Rules of the Strange: Starting with the Lunar New Year's Eve Dungeon

Immediately afterwards, a new blood-red notice appeared out of nowhere in front of Yunxi, the handwriting on it even more distorted than the one at the village entrance.

New Year's Day Greeting Etiquette

[1. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, it is forbidden to kill any living beings. Please do not use knives or scissors, and avoid any contact with blood. If you see blood, it means you will have a bloody misfortune this year.]

Second, abstain from meat. Breakfast must be vegetarian as a sign of respect for the deities. Those who eat meat will suffer from a rotten tongue.

Thirdly, avoid sweeping or taking out the trash. This is considered to push wealth away. If you must sweep, sweep inwards.

Fourth, it is mandatory to visit relatives and friends to offer New Year's greetings. When meeting elders, one must kowtow; when meeting peers, one must bow. If the other party does not reciprocate, it is considered disrespectful, and the consequences will be borne by the individual.

5. If you encounter other "people" while visiting relatives and friends during the New Year, please be discerning, as some neighbors may not be very friendly.

After reading the rules, Yunxi was not afraid at all; instead, she was amused.

"Wow, these rules are quite sophisticated."

He put the notice away and turned to look at the room full of vengeful ghosts.

The ghost father was lying on the ground, panting. He had been propping up the door all night, and his bronze skin and iron bones were almost falling apart.

The ghost mother was cleaning up the firecracker casings left over from last night's explosions, intending to sweep them out.

"stop!"

Yunxi shouted loudly, startling Ghost Mother so much that she dropped the broom from her hand.

"Didn't you read the rules? You can't sweep the floor on the first day of the lunar month! That's for good fortune!" Yunxi walked over, looking at him with exasperation.

"Sweep it in! Sweep it under the bed and store it! If you don't even know this, how can you manage a household?"

The ghost mother nodded pitifully and quickly shoved the trash under the bed.

"Alright, stop resting."

Yunxi clapped her hands.

"On the first day of the Lunar New Year, how can our Li family, as a prominent family in the village, stay at home? We have to go out and visit everyone in the village, young and old, to wish them a Happy New Year!"

When the ghost father heard that he was going out, his face turned green.

"My son...outside...it's full of ghosts..."

"What's wrong with being a ghost? Aren't you a ghost?" Yunxi glared at him.

"You're a bronze-armored corpse now! Can't you be a little more respectable? Besides, we're going to pay New Year's visits and offer blessings. As the saying goes, you can't hit a smiling face... uh, a smiling ghost. Get your act together!"

Thus, the most bizarre New Year's greeting team in the history of Fengmen Village was born.

Yunxi walked at the front, carrying the still-burning red lantern in her hand, a string of garlic around her neck (for warding off evil spirits), and a handful of talismans (for New Year's money) in her pocket.

Behind him followed his two-meter-tall, bronze-skinned, iron-boned ghost father, who served as a human shield.

Behind her was the ghost mother, with her neck crooked and two strange patches of blush on her face, carrying a basket containing a few moldy steamed buns (souvenirs).

Finally, bringing up the rear was Grandpa Zombie King, hopping and skipping, his long fingernails gleaming coldly in the morning light.

This isn't a New Year's greeting, it's clearly a gangster raiding the streets!

The viewers in the live stream burst out laughing when they saw this.

"What the hell is this New Year's greeting?! With this kind of setup, let's see who dares not reciprocate!"

Yunxi: I've brought my whole family to wish you a Happy New Year. Aren't you touched? Neighbor: I dare not move, I dare not move.

"Look at the expression on Ghost Dad's face, he looks like he wants to go home, it's hilarious."

The procession marched out the door in a grand procession.

Our first stop was our next-door neighbor.

I know this neighbor Yunxi well; she's the one who knocked on my door for help in the middle of the night last night.

At this moment, the dilapidated wooden door was tightly closed, and it was quiet inside, without the slightest sound.

Yunxi didn't stand on ceremony and stepped forward, kicking him three times with a "bang bang bang".

"Open the door! Open the door! Fellow villager! Happy New Year!"

Happy Chinese New Year! I'm here to bring you good fortune!

A rustling sound came from inside the door, followed by a trembling voice.

"Who...who is it?"

"Me! The eldest grandson of Old Li's family next door!"

Yunxi shouted at the top of her lungs

"Didn't we chat last night? Open the door! I've brought my whole family to kowtow to you!"

The person inside the door was clearly frightened by the words "the whole family".

Who the hell would dare open this door?

Bringing your entire family's vengeful ghosts to kowtow? They're here to claim your life, aren't they?

"No... I won't open it... I... I'm not wearing any clothes..." The voice inside was choked with sobs.

"Not wearing any clothes?"

Yunxi raised an eyebrow and glanced back at her ghost father.

"Dad, this neighbor is so inconsiderate! Not opening the door to guests on the first day of the Lunar New Year—they're looking down on the Li family! Go, tear the door down!"

The ghost father had been holding back his anger for a long time and was just looking for a place to vent it.

Upon hearing this, he was incredibly excited.

"roar!"

He roared and charged forward like a bulldozer.

"Boom!"

The already flimsy wooden door was knocked away by Ghost Father's shoulder.

As the smoke and dust cleared, the interior of the house was revealed.

Inside the room huddled a thin man, the very same NPC from last night.

He was shivering under a blanket when he saw the menacing family at the door. He was so frightened that his eyes rolled back and he almost fainted.

Yunxi walked in with a smile, ignoring the wood chips scattered on the ground, and gave the man a perfect 90-degree bow.

"Fellow villager! Happy Chinese New Year! I'm sending you my greetings!"

The man was dumbfounded.

What... what kind of tactic is this?

Did they tear down the door to come in and offer New Year's greetings?

"Speak up! Give me a return gift!"

Yunxi straightened up, the smile on her face vanished instantly, and her eyes turned cold.

"Didn't you read rule number four? Not returning a gift is considered disrespectful! My grandfather has a bad temper and hates impolite young people the most."

Behind him, the zombie king grinded his teeth in cooperation, the "crunching" sound sending chills down one's spine.

The man was startled and quickly crawled out of bed, kneeling on the ground and kowtowing frantically.

"Happy New Year! Happy New Year! Happy New Year, Young Master Li! Happy New Year to your whole family!"

"Ah, that's more like it."

Yunxi nodded in satisfaction, took a moldy steamed bun from the ghost mother's basket, and stuffed it into the man's arms.

"Here, this is a return gift for you. Don't be shy, it's homemade, and it smells delicious."

The man held the rock-hard steamed bun, tears streaming down his face.

Is this even a question of whether it smells good or not? This could kill someone if you ate it!

"Alright, next one!"

With a wave of her hand, Yunxi led her entire family on a grand march to their next target.

The chat room was filled with laughter.

"Hardcore New Year's greetings! Seriously hardcore!"

"Neighbor: I was terrified. I thought he was there to kill me, but he just came to deliver steamed buns."

"This isn't a New Year's greeting; it's clearly extorting protection money!"

"Yunxi's move was brilliant. She followed the rules, established her authority, and scared her neighbors half to death."

Having resolved the issue with her first neighbor, Yunxi's confidence soared.

This Fengmen Village is nothing special.

They continued walking along the village road.

Most of the houses on both sides of the road were empty. Some had collapsed, and although there was yin energy inside, they all obediently shrank back after sensing the presence of the Zombie King, not daring to utter a single fart.

"How lonely it is to be invincible."

Yunxi sighed as she walked.

"There's no one I can find who can fight."

Just then, a chilling laugh suddenly came from the crossroads ahead.