Chapter 4, Funeral Hall
Weidong no longer spoke. If he could still utter a few words in a self-deceptive manner when he first entered, he had now completely come to terms with the "reality" before him. He held his head in his hands, desperately tugging at his hair, his eyes and face overflowing with fear, resentment, and despair
"Doraemon! I am Nobita! Don't you recognize me? Quickly use your powers and take us back!" Wei Dong cried out to the sky in despair
"Are you also a reincarnation of a parrot?" Ke Xun sighed as he stepped in and closed the door
"Come in, close the door." Mu Yiran turned his head to glance at Ke Xun
There are all kinds of people who enter the painting, but who can know how long they will live
Weidong muttered curses under his breath—the door of the firewood room faced directly towards the main hall's mourning hall, and the two paper-cut boy and girl figures were smiling at the door of the firewood room
Mu Yiran did not look at him, his gaze calmly and indifferently fixed on the thick fog ahead: "No one told me, this is the third painting I have entered, and all the known clues have been summarized from the first two paintings."
The location of the signature is closely related to the content of the painting. By interpreting the artwork and obtaining clues, one can find the location of the signature, " said Mu Yiran.
Shouldn't we look for signatures or seals in this room?" Ke Xun squatted down beside him, using his phone to take a picture of his face
How can it die? Is it possible that it can even manipulate the real world? Despair surfaced in Wei Dong's eyes
Why is this happening? Ke Xun still finds it unbelievable, "Who made the rules? Who has the power to decide our lives and deaths? Who has such strange abilities to put a living person into a painting? Doraemon?"
"Wait." Mu Yiran's voice sounded even colder and deeper in the darkness
In that main room, adorned with mourning banners, I wonder if there might be... a corpse lying there
The third image? ! '' Wei Dong was once again shocked, `` What does it mean? ''
On the door of the back room located to the south of the courtyard, the character "柴" is also written in black on white paper. Wei Dong and Liu Yufei, who drew the cloth strip with the character "辜", are going to the firewood room to chop wood
The gate of the courtyard was slightly ajar. Liu Yufei stepped forward to push the door, which emitted a creaking sound. However, this jarring noise did not carry far in the stillness of the night; as soon as it spread out, it was immediately swallowed by the thick fog.
As soon as they stepped into the courtyard, Ke Xun and Wei Dong were almost startled into exclaiming at the sight before them, and Liu Yufei couldn't help but mutter a curse under his breath
What the hell, is anyone in charge or not?! Wei Dong was taken aback
"What are you waiting for?" Ke Xun took a few steps and found that the darkness was overwhelmingly thick, making one feel as if they were in a boundless void of the universe. With each step taken, it felt as though one might unexpectedly fall into an infinitely deep black hole, creating an acute sense of instability
Mu Yiran's voice is cold and highly textured, characterized by a relaxed, profound, cool, and elastic quality. Listening to him speak, Ke Xun felt as if his ears, being a big man, were on the verge of becoming pregnant
"Enough, stop overthinking," Ke Xun said, "Even without weapons, we must have courage. Even if we are but ants, we should die atop the corpse of an elephant"
"Shut up!" Liu Yufei angrily punched him, "Keep your voice down! If you want to die, go die by yourself, don't drag me down with you!"
Mu Yiran subtly shifted his gaze away and looked ahead once more
"Dongzi, be extremely careful." Ke Xun squeezed Wei Dong's shoulder, leaned closer to his ear, and lowered his voice, "There should be an axe for chopping firewood in the woodshed; take it in your hand and stay alert. Don't doze off. If anything happens, just call me. If it comes to it, run outside the courtyard."
It means that even if you manage to escape from this painting by chance, you will once again enter the next painting. Liu Yufei interjected mockingly from the side, and if one listens closely, there is a hint of tragic meaning in that mockery.
Ke Xun then followed Mu Yiran to the granary in the west wing. Upon pushing the door open, a strong odor of dust mixed with the stench of decaying grain assaulted his senses, nearly choking him. He pinched his nose and stood at the doorway.
I don't know, Liu Yufei shrugged and pointed to the sky, "The big boss is forcing it, we have to go in, or we will die."
