Why is my journey to the world of anime a strange tale of rules?

The next moment, Gao Hai actually felt a force beginning to modify the village's rules and to re-establish the original identities of the villagers.

Completely different from the disdain the mountain god felt towards the villagers during the first playthrough, the aura of the mountain god that Gao sensed at this moment was full of pity and compassion, as if he were truly a god full of great love.

What's going on with this "Little Black Mountain God"?!

Gao Hai felt he understood the mountain god less and less, but that didn't stop him from using his newly acquired identity to his advantage. So, the moment the mountain god's power finished modifying the villagers' identities, restoring them to the rule-based identities of Li Family Village residents, Gao Hai immediately modified their identities a second time, changing them to "uninvited non-guests who entered the village without permission," which meant they would trigger the entrance to "Zhang Family Village's End."

At this moment, the villagers inside the village were weeping with gratitude, kowtowing to the mountain god and thanking him profusely.

When Gao Hai's altered identity worked again, many villagers were stunned and seemed unsure how to react.

However, they no longer needed to think about how to react, because the activation of this identity was instantaneous. Therefore, in the blink of an eye, all the villagers vanished, transported to the space where the desolate village was located. The Li Family Village, originally inhabited by over a thousand people, was instantly transformed into an abandoned village under Gao Hai's manipulation.

Chapter 45: The Buried Corpse Well and the Clan Precepts of the Li Family

Today is a confusing day for players who were forced to enter [Infant Cry Village] because they took the items.

At first, things were pretty normal. Although many players felt that the animal density in this primeval forest was a bit too high and were quite uneasy about the fact that the dungeon started on a beautiful sunny day, overall, as a Red Moon-level dungeon, the fact that [Infant Cry Village] didn't immediately become too difficult made many players breathe a sigh of relief.

But then, some inexplicable things started happening.

First, many players heard loud gunshots coming from ahead on the dirt road. When they got closer, they could only see a broken wooden sign and broken bullets. Moreover, the bullets seemed to have appeared out of nowhere from different directions, and they couldn't find the person who fired the shot at all.

Then, two terrifying, suffocating beams of blood-red light suddenly erupted from a mountaintop, followed by an incredibly horrific explosion and flames that swept across a full kilometer. Strangely, none of the players affected by the violent blast were injured. Even when a tree trunk blasted away struck one player directly on the head, it caused no damage. It was as if some unknown force had shielded the attack, forcibly granting the players invincibility and damage immunity.

What the hell is this?

Many players are confused and puzzled by this, unable to understand what is going on.

Some players hesitated and stopped in their tracks, while some bolder players mustered their courage and continued forward.

Then, the mountain god of Xiaoheishan swept his gaze over everyone.

Under that chilling gaze, no player could withstand it head-on. Everyone was paralyzed and terrified, losing their ability to move until the mountain god withdrew his gaze. In fact, they didn't even know it was the mountain god's gaze. After all, these players hadn't received any information about the dungeon yet. They were completely unaware of being watched by the mountain god, and were utterly bewildered throughout.

As a result, even more players stopped and hesitated, unwilling to continue along the road.

The dungeon's opening was rife with inexplicable and bizarre anomalies, causing considerable anxiety for many players who were already struggling and had been tricked into entering. This was especially true given that they had been forced into the dungeon, and most knew that the [Red Guild] had been almost completely wiped out there. In this extreme panic, some players even began to suspect that the path ahead might be a trap, deeming staying on the dirt road dangerous, and subsequently attempted to venture into the forests flanking the path.

This wasn't a good choice. From inside Alice's cabin, Gao Hai could clearly see the seemingly harmless little animals hiding in the forest. These forest creatures were oblivious to the players walking on the dirt road, as if they couldn't see them at all. But once the players crossed the bushes and officially entered the woodland, these creatures all shifted their focus and began to pay attention to the approaching players.

Gao Hai saw intense bloodlust and frenzied impulses in the eyes of animals like deer, squirrels, and wild boars.

The birds stopped singing, and the insects ceased chirping.

The hissing snake stopped crawling, raised its head, and stood upright to look at the intruders.

One animal after another, whether herbivorous or carnivorous, stopped in their tracks, waiting for the players to get closer.

A sense of danger was spreading, yet the intruders remained oblivious. Many players used various detection items, but received no effective feedback. Whether detecting strange creatures, malice, or the power of their items, none could detect the anomalies gradually emerging from the animals. After all, although these things were becoming increasingly strange, their aura still categorized them as living beings, thus failing to trigger the usual feedback from detection items.

