Chapter 9: Village in the Rain (9)
Zhao Shuo and Zhou Hu lowered their heads in embarrassment, and the young villager placed the food on the table with a melancholy look on his face.
Emma had no interest in their little drama at all; her eyes were completely focused on the paper doll on the table.
"Why did you put these dolls out?" Yima asked, her eyes shining.
Su Yue looked up at her and replied calmly, "Put it out for your enjoyment."
This answer obviously did not satisfy Yima, so she continued to ask: "Do the distinguished guests like these dolls?"
Su Yue: "It's very cute."
Everyone: “…”
If the scary, forced smiles on the faces of these dolls can be considered cute, then Zhou Hu, with his imposing face, can be considered a Teletubbie.
This answer obviously made Yima very dissatisfied. She stared at Suyue with a ferocious expression: "They will become even more 'cute' in the future."
It's strange to say, every time Yima turned into this hideous face that makes people shudder at first sight, Suyue was always not looking at her for various coincidences. Now, Suyue happened to be looking at Cangzhi with a smile, so he perfectly missed Yima's scary expression.
Su Yue pointed to a flower outside the window and replied to Yima with a perfunctory nod, "Oh, that's great."
Emma: "..."
Yima was silent again. She was sweet when she smiled, but she was quite scary when she had a serious expression. She seemed quite interested in Su Yue at first, but recently she got irritated whenever she spoke to him and no longer wanted to talk to him at all.
The young man had already laid out the food, and the room was filled with the aroma of food. The local village specialties, stir-fries and stews, were mainly sour and spicy in flavor. The domesticated chickens and ducks, along with wild vegetables and spices from the mountains, smelled sour and spicy, and were particularly appetizing.
They had not eaten since last night. The breakfast provided by the village was not rich to begin with, and they had just found the seriously injured Wang Shunqi in the corridor. The scene was too bloody, and no one could eat anything. They just drank some water.
Half a day passed and I was already starving.
But even as they sat around the table, no one picked up their chopsticks.
After all, I was just suspecting that the village was full of paper people. If they were paper people, what would be the food in front of them now?
Is it paper too?
Or is it the incense, candles, and ointments used for sacrifices?
No matter which one it is, it is completely unappetizing.
Oh, except Suyue.
Su Yue walked around the table and looked at Zhou Hu and the others in confusion: "Aren't you guys going to sit down? This dish is edible."
"Boss," Zhou Hu said hesitantly, "How can you be sure this dish is edible?"
Su Yue put it simply: "Intuition."
Everyone: “…”
The intuition answer didn't sound very plausible, so even Zhou Hu and Zhao Shuo hesitated and didn't dare move. Su Yue didn't care. He chose a seat and sat down without hesitation, then began to serve the rice and dishes.
Cangzhi naturally kept pace with Suyue and sat down beside him.
Su Yue ate in a very polite manner, but one could still tell that he ate very happily, his cheeks bulging with food.
While eating, he even put a chicken drumstick into Cangzhi's bowl: "Azhi, this is delicious."
Everyone: “…”
Originally, everyone was determined not to eat this meal even if they starved to death, but Su Yue's eating show was really good, coupled with the tempting aroma of the food itself, and they soon figured out one thing:
According to the normal process of the game, if you stay here for seven days without eating a single bite, you will starve to death even if nothing happens.
Since you have to eat sooner or later, you might as well eat it earlier.
Zhao Shuo stood up suddenly, muttering "Even if I die, I won't starve to death", and took a blue-flowered porcelain bowl from a pile with the tragic momentum of climbing Liangshan.
Afterwards, he sat down next to Su Yue with a big horse and started eating with big mouthfuls.
People tend to follow the crowd. At first, only Su Yue and Cang Zhi were sitting there and no one moved. But after Zhao Shuo sat there, Zhou Hu also went over.
Then the briefcase, the little girl and the other girl all sat down.
Only the little one insisted not to eat, and sat on the other side with a cold expression.
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Yima stood by the wall with her arms folded, looking at everyone with a smile, neither asking them why they were eating nor why they were not eating.