"Let us go." Mu Yiran glanced at Ke Xun with a faint expression
As they walked side by side, Mu Yiran glanced at Ke Xun, only to coincidentally meet Ke Xun's gaze as he turned his head unintentionally
The Li family has arrived. Liu Yufei took a deep breath, his voice tinged with a hint of stiffness and tension
However, at this moment, Ke Xun was not looking at him at all, but was tilting his head and continuing to speak with Mu Yiran
"Handsome, you are not a girl, so why are you afraid of someone breaking in at midnight to assault you? If you bolt the door, it will be difficult to escape in case of an emergency." Ke Xun tilted his head to look at him
If you don't believe it, then just give it a try, " said Liu Yufei, the one with the little braid, with a sneer beside him, " You can do nothing for these seven days and see if you survive after seven days.
Liu Yufei smiled nervously and said: "There are countless ways to die; there is nothing you cannot think of, only that you cannot die."
Mu Yiran glanced at him and said lightly: "I don't know"
If one is to keep vigil, it is only natural to do so in the mourning hall
He took out his phone from his pocket and lit up the screen, locating Mu Yiran's position. To his surprise, he found that Mu Yiran had already sat down on a sack in the corner of the room, leaning against it with his eyes closed, resting.
Those who obtained the cloth banner with the character "央" guard the Li family's granary
"No wonder we are wearing such clothes," Liu Yufei said as he looked down at himself.
Ke Xun looked at him sensitively and asked, "Is there something wrong?"
Liu Yufei was taken aback by his question, his gaze flickering uncertainly as he glanced at him, and he tilted the corner of his mouth: "No, go on in."
What is a signature? How can it be found? asked Ke.
It is evidently a mourning hall
Ke Xun was taken aback for a moment, then silently turned around and bolted the door
How to put it, Liu Yufei mockingly curled his lips, "You deserve your misfortune."
He actually wants to know about the three people who drew the cloth strips with the character "民"—according to that old man's arrangement, they are responsible for keeping watch tonight
Upon closer inspection, this person's skin is remarkably flawless, and under the illumination of the screen, their features appear even more three-dimensional and profound, resembling a finely polished work of sculptural art
Weidong was unexpectedly punched and was about to retaliate. However, upon seeing the frightened, pale expression on his opponent's face, he couldn't help but shiver as well. He glanced around, only to find that the night seemed to have grown even darker and denser than before. A thick, gray fog had enveloped the entire village, and in the hazy chaos, it appeared that something was crouching there, slowly opening its dark, gaping mouth.
"How could this happen? Did he just suddenly collapse on the ground and stop breathing, or what?" Wei Dong pressed for more information
"Dongzi," Ke Xun said as he pulled him into an embrace, pressing him firmly. "It's alright, didn't they say we can return to the real world? Don't be nervous, lift your spirits. We will definitely be able to go back. Every effect has a cause, and where there is an effect, there must be a cause. I refuse to believe we can't find the source of this matter. We didn't play Nintendo games in our childhood for nothing; clearing levels and defeating the old man, isn't that our forte?"
"No way!" Ke Xun and Wei Dong were both shocked, "Is this for real?!"
Mu Yiran seemed to be oblivious, walking straight in, pulling out his phone from his pocket, illuminating the screen, and using its light to scan the room. He noticed that there were a dozen or so large and small burlap sacks piled in the corner, the window shutters were made of solid wood, tightly shut, allowing not a single ray of light to enter the room. Naturally, at night, there was even less light.
"I know, I understand... you be careful too..." Wei Dong said with a trembling voice, reluctantly following Liu Yufei towards the woodshed
Seeing that he did not wish to speak, Ke Xun did not press further
This is too abstract; searching for a signature in the whole world is no different from looking for a needle in a haystack. Wei Dong interjected, what if this signature is hidden under a tile on the roof? Are we supposed to turn over every tile on every roof in the world?
The Li family's courtyard is not small, designed in the traditional siheyuan style. The courtyard walls are surrounded by a dilapidated fence, with houses on all four sides. However, outside the three main rooms on the north side, white drapes and long banners are currently hanging. On either side of the door, large strings of paper money and gold and silver ingots made of yellow and white paper are suspended. Two paper figures, dressed in colorful clothing, representing young boys and girls, are placed at the entrance, their features distinct and their expressions cheerful.
