Chapter 71

Seeing the panicked and fearful look on the cleaner’s face, Zhou Fangdong didn’t press him. “Then do you know where Quan Wuming is… well, it’s already afternoon, so Ming Wuqian^[1] should be on duty. Do you know where Ming Wuqian is?”

“He’s on the third floor. I’ll call him down right now.” With that, the cleaner adjusted his paper-mache head and ran toward the stairwell.

Zhou Fangdong followed him to the entrance of the stairs.

He had expected the cleaner to run up the stairs to fetch Ming Wuqian from the third floor, but instead, the man simply stood at the base of the stairwell and bellowed upward, “Ming Wuqian! Mr. Landlord is looking for you! Stop slacking off! Get down here now!!”

The moment he finished shouting, a series of rapid thuds echoed from the stairs.

Soon, a man wearing a cleaner’s uniform ran down from above, traces of blood still smeared at the corners of his mouth.

He skidded to a halt in front of Zhou Fangdong, standing stiffly at attention. “Mr. Landlord, you were looking for me?”

“Yes, I want you to help me find the hidden room on the second floor.”

As soon as Zhou Fangdong mentioned “finding the hidden room,” the paper-headed cleaner quietly slipped away.

Ming Wuqian didn’t ask why he wanted to find it. He simply peeled back the flesh on his chest and pulled a familiar piece of scarlet, warm flesh from his thoracic cavity.

Zhou Fangdong watched the mass of flesh with some surprise.

…Were the current bodies of Quan Wuming and Ming Wuqian still composed of Flesh Ganoderma?

Ming Wuqian pressed the piece of flesh against a nearby wall.

The moment the flesh touched the wall, it burst apart. The splattering bits of gore were like countless seeds scattered in soil; they took root and sprouted at an incredible speed, sending out long, thin tendrils that climbed the wall and intertwined. Eventually, they formed an eerie door made of fleshy vines.

Once the door appeared, Ming Wuqian stepped aside, clearing the path. “Mr. Landlord, this is the door to the hidden room.”

Zhou Fangdong nodded and grasped the handle. Having already obtained the hidden key, he opened the door without any trouble.

As the door swung open, a familiar, thick scent of gardenias—so potent it was almost suffocating—wafted out.

The fragrance was much heavier than the one in the first-floor activity room; concentrated like this, it actually smelled foul.

Zhou Fangdong stepped back a few paces in discomfort, observing the room from the hallway.

The first thing he saw was a hand—a severed hand reaching desperately toward the door.

Then, the dense collection of statues in the room came into view. At first glance, they looked like countless clay idols, but a closer look revealed the truth. Hidden beneath the painted gold leaf and covered by cracked clay were stiff, distorted corpses.

Unlike the activity room on the first floor, there wasn’t a single ghost in this hidden room on the second floor.

When Zhou Fangdong opened the door, Ming Wuqian even took a few steps back. Although he didn’t run away in terror like the paper-headed cleaner, his behavior made it clear that he loathed the things inside the room and was unwilling to get close.

Once the heavy scent of gardenias had dissipated slightly, Zhou Fangdong stepped inside.

The entrance of the hidden room led into a large, open area similar to the first-floor activity room, but it lacked facilities. It looked like a raw concrete shell of a building that had just been renovated, containing nothing but complete or incomplete corpse-idols.

The wall opposite the door was divided into small, cell-like rooms. The walls separating these cells were also made of concrete; without opening the doors, it was impossible to see what was inside.

Zhou Fangdong bypassed the idols on the floor and walked to the first small cell, pushing the door open.

It was a torture chamber. Many blood-stained torture devices hung on the walls, and hooks similar to those in a slaughterhouse dangled from the ceiling. The floor and walls were covered in bloodstains; the dark red marks had almost merged with the concrete, forming uncomfortable, macabre patterns.

He opened three doors in a row, all with the same layout… until he reached the fourth.

The moment the door was pushed open, before Zhou Fangdong could see what was inside, he heard a very familiar “ding-ding” sound. Immediately after, a system pop-up appeared:

[Kerosene Lamp repair material detected. Host, please retrieve it as soon as possible.]

Hearing that “ding-ding” sound effect, Zhou Fangdong rushed into the room almost by reflex. Seeing a mass of black jelly scurrying away, he immediately slapped an Intermediate Evil-Suppressing Talisman onto it.

Having played too many games, that sound effect was practically etched into his DNA. If he wasn’t fast enough, the thing in the room would likely burrow into the ground and escape like a Crystal Lizard.

The scurrying little thing was instantly frozen in place by the talisman.

Zhou Fangdong breathed a sigh of relief. Only then did he take in the state of the room.

