Chapter 28: Notes and Showdown

The first page of the notebook contained a single sentence:
"Die for the living, live for the dead; uphold your inner core, carry out your creed."

The following page introduced the idols. There are sixteen idols commonly encountered by the "Spirit-Bound." Three of these are the Great Emperor idols, which generally do not appear inside a Blessed Land, but rather manifest when a Spirit-Bound enters or leaves. These three are:
"Shangyuan First-Rank Fortune-Bestowing Heavenly Official, Ziwei the Great Emperor."
"Zhongyuan Second-Rank Sin-Forgiving Earthly Official, Qingxu the Great Emperor."
"Xiayuan Third-Rank Disaster-Relieving Water Official, Dongyin the Great Emperor."

The remaining thirteen idols appear in the vast majority of Blessed Lands: five Heavenly Officials, four Earthly Officials, three Water Officials, and one outsider deity, the Many-Jeweled Tathagata. There are other idols beyond these sixteen, but they either appear too infrequently or are tied to the specific mechanisms of certain Blessed Lands, so the notebook did not elaborate on them.

The notebook contained much other useful information. For instance, the Many-Jeweled Tathagata idol functions as a shop; by offering ten Underworld Banknotes to it, one can open the Treasury of Many Jewels to purchase divine abilities, talismans, and magical artifacts using those notes. Furthermore, idols and items are categorized by grade: Common (variegated), Precious (silver), and Immortal (gold). Additionally, while the rules of each Blessed Land differ, any malevolent entity wrapped in chains is restricted by these rules—and these restrictