Chapter 3: The Rules of the Bloody Characters
Volume One: Village of Still Waters
The history of this apartment building is said to be impossible to calculate, and countless people have lived here. Over the decades, the residents have developed a tacit understanding and experience, knowing what to do and what not to do, and how to act in their own best interests.
As a result, whenever new residents move in, old residents will inform them of the detailed precautions. If they don't make it clear, the new residents might inadvertently offend the taboos and die without a proper burial.
There are two basic rules that all residents must follow. Firstly, except for situations where the bloody character instructions require them to leave, they must not be away from the apartment for more than 48 hours. If they break this rule, they will die.
Secondly, after becoming a resident, if their room's wall has bloody characters written on it, they must absolutely follow the instructions. If they disobey, they will die.
Li Yin has personally witnessed residents who didn't believe in these rules and ignored the bloody character instructions, only to die in a very bizarre manner.
There are no exceptions.
Ye Ke Xin, a resident of room 403, is Li Yin's next-door neighbor. Luo Heng Yan, a resident of room 507, has lived here for half a year and has executed two bloody character instructions, surviving both times. Qin Shou Tian has lived here for over nine months and has executed three instructions.
The bloody character instructions usually require residents to go to a specific location and perform a specific action, during which many eerie and strange phenomena will occur. Often, residents won't even realize they're in danger until it's too late, and even when they die, they might not understand what happened.
It sounds incredible, but it's a fact.
Li Yin also took a long time to accept this reality. He eventually borrowed money from other residents to pay his rent and moved into the apartment.
Most residents, like Li Yin, entered the apartment because their shadow automatically led them here while they were chasing it. The longest resident is Xiao Yuan, the building manager, who has lived here for over five years.
Xiao Yuan, a young man with glasses and a refined demeanor, told all residents that the only way to survive in this apartment is to return within the specified time after the bloody character instructions. He emphasized that as long as they return to the apartment, they can escape all danger.
Li Yin witnessed firsthand the fate of residents who didn't believe the warnings and didn't move into the apartment. They were all brutally killed in various ways.
The bloody character instructions usually start from easy to difficult, with the first instruction being the least dangerous. However, from the second instruction onwards, the danger and eeriness increase.
The interval between bloody character instructions is usually a month, based on the experience of old residents. If a resident's room has bloody characters, they will feel a burning sensation in their heart, alerting them to the instruction.
The instructions will never ask residents to perform impossible actions, only physically feasible ones.
After decades of experience, old residents have concluded that the only way to leave the apartment is to complete ten consecutive bloody character instructions and survive. If they die, the room becomes vacant, and a new resident will receive a new instruction.
Li Yin has executed three instructions so far, and the last one was almost fatal. He had to jump from a window to a tree and then escape in a car.
Recently, he received a new instruction, which is his fourth. He is worried that the danger level has increased significantly.
He and his companions arrived at a village called You Shui, which is larger than expected. However, there are no inns or accommodations available.
According to the instruction, they must "stay" in the village for a month. Leaving the village will result in death.
The village is surrounded by mountains, with a long river passing through it, providing a reliable source of water. The residents cultivate rice and live a self-sufficient life.
Li Yin and his companions encountered a middle-aged man who seemed hostile and asked if they were journalists investigating a specific incident.
Li Yin denied it and claimed they were just tourists wanting to experience rural life. However, the man was skeptical.
An elderly villager, the village head, intervened and invited them to stay at his house. Li Yin accepted, but he is still cautious and suspicious.
Li Yin is determined to uncover the truth behind the evil forces in the village and find a way to escape.