"Then why didn't the artist just paint a dog? Why did he paint a cow?" Ke Xun asked.
"Dogs are man's best friend, and the artist loves dogs. He didn't want his sharp and radical painting to make people dislike dogs. Or perhaps he believed that given dogs' loyalty and friendliness towards humans, even if humans have harmed and abused dogs, dogs wouldn't do the same to humans,"
Mu Yiran said. "So he found a stand-in for the dog in the painting, someone with both a loyal face and gentle, kind attributes. This way, by switching places with the human, it becomes more impactful and cruel."
Ke Xun suddenly understood: "As for the cat, since he doesn't keep cats, he doesn't care about protecting the image of cats. Plus, there are so many cases of cat abuse, and cats have a cold appearance, so he used the original cat in the painting to add some sinister and cruel color."
Mu Yiran nodded: "That's why this painting shows a much larger space than the paintings we've seen before. We can go to the whole city. What he wanted to express was that this kind of human 'evil' exists everywhere in the city: dog and cat abuse, violent killings, poaching for meat. He wanted to condemn similar incidents that might be happening in every corner."
"So where do you think an artist like this would put his signature?" Ke Xun asked.
"Perhaps, this time the signature isn't in any particular place." Mu Yiran raised his eyes, a glint of light in them. "This painting is about the animal world. The artist mainly wanted to show the contrast and conflict between animals—including humans—so 'animals' are the focus. We speculate that the artist's original intention in painting this was to condemn some of the bad behaviors that occur in reality to the animals he loves, and this animal…"
"The focus is on the dog!" Ke Xun blinked at him.
Mu Yiran nodded, looking at the large, mangy dog in front of him: "The artist likes dogs. He couldn't bear to see a dog appear in this painting, which has such a strong and extreme message, as a perpetrator. But since he is speaking out for dogs, he will likely give dogs a place in the painting. To make viewers pay more attention to the idea that dogs are loyal friends of humans, the dog in the painting—is very likely to appear as a savior of humanity."
"That makes sense!" Ke Xun's eyes lit up, making Mu Yiran inexplicably think of the word 'puppy eyes'.
Shifting his gaze from his face, Mu Yiran continued calmly, "Therefore, the seal and signature that the artist himself represents in the painting wouldn't exist in human form in this upheavals. He's ashamed to be one of those cruel and dark people, nor would he become another animal here to replace humans and commit acts of cruelty. He likes dogs, he speaks for dogs, and he wants humanity to be redeemed with the help of dogs. So, the signature representing him is most likely a dog."
"Then where can we find this dog? There are dogs everywhere in the city, so why don't we just follow these two cows into the city?" Ke Xun asked.
"There can only be one savior." Mu Yiran lowered his eyes in thought, then looked up. "Based on past experiences with Ru Hua, the signature won't be too far away or too difficult for us to find. The reason you and I were taken to the city isn't just because of the plot, but more importantly, you and I are the next pair chosen by death. If nothing unexpected happens, we're doomed. Even if we're slightly stronger in combat, there will be ways to wear us down until we die. So I don't think the city is the right way to leave."
"If the signature isn't too far away, then it can only be near the farm," Ke Xun stroked his chin, then his eyes lit up again. "That's it! Farms usually keep dogs, right? We have to go back!"
Mu Yiran nodded: "Think of a way."
"You pretend to be unconscious, I'll make a scene and get their attention," Ke Xun's strange idea came to him in the blink of an eye. "They can't possibly take a unconscious human to a gladiatorial contest; they'll definitely turn back."
Mu Yiran reluctantly agreed to the plan, lay down in the cage, and closed his eyes.
Ke Xun's gaze lingered on the sleeping beauty's face and body for a moment before he kicked the cage door and started yelling.
The giant bull in the front passenger seat turned around at the sound and saw two humans entangled in the cage. To be precise, one human was straddling the other, his hands gripping the other's neck, his expression fierce, ready to fight to the death.
The other human lay motionless beneath him, seemingly oblivious to his fate.
The giant bull mooed, and the driver stopped the car. The two bulls got out, opened the back door, and took out the cage. They examined it carefully, exchanged a few words, and even shook Mu Yiran out of the cage before getting back into the car and turning it around.
Ke Xun leaned over and lay down beside Mu Yiran, who was still pretending to be dead, and whispered in his ear, "It's done. Boss, with acting skills this good, it's a shame you're not a movie star." He then reached out and lightly tapped Mu Yiran's nose.
Mu Yiran's eyes were closed, and a small vein on his forehead throbbed ominously.
The giant bull drove back to the farm, took Mu Yiran out of the cage, and seemed about to throw him into the slaughterhouse. At that moment, Mu Yiran moved slightly. The giant bull noticed, shook him, and Mu Yiran "came back to life."
Seeing that Mu Yiran was in poor condition, the giant bull tossed him onto the lawn. It was still morning exercise time, and all the humans were sunbathing on the lawn.