This room was different from the others; it wasn’t as bloody, nor did it have as many gruesome torture devices. Intact clay idols stood in the four corners of the room, and a summoning ritual rune was drawn in blood in the center of the floor.

A mass of black, slime-like material with a yellow talisman stuck to its back sat motionless in the middle of the rune.

Zhou Fangdong stepped forward, but just as he was about to pick it up, the system’s cold electronic voice rang in his ear:

[Host, please do not touch it with your hands. Retrieve it with your feet.]

Zhou Fangdong was somewhat speechless.

…Retrieve it with his feet? Did it want him to pick it up with his toes?

Zhou Fangdong used the tip of his foot to flip the object up.

The thing was a bit slippery. Just as he lifted it, it fell with a “splat” from the top of his shoe back onto the floor.

After landing, it flipped over. Only then did Zhou Fangdong realize that a human face was hidden beneath the mass of slime.

Because it was a bit disgusting, Zhou Fangdong didn’t try to lift it again. Instead, he simply stepped on the face.

“System, is this okay?”

[Accepted. Extracting…]

The mass beneath Zhou Fangdong’s foot dissipated at a visible rate. Watching this weathering effect, he found it looked familiar… it was just like how the Evil God Avatar in Penghu Gardens had disappeared.

[Extraction successful. Repair progress for the Damaged Kerosene Lamp: 5%]

Watching the thing beneath his feet completely vanish, Zhou Fangdong voiced the doubt in his heart directly: “System, was that thing an Evil God Avatar?”

[Not exactly. It was merely a byproduct of the summoning ritual.]

[Host is requested to continue searching the other rooms in this hidden area to collect more repair materials.]

Zhou Fangdong confirmed: “As long as I step on it, the system can extract it directly?”

[Correct.]

Zhou Fangdong opened his character attribute panel.

After the last level-up, he had unlocked the [Death Realm Invasion] skill, but he hadn’t used the three Attribute Points he gained.

“System, put these three Attribute Points into my Stamina Bar.”

By his estimation, there were still seven or eight rooms left to check. If every room contained one of those things, using a 150 Ghost Coin Evil-Suppressing Talisman to capture each one would be far too extravagant. It was better to increase his Stamina Bar to improve his reaction and sprinting speed, allowing him to step on the things before they could disappear.

[Understood. Stamina Bar attribute points have been added.]

Zhou Fangdong moved his body slightly to adjust to his current physical state before opening the next door.

During the time Zhou Fangdong spent returning to the apartments, the people from the Supervisory Bureau had already finished handling the aftermath at Penghu Gardens.

Currently, the General Captain of the Paranormal Affairs Department was leading a team to conduct a grid search for cultist strongholds near Penghu Gardens. Meanwhile, Hong Zhong was taking Su Wan, Zhu Di, and the other civilians who had been affected by the supernatural event back to the Supervisory Bureau for more detailed examinations.

Zhu Di and Su Wan were placed in the same ward. Because Su Wan had been completely replaced by a shadow, her condition was very poor. she remained in a state of extreme terror, failing to recover even after reaching the Supervisory Bureau. She had even developed respiratory alkalosis due to hyperventilation.

Zhu Di sat by Su Wan’s hospital bed, looking worriedly at her best friend’s pale face.

She gently patted the back of Su Wan’s hand, her voice as soft as if she were coaxing a child. “It’s okay, Wanwan. It’s all over. We’re in a ward at the Supervisory Bureau now; it’s very safe here.”

Seeing that Su Wan continued to tremble in terror without responding, Zhu Di thought for a moment and tried to distract her with something else. “Wanwan, do you know about Liwan Apartments? I heard Miao Zheng say she lives there now. The apartments are safe and won’t be attacked by ghosts. How about we move there?”

Su Wan’s eyes focused slightly. Her hoarse, trembling voice was filled with dread. “Zhu Di… are you hurt too? Maybe you should get checked out, maybe a brain CT scan?”

“I’m fine, and I’m serious.” Zhu Di squeezed Su Wan’s hand firmly, her expression solemn. “Li Ming and Haochuan are both missing, their fates unknown. I can’t lose you too. We’ve been targeted by bad people now, and we’ll definitely encounter similar things in the future… We have to find a way to survive.”

Hearing Zhu Di mention their missing boyfriends, Su Wan’s expression faltered, and her mood visibly plummeted. “But why would you think of renting at Liwan Apartments? That place is a famous haunted building.”

“Because I trust Miao Zheng. She’s a paranormal streamer certified by the Supervisory Bureau. It’s thanks to her that we were saved this time. If she says a place is safe, then it must be fine.” Zhu Di’s tone was very earnest. “Wanwan, will you come with me?”

Su Wan gripped her hand back. “I won’t let you go to such a dangerous place alone. Since you’ve decided, I’ll go with you to check it out.”

