Chapter 4: Survivors

“Friends inside the room, please open the door.”

“I’m in the same situation as you. It’s already daylight, and those ghostly things are gone—outside is safe.”

The knocking was clean and crisp, made with fingers; the voice was sincere and strong, and now it was daytime…

Wu Xian judged this person was nine out of ten likely alive, but caution was still necessary.

So he bit his toothbrush, raised his middle finger, ready to activate the True Fire Spell, and slowly pulled the door open.

The man outside had a buzz cut, a broad forehead and strong neck, a thick, muscular build; his upper body was stretched tight by muscle in a dark green sleeveless shirt, his lower half in cargo pants with multiple pockets. Seeing Wu Xian, who looked like his kidneys had been drained, he froze for a moment, then a flicker of disappointment and displeasure crossed his face.

Wu Xian realized he’d raised his middle finger—it was extremely impolite.

“This place is called Fudi, but it’s actually hell on earth. All common sense from the outside world means nothing here—ghosts roam, demons abound, monsters run rampant, and even some unspeakable horrors exist.”

One type consists of isolated individuals, all of whom received mysterious text messages before disappearing; the other type involves regional mass disappearances.

This is the fourth floor of the guesthouse, with eight rooms, all identical old redwood doors, name tags nailed to the wall beside each door. The corridor is wide, the floor covered in yellow tiles, three yellowed lamps hanging from the ceiling. To the left of the stairs are rooms 401 to 404; returning back are 405 to 408.

“I’m Qi Zhiyong, staying in room 402. I won’t waste time with idle talk—after last night, you all know the situation. I’ll share everything I know and do my best to help you survive.”

Wu Xian stayed in room 406; the door to the adjacent 405 had been violently broken open—clearly, the person who died last night was this one. No wonder the agonized whimpers had sounded so clear.

He led Wu Xian to knock on the other doors; one by one, those hiding inside emerged, until nine people stood in the corridor—six men and three women—the entire surviving group of Ping’an Guesthouse.

“The evil spirits we commonly encounter are generally divided into two tiers: low-tier are Wandering Evils, high-tier are Great Evils.”

Were these two originally staying at Ping’an Guesthouse?

“Then I’ll go first. I’m Wen Chao, staying in room 401, working at the Physics Department of Fuyuan Polytechnic.”

“Alright, I’ll be out after I brush my teeth.”

Fang Zhi wanted to say something, but Wen Chao silenced him with a glance.

Some looked disdainful, others whispered among themselves, some bowed their heads, clutching the sleeves of those beside them. A square-faced man in a suit tried to walk away, but an elderly man beside him grabbed his arm.

The young man wore blue sportswear, had thick eyebrows and large eyes, a slightly broad rear, appearing simple and honest, with no hint of guile.

“The initial setting time of cement is at least forty minutes, meaning the female ghost named Yu Yinghua had already left half an hour before dawn.”

“I—I’m Yue Mei, a nurse. Can we really survive? I have elderly relatives at home, I’ve never been in love, I…”

“We generally refer to these things as Evil Spirits!”

This trio drew everyone’s attention. Qi Zhiyong grew wary; Shi Ji and Fang Zhi were envious—man alone with twin beauties, a scene only possible in novels and anime, a man’s dream.

The second to introduce himself was a slightly overweight young man.

The burly man took on the air of a leader and shouted loudly:

Fang Zhi stared at him in surprise: “You’re at Fuyuan Polytechnic too? How come I’ve never seen you?”

…

The single-braid girl was the elder sister, named Su Huilan.

Qi Zhiyong nodded in satisfaction and began recounting the information he possessed.

The elder pointed to the square-faced man in the suit: “This is my student Fang Zhi, staying in room 407. We were catching a train at two a.m., so we temporarily stayed here—and then this happened.”

The first to step forward was an elderly man wearing a blue shirt with a wool vest over it, glasses on his nose.

The burly man didn’t notice Wu Xian’s small gesture.

“Fudi is a regional anomaly that can appear anywhere in the world. The area enveloped by Fudi becomes an independent space—we cannot leave until Fudi ends.”

In the end, everyone stayed, including Wu Xian.

“But both types have the ability to kill. Even the relatively weak Wandering Evils—and Great Evils… when you encounter a Great Evil, pray your luck holds out…”

Yet even after he finished speaking, he revealed not a single word about the statue.

It seemed he wasn’t as honest as he claimed.

…

Wu Xian narrowed his eyes.

The man stiffened.

“I’m He Qiong, staying in 404. These two are with me.”

So it was true—the Fudi disappearance cases were indeed divided into two categories.

“I’m Shi Ji, staying in 403, also working at Fuyuan Polytechnic.”

Fang Zhi didn’t reject him; instead, he pulled Shi Ji to his side. They worked at the same school—in a place like this, they should help each other.

The double-braid girl was the younger sister, named Su Huaijin.

“Alright, that’s all the information I have.”

The group exchanged glances, their expressions and attitudes varying.

He Qiong’s demeanor was relaxed, even arrogant; behind him stood two beautiful girls with similar features, both timidly hiding behind him, clinging to his arms.

Qi Zhiyong scanned the group: “In the coming days, we must unite to survive. To build trust and understanding, please introduce yourselves.”

He took advantage of the burly man’s distraction, dipping his middle finger into the still-wet mudwater.

Next, the fourth person stepped forward—a curly-haired man wearing a floral shirt and a gold chain.

“It’s cement…”

The man snorted, turned, and walked toward other rooms.

“But my information isn’t free. Those who accept my help must obey my commands. If anyone doesn’t want to listen, please return to your room.”

Wu Xian was the former; Wen Chao and Fang Zhi were the latter.

Wu Xian also noticed that both the floor and walls of the corridor were covered in mudwater stains—most were completely dried, only a few freshly hardened, yet almost all the room doors were spotless, untouched by mud or splashes.

Wen Chao sighed softly, lamenting the decline of morals.

When Wu Xian stepped out, the burly man was knocking on other doors; he took the chance to observe his surroundings.

“Hurry up and get ready. Come out with me—daylight hours are precious. We need to discuss with all survivors how to survive in Fudi.”

Shi Ji fidgeted: “I’m the toilet cleaner.”

Wu Xian listened carefully.

Qi Zhiyong shared many useful pieces of information: Fudi had its own day and night cycle—daytime was relatively safe, nighttime teemed with Evil Spirits; fear was useless against them, only intensifying their killing power; some Evil Spirits could disguise themselves as humans…

As for Wu Xian, he noticed something interesting.

So he dug his middle finger into his nostril, masking the earlier gesture.

The next to introduce himself was a good-looking woman who had been huddled at the back, clutching a talisman and trembling.

She spoke incoherently in panic, looking hopefully at everyone—but no one could offer her any guarantee of safety.

The only one left who hadn’t introduced himself was Wu Xian.

(End of Chapter)