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

"Oh dear, what's wrong with the village chief? Is the liquor too strong?"

Yunxi patted the village chief on the back with a concerned expression.

"How about having some food to calm your nerves? Come on, Dad, take that plate of human heads... oh no, take that plate of pig's trotters to the village chief!"

The silly old man immediately picked up a plate of untouched raw pig's trotters and shoved it right in front of the village chief's face.

"Eat! Village chief, eat!"

The village chief was covered in grease from the pig's trotter, and he was so angry that he was trembling all over, but he couldn't do anything about it.

This isn't a trap; it's clearly him being tortured!

In the live stream chat, the viewers were laughing so hard they were practically unable to take care of themselves.

"Village Chief: This is too much for me, this generation of Chosen Ones is too difficult to manage."

"What kind of divine wine is this?! A handful of incense ash will teach you a lesson!"

"Yunxi's persuasive drinking skills are definitely those of a seasoned dinner party professional! Who can resist that?"

"Looking at the village chief's constipated expression, I actually felt a little sorry for him."

After two rounds of confrontation, the village chief realized that this young man named Yunxi was definitely not someone who could be easily manipulated.

This kid not only knows the rules, but he can also twist them in a way that disgusts you.

Since the hard way doesn't work, let's try the dirty tricks.

The village chief took a deep breath, suppressing the discomfort in his body, and his eyes became even more sinister.

"Young Master Li has a good capacity for alcohol."

The village chief said with a forced smile, "Now that we've had our fill of food and drink, it's time for some entertainment."

He clapped his hands.

"Slap! Slap!"

The lanterns around the courtyard suddenly turned blood red. A mournful opera tune began to play.

Several paper figures with bizarre facial makeup and theatrical costumes walked stiffly onto the stage.

"Next, please enjoy our village's signature performance—[Shadow Puppetry: Live Skinning]!"

Rule 4: [There may be some entertainment during the event. Please keep smiling and refrain from screaming, as this will be considered disruptive.]

This is no ordinary shadow puppet show.

That's a performance using real human skin, behind a curtain! And the screams and bloody scenes will directly impact the audience's mental health!

If Yunxi or his family shows even the slightest fear or screams, the evil spirits that have been eyeing them for so long will swarm forward and tear them to pieces!

"The show is about to begin."

The village chief stared at Yunxi's face, a cruel smile creeping onto his lips.

"I hope Young Master Li will have the last laugh."

At the village chief's command, the atmosphere in the courtyard instantly escalated from "gloomy" to "terrifying".

The stage lights turned a deathly white, like the fluorescent lights in a morgue. Behind the curtain, several figures began to sway.

Immediately afterwards, a heart-wrenching scream came from behind the curtain. The sound was so real that it seemed to be right next to your ear, as if someone was being skinned alive.

"Ah—! Help! It hurts so much!"

Accompanied by screams, horrific images appeared on the screen.

A figure tied to a frame is being slashed by sharp knives, and blood splatters onto the screen, revealing a real red color!

What's even more frightening is that it's not just the lighting effects.

A strong smell of blood and resentment, as if it were a tangible force, surged towards the audience.

The little devils sitting around them stared with gleaming eyes and drooling, clearly their ferocity had been aroused.

Rule 4: [Please keep smiling, do not scream.]

This is a feast of spiritual pollution.

The ghost mother was so frightened that she hid her head in her neck and trembled all over.

The ghost father clenched his fists tightly, and the copper plaque on his forehead throbbed, clearly trying his best to endure the discomfort.

Even the Zombie King was scratching the table in frustration, the sound of his fingernails scraping against the wood extremely grating.

The village chief kept staring at Yunxi's face.

He is waiting.

Once Yunxi shows even a hint of fear, or even just a fleeting frown, he can then launch a full-scale attack.

"Young Master Li is dissatisfied with the show? That means you look down on me!" Then, with a command, the ghosts tore him apart!

However, the expression on Yunxi's face disappointed the village chief.

Fear? It doesn't exist.

Disgusting? Not really.

Yunxi was resting her chin on her hand, looking...bored?

Yes, it's boredom. The kind of boredom you get from watching bad movies until you want to fall asleep.

"this one?"

Yunxi pursed her lips, her voice not loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the silent room.

"Hey village chief, what era are we living in? Still performing this old-fashioned skinning scene? There's no creativity at all."

The village chief's smile froze.

"What did you say?"

"I said this show is terrible!"

Yunxi stood up and pointed to the stage.

"The first day of the Lunar New Year is supposed to be joyous! This wailing and crying is so unlucky! People who don't know any better will think you're mourning your own death!"

Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent.

All the ghosts and monsters stared at Yunxi as if she were a madwoman.

In Fengmen Village, who dares to speak to the village chief like that?

The village chief's face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot, and he slammed his cane heavily on the ground.

"How dare you! This is a craft passed down from our ancestors! If you don't appreciate it, that's because you have no taste! Since you think it's not good, then give me a good performance!"

This is a death trap.

If Yunxi accepts the role but fails to perform it well enough to satisfy the ghost, it would be considered "teasing the village chief," a capital offense. If she refuses, it would be considered "making trouble unreasonably," also a capital offense.

The viewers in the live stream were disheartened.

"Damn it, we've angered the boss!"

"Yunxi is courting death! Can't she just watch it properly?"

"Act a good-looking character? What are you going to act in here, in a place full of ghosts? A horror movie?"

Yunxi had been waiting for these words.

He curled his lips into a confident smile.

"Alright! Since the village chief has so kindly invited me, then I'll make a fool of myself and show you what true art is!"

Yunxi strode onto the stage and ripped off the blood-stained curtain.

The paper puppets behind him were startled by his sudden action and stood frozen in place.

"Go away, go away, go stay over there."

Yunxi pushed the paper figures aside, then took out two pieces of... gavel from her backpack?

No, those are two bricks. I just picked them up from the roadside.

"Dad! Come up here!"

Yunxi waved to her ghost father in the audience.

"Be my straight man!"

The ghost father pointed to himself, looking completely bewildered.

"Huh? Me?"

"Yes, it's you! Hurry up!"

Urged on by Yunxi, Ghost Father reluctantly moved onto the stage and stood next to Yunxi, like a giant bronze statue bodyguard.

Yunxi slammed the brick in her hand onto the table.

"Snapped!"

A sharp cracking sound startled everyone present.

"The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors embodied morality; the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties achieved fame and fortune. The Five Hegemons and Seven Warring States dominated the Spring and Autumn Period; rise and fall were but fleeting moments!"

When Yunxi opened her mouth, her voice surprisingly carried a professional operatic quality.

"Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year, and all the neighbors have gathered together. Let's not talk about fighting and killing, but instead, I'll perform a crosstalk routine for everyone! The name of the routine is—'Even Ghosts Have Dreams'!"

All the ghosts and monsters in the room: ? ? ?

Crosstalk? What's that? Can you eat it?