Ke Xun had taken the opportunity to escape from his cage when Mu Yiran was taken out. Fortunately, the giant bull didn't seem to care, seemingly abandoning the idea of going to the city again today, and let him run onto the lawn.
Ke Xun glanced around discreetly, and seeing that Wei Dong, Qin Ci, and the others were no longer there, he and Mu Yiran strolled over to the ditch they had dug the day before after the giant bulls returned to the management office.
Climbing out of the ditch, they reached the fence, beyond which lay a tall, dense forest.
"Where do you think the dog is?" Ke Xun asked Mu Yiran.
"It should be kept on the farm normally, but we haven't seen it at all," Mu Yiran replied, also at a loss.
Ke Xun thought for a moment and looked at him: "What about those women?"
This was a difficult question to answer.
Mu Yiran lowered her eyes, then looked at him: "Do what you can."
"Then how about this," the man's puppy eyes gleamed, "you follow the marks to find Dongzi and the others. Since the signature is likely nearby, we don't need to run too far. There are trees all around, so I think we should all climb them and hide. Cows can't climb trees. I'll go to the women's farm and dig a ditch outside the fence for them. Whether they can escape successfully depends on their luck. Then I'll come back and meet up with you."
Mu Yiran didn't answer immediately, just stared at him, seemingly weighing the feasibility.
Ke Xun smiled: "No time to think about it, it's settled then. Don't forget, I'm fast. By the way, my record from school is still unbroken, don't worry." He turned and ran.
Mu Yiran watched his back and shook her head helplessly.
So willful.
But...
she had to admit, having someone like that around would always make her feel...warm from time to time.
Mu Yiran's speed wasn't slow either.
Following the marks left by the others along the way, Mu Yiran finally caught up with Wei Dong, Qin Ci, and Zhu Haowen, who were still fleeing, after more than half an hour.
"Huh? You're back?!" Wei Dong exclaimed in surprise. "Where's Ke'er? Where is he?" He then looked at Mu Yiran in alarm.
"He will join us later." Mu Yiran then shared his and Ke Xun's speculations about the signature with everyone.
"If the signature is a dog, I have an idea," Qin Ci said thoughtfully, "No matter where the dog is, there is a way to lure it out, but… it's too dangerous."
Mu Yiran seemed to have anticipated what he was about to say, and his expression became somewhat serious.
"If the farm has dogs, then this dog would probably act like a sheepdog or a hunting dog," Qin Ci said. "And if the farm discovers a human is missing, they might release the dogs to help with the search, so…"
"We don't need to actively look for the dogs; we can just wait for them to come to us," Zhu Haowen interjected expressionlessly. "But doing so could have a disastrous consequence: the cows might arrive before the dogs."
These words sent a chill down their spines. After a moment of silence, Qin Ci continued, "There's no other way. Opportunity and danger coexist. I even suspect that this is the only way to leave this painting. After all, the 'painting' won't let us leave easily; it's a necessary step, a matter of life or death. It's very possible that if we're caught by the cows, we'll be thrown straight into the slaughterhouse."
"That's natural," Zhu Haowen remained unmoved. "To gain something, you have to bet a corresponding amount. I agree with this method."
Qin Ci looked at Mu Yiran and Wei Dong: "I agree too."
Wei Dong looked at the three of them: "I'm waiting for Ke'er to come back."
"Go up the tree and wait," Mu Yiran said. "He'll come back."
Based on Ke Xun's judgment, the girls outside the painting would likely huddle together away from the people inside, just like when he last saw them. So, after quickly digging a trench with a thick branch, Ke Xun crawled through the fence and carefully searched the area.
Those girls were probably lucky.
Ke Xun found them behind a nearby grassy mound, crouching there, huddled together, sobbing.
Ke Xun tossed them a large wad of leaves he was carrying: "Get ready and come with me quickly."
These leaves were what he had picked up on the way here and woven into coverings. During his university military training, he had to lie prone in the wild all day, wearing a grass or leaf headband for camouflage; that was how he learned this trick.
He wove one for himself to wear around his waist to cover his private parts, and then wove several for the girls to make it easier for them to move around.
The girls shivered and followed him out of the trench one by one. Just as they were about to run into the woods, they heard a sharp, long whistle sound from the farm.
"We've been discovered!" a girl cried out in panic.
It was already noon, and Ke Xun had already spent a considerable amount of time digging the ditch. Even with several men working together, it had taken them half the afternoon; he was alone, and even using tree branches as tools, his hands were covered in blisters in that short time.
"Climb the tree!" Ke Xun decided immediately.
But the women were no match for the trees, which were much taller and thicker than those in the real world. The girls spent ages climbing at the base but couldn't even climb half a meter.
"What to do—what to do—" they cried in despair, collapsing into a lump of mud.