However, do they also not react at all to obsessive objects or blessings that are based on malicious perception?

In the first two playthroughs, Gao Hai hadn't paid much attention to these animals. If Lao Guo hadn't been killed by a deer, he probably wouldn't have noticed their problem even on his third playthrough. Before, Hayasaka just thought the animal density here was too high, but now it seemed these things were probably not normal animals at all, and he had no idea what they were.

Gao Hai had no way to stop these players who chose to venture into danger. Although he had gained control of [Li Family Village] through the land deed, this control was only effective within the village and would cease to be valid once they left. However, after hesitating for a moment, Gao Hai used his enhanced mental strength to send a message to the surrounding players, telling them that [the only safe route to the village was along the dirt road; do not enter the forest and do not attempt to contact the animals there]. He then focused his attention more on Kaguya and the others who were about to enter the village.

As for how many players would leave the forest and return to the road after hearing his words, that was neither something Gao Hai could control nor something he cared about. Although it was precisely because he destroyed the notice board and caused a commotion that these players made the wrong choices, he wouldn't delay his investigation of the village to save these players at this time. In truth, Gao Hai didn't think he could survive this playthrough and successfully solve the puzzle. He had a vague premonition that he might have to start this mission many times.

{Ugh... my head hurts so much... I feel like my body is falling apart... It feels like months have passed... I've been... trapped in one place, unable to move...}

Kita Ikuyo's pained voice rang out from the side; the girl hadn't recovered yet. It seemed to be due to her overly close mental connection with Takami; even though Takami had cleared some of her memories, some painful feelings from the previous timeline still lingered in her consciousness. However, her figure was gradually becoming clearer, and she should recover soon.

Well, by the way, because her mental state is so poor that her consciousness is difficult to focus properly, the red-haired girl hasn't been able to materialize clothes yet. As for this scenery, how should I describe it in a more professional way... I can only say it has a kind of legal loli aesthetic.

{Ahai, we've entered the village. We haven't seen any villagers, nor have we sensed anything unusual. That sweeping gaze from before has disappeared. Hmm, and Kaguya, Ichiri, and I both feel like we've entered a safe zone. Did Ahai do something to that?}

At this moment, Fujiwara Chika's mental link entered Takami's consciousness. Because Takami was in Alice's Hut at this time, mental link-type obsessions could not penetrate this spatial gap, so he could only communicate with Chika, who had a black watch as a link.

{I've revised your character definitions within the village. Theoretically, as long as you're in the village, you shouldn't encounter any danger. However, even so, please proceed with caution. We are outsiders here, and we can't be sure if the villagers have left any hidden dangers. Also, don't touch any of the village animals, whether chickens, ducks, cats, or dogs. The animals in this instance are suspicious.}

Gao Hai quickly communicated with Qian Hua through their mental link and pointed her in the direction of their destination.

Meanwhile, Maki and Hayasaka caught up with the three ahead, and the five girls joined together, heading deeper into the village directly towards the [Li Family Compound], the place where Li Ziyong, Li Duosun, and others lived. This was a place only members of the Li family's patriarch's branch were entitled to live. Unlike the surrounding earthen houses, most of the buildings here were wooden, and there were large courtyards, clearly showing the difference in social status. Gao Hai had previously observed this place carefully and confirmed that this [Li Family Compound] was the same place he and Miko had seen when the instance invaded the real world.

However, compared to the Li family compound I saw back then, this building is obviously not as eerie and gloomy, and there are no wedding or funeral processions appearing on both sides of the road.

Perhaps the twisted and eerie Li family compound under the night sky can only be seen when this space enters its nighttime state. Or perhaps that place is actually in another space, and not the same Li family compound that has been discovered at this moment.

While they were thinking, the girls had already pushed open the gate and entered the courtyard.

Despite being a village located in a poor and remote primeval forest, the courtyard has been transformed into a rather beautiful little garden, complete with a simple pavilion, artificial hill, and pond.

A huge banyan tree stands in the very center of the courtyard, more than ten meters tall. Its massive shade makes the entire Li family compound appear even more eerie.

Hayasaka Ai, who was walking at the back, turned around, looked at the long dirt road outside the gate, and casually closed the gate.

Meanwhile, Chika had already walked behind the banyan tree and found the thing that Gao Hai had pointed out.

That was a well.

A well that was sealed off by stones, the ground filled in, and covered with loess.