Just then, there was a soft knock on the door. A staff member in a Supervisory Bureau uniform pushed the door open. “Ms. Zhu Di, sorry to disturb you, but we need your help to verify something.”

“Alright, I’m coming.” Zhu Di pulled her hand away and tucked the covers around Su Wan. “Get some rest, I’ll be right back.”

Su Wan nodded, giving her a pale, weak smile.

After following the staff member out of the room, Zhu Di heard him say, “We’ve found your boyfriend, Li Ming. We need you to help identify him.”

Zhu Di snapped her head up, an unbelievable light instantly bursting into her eyes. “Li Ming?! Where is he? Is he okay?” Then, a thought suddenly struck her, and the color drained from her face. “Identify… do you mean… is it a body, or…”

The staff member quickly reassured her, “He is currently alive. He’s in the ‘Meeting Room’ right now. He only has some minor abrasions and bruising. We’ve done a preliminary check; his vital signs are normal, there are no obvious supernatural fluctuations on him, and his DNA matches your boyfriend’s.”

A wave of immense joy instantly shattered the strength Zhu Di had been trying so hard to maintain. Her eyes reddened immediately, and tears flowed uncontrollably.

“Thank you! Thank you so much! Oh, and the other boy who was with Li Ming—how is he? Is he okay?”

The staff member fell silent for a moment before saying softly, “We only found Li Ming. He Haochuan, who went missing with him, has not been found.”

Zhu Di pursed her lips. The joy of knowing her boyfriend was safe was instantly dampened, and an inexplicable sense of guilt welled up in her heart.

He Haochuan was Su Wan’s boyfriend. Now Li Ming had returned unharmed, but Haochuan, who had disappeared with him, remained missing… She didn’t dare imagine how much more of a blow it would be for Su Wan when she learned this terrible news.

Zhu Di followed the staff member to the meeting room.

The ‘Meeting Room’ had a one-way mirror. Standing there, one could clearly see the person inside, but the person inside could not see out.

In the room, Li Ming sat on a chair, looking exhausted.

He was wearing clean clothes provided by the Supervisory Bureau. There were large red abrasions on his right temple and cheek, looking like they were caused by being dragged forcefully after hitting the ground face-first. His left forehead was swollen with a purple-blue hematoma, as if he had been struck by a heavy blow.

Just looking at those injuries made Zhu Di’s heart throb with pain… She couldn’t imagine what terrifying things Li Ming had encountered during the time he was missing.

Zhu Di was just about to push open the door and reunite with her boyfriend when she was stopped by the staff member.

“Ms. Zhu Di, can you confirm that this is your missing boyfriend, Li Ming?”

Zhu Di froze for a moment, then nodded firmly. “I’m sure. We grew up together. Even if his face was severely injured, I could recognize him at a single glance.”

The staff member nodded and took several photos out of his pocket, handing them to Zhu Di.

Zhu Di took them and found that they were full-body photos of Li Ming in his underwear, showing him from the front, side, and back.

Before she could figure out why the staff member was showing her these, the man spoke again: “Please carefully identify the birthmarks and scars on his body. Are they the same as the ones in your memory?”

After a pause, the staff member explained, “Because there have been supernatural incidents where ordinary people were replaced by supernatural entities to infiltrate human society—an event that led to a family massacre—we need your help to confirm.”

Hearing this, Zhu Di’s expression turned serious, and she began to examine the photos meticulously.

A moment later, she said with absolute certainty, “I’m sure. There is no difference at all from the Ah Ming in my memory.”

“Alright.” The staff member tucked the photos away and took out a belt, fastening it around her waist. “You may go in and meet him now. Do not take the belt off.”

Zhu Di nodded and stepped into the room.

Hearing the sound of the door opening, Li Ming subconsciously looked up. Upon seeing it was Zhu Di, he stood up immediately.

“Ah Ming!” Zhu Di cried out, throwing herself at him and burying her face in his chest.

Li Ming raised his arms and hugged her back. His movements were standard, his strength moderate. His voice came from above her head, that slightly deep tone she was so familiar with: “Zhu Di, I’m back.”

Zhu Di gave a choked sob in response, but she quickly realized something felt wrong.

In her expectations, her boyfriend would have held her tighter. He would have buried his head in the crook of her neck like a large dog, and he probably should have been crying even louder than she was.

…Li Ming only looked like a tough guy on the outside; in front of her, he never hid his emotions. He had cried in front of her countless times since they were children. Now that there were only the two of them in the room, it was impossible for him to react so coldly.

The hug lasted only a dozen seconds before ‘Ah Ming’ gently and without the slightest hesitation let her go.

