Before dawn, the city lay in silence.
The entire city seemed still trapped in a dream, with damp gray mist hanging heavy in the air. A cold chill seeped through the window, slipping quietly into the room.
The preset alarm clock rang.
Wu Xian opened his eyes, exhaustion clouding his gaze.
They had played several rounds of the clapping game throughout the night, nerves stretched taut and minds on edge.
In the first round, six people clapped hands together. By the second round, only four remained. This kept Shi Ji and Wu Xian uneasy all night, fearing that someone in their own rooms might die next.
Fortunately, the later rounds went smoothly with no mishaps.
Once awake, Wu Xian immediately scanned the room.
Soon, he found the spot where the male corpse demon had died the previous night. The ground was still stained with filth, and a flesh-colored spirit incense stick lay on the floor.
Wu Xian breathed a sigh of relief.
With this spirit incense, he could once again perform worship rituals.
Before Shi Ji's surprised eyes, Wu Xian took from the box the heavenly official statue he had discovered yesterday — the joyful marriage deity.
He inserted the spirit incense into the statue.
A pink mist curled around the statue, condensing into the shapes of three talisman shadows:
Breath-Hiding Technique: Conceals breath and energy; though visible and audible to the senses, it renders the spirit's evil sight powerless.
Cloud-Riding Technique: Ride the clouds, summon five-colored light, soaring tens of feet above the ground. Using this spell allows flight for one minute.
Slow Walk and Chase Stop Technique: The target walks slowly ahead, the pursuer gallops wildly but cannot catch up. Lasts two minutes.
Wu Xian's eyes gleamed as he gazed at these three talismans.
Especially the Cloud-Riding Technique—if he could wield this spell, he could ride the five-colored clouds and fly with his own body. How many had dreamed of this their entire lives?
From now on, Wu Xian wanted to live life exquisitely.
If he missed this chance, would there ever be a better thrill than the Cloud-Riding Technique? Even wingsuit flying would pale in comparison!
The Slow Walk and Chase Stop Technique was also impressive.
He could stroll leisurely ahead, while the enemy chasing him would tire out and never catch up—a scene full of style and flair.
More importantly, both spells could save lives. If ever confronted by a truly unstoppable evil spirit, these talismans would at least guarantee a chance to escape.
Compared to these two, the Breath-Hiding Technique seemed rather ordinary.
It only concealed one's breath and aura. But in this Blessed Land, spirits usually found living people by sight or sound. Wu Xian hadn't yet encountered any that tracked prey by detecting breath.
Still, after much consideration and inner debate, Wu Xian finally chose the Breath-Hiding Technique.
Running away was good.
But was there a way he wouldn't have to hide in constant fear?
Could he somehow strike back against the evil spirits hunting them?
There was!
With the Breath-Hiding Technique, it might be possible!
The darkness before dawn passed quickly.
Wu Xian and Shi Ji stepped out of their rooms. Su Huijun and Wen Chao also emerged.
Only the four of them remained as survivors in the Blessed Land now.
Among them, only Wu Xian still looked relatively clean. The other three appeared utterly disheveled.
Wen Chao looked like a ragpicker.
Shi Ji's clothes were soaked with blood.
Su Huijun, mourning her sister's death, had no energy left to care about her appearance.
After Qi Zhiyong's death, Wu Xian had effectively become the group's leader.
He was the first to speak.
"Tell me—how did the two of them die?"
Through the clapping game's numbering system, Wu Xian already knew Su Huilan and Yue Mei had died last night, but they needed to confirm the cause.
If they couldn't figure out why they died, their plan to use the Seeker Ghost Mother to intimidate the Breaking Gate Demon wouldn't work anymore.
The easiest way to find out was to ask the witnesses who had shared rooms with the victims.
Su Huijun rubbed her reddened eyes.
"My sister was killed by the Seeker Ghost Mother!"
"Did she break the rules?"
Shi Ji flinched in shock.
Su Huijun shook her head.
"No. The Ghost Mother said my sister killed her child, so she broke the rules and killed her directly."
