Chapter 28: The Great Master Had Gone Mad
“Right! Didn’t Mike hear the word grave last time after listening to the recording? He should know!”
At this critical moment, Yu Wen’s memory was at its best.
He jumped up to find him: “Where’s Mike?! Where did he go?”
“He’s still out cold on the sofa.” Old Yu flew over to the room.
Mike’s response to the smell in the woods was particularly strong. After returning, he vomited twice and was laid to rest on the sofa. Even now, he has not woken up.
Everyone was very confident, so they didn’t wake him up.
No one expected this kind of trouble to happen at such a critical moment.
“Sorry, I’m sorry………”
Old Yu went up and slapped him a few times before finally waking Mike up.
Mike was still feeling dizzy from the smell and retched a few times as soon as he opened his eyes.
“Up! Up! Up!”
Old Yu used the only English word he knew and dragged Mike out.
·
In front of the black widow’s door, You Huo held onto the bone pen.
He wrote very quickly and managed to copy everything on the gravestones in two minutes. In order to save time, he let out the black widow’s name.
As soon as Mike came over, he finished off the last stroke and shoved the pen over to the other party: “Write.”
Amidst the final two calls by the crow, Mike added the word “Grave”.
……….
Phew———–
They made it in time.
Everyone let out a long sigh of relief.
“We were almost on the brink of death……” Yu Wen clutched his chest. The heart that was almost about to fall out and calmed back down, “I hope the gravestones wrote where they were buried instead of just ‘here lies x.x.x’.”
But it didn’t matter. Even if it wasn’t written, there was still the words written by Mike.
With the answers offering double insurance, they would most certainly get those points.
This was what everyone thought.
After waiting for a while, the answer wall finally changed.
The system’s results came out……..
It was a cross.
A bright red cross appeared there. To its left was the copied gravestone inscriptions and to the right was the word grave written by Mike.
The meaning was obvious: Neither were correct.
Everyone, including You Huo, were stunned. The result was something they didn’t expect.
“It’s wrong? How can that be?”
“Did the system malfunction and made the wrong judgement?”
Everyone couldn’t understand why their answer was wrong.
You Huo stared at the answer wall with deeply furrowed brows.
The inscriptions and the word grave were not correct. If there weren’t any issues with the system’s judgement then it meant one thing ——– These were the graves of the black widow’s family, but they were not buried there.
His eyes moved and it fell onto the third question.
Question 3: How many people are in the black widow’s room?
You Huo: “…………..
Question: Is it possible for someone who is very pa.s.sionate about superst.i.tions to leave their dead family members in their house?
Answer: What can’t that old witch do?!
Before everyone could recover from the shock, the answer wall refreshed, and new content appeared.
An unfortunate notice: From this round of submission, the system has failed to detect any points.
Punishment result: A randomly selected examinee will be sent to enter the coffin.
When those words appeared, You Huo patted Qin Jiu’s shoulder.
Qin Jiu turned his head and his eyes moved along his finger over to this face: “Let me guess, our Mr Humph finally wants to ask for help?”
You Huo: “………..”
Who’s yours?
Unless he had no other choice, he really didn’t want to use that help card.
But the current situation now was indeed headache inducing.
He didn’t know who the system would randomly select, and he didn’t know if he would be able to find a loop hole.
If it was really troublesome…….
As he mulled over it, another line appeared.
Note: Chars Village traditionally holds funerals late at night. We will follow their tradition and the punishment will be executed tonight.
Tonight?
The punishment was different to the ones from the previous exam and was not implemented immediately.
You Huo immediately retracted his hand from Qin Jiu’s shoulder.
Qin Jiu: “?”
You Huo said: “It’s still too soon.”
Qin Jiu: “………”
He looked at You Huo for a while and said: “I think I should give you a small reminder. The system will not give you any warning when they implement the punishment and would not tell you who is selected. It is likely that one moment you may be chatting face to face and the next moment one of you is gone.”
“If the one who disappeared at that time was you, how are you going to ask for help?” Qin Jiu asked.