Instead, Su Yue looked at her and asked, "Where is the child you are holding?"
His wording was quite striking, as he said "the child in his arms" instead of "your child."
It seemed as if it was deliberately pointing out that the child Emma was holding was not hers.
Ima must have noticed this, because her face became stern again.
She replied calmly, "I'm resting."
He answered "I'm resting", but his face showed an expression that said "If you dare to ask another question, I will kill you right here and there."
As a result, Su Yue ignored her again.
Su Yue picked up a piece of stir-fried vegetables with chopsticks and put it into Cang Zhi's bowl: "This is delicious too, without any astringent taste of the leaves."
Then, without even looking up, he casually replied to Yima, "Oh, okay."
Emma: "..."
Everyone: “…”
He's clearly facing a terrifying NPC, so how come he still occasionally reveals the temperament of a scumbag who flirts and runs away?
Look how angry the other NPC is, his face has turned pale!
.
The food cooked in the village was indeed delicious, and everyone quickly finished it off.
Based on my previous understanding of Yima, she would definitely say something nice at this time, but she seemed to be still angry, and with a sullen face, she ordered the young man to put away all the food boxes and bowls.
The frightened young man packed his things diligently, and when he handed them to Zhao Shuo and Zhou Hu, he was very careful and moved very quickly.
After packing up all the things and putting them back on the shoulder pole, Yima's mood finally calmed down.
She once again asked sweetly with the manner of a good guide, "Are you satisfied with today's tour?"
The others were not as bold as Su Yue, and quickly smiled and agreed: "Satisfied, satisfied."
Yima liked this answer very much and said with a smile, "Then I will continue to take everyone to see performances tomorrow, and if possible, we will also visit new attractions. I hope everyone will enjoy tomorrow's tour too."
When she said this, they immediately remembered their doll with a weird smile, and their faces all looked unhappy.
I guess it’s not about them liking it, but about their dolls liking it.
After saying this, Yima left, leaving the tourists at the inn. Outside, the sun was setting, and dusk cast a twilight over the village. Another night was approaching, and after this one, there would only be six days left to play.
On the surface, it seems that as long as they can hold on for six days, they can survive and complete the game, but in fact, the gift dolls they received from the villagers have begun to smile.
No one knows how long this so-called "Nightmare Suppression Technique" will last, but if you think about it, you will know that if the spell is not broken before the seventh day, even if the entire army is not wiped out, someone will definitely die.
The paper dolls were still on the table. Zhao Shuo was really worried and walked over, saying as he walked, "I hope these dolls won't be gone tomorrow... Damn it! Boss! Something happened!"
Zhao Shuo's loud shout attracted everyone's attention. In fact, his face changed and even his lips turned pale with fear.
Su Yue walked over and was stunned when he saw the situation on the table.
But he didn't look too surprised, as if he had expected this to happen.
A row of paper dolls were neatly placed on the table, all with a faint smile on their faces.
Only the one with Su Yue's name written on it, at some point, the corners of its mouth raised high, and the black line on its mouth split from the middle, turning into an extremely exaggerated and weird huge smile.
.
This level should mean that the doll is completely smiling.
Everyone has this consensus in their hearts.
Because it's hard to come up with a paper doll face that's more terrifying than its current state.
I originally thought that the dolls would slowly start to smile, but who would have thought that before the first day was over, one person's paper doll had already turned into the worst case, and this person was their backbone.
This probably means that this person will not live long.
"I told you we shouldn't have eaten that meal," the little man said. "Now what's wrong?"
There was a hint of gloating in his tone. Well, everyone except him had eaten. If the paper dolls really mutated based on this, then his doll would be the last to change, which means he would have the lowest probability of death.
"It has nothing to do with that meal." Su Yue said, "Other people also ate, and their dolls didn't change."
"Could it be that the person who eats the most will change first?" Zhao Shuo asked cautiously. "After all, according to the guide, if you want to make the baby happy, eating better should make the baby happier, right?"
Although Zhao Shuo, Zhou Hu and the others bravely ate their meal later, they still had no appetite and did not dare to eat much. Only Su Yue and Cang Zhi ate as much as they could as if nothing had happened.
