Chapter 54

Seeing that a new tenant had been unlocked, Zhou Fangdong’s eyes lit up.

Eroding the Main God instance was truly fantastic. Putting aside those two thousand Ghost Coins, the system had actually used the excess power to help him clean a room and gifted him a new tenant!

Furthermore, this was a human tenant with a half-ghost constitution, just like Xiao Xiaoyu—the type who could move directly into the apartment without needing to sign the Tenant Rules.

Zhou Fangdong checked the newly unlocked Tenant Illustrated Guide.

[Special Tenant: The Pessimistic Philosopher-Doctor]

Illustrated Guide Description: He gave up his most precious things, only for it all to come to nothing in the end. He wanted to resurrect his wife, but ended up resurrecting a terrifying monster, and was himself captured by cultists to be used as a medicinal primer. He is currently the only medicinal primer modified by the Sigu Society capable of maintaining consciousness. His blood can dispel ghost curses to a certain extent. Possesses a half-ghost constitution and is immune to attacks from low-level ghosts.

Traits: Pessimistic, pessimistic, and still pessimistic. When his pessimism flares up, he becomes very talkative. If he lives, he lives; if he can’t live, dying is fine too. After abandoning medicine for literature, he became obsessed with philosophy. He doesn’t care whether he moves out or not; he can live anywhere.

Note: This tenant has an extremely high probability of attracting the attention of cultists outside the apartment, which will trigger cultist capture events. Try not to let him leave the apartment alone.

Looking at this note, Zhou Fangdong stroked his chin.

To what extent did “attracting the attention of cultists” go? Did it mean cultists would sense his presence the moment he stepped outside the apartment? Or would he have to stay outside for a while before attracting them?

Regardless, this tenant was very useful.

If he urgently needed to farm cultists for Ghost Coins, he could drop this tenant in a remote location and simply wait for the cultists to arrive.

After all, the Map Exploration function only allowed one teleportation per night, so traveling across the map was quite a hassle.

Zhou Fangdong opened the rental interface to look at this tenant.

This was his first tenant on the second floor. In the preview interface for Room 202, a pixel sprite with the name [He Yansheng] floating above its head was sprawled out on the sofa, wearing glasses and hospital pajamas.

Compared to the other pixel sprites, this He Yansheng was noticeably thinner, using fewer pixels than the others.

He lay on the living room sofa in a very relaxed posture, his expression comfortable, showing no signs of terror or discomfort, as if he had lived in this room for a long time.

Small pink flowers continuously floated above the pixel sprite’s head, making him look like he was in a great mood—not at all as pessimistic as his tenant traits suggested.

Directly opposite the sofa where he lay, a mangled, bloody shadow floated—this was likely the ghost of Room 202.

Zhou Fangdong hadn’t entered Room 202 yet, so he didn’t know what kind of ghost was inside, nor did he know if He Yansheng facing it like this would trigger the ghost’s killing conditions.

The system hadn’t said He Yansheng needed the Tenant Rules, so there shouldn’t be any issues.

However, just to be safe, Zhou Fangdong spent another hundred Ghost Coins to open a slot in the Special Watchlist and added him to it.

This way, if He Yansheng encountered a life-threatening danger later, the system would provide a notification.

Zhou Fangdong closed the rental interface with peace of mind and continued checking the rewards for unlocking the new tenant guide.

Illustrated Guide Unlock Reward: [A Set of Free Refurbished Second-hand Spiritual Furniture]

Item Description: A renovation-type item. After use, you will receive a set of Spiritual Furniture that looks somewhat worn but is sturdy and durable. (Home delivery available)

Note: These are all Spiritual Furniture of suspicious origin. The seller has forgotten where they were stolen from. There is a high probability that these pieces of furniture are connected to other supernatural locations, and ghosts are likely to pop out of them from time to time.

Zhou Fangdong immediately used this set of refurbished second-hand Spiritual Furniture with home delivery.

[Use successful. The furniture peddler has been notified and will deliver the furniture to the apartment entrance as quickly as possible.]

This item came at just the right time. He could use this set of furniture to decorate Room 201 and then let Hong Zhong choose four team members to move in.

The fact that ghosts might pop out of the furniture was a minor issue. The Sickness Ghost in Room 201 was very powerful; it could eat any ghost that showed up.