What the hell! What the hell! What the hell! The important emotions were expressed three times—Wei Dong trembled all over, and the flesh on Liu Yufei's face twitched. Ke Xun looked to the left and then to the right, noticing that the only one among the four who could still remain calm was Mu Yiran, yet one could still detect a hint of seriousness and vigilance in his eyes
The gazes of two individuals met, and Ke Xun smiled at him, the corners of his lips curling with a hint of indifference and fearlessness
Do you think it won't happen?" Mu Yiran said coldly.
The bolt is secured. Mu Yiran continued to command coldly
None of us knows exactly what happened. We were all drawn into this place by the painting; the world you are currently in is the world depicted in the painting. There is only one way to leave this world, which is to find the 'signature' and ensure that you can survive. Mu Yiran spoke in a calm tone, seemingly unfazed by the situation before him. There is only one way to leave this world, which is to find the 'signature' and ensure that you can survive. Mu Yiran spoke in a calm tone, seemingly unfazed by the situation before him
"Just staying here? Not doing anything?" Ke Xun walked over to ask him
The signature of the artist, Mu Yiran replied, Some painters will sign their names or initials on their paintings, and if it is a Chinese painting, we may need to look for the artist's seal. Only by finding the artist's signature or seal can we leave this world of the painting
Mu Yiran glanced at him lightly and said, "Those who cannot be found within seven days will die"
Do you need it? Ke Xun smiled and said, "You forgot that I am the one who can take you to show off and soar, the warrior who can clear the entire Contra with just one life."
Weidong immediately dared not make a sound, even trying his best to hold his breath, desperately rolling his eyes to signal Ke Xun.
In the thick gray night fog ahead, three gnarled old locust trees stand motionless beside a dilapidated courtyard.
"Come in, close the door." Mu Yiran coldly repeated without being moved
Mu Yiran no longer paid him any attention
"Nonsense, Contra can have thirty lives, and Super Mario can even produce a little green mushroom to reward someone. Is there any of that here? Is there?" Wei Dong said dejectedly, lowering his head, though his voice sounded somewhat more spirited.
This is probably going to take a year and a half. Wei Dong had a dazed expression.
What shall we do next? Ke asked
Ke Xun fell silent for a while, in the pitch darkness where one could not see their hand in front of their face, the only sound in her ears was the faint breathing of Mu Yiran, while there was not a single sound from outside the granary
"If it were that easy to find, there wouldn't be any deaths in this painting." Mu Yiran frowned slightly as he was illuminated by the light from the phone. "I advise you to conserve your phone's battery and save it for when it's truly necessary. There are no charging facilities in this painting, and you still have to stay here for seven days. Of course, if you happen to die tonight, feel free to use it as much as you like"
But why is it me?! Wei Dong fiercely tugged at his own hair, "I am just an ordinary person, I used to live quite well in a mundane way, why was I chosen to go through such inexplicable things?!"
"How do you know all of this that you just mentioned? For instance, you said that one can only leave if they find a signature or seal, and if they cannot find it, they will die after seven days. Who told you this?" Ke Xun inquired.
Isn't this just a mourning outfit? Ke Xun felt frustrated and had the urge to take it off and throw it on the ground, but considering that there was only a strip of white fabric left inside, he had no choice but to give up.
Ke Xun looked around and saw that on the door of the wing room located on the west side of the courtyard, there was a piece of white paper with the black character "grain" written on it
Speaking while looking around anxiously, as if afraid to disturb something in the darkness
"First, let in some fresh air; this smell is so bad that even the rats can't survive in here," said Ke Xun
Mu Yiran turned off the phone screen, and the room was plunged into darkness, filled only with suffocating dust and a foul odor that permeated the surroundings.
Why? Wei Dong couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Isn't it just going back from the painting to the real world? Why do we still need to enter the painting?"
"I don't know, maybe. " Liu Yufei said with a blank expression, "In any case, whether in the real world or in this painted world, we are all mere ants, forever at the mercy of the powers above, the powers above the powers, and the powers above those. However, as the saying goes, even ants strive to survive. Even knowing that escape from the upper powers is impossible, most people will always find ways to keep living, won't they"
You can also sleep. Mu Yiran did not even open his eyes
Ke Xun hurriedly turned off his phone and sat down on the sack beside him: "Look at you, what a grudge you have. Do you think cursing me to die early will extend your own life or something?"
"Alright, at least give me a small firearm for self-defense," said Wei Dong