“That invigilator 922 said that if I need something, I can just write 001.” You Huo responded.
Qin Jiu: “…………”
Please read this from kk translates
“Since we’re on this topic, I just wanted to ask, “You Huo spoke mockingly, “I heard that it must be written on the answer sheet? What kind of idiotic rule is that?”
It was not an issue in the hunter’s cabin because the s.p.a.ce was small, and they were only a few steps away from the answer wall.
But for a test centre like Chars Village or another much large one, it was really too unreasonable.
Qin Jiu said: “922? I’ll have to take note of that. But that is just a way for one to find normal invigilators.”
You Huo: “………Then the way to find a self-proclaimed head invigilator like you?”
“Oh, there are many ways.” Qin Jiu smiled: “You can try writing it anywhere in the test centre and see if I know.”
You Huo: “………Am I crazy?”
·
When the punishment results came out, everyone reluctantly celebrated for a moment. At least they still had more than half a day for them to prepare.
It wasn’t until that afternoon that they realised that this pre-notice punishment style was more terrifying compared to immediate punishment.
It was as if there was already a knife held up at their neck. With the sharp blade pressing closely against their skin, the executioner says: “Sorry but it is not time yet. Please wait a little.”
The black widow as usual made them sew dolls and didn’t appear to have the intention to stop until all the examinees were cut up.
Everyone’s thoughts were all over the place. They sat there restlessly, and their minds were filled with worries.
While everyone’s mind was preoccupied by the impending punishment, they didn’t notice a particular great master’s unusual behaviour——–
As everyone worried, he pulled out several dolls from the bamboo basket and picked up a needle.
When others sewed dolls, they would pay attention to their st.i.tches. Although it may not be straight, they would at least st.i.tch a row to connect the limbs. He on the other hand just pa.s.sed the needle through twice and considered it as a limb complete.
………..
When the others finally noticed his actions, the great master had already sewed an entire row.
With a quick count, there was a total of eight done.
Old Yu almost fell onto his knees: “…….What are you doing?”
You Huo completed the ninth one in an instant and answered without looking up: “Getting prepared.”
This terrifying preparation of his continued until the sand inside the hourgla.s.s was fone.
As soon as the black widow returned, she was met with sixteen dolls. Her old face instantly turned stiff.
She had been doing this exam for a long time and it was her first time meeting such a guest. For a moment, she was at loss for words.
She looked at You Huo as if he had gone mad.
After a while, the black widow muttered something and proceeded to slowly place the sixteen dolls onto the wooden frame.
·
Night came faster than the previous two days.
Whilst the villagers haven’t entered their homes, they went across the frozen river to find them.
“You’re still here………” The female villager held a tub of crushed ice and greeted them.
But the contents of her greeting weren’t something you wanted to hear.
Old Yu who acted under Master You’s instructions spoke straightforwardly: “Sister, I want to ask you something.”
The female villager hesitated for a moment and asked: “What is it?”
“I heard that there is a tradition here and funerals can only be done at night?”
“That’s right.”
“Oh, then do you do traditional burial or cremation?” Old Yu asked.
The woman was stunned for a moment. For some reason, she appeared a little dazed.
Soon, she tilted her head slightly and seemed to be looking somewhere in the woods.
She then quickly returned to normal and replied blankly: “Burial. We don’t cremate. We can’t cremate.”
“Why?” You Huo suddenly interrupted.
The woman tilted her head and thought for a moment: “There’s no reason. The tradition is that the dead cannot be cremated.”
You Huo hummed.
Old Yu again asked: “Then when you bury the coffin……where do they usually get buried?”
Woman: “In the woods.”
“I know it’s in the woods.” Old Yu internally thought: Isn’t that obvious?
He asked explained patiently: “What I mean is, aren’t there places in the woods that are already occupied? I just wanted to know where it is that’s emptier and could still hold more coffins. You surely don’t just randomly pick a place each time?”
“Oh, we don’t do that.” The woman thought for a moment and pointed to the east and west: “That place, and that one. Both are still empty.”
Everyone hastily noted it down.
