"I'm on Haowen's side too." Almost as soon as Ke Xun finished speaking, Wei Dong immediately chimed in.
"I'm on Brother Wen'er's side too!" Luo Yi was only a beat slower.
Qin Ci smiled and looked at Shao Ling and the newcomers beside him: "Different paths lead to the same destination. Having more choices and more ways to deal with things isn't a bad thing. If any of you are willing to join our team, please feel free to speak up."
Suddenly, Xue Ge stepped forward and stood on the side of the veteran members. As she passed Ke Xun, she glanced at him and said indifferently, "You've convinced me."
"In that case, let's each deal with tonight in our own way," Liu Yanlei said coldly, "But please forgive me for saying this upfront, but I hope your actions match your words. Don't hold us back at crucial moments."
"Likewise." Ke Xun looked directly into his eyes with a half-smile.
Whether in terms of looks or aura, Liu Yanlei was completely crushed. He simply snorted and turned to leave.
Shao Ling remained calm and composed, giving a slight nod to the group of veteran members and saying, "Good luck." He then turned and walked towards the central hall located in the middle of the first-floor cabin.
Five veteran members, along with two newcomers, Xuege and Luo Yiran, remained where they were. Luo Yiran looked at Ke Xun, then at Mu Yiran, and said, "Brother, brother-in-law, what are we going to do tonight?"
Ke Xun: "..."
Mu Yiran: "..."
Everyone: "..."
Ke Xun: "Who the hell is your brother and sister?!"
Luo Yiran: "Don't worry about the details. Brothers, hurry up and give us an idea, it's getting dark."
Everyone habitually looked at Mu Yiran, who, as always, never disappointed them: "In the story of the burning rhinoceros at Niuzhu, burning the rhinoceros is the source of disaster and death, but considering that we need to find the seal, perhaps only by burning the rhinoceros horn can we obtain clues to the seal. So, this becomes a situation of knowingly walking into danger.
"The power of death in the painting is irresistible. If burning the rhinoceros horn attracts this power, then we are facing an unsolvable dead end."
"However, the 'painting' doesn't set us up for certain death traps; it's usually a situation where we have a slim chance of survival. And the dangerous forces within the painting aren't just one.
"Besides the single, irresistible force of death, there's another force that, while extremely dangerous, can be overcome and survived if the right method is found.
"For example, in 'The Funeral,' as long as you're not seen by ghosts and as long as you hold your breath, you won't be killed; in 'Anthropology,' fainting can prevent going insane from losing your senses, and with proper coordination, you won't be electrocuted—these are all situations where a slim chance of survival can be overcome.
"Therefore, the situation that will occur after lighting the rhinoceros horn is likely the latter—it won't leave us defenseless and dead, but there will be a risk of death, though not necessarily without a solution."
"As for how to solve it, there's no shortcut. We can only, and must, verify and obtain clues to crack the code through the deaths of the first night. Therefore, we cannot make comprehensive preparations in advance; we can only adapt to the situation.
"This painting is a confined space; life and death both occur only on this ship. Therefore, I deduce that running away and hiding are not ways to avoid death, because we have nowhere to escape.
"Therefore, the way to die from this painting is not indiscriminate attack, nor is it task completion; it is most likely triggered or condition fulfillment.
"There are many types of conditions, but given the limited space on this ship and the limited items on board, I think the condition should be unrelated to finding or collecting items.
"Since it's unrelated to items, it's very likely related to our actions and thoughts. Therefore, I believe that the condition for death this time should be closely related to the performance of each of us.
"The crossbow is just a precaution; whether it will be useful is hard to say, but it's good to be prepared. As for the rhinoceros horn, we don't need to rush to ignite it. Let's observe the situation first. If the situation shows that it must be ignited, we should make reasonable arrangements."
"Me, Ke Xun, and Luo Yi will form one group. Dr. Qin, the four of you will form another group. Not everyone needs to carry crossbows. Divide your roles within the group: some will carry crossbows for defense, others will carry rhinoceros horns and flint and steel, deciding whether to ignite or not as needed.
"We'll position ourselves at the stern. Dr. Qin, the four of you will go to the very back of the second floor. The three of us will stay on the stern of the first floor. If all goes well, that force will come from the sea, so it will pass through the first deck first. Those of you with good eyesight will be responsible for reconnaissance. If things look bad, decide whether to split up and hide or go inside
. "Just in case, find two ropes and tie them to the second-floor railing. In case of emergency, you can use the ropes to quickly go down from the second floor to the first floor, or vice versa.
"That's all I can think of for now. Do you guys have anything to add?"
"No!" everyone responded in unison.
"Wow, my brother-in-law is so handsome!" "Luo Xun said with a sneer, elbowing Ke Xun, "You're right, you're right, you're gay!"
"..." Ke Xun raised his arm and grabbed the boy's neck, pulling him towards the staircase leading to the lower deck, "Come down with me to find a rope." The others
waited on deck. Zhu Haowen and Wei Dong stood at the edge of the ship's railing, looking out to sea. Mu Yiran and Qin Ci went to the central hall where Shao Ling's group was located and explained Mu Yiran's earlier speculation to them. They couldn't cut off communication just because they were splitting up. Whether the other party believed or accepted it was their own business.
This group was busy in the central hall, having found hammers and nails from somewhere. They had even dismantled two low couches and were using the dismantled planks to seal the windows, leaving only the door as the only exit.
