Chapter 5: Funeral Matters

Those who understand the times are the true talents. Ke Xun no longer struggles, obediently allowing others to press and hold him down

The dilapidated wooden window panel could no longer withstand the force of the impact, and with a loud "bang," it shattered into pieces and flew apart

Mu Yiran frowned; he had truly never encountered someone so familiar.

At this point, the conversation suddenly came to a halt. Just as Ke Xun was about to inquire further, he felt a hand swiftly cover his mouth, the palm dry and slightly cool, carrying a hint of soap fragrance

Mu Yiran's body subtly stiffened, and the hand that had already reached out to push Ke Xun away paused in mid-air, before slowly retracting after a moment.

Ke Xun was worried about Wei Dong. After thinking for a moment, he asked the person next to him, Mu Yiran, "If I go to the woodshed now, will anything happen?"

Mu Yiran let out a soft "mm"

The sounds from outside grew closer, chattering incessantly until they reached the window of my room, and then suddenly the noise came to an abrupt halt, leaving not a single sound behind

... ... One cannot simply wait for death. Ke Xun twisted his neck in an attempt to convey a disapproving look to Mu Yiran, but before he could turn his head, Mu Yiran's second sentence reached his ears: "Listen, once it comes in, absolutely do not move. If it gets close, hold your breath, unless you wish to die."

Hold your breath and listen carefully, the sounds become more distinct, crackling and rustling, as if... the paper is making noise

"You really lack team spirit," Ke Xun said, "Having one more helper means one more chance of success. You wouldn't want me to hold you back, would you?"

Ke Xun pried open Mu Yiran's hand, intending to rise, but was suddenly caught by Mu Yiran, who reached out and seized one of his arms. As he attempted to break free, he was unexpectedly twisted and turned by this person, rendering him unable to move, his body leaning forward and pinned down in that position

Do not move, isn't this just waiting to die? Ke Xun hesitated for a moment, and finally turned over—once again lying back on Mu Yiran's lap

He did not understand how this eye could be seen so clearly in such a dark room, with no light source inside or outside. Yet, this eye was distinctly embedded in the gap of the window frame, motionless at that moment, staring at him.

The woodshed where Weidong is located is directly opposite the mourning hall

After a moment, Mu Yiran's voice finally sounded: "I am not sure if there is anything, I only know that the last person who ran around at night ended up with nothing but a skull cap."

Is someone moving them

Ke Xun gave up struggling, as Mu Yiran had two more paintings' worth of experience than he did. Of course, the fact that Mu's combat power was also higher than his was an important factor. At present, he was still being restrained, pressed down on the ground with his buttocks raised, unable to move even if he wanted to.

Just as I was about to exert all my strength to break free, I suddenly felt Mu Yiran lean down, whispering in my ear, "Don't move! You can't stop it"

It is drawn on paper, with black lines on white paper, depicting a very simple eye, with an almond-shaped outline and a dark pupil, and above the eye, there is a thin and curved eyebrow

"Did you not look before coming in?" Mu Yiran retorted

Sitting up, she coldly replied to him: "If you can remain silent, perhaps you will soon have an idea"

So what you mean is that, even though the funeral hall appears to be the focal point in the painting, the true intention of this artwork may not necessarily lie there. It could possibly be the three old locust trees beside the courtyard, or it might be the old man's home, or it could even be our granary. Ke Xun pondered thoughtfully, "The real focus is to be inferred based on the intention of the painting, isn't it"

Before the thought was complete, that finger suddenly began to exert force, scraping and digging at the window frame with great intensity, producing a piercing sound. The old wooden board creaked loudly, as if it were about to shatter under this relentless scratching.

BOSS has gone berserk! The first thought that crossed Ke Xun's mind was these few words. He raised his head to ask Mu Yiran what to do now, only to feel that he had relaxed his grip on him. Mu Yiran's voice once again came through in a low tone: "Remember what I just said, do not move."

A drop of cold sweat slid down the corner of his forehead, and Ke Xun held his breath

This eye is watching him, and the paper figure outside is also looking at him

I..." Ke Xun was about to speak when a hard knee was thrust against his throat, nearly choking him, rendering him unable to utter a single word.

Not interested. Mu Yiran showed no courtesy whatsoever

Ke Xun remembered Mu Yiran's words, not daring to move at all, and could only努力翻着眼皮向上看

This is not the eye of a living person, or rather, it is not the eye of a real person

Just as Ke Xun was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he suddenly saw a finger stretching in from the place where the paper figure's eyes had disappeared. The skin was deathly pale, and the nails were pitch black, scraping against the wooden window frame with a grating sound. Upon closer inspection, the shape of this finger was quite peculiar, being square and flat—indeed, it was a finger made of paper!

The noise is so loud, could it be that a strong wind has risen outside

No, that is not correct, this sound is moving

Ke Xun was taken aback, recalling the pair of paper effigies of a young boy and girl made of colored paper that were placed outside the mourning hall

However, unexpectedly, Mu Yiran tightened his grip on his hands even more. Despite Ke Xun's considerable strength, he found it completely ineffective under Mu Yiran's hold

It wants to come in! Upon realizing this possibility, Ke Xun began to struggle—he must not let it in, he must stop it!

Then let me ask one last question, "This kid is clearly thick-skinned. If we stay in this room all night without going out, can we really avoid danger?"

Damn it—Ke Xun was shocked and cursed loudly, when did a piece of paper become so audacious?

