I created the myth of the Great Old Ones.

Master Wang's mouth dropped open; he had never seen anything so outrageous in his life.

This is clearly a paper cutout, so how can it turn into a real butterfly fluttering around?

The butterflies scattered out of the market and quickly disappeared into the sky, at which point people remembered to look for the old man.

However, when Mr. Wang looked at the spot where the old man used to set up his stall, he found that the white-haired old man had disappeared without him noticing.

On the chair he was sitting, there was only a lifelike paper figure, quietly placed on the chair.

……

"Nine Streams" once became the most discussed film in China.

Aside from events like Panjiayuan, where people are unsure whether it was magic or genuine supernatural power, what people are more concerned about is what kind of world this film will present.

As is well known, Lu Ban's films are clearly distinct, telling stories about several different worlds that are interconnected.

On the official website of Project Silence, there are some simple explanations and information for several worlds.

Some viewers also enjoy studying Lu Ban's backstory and are very interested in those wondrous exotic lands. Through their speculations and analyses of the film's depictions of these lands, they have come up with many hidden stories behind the scenes.

These people also call themselves "Lu scholars," and they have the same dedication as the scholars who studied "Dream of the Red Chamber" back then.

The most frequently heard phrase in the "Lu scholars" group is "Lu Ban is just a moviemaker, what does he know about foreign lands?"

The world depicted in "Nine Streams" is the most realistic and mysterious one to date.

Because most of the other worlds that appear in the Lu Ban movie have a name, such as the island, the wasteland, and the night kingdom, these worlds will revolve around some events, or rather, the core of the story, like the divine cherry blossom and the high priestess of the island, the demonic tide of the night kingdom, and the swarm of insects in the wasteland.

However, the world of "Crying" and "Nine Streams" has no specific name or any particularly core setting.

These stories, like Lu Ban's early adventure and supernatural short videos, seem to happen around people, making them feel terrified.

"Nine Schools" depicts a war-torn era decades ago and also involves elements of people with supernatural abilities, giving "land scholars" a lot more material to study.

In a group chat for "land scholars," chat messages kept coming in after the trailer was released, only quieting down a bit in the early hours of the morning.

Even so, some night owls who don't sleep will suddenly send a message at three in the morning, completely overturning their interpretation of what they had done during the day, leaving a long string of text before going to sleep satisfied.

This time, a new setting has been introduced; this world seems a bit special.

Currently, only the origins of the Wasteland are roughly explained; the origins of the other worlds are still unclear. It would be great if this movie could explain the origins and composition of our current world.

[I doubt it. There's not even a name yet. I strongly suspect Lu Ban will only end the story by bringing all the events to a close in this world.]

Actually, the most information is about the Abandoned City. If you could go there and play the script of "Glass Flower," you would know that the sets there are not just for show, and the books are actually readable.

[Damn, I need to be able to get in and play! It's been so long and I still haven't won.]

[I heard that recently an old man who cuts paper in the movie appeared in Panjiayuan. He cut a bunch of paper butterflies and then they turned into paper figures and disappeared. Could this be another publicity stunt for Lu Ban, hiring a magician or something to cause trouble?]

[It's very likely I'll go to Panjiayuan after get off work tonight.]

Author Liu Huajian looked away from the screen.

He is a "land scholar".

He has gained many fans by creating works based on Lu Ban's worldview. On some non-profit blogs, his fanfiction is highly sought after and he is affectionately called "the lady".

He lives in Yannan and had heard about Panjiayuan before.

After get off work today, he's going to go and see if that paper-cutting official is real or fake.

Chapter 589 The Substitute

After getting off work, Liu Huajian called home to say that he would be home late and that his wife and children didn't need to wait for him for dinner.

He drove to the vicinity of Panjiayuan, where the antique market was still bustling with people even in the evening. He didn't know if it was because of the paper butterfly incident or something else.

Liu Huajian walked into the antique market, took a stroll around, and soon spotted an old man.

The old man, wearing sunglasses, sat quietly in the corner, exuding an eerie aura in the shadows of the setting sun.

His skin was unnaturally pale, as if he had applied too much foundation.

Only her cheeks were quite rosy, but the rosyness was unnatural, an overly bright red.

