Everyone's Suppressing Ghosts: Others Contract Divine Weapons, I Contract Blank Paper

Chapter 15 Mourning Paper Figures

The sealed box was pushed to the front of the training building.

Yellow and black warning stripes circled around the black box.

At the very top is an old file label.

[Discarded talisman: A paper effigy depicting a mourning figure.]

[Risk Record: Contact person exhibits persistent crying, mental pollution, auditory hallucinations, and emotional instability.]

[Mainstream suppression record: Soul-Suppressing Bell is ineffective, Buddha's Light Mirror is effective in isolating certain areas, and Thunderfire Talisman carries a high risk of removal.]

[Original recommended action: Permanently archive.]

Before the box was even opened, very soft sobbing could be heard coming from inside.

Ugh.

Ugh.

The sound wasn't loud.

The eyes of the students who were nearby immediately welled up with tears.

Someone instinctively raised their hand to wipe their eyes.

"—Why do I suddenly feel like crying?"

"Don't come near! It's pollution overflowing!"

"The box—the box hasn't been opened yet, bro?"

The practical training instructors immediately set up a protective barrier.

On the ground, a ring of pale golden array patterns lit up, surrounding the sealed box in the center.

The electronic screen also switched to the overlay interface simultaneously.

[Review Project of Abandoned Town Objects: Mourning Paper Figures.]

[Current pollution level: Mild.]

[Review Level: Provisional Observation]

[Assisted reviewer: Xu Du.]

As soon as these words appeared, the area outside the simulated eerie building became lively again.

"Are you really going to let him come?"

"He just finished clearing out the entire building, can the life-saving lamp withstand it?"

"The white paper lamp was misjudged; this thing is different, bro."

"The file clearly states that the Soul-Suppressing Bell cannot suppress it."

"Even the Soul-Suppressing Bell couldn't suppress it, how could a stack of blank paper work?"

Xu Du stood in front of the sealed box.

The white paper lantern, meant to guide the soul, hangs quietly beside me.

The cleaning of the entire building had taken a toll on him, and his face was paler than usual.

But he did not back down.

Lin Qingzhu looked at him.

"Xu Du, if you want to change the world, then change the world."

"The review program has just started, one more time won't make a difference."

Xu Du looked at the black storage box.

The crying sounded again from inside.

Ugh.

This time, several students around them lowered their heads at the same time.

Some people's shoulders trembled slightly, and tears were already falling.

Xu Du said, "It's already overflowing."

Lin Qingzhu remained silent for a second.

Then he raised his hand.

"Open the core array."

The three layers of protective array lit up simultaneously.

Teacher Chen stood in front of the testing table.

She was short, wore thin-rimmed metal glasses, and the tablet in her hand hadn't been closed since she opened it. Her eyes behind the lenses were fixed on the screen, motionless for several seconds at a time.

She raised her head and spoke in a deep voice.

"The first review follows the mainstream suppression process, going through the procedures as required."

"The Soul-Suppressing Bell".

Her gaze swept across the sidelines.

"Gu Hanzhou".

"Come here."

Gu Hanzhou responded and came out.

The Soul-Suppressing Bell in his hand is the most stable soul-controlling and soul-suppressing artifact among this year's freshmen.

In the training session just now, he also ranked among the top in the overall rankings.

Without saying a word, he stood directly at the edge of the core array.

"Can."

The sealed box slowly opened.

The moment the lid of the box was lifted, the crying suddenly intensified.

Ugh.

A paper figure, about half the height of a person, sat inside the box.

His face was deathly pale, and his eyes were just two ink-like dots.

He was wearing a white robe made of paper, with a blackened talisman pasted on his chest.

It didn't move.

She just kept her head down and cried, one sob after another.

As soon as the crying began, more than a dozen students outside the nuclear array simultaneously had tears in their eyes.

The detection screen is refreshing rapidly.

[Spillover of mental pollution: 12%]

[Spillover of mental pollution: 19%]

[Spillover of mental pollution: 27%]

Gu Hanzhou's expression changed slightly, and he immediately shook the Soul-Suppressing Bell.

jingle!

The bell rang clearly and melodiously.

Ripples of soul-suppressing energy spread outwards, pressing down on the mourning paper figures.

Normal, low-risk wandering spirits would at least freeze upon hearing this bell.

But the wailing of the paper figures only stopped for a moment.

The next second, it cried even louder.

Ugh.

The cries and the ringing of the bell collided, as if amplified.

The values ​​on the display screen started fluctuating again.

[Suppression by the Soul-Suppressing Bell: Failed.]

