Chapter 27: Terrifying Ten Seconds

Qi Zhiyong’s ferocity did not surprise the Door-Breaking Spirit for long.

The Door-Breaking Spirit quickly realized it had been insulted, let out a roar, and its chains shattered completely, the soul-snatching artifact destroyed.

Immediately, its single remaining giant hand swelled outward and slammed down hard on Qi Zhiyong, pinning him to the ground as he tried to bleed the great spirit with a small knife.

The power of the Heavenly Demon Belt meant nothing to the Door-Breaking Spirit.

Then the spirit changed its palm into a fist and drove it downward with full force.

Plop!

A non-human force struck Qi Zhiyong!

Splash!

Qi Zhiyong’s upper body shattered; even the floor was crushed into a depression, cement cracked, blood seeped into the fissures—had it not been for the rebar holding it together, the floor slab would have been pierced clean through.

Wu Xian stared, dumbfounded.

The Door-Breaking Spirit pulled its arm out of the bloody abdominal cavity—it now had two arms again, stronger than before!

Yet even with no confidence left, Wu Xian and the others had to hold their ground, for there was nowhere to flee.

They were the only survivors who truly understood Qi Zhiyong’s abilities, and according to the rules, Qi Zhiyong was meant to be the safest.

What the hell is going on?

Qi Zhiyong had always been at odds with them; just moments ago he’d tried to use them as sacrificial pawns—how had he suddenly turned into someone else, playing the martyr?

“Why him?”

Wen Chao’s desk was piled high with random objects—he seemed to be trying to make something; his bedspread was spread open, and beneath it lay what looked like a person.

……

The others still alive on the fourth floor were not unaware of Qi Zhiyong’s death.

Now that he’s dead, is the great spirit’s target now us?

After a quick wash, Shi Ji changed his pants; neither of them minded the other’s state, and they lay together on the bed—Shi Ji fell asleep quickly, but Wu Xian could not sleep for a long time.

Wu Xian had never regretted tricking Qi Zhiyong to his death; he even took pride in his setup.

The rules governing the Door-Breaking Spirit’s movements, which Wu Xian had only cracked after going to great lengths to trap Qi Zhiyong, might now be meaningless.

The evil spirits they had faced before merely had special abilities—strange and terrifying, yes, but killable if struck by artifacts or talismans.

Wu Xian raised his copper-spear, Shi Ji drew his child-sword; they stood ready, their confidence bolstered by their newly upgraded weapons.

They opened the door and stepped inside, both relaxing instantly.

Then…

But now, even this chain had been broken!

Room 404—He Qiong’s room.

“A young man is dead.”

The glow from the opposite billboard shone through the window.

Wen Chao’s room.

But no matter Qi Zhiyong’s intentions.

Wen Chao had seen too many young people—he saw Qi Zhiyong and Fang Zhi as alike, both stubborn, acting by their own rigid rules.

Wen Chao himself sat on a chair beside the bed.

Though the blessed land felt like home to him.

He took off his glasses, rubbed his eye sockets, leaned on the quilt, reached his hand under the covers, and clasped it tightly with the other—exhaustion slowly closed his eyes; before falling asleep, he whispered softly.

“Make the eyes bigger, draw the eyelids red, add eye drops, look pitiful—those lonely guys who’ve never had a girlfriend can’t resist this…”

Yet to their surprise, the Door-Breaking Spirit did not attack them.

But the one who should have lived longest died so soon.

Wu Xian’s door, 406, had been kicked in; Qi Zhiyong’s 402 had become a bloody mess—now the only safe room left was the original 403 where Shi Ji had stayed.

Tonight’s ordeal had been so hellish that even an ordinary room felt like paradise.

Wu Xian endured the longest Shiji seconds of his life; Shi Ji’s mind replayed his whole life in flashes—they trembled in fear for a long while before the corridor lights flickered back on.

“I’m an old man—I can’t keep hiding here, waiting for the young ones to die before I crawl away in shame.”

But honestly, this bastard had indeed used suicide to buy Wu Xian and the other a path to survival.

Perhaps the hand that crushed Qi Zhiyong was already above their heads—next second, their bodies would shatter too.

Splash!

The lights went out!

The corridor plunged into utter darkness; the rooms still had windows, so even with lights off, some moonlight filtered in—but the corridor had no windows, and the moment the lights died, it became pitch black, not even fingers visible.

“But we can’t keep going like this—we must find a way to lure someone else tomorrow, no matter which of the three…”

But the atmosphere in this family was terrible, with severe domestic violence, giving Wu Xian a strong urge to run away.

A sense of helplessness surged over him.

Su Huilan and Su Huijin, sisters, sat on the bed holding hands, their delicate faces frozen with ice.

This new arm looked more human—it held a ring of keys!

Wu Xian’s heart sank.

“Then let’s hurry and apply makeup.”

“Raise the slit a bit higher here…”

“Qi Zhiyong is dead.”

Room 401.

His tone was strange—not like he was talking to himself, but as if speaking to someone.

Those Shiji seconds had been too intense—he urgently needed to change his pants.

Wu Xian panicked instantly.

……

After breaking free, the Door-Breaking Spirit gave them a long, deep look—and smiled cruelly.

Judging by the shape of the key ring, it was clearly the spare keys to the Ping’an Hostel—before, this great spirit could open only one door per day; now that it had the keys, what then?

“You’ve got something to eat now—eat well, your illness will heal, and when you’re well, we’ll go home together.”

The Door-Breaking Spirit vanished.

“Wait till tomorrow—tomorrow will be better.”

He was thinking of Qi Zhiyong.

Its power was completely off the charts—could something like this, a green-giant monster, really be fought with copper coins and small daggers?

No!

Qi Zhiyong’s shattered corpse on the floor was proof.

When the lights were on, they could at least see the Door-Breaking Spirit—but if the lights went out, how would they know where it was?

But the Door-Breaking Spirit was different.

The soul-snatching chains on the great spirit had broken, but another chain remained—pure black, edged with sharp teeth, woven through its flesh like part of its body; this chain stitched its arm back into the abdominal cavity.

Perhaps…

Perhaps the Door-Breaking Spirit stood right before him, its grotesque face staring straight into his own.

The situation had slipped beyond control; the sisters clung to each other in terror.

……

Shi Ji’s face turned ashen.

“Sigh—he wasn’t a bad kid…”

Qi Zhiyong’s shattered corpse lay in the center of the corridor, his broken face staring blankly at Wu Xian—Wu Xian could not bear to look.

“Ajin, I’ll protect you.”

Imagination magnified fear.

This left Wu Xian with a strange feeling.

He tossed and turned, unable to sleep; finally he got up, and by the faint light from the window, he flipped through the notebook Qi Zhiyong had given him.

(End of Chapter)