With the small hat and long gown he was wearing, Liu Huajian had a strong feeling that if the old man took off his sunglasses, his eyes would probably be empty and lifeless, like those of a paper doll.

Tourists came and went in a constant stream, but no one stopped across from the stall.

People seem to have overlooked the old man.

That shouldn't be the case.

Liu Huajian had seen the video online, and he was certain that although the makeup was slightly different, it was the same old man.

How could others not recognize him?

Not to mention, there were also some young people who were obviously fans of Lu Ban's movies, who came to find the old man. They walked past the old man several times without even glancing at the corner.

Liu Huajian found it strange.

However, he didn't think too much about it and, while it was still light, he quickly walked up to the old man.

"Sir."

Liu Huajian greeted him.

The old man didn't react at first, until Liu Huajian moved closer and called out, which made the owner of the next stall look at them strangely.

The old man finally stirred.

His head turned slightly.

That wasn't a natural twisting of the neck; it was more like the rotation of some kind of machine, some kind of man-made object.

"Sir, I've heard you're very skilled at paper cutting."

Seeing this, Liu Huajian spoke again.

"Just a little trick."

The old man spoke, his voice hoarse and dry, like the rubbing of dry paper.

"I've seen the trailer for 'Nine Schools of Thought,' sir. Are you a descendant of the Nine Schools of Thought?"

Liu Huajian asked again.

"Hehe, these are all trivial matters."

The old man smiled.

His smile was also stiff, as if it were painted on.

The sound of cicadas suddenly rang out, abrupt and noisy.

There shouldn't be cicadas this season. When Liu Huajian thought of this, he found that the surroundings had become much quieter.

"Young man, the fact that you can see me directly means that you have been severely corrupted."

The old man suddenly spoke amidst the noisy chirping of cicadas.

"erosion?"

Liu Huajian was puzzled.

"It's better for ordinary people not to see me. Those who are severely corrupted can see things that ordinary people cannot, and those things will inevitably drive them mad."

The old man smiled and picked up scissors and paper.

He patiently cut the paper, and although he never lowered his head to look at his hands, the paper was quickly cut into a human shape.

"It's fate that you've met me. I'm giving you this. Keep it with you; it should protect you from a calamity."

The old man handed the items to Liu Huajian without any hesitation, just like someone with normal vision.

"what is this?"

Liu Huajian carefully examined the paper figure in his hand. Although it was made of paper, it had facial features, lifelike, and even bore a resemblance to himself. He subconsciously touched his own face, then looked at the old man, waving his hand in front of the old man's sunglasses.

"Paper doll substitutes: In the past, Taoist magic used paper dolls as substitutes to protect oneself from disasters and misfortunes, but one should not rely on them too much, otherwise one may end up like me."

The old man explained.

"Same as you?"

Liu Huajian didn't understand.

"Alright, it's getting dark, I should go. Remember to take the paper figure with you at all times."

The old man waved his hand.

Liu Huajian glanced at the paper figure again, then looked up and found that the stall was empty, as if no one had ever been there.

"???"

Liu Huajian felt somewhat incredulous. He noticed that the sky around him was almost completely dark. He went to the stall next door and asked the owner, who was packing up his things.

"Boss, where did that old man from over here go?"

Upon hearing Liu Huajian's question, the boss who had been looking at Liu Huajian with a strange expression immediately frowned.

“That place has been empty for several days. There used to be a blind man who set up a stall there. A lot of people came a while ago, but he hasn’t appeared since. Maybe he got sick and went home.”

"what?"

Liu Huajian rubbed his eyes and looked at the stall.

Suddenly, a chill ran down his spine, and goosebumps rose on the back of his hands. Liu Huajian hurriedly left Panjiayuan and returned to his car.

Only then did he realize that he was tightly clutching the paper figure in his hand.

"Waaah!"

Liu Huajian hurriedly threw the paper figure away.

Looking at the paper figure, he calmed down, picked it up, and put it in the car's glove compartment.

As Liu Huajian started the car, he broke out in a cold sweat.

"There's no one there at all. Who am I talking to?"

"The old man said I would suffer misfortune. Is that true or false?"

"Am I seeing ghosts? Is 'Nine Schools' all about ghost stories?"