I created the myth of the Great Old Ones.

In the past, when Xu Duzhong watched horror games and movies, the most he saw were zombies, ghosts, blood flying everywhere, and eerie winds, which had a strong visual impact.

But now, on the computer screen, those monsters dancing to what sounded like mournful music from the underworld, those humanoid figures twisting into inhuman shapes, gave Xu Duzhong a different kind of terror.

It was the terrifying thought that something was gradually heading towards destruction, and even if you knew the ending, you were powerless to reverse it.

Just like being hit by a car and killed while walking on the street, it's not that scary, since it's over in the blink of an eye.

However, if you slip and fall on the road for some reason, and while you are still conscious, you see a slippery dump truck running over you, that would be very threatening.

If you survive being run over once and then watch helplessly as other vehicles continue to run you over, that would be terrifying.

What Xu Duzhong found even more unacceptable was that he actually felt a strange beauty in the way these monsters danced!

He considered himself a good person overall, even though he occasionally had some dark thoughts. However, when the inverted, bizarre, and distorted dance was combined with a variation of a song he had heard before, Xu Duzhong began to wonder if there was something wrong with his brain.

He thought the scene, which should have made him feel scared, terrified, and disgusted, was...beautiful.

[This underworld performance, once you accept the premise, actually seems quite captivating.]

Art can be down-to-earth, but please don't be from the higher society.

Am I a pervert? I actually find this scene enjoyable???

I'm sure I'm not the only one who finds this disgusting.

This movie is strongly advised against being watched by anyone under 18; it's too terrifying.

[Oh no, I think I'm hopeless. I actually find that monster kind of cute.]

[Those of you who think it looks good, take a look in the mirror. You might already be turning into monsters.]

Upon seeing this comment, Xu Duzhong immediately paused the video, picked up his phone, and took a selfie to look at the screen.

He saw that he looked exactly the same in the phone camera's view.

"fine……!!!"

Just as he breathed a sigh of relief, Xu Duzhong noticed that a piece of skin on his face seemed to be peeling off, revealing green, viscous flesh underneath.

Just like the monsters that appear in movies.

"Grass!"

Unable to hold back his curses, Xu Duzhong threw down his phone, got up, and went to the bathroom to look in the mirror.

In the mirror, he reverted to his original appearance, as if what had just happened was an illusion.

"Oh, you're looking in the mirror now? You know you've gained weight, huh?"

His mother, who was watching TV, saw this and made a sarcastic remark.

Xu Duzhong did not refute, and hurriedly returned to the house.

"It's all my own delusion. It must be because these images are too impactful. That must be it."

He muttered to himself, not paying attention to the plot that followed, and the climax had already arrived, with thick fog enveloping Hongye, Luban, and the painter who had just returned to human form.

Xu Duzhong felt the pain in his throat again, but surprisingly, he felt that he had gotten used to it.

He saw that Hongye was on fire and heard her story.

A flashback followed, accompanied by mournful music.

This music is also a variation of the original ballad, but the originally eerie and cold ballad now possesses a certain power to touch people's hearts.

Although the flashbacks only consisted of a few scenes, Xu Duzhong was still able to quickly fill in the blanks of Hongye's past experiences.

Strangely enough, even though it was only a movie of a little over an hour, he felt as if he had spent a whole day in that world. Even though he had no connection with Hongye, he felt as if she were an old friend with whom he could talk about anything.

Those emotions, like insects, burrowed into Xu Duzhong's brain through his nostrils, eyes, mouth, and ears. The intense resonance made him feel as if he had witnessed the end of Hongye's life, and he burst into tears.

Xu Duzhong recalled a saying: tragedy is about shattering something beautiful and showing it to people.

In this film, the red leaves represent something beautiful.

A girl, fragile and gentle, tries to protect everyone, but is betrayed without mercy. After a long period of torment, she finally finds redemption.

However, this redemption turned out to be its own destruction.

How tragic the story must be when death can be the best ending.

Xu Duzhong, a tough man, shed tears.

At the end of the film, Lu Ban is sitting on the small boat again, with the painter lying next to him. The boat drifts on the vast ocean, drifting into the distance. Finally, the film ends under a magnificent sunset.

Even after the credits were finished and the video was interrupted, Xu Duzhong was still in a daze.

Few movies have been able to evoke such a strong sense of empathy in him, making him feel as if he were actually experiencing an adventure, complete with encounters, dangers, laughter, and separations.

Especially Momiji, who didn't really have much room to express herself, but just through a narration and flashback at the end, people could feel her sadness.

Such a strong yet tragic girl is the most regrettable.

Xu Duzhong scrolled down to the comments section. The movie was released at 7 p.m., and some people had already watched it, so the comments naturally had a lot of likes.

[This film differs from traditional horror movies that rely solely on visual effects to scare people. Instead, it utilizes atmosphere, build-up, and even music. Many scenes actually evoke deep-seated fears within the viewer. I think this approach is excellent and worth learning from!]

[I watched several clips repeatedly, the ones where people felt controlled by the plot and their bodies seemed to be out of control. I think this might be because the director added some unpleasant infrasound or ultrasound to the soundtrack. These sounds are imperceptible to our ears, but they can resonate with our internal organs, creating a palpitation-like effect. Everyone, please trust science!]

