Chapter Nine, The Piece of Meat and the Crow

Ke Xun calmed his emotions and turned to Mu Yiran: "Did you find any clues just now?"

Ke Xun does not care about gains and losses; he has never been a selfish or petty person

He opened a gym with the inheritance left by his parents. While he was able to make ends meet, he did not forget his friends and buddies around him

"Ke Xun." Mu Yiran suddenly called out to him in a deep voice, "Stop, do not bury it."

He calmly spoke: "I need you to always remember that all the clues we have obtained must not be disclosed to anyone other than the three of us without my permission. Is there any problem with that?"

The clothing of the two individuals was completely soaked in blood, clinging to their bodies in a twisted and contorted manner. The soil beneath them had also been soaked to a dark red color, permeated with a strong smell of blood. Around the corpses lay a dozen crows, which did not fly away even as Mu Yiran approached, their pitch-black eyes gazing at him, exuding an aura of deathly silence.

Ke Xun, in the eyes of outsiders, always appears to be carefree, casual, and even somewhat indifferent and detached. However, as someone who has grown up with him, Wei Dong knows that he is actually quite a pure and kind-hearted person. Although he has done his fair share of mischief throughout his life, he has also done good deeds.

Everyone is diligently seeking clues

Mu Yiran raised his gaze to look at him and nodded slightly

Ke Xun waved his hand, forcing himself to suppress the nauseating feeling that had built up for half a day. He took two deep breaths of the unpleasant air and gritted his teeth before turning back around.

Therefore, a person like Ke Xun, while not one to actively seek out opportunities to help others on the streets, does not hesitate to lend a hand when matters come to his attention and are within his capacity to assist

Ke Xun gazed at the group of crows, meeting a pair of pitch-black, silent eyes.

Ke Xun heard a sound, turned his head to take a glance, and suddenly anger surged from his heart. He raised the iron shovel in his hand and swung it at the crow on the corpse, shouting: "Damn you! Get lost!"

When they were still some distance from the village, Ke Xun saw a few other people leaving the village in a group, heading towards the wasteland as well. Liu Yufei was walking at the front and did not greet Wei Dong upon seeing him.

"Dongzi, get up, let's go." Ke Xun immediately turned around and strode away from this desolate land along the path he had come.

Mu Yiran slightly furrowed his brow and took a few steps back

Mu Yiran looked at him and did not speak again

Since that is the case, let us discuss this from the perspective of mutually beneficial cooperation. I believe I still have some value to offer, and I will not take your clues for nothing. You contribute, and I will reciprocate. How does that sound?

Mu Yiran also looked at Ke Xun

In the painting, there is a rule. Mu Yiran coldly gazed at the lifeless village before him. I have mentioned before that we only have seven days. If we do not find the signature or seal of the painter within these seven days, everyone will die. During these seven days, it is possible for someone to perish due to the various bizarre powers of the world within the painting, but this is not entirely unavoidable.

Ke Xun turned around, opened his mouth to vomit, scaring Wei Dong to retreat another seven or eight meters with both hands and feet: "What the hell! What did you see?!"

In fact, the deaths caused by the power within the painting are random, just like last night, when you were on the brink of danger, but due to an unexpected situation in the main room, you escaped a calamity. This is not a process predetermined by the power within the painting; whether it is an unfortunate death or an accidental survival, it is all random

Weidong turned to Ke Xun, his childhood friend whom he knew best. Such a request did not align with his friend's values.

Ke Xun fell silent, walked over to pick up the shovel that had been thrown a short distance away, and began to dig the soil beside him

Perhaps shocked by the blatant act of these two individuals seeking to ingratiate themselves, or perhaps anticipating the relentless entanglement that would ensue even if he refused, Mu Yiran walked for a while with a blank expression before finally speaking: "This is the first painting you have entered. There are many things you do not understand. We, as a group, are not as harmonious as you perceive. Therefore, if you two genuinely wish to form a team with me, you must first agree to one condition."

The number of crows in the air increased, continuously descending. Upon seeing Mu Yiran standing motionless beside the corpse, several crows no longer fixated on him but instead directly landed on the corpse, using their sharp beaks to tear at the flesh of the body.

Ke Xun continued to dig the soil without paying him any mind

"Tell me about it." Ke Xun looked at him

Mu Yiran continued to stare at the corpse, seemingly lost in thought

Ke Xun did not want to encounter the corpse, and after futile efforts for half a day, he simply decided to cover the body with soil. The crows moved aside, dozens, even hundreds of them, all lined up, silently, coldly staring at him.

Hello, big shot, I am a gift" said Wei Dong to Mu Yiran

Mu Yiran glanced at him, his tone indifferent: "On what basis do you think I would share the clues I have discovered with you?"

Ke Xun pressed her lips tightly together, and after a moment, she threw down the shovel and strode towards Mu Yiran: "Have you finished your investigation? I want to go back."

