You Were Supposed to Compete, Not Carry a Coffin Onto the Stage!

[Genre: Urban gaming / folk-horror mystery] + [Theme: Folk arts vs. modern rules] + [Character: Ruthless paper effigy maker] + [Style: Chinese horror / ensemble mind games] + [Twist: play the pig to eat the tiger / wipe out the whole field]

Chen Baxian, a paper effigy maker whose craft is nearly lost, received a death invitation to the national "Tiandao Cup" sorcerers' tournament on the seventh day after his grandfather's death.

It was an occult extravaganza open to contestants from across the country. The Celestial Masters of Longhu Mountain rode their swords through the air; the Spirit Generals of Gezao Mountain were shielded in golden light; spirit mediums from the Northeast invited deities to possess them; there were corpse drivers from western Hunan, corpse carriers from Miao territory, geomancers who located burial sites and determined techniques, tomb raiders, and more. And Chen Baxian, in full view of everyone, carried a deathly white paper coffin and led four paper effigies with blue-green faces and blood-red cheeks into the blood-soaked arena.

"A paper effigy maker dares show up here to die?"

"This is a competition, not a funeral. Get out!"