His expression was calm, even ‘perfect.’ He looked exhausted from his narrow escape, yet filled with the excitement and joy of seeing his girlfriend.

But Zhu Di’s heart suddenly felt hollow.

Something was wrong. This wasn’t Li Ming.

“You must have been terrified, right?” Zhu Di said as she took a step back, staring into his eyes, trying to find the familiar emotional ripples she knew.

“Yeah, a little.” ‘Ah Ming’ nodded, even offering a slight smile. “But I feel much better after seeing you.”

These were words Ah Ming would say, but the tone was too steady. It lacked that sense of dependence and playfulness.

Zhu Di’s heart began to sink bit by bit. That bad premonition was like a rising tide, spreading upward until she could hardly breathe.

She thought of what the staff member had just said… ‘There have been incidents where ordinary people were replaced by supernatural entities.’

Zhu Di took a deep breath, trying to steady her complicated emotions. She told ‘Li Ming’ about what she and Su Wan had just encountered in the neighborhood, emphasizing the danger Su Wan had faced.

After listening, ‘Li Ming’ let out a long sigh of relief. “Fortunately, the people from the Supervisory Bureau arrived in time. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

He didn’t even spare a shred of concern for Su Wan.

The four of them had grown up together, from elementary school through university; they were the best of friends. Hearing that Su Wan had nearly died, Li Ming shouldn’t have reacted like this… This behavior was almost like a man trying to avoid suspicion to keep his girlfriend from getting jealous, intentionally drawing a line between himself and another woman.

As if noticing Zhu Di’s defensiveness, ‘Li Ming’ suddenly smiled.

His expression changed instantly. There was no sympathy in his eyes, no worry, and none of the anxiety one should feel after learning their friend and girlfriend had narrowly escaped death. It was the curious gaze of someone observing a toy, filled with pure, unmasked malice.

Zhu Di stared blankly at this person who was both a stranger and a familiar face, feeling as though a piece of her heart had been carved out.

It couldn’t be more obvious.

Ah Ming would never look at her with those eyes. He wouldn’t look at anyone that way.

‘Li Ming’ acted as if he couldn’t see her pain, saying nonchalantly, “This corpse won’t do. Let’s change to the next one. Humans in close relationships are too difficult to play.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the man who had been perfectly fine a moment ago instantly turned into a corpse with a bloody, mangled head and fell straight to the floor.

The moment the corpse appeared, Zhu Di felt a tightening around her waist. Her vision blurred, and she found herself outside the room… She was back behind the one-way glass of the meeting room, as if she had never gone inside.

Zhu Di stared blankly at the corpse in the room. In front of the body, a tattered teru teru bozu doll lay on the floor.

“Alright, it’s confirmed. It is not Li Ming himself.” The staff member was rapidly scribbling something in a notebook he carried. “We need to go run a DNA test on this corpse now… Ms. Zhu Di, I’ll take you back first. We will notify you as soon as there are results.”

Zhu Di nodded vacantly. It was as if her soul had been stripped from her body. Her steps were mechanical and light-headed as she followed the staff member back to the ward.

The moment she saw Su Wan lying on the hospital bed, the painful emotions Zhu Di had been suppressing burst forth. She threw her arms around a bewildered Su Wan and wailed.

At the Liwan Apartments, Zhou Fangdong looked at the mass of eerie matter in the last cell, speechless.

“System, can you explain what the situation is? How am I supposed to step on something like this?”

Appearing before Zhou Fangdong was a mass of giant black slime, taller than he was and occupying almost the entire room.

The issue was no longer how he had stepped on it, but how he was going to leave this room alive without being devoured by it.

Heaven only knew how this thing had suddenly grown from a small clump into such a massive size.

If it weren’t for the fact that the creature hadn’t made a move yet, Zhou Fangdong would have already teleported back to his own room.

For some reason, upon seeing this giant slime, the system’s electronic voice suddenly became very excited:

[Host, please immediately take out the ancient book recording the Sigu Society’s summoning ritual from your Inventory and throw it onto this mass of jelly. The system will assist the Host in capturing it!!]

Zhou Fangdong pulled the ancient book he had found in the activity room from his Inventory and tossed it onto the giant mass of slime.

In the next instant, the ancient book spontaneously combusted without a flame. Countless blood-red chains exploded outward like fireworks, wrapping themselves tightly around the giant slime like red-hot branding irons.

The summoning runes beneath the slime also changed, glowing with a simultaneous, crimson light.

A hissing sound of dissolution rang out as the mass of black jelly began to melt and reshape rapidly. Faintly, a human figure began to emerge from the very center of the slime.

Immediately after, a confused voice echoed through the room: “Hmm? Why was the new corpse teleported directly? Where is this place? Why does it feel a bit familiar?”