Any ghosts the Sickness Ghost didn’t have time to deal with could be handled by the tenants, who were, after all, experienced veteran investigators.

With the furniture problem for Room 201 that had been weighing on his mind finally resolved, Zhou Fangdong felt much more relaxed.

Speaking of which, he had managed to rent out two rooms on the second floor in one go today. Was his luck finally turning around?

Looking at the newly acquired [Guaranteed Lottery Ticket (Guaranteed to draw three items)], Zhou Fangdong rubbed his hands together, eager to try.

He opened the lottery interface for the first time.

This lottery function had been unlocked after Xiao Xiaoyu moved in. Because the previous Guaranteed Lottery Ticket was certain to draw a Ghost Tenant from the Apartment Rear Building, and the system had warned that the drawn Ghost Tenant would be dangerous, he had left the function alone since it was unlocked and hadn’t checked it until now.

This time, the ticket guaranteed three items. Zhou Fangdong felt he could give it a shot.

Drawing items was definitely safer than drawing Ghost Tenants. Even if they were cursed items, it didn’t matter; as long as he didn’t use them, there would be no side effects.

The lottery interface was somewhat simple. The background consisted of two pitch-black buildings, with a large wheel featuring illegible text placed on top of them.

Zhou Fangdong used the Guaranteed Lottery Ticket directly, and the large wheel began to spin rapidly.

After the wheel stopped spinning, three system pop-ups appeared one after another:

[Congratulations, Host has drawn [Cursed Item: Wugu Doll¹]]

[Congratulations, Host has drawn [Consumable Item: Scapegoat Doll]]

[Congratulations, Host has drawn [Cursed Item: Blood-Tear Suicide Note]]

Looking at these three pop-ups, Zhou Fangdong fell silent.

He shouldn’t have thought “it’s fine even if I draw cursed items” just now. Now look—he got exactly what he was thinking about.

Zhou Fangdong sighed and checked the item description for the [Wugu Doll].

[Cursed Item: Wugu Doll]

Item Description: A strange doll. It might be alive.

Usage: The more of their own body the user discards to feed the Wugu Doll, the stronger the doll’s curse-killing ability becomes. It works whether the target is a human or a ghost.

What kind of terrifying usage method was this? It was practically “killing a thousand enemies at the cost of eight hundred of your own”… Truly a cursed item, likely from the same production line as those dice used to gamble one’s life against a ghost.

Thinking of this, Zhou Fangdong suddenly recalled the scene of Xiao Xiaoyu using the Soul-Tripping Lock during the system’s live broadcast.

She needed to cut off her own left leg to pull the Soul-Tripping Lock out from within. The severed leg wouldn’t disappear, and the injury would heal itself as the leg grew back…

It felt like Xiao Xiaoyu was a perfect fit for this Wugu Doll. After all, throwing away a severed leg was a waste; she might as well feed it to the Wugu Doll to increase her combat power.

He would give her this item in a bit. He would have to rely on this tenant to trigger Main God instances and farm coins in the future, so he could prepare a few more life-saving items for her to ensure she remained safe during the progress bar phase of the Instance Erosion.

He had already used a [Scapegoat Doll] personally, so there was no need to look closely at that.

What was the [Blood-Tear Suicide Note]?

Zhou Fangdong checked the item’s effects.

[Cursed Item: Blood-Tear Suicide Note]

Item Description: The owner of the suicide note is unwilling to let others see its contents. Opening this suicide note may attract a terrifying vengeful ghost.

Usage: You can unfold the suicide note for an enemy to see. A vengeful ghost will rush out to kill the enemy for you… This is an indiscriminate attack. After the ghost kills the enemy, it will then kill the user.

(Note: This is also an exclusive Favorability item. Giving it to a specific person will increase the Favorability between a certain ghost and a certain person.)

For the moment, he couldn’t think of anyone to give the suicide note to. Moreover, the side effects of this item were a bit exaggerated—it was the type of weapon that dealt eight hundred damage to oneself to kill a thousand of the enemy. He decided not to claim it for now.

Zhou Fangdong only claimed the Wugu Doll and the Scapegoat Doll, leaving the Blood-Tear Suicide Note on the lottery interface.

He stood up, planning to deliver the items to Xiao Xiaoyu first, then head to the second floor to collect the Flesh Ganoderma fragments and visit the new tenant in Room 202.

