Chapter 6, The Paper Man

The space is very small, and even lying sideways feels quite cramped. Mu Yiran was unwilling to lie face to face with Ke Xun, so he turned to face outward. Ke Xun, not wanting to think too much, pressed closely against Mu Yiran's back

The paper figure in front of Ke Xun straightened up at the moment the scream echoed, and the ink-painted face vanished from Ke Xun's sight. Following that was a rustling sound of paper, as the brightly colored pants moved, stepping into the darkness one step at a time

Ke Xun stated that the experts are correct

I do not know whether it is a lack of a nerve that fears death, or if the heart is simply too large

The two individuals ultimately decided to fight to the death; if this method cannot stop the paper figure, then no other method will be effective either. In the end, it is a matter of death regardless, and they must resign themselves to their fate

Mu Yiran watched coldly from the side as this newcomer entered the scene for the first time

The sound grew closer, and the piercing chill that penetrated to the bone became increasingly intense. Suddenly, a strong scent of smoke and ash filled the air between my mouth and nose

Ke Xun heard the sound of paper rustling above his head, growing closer and louder. A chill and the smell of smoke seemed to press down on him as if they were tangible, causing a heaviness in his chest. It felt as though something was filling him from beneath his skin, creating an unbearable sensation of swelling and impending explosion throughout his body

Ke Xun was drenched in sweat, gasping for breath.

However, if there is even a slight gap, there is a fear that it may become a breakthrough point for the paper figure

Motionless, breathless, isn't it just like a paper figure? Therefore, the paper figure before me cannot distinguish whether the two are living beings or of the same kind, and it is precisely for this reason that it has not yet done anything unimaginable to them

This time, he truly believed it

From the intensity of their cries, it can be inferred that these three individuals are highly likely to be in grave danger

However, after the outside world fell back into a profound silence, the two worlds collided and merged into one, taking with them the last remaining sense of security.

Just at the moment when Ke Xun's will was about to succumb to his physiological functions, a heart-wrenching scream suddenly echoed from the direction of the main house to the north. Following that, there were two or three more cries from different mouths, the sound so piercing that it seemed almost beyond the capacity of human vocalization, sending an endless wave of goosebumps surging through the flesh beneath the skin.

Mu Yiran was just about to shift his indifferent gaze when he saw the person suddenly raise a hand to wipe his face, and then calm down as quickly as possible. He licked the corners of his naturally somewhat careless mouth, and in his slightly unruly gaze, there was a hint of toughness.

The breath reached its conclusion, yet the paper figure remained motionless before him, its two lifeless black eyes staring at his face

Ke Xun's trachea constricted, nearly causing him to cough; he bit down hard on the tip of his tongue to suppress it, causing his body to involuntarily shudder slightly. In the next moment, his gaze fell upon a pair of brightly colored paper underwear.

There is another newcomer who chose to escape through suicide.

The number of burlap sacks is not sufficient to build a fortress large enough to cover two people sitting side by side. The two individuals tried several arrangements, and ultimately, the only way to barely cover from head to toe was to lie side by side, which also allowed them to shield the area above their bodies with the burlap sacks.

Ke Xun did not know how he managed to get through this night

Ke Xun suddenly understood Mu Yiran's meaning

Ke Xun did not dare to move at all, his gaze fixed on the darkness not far ahead.

As I walked out of the granary in the dim, gray light of dawn, the scene at the front door was surprisingly unchanged from when I arrived yesterday; the paper effigies of the young boys and girls had returned to their original positions, smiling brightly as they faced the courtyard

The emotions displayed by the person in front of me at this moment are no different from those of the newcomers who have just entered the scene before.

In the previous painting, a newcomer, terrified by another's death, broke down into a state of utter despair, crying uncontrollably and nearly ended up losing his own life as well.

Two individuals, feeling their way in the dark, gradually and quietly moved towards the corner of the room. Fortunately, the distance was not far, and then they crouched down to carefully lift the burlap sack, cautiously shifting its position.

Ignoring him, Mu Yiran stood up

Good

In addition, there are numerous instances of individuals who are paralyzed by fear, driven to madness, or recklessly charge out, believing they can overcome anything, only to lose their lives.

I almost died just now, yet I still have the presence of mind to tell others, "I'm still okay, don't worry."

Ke Xun had seen death before, but this death, occurring under the control of unnatural forces without any reason, made him feel quite uncomfortable

In the corner of his vision, a paper figure slowly revealed its vividly red lips, followed by a nose outlined in ink. Just as those two eyes, resembling apricot kernels, were about to meet Ke Xun's gaze, he suddenly recalled what Mu Yiran had just said and quickly held his breath

Mu Yiran fell silent for a moment, as if in contemplation, and then lowered his voice: "From what we just observed, my reasoning should be correct. As long as we remain still and do not breathe, the paper figures will not attack us. Furthermore, perhaps they cannot see us, and thus will not approach us to test our presence."

It is neither cigarette ash nor candle ash, but carries the scent of tar, the stench of decay, and... the suffocating remnants of charred bones.

