Chapter 6: The Only Path

The verification of identities Qian Cangyi spoke of referred primarily to the roles the actors were portraying.

"I’ll go first. My character is Mo An, who seems to have a rather poor relationship with Yan Ruoxuan; my relationships with the other characters remain unclear for now," Qian Cangyi said, taking the lead in stating his character's name.

"I’m playing Yan Ruoxuan. She’s quite detestable, and I don’t like her either. I hope you won't project her onto me; I’m nothing like her," Rou Guang said, placing her right index finger to her lips and giving a playful wink. Her usually cold and aloof demeanor suddenly seemed quite endearing.

"He Hongxin. He likes to play the mediator. No clues to go on for now," Xiao Tian said, arms crossed, his expression serious.

"Um, I’m Duan Ling, a quiet girl. She’s quite similar to my own personality," Ning Jing said, sticking out her tongue.

"My turn? Zhang Sibo, the one with the lowest status among the five. Perhaps there’s a secret hidden there," Zhiduoxing said, looking up at the azure sky.

Mo An—Qian Cangyi;
Yan Ruoxuan—Rou Guang;
He Hongxin—Xiao Tian;
Duan Ling—Ning Jing;
Zhang Sibo—Zhiduoxing.

These were the roles played by the five, three men and two women.

"Speaking of which, what if we run into a disagreement later? Should we vote?" Xiao Tian asked.

"There are five of us, so a vote will certainly produce a majority. That’s not bad," Rou Guang nodded.

Ning Jing remained silent, looking toward Qian Cangyi and Zhiduoxing.

"Actually, it's not ideal," Qian Cangyi shared his thoughts. "Collective decisions replacing individual ones only work when there are alternative solutions, like choosing where to eat during a group dinner."

"In that scenario, if the minority is unwilling to compromise, they can choose to eat separately. But in our situation, we might only be able to choose one path between two options. If that happens, the interests of the minority will be ignored, and perhaps... there could be hidden dangers."

Qian Cangyi did not elaborate on exactly what those dangers were; he trusted that the actors present could understand.

When the interests of the minority are harmed, they will naturally resist at all costs, because in a Hell Movie, such interests often represent life itself.

Whoever wants my life, I will take theirs first.

By the time they are killed by a ghost, they might have already been killed by their own teammates.

"Then what do you think is a better approach?" Zhiduoxing didn't offer his own opinion, instead asking if Qian Cangyi had a better plan.

Qian Cangyi frowned and shook his head.

"If you mean a universal solution, I don't have one. Most situations can be discussed, and I don't think it's necessary to set anything in stone right now."

"Everyone’s goal is to survive. Since we have a common objective, solving problems should be simpler."

Qian Cangyi intentionally avoided mentioning the competition for survival opportunities, as it was far too sensitive a topic.

Bringing it up now would be equivalent to planting a seed of doubt in everyone's heart.

"Cangyi is right. My thoughts are the same as his—though, he basically didn't say anything at all," Zhiduoxing laughed at the end of his sentence.

Qian Cangyi spread his hands, a helpless expression on his face.

Rou Guang also let out a giggle.

Ning Jing offered a faint smile, though she remained deeply troubled.

Xiao Tian maintained his serious expression, unimpressed by Zhiduoxing’s joke.

"Let’s go. It’s time to set off!" Zhiduoxing turned and looked toward the interior of the island.

Qian Cangyi returned to his tent and picked up his backpack. He had already packed his survival essentials the previous night, so there was no need to waste time now.

A few minutes later, the five regrouped at the entrance to the dense forest.

A narrow path, wide enough for three people, led into the depths of the island. Surprisingly, the weeds on both sides of the road showed no intention of crossing over; they changed direction upon reaching the edge, as if a strange force were protecting this path into the island.

"We should check how many paths lead into the island first," Xiao Tian said, looking toward the far end of the beach.

No one objected.

"Cangyi and I will be one team, and you three will be another. You’re strong and capable, so you can protect the two girls," Zhiduoxing said, splitting them into two groups.

"Understood," Xiao Tian nodded, heading left with Rou Guang and Ning Jing.

Qian Cangyi and Zhiduoxing headed to the right.

The two walked side by side, the dense forest on their left and the ocean on their right, while ahead, the path seemed to stretch on, endless and boundless.

After walking for about ten minutes, traces of human activity appeared on the beach ahead.

Qian Cangyi quickened his pace, only to realize upon getting closer that it was their own tents.

"Hah, we actually ended up back where we started," Zhiduoxing said, looking toward the pier.

The sea breeze brushed past, but instead of bringing warmth, it made Qian Cangyi feel a chill down his spine.

"If we had circled the whole island, we should have run into Xiao Tian and the others," Qian Cangyi said, gazing into the distance.

Figures appeared ahead, and as they drew closer, he recognized them as Xiao Tian, Rou Guang, and Ning Jing.

Seeing the two of them, the trio began to run over.

"How can this be?" Rou Guang looked at the tents, her face full of shock.

"We’re back at the start? And we didn't run into each other along the way?" Ning Jing couldn't help but swallow hard.

"It seems we have no choice but to enter the island from this path," Xiao Tian sighed.

For a moment, the five fell into a brief silence.

Qian Cangyi looked down and caught sight of his own shadow. He noticed that the cracks at the head and neck seemed slightly larger than before, so he said to the others:

"Look at the cracks—are they bigger than before?"

After he spoke, the four looked down at their own shadows.

"Yes, they seem larger," Rou Guang nodded slightly, her movements hesitant.

"It appears to be a time-based curse. The deadline seems to be tonight," Ning Jing said, her tone filled with worry.

"Since that’s the case, we have no choice but to take this path," Xiao Tian said, looking at the forest entrance with clear reluctance.

"Let's go," Zhiduoxing took the lead.

Qian Cangyi followed behind him, sharing the same sentiment as the others.

Whatever dangers lay ahead, they had to face them; there was no way to escape.

They were actors, and they were performing in a movie. Therefore, there would inevitably be an audience, and without a doubt, what the audience loved most was seeing the actors' reactions when faced with danger.

That was the very reason they could not turn back.

Qian Cangyi stepped into the forest and looked toward its depths.

Ahead, sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, creating beams of light that illuminated the misty, veil-like forest path.

Between the light beams, the three blood-red characters for "Hefang Island" were clearly visible; they then began to twist and fade away.

"Hefang Island?" Qian Cangyi could not help but think of the movie's title.

"Likely a hint from the Hell Movie. It matches the title; I assume this island is called Hefang Island," Zhiduoxing nodded slightly and continued forward.

Soft footsteps echoed through the forest, as if announcing to the woods that visitors had arrived.

A few minutes later, Zhiduoxing, who was leading, suddenly stopped and pointed his right hand at a camphor tree ahead.

Qian Cangyi looked over. Beneath the camphor tree, a skeleton sat on the ground, its hands wrapped around its knees.

The fresh, natural air vanished in an instant, replaced by an indescribable sense of eeriness and gloom.