Chapter 3, The Sadistic Old Man
"That's the place." Someone in the team said.
Weidong: "... ... No, could you please tell us where this is?"
Die! The little braid gritted its teeth
Describing this family as destitute and impoverished is most fitting
Ke Xun and Wei Dong were puzzled, yet they noticed that the few individuals who had arrived earlier seemed unfazed. One by one, they reached out and each pulled out a strip from the rolled cloth ribbon. The two had no choice but to follow suit.
Before understanding the meaning of the words written on this cloth strip, the elder continued to speak: "The person who receives the cloth strip with the character '民' is responsible for keeping watch at the Li family tonight. The person who receives the cloth strip with the character '且' is to go to the northern outskirts of the village, five miles away, to dig a pit, which should be six feet long, four feet wide, and two feet deep. The person who receives the cloth strip with the character '辜' is to go to the Li family's firewood room to chop firewood. The person who receives the cloth strip with the character '央' is to guard the Li family's granary. The person who receives the cloth strip with the character '歹'... The person who receives the cloth strip with the character '且' is to go to the northern outskirts of the village, five miles away, to dig a pit, which should be six feet long, four feet wide, and two feet deep. The person who receives the cloth strip with the character '辜' is to go to the Li family's firewood room to chop firewood. The person who receives the cloth strip with the character '央' is to guard the Li family's granary. The person who receives the cloth strip with the character '歹'... The person who receives the cloth strip with the character '取'..."
Weidong turned to Ke Xun and asked, "Is it illegal to beat an uncivilized old man in a painting?"
Ke Xun let out a soft "hm" and tried not to look down at his feet, directing his gaze towards the distance. However, he noticed that this small village had been shrouded in a thick gray night fog at some point, rendering the already low visibility even more chaotic and unclear
This fellow has been foolish since childhood, and Ke Xun fears that he does not know what is good for him, truly putting his life at risk in this strange place
"Is everyone here? Come in," the old man said as he opened the door.
Ke Xun believes that in the face of an unknown situation, the only approach is to persistently follow one option and then act according to the circumstances.
As the three individuals emerged from the old man's house, Ke Xun noticed a person standing at the bottom of the steps, tall in stature, with a stern expression and an extraordinarily handsome face
Ke Xun and Wei Dong looked at each other, and Ke Xun asked the little braid: "So is this place a painting or a game?"
Understood, you should also be cautious and not forget your life in the face of temptation. Wei Dong gestured with his chin towards the tall figure at the bottom of the steps.
Be careful, stay alert, safety first," Ke Xun advised Wei Dong
The old man stood in the middle of the room, his murky eyes slowly scanning the people inside. When Wei Dong met his gaze, he couldn't help but shiver.
Following these people as they meandered through the small village, a dim yellow light suddenly appeared ahead, revealing a room that was lit.
Moreover, people inherently possess a herd mentality; under such strange and incomprehensible circumstances, the majority tend to choose to band together for courage
The one written by Ke Xun has the character "央" on it, while the one written by Wei Dong has the character "辜" on it
The girl with the braid rolled her eyes and took a deep breath, seemingly trying to control her temper: "I also received a cloth strip with the character 'Gu' written on it, which proves that the two of us have been assigned to the same group. Therefore, you and I must follow what that old man said and go to the so-called 'Li family.' Do you understand?"
The tall individual cast him a cold glance and did not shake his hand: "Mu Yiran."
After everyone finished listening, they turned and walked out. Wei Dong could no longer hold back and approached the old man, asking him: "Old sir, could you explain to us what exactly is going on?"
Is it true or not?! Wei Dong was shocked
The elder said: "The Li family is located under the three old locust trees to the north of the village. Everyone, you may begin work now. Remember..."
A piece of burlap, loosely tied around his waist, bore the character "央" written on it
Ke Xun suddenly stepped down, as if stepping on a hand, the clearly defined, slender and rigid contours of the fingers distinctly pressed against the sole of the foot
Before Ke Xun could respond, the previous little braid suddenly laughed and stepped forward to take a look at him: "Don't waste your effort, he is not human"
Weidong quickly lowered his eyelids, fearing that making eye contact with him might lead to some misfortune, and only listened with his ears as the old man spoke: "Once everyone is here, we will arrange the tasks for everyone."
Weidong turned his head and reached out to the tall guy: "What about you, buddy?"
"Where are you going?" Wei Dong looked bewildered, glancing at the little braid and then at Ke Xun.
A group of individuals entered this strange and peculiar village, each with their own thoughts and intentions
Uncertain if it is an illusion, Ke Xun always feels that something seems to be looking out from those dark gaps in the doors and windows
Ke Xun reacted with lightning speed, jumping up abruptly and colliding with the tall figure. Upon landing, he could almost hear his heart pounding violently against his chest, forcing him to press his hand against his chest, as if the moment he removed his hand, his heart would be brutally yanked out from his cavity, flesh and blood intertwined.
"Go in." Someone sighed and said.
After the elderly man finished dividing the groups, he said: "The Li family is located under the three old locust trees to the north of the village. Everyone, you may begin your work. Remember: those who stay at the Li family to work should not go out at night. Alright, tomorrow morning at 8 o'clock, everyone gather here again."
"What the hell are you doing? You scared me to death!" Wei Dong exclaimed
As they spoke, the last three individuals, both astonished and cursing, followed suit. In fact, they had no other choice; apart from this small village, the surrounding area was desolate wilderness. If they did not follow the others into the village, where else could they go?