Not long ago, after the Eviscerated Ghost vanished, Xiao Xiaoyu felt her room key growing slightly warm.

Having experienced a teleportation before, she was very sensitive to this sensation of imminent transport. Consequently, she had lunged toward the bespectacled man’s hospital bed and grabbed him.

This pessimistic, literary-minded man had once said that if he were left alone in the ward, he would likely choose to die… She couldn’t let him stay here by himself.

Clearly, Hong Zhong had been thinking the same thing.

Xiao Xiaoyu and Hong Zhong each grabbed one of He Yansheng’s arms. Under the terrified gaze of the bespectacled man, the three of them were teleported back to the apartments together.

Upon returning to the apartments, the three separated and went back to their respective rooms.

Hong Zhong and Xiao Xiaoyu stepped out of their rooms at the same time.

They were neighbors, one in Room 106 and the other in Room 105. After discovering the bespectacled man wasn’t in either of their rooms, they couldn’t help but worry.

Just then, Zhou Fangdong walked out of Room 105.

When he had just teleported into Room 105, Xiao Xiaoyu happened to be walking out the door.

The 360-degree vision of her Yin-Yang Eyes allowed Xiao Xiaoyu to see that terrifying bloody color appearing behind her, and she reflexively deactivated the skill immediately.

Xiao Xiaoyu felt that if she had to name a flaw in Liwan Apartments, it was this elusive landlord.

He was simply impossible to guard against; she was becoming a bit afraid to use her Yin-Yang Eyes inside the building.

Noticing Hong Zhong and Xiao Xiaoyu standing outside, Zhou Fangdong asked with some curiosity, “What are you two doing standing at the door? You just came out of a dungeon; shouldn’t you rest in your rooms for a while?”

Xiao Xiaoyu spoke up, “Mr. Landlord, I remember we brought a bespectacled man back from the dungeon. Have you seen him?”

“The bespectacled man? You mean He Yansheng, who left the dungeon with you? He is now a tenant of Liwan Apartments as well, currently staying in Room 202.”

Hong Zhong was somewhat surprised. “Our apartment building has a second floor? No, I mean, people can actually live on the second floor of our building?”

He had heard about the second floor of Liwan Apartments back at the Bureau. It was said that a horrific supernatural event had broken out there, and all the tenants on the second floor had died within a single day. A peculiar curse occupied the entire second-floor hallway, making it difficult for even the Supervisory Bureau’s investigators to go up.

Zhou Fangdong nodded and said nonchalantly, “Yes, I just finished cleaning up the second floor today. However, those who aren’t second-floor tenants should try not to go up there. If you need anything, wait for He Yansheng to come down himself before asking him.”

Hong Zhong was already numb… There were too many shocks; he didn’t know how to react for a moment.

No matter how thorny a problem was, in front of this landlord, it was probably as simple as brushing away a speck of dust.

However, knowing He Yansheng was safe, Hong Zhong felt relieved. “Then I’ll be going. I need to lead a team to the North Suburb Abandoned Hospital. There are still some survivors there; I have to get them all out.”

Zhou Fangdong instructed, “Take more people with you. There are cultist corpses on the top floor of the hospital. Please bring a few of them back for me.”

Although those cultists had been skewered like candied haws² and their skin was too damaged to sell, they could still be fed to the stairs… One had to be thrifty and make rational use of every resource.

Hong Zhong was used to this by now and agreed immediately.

After Hong Zhong left, Zhou Fangdong took out the Wugu Doll. After a moment’s thought, he also took out the Scapegoat Doll and handed them both to Xiao Xiaoyu.

“These are…” Before Zhou Fangdong could finish his introduction, Xiao Xiaoyu’s pleasantly surprised voice rang out.

“Aren’t these my Wugu Doll and Scapegoat Doll?! This is great! I thought I’d lost them. Did you find them in the hospital? Thank you, Mr. Landlord! Even in your busy schedule, you didn’t forget to bring my items back for me!”

“But there’s only one Scapegoat Doll left… Sigh, if only the Life-Gambling Dice were still here, then I could continue making Scapegoat Dolls.”

Looking at Xiao Xiaoyu’s happy expression at recovering her lost items, Zhou Fangdong started to sweat.

