Are you not afraid of death?

Amidst their chatter, the crowd hurried off to pack their belongings, leaving only six people in the main hall in the blink of an eye.
They were Chi You and her three companions, alongside Nan Zhi and Xie Pei.
"Why didn't you run?" Chi You asked in confusion, looking at Xie Pei standing right there.
Xie Pei, a wealthy young heiress, stood with her arms crossed, casting a glance at their group.
Then, she let out a scoff and said, "Since I've already come all this way, running back without having investigated anything would be utterly cowardly."
She had joined the archaeological expedition here with the absolute resolve to face death if necessary.
For she knew just how bizarre and terrifying ancient tombs hidden deep within desolate mountains could be.
Not to mention the villagers who had lived in such a place all their lives; Xie Pei still held a measure of suspicion toward them.
In this modern era of advanced technology, even villagers living deep in the mountains had electricity and paved roads for travel.
Yet this village had neither, which suggested they were intentionally concealing something.
Hearing this, Chi You raised an eyebrow and asked, "Aren't you afraid of dying?"
As a multi-millionaire heiress, she should have been reluctant to part with her luxurious life and die young.
"Die?" Xie Pei murmured the word softly, then burst into laughter.
This instantly drew the gaze of everyone present, even the village chief and his people turned to look at her.
What was this woman laughing at?
Did she not realize how fleeting lifespan was for beings like them, who were mere paper figures?
To extend their own lifespans, they had to marry a mortal girl.
Only by consummating the marriage after the wedding could they feed upon the bride's remaining years and continue to live.
"Anyway, none of the people in my family live very long," Xie Pei said with a beaming smile after she finished laughing. "Doing what you want within a limited time—that is true happiness."
"Admirable courage!" Hearing her words, Lu Lin immediately raised his hands and applauded.
"Make sure you remember that sentiment later," Lu Lin said once the applause ended.
"Don't go wailing and struggling to survive when death is actually upon you."
Seeing that he didn't believe her, Xie Pei proudly lifted her chin, let out a heavy huff, and said, "Mark my words, I won't!"
Her eldest brother had died in a wilderness survival challenge, and her eldest sister had died in a skiing accident.
Her entire family consisted of free-spirited souls, perhaps cursed by a bloodline fate that ensured no Xie family member ever lived past the age of twenty-five.
She was already twenty-three now; she didn't have many years left anyway.
A bunch of bad people.
The village chief watched them, thinking to himself.
They were even stranger than the ones who came before.
Nan Zhi's cat and dog were still howling away, creating a racket that tested everyone's patience.
"Can you make them shut up?" Hua Xiaoquan pointed at the two animals and asked, her tone laced with utter helplessness.
"Alright."
Nan Zhi acknowledged, took a piece of rope from her pocket, and tied up their mouths.
The bound large dog looked at her with an aggrieved expression, its wet eyes full of accusations toward Nan Zhi.
The cat was the exact same way.
Dammit, when were these ghosts going to leave?
"Let's move this corpse away first," the village chief said without standing on ceremony. Just as he stepped forward to lift the body, Chi You intervened and stopped them once again.
Seeing that it was her, the village chief felt a surge of tension in his heart.
Interfering time and again, had this young woman discovered something?
"Where are you taking the body?" Chi You asked slowly.
"The village has a designated place for keeping corpses," the village chief replied.
"Very well, you may take it away. I'll bring some people to take a look tonight," Chi You nodded.
Yet she wasn't going to let them take it away so easily. She produced a yellow talisman and plastered the male corpse's face entirely with yellow paper charms.
"After all, the last corpse came back to life, and we certainly can't have this one doing the same," Chi You explained, enduring their murderous glares.