Strange Stories from the Border Army, Gaiden 01, Paper Man Zhao

In the third year of Wanli, Luzhou in the south of the Yangtze River. There is a craftsman in the south of the city, named Zhao and Jiu, who has been making paper for generations. Other paper puppets are only used for funerals and temple fairs, but the Zhao family's craftsmanship is unique. It uses bamboo as bones, paper as skin, and secret patterns to draw air. The Zhao family has kept the precept for generations: skills can be used to hide oneself, but not to make one famous; skills can be used to protect oneself, but one cannot enter the court. But something unexpected happened. A secret border document from the Ministry of Household Affairs was leaked for no reason. The imperial court conducted a rigorous investigation to trace the source, and traced the texture, paper style, and brushwork to the Zhao family of papermakers in Luzhou. There was a thunderous wind all night, officers and soldiers surrounded the house, and flames shot into the sky. Zhao's father knew that a disaster was imminent, so he did not argue, plead, or cry out for injustice. He only took out half of the Dead Wood Puppet Sutra, wrapped it in layers of oilcloth, and stuffed it into Zhao Jiu's arms. Just leave one sentence: "There is a dragnet in the pass. Only the deserted villages in the north can be hidden. If you encounter a bamboo whistle, you will recognize your relatives. If you see a paper man, you will join the game. Don't be a Luzhou native in this life, and go to Liaodong to find a way to survive." This novel and its characters are purely fictitious. Any similarity is purely coincidental and should not be imitated.