Chapter 85: Duel of Arts

“Of course, we’re going to find the owner of the little paper figure.” Xu Lin responded naturally to Si Han’s question. After making sure no one was watching, she took out a talisman and struck it onto the paper doll.

Immediately, the little paper man floated into the air, spun once in place, then locked onto a target and sailed forward.

The sight was both amusing and eerie.

Watching the little paper man fly ahead, Xu Lin commanded in a low voice, “Follow it.”

“Yes,” Si Han replied instinctively, then realized Xu Lin wasn’t his superior—why had he answered like that?

Seeing Xu Lin darting off at such speed, Si Han pushed aside his thoughts and hurried after her.

The two of them dashed and leapt down the street like playful sprites, their pace growing ever faster until they were mere blurs.

As they ran, Si Han became increasingly aware of his own inferiority—he was nearly out of breath while Xu Lin remained composed and unruffled.

Fortunately, after more than ten minutes, the little paper man stopped in front of a courtyard, turned its tiny head to nod at Xu Lin, as if to say, “This is the place.”

This courtyard was not far from the main institute—just a few hundred meters away—with excellent access in all directions. If the enemy needed to escape, every avenue was open; it was an ideal spot for both retreat and defense.

Si Han took a few deep breaths to steady himself and was about to knock on the door when Xu Lin shoved him aside.

With a loud crash, Xu Lin kicked the gate open. Immediately, a shrill scream rang out from behind it.

A woman, gaunt and witch-like, clutched her nose and glared furiously at Xu Lin, blood trickling between her fingers.

“My, hurt already? You truly are weak,” Xu Lin mocked, stepping into the courtyard.

Startled by Xu Lin’s imposing presence, the old witch staggered back, cursing as she did so.

“You little wretch, how dare you barge into my yard! Do you even know who I am?”

“Oh, you old hag, who you are doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re done for.” Xu Lin grinned wickedly, her words even more cutting. “Not only are you ugly on the outside, but your heart’s even uglier. And look—what a lonely fate you have. No family, no one to tend your bedside. What are you struggling for? Aren’t you afraid that after you die, you’ll descend to the deepest hell?”

Xu Lin advanced with every word, forcing the old witch back, her taunts striking true and leaving the woman visibly shaken.

She had nailed every detail—the old witch truly was a solitary soul, cut off from kin. The witch hadn’t expected to meet a peer here, and one accompanied by a Si family youth—clearly, the Si family had brought in an expert.

If things went badly today, she might not leave here alive.

“You brat, I have no idea what you’re saying, but threatening me is real enough! And using superstitious practices—do you know that’s enough to land you in prison?” The old witch studied Xu Lin’s face, searching for a weakness.

But to her shock, Xu Lin’s features were shrouded as if in mist and cloud—completely unreadable. Either fate itself concealed her destiny, or Xu Lin masked it herself.

Either way, it was bad news for the old witch.

“Is that so? I think you’re the one who should be imprisoned. You dared lay hands on key research personnel—quite the nerve,” Xu Lin replied, her gaze sweeping the courtyard. Confirming that the old witch was alone, she realized she was a step too late.

Which meant she absolutely couldn’t let this witch escape.

“I don’t know what you mean, I’m just an ordinary old woman. But you, breaking into a private home—that’s a crime.”

“Oh, really?” Xu Lin answered carelessly, continuing to study the witch’s face. The more she saw, the more amused she became.

“Ha, old hag, do you realize your features have changed? Tsk tsk, the descendants of your Ji family once had a chance for glory, but after what you’ve done, they’ll curse you for ten generations. For ten generations, you’ll have no incense, only scorn. Even if you reincarnate, the karmic debt from this life will follow you, affecting your fate and fortune. You—ha!—will be miserable for ten lifetimes.”

Xu Lin grew more delighted as she spoke, never having met someone so determined to bring about their own ruin. She even had to admire the ruthlessness of the Ji family’s descendants.

The Ji family was no simple clan.

At the mention of her family name, the old witch’s face darkened, and by the end, it was black as ink, a chilling aura swirling around her.

Xu Lin almost couldn’t bear to look.

“You—you!” The old witch was so agitated she could barely speak, unwilling to exchange another word; to speak again would be to admit defeat.

No more talk—time for a showdown.

With a wave of her hands, several paper figures shot forward, aiming for Xu Lin and Si Han’s vital points.

But before the figures could get close, Xu Lin sliced them apart with a casual wave, rendering them nothing but useless scraps.

Undeterred, the old witch formed new seals. A fierce wind whipped up in the courtyard, sand and stones flying everywhere. Amid the chaos, several more paper cut-outs wobbled stealthily toward the pair.

Yet before they could strike, Xu Lin again cut them down. Even the wind and dust vanished, as if the whole episode had been a figment of Si Han’s imagination.

Before Si Han could process this, the old witch launched another attack—a swarm of bats flew in from every direction, descending upon them.

Si Han’s eyelids twitched uncontrollably. Even though he’d grown up hearing tales of the supernatural, the sight before him left him thoroughly shaken.

What kind of divine arts were these? If he faced her alone, he doubted he could withstand even a single move.

But Xu Lin remained calm, drawing a talisman and tossing it into the air. It flashed with golden light, and in the blink of an eye, the bats vanished. Most astonishingly, not a single bat carcass remained on the ground.

It was uncanny.

The old witch hadn’t expected her signature techniques to appear so childish before Xu Lin—not a single attack stood up.

She fought with growing dread, unable to believe such a master existed, someone she’d never even heard rumors of before.

Had she known such an expert protected the Dragon Nation, she’d have been far more cautious. She certainly wouldn’t have walked away from her crimes so brazenly.

At that moment, she envied her companions who had fled over the wall at the first sign of trouble.

If there were a medicine for regret, she would have taken it on the spot.

After ten exchanges, Xu Lin, thoroughly disappointed by the old witch’s feeble skills, subdued her easily—she felt no desire to fight further.

Once the witch was captured, Xu Lin immediately crippled her powers, ensuring she could no longer use her arcane arts to harm others.

Then, she applied a Truth Talisman. For the next three days, every word the old witch spoke would be honest and true—free from any deceit.

With her mouth as evidence, the investigation team would surely uncover a trove of secrets.