Since all these rules and superstitions are outdated, what's wrong with me indulging in some me

"Me and An... Feiyu."

Emily looked at An Zhiyu, who remained expressionless, which was taken as tacit agreement.

Mark looked at Kevin, and the two nodded. Yamamoto Ichiro and Park Bo-soo exchanged a glance and quickly formed a team as well.

Finally, everyone's eyes fell on the long-haired man who stood alone a few steps away.

He kept his head down, looking at the back of his pale hand, indifferent to the discussion of the crowd, the wound on the side of his neck appearing even darker in the dim light.

"...You," Mark frowned, speaking directly with obvious wariness, "with whom?"

The long-haired man slowly raised his head, his empty eyes sweeping over the crowd, before suddenly letting out a cold laugh:

"Do I have a choice? Of course, it's... myself."

No one objected.

He carries too much unknown and eeriness about him; being in a group with him might not be safe.

"That's settled then."

Kevin quickly assigned tasks.

"We'll take care of the eastern area. Yamamoto and Park Bo-soo will handle the western area near the ancient locust tree. Emily and An Fei-yu will go north, and Lu Duan-ming, you all head south. In one hour, regardless of whether you've found anything, return to the front of the courtyard. Be careful, stay alert, and always remember the rules."

With the groups determined, everyone dispersed in their respective directions without further delay.

Lu Changsheng and Cheng Caijun chose the alleyway to the south.

The houses here looked even more dilapidated than those near the ancestral hall; many courtyard walls had collapsed, revealing overgrown weeds inside. The faint, sweet, fishy smell in the air seemed even stronger.

The two walked slowly, taking each step carefully, their eyes constantly scanning their surroundings.

Occasionally, you can see blurry figures flashing by behind tightly closed doors and windows.

"Brother Lu, don't you think... it's too quiet?"

Cheng Caijun lowered his voice, his gaze sweeping warily over the shadows in a corner. "Besides us, there's no sign of life. The villagers seem to have all hidden themselves away."

"It might not be hiding."

Lu Changsheng said in a low voice.

Just then, a series of light footsteps came from the alleyway ahead, and a little girl of about seven or eight years old ran out from around the corner.

She wore a faded, patched red floral cotton jacket, had two pigtails, and rosy cheeks. She carefully held a rough earthenware bowl in her hands, with a similarly faded coarse cloth covering the rim.

When the little girl saw Lu Changsheng and Cheng Caijun, her eyes lit up, and she ran over even faster. She stopped a few steps away from them, looked up, and stared straight at Lu Changsheng with her big, clear black and white eyes.

"Big brother," her voice was clear and sweet, but upon closer listening, it lacked the liveliness a child should have, "you must be guests from out of town? Are you hungry? My grandpa said the breakfast in the cafeteria is watery, and he's worried that guests won't have enough to eat."

As she spoke, she proudly presented the rough earthenware bowl in her hand, and with her other hand, she lifted the coarse cloth covering it.

A rich, meaty aroma, carrying exotic spices, wafted out.

The bowl contained tender, reddish-brown chunks of meat, with a thick broth and a few bright green scallions on top. It looked far more tempting than the "pig feed" from the ancestral hall earlier.

But Lu Changsheng's gaze fell on the texture of the meat and the bones.

The texture... was too delicate, and the shape of the bones was also somewhat peculiar, unlike ordinary pork, beef, or mutton.

The little girl blinked her big eyes, looking at Lu Changsheng expectantly:

"Big brother, want to try some? It's delicious! My grandpa specially saved it for me!"

Cheng Caijun's Adam's apple bobbed, and he subconsciously swallowed.

After walking for so long, the coarse porridge from before was completely useless; the aroma of the meat was simply too tempting. But he immediately became alert, looking at Lu Changsheng with questioning and wary eyes.

Rule Four: Don't accept kindness indiscriminately.

Was this bowl of meat, which was "specially reserved," a sign of goodwill?

Looking into the little girl's overly clear eyes, Lu Changsheng slowly shook his head, his tone calm but firm:

"Thank you, and thank you Grandma too. We've already had breakfast, so we're not hungry."

The little girl's smile froze for a moment, and her small hands holding the bowl tightened slightly.

She tilted her head, seemingly puzzled and a little aggrieved.

"Are you really not going to eat it? It's delicious... My grandpa stewed it for a long time."

"Really, no need, I don't eat meat."

Lu Changsheng repeated, turning his body slightly to the side.

The little girl stared at him for a few seconds, and suddenly, her aggrieved expression receded like the tide, and that sweet but empty smile reappeared on her face.

She didn't insist any further, slowly took back the bowl, and covered it with the coarse cloth again.

"So my brother doesn't eat meat..."

She spoke softly, then took a step forward, getting closer, tilting her head back, her voice low and inquisitive, in a way that seemed beyond her years.

"Big brother, what's your name? Can I get to know you? My name is Xiaolian."

Asking for your name?

Alarm bells rang in Lu Changsheng's mind. He had given Chen the false name when he told Chen the blind man's fortune.

Rule 7: Do not tell anyone your real name.

His expression remained unchanged, and he lowered his voice, speaking in a volume only the two of them could hear: "Just call me Lu Duanming. Xiao Lian, thank you."

Xiaolian blinked, her sweet, empty smile remaining unchanged.

"Brother, if you're not going to eat it, can you give this bowl of meat to Xiaolian?"

Lu Changsheng looked at the girl with a sweet smile, his eyes dark, seemingly lost in thought. Suddenly, under Cheng Caijun's shocked gaze, he shook his head.

"No, you can't."

Cheng Caijun was shocked. Brother Lu actually refused?

Xiaolian's smile froze, then she continued:

"But Xiaolian didn't eat enough today either. Does Brother Short-Lived have anything good to eat that you can give me?"

Lu Changsheng smiled warmly, but his refusal was remarkably decisive.

"No, brother has to go now. Can we play with Xiaolian another day?"

Xiao Lian seemed not to understand Lu Changsheng's evasion, or perhaps she simply didn't care.

"And what about this brother? Are you Brother Lu's friend? What's your name? Can you give Xiaolian something to eat?"

Xiao Lian's gaze fell on Cheng Caijun, melting his heart, but he didn't forget that he was in a dungeon.

"My name is Chenggong. You can call me Brother Chenggong from now on."

Lu Changsheng's lips twitched slightly.

Is it possible to achieve success, whether one becomes talented or not?

"As for things, I don't have any either."

Cheng Caijun shrugged, indicating that he was unable to help.

"oh."

Xiao Lian nodded, holding the bowl of fragrant meat, and took a step back to make way for them.

"Goodbye, Brother Lu."

She waved her free hand, her voice still clear and crisp.

Lu Changsheng nodded to her, then pulled Cheng Caijun along and quickly walked past her, continuing into the depths of the alley to the south.

After walking a dozen meters, Cheng Caijun couldn't help but look back.