When we first met Hongye, it felt a bit odd that she was forcibly investigating the protagonist. However, as we see later, we realize that the entire movie might just be a dream the protagonist had after encountering the fog. Since it's the protagonist's dream, Hongye must know about the protagonist's special nature, so it doesn't seem abrupt.

[I've roughly summarized the logical conclusion of the entire film. It seems that several hundred years ago, Momiji came to this island to become a shrine maiden. The island was struck by an unpredictable fog that caused mutations. Momiji tried to suppress it but was captured and sacrificed by the islanders. The entire island transformed into monsters and fell into a dreamlike state within the fog. A painter accidentally entered the fog and was turned into a monster. The protagonist arrives, encounters Momiji's consciousness, and begins an investigation. The ending should be that the protagonist and the painter escape the fog. But honestly, I think the ending might have a deeper meaning. Just like in the story, the monsters can't even tell if they are monsters. So, is the protagonist still in the dream state in the end?]

【Red leaves, my red leaves, my wife】

"?"

Upon seeing this, Xu Duzhong finally couldn't hold back any longer. He clicked "dislike" and then typed a reply.

Get lost! Hongye is my wife!!!

Chapter 128 Not Positive Enough

In Lu Ban's backend, he could see the specific data growth.

For example, data such as valid clicks and total clicks can be used to directly calculate revenue.

In the past, video websites lacked transparency in their data. They only had total click data, and the number of valid clicks was entirely up to the website to tell the creators, thus the revenue was in the other party's hands.

That's how the free operating model works.

Later, after a series of open and covert struggles, the rules were finally re-established, and the backstage became transparent.

For example, right now, Lu Ban can access the backend of several video websites and keep refreshing to see the number of views.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, while everyone else is checking if the moon is round, Lu Ban is checking how many clicks it gets.

Refreshing the page, the number of views on the old video website has reached 150,000, with just over 10,000 being valid views.

The video on Aishouyi.com has over 20,000 views, but only 4,000 of them are valid.

The data for Daocaoren Video Network is similar to that of Aishouyi Video Network, except that it has fewer clicks, less than 10,000.

To Lu Ban's surprise, Tomorrow Online had the highest number of clicks, surpassing his main battlefield, Old Days Video Network, reaching 200,000. However, only 3,000 of them were valid clicks, even lower than Aishouyi Video Network.

This reveals the tone and style of several websites.

Aishouyi Video Network and Daocaoren Video Network have a higher proportion of paying users.

It's not that their users are very loyal, but rather that there's practically nothing to watch on these two websites without a membership. Even the free content requires watching a one-minute ad, and then another thirty-second ad interrupts halfway through. And if you have a membership, there are paid advanced viewing options, and even more expensive super advanced viewing options.

Therefore, the vast majority of people who use these two websites have paid money; they are forced to do so, using money to create happiness.

The old video website mainly features UCG, which is user-uploaded content. This content is mostly free, and users with free tickets can enjoy most of the content on the website, so the paid subscription rate is relatively low.

Tomorrow Online is another extreme. It focuses on the lower-tier market and short videos, attracting users who have not been very familiar with the internet in the past. These users are extremely price-sensitive, meaning they are the most willing to pay for free content. So, although it has a large user base, very few are actually willing to pay to watch beyond the six-minute mark.

Lu Ban was fairly satisfied with 20,000 valid clicks in one night. After all, it was the Mid-Autumn Festival, and many people were watching the Mid-Autumn Festival Gala with their families. In addition, apart from his fans on his old video website, he had hardly done any promotion elsewhere, and the buzz needed time to build.

There are still more than two months left. If you earn 10,000 a day, you can touch a million. At least you can get a "mediocre" rating!

Lu Ban's greatest virtue is being content with what he has.

After refreshing the page for a while, it was time for Lu Ban to go to sleep. He finished drinking hot milk, did some stretching exercises, and washed up. Then he remembered something and posted another update.

[Standing Still]: Wishing everyone a Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!

He didn't pay attention to the hundreds of comments that popped up instantly in the post.

They must all be blessings!

Background music played, and Lu Ban lay down.

In his drowsy state, he felt a hand gently touch the back of his hand, then move upwards, across his chest, to his neck and cheek, like a mother caressing her child.

"Ok?"

Lu Ban opened his eyes slightly and felt a figure pressing down on him, making him unable to move.

The song of the righteous path continued in his ears, which made Lu Ban feel a little strange.

Normally, shouldn't these guys be able to fall asleep peacefully to uplifting songs?

Is it...

"Is this song not positive enough?"

Lu Ban frowned. He saw that the shadow was blurry and didn't seem to be the one he had seen before.

It has evolved?

Or……

Lu Ban focused his attention and felt that the blurry shadow seemed rather slender, like a woman.

Lu Ban had seen plenty of female ghosts.

He felt that as he could see the other person more clearly, the oppressive force weakened, and soon Lu Ban was able to sit up.

He saw the figure vanish quickly, leaving no trace.

"Ugh, you're disturbing my sleep."

Lu Ban didn't turn on the lights, and in the dimly lit room, there seemed to be a shadowy figure moving around.

He first looked at the corner of the bedside table, where an eyeball was faintly visible.