"Child??"
Wu Xian's pupils dilated.
"You mean those pale little spirits? Su Huilan actually attacked those little spirits?"
Su Huijun nodded, full of grievance.
"My sister only did it to protect me."
Cold sweat broke out on Wu Xian's back.
He had been harassed by those little spirits before and had once wanted to kill them with a copper coin sword, but had held back, deciding to observe them longer and letting them go.
Had he killed them then, he himself might have been among last night's dead.
He turned to Shi Ji and Wen Chao.
"You two didn't attack the little spirits, so why aren't there any marks on you from their claws?"
Shi Ji lowered his head sheepishly.
"That night… I was probably a bit dirty."
When the little spirits appeared the first time, Shi Ji had been on guard against the "Heavenly Official's Curse," so he used some filthy methods to prepare the room—these impurities made the evil spirits reluctant to approach.
The second time the little spirits showed up, he and Wu Xian were together and got attacked by the Five Filth Gods, so the little spirits were even more afraid to come near.
Wen Chao chuckled softly.
"Maybe this old man of mine just isn't popular with kids."
It was a half-hearted excuse.
Wu Xian didn't press further.
Suddenly, a flash of insight struck him.
He had found the connection!
A few days ago, Wu Xian had deduced from clues that Wang Zhiwu and his group were a criminal gang, but he couldn't understand how this gang was connected to the evil spirits.
Now, he finally confirmed it.
The Seeker Ghost Mother was the former owner of the Ping'an Inn. Her name was Lu Yao.
When Wang Zhiwu and his gang lived in the inn, they kidnapped the Ghost Mother's child—who was still human at the time—driving her mad with grief and desperate searching.
Later, when Wang Zhiwu's gang took over the inn, Lu Yao lost her home completely.
Her extreme hatred and madness birthed the very first evil spirit in this world.
Wu Xian took a deep breath, then after a moment, asked Wen Chao,
"And what about you?"
"How did Yue Mei die? The method was from Yue Mei herself. She wouldn't have broken the rules."
Wen Chao hesitated but chose to tell the truth.
"It was my lover who killed her. Yue Mei had some special connection to the Ghost Mother. She wanted me to force myself to keep my eyes open during the clapping game, but my lover killed the girl to protect me."
"Your lover?"
At this, all three — Wu Xian, Shi Ji, and Su Huijun — froze.
Wen Chao had brought his wife to the Blessed Land?
Then why hadn't she appeared until now?
No wonder at the start, Fang Zhi wanted to ask Wen Chao something but was stopped by a warning look.
"Yes… my lover, Old Fu, come out and meet the children."
Bang! Bang!
A figure jumped out from Wen Chao's Room 401.
An elderly woman, small and frail, with lifeless eyes and an ashen face. Her long black nails were sharp, and her lips curled just enough to reveal razor-sharp teeth.
She was a zombie!
The three talismans introduced this chapter:
The Breath-Hiding Technique is my original creation. Of course, similar techniques may exist elsewhere—this name is quite common.
Cloud-Riding Technique comes from Guang Yi Ji by Mr. Pupu:
"Later, a traveler from Yiyang was walking at dusk, unable to reach the next village, and suddenly saw a small hut by the roadside. He went in to stay for the night. The only occupant was an old man who asked the traveler his purpose. The traveler said, 'The sky is overcast and the day short; it's dark now, I wish to rest for a night.' The old man replied, 'Staying is no problem, but there is no food.' After some time, the traveler was very hungry. The old man gave him a few pills; after taking them, he felt full and left at dawn. When returning, he suddenly saw the old man riding on five-colored clouds, gliding tens of feet above the ground. The traveler bowed deeply."
Slow Walk and Chase Stop Technique originates from Shenxian Ganyu Zhuan:
"Several years later, Zhong Shi Fuxian Yu was sent on a mission to Shu, where he saw Gong Yuan on the Heishui Road, dressed in cloud and rosy garment, walking slowly with a staff. Xian Yu chased him on horseback, always about ten steps behind, but could never catch up."