Manual for Survival in a Strange World

“The Serpent God… is sick?” Feng Yuchu didn’t quite understand what Gu Yunqing meant by this at first.

How could a god fall ill?

“I don’t know.” Gu Yunqing pressed his fingers against his brow. “But it’s said that the Serpent God has been sick for 18 years, and it’s a mad illness.”

Ye Miaozhu continued, “We overheard this at a large house on the east side of the village. A few people, who seemed like servants, were discussing it in private. They said… every month, there are certain days when the statue of the Serpent God in the ancestral hall, which usually looks kind and benevolent, turns into a fierce and terrifying demon, its face completely distorted. The Hejia villagers are very superstitious about this. Whenever the Serpent God goes into its fit, the whole village stays inside and doesn’t venture out, as if they’re hiding from something.”

“No wonder we didn’t see a single door open on our way to the ancestral hall, and no one came to look at the almanac.” Xie Sining suddenly understood. “They must be hiding from the crazed Serpent God.”

“But that doesn’t make sense,” Zhang Yangxu shook his head. “If the Serpent God’s fit is really that dangerous, so dangerous that the entire Hejia village is too scared to even open their doors… then why is it that nothing happened while we were in the ancestral hall? We came in, looked at the almanac, waited for someone, and then left, and yet nothing occurred.”

Zhang Yangxu’s doubt was shared by everyone, but no one could explain the reason behind it.

This mysterious village remained shrouded in an unknown fog.

In the silence, Ning Zhe’s gaze shifted slightly. He thought about the body he had hidden under the altar, about Lin Zhiyuan, who had died mysteriously in front of the Serpent God, not even able to scream in his last moments.

Perhaps, some things hadn’t failed to happen; rather, they had already happened.

“Whatever the truth is, we can no longer return to the ancestral hall to confirm it,” Ning Zhe shook his head, took out his phone from his pocket, opened the album, and showed a photo to Gu Yunqing and Ye Miaozhu. “This is today’s taboo. If you can’t remember it, just take a photo of it.”

Ye Miaozhu immediately broke into a bright smile. “Thank you so much! This is such a big help.”

Zhang Yangxu glanced at Ye Miaozhu and Gu Yunqing, who were busy taking photos with their phones, then looked at Ning Zhe, who appeared calm and composed without a hint of flaw, and smiled oddly. “Quite meticulous.”

Perhaps a little too meticulous.

Today’s Auspiciousness:

【Auspicious:】

【Taboos: Traveling, burial, mourning rites, and sacrificial offerings.】

“Now that you all know the taboos for today,” Ning Zhe put his phone away after taking the photo, and continued, “Among them, burial, mourning rites, and sacrificial offerings are all actions that will only violate the taboos if one deliberately chooses to break the rules. As for the ‘traveling’ taboo, it’s been proven that it doesn’t mean we can’t leave our homes. We can move around the village, but whether it’s forbidden to leave the village, or whether it’s dangerous, we don’t know.”

“So, as long as we don’t leave the village, it’s as though nothing else is taboo today.”

Ning Zhe took a deep breath, looking at everyone without hesitation. “We’ve already exchanged some information, and everyone here entered through a ‘door.’ So, I’m boldly guessing that the exit from this cursed place might be a ‘door’ hidden somewhere in the village. As long as we find it, we can return to the real world.”

“A reasonable guess,” Zhang Yangxu nodded. “I think I understand what you mean.”

“If we want to explore Hejia Village, today, when no other taboos seem to apply, is the best chance. Though today is the day when the Serpent God falls ill, how do we know if tomorrow’s taboos will be even more dangerous than the Serpent God’s madness?” Ning Zhe continued, “No one can be sure that tomorrow’s taboo won’t involve ‘not breathing’ or something else. Rather than sit idly by, it’s better to actively search for an exit, the sooner the better.”

“I agree.” Zhang Yangxu nodded.

“I don’t think we should just wait for things to happen either.” Ye Miaozhu also agreed.

After a vote, everyone except Feng Yushu, who appeared reluctant and looked pale from fear, agreed with Ning Zhe’s suggestion.

“Then let’s set a time.”

Gu Yunqing said, looking at his luminous watch:

“It’s now 12:27 AM. We’ll start from this ancestral hall, and after three minutes, we’ll split into pairs to explore Hejia Village and look for clues to leave.

We’ll gather back at the ancestral hall at 2:00 AM sharp to exchange what we’ve found.”

“Okay.” Xie Sining was the first to agree.

Zhang Yangxu and Ye Miaozhu naturally had no objections. Gu Yunqing hadn’t specified exactly how to divide the pairs, but it didn’t need to be said. In unfamiliar surroundings, it’s human instinct to team up with people one is more familiar with.

“By the way, before we head out, let’s exchange phone numbers.”

Ye Miaozhu suggested, “You must have all tried calling or texting the outside world. The signal here seems to be blocked. Neither calls nor texts go through.”

“However, even though we can’t contact the outside, it seems that we can communicate with each other within the village.” With that, Ye Miaozhu took out her phone and dialed a number.

A few seconds later, Gu Yunqing’s phone began vibrating and ringing.

“Look, it’s connected. People in the village can call each other, and texts should work too.” Ye Miaozhu shook her phone. “So before we split up, let’s exchange numbers. That way, if anything happens, we can notify each other.”

“Now I get it, thanks for telling me,” Ning Zhe said as he exchanged phone numbers with her.

In fact, he had already tested this using Lin Zhiyuan’s phone, but Ning Zhe still acted surprised at Ye Miaozhu’s reminder.

Because he came to Hejia Village alone, he wasn’t supposed to have a way of knowing this.

Three minutes later, everyone had exchanged phone numbers, tested calling each other, and were ready to set off.

Zhang Yangxu and Xie Sining, Gu Yunqing and Ye Miaozhu, split off into two groups and silently walked away from the ancestral hall, heading down different alleyways.

“It’s really nice to have an acquaintance. Even if we end up in a place like this, we can still have someone to look out for” Ning Zhe said with a bitter smile, turning to look at Feng Yushu, who was still standing at the alley entrance. “So, we’re a team now, Auntie(not literally just respectfully), let’s go.”

“…Okay.” Feng Yushu mustered up her courage and stepped forward to walk into the narrow alley with Ning Zhe.

The rain had just stopped, and the sky was gloomy. The streets, devoid of streetlights, were dark, and the alleys were pitch-black.

Feng Yushu took out her phone, planning to use the flashlight for light, but Ning Zhe stopped her.