Returning to the present, all those who enter this painted world are not confronted with the difficulties of poverty or hunger; rather, each individual faces the stark reality of life and death. A helping hand may save one or even several lives. To refrain from helping, in such a context, is no different from sending someone to their death.

Ke Xun was momentarily taken aback, while Wei Dong stood by, speechless, gazing at the unperturbed figure of Mu Yiran as he continued to walk forward: "Although there is nothing wrong with what was said, I still find it somewhat heart-wrenching..."

"Is your leg thicker or his leg thicker?" Ke asked

"You see what they are doing." Mu Yiran coldly looked at him

Ke Xun's hand, which was hanging by his side, involuntarily trembled for a moment, and then it was clenched into a tight fist.

"Unlike others, I see you as a commanding figure who can make everything vanish in a moment of laughter," Ke Xun said sincerely, "Big Boss, please take me under your wing, acknowledge me as your little brother, it's a buy one get one free deal, guaranteed profit with no loss."

The serious expression in his eyes caused Mu Yiran to slightly temper the indifference on his face; if the other party agreed without a second thought, it would instead make it difficult for him to trust them

However, the number of these crows is simply too great; as a few are driven away, others descend, and even more seem to settle down. Soon, the two corpses are completely covered by crows, making it nearly impossible to see the bodies, which are entirely obscured by the dense mass of crows.

Ke Xun could not imagine the terrifying experiences this girl went through before her death. During the process of being slaughtered like livestock by that irresistible force of terror, how much fear, how much pain, and how much she longed to return home.

Ke Xun tightly gripped the shovel and looked up at him: "Should we just let them be eaten by the birds?"

"Are you saying that those who entered the painting with us might kill us?" Ke Xun's gaze slightly tightened, "Why?"

"If you bury these two people, the next one to die will likely be you." Mu Yiran's tone carried a warning as he took a few steps back, "Put down the shovel and come over here."

This occasionally clumsy fellow, with his pure gaze from those clear eyes, always manages to make him... involuntarily soften his heart

"Do I look like someone who is idle and unproductive?" Mu Yiran asked him

Weidong stood at a distance, not daring to approach, and could only raise his voice to ask Ke Xun: "What are you doing? Don't mess around!"

Ke Xunhu pulled at the messy hair on his head and replied earnestly: "As a student who struggles academically, I may not be able to provide any intellectual assistance, but when it comes to physical strength, I should be just fine. If you have any tasks that require some effort or running around, you can leave them to me; you just need to handle the talking. What do you think?"

Although the two corpses still retained their complete human form, a closer inspection revealed that these two individuals had been sliced into pieces, as if by some sharp instrument, resembling the cutting of chicken fillets, and were neatly arranged on the ground in their original state

However, there is an unchangeable and unresistable rule in the world of the painting—if on any day within seven days, due to the randomness of the painting's world, no one dies by chance, then on the following morning between 8:00 and 9:00, all the remaining people will gather together to vote for one person... to die

Ke Xun lowered his gaze and pondered for a moment, then quickened his pace to catch up, turning his face slightly to look at Mu Yiran: "You are right; you have no obligation to share the clues you have obtained with someone like me, whom you are not very familiar with. We are neither relatives nor friends. If you choose to tell me, it is a matter of kindness; if you choose not to, it is your right. I cannot harbor resentment or blame you for this. After all, we live in an era where everything has its price."

Ke Xun gritted his teeth and looked again at the two corpses. The two individuals lay side by side there. If one were to overlook the fact that their bodies had been severed into segments, the positions in which they died could be described as remarkably tranquil. Their arms were neatly placed at their sides, their legs were straightened, and their heads were positioned perfectly face up.

"You are the only gift, your whole family is a gift," said Wei Dong

Weidong was uncertain whether Ke Xun would agree to Mu Yiran's condition; Ke Xun was neither a saint nor a devil.

Mu Yiran glanced at him without any fluctuation in his expression and coldly said, "How do you wish to be repaid"

Mu Yiran glanced at him, his calm tone carrying a barely perceptible hint of concession: "I have nothing more to investigate."

Ke Xun brought those brothers and classmates who were struggling at home, lacking the ability to earn a living and on the verge of starvation, into the gym. Those who could serve as coaches took on the role, while those who could not became receptionists, administrative staff, or worked in finance. For those who truly had no skills, they maintained the equipment, cleaned the premises, and distributed flyers, ensuring that their basic needs were met as much as possible.

Mu Yiran lowered his gaze, his voice still indifferent: "Because in the painting, what can kill you is not just those 'things', but also living people."

Have you finished checking? he asked Mu Yiran

May I ask the reason" Ke Xun looked at Mu Yiran

Lian ... ... Ke Xun glanced a few times at the corpse on the left, a student girl of about sixteen or seventeen years old, her innocent eyes closed, her face obscured by blood, hiding the youthful freshness that once was. Her fine, long hair was tangled into a messy clump by the mud and blood beneath her, representing a body of youth that was just about to bloom, now reduced to a pile of flesh.