Mu Yiran fell silent again. Ke Xun felt that this fellow was probably looking down on him in his heart. After a while, he finally spoke: "The title of this painting is 'White Affairs', created by an artist named Li Jinghao. This artist has a preference for paintings depicting cultural customs. Since his youth, he has traveled extensively, using his brush to record the diverse customs of different places. This painting is one of them, depicting a scene of a funeral in a remote mountain village. The overall tone of the painting is somber, with great tension, expressing... This artist has a preference for paintings depicting cultural customs. Since his youth, he has traveled extensively, using his brush to record the diverse customs of different places. This painting is one of them, depicting a scene of a funeral in a remote mountain village. The overall tone of the painting is somber, with great tension, expressing..."

At the window, a paper effigy of a young boy stood silently, its vivid features adorned with a lifeless smile, dully gazing at the two individuals in the room

At that time, I was so startled that I couldn't pay attention to anything else. Even if I had seen it, I would have forgotten out of fear," Ke Xun said, "I only remember a dark mass with some grayish-white objects in between.

As soon as the words fell, I suddenly felt a warmth by my ear. This young man beside me, completely unaware of our status as strangers, naturally leaned in closer and lowered his voice beside my ear, asking seriously: "So where do you think the seal on this painting will be? Do you have any thoughts on it?"

In the midst of enduring the passage of time, where each second felt like a year, a sudden sound of "shasha" was heard from behind. Immediately following was a heavy "dong" sound—perhaps the burlap sacks piled in the corner had shifted due to the weight of the two people leaning against them, causing them to tumble to the ground at that moment

Mu Yiran: "... ..."

"Seeking death." Mu Yiran's voice faintly echoed in the ear, carrying a hint of chilling coldness

Mu Yiran spoke in a calm voice: "According to the habitual thinking of people, most would consider the mourning hall to be the focal point of the entire courtyard. However, when viewed in the context of the entire painting, perhaps the mourning hall is not necessarily the most prominent feature. A painting that allows one to grasp its meaning at a glance can only be regarded as a 'good painting,' but it does not necessarily qualify as an exceptional masterpiece"

Unhurriedly, unabashedly, little by little, accompanied by the rustling sound of paper, approaching the granary.

Just trust him once and place your life in his hands

The room once again fell into a silence so profound that one could hear a pin drop. Perhaps in the darkness, a person's senses become more acute than usual. Ke Xun faintly heard several unusual sounds coming from the courtyard outside the house

Paper clothes? Paper—Paper figures?

After the echo faded, both inside and outside the room suddenly fell into a dead silence. Ke Xun raised his eyes and saw that the finger in the gap of the window had retracted. In the next moment, the entire window was suddenly struck with a heavy thud, the sound was terrifying, as if a man weighing around one hundred and ten pounds was swinging a fist the size of a jar and smashing it against the window.

An eye suddenly appeared at the position of the window frame, as if a crack had opened in the darkness, and this eye was peering into the room through the gap.

After a moment, Mu Yiran spoke again: "There is no pattern, it is useless to say anything."

There are also people wearing clothes made of paper, their limbs and torso rubbing against each other as they slowly walk over

Ke Xun recalled the paper money and paper ingots that were hung outside the main hall of the funeral parlor

Ke Xun initially had a reflexive urge to dodge, but after a moment of realization, he quickly gave up and remained still, allowing him to cover him.

Ke Xun's voice took a moment to sound: "I think, at this point, the focus should not be on our granary; any discerning person can see that it is... that mourning hall."

Ke Xun tilted his head and simply rested it on Mu Yiran's knee beside him

Mu Yiran fell silent for a moment. Seeing that this young man was patiently waiting for his answer, he finally spoke: "Not necessarily. It is important to connect the content of the painting with the current situation. Generally speaking, the most dangerous place is the focal point of the entire situation. Just like a painting, there are areas that are emphasized and others that serve as background or to highlight the main focus. If you and I happen to be in the most important part of the painting, then it is likely that tonight will bring a deadly calamity"

"By the way, what is this painting about?" Ke Xun inquired

It feels as if someone is dragging a large sheet of hard paper along the ground in a very untidy manner

Ke Xun leaned back against the burlap sack, but did not want to continue maintaining silence as before—such a feeling was akin to waiting for death. Therefore, rather than dying in silence, let us talk about death in silence: "I remember you said this is the third painting you entered. How did you find the signatures or seals for the first two paintings? Could you share that?"

In the darkness, the sound of scraping against the wooden window panes continues to resonate, the sharpness of the paper's edge rubbing against the dull wood produces a friction that makes one feel a chill, raising goosebumps.

Damn, still just a novice.

Ke Xun instinctively raised his eyes to look at the window. The window frame was made of wooden boards, completely opaque. The room was pitch black, and outside was also deep into the night, devoid of any light. Naturally, looking out, one would see nothing but darkness.

This stalemate had lasted for an indeterminate duration; perhaps it was long, perhaps it was short. Just as Ke Xun felt that his thoughts were about to become numb, the paper figure's eyes suddenly vanished, and the scene before him fell back into infinite darkness

Behind them, Mu Yiran remained motionless, and the two of them, along with the paper figures outside, were frozen in place, caught in a strange standoff

Darkness and silence always evoke a sense of unease in one's heart

Ke Xun was relieved that his throat was still pressed against Mu Yiran's knee, otherwise this sudden scare would likely have made him cry out