Old Yu wanted to ask more questions, but the woman looked at the sky and said: “It’s getting dark now. I have to hurry back. You should also go back. Don’t run around and don’t enter the woods.”
After saying that, she picked up the tub and hurried back.
Following the sound of the door closing, the village once again became silent.
Please read this from kk translates
Old Yu said with frustration: “With that courage, they hold a funeral at night……….Do you think the system is just speaking nonsense? These villagers don’t even dare come out at night so how can they go in the woods for a funeral?!”
“The question said it so it must be the case. How can a place like this be understood using common sense?” Chen Bing mumbled.
In any case, at least they now know the location for the next burial.
When someone ends up getting punished and put inside a coffin, they would at least have an idea where to start searching.
·
After saying farewell to the villagers, everyone did not return to their own house.
You Huo’s house had unknowingly become their base camp. Everyone gathered there.
The sky grew darker.
As they gnawed on dried bread, they discussed what they should do at night.
“If we want to enter the woods, it’s best to bring along some tools.” Yu Wen raised his hand and proposed: “On one hand it can be used to defend yourself and on the other hand…..What if you get lucky and catch another ghost arm?”
“I found ropes in the room and there should be knives in each of the houses. I just don’t know if they win over that bone-cleaver.” Old Yu said: “Also, if we want to dig, we should bring along a shovel too right?”
He turned his head as he said this to seek affirmation from You Huo.
Unexpectedly, the single sofa behind him was empty. You Huo who was sitting there had disappeared.
“Where is he? He was there earlier…….” Old Yu asked with confusion.
Everyone looked towards the empty sofa.
The room fell into silence for a while and it suddenly exploded.
“f.u.c.k?!” Yu Wen anxiously looked for him. He called for his brother, “Brother? Where are you?”
He called out three times in a row but received no response.
The most terrible thing was that Qin Jiu was still there.
During an exam, whereever You Huo went, his personal invigilator must also follow.
The only exception was……..when undergoing the systems punishment.
They suddenly recalled Qin Jiu’s words in the morning: “It is likely that one moment you may be chatting face to face and the next moment one of you is gone.”
No one in their right minds expected the system’s random selection to be so coincidental and would actually send their golden thigh away.
·
At this moment, the golden thigh was lying inside a very small and confined s.p.a.ce.
He couldn’t straighten his legs nor could he raise his hands very high. The oxygen there was also very limited.
Needless to know, he was the lucky guy “randomly selected to enter the coffin”.
He wasn’t surprised by this outcome, or to be more precise, he wasn’t surprised by this kind of outcome. Afterall, when sewing the dolls in the afternoon, he had already thought of two kinds of preparations.
If someone else entered the coffin, he could reluctantly use the help card.
If he himself entered the coffin……then maybe he could save the use of the help card.
In the dark, You Huo tried to get a feel of the coffin walls. It was damp and cold, and he could smell the thick smell of mud.
He guessed that the coffin was probably buried under some mud in the woods.
With the woods being so large, even if you have narrowed down the range, it was still equivalent to trying to find a needle in a haystack.
Humans finding humans. That was always very difficult.
But……. This wouldn’t be the case if it was something else finding humans.
·
In the woods on the east side, Old Yu and the others searched around whilst holding a fire torch and a bundle of rope.
Suddenly, their footsteps stopped.
Old Yu nervously gestured for them to be quiet.
The others held their breaths and heard the familiar crawling sounds.
But the sounds tonight were a little different. It didn’t seem to be crawling towards the village and was instead…….going deeper into the woods.
After a few seconds, Yu Wen whispered: “s.h.i.t……..Look over there!”
He pointed ahead.
Everyone looked over and immediately went crazy.
More than a dozen pale ghostly arms and legs swarmed over from all directions and gathered at a certain open s.p.a.ce up ahead.
They all carried bone-cleavers of all size and shapes as they asked eerily, “Did you sew a doll today?”
You Huo who was buried six feet under answered: “I did alright. I sewed sixteen.”
“………”
The ghost arm and legs fell silent for a moment. The knifes then smashed down.