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

Xiao Li typed rapidly on the keyboard, his brow beaded with sweat.

"Found it! Yunxi, 23 years old, a recent graduate majoring in archaeology in history, currently... unemployed."

Qin Shan's vision went black, and he almost fainted.

"Archaeology major? Or unemployed? What's the use of archaeology in this world of bizarre rules? To date strange creatures? It's all over, all over."

He slumped helplessly into the chair.

"Quick, connect him to a private call channel! Even though he only has three prompts, if necessary... even just to teach him how to die with some dignity is fine."

In the video, Yunxi is still in a daze.

He looked down at his SpongeBob SquarePants shorts, then looked around.

All around was a hazy fog, with visibility less than five meters.

Beneath my feet was a muddy path, with withered trees on both sides baring their fangs like dry, ghostly hands reaching towards the sky.

In the distance, the outline of a dilapidated village could be vaguely seen, dark and heavy, like a giant beast crouching in the darkness.

"Is this what they call an S-rank dungeon?"

Yunxi scratched her messy hair, showing no fear whatsoever, and instead muttered something.

"New Year's Eve? This holiday should be festive, so why does it feel like Tomb Sweeping Day with all the grave-sweeping? With such a grand display, why doesn't the system even offer a down jacket? During the New Year, if you catch a cold, is that considered a work-related injury?"

This rant was clearly heard by audiences worldwide.

"During the Lunar New Year?"

The entire audience was stunned. The word was both strange and familiar to them.

There seems to be a record in the database that it is a festival from the ancient Chinese civilization that has long been lost. It is said that people would gather together on those days to eat a certain kind of noodle.

Yunxi ignored the gloomy surroundings and instead began to observe a stone tablet by the roadside with great interest.

The stone tablet is incomplete and covered with thick moss, but several large, blood-red characters can be vaguely seen: Fengmen Village.

"Oh, Fengmen Village?"

Yunxi raised an eyebrow and actually whistled.

"That's a professionally chosen name; it sounds like a haunted house. Following the usual pattern, there are bound to be a few pretty widows or sexy female students in red waiting for me here, right?"

His nonchalant, even expectant, demeanor left everyone in the live stream dumbfounded.

"This guy... is he scared out of his wits? That's Fengmen Village! A village of the dead! And he's still whistling there?"

"Ignorance is bliss. Case closed, he's an idiot. Everyone, disperse and prepare for the acid rain."

Just then, the system notification sounded in Yunxi's mind again.

Welcome to the New Year's Eve instance.

Main Quest: Survive until the morning of Lunar New Year's Day.

[Current Identity: Eldest grandson of the Li family's eldest branch.]

[Note: Everything here follows ancient rules. Please be sure to abide by them, or... you will bear the consequences.]

Yunxi stopped in her tracks, a meaningful smile playing on her lips.

"The eldest grandson of the eldest son? That's an interesting identity."

Yunxi's smile sent chills down the spines of the two billion viewers in front of their screens.

"What is he laughing at? Shouldn't he be crying at a time like this?"

"He might have been so frightened that he developed facial nerve dysfunction."

"Alas, poor child, going to die so young. The last boxing champion was all smiles when he entered the village, but before he even reached the first house, the roadside weeds tangled around his ankles and sucked him dry."

In the scene, Yunxi has already reached the entrance of the village.

A dilapidated wooden archway stood there, with two tattered white lanterns hanging on it, swaying in the cold wind and making creaking sounds, as if they might fall down and hit someone on the head at any moment.

On the pillars beneath the archway, there was a yellowed notice.

This must be the legendary rule, strange tale, and code.

Yunxi stepped forward and squinted as she examined the content. The live stream camera also thoughtfully zoomed in, ensuring that viewers worldwide could clearly see the content.

It was a notice written with a brush, the characters were distorted, and there were dark red stains seeping through in some places. You didn't need to think to know what it was.

【Rules for a Peaceful New Year's Eve in Fengmen Village】

Welcome home, everyone! To ensure you and your family have a peaceful Lunar New Year's Eve, please be sure to follow these rules:

1. There are no dogs in the village. If you hear a dog barking, please cover your ears immediately; it's just your imagination.

Second, after dark, no matter who calls your name, never turn around. Remember! A person has two lamps on their shoulders; turning around extinguishes the lamps, and when you die, the lamps go out too.

[Thirdly, New Year's Eve is a solemn and respectful night; any red items are strictly prohibited! Red will anger them! If you have any red on you, please bury or destroy it immediately!]

Fourthly, when eating, chopsticks should not be stuck upright in the center of the rice bowl.

5. If you receive a red envelope from an elder, please accept it, but absolutely do not open it.

【six,……】

The rules were obscured by a large pool of black blood and were not clearly visible.

Audiences around the world were taken aback when they saw these rules.

"Rule number three! Look at rule number three! Red is absolutely forbidden!"

Someone in the live stream shouted in terror.

"My God, this is practically a death sentence! I just saw SpongeBob SquarePants on the main character's baggy shorts, and there was also a huge red Patrick Star!"

"Oh no, oh no, I've already stepped on a landmine right from the start! I don't even need to go inside, I'll be executed on the spot at the village entrance!"

"Hurry up and take them off! Yunxi, take your underwear off! It's a bit... but saving your life is more important! Running around naked is better than dying!"

"I remember now, that guy from Japan, he got his head chopped off as soon as he entered the dungeon because he was wearing a red hat!"

The comments section was filled with anxious shouts, as if people wanted to rush into the screen and pull down Yunxi's pants.

In the Dragon Kingdom's command center, Qin Shan's face was also ashen. He grabbed the microphone, ready to use one of his precious three prompting opportunities.

"Xiao Li, connect the communicator! Tell him to get rid of his pants right now! He can run around naked, even if it's just to get rid of them!"

"Wait! Old Qin!" Little Li suddenly exclaimed, pointing at the screen, his voice trembling.

"What is he doing?"

In the scene, after reading the rules, Yunxi didn't panic and take off her pants; instead, she... rolled her eyes dramatically.

He pointed to the rule prohibiting red, muttering something under his breath.

"What utterly worthless crap."

Yunxi looked at the notice with disdain, as if it were an idiot.

"No red on New Year's Eve? What kind of clueless ghost made this rule? Ignorance is truly terrifying. Isn't this like the birthday celebrant eating poison, tired of living?"

Although Yunxi is a time traveler, he is not stupid.

He instantly understood the system's sinister intentions.

This is playing on cognitive bias!

In a world devoid of traditional folk customs, everyone who sees such blood-stained rules will surely treat them like sacred decrees.

After all, in most horror movies, red does represent danger, bloodshed, and vengeful spirits.

but!

This is Lunar New Year's Eve! This is the Spring Festival passed down from our Chinese ancestors!

What does red represent at this specific point in time?

That is the light of righteousness! That is the symbol of yang energy! That is the absolute nemesis of the Nian beast, who would wet his pants and run away in fear!

This is like telling a vampire hunter not to bring garlic or a cross into a castle, because that will anger the vampires.