Chapter 25: Three Taboos

Hearing this, Ke Long's gaze paused, and the look he cast at Shi Dali carried a hint of wariness. "I didn't expect Brother Shi to be so clear on the ins and outs of this; it is I who was blind."

"What, do you want a piece of the pie too?" Ke Long smiled without mirth, his fist hidden in his sleeve tightening slightly.

"Are you truly stupid, or just pretending?" Unfazed by Ke Long's threat, Shi Dali sighed with resignation. "The current situation is that you've been exposed. Daring to strike at a teammate is a major taboo; everyone will be on guard against you. Now that you and Shi Guanming have had a falling out, as long as he is still alive, do you think you'll ever have a peaceful day? Aren't you worried he'll sabotage you at a critical moment?"

"Don't look down on him just because he's a newcomer; newcomers are the least likely to follow the rules. It's not impossible that he'd drag you down to die with him in a desperate situation."

"Heh, don't try to scare me; I haven't been coming to places like this for just one day." Ke Long maintained his indifferent expression. "But I don't mind hearing what high opinion you might have?"

"It's simple: I'll take care of this trouble for you." Shi Dali glanced toward the direction of the side rooms, but no one came out from there.

Ke Long let out a snort of laughter. "That sounds nice, but you just want to swallow the benefits all for yourself, acting like some kind of upright gentleman."

Shi Dali was not annoyed and nodded naturally. "You and I are strangers; if I take the risk to help you for nothing, would you believe it?"

"I'll help you get rid of Shi Guanming, and I guarantee it will be done seamlessly; no one will suspect you. Afterward, I'll find someone else to compensate you. As long as we cooperate, I guarantee we'll each have a share of the benefits when we leave here." Mentioning the benefits, Shi Dali's expression softened, his eyes full of longing. "You know that as long as you use the rules within the Script to trap and kill teammates, you can delay the time until you receive the next Script. It's a win-win for us."

Ke Long was swayed; this had nothing to do with Shi Dali's eloquence. Weighing the pros and cons, Shi Dali was indeed his best partner for cooperation. "How am I supposed to trust you?"

"It doesn't matter to me; this is just a proposal, and you can refuse." Shi Dali shrugged. "I could also go find Kuang Hongyi; his temperament is very unique, and he might be one of 'those people.' Also, that newcomer named Chu Xi isn't bad either."

Ke Long suddenly laughed and politely extended his hand, his attitude doing a 180-degree turn. "Since Brother Shi thinks highly of me, I am naturally willing to cooperate."

Shi Dali laughed as well, and the two shook hands firmly. "I knew Brother Ke was a sensible person; that's why you were my top choice."

"But now that the grass has been beaten and the snake alerted, even if Shi Guanming is stupid, he'll definitely know to guard against me. What is your plan?" This was what Ke Long truly cared about.

"Later, we are going to Jingyi Hall. Master Feng has prepared Paper Substitutes for us. There is much to be said about these Paper Substitutes; we must cut our middle fingers and use the Finger Blood to dot the foreheads of the Paper Persons for the substitute to be considered complete. In professional terms, this is called 'recognizing the master.' Besides this, the Paper Persons have one major taboo."

"The Paper Persons must never have their eyes dotted." Ke Long seemed to understand Shi Dali's plan. "You mean to take advantage of Shi Guanming's lack of preparation and use that Paper Substitute for him..."

Shi Dali smiled faintly. "Not 'we,' but 'I.' You only need to leave the scene as quickly as possible and leave no evidence behind; otherwise, once Shi Guanming dies suddenly, Kuang Hongyi and the others will inevitably suspect you."

"Shi Guanming's attention will be on you; he won't be on guard against me." Shi Dali looked at Ke Long, his tone shifting. "However, after this matter is over, you must cooperate with me fully. We are grasshoppers on the same rope; if I get into trouble, you won't have it easy either."

Ke Long nodded. "Brother Shi, rest assured; I still have that much integrity. Now that the investigation has made progress, we no longer need so many people to test for errors. I think it's too conservative for us to kill one each. If there's a chance to leave all these people behind, then..."

"Don't think too much; just Kuang Hongyi alone is not easy to deal with. Quit while you're ahead." Shi Dali interrupted Ke Long's unrealistic fantasy.

"Haha, I was just saying it casually; I'll listen to Brother Shi."

A burst of hurried footsteps sounded; it was Kuang Hongyi and Yang Xiao who had come. "The time is almost up; it's time to go over."

After everyone gathered again, no one expressed any opinion on Ke Long's plotting against his teammates, as if the matter had been selectively forgotten. Even Shi Guanming himself had quieted down.

Following the path they had walked during the day, they arrived outside the large courtyard where Master Feng lived. At this moment, the sky was already half-dark, and the courtyard was deathly silent.

The incense altar in the main hall had been rearranged, and a large white curtain had been added to the outside. Looking inside through the white fabric, the shadows flickered under the candlelight, as if several people were standing there.

On the left and right sides of the main hall's entrance, a White Lantern hung from a thin bamboo pole, with the character for "Funeral" written in thick brushstrokes on each lantern.

As a night breeze blew, the large white lanterns swayed left and right, making the atmosphere feel increasingly eerie.

Su Tingting's face turned pale, and her hands began to tremble involuntarily; it would be a real pity if nothing strange happened with a set design like this.

Kuang Hongyi walked forward. On the threshold of the main hall's entrance lay a black stone; upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a Steelyard Weight.

Under the Steelyard Weight was a piece of Yellow Paper. When opened, it was a letter with a few lines written in a crooked hand. The content was not hard to understand; it roughly stated that Master Feng was kind-hearted and had prepared a Paper Substitute for each of them, telling them to go inside and claim them.

What truly made everyone wary were the three warnings at the end. The first was to draw eyes for the Paper Person, but only to draw the outline; remember not to dot the eyes, and after drawing, one must tear a piece of cloth from one's own clothing to cover the Paper Person's eyes.

The second was to put small shoes on the Paper Person; the taboo was not to use too much force and not to puncture the Paper Person's skin.

The third, and most important, was to have the Paper Person recognize its master. The specific method was to cut the middle finger and place a bloody fingerprint between the Paper Person's eyebrows, being careful not to let blood splatter onto the Paper Person's body.

Once these three steps were completed in order, the Paper Person's recognition ceremony would be considered complete, and their safety for the night would have an extra layer of protection.

On the back of the letter was a diagram, looking like a child's simple sketch, so simple that everyone understood it after a few glances. It depicted the layout of the main hall for the night.

The main hall was divided into several strange little compartments, four on the left and three on the right, with a person drawn inside each little compartment.

Xu Su nodded slightly. "It seems we are still divided into two groups. Our group of four is on the left, and the other group of three is on the right, each in a small room, doing their own thing."

"What happens if we accidentally break a taboo?" Shi Guanming asked suddenly. "For example, if we dot the eyes of the Paper Person."

"Then the Paper Person will be more than just a substitute; it will come to life and slowly become exactly like you or me." After putting away the Yellow Paper, Kuang Hongyi's voice was grave.