[Spillover of mental pollution: 34%]

[Risk of mental resonance: Increased.]

Gu Hanzhou grunted and took half a step back.

The soul-suppressing bell in his hand was still ringing, but the bell itself was already trembling slightly.

His face looked grim.

"It can't be suppressed."

The scene erupted in uproar.

"You really can't control it?"

"Isn't the Soul-Suppressing Bell the thing that feeds the most on wandering souls?"

"The crying and the ringing get louder and louder, bro, it's reversed."

"No wonder the file says it will be permanently sealed."

Teacher Chen frowned.

She turned her head to look at Lin Qingzhu.

Lin Qingzhu didn't speak, but only nodded slightly.

Teacher Chen glanced down at the testing screen again.

A few seconds later, she raised her hand.

"Buddha's Light Mirror, Isolation."

Qin Zhaoxue stepped forward.

A protective mirror of Buddha's light hung in front of her, its pale golden light spreading out to protect the students outside the core array.

This time, the crying was indeed partially blocked out.

Detect screen refresh.

[Buddha's Light Lens Isolation: Effective in localized areas.]

[Spillover of mental pollution: 34% → 18%]

But soon, a new prompt appeared.

The quarantine area is limited.

The source of pollution has not been contained.

[Prolonged isolation has led to increased consumption of protective materials.]

Qin Zhaoxue's expression also turned serious.

"It can be blocked."

"It can't be stopped."

The room quieted down again.

Teacher Chen did not immediately issue a new instruction.

She stared at the words "Pollution source not suppressed" on the monitoring screen for several seconds.

She looked up and glanced at a practical training teacher next to her.

The teacher hesitated for a moment, then took out a Thunderfire Talisman from the talisman box.

The moment the talisman lit up, a red warning popped up on the detection screen.

[WARNING: Thunderfire removal may cause cry fragmentation.]

[Risk: Spread of psychological pollution.]

The practical training instructor paused.

He looked up at Teacher Chen.

Teacher Chen was silent for two seconds, then slowly shook his head.

"receive."

The light of the Thunderfire Talisman slowly extinguished between his fingers.

The scene fell completely silent.

The Soul-Suppressing Bell couldn't suppress it.

The Buddha's light mirror can only block it.

The Thunderfire Talisman dared not be burned.

This is why the paper figures used for mourning were sealed away.

It is not simply a yin energy.

It cannot be suppressed.

It cannot be burned.

Do not approach.

She cried as soon as she was let out.

Crying can pollute a whole community.

Many students looked at the sealed boxes with the same fear they had initially felt towards the abandoned town's artifacts.

"—How do you replicate this?"

"Permanently sealed away, no problem, right?"

"Xu Du just cleared out the entire building, how can he still hold on?"

"This thing isn't for clearing out, it's a source of pollution, bro."

Lin Qingzhu looked at Xu Du.

"Xu Du".

Xu Du had already reached the front of the nuclear formation.

He offered no explanation.

They simply raised a white paper lantern to guide the soul.

The stark white light shone on the paper figures of mourners.

The mourning paper figure paused for a moment.

It slowly raised its head.

Two ink stains on the paper surface met the light of the white paper lamp.

Xu Du took out a blank talisman from the paper box.

I pick up my pen.

I wrote one character.

替。

The moment the words were written, the white paper flew up and stuck to the chest of the mourning paper figure.

The originally blackened sealing talisman cracked open with a "snap".

The expressions of the surrounding teachers changed simultaneously.

Someone instinctively took a step forward, only to be pulled back by their companion.

"Xu Du! No!"

"The sealing talisman is broken!"

Teacher Chen's hand was already on the emergency switch.

Available in the next second.

The paper figures used for mourning did not go berserk.

It simply stood up.

The paper body wobbled precariously, as if it could be blown over by a gust of wind.

But when it stood up, all the crying that had been overflowing around it turned back towards it.

The readings on the monitor began to decrease.

[Spillover of mental pollution: 18%]

[Spillover of mental pollution: 11%]

[Spillover of mental pollution: 5%]

[Spillover of mental pollution: 1.6%]

[Spillover effect is stable.]

The entire room fell silent.

The sobbing that the Soul-Suppressing Bell couldn't suppress just now.

The Buddha's Light Mirror can only block pollution.

Now, it was pressed back into the paper figure by a piece of white paper with the word "substitute" written on it.

Teacher Chen slowly released his hand from the emergency response array.

She stared at the screen, and her voice changed.

"—Has the pollution been contained?"

Xu Du looked at Lin Qingzhu.

"You can test now."

Lin Qingzhu reacted the fastest.

She immediately gave the order: "Psychological shock simulation."

