Chapter 25: A Great Evil Breaks Through the Gate

Wu Xian weighed the effects of the Longevity Peach. This item could likely restore a person on the verge of death to a full state of health; even if split between two people, its healing power remained astonishing.

Once Shi Ji had recovered, he looked at Wu Xian with eyes full of gratitude. "Brother Xian, thank you for saving my life. I won't bother with empty pleasantries; if you ever need me in the future, I will never refuse!"

Shi Ji was sincere. He knew full well that without Wu Xian, he would never have survived this ordeal.

"Don't thank me just yet," Wu Xian said, waving a hand. "Have you noticed? The healing effect has stopped, and our physical condition is deteriorating."

Shi Ji was stunned, immediately realizing that his gums were beginning to throb with pain once again.

Wu Xian turned to look around. The surrounding flesh and viscera were pulsing incessantly; sagging skin twitched in spasms, while noses and mouths appeared everywhere, opening and closing rhythmically. The air was thick with a stench that induced dry heaves.

His expression darkened. "We must leave."

Shi Ji froze. "Why? It's not dawn yet. If we go out now, we’re likely to run into an evil spirit."

Wu Xian gestured to their surroundings. "Haven't you realized? Everything around us is alive! Even though the Five Filths God is dead, this mutated environment continues to erode us. We are essentially hiding inside its belly. If we wait here until dawn, the only possible outcome is to be digested by this mutated room and become part of that deformed flesh!"

Shi Ji’s heart sank at these words. He looked at the still-untwisted door, his mood feeling stifled to the extreme. Behind the door lay a den of flesh-eating monsters, but outside was a den of tigers and wolves. The experiences of the past few days had already made it clear: a room with a door was a sanctuary, and leaving at night was a death wish.

Yet, Wu Xian made sense. Between a possible death and a certain one, they only had one choice left. Shi Ji nodded, choosing to trust Wu Xian.

Wu Xian smiled faintly. "Then, let’s get ready. The sooner, the better."

The two quickly packed their things and stood by the door, intending to look through the peephole to observe the outside and choose a safe moment to escape. But the horrific, mutated room sensed their intent to flee. The dormant room was awakened; all the flesh began to tremble and squirm, like a giant meat-pouch about to close. Skin, gaping maws, intestines—these deformed things surged toward Wu Xian and Shi Ji at the door.

Wu Xian cursed under his breath, thrusting his copper-coin spear repeatedly at the encroaching mass. The spear was effective, pushing back some of the flesh with every strike, but compared to the massive mound of gore, it was like a drop in the bucket.

"It's no use! Open the door immediately. I don't believe our luck is so bad that we'll run into the Door-Breaker Spirit right away."

Shi Ji opened the door, and the two dashed out. The twisted flesh inside did not follow them.

Beyond the door lay a dark and eerie corridor, the floor covered in plaster and blood, with the overhead lights flickering uneasily. Under the flickering light stood the face of a sturdy man.

Qi Zhiyong!

Shi Ji’s face turned pale, and Wu Xian’s temple throbbed. What terrified them was not Qi Zhiyong himself, but what stood behind him. A horrifying figure was approaching at a slow, deliberate pace.

"Damn it! We really ran into it!"

...

Turning the hands of the clock back a distance:

In Room 406, Qi Zhiyong sat cross-legged in the moonlight, holding a thin hemp rope. A heavy object was tied to the other end, hanging perfectly vertical and motionless.

Qi Zhiyong whispered to the rope, "With the items I currently possess, I can kill the Door-Breaker Spirit."

The rope remained still. Qi Zhiyong frowned and continued.

"The remaining duration of this Blessed Land exceeds five days."

The rope still did not move.

Qi Zhiyong took a deep breath and spoke his final question.

"The Door-Breaker Spirit can only kill one person per night!"

The rope swayed from side to side; the weight swung on its own. A smile appeared on Qi Zhiyong’s face, and at the same time, a talisman spontaneously combusted.

The burning talisman was a tool for divination. After using this incantation, one could perform a single act of divination, with varying effects depending on the method. Qi Zhiyong was using a technique common within his organization: the Rope-Plumb Method. It was said to originate from the ancient Hezhe people—holding a rope with a small weight attached, one could ask three questions; if the rope moved after a statement, it meant the statement was true.

Qi Zhiyong had asked three questions and obtained three extremely useful pieces of information: the Door-Breaker Spirit was too strong to fight head-on; the Blessed Land would end within five days; and the evil spirit could only kill one person per night.

With this information, and the fact that he was staying in an unmarked room tonight, his chances of survival were greatly improved. This allowed Qi Zhiyong to relax slightly.

The Blessed Land was cruel and irrational, leaving no hope. People were like blades of grass, and the evil spirits enjoyed harvesting them. The only difference between "Blessed Ones" and ordinary people was that the Blessed Ones lived a little longer.

He had once wondered: if the Blessed Land was so terrifying and participants were doomed to die sooner or later, was there any point in struggling? Was it not better to end it oneself rather than be tortured to death by spirits?

After joining the organization, he had asked Jing Ke: "What is the meaning of us Blessed Ones struggling in this land?"

Qi Zhiyong whispered to himself, "Jing Ke said, to live is the meaning..."

*Bang!*

A deafening crash interrupted his thoughts. Shocked, he spun around to see his door shattered, wooden splinters piercing his face. In the dim yellow light outside stood a tower-like figure. Its robust frame, terrifying face, and the pressure of a natural predator made sweat pour down Qi Zhiyong’s face.

"The Door-Breaker Spirit!"

"That's impossible!"

"This room hasn't been marked. Why? Why would it come for me tonight?"

Qi Zhiyong’s scalp tingled. He realized immediately that their established rules were flawed. But this was no time for analysis. Survival was the only priority.

Escape through the window? This was the fourth floor, and heaven knows what monsters lurked in the streets at night.

Fight it? No, there was not a shred of chance. The divination result had made it clear that even with all his efforts, he was no match for this great spirit.

Try to negotiate? Surrender? Bribe it?

Qi Zhiyong considered many options, but in the end, only one was viable.

Divert the disaster!

The great spirit could only kill one person a day, so if Qi Zhiyong broke open other doors and allowed the spirit to kill someone of lower value, he could escape this calamity!