He really hadn’t expected that everything he pulled from the lottery belonged to Xiao Xiaoyu. Could the system have embezzled all the items she had saved up over the years while it was digesting her Points System?

Zhou Fangdong gave an awkward cough. “Ahem, go back to your room and rest. Don’t worry about the missing items; I’ll find some more suitable items to give you in the future.”

“Thank you so much! If you need anything in the future, feel free to command me. I’m very happy to be of service!” Clutching the two dolls, Xiao Xiaoyu thanked Zhou Fangdong and skipped back into her room, her two braided pigtails bouncing behind her head.

[Favorability of Room 105 tenant Xiao Xiaoyu has reached 80. Please claim your favorability reward in a timely manner.]

This favorability gain made even Zhou Fangdong feel a bit guilty.

After leaving Room 105, Zhou Fangdong originally intended to go to the second floor to check on his new tenant, but just as he reached the apartment entrance, he received a system notification.

The furniture peddler who provided home delivery had arrived with his second-hand furniture.

The apartment door opened automatically, and Zhou Fangdong saw a somewhat dilapidated van parked at the entrance. Then, the driver’s side door was pushed open, and a thin, agile figure hopped down.

It was a man in his twenties, about 1.7 meters tall, wearing a somewhat loose-fitting suit. Because he was so thin, his face looked a bit sharp and monkey-like. But because he wore a constant smile, he didn’t look unpleasant; he looked like a very slick and amiable businessman.

As soon as he got out of the car, the man saw Zhou Fangdong standing at the door and hurriedly greeted him with enthusiasm. “Oh my~ Boss! Seeing this delivery address felt so familiar. I really didn’t expect the boss ordering furniture would actually be the landlord of Liwan Apartments!”

That familiar accent… Zhou Fangdong paused. Wasn’t this the faceless peddler who was selling toilets in the Ghost Market last night? Was he human?

“I’ve heard so much about you, so much about you!” The peddler walked into the apartment and habitually reached out to shake Zhou Fangdong’s hand, but then he suddenly thought of something and jerked his hand back.

“My apologies, I’m used to shaking hands when dealing with other bosses. Please don’t mind me, I didn’t mean any offense.” The peddler nervously wiped his hands on his clothes.

Zhou Fangdong noticed that under his loose suit, there seemed to be the faint outline of two more hands.

…He didn’t seem like a human after all.

“Last night when I was selling things in the Ghost Market, I ran into one of your tenants. That boss said you were planning to rent out rooms recently, Mr. Landlord. This furniture must be for the room you’re about to rent out. May I ask if you’re still looking for tenants?”

Before Zhou Fangdong could say anything, the peddler changed the subject. “Hahaha, I just mentioned it in passing. I’m actually not in a hurry to move in, but if you need a tenant, please just say the word and I’ll be here instantly!”

With that, he shook his sleeves. As if performing a magic trick, a small cloth bag appeared out of thin air in his hand, which he handed to Zhou Fangdong. “Here is the Spiritual Furniture you ordered, Boss. Once you’re in the room, you just need to open the bag and pour it out. I picked the best ones from my stock to bring over; I guarantee you’ll be satisfied! If not, I can provide after-sales service. Whatever you need, I’ll ste—prepare it for you!”

Zhou Fangdong took the cloth bag and nodded.

“Alright then! If there’s nothing else, I’ll be heading out! Get in touch if you need anything!” Without lingering, the vendor jogged back to his van with light steps, hit the gas, and drove away.

He came and went in a flash, acting as if something were chasing him.

Recalling the business card the vendor had shoved at him last night, Zhou Fangdong pulled it out of his Inventory to take a look.

So his name was Hou San³… and his contact method was quite interesting; apparently, one had to burn joss paper to reach him.

It felt like the units at Liwan Apartments were becoming more and more popular. To have a tenant waiting in line so enthusiastically—for some reason, it was actually a bit heartening.

After he went upstairs to finish arranging the furniture in Room 201, he would head over to tidy up Room 203 so this eager furniture vendor could move in as soon as possible.

Translator’s Notes

• burning yellow paper: Burning ‘yellow paper’ (烧黄纸) is a traditional Chinese ritual used to communicate with the deceased or deities. By burning this ritual paper (joss paper), it is believed the message or offering is ‘mailed’ to the spirit world. Here, it indicates that Hou San, despite his human appearance, operates within the supernatural economy.