Fabricating myths, starting with the creation of eight fictional ancient tribes

The tower is eighteen stories high, and an old bronze bell hangs on the eaves of each story.

It moves automatically even without wind.

"Ring ring... Ring ring..."

The ringtone wasn't crisp; instead, it was low and dull, making one feel inexplicably irritated and nauseous.

A layer of grayish-white mist lingers around the tower year-round, obscuring the view inside and adding to its mystery and eeriness.

The dozens of dilapidated mud-brick houses that used to be in the village have all been completely renovated—or rather, completely transformed.

All the earthen walls were transformed into pitch-black wooden structures.

That black color didn't seem like it was painted on; it looked more like the natural color that wood would develop after being soaked in blood for a hundred years.

Every window was covered with pale white paper.

If you look closely, you'll see faint traces of dark red blood on the window paper.

Some looked like splattered bloodstains, while others were clear bloody handprints, as if someone had desperately pounded on the window for help inside the house.

Wan Xingwang walked to the nearest room and gently pushed open the door.

"Squeak—"

The sickening scraping sound echoed through the quiet village.

The room was dimly lit, with only a charcoal fire burning at some point, emitting a faint red glow.

In the very center of the room, there was a pitch-black coffin.

The coffin lid was not closed properly, leaving a dark gap.

On the offering table in front of the coffin, a pile of yellow paper money was scattered, fluttering gently in the breeze.

Wan Xingwang felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.

Even he, the one who started it all, couldn't help but feel a little uneasy seeing this scene.

He quickly backed out and then pushed open the door to another room next door.

This room is even more eerie.

There was no coffin in the room, but a paper figure was sitting on a grand chair by the window.

The paper figure was made extremely crudely, with two exaggerated blobs of red rouge painted on its face, and a strange curve at the corner of its mouth, as if it were smiling.

The most terrifying thing is its eyes.

There were two dark holes, and for some reason, Wan Xingwang always felt that the paper figure was staring straight at him.

Moreover, the paper figure was covered in green mold and emitted a nauseating musty smell.

"What bad luck..."

Wan Xingwang cursed and quickly closed the door.

Although he felt a little uneasy, he knew that the more terrifying and real the mystery was, the more people would believe it.

Finally, his gaze fell upon the former village committee.

They have vanished without a trace.

In its place stands a three-story, all-black wooden building.

The building has no windows, only a tightly closed door.

It was like a giant beast crouching in the center of the village, swallowing up even the sunlight and casting a huge shadow.

As Wan Xingwang approached the tall building, the feeling of palpitation disappeared.

Instead, there is a thrill of being in control of everything.

Just standing here, he felt his whole body brimming with power.

If he so desires, he can mobilize the village's eerie forces at any time to suppress any uninvited guest who dares to intrude.

This sense of power completely put his last worry to rest.

What's so strange? What paper figure?

Here, Lao Tzu is the only king!

Wan Xingwang straightened his clothes and strode into the three-story black wooden building.

The lobby on the first floor was extremely spacious and empty, except for a carved armchair placed in the very center.

It was pitch black all around, as if even light dared not linger there.

Wan Xingwang walked to the armchair and slowly sat down.

The moment he sat down.

His figure seemed to blend into the surrounding darkness, becoming indistinct and mysterious.

He gently stroked the dragon head carving on the armrest and murmured to himself:

"The stage is all set up."

"Actors, it's time to go on stage."

……

Meanwhile, the online discussion did not stop after Ji Xuanyuan's departure from the game.

On the contrary, the long period of blank space allowed netizens' imaginations to run wild.

Just as everyone was debating, a netizen named "Qinling Guike" suddenly appeared and revealed the information.

【Qinling Returnee】: I didn't want to say this, but seeing everyone so crazy, I can't help but want to remind you a few things.

[Qinling Returnee]: My grandfather was from that deserted village. When I was very young, probably five or six years old, I went back with my grandfather twice.

[Qinling Returnee]: That village... is really eerie.

As soon as the post was published, it immediately attracted the attention of countless onlookers.

"Hey, I'm in the front row! Does that village really exist?"

"Tell me in detail! What exactly is going on?"

"Blogger, please update soon! Even the donkeys in the production team don't dare to rest like this!"

[Returning Traveler from Qinling] No more teasing, here comes the next update.

[Qinling Returnee]: That place really left a huge shadow on my childhood. The whole village gave people a feeling of oppression, the kind of oppression that makes it hard to breathe.

[Qinling Returnee]: My grandfather repeatedly warned me that I absolutely, positively must not go out after dark. Even if I wet my pants, I must not leave the house.

【Qinling Returnee】: Even now, when I think back on it, I still feel chills down my spine.

[Qinling Returnee]: That was more than twenty years ago. But I remember clearly that every household did have a coffin. It wasn't used to hold the dead; it was just placed there, like furniture.

【Qinling Returnee】: Moreover, the roads in the village are particularly strange. Grandpa said we can't wander around randomly, otherwise we'll easily get lost and won't be able to find our way back.

This description is practically an endorsement of Ji Xuanyuan's statements!

Moreover, it is more specific and more relatable to everyday life, making it impossible not to believe.

【Qinling Returnee】: There's one more terrifying thing. One night I got up to use the bathroom and, half asleep, peeked out through the crack in the window.

[Qinling Returnee]: A thick fog rolled in outside, everything was white. But I could vaguely see a tall, thin, dark figure standing at the entrance of the courtyard.

【Qinling Returnee】: The dark figure was about to reach in and push the door open.

[Qinling Returnee]: Just then, a cough came from somewhere.

【Qinling Returnee】: It was a very light, very old sound, like the kind of sound where there is phlegm stuck in the throat.

[Qinling Returnee]: Upon hearing that cough, the dark figure recoiled as if electrocuted, and then vanished in a flash.

Although the text is plain, the immersive sense of terror it evokes instantly strikes a chord with everyone.

The comment section exploded instantly.

"Holy crap! That's a really vivid image!"

"That cough...could it have been the village guardian?"

"Absolutely! That dark figure was definitely something dirty, trying to harm people, but the village guards scared it off!"