"No." Su Yue still answered calmly. He pointed at Cang Zhi and said, "If that's the case, his doll must have changed first. He eats more than me."
Cang Zhi nodded in agreement.
Zhao Shuo: “…”
He actually had a vague feeling that the boss was using his boyfriend as a test subject.
.
Logically speaking, the doll should be panicked after becoming like that, but apart from being a little surprised when seeing the doll for the first time, Su Yue's attitude was very calm.
In fact, even other people thought, oh...it seems like this is a natural thing to do.
After all, among so many dolls, only Su Yue's name was written all over his body in blood red. If Yima were to name one of these people to take away, she would definitely take Su Yue away first.
That being said, if something happened to Su Yue, it would be a big trouble. At least in the eyes of Zhou Hu, Zhao Shuo and others, it would be absolutely difficult for them to survive in this game without Su Yue.
Because they had not yet found a way to solve the puzzle, they had to rely on Su Yue's violent methods to solve the puzzles several times in danger of their lives.
"What should we do now?" Briefcase was also panicked.
"If I'm going to die, it will probably be at night." Su Yue thought for a moment and said, "That's perfect. I'll go out for a walk tonight."
"Huh?" Zhou Hu was stunned. "But the rules say you can't leave the room after curfew, and the last guy who did that is already lying up there. Boss, you're in danger right now. Don't take the risk, okay?"
"Since I'm going to die if the baby laughs, and I'm going to die if I go out, I might as well go out." Su Yue said, "Maybe dying twice will bring me back to life, right?"
Zhou Hu: “…”
How can you make a positive out of negatives here?
.
I don't know if two negatives equal a positive, but I'm definitely going to get out of here. Su Yue wants to verify something very important this time.
After the first curfew bell rang, Su Yue packed up and sat in the living room with Cang Zhi waiting.
Cangzhi brought out a desk lamp, and Suyue made a bundle out of the bed sheets.
Although I know they use these things as weapons, it's still a bit funny.
So the atmosphere in the living room was both tragic and funny.
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"Boss," Zhao Shuo said earnestly, "Let me go with you. Even though I'm not as good at fighting as you, I've won the running championship at the school sports meet."
"You stay in the room." Su Yue refused bluntly, "I have to be distracted to protect you."
Zhao Shuo: “…”
Zhao Shuo retreated melancholy, but before leaving, he didn't forget to tell Su Yue, "Boss, be careful!"
.
The second bell rang, and Su Yue and Cang Zhi walked down the stairs side by side. Zhou Hu looked at their backs and sighed with emotion: "Brother Cang is also a man. He knew it was dangerous to go down like this, but he went down with the boss without any hesitation."
"This is their love that is stronger than gold," said Zhao Shuo.
The little guy was listening to all this and chuckled, obviously thinking that Cangzhi's behavior was extremely stupid. However, he said nothing and returned to the room with a sullen face.
Zhao Shuo and Zhou Hu were lying on the windowsill. From this angle, they could see Su Yue and Cang Zhi. The two were walking side by side. Su Yue even looked very leisurely, with his hands lazily in his pockets, and his legs looked very long.
"It seems like the boss has a good chance of winning." Zhao Shuo said with emotion.
Zhou Hu nodded in agreement: "I think so too, it seems to be getting better——"
Before Zhou Hu finished speaking, the third curfew bell rang solemnly outside the window.
The two of them only felt a flash before their eyes. They rubbed their eyes and looked again. The village road was pitch black, and Su Yue and Cang Zhi were nowhere to be seen.
——
At the fork in the road of Qiyun Village, three roads lead to the Gewuping, the courtyard of the inn and the houses respectively. Su Yue and Cang Zhi stood at the intersection, and the wind was blowing on the road.
It was different from the usual autumn wind. This was a gloomy wind, so cold that it almost penetrated into the bone marrow.
From the distant mountains, a roar like muffled thunder could be faintly heard.
Su Yue supported himself on the horizontal fence behind him, jumped up lightly, and sat on it. His hair was a little messy from the wind, and he reached out to tidy it up. "Looking at this posture, I might need to use some magical power tonight."
