Since all these rules and superstitions are outdated, what's wrong with me indulging in some me

The second half of his sentence changed into an exclamation of surprise!

The person he photographed trembled violently like a startled bird and turned their head sharply!

A face was exposed in the dim light of the table lamp.

His eyes were dark and sunken, the whites of his eyes were bloodshot, his face was as pale as paper, and his lips were dry and cracked. He exuded a strong sense of impending death, yet his gaze, interrupted from his intense focus, carried a bewildered and agitated look of someone on the verge of collapse.

Eyes facing each other.

The air was dead still for two seconds.

"Ahhhhhh!! It's a ghost!!!"

Cheng Caijun was terrified by the ghostly face so close to his face. His original mischievous intentions were instantly replaced by boundless fear. He let out a scream that was far louder than a high note and instinctively tried to jump back to escape!

"Holy crap! Who?!"

Lu Changsheng was so frightened by the sudden appearance behind him, the bump on his shoulder, and the deafening scream that his heart stopped. His nerves, which were already taut from staying up all night drawing talismans and mental exhaustion, snapped instantly.

With a flick of his wrist, the brush, laden with cinnabar, flew out and splattered onto the back of Cheng Caijun's head as he tried to escape, leaving a bright red trail.

He was so frightened and weak that he and his chair tumbled backward with a crash, falling to the ground in a disheveled state. He also knocked over the small tea table next to him, causing the teacups on it to scatter all over the floor.

Cheng Caijun screamed and turned around, only to be hit by a calligraphy brush from behind, causing him to fall forward with a "thud" as he landed face down on the ground. His forehead was instantly covered in red, and the fresh red mark on the back of his head made for a tragic yet comical sight.

The study was a mess. One of the two people was lying on the floor, seeing stars, while the other was lying on the floor groaning.

A few seconds later, Lu Changsheng, rubbing the back of his head that had been hit again, scrambled to his feet, and finally recognized the familiar figure on the ground who was trying to get up.

"...Cheng Caijun?" Lu Changsheng's voice was hoarse, filled with disbelief and deep exhaustion. "What are you doing here? And in this state?"

Cheng Caijun struggled to sit up, touched his face, and looked miserable:

"Brother Lu—it's me! I've come to stay with you. What happened to you?"

He looked at Lu Changsheng's face, which looked as if he had been ravaged by eighteen dungeons for three days and three nights, and then at the mess in the room.

"What kind of ritual are you performing? Do you need any help? I brought some snacks..."

Lu Changsheng took a deep breath, feeling his temples throbbing.

"How did you get in?"

He rubbed his temples and asked.

"Team Leader Yan gave me access to your villa. I sneaked out of the house last night," Cheng Caijun quickly got up. "My old man doesn't want me in this strange area. I slipped out when they weren't looking, and then asked Team Leader Yan for the address and access... Didn't Team Leader Yan tell you?"

"no."

Lu Changsheng picked up his phone and found that Yan Xiangming had sent him a message two hours earlier, reminding him that Cheng Caijun was coming and arranging for Cheng Caijun to stay at his villa.

"What does your family do? Why can't you come?"

Lu Changsheng recalled Yan Xiangming's slightly unnatural expression when he mentioned Cheng Caijun and his words about "special status and being vying for his favor," and felt somewhat puzzled.

"Huh? My family? My family just runs a small business. I'm the only child in my generation, so my family is a bit strict with me."

Cheng Caijun chuckled.

Lu Changsheng didn't believe it. Anyone who could make Yan Xiangming show that kind of expression must be from a family that doesn't run a "small" business. Judging from Cheng Caijun's appearance, he was also a top-tier spoiled brat.

"Get up first," he sighed helplessly, reaching out to pull Cheng Caijun up. "Go wash your face."

Cheng Caijun stood up, grinning, and chuckled, "Brother Lu, we'll be roommates from now on! I even brought my luggage!"

He patted the bulging backpack on his back.

Lu Changsheng: "..."

Looking at the elated Cheng Caijun, and then at his own villa where he had suddenly become "roommates," he felt that his future days would probably not be peaceful.

However, compared to an empty villa and long nights, having such a lively character making noise nearby... doesn't seem so bad?

At least, they probably brought snacks.

"Hey, Brother Lu, are you drawing a talisman?"

Cheng Caijun came to the desk and saw five or six runes laid out on it.

"Um."

Lu Changsheng sat down, intending to finish drawing the last remaining talisman.

"The talismans sold in the system store are expensive and ineffective, so I'll just make them myself. If I encounter a dungeon as difficult as Qing Teng High School again, I don't want to be chased by monsters again."

He glanced at Cheng Caijun.

"Brother Lu, should I exchange all my points for talismans and cinnabar?"

Cheng Caijun's eyes lit up. He had seen Lu Changsheng's rune power before. Even a casually drawn rune was so powerful. How strong would a complete rune be? It could directly dominate the strange world of rules.

"No need, just spend half to exchange for five talismans, and keep the rest of the points for emergencies."

"it is good."

Looking at the points in his system inventory that had shrunk instantly, he felt a little pained, but when he thought about the power of the talisman drawn by Brother Lu, he felt that the investment was worthwhile.

Just as he was about to close the system panel, he caught a glimpse of the black metal token he had almost forgotten in the corner of his backpack—one of the rewards for clearing the level.

"Huh? This thing..." Cheng Caijun had a sudden thought and took out the token.

It feels slightly heavy in the hand, with a cool, metallic feel. The token is about the size of a palm, irregularly rectangular, with slightly worn edges. It's entirely black, only revealing a matte texture when illuminated. The front is engraved with some twisted, barely legible symbols, the strokes deep and sharp, exuding an indescribable eeriness. The back is relatively smooth, with only a shallow dent.

Cheng Caijun held the token up to the lamplight, examining it from all angles, even rubbing the symbols with his fingers.

"What is this? This piece of junk the system gave me? It looks kind of familiar..."

He frowned, trying hard to recall, when suddenly a thought flashed through his mind:

"Oh! I remember now! Isn't this the token that old bastard Li Xingguo had?"

The more he looked at the token, the more suspicious he became. He wondered to himself, "Could it be some kind of hidden item? A trigger-based quest item? Or... can it summon something?"

He was pondering whether he should try the blood oath when he heard Lu Changsheng's serious voice:

"Cheng Caijun, put down what you're holding."

Cheng Caijun was startled and looked up to see that Lu Changsheng had stopped drawing the talisman and was frowning, staring intently at the token in his hand.

"Brother Lu? This token...is there something wrong with it?"