now. Without asking, I have to help it whether I want to or not.

"What do you need my help with? Just tell me, but let me be clear from the start: I'm a penniless spendthrift who can't even afford to eat. Whether I can get it done is another matter."

"Don't worry, what I need you to do is very simple. There is a Panlong Mountain in the northwest of Wuliu Town, and there is an abandoned manor in the mountain. Go to the backyard and find a dry well. My true body is at the bottom of this dry well. You need to go to the bottom of the dry well at 3:45 AM fifteen days later and tear off three yellow talismans."

"After this is accomplished, I will not only reward you with gold and silver treasures, but also grant you a great opportunity that will ensure your lifelong wealth and prosperity..."

Upon hearing the generous reward offered by the paper wife, Zhang Zhixuan feigned excitement, then looked troubled: "It's difficult. In my current state, let alone surviving in the wilderness, it's a problem..."

Paper Wife snorted, seemingly dissatisfied, yet also helpless against Zhang Zhixuan's shameless behavior. She then said, "Go to that dilapidated temple east of Wuliu Town, dig up the base of the wall, and there's enough stuff inside for you to eat, wear, and use for a while."

"Remember, at 3:45 AM fifteen days from now, go to the dry well at Panlong Mountain Villa to rescue my true form!"

After the paper wife finished speaking in a low voice, her figure began to blur, and the next moment, she turned into an ordinary paper figure and fell to the ground with a "thud".

Zhang Zhixuan stared cautiously at the paper figure for a long time, making sure there were no more strange or malevolent things. He then found a tinderbox in the house, threw the paper figure in the yard, and set it on fire.

The flames leaped up on the night wind and quickly burned the paper figure to ashes.

Once he was certain that there would be no more trouble, Zhang Zhixuan finally felt relieved.

Regardless of whether what the paper-daughter-in-law said was true or false, his most important concern right now was to survive.

He sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and carefully considered his current situation.

The original owner was a spendthrift who indulged in all sorts of vices, including eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring. If the creditors heard that he was still alive, they would come knocking on his door sooner or later to collect their gambling debts.

If they still can't come up with the money by then, you can imagine how terrible their fate will be.

"Anyway, I'm penniless and have no ties, so why not just run away?" Zhang Zhixuan thought, but then realized he couldn't run away. Although Tianjin was a mixed bag of people, it was at least near the capital, with the capital city protecting it. He occasionally received help from his uncle, and with just a dilapidated house, he could barely make a living.

As for the outside world, chaos reigns.

The old dynasty collapsed, and the world descended into chaos.

Natural disasters and man-made calamities, coupled with warlords fighting for territory, meant that even official roads were filled with bandits and thieves who killed and robbed people. There were even foreigners who abused their power and acted arrogantly and domineeringly.

Besides the living causing trouble, there are also various demons and evil spirits that eat and harm people.

"This world is too chaotic; it's practically impossible for people to live in."

After weighing the options, Zhang Zhixuan decided to stay in Tianjin.

Right now, the only thing he can rely on is the paper-crafting skill passed down in the Zhang family. If he can also understand his "Hundred Trades" system, he can make a living and improve his skills at the same time, which is a win-win situation.

As for the gold, silver, treasures, and opportunities promised by the paper bride, Zhang Zhixuan decided against considering them for the time being, as they were mere words of demons and monsters.

"With my paper-crafting skills, I might be able to try my luck in Tianjin. Those big funeral shops should have some discerning customers."

Having figured this out, Zhang Zhixuan perked up and turned to rummage through the documents in his house.

Although the previous owner squandered his fortune, he kept all the family heirlooms: bamboo strips, Xuan paper, colored paper, gold and silver foil, and even a pot for making paste.

If you're going to do it, do the one that best showcases your skills.

Zhang Zhixuan made up his mind to make a pair of golden boy and jade girl figures. These items are a necessity in funerals and require the most skill. If they are made well, they can impress people at a glance.

Zhang Zhixuan's movements were fluid and graceful as he split bamboo, shaved bamboo strips, tied them together, and pasted paper.

Before long, the bamboo frame of the boy and girl was completed, and the joints were tied tightly with red rope soaked in tung oil.

Zhang Zhixuan concentrated intently as he pasted layers of white paper onto the blank. His movements were extremely steady, and every step he took was as if it had been precisely measured without any mistakes.

By the time the last stroke of the eyebrows and eyes was finished on the golden boy and jade girl, the sky was already beginning to lighten.

A perfect couple stood there in the dilapidated house.

The golden boy is handsome and full of spirit, holding a treasure basin in his hands; the jade maiden has delicate eyebrows and almond eyes and is charming and lovely, holding a clean bottle in her hands. The two golden boys and jade maidens are lifelike with their flowing robes.

"Not bad, not bad. In my time, this craftsmanship would definitely be considered an intangible cultural heritage." Looking at the finished product in front of him, Zhang Zhixuan kept praising it.

Just then, the pale blue light screen lit up again:

[Complete a pair of burial paper figures; Paper Crafting Proficiency +8]

Current Level: Lv1 (10/100)

Upon seeing the pop-up proficiency prompt, Zhang Zhixuan suddenly realized that the proficiency levels given for the paper effigies he made were different.

"It turns out that the more exquisite the paper craftsmanship, the more skill points you get."

Zhang Zhixuan silently noted down this characteristic of "all trades". Then he found a bamboo basket, lined it with dry grass, and carefully put the boy and girl into the basket. He had no choice but to put on his old, greasy, blackened jacket again, locked the door, and headed straight for Tianjin.