Cang Zhi nodded: "Okay, I'll cooperate with you."
"That's not the problem," Su Yue said thoughtfully. "Do you think I should send a message to Supervisor Z to remind him first? Otherwise, if I sound the alarm, he won't be able to find me and get angry with me."
This kind of problem was beyond the scope of the puppet Cangzhi's handling. He thought for a moment and said, "It seems that reporting in advance is only necessary if the relationship is very close."
Su Yue: "..."
Su Yue said seriously: "No, it is also necessary when one party is in trouble."
He didn't dare to discuss it with the puppet anymore. It was obvious that the puppet still needed to be improved in this aspect.
He pondered:
"But he's still mad at me. I'd be asking for trouble if I called him now. And there's a good chance I won't be able to use my divine power tonight."
"But if I don't call him, he might get anxious again...ah. So troublesome, this god."
.
After thinking for a long time, Su Yue finally decided not to tell Supervisor Z.
If something really happens, we can explain it later. After all, after what happened during the day, Supervisor Z should understand that Su Yue is a reliable challenger and there will be no emergency situation that requires him to intervene in the world.
And they weren't very familiar with each other.
It would feel weird to say it specifically.
Su Yue and Cang Zhi continued to sit on the railing and wait.
At some point, a thick cold fog rose up all around.
The fog was faintly purple in the cold air. When I realized it, the mountains in the distance were no longer visible, and the houses nearby were no longer visible. In fact, nothing could be seen except this three-way intersection.
It’s like arriving in the legendary underworld.
Then, a faint light appeared in the fog.
It was a white lantern, the kind of white paper lantern often used to keep vigil for the dead.
.
There was a faint pale light in the lantern, as if summoning a ghost in the fog.
Then the hand holding the lantern was revealed, the cuffs of his clothes had local patterns, followed by the hem and shoes. He looked like an ordinary villager.
"Dear guest, where are you?" asked the villager holding a lantern.
The voice came faintly through the mist, seeming very close yet very far away. Once you agreed, it was like crossing some kind of boundary.
Su Yue jumped down from the railing so quietly that there was no sound. He didn't answer.
The villager holding the lantern didn't get an answer, so he kept asking, getting closer and closer as he asked.
When I came out of the fog, I found that the villager had a paper face with a strange smile drawn in black pen on his neck.
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Seeing such a face suddenly in the misty fog, Su Yue remained surprisingly calm. Not only was he not frightened, he didn't even make any move to prepare to attack.
He had expected this to happen. After all, everyone saw paper figures in their illusions. The only difference was what they looked like.
After the first paper villager came over, dozens of paper villagers appeared behind him, pouring out like zombies in a zombie movie.
Although I'm not sure about his combat effectiveness, I guess he won't be able to win if he doesn't use his divine power at all.
Su Yue still looked calm and composed, and he didn't seem afraid even when these paper villagers were walking towards him.
The paper villagers got closer and closer to Su Yue and soon surrounded him. Their figures were very clear in the thick fog, and even the bloody cracks in their cracked mouths could be clearly seen.
"We've found you, dear guest," the leading Paper Villager said softly, "Shall we take you to a nice place?"
"Where are we going?" Su Yue asked.
"To a place where distinguished guests never want to return," the Paper Villager replied. He tried to touch Su Yue's face with his free hand, but Su Yue dodged.
"What if you don't go?" Su Yue asked.
The Paper Villager's hand was so close to Su Yue that Su Yue could even smell the decaying, damp air at his fingertips. He seemed eager to pull Su Yue away, but his movements were a bit slow compared to Su Yue's, and if Su Yue dodged, he would be out of reach.
But if so many paper villagers rushed up together, the situation would obviously be different.
"If the distinguished guest refuses to go, we'll have no choice but to take him there by force," the Paper Villager replied softly. "If the distinguished guest's feet don't want to move, we'll cut them off and take them with us. If the distinguished guest's hands don't want to move, we'll cut them off and take them with us. If the head doesn't want to move..."
Before the paper villager could finish his words, a roar of a wild beast suddenly came from the thick fog.