If Gao Hai hadn't been able to directly observe every corner of the village through the land deed, he estimated that finding this well would have been quite difficult. Now that they knew in advance that there was something here, the girls quickly started digging away the soil and moving the stones, revealing the well that had been sealed off.

{Ugh, it's so cold!}

"Ah chirp——"

The moment the wellhead was unearthed, an intense chill emanated from the dark well, causing Chika, who was closest to it, to shiver and then sneeze.

The well was very deep, at least ten meters deep, and inside... well, there was a corpse inside.

Zhenfei cautiously approached, took out a signal flare, lit it, and threw it down. Then she saw the thing at the bottom of the well.

What kind of corpse was it?

Gao Hai asked in the mental link, although he could sense the existence of the well, the things inside the well did not belong to the village's [category], and it also had a strange isolation effect. Therefore, Gao Hai had to rely on other people's descriptions to determine the situation inside the well.

{It appears to be a female corpse, headfirst in the water, with a broken spine. Her features are unclear, but her body is obviously swollen. She has long, black hair that almost completely covers the surface of the water, and it's tangled all over her body. Hmm, she seems to be naked, but there are dark red marks on her body; it's unclear whether they're clothing or skin color. She's covered in a lot of filth, all black and mud-like...}

Maki frowned, slowly describing the corpse in the well through the mental link. Beside her, Kaguya and Ichiri carefully kept watch, wary of the corpse suddenly rising from the water or any unusual activity around the yard.

But in the end, until Maki finished describing the thing and Hayasaka moved the stone back to cover the well opening, the corpse in the water remained motionless at the bottom of the well, showing no signs of movement whatsoever.

Of course, this doesn't mean the group can ignore the corpse. After all, according to Gao Hai's senses, the bottom of this well is the last hidden teleportation portal within [Li Family Village]. Through here, they can enter a completely new location, entirely different from the village space they encountered in the first and second playthroughs.

In other words, to get through this entrance, the body must be retrieved.

Gao Hai was quite suspicious that something bad might happen when retrieving the body, after all, the chilling aura permeating the well didn't seem like a joke.

For now, we shouldn't rush to deal with the corpse; the investigation of clues within the village hasn't been completed yet.

{Ugh... It feels like I had a really long nightmare... Mr. Gao, ugh, where am I? What happened before?}

Kita Ikuyo recovered at this moment and, somewhat confused, approached Takami and asked.

"Just treat it as a nightmare. Cough cough, and also, be mindful of your image. Even though only I can see this here, it's still not very nice."

Takahashi glanced at Kita briefly before turning away, politely reminding him of the situation.

Then, as the red-haired girl realized her situation and let out a mournful cry, one of Goto Ichiri's clones stepped into the main house of the Li family compound, went all the way to the second-floor hall, and found a thick piece of paper hanging there.

[Li Family Ancestral Instructions]

At the beginning of this page filled with text are these four large characters.

This document can be considered a rule list, but it can also be considered a document. Compared to the notices posted outside the village, this document clearly contains no concealment or deception, and it seems that the writer was quite serious about passing this down to future generations.

All descendants of the main branch of the Li family must remember this instruction and carry it out in all matters, only in this way can the Li family take root and grow in this barren land.

[Firstly: We will forever worship the Mountain God of Xiaoheishan. Only the protection and blessing of the Mountain God can ensure the prosperity of our Li family. We will offer sacrifices to Him, pray to Him, and dedicate our youthful and vibrant flesh and blood to Him. We must never question the Mountain God, but unconditionally accept everything He gives us and sincerely thank Him.]

Secondly: Unless absolutely necessary, one should not easily leave the village. The fields, rivers, and dirt roads are the sheltered places provided by the Mountain God for our travel and survival in the outside world, but the creatures in the dense forest are different from us. We may hunt them when the Mountain God permits it, but at no other time should we disturb them, absolutely not. They are also the Mountain God's children, but they are destined to be unable to understand us, including the creatures raised within the village.

Thirdly: The water is cursed; all the water is cursed. However, the flowing water has been blessed by the Mountain God and is therefore drinkable. The stagnant water, on the other hand, has been defiled by that lewd fox spirit and is absolutely undrinkable. Remember, our Li family will forever believe in the Mountain God of Little Black Mountain, so we can only use flowing water. This is a matter of principle; it cannot be taken lightly. If you do not respect the God, the God will not protect you, and the curse in the water will come true for you.

Fourthly: Work at sunrise and rest at sunset. Do not leave your house after nightfall. If you must leave your house at night, please try not to leave the village. The power of the mountain god is always protecting us, but sometimes, dangerous things may appear inside or outside the village. In such cases, staying indoors will ensure your safety. Do not linger in open areas for too long, and do not look up at the sky.