This piece of cloth is about the length of an arm, two fingers wide, made of a coarse grayish-white hemp material. In the middle, there are dark red characters written, though it is unclear whether they are in vermilion or some other pigment.
"Die!" shouted the little braid with a fierce expression.
Ke Xun could not determine what time it was in this "painting"; in the real world, it was still morning, but the sky here was dark and gloomy. The village was also shrouded in darkness, with all the houses having wooden doors and windows. Some window panes were covered with tattered paper, while others were directly boarded up with wooden planks.
You can regard him as an NPC in the game, responsible only for explaining the storyline or the 'game' rules, as well as certain specific questions that he can answer; he will not respond to any other extraneous inquiries. The little braid twisted his mouth in a slight smirk
Weidong had no choice but to grasp Ke Xun's hand and shake it, saying: "It's a pleasure to meet you."
Saying this, he took out a roll of cloth ribbon from his bosom and extended it before everyone: "Let’s use this, one piece for each person"
Through observing this group of people earlier, Ke Xun felt that this aloof handsome guy seemed to be more reliable than the others, so he chose him
The little braid refused to shake hands with him, merely snorting, "Liu Yufei"
"What is it if not a human?" Wei Dong exclaimed, "A parrot?"
Whether looking through the window openings or the gaps in the doors, what can be seen is invariably a pitch-black void
"Did you not hear what I just said?" The girl with the braids was furious, "Violating the rules will lead to death! Death!"
The elderly man's expression was serious: "The Li family is located under the three old locust trees to the north of the village. Everyone, you may begin your work. Remember: those who stay at the Li family to work must not go out at night. Alright, tomorrow morning at 8:00, everyone gather here again."
What is the significance of the characters "民, 且, 辜, 央, 歹, 取"? It is evident that allowing everyone to choose a banner is intended for grouping these thirteen individuals, but it is difficult to connect this to the current situation based solely on the literal meaning.
The wooden door creaked as it was opened from the inside, revealing the grayish, wrinkled face of an elderly person
Weidong asked him: "What will happen if we do not follow the village chief's instructions?"
"... ... Get lost." Ke Xun, feeling particularly speechless, tucked his hands into his pockets
"I told you this is a painting, not a game!" The little braid impatiently glared at him, "If you die in the painting, it is truly death; you can never hope to leave here and return to reality, do you understand?"
Whether you believe it or not, I have already made it clear to you. When the time comes and you are dead, don't blame others. " Little Braid glanced irritably at the cloth strip in Wei Dong's hand, "How did I end up in the same group as you, the new arrival? This is really bad luck! Are you leaving or not?"
As the old man spoke, Ke Xun pondered silently in his heart
The little braid sneered coldly, "The rules within the painting have been established with strictness and precision; violating these rules leads to only one outcome, which is death"
Weidong looked at this person and then glanced at the small braid beside him: "By the way, what would happen if we exchanged the cloth strips with someone else?"
According to the old man's arrangement, the majority of people's destination is "Li's home". The others have already set off ahead, so the four of them are traveling together.
Ke Xun's heartbeat was too rapid, and for a moment, she was unable to utter a sound.
The elder said: "The Li family is located under the three old locust trees to the north of the village. Everyone, you may begin work now. Remember..."
"Alright," Wei Dong asked him, "What about you? Which group are you in?"
Weidong: "... ... Did I accidentally activate your absurd function? Could you say something else?"
The crowd entered in an orderly fashion and saw that the walls and floor were constructed of a mixture of mud and straw. Inside the room, there was only a broken table and a few long benches, with an oil lamp illuminating the table
The pupils of this old man are completely devoid of warmth and focus, scattered like a ... dead person
As the crowd moved forward, the middle-aged man with a large belly at the front knocked on the door
Death? GAME OVER? Wei Dong stared in disbelief, "How many lives does a person have? Can one save progress and reload to start over?"
Ke Xun felt the cold sweat in Wei Dong's palm, squeezed his hand tightly for a moment, then released it. Turning to the handsome guy beside him named Mu Yiran, he asked, "In order to avoid being a liability and holding you back, could you please tell us the whole story as it is, young man?"
Then, can we form groups freely? For example, I won't go with you to chop wood at the Li family, but I will go with him to guard the granary
It was as if he had suddenly guessed something about Ke Xun and jumped up.
"Damn it." Wei Dong looked at Ke Xun, "What should we do?"
Not far along, Ke Xun turned back and discovered that the old man's house had extinguished its lights at some point, plunging it into silence and darkness, just like the other nearby residences.
"Ahem, by the way, since we will be teammates from now on, why don't we get to know each other?" Wei Dong seemed to sense something and, gathering his courage through conversation, first extended his hand towards the one with the small braid, "I am Wei Dong, and this is my buddy Ke Xun."
Ke Xun stroked his chin and pondered: "It seems we have truly encountered some inexplicable oddities that defy common sense. The reasons behind this are likely not something we can clarify in a short time. It would be better to temporarily heed his advice. This individual appears to possess some knowledge of the matter; it is wiser to believe in the possibility than to dismiss it. After all, safety of life comes first"
Just as I felt my palms and lips grow cold from the shock, I heard the tall man's voice faintly reach my ears: "Don't worry about anything, just keep walking"
In the village devoid of light, the path is difficult to traverse; the rural dirt road is uneven, with some parts hard and others soft. The soles of the straw sandals worn on my feet are very thin, making the sensation of each step even more acute