Within the test array, thirty simulated targets lit up.

These targets represent thirty low-ranking demon hunters.

Immediately afterwards, a moderate-intensity mental shock was released from the formation.

This is a common simulation of mental pollution in training.

If an average freshman encountered this, they would at least feel dizzy, cry, and briefly lose control.

The paper figures of mourners stood in the center of the formation.

It lowered its head.

She started crying.

Ugh.

This time, the crying did not spread outwards.

Instead, it was like an invisible hand, pulling all that mental impact toward itself.

The pollution readings on the thirty simulated targets had just risen when they were quickly removed.

The detection screen is refreshing rapidly.

[Mental impact intensity: Moderate.]

Number of simulated targets: 30.

[The acceptance rate of the mourning paper doll is 94%.]

[Simulated target loss of control: 0/30.]

[Residual psychological pollution: 1.8%]

Rating: Excellent.

The next line then appears.

[This sets a new record for the lowest-level mental health protection review in the academy.]

The entire audience erupted in cheers.

"Ninety-four?"

"Thirty of them and not a single one went out of control, bro!"

"Did they even update the review records?"

"Isn't it a source of pollution?"

"—It's taking the hit for someone else!"

"A mourning paper figure, is this a support item?"

Gu Hanzhou stared at the screen, his expression complex.

His Soul-Suppressing Bell had just failed to suppress the attack.

But now, the mourning paper figure has directly absorbed the mental shock.

Qin Zhaoxue couldn't help but look at the paper figure.

Her Buddha-light mirror can protect people.

But it protects a specific area.

The paper figures used for mourning seem to be directly bringing mental pollution upon themselves.

Lin Qingzhu's eyes lit up.

"continue."

"Wandering Soul Traction Test"

The second test has begun.

Within the core array, sixty low-risk wandering souls were released.

Unlike wandering demons, wandering spirits don't attack directly.

They are more likely to infiltrate the cracks in a person's mind, creating auditory hallucinations, fear, and dizziness.

This is also the target that the Soul-Suppressing Bell deals with most often.

As soon as the sixty wandering souls appeared, they dispersed and drifted toward the edge of the core array.

The paper figures of mourners stood in the center of the formation.

It suddenly looked up.

The crying became even shriller.

Ugh.

With this cry, all sixty wandering spirits were simultaneously pulled away.

They no longer disperse.

Instead, they all turned towards the paper figures of mourning.

One.

Ten.

Thirty.

All sixty wandering spirits surrounded the paper effigy of mourning.

Detect screen refresh.

Number of low-risk wandering spirits: 60.

[Wandering Soul Guidance: 60/60.]

[Wandering Souls Scattered: 0.]

[Group control: Successful.]

Xu Du raised the white paper lamp.

Ten sheets of paper bearing the character "灭" (destroy) flew out.

It's not sixty.

There are only ten.

Because the wandering spirits have been gathered into a ball by the mourning paper figures.

Ten sheets of paper were dropped.

boom!

The group of wandering spirits was wiped out instantly.

The detection screen refreshed again.

[To be cleared with paper order: 60/60.]

Clearing time: 4.1 seconds.

[Pollution leakage: 0.9%]

Rating: Excellent.

Another message popped up.

[This update breaks the academy's record for clearing and removing low-risk wandering spirits.]

The scene completely erupted.

"Sixty pieces, ten sheets of paper?"

"It's dragging all the wandering spirits onto itself, bro!"

"This isn't just trash, it's a monster-gathering and monster-suppressing artifact!"

"Not only does it gather monsters, but it also took the mental impact for people just now."

"The Soul-Suppressing Bell can't suppress it, not because it's useless!"

"We've been using it wrong all along!"

The forum is going crazy.

[The paper effigies used for mourning have been successfully verified? 94% of test takers were able to withstand the psychological impact!]

[Abandoned item makes a comeback!]

The sobs, which the Soul-Suppressing Bell couldn't suppress, were instantly silenced by the light of the white paper lamp!

[The paper figures used for mourning are not a source of pollution, but rather a protective and talismanic object for mental well-being!]

[The Wandering Soul's pull is 60/60, and with the help of the Paper Order, it clears the field in 4.1 seconds!]

[Double records broken! The abandoned town's vault is about to be turned upside down!]

Teacher Chen stood in front of the testing table and took a deep breath.

She pushed up her thin-rimmed glasses and began entering the verification data.

[Discarded talisman: A paper effigy depicting a mourning figure.]

[Original rating: Discarded.]

[Original recommended action: Permanently archive.]

[Review result: Under control.]