This roar was exactly the same as the roar in the mountains at night, accompanied by thunderous footsteps, as if some very ferocious beast was rushing towards this side. The paper villagers suddenly became alert and all looked in the direction of the roar.
A wild beast suddenly appeared in the thick fog.
In the dark night, it has green eyes like ghostly fire. Its body looks like a tiger, but its outline looks like a wolf.
The thing was surrounded by an ominous black mist, and the ominous aura even surpassed its fangs and claws, giving people an extremely terrifying feeling.
The moment it appeared, the beast pounced towards Su Yue.
Cang Zhi reacted immediately. He held the desk lamp in his hand horizontally to block it. With a "crack", the desk lamp broke into two pieces in the middle.
Cang Zhi rolled on the ground with great agility to avoid the beast's fatal pounce, then picked up the remaining half of the lamp and started fighting with the beast again.
The beast was extremely powerful, and every time it pounced, the black air around it emitted a burnt smell. Without Su Yue using divine power to assist, Cang Zhi seemed to be able to only barely hold on to its attack for a while.
If the paper villagers over there also attack, Su Yue and Cang Zhi will probably be dead.
But looking at Su Yue's expression, it seemed that the current predicament was within his expectations.
It can even be said that he has been waiting for this scene.
.
In fact, coming out during curfew was not what Su Yue called "two negatives equal a positive", he had thought about it a long time ago.
The boy who was looking for trouble didn't die after running out in the middle of the night. He probably wouldn't die if it were him.
Adding to the two different kinds of wounds, Su Yue concluded that something must have wanted to kill him, and something else had saved him.
That's why he boldly sneaked out with Cang Zhi.
Of course, if it were someone else, such as Zhao Shuo, it would not work either, because the first time the paper villagers appeared and asked questions, their souls would probably be taken away.
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The wolf-like beast in front of me must be the "mountain beast" mentioned in the broadcast on the first day. It will come out at night and indiscriminately attack anyone who is still outside.
And these paper villagers want to take away the paper-humanized Su Yue, not Su Yue's body.
So what happened that night was that the paper figurine was about to take the boy away, but the beast suddenly appeared and attacked him. So the boy had two kinds of wounds.
If the boy died, he would no longer be a paper doll under the control of the nightmare spell. So the paper doll could only save him urgently.
Not only did they have to keep him alive, they also sent him from the scene of the crime to the inn, just to save his life.
The same is true now. The paper man must snatch Su Yue from the beast.
This was obvious because the Paper Villagers were all looking at the beast and surrounding Su Yue as if they were protecting some treasure.
During the few seconds that Su Yue was distracted, the paper villagers had surrounded him a little tighter, and their outstretched hands were almost touching Su Yue's cheeks.
Su Yue dodged quickly, then spoke: "You want to take me back and take my soul away, right?"
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The paper villagers were all stunned, their smiles visibly turning into blank "-" shapes with their mouths.
Then they nodded in unison.
"Then it should also want to take me back to the mountains and kill me." Su Yue pointed at the monster that was fighting with Cang Zhi, "If I die, I will have no soul."
Paper Villager: “…”
Su Yue inexplicably drifted off for a second, thinking, "I really didn't bother Supervisor Z this time." Then, he leaned against the fence calmly and said innocently, "I'm very fragile. If it takes me away, I'll be dead. The paper doll your High Priest has carefully crafted will be ruined."
The paper villagers looked in the direction of the beast, and the expressions on their faces drawn with pens changed, and they looked like they were about to get angry.
Su Yue whistled at the right time.
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On the other side, Cang Zhi, who received the signal, suddenly stopped.
The wolf-shaped beast was obviously more interested in Su Yue. The moment Cang Zhi stopped trying to stop it, it roared and rushed straight towards him.
Its dark green eyes glowed in the darkness, and the black mist surrounding it carried a pungent burnt smell, as if a vicious dog from hell was rushing towards it.
Su Yue calmly pointed at the oncoming beast and said to the suddenly agitated paper villagers, "So this is the only way. To protect me, you two have to fight first."
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