Fifthly: The Welcoming the Gods Festival must continue, regardless of the Li family's situation. As long as the festival exists, we remain ourselves, and the Li family will continue to prosper. But if the festival ends, the Li family will be no different from anyone else, and will have no way to survive. This is the only path we can take; it is the path our Li family has chosen, and we must see it through to the end.

[Sixth: All rituals, no matter how unreasonable or bizarre their content, must not be violated and must continue indefinitely. Whether it is a wedding or a funeral, or the chosen offerings, everything must be done according to the rules. This is the only path left to us by the Mountain God.]

[Seventh: All villagers who disappear due to breaking the rules must not be searched for, and their names must be removed from the ancestral hall. The Mountain God has already given us a way out; those who cannot even grasp their chance to live are not worthy of being members of the Li family. If these people return to the village, kill them and throw their bodies out of the village. Any villagers who dare to sympathize with or try to communicate with these people must also be killed. Then, distribute their houses and women to others, and use their sons in the next round of sacrifices.]

[Eighth: The dead are not worthy of the Li family's remembrance. Our sole mission is to perpetuate our clan, and all costs and sacrifices are acceptable and forgivable. As the head of the Li clan, this is the noble mission we must remember. All worship and beliefs, except for those of the Mountain God, are evil entities that must be eradicated. We must never be lenient in this matter.]

I am Li Ziyong, the 74th patriarch of the Li clan.

Although I have now received divine favor, my successor must remember this, lest I one day forget my true self or encounter misfortune. Remember, never forget, unlike the outside world destined for destruction, as long as the Li clan is protected by the Mountain God, as long as the Li clan continues to worship the Mountain God, we will continue forever, and there will never be a day of our demise.

If we're just talking about the handwriting, I have to say that Li Ziyong's handwriting is quite good; he's definitely at the level of a calligraphy master.

As for the content of this thing, Gao Hai can only say that it's somewhat interesting.

"Is the outside world destined for destruction? What exactly does this Li Ziyong know..."

After muttering to himself for a while, Gao Hai frowned and pondered, then suddenly sensed something unusual. Following this unusual feeling, his gaze shifted from the Li Family Compound to the outskirts of the village, where he saw one player after another arriving at the village, seeing these people, some confused and some wary, step into the area of ​​[Li Family Village].

Chapter 46: Next Steps and the Visiting Players

The total number of players who successfully reached [Li Family Village] was forty-three.

According to Gao Hai's estimate, excluding his own team, there should be around fifty players in total who entered the instance. At least that many players should have received invitations and started in the [Li Family Village] space. However, only forty-odd players have arrived so far, meaning at least ten players ventured deep into the woods without heeding Gao Hai's warnings to turn back, and instead directly encountered the animals.

They're probably all dead by now. Gao Hai felt a bit of regret about it, since even a Dark Night level player is definitely much better at scouting than those twenty-odd high school girls from Teng Hua Middle School back then.

However, even Gao Hai couldn't prevent this from happening; his current control was limited to the area of ​​[Li Family Village]. While it wasn't impossible to forcibly control those people and save them using his greatly enhanced mental power, firstly, it would consume a significant amount of mental energy, and Gao Hai, having just acquired this superpower, wasn't yet aware of his limits and dared not squander it recklessly. Secondly, he had already warned them, and they still defied him—so what did he care if they lived or died?

After all, Gao Hai had no intention of being a babysitter for newbies. Although players who could enter the Dark Night level dungeon were generally not considered newbies, in such a high-difficulty dungeon, if they couldn't show any skills and refused to listen to the commands of powerful players, then let them go wherever they wanted.

{They've been given a rough outline of the rules, and while it's not entirely clear what these players can accomplish, it's managed to save the majority of them for now.}

Standing in the courtyard of the Li family compound, Gao Hai looked up at the huge and gloomy banyan tree and spoke through the mental link.

At least most players won't turn into monsters and attack us. As for what they can do, that can only be roughly determined after we make contact. After all, we still don't know what's at the bottom of that well.

Sitting next to Gao Hai, Zhenfei echoed her words, glancing occasionally toward the gate and the ancestral hall, cautiously guarding against any unexpected situations.

It was now the second hour since the instance began. Half an hour earlier, after confirming that the Black Mountain God had stopped searching and returned to a stable state, Gao Hai had left Alice's hut and sped up his journey to enter the area of ​​[Li Family Village].