[Functional Tags: Psychic Shock Tolerance, Soul Guidance, Group Control.]

[Test Log: Breaking the record for low-level mental protection coverage.]

[Test Log: Refreshed the record for low-risk wandering spirit traction and removal.]

[Recommended rating: Special Grade B auxiliary item.]

[Rating Notes: Approaching A-level auxiliary standard, further testing is required.]

[It is recommended to cancel the permanent ban.]

[It is recommended that this be included in the list of auxiliary talismans for observation.]

When these words appeared on the big screen, the entire area outside the training building fell silent for a moment.

Then, the sound exploded completely.

"Special Grade B!"

"Approaching Class A Assist standards?!"

"The rating system for mourning paper figures has been changed!"

"Permanently archived, cancelled!"

"Abandoned town items can really be turned around, bro."

"After the white paper lanterns, the paper figures used for mourning have also been overturned?"

Lin Qingzhu stared at the screen, her gaze even more intense than before.

A white paper lantern used to guide the soul may be an isolated case.

But now, the paper figures used for mourning have also been successfully verified.

This is not an isolated case.

This is a systemic problem.

There might actually be a batch of things in the abandoned town's inventory that have been misjudged by mainstream usage.

She turned to the staff and said, "Make a record."

"The paper effigies of mourning have been approved."

"Xu Du, who assisted in the investigation, is hereby awarded additional merit for his role in the review."

The electronic screen is refreshed.

[The verification of the abandoned town structure was successful.]

[Target of review: Paper figures used for mourning.]

[Rating Correction: Decommissioned and upgraded to Special Grade B Auxiliary Stabilizer.]

[Assisted reviewer: Xu Du.]

[Reward: 200 Merit Points]

Xu Du's student account popped up again.

[Current Merit Points: 1300]

The surrounding students stared in disbelief.

"Thirteen thousand?"

"How much did he make today, bro?!"

"While others receive dozens of merit points after completing practical training, he receives thousands."

"And that doesn't even include the later items."

Xu Du glanced at the account.

There was not much of a reaction.

He looked down at the paper figures of mourning.

The word "substitute" is still on the paper figure's chest.

It stood in the core array, no longer crying erratically.

There were only very soft sobs.

But the crying no longer bothered those around it; instead, it acted as a slowly closing mental barrier.

Lin Qingzhu said, "The paper figures of mourning will be temporarily sealed and observed by the Practical Training Department."

"The auxiliary item-based talisman team will then take over the retesting."

Staff immediately stepped forward and put the paper figures of mourning back into the storage box.

This time, half of the warning label on the sealed box was torn off.

The new labels have been put up.

[A paper effigy depicting a mourning figure.]

Status: Review passed.

[Rating: Special Grade B Auxiliary Talisman.]

[Note: This item must be used in conjunction with a white paper soul-guiding lamp or a similar old paper talisman.]

Upon seeing this note, many people at the scene fell silent.

A few days ago, the white paper soul-guiding lamp was still an abandoned talisman.

Now, the verification notes for other abandoned town structures already include:

It needs to be used in conjunction with the white paper soul-guiding lamp.

The changes are happening too fast.

It was as if Xu Du had kicked open the doors to the entire abandoned town's warehouse with a single kick.

Just then, the museum curator strode over.

Behind him, two more staff members pushed in a second sealing box.

This box is narrower than the previous one.

Longer.

The container has a new review label.

[Second subject of review: Unnamed memorial tablets.]

[Risk Record: Automatic Name Encoding.]

[Abnormal Behavior: After a person's name appears on the cards, the target experiences mental suppression and a sluggish life force.]

[Original recommended action: Permanently archive.]

Just as the storage box was pushed to the edge of the core array, the detection screen suddenly lit up by itself.

Teacher Chen was taken aback.

"—I haven't started the test yet."

The next second, a red warning popped up on the screen.

[An unnamed memorial tablet was detected to be reacting autonomously.]

The cards are now displaying text.

Everyone fell silent.

Inside the sealed box, the sound of wood being gently rubbed could be heard.

It's like something is being written on the card, stroke by stroke.

Teacher Chen immediately activated the external imaging system of the enclosure.

On the large screen, the image inside the box lit up.

A black wooden plaque stood quietly in the box.

Two black characters are slowly emerging from the originally blank card.

Xu Du.

The scene fell into a deathly silence.

The memorial tablet is unnamed and hasn't been opened yet.

Xu Du's name has already been written on it.

Lin Qingzhu's expression changed.

"Xu Du, step back."

Xu Du did not retreat.

He looked at the two words on the screen.

Then lift the white paper soul-guiding lamp.

"Next item."