Chapter 19: Exchange Rooms

The person who screamed was Su Huilan.

She sat slumped by the door of 405, clutching her mouth, her face pale with terror.

Qi Zhiyong snapped: “What now?”

“The corpses… the corpses are gone!”

Everyone was stunned and rushed over.

Inside Room 405 were two corpses: one was Lu Yuzhu, turned to stone, and the other was Fang Zhi, headless.

The survivors, fearing unnecessary trouble, had not moved the bodies but left them temporarily stored in 405.

Inside Wen Chao’s room, debris was piled everywhere, so dense one couldn’t even step down—within just two or three days, he’d turned it into this, utterly terrifying.

But now both corpses had vanished.

Shi Ji watched Wu Xian silently packing his things and silently marveled inside: “This fucking actor’s performance is top-notch.”

Clearly, both corpses had been eaten.

Qi Zhiyong nodded: “Makes sense. Then I’ll move to a different room tonight!”

With the room swap settled.

The Door-Breaking Spirit, the Door-Calling Spirit, and the Child Spirit from last night weren’t done—now another creature that ate corpses had appeared. How could they possibly feel safe?

Wu Xian smirked: “Think positively—at least we don’t have to worry about these two corpses rotting and spreading plague.”

“Men and women must keep proper distance. Forget it.”

“Big boss, welcome!”

“Come look—there are cement palm prints here, but they’ve been wiped clean. Probably…”

Su Huilian’s face flushed, her voice soft and adorable, the subtext unmistakable.

The floor was littered with blood and fabric scraps; the cement statue had been smashed open, leaving only shattered bone fragments of Lu Yuzhu’s body—Fang Zhi’s condition was much the same.

Everyone scattered to search nearby for supplies and statues.

But Wu Xian grabbed him.

“Also, I need your help with something.”

Shi Ji gripped Wu Xian’s arm, tears welling in his eyes.

Wen Chao shook his head: “You’d better not share a room with me…”

But no one stood up for Wu Xian; over these past days, everyone had tacitly accepted that Wu Xian was Qi Zhiyong’s punching bag.

“Several little spirits came into our room last night. If we don’t get a man to guard us, we might scare ourselves to death.”

By now, Qi Zhiyong’s earlier cover-up had completely collapsed—even Shi Ji knew the importance of the statues, let alone Professor Wen Chao and the others who already knew.

“Stop talking. Let me move in. I’ll protect you.”

As everyone else left, Shi Ji hurried to follow.

At her reminder, everyone recalled Yue Mei’s strange behavior that morning—definitely suspicious.

Everyone’s throats felt dry.

Qi Zhiyong fell into thought.

“I remember—I heard sounds outside this morning. It must’ve been Yue Mei realizing she’d been marked, so she wiped off her mark. Otherwise, why wouldn’t she come back to sleep at night?”

Qi Zhiyong’s previously relaxed expression tightened again.

Then he turned to Wen Chao.

“Give me your room. You can take mine, or go keep the Su sisters company, or stay with Professor Wen or Shi Ji.”

Since worshipping the statue yesterday, his body had shown strange symptoms; he’d barely survived by spreading filth around his room. This problem must be solved today.

Qi Zhiyong refused without hesitation.

If that were true, then tonight’s target would be him—he’d been on guard all night, his courage and resolve drained by half. He didn’t want to wait around for a showdown with the Great Spirit.

These sisters’ depths are unfathomable!

He Qiong, a suspected Follower, was dead—why did they survive? Last night, a Child Spirit slipped into their room, yet they had not a single bruise.

So the only option left was Wu Xian’s room.

Wu Xian clutched his luggage, gazing hopefully at the Su sisters—only to receive two cold stares. Wen Chao had already refused to share a room with anyone.

Through yesterday’s cooperation, Shi Ji realized Wu Xian was a master of disguise—someone who played the fool to hide his strength. He’d been looking for a chance to ask Wu Xian for help, and now Wu Xian had come to him.

“It was Yue Mei!”

Wu Xian’s heart lurched—he couldn’t let him catch on. He immediately cut in: “Do you remember this morning on the first day?”

Su Huilian raised her hand.

Wu Xian grinned: “Because tonight, your room will be attacked.”

He walked to Yue Mei’s door and, imitating Wu Xian’s actions from yesterday, restored the door to its original state.

He told Shi Ji about wiping and redrawing the palm prints. Shi Ji’s mouth slowly opened, his gaze toward Wu Xian turning eerie.

Shi Ji blinked: “Why?”

“Maybe we’re overcomplicating this. If the Great Spirit only attacks marked rooms, then if we all stay in unmarked rooms, won’t we all be safe?”

This scene made everyone frown.

Shi Ji’s eyes widened as he smacked his palm: “I get it—the palm prints can coexist, and the Great Spirit attacks in the order the prints were made!”

The calmest among them was Wen Chao.

So Wu Xian turned to Shi Ji.

His reassurance didn’t ease anyone—it only cast a gloom over them.

“Wait. Let’s move first. Tonight, we’ll stay in Qi Zhiyong’s Room 402.”

Wu Xian refused twice, but Qi Zhiyong ignored him. His eyes turned red with rage, tears nearly spilling—his pitiful, wounded expression was heart-wrenching.

“If she was marked yesterday, then is my palm print…”

Su Huilan suddenly understood.

Women’s hearts—deep as the ocean…

Qi Zhiyong was never a gentleman. If the Su sisters were truly as they appeared, he wouldn’t mind moving in—not only were they beautiful, but if trouble came, he could use them as decoys.

But the problem was.

He scanned the remaining rooms. So far, five rooms had not been destroyed by the Great Spirit.

Su Huilian looked at Qi Zhiyong: “You can stay with us tonight. We’re not afraid you’ll hit on us.”

Qi Zhiyong had already deeply offended Wu Xian—he’d never share a room with him. So he forcibly took Wu Xian’s key and tossed his own to Wu Xian.

From Qi Zhiyong’s perspective, his Room 402 and Shi Ji’s Room 403 had both been marked, leaving only Wu Xian’s Room 406, Wen Chao’s Room 401, and the Su sisters’ Room 404 as safe.

Called a discussion—it was really an order.

On the first morning, there was a palm print on Lu Yuzhu’s door, and another on Fang Zhi’s door.

Wu Xian pulled out two pieces of wire and a screwdriver.

“What is it?”

The Su sisters, their big eyes blinking innocently at Qi Zhiyong, had proposed this idea precisely to get him to move in with them.

“While no one’s around, let’s swap our doors. I want to test whether the mark is on the room or just the door.”

Shi Ji opened his mouth, then closed it without speaking.

(End of Chapter)