Lost in the Otherworld

Amidst the chaotic cries, Gao Yang felt a sudden darkness envelop him. …… 【Life Detection in Progress…】 【Status: Alive】 【Damage Level: Minor】 【Alert: You have entered an unknown realm, exploration is restricted, and luck point gains are increased twofold】 【System Shutdown】 【Beep——】 Gao Yang slowly opened his eyes, overwhelmed by the brilliance of the sunlight, which was dazzling to behold. He raised his hand to shield his eyes, his palms coated with the scent of earth and moldy moss. Gradually, he sat up and stretched his arms, discovering that his body felt intact. His gaze first fell upon Qing Ling, who had shed her sports jacket, clad instead in a provocative black sleeveless top. With her head slightly bowed and a bandage clutched between her teeth, she deftly wrapped her injured arm with one hand. For a fleeting moment, she bore a striking resemblance to the heroine from "Tomb Raider 9." "Are you... alright?" Gao Yang inquired. Qing Ling lifted her head slightly, casting a glance at him that silently implored assistance. Immediately, Gao Yang retrieved the bandage from her mouth and began to secure it around her arm. "What about the others?" he pressed. "I don’t know; I just regained consciousness," Qing Ling replied. Once Gao Yang finished wrapping her arm, his eyes finally adjusted to the intense sunlight. He looked around in astonishment! Before them lay Gujia Village, where they were sprawled at the village's entrance, presumably at noon. Something felt amiss… Could it be that he was still dreaming? To confirm, Gao Yang pinched Qing Ling’s cheek… It certainly didn’t feel like a dream; such realistic sensations had never graced his dreams before. Qing Ling shot him a fierce glare. "What are you doing?" "I wanted to see if I could replicate your talent," Gao Yang replied nonchalantly, subtly scrutinizing Qing Ling's expression, and indeed, he managed to divert her attention. "It seems I haven't been unconscious for long—definitely not over twelve hours." After a moment's contemplation, he added, "I suppose this isn't paradise either." Qing Ling raised an eyebrow. "Can one ascend to heaven after dying?" "One would think… perhaps," Gao Yang responded, lacking confidence in his assertion. "Quack, quack, quack…" A goose's honking came from behind. Thinking he misheard, Gao Yang turned around to find, indeed, a large white goose. The goose swaggered past him, and just as he was about to speak, a flock of white geese waddled by, creating quite a commotion. "Quack, quack, quack… quack, quack, quack…" Moments later, as the army of geese departed, Gao Yang and Qing Ling found themselves covered in feathers. "Are you two from the city?" asked an elderly man, short and lean, with dark skin. He stood bare-chested, wearing only a pair of coarse black pants, his calloused feet caked with mud. A long bamboo pole was clutched in one hand, and a pipe dangled from his lips. There were people here! What was happening? As Gao Yang was taken aback, Qing Ling swiftly rose to her feet, assuming a defensive posture. "Are you here for a funeral?" the old man inquired again. "Um…" Gao Yang also stood up, responding vaguely. "Head to the ancestral hall; when someone dies in our village, we perform rituals there," the old man said, gesturing with his pipe toward the ancestral hall at the village's higher end. "There it is." Gao Yang looked over; outside the hall was an earthen courtyard where a makeshift shelter had been erected, hosting several banquet tables. Numerous white wreaths adorned the entrance. The funeral altar was likely set up in the courtyard, where faint sounds of a performance could be heard. "Thank you," Gao Yang replied, following the old man’s directions. "Ah, the Hua family suffered a terrible fate—five lives lost in one night, dismembered… I live next door, but I didn’t hear a thing. When I woke up, everyone was in shock—hands and feet scattered everywhere, and Hua's head was found…." The old man trailed off, instinctively glancing at a stone tablet at his feet inscribed with the character "Gu," still stained with dried blood. "Such cruelty!" he sighed heavily before shooing away the geese. Gao Yang quickly recognized a problem and turned to Qing Ling. "Did you notice?" Qing Ling nodded slightly. "When we arrived, this stone tablet was damaged." Although not entirely certain, Gao Yang had formed a preliminary conclusion: "This Gujia Village is not the same one we knew before."