The face of the paper figure suddenly appeared in view, with bright pink paint creating rosy cheeks. Between the delicate, arched eyebrows was a blood-red dot. The two ink-drawn eyes were right in front of Ke Xun, their pitch-black pupils indistinguishable from the usual haphazard doodles made with a black pen. Yet at this moment, being gazed at by such paper-drawn eyes, Ke Xun felt as if every bone in his body was frozen, on the verge of cracking through his skin.

Ke Xun also got up from the ground and cautiously looked out of the window.

Ke Xun felt that Mu Yiran beside him was as still as a stone, and for a moment, he suddenly felt as if he and Mu Yiran had been abandoned by the entire world. At this moment, no one could come to save them, no one could help them; they were so lonely and helpless, staring wide-eyed, in despair, waiting for the terrifying death to arrive

Experts say that it is impossible for a person to suffocate themselves by holding their breath

Mu Yiran withdrew his gaze, only to see Ke Xun retreating to his side, lowering his voice to discuss with him: "When the silence falls in the mourning hall later, do you think those two paper figures will return?"

In the world of painting, fragility and timidity signify certain death

The yard outside remains shrouded in darkness, yet the outline of the main house can be faintly discerned. Right in front of the main house's door, a pair of paper effigies of a young boy and girl stand with their backs turned, facing the door of the main house, seemingly listening to the sounds coming from within.

Two people lay motionless on their sides, trying to breathe as lightly as possible. After a moment, all the sounds in the darkness began to gradually become clearer: the sound of thick fog swirling in the deep night, the sound of the wind moaning and whimpering, and the sound of paper rustling and brushing against everything around.

The sound of paper rubbing against each other gradually approached my ears, accompanied by a chilling gust of wind that swept in through the window, piercingly cold.

The sound of the paper figure had already approached above Ke Xun's head. Ke Xun did not know what this entity intended to do, but he was certain that he had absolutely no power to resist it.

The horrifying screams from the main room gradually subsided. Ke Xun remembered that there were three individuals inside holding cloth strips inscribed with the character "Min." One was a middle-aged man with a beer belly, looking prosperous and resembling a successful wealthy person. The second was a young man in his twenties, with a face that reflected resignation and numbness. The third was one of the three who had entered the painting after him and Wei Dong, who remained in a state of extreme anxiety and fear.

Two people lie sideways in a small fortress made of piled sacks

Ke Xun was momentarily at a loss for what feelings stirred within him. Just a few hours ago, there were three living individuals, and now, merely a few steps away, in that dreadful house, their right to exist had been taken away by some abnormal and inexplicable force of terror

It is unclear whether this is resentment, anger, fear, or confusion

It was unbearable... Ke Xun was in excruciating pain, his mind growing increasingly dazed from lack of oxygen, and the blood vessels on his forehead were about to burst from the pressure

I see now

Listening to the direction of the sound, the paper figure seemed to crawl out of the window, and then all the commotion was overshadowed by the continuous, mournful cries coming from the main house

Noticing Mu Yiran looking down at him, Ke Xun raised his hand with a heavy breath and made an OK gesture

No matter how strong the willpower is, it cannot surpass physiological functions

It is still hard to believe that just now, I truly confronted that strange supernatural entity, and indeed, I was almost killed by it

Paper figurine

The paper figure stared closely at Ke Xun, almost face to face, and the room once again fell into a dead silence, as if there were no living beings left in this dark stillness, only three motionless paper figures remained

The room was eerily silent, with only the sounds made by this paper figure appearing extremely strange

However, the breath that Ke Xun had been holding in is about to run out. Even though his lung capacity is slightly greater than that of an average person, he cannot hold it for too long. He can only hope that this paper figure will leave soon, otherwise...

If he holds his breath again, he is unlikely to have the same good fortune as before

The barrier made of burlap sacks divides the world into two. Although the small world of the two individuals is crowded, it is precisely this crowding that provides a sense of security.

So, if they are not allowed to see the shape of a 'person' in the house, will they not enter the house?

He even felt that he fell asleep in the latter half of the night not because he was tired, but rather due to excessive nervous tension that caused him to lose consciousness

The paper boy, dressed in colorful garments, slowly climbed through the window sill, producing a crackling sound of paper rubbing against itself.

We move the burlap sack in the corner of the room a little, and then hide behind the sack. Mu Yiran's voice softly echoed in my ears, "Be careful, move lightly, and try not to make a sound at all"

Although this barrier can completely block the line of sight of the paper figure, it also obscures all the gaps through which the two can observe from the outside, making it impossible to monitor the movements of the paper figure. As a result, once the paper figure launches an attack from outside the sack, the two individuals have no way to anticipate or evade it.

Ke Xun found it reasonable. At first, the paper figure walked slowly outside, glancing in through the window. Only after meeting his gaze did it begin to scratch at the window. It was not until he heard the sound of the sack falling that the paper figure truly went berserk, smashing the window and climbing in.

Mu Yiran glanced at him with the gaze of someone observing a miraculous species

Some people are not afraid of death, yet they choose to die, even if it means perishing as an ant upon the corpse of an elephant