They had also carried all the boxes from under the floor of the captain's cabin into the hall, saying they might be useful. Under Shao Ling's command and coordination, the six of them were working in an orderly manner, subtly showing their support for Shao Ling as the leader.
After hearing Mu Yiran's analysis, Shao Ling nodded his thanks and reciprocated, saying, "If you encounter any danger, just call for help, and we will do our best to assist you." When Mu Yiran and Qin Ci returned to the stern deck, Ke Xun had just returned with Luo Jin, carrying several large rolls of hemp rope. "
A not-so-good situation—the cell phones have been deactivated for lighting, and Luo Jin's flint and steel can't ignite anything," Ke Xun told everyone. "We were forced to move in the dark down there. Luckily, I remembered the approximate location of the ropes. It seems this painting, besides allowing us to light the rhinoceros horn, doesn't permit any other light sources."
"To be precise, it doesn't allow the use of other lights after dark," Zhu Haowen added. "It's already dark now, but we can still use our cell phone lights when we enter the lower deck at dawn."
Ke Xun slapped his forehead: "I forgot to find a few more flint and steel down there. I'll go back down and look."
Zhu Haowen reached out and pulled him back: "Don't go. Without lighting, it's hard to find anything. Use mine."
He pulled out a flint and steel from his pocket.
"You have some too?" Ke Xun looked at it, then suddenly noticed something, raising an eyebrow at him. "You smoke?"
Zhu Haowen had never smoked in front of Ke Xun. "
Hmm, surprised?" Zhu Haowen said calmly.
"Quit it," Ke Xun said. "Young man, exercising is the right way to relax. Learn from me."
Zhu Haowen looked at him, smiled, and didn't speak.
Ke Xun then asked Qin Ci, "Dongzi doesn't smoke, Qin-ge, do you?"
Qin Ci smiled as well, "As a doctor, I know better than anyone the harm of smoking, so I don't smoke. That means only Haowen in our group has a flint."
"I have one too." It was Xue Ge who spoke up, taking out a flint from the hem of her robe.
"That should be enough," Ke Xun said, "Our group will use Luo Bo's. You guys go up, once the ropes are set up, get ready to engage the enemy."
"I'll keep an eye on the surrounding area for you from up there," Zhu Haowen said.
"Okay, be careful." Ke Xun patted him on the shoulder.
Zhu Haowen gave him a deep look, then turned and said, "You too." After
everyone set up the ropes, Ke Xun, Mu Yiran, and Luo Yi waited quietly outside the cabin door at the stern of the ship. The door was open, and they could go inside if needed.
The sea was exceptionally quiet at night, with only the ripples and the creaking sounds of the hull being pushed.
A few scattered stars dotted the night sky above, the moon was absent, and the clouds, stirred by the high-altitude winds, gathered and dispersed unpredictably.
Countless life-and-death experiences had forged an unspoken understanding between Ke Xun and Mu Yiran; they understood each other perfectly without words.
They stood silently side by side, arms touching, fingers interlocked beneath their sleeves.
Then, a third hand stealthily reached out and grasped theirs.
Ke Xun: "..."
Mu Yiran: "..."
Ke Xun: "Do you want a beating?"
Luo Yiran: "I'm scared, bro, count me in."
Ke Xun: "...Count you in my foot! Get out of the way, grab your gear."
Luo Yiran: "I don't want any gear, my hands are shaking, I'm scared, I'm really scared..."
He began to sob.
Ke Xun paused for a moment, then put his arm around Luo Tan's shoulder and pulled him to his side. "In the painting, no amount of comforting words will help, just like no amount of fear will help. So, Luo Tan, if you're unfortunate enough to be chosen by death, and the way you die is likely to be extremely gruesome, I'll help you die quickly so you suffer less. Agree?"
"Wh-how do I die quickly?" Luo Tan asked, choking back tears.
Ke Xun raised the crossbow in his other hand. "I'll try my best to shoot you in the throat with one arrow, okay?"
"Okay," Luo Tan agreed without hesitation, wiping away his tears. "Then I'll leave it to you, brother. But make sure you aim carefully before you shoot. What if I can still be saved? Don't send me away easily until the very last moment!"
"..." Ke Xun didn't want to talk to this guy anymore, his gaze falling on the dark sea.
Time slowly moved towards midnight.
Suddenly, a large, thick cloud covered the entire sky, and all the light was instantly swallowed by the endless darkness.
The darkness was so thick that it felt as if one had suddenly gone blind; no glimmer of light or image could be seen. Ke Xun even pressed his hand to his eyes, but couldn't make out a single outline.
This darkness was abnormal.
"Yiran," Ke Xun called to the person beside him in a very low voice.
But there was no response.
Ke Xun reached out and touched nothingness; Mu Yiran, who had been standing beside him, was now gone without a trace.
Ke Xun withdrew his hand, picked up the crossbow, but then thought for a moment and put it down. It was too dark to fire an arrow now, otherwise, he might hurt Mu Yiran or Luo Jin.
"Luo Bo?" Ke Xun called again in a low voice.
Luo Jin didn't respond either.
Ke Xun stood calmly in place, not making any rash moves, quickly calming himself down and listening intently to the sounds around him.
There were no human voices around.
All he could hear was the slow movement of the seawater and the occasional creaking of the wooden hull.
Creak, creak.
Creak.
Something is creaking and groaning on the deck.
As slow as the sea, as rough as a wooden hull.
Creaking and groaning, step by step, it is coming this way in the blinding darkness.