Unfortunately, before the crimson square of energy could fully solidify, the influx of spiritual energy abruptly stopped.
Song Miaozhu withdrew from her meditative state, returning her senses from the space between her brows. Only then did she realize something shocking: every last trace of spiritual energy in the paper shop had been absorbed by her.
Disbelieving, she stood up and glanced around.
Not a single speck of spiritual energy remained.
Even the entire Huaihua Alley now had only a few scattered light dots left.
"What the hell? Is spiritual energy supposed to be this scarce?" Song Miaozhu was just getting into the rhythm of cultivation, only for it to fizzle out like this?
Earlier, she'd thought she was absorbing qi too slowly—now, it was just the opposite. Her efficiency had shot up, but the qi was gone.
It dawned on her—during the early stages of spiritual revival, the energy had always been thin.
She felt unsatisfied, an itch beneath her skin. She was this close to a breakthrough. She almost considered going somewhere else with denser spiritual energy to continue crafting, just to see what would happen if that crimson square fully materialized.
But then she spotted the grand-opening flower baskets outside the escape room next door and reluctantly held back. She had promised Cheng Ziyang that for the next two days, she'd work on her paper crafts right outside her shop.
And this was only the first day.
Calming her mind, Song Miaozhu resumed her craft, folding golden lotus flowers with steady hands. Just as she picked up a fresh sheet of paper, a group of young tourists strolled by—clearly college students, probably not even graduated yet.
The escape room's marketing was clearly effective; there was already a line forming on opening day.
Cheng Ziyang had thoughtfully placed several tables and chairs under the locust trees and along the corridor for people to rest while waiting. As expected, this waiting area had become a goldmine for her snack counter. In one morning, she'd sold more drinks and snacks than she usually did in a whole month.
After all, while she specialized in paper offerings, she also had a proper drinks cooler and water bottles on display. The payment QR code was prominently placed—customers could scan and pay without her needing to attend to them. She glanced briefly before lowering her head to continue folding.
But as soon as she made the first crease, a voice spoke up:
"Hey beauty, that lotus is amazing! Is it a feng shui ornament? How much for a big one? I want to get one for my uncle's shop, bring in some good luck!"
Startled, Song Miaozhu looked up. "Was the Anshou Hall Paper Shop sign really that hard to notice?"
Seeing the young man's sincere expression, she gave a helpless smile. "This is a paper offerings shop. Unless you have a grudge against your uncle, I wouldn't recommend it. If he's dead, though, that's another story."
"What do you mean, 'dead'? We're neighbors—why would you curse my uncle?" the guy snapped.
"Is your uncle Cheng Ziyang?" she asked.
"Yeah." He nodded.
"Then he didn't tell you? The only things in my shop for the living are the drinks and snacks. Everything else is for the deceased. So… still want some?" She smiled.
Six burly guys collectively took a step back.
Cheng Ziyang's nephew stammered, "N-No thanks."
His uncle had sent him to "support the neighbor's business" and foster good relations—but he definitely hadn't mentioned what kind of business this was!
Watching them flee, Song Miaozhu shook her head in amusement. "Kids these days. Can't even recognize a golden lotus offering. Feng shui decoration? Would that attract wealth—or death?"
[Payment received: ¥44.]
Another customer who had been browsing the snacks hastily retreated, clutching her chest. "So creepy! Xiaodan, that was terrifying!"
"Jiaojiao, it's just snacks. What's the big deal?" Her friend, Xu Xiaodan, shrugged. "The shop owner's pretty cool!"
"I just realized—half the store is snacks, but the other half is paper offerings for the dead!" Lin Jiaojiao recounted the conversation she'd overheard.
"I saw online that Huaihua Alley used to be 'Funeral Street.' Is that true?" Xu Xiaodan's eyes lit up. "The atmosphere here is perfect! I'm already scared, and we haven't even started the escape room!"
Lin Jiaojiao rubbed her arms. "You don't think there are actual ghosts, do you? Why do I feel so cold?"
"It's an escape room, not a haunted house!" Xu Xiaodan laughed. "If there were real ghosts, that'd be awesome—I've always wanted to see one! Hold on, let me take a picture. Now that you mention it, the shop owner does have this eerie vibe…"
Click.
Song Miaozhu's head snapped up, her gaze instantly locking onto the two girls under the tree.
"!!!"
Both Xu Xiaodan and Lin Jiaojiao froze, their hearts in their throats. Lin Jiaojiao even let out a small scream, drawing stares from others nearby.
Song Miaozhu: "???"
"Were they this guilty just from taking a photo? What did they even capture?"
She beckoned them over. After a hesitant glance at each other, the two shuffled forward. Xu Xiaodan, facing the pressure head-on, blurted out an apology:
"I'm sorry! You looked so hauntingly atmospheric—I couldn't help it. I already deleted the photo!" She showed Miaozhu her phone as proof.
After they left, Song Miaozhu checked herself in the mirror. "I look fine, don't I? Just because I fold paper offerings, I'm suddenly 'terrifying'?"
That evening, over dinner at Auntie Chen's restaurant, she told Chen Shuanghe about the incident.
Chen Shuanghe burst out laughing. "Hahaha! So you've become the escape room's unofficial live-action NPC?"
"Pretty much. But business has actually improved," Song Miaozhu admitted. "The more scared they are, the more they seem to buy—even the paper ingots and lotuses are selling."
At this rate, she worried her stock of low-grade offerings wouldn't last. These days, she rarely produced flawed pieces.
"Well, it's a win-win. But your reputation's taking a hit. If you start making those colored paper art pieces later, will tourists still buy them?" Chen Shuanghe asked.
"Doesn't matter. I haven't even mastered regular paper crafts yet—colored ones are a long way off. Right now, cultivation is what's important." Her gaze was unwavering.
Chen Shuanghe blinked, taken aback. "That look in your eyes… it really is intense. Doesn't match your appearance at all. Honestly? It's kind of creepy if I stare too long. No wonder the tourists said that!"
"Me? Intense aura?" Song Miaozhu pointed at herself in disbelief.
Auntie Chen, passing by, chimed in: "Now that you've got your own shop, your presence really has changed. Not like before."
Now it was Song Miaozhu's turn to be confused.
Could spiritual energy really affect someone's aura?
Or… had she spent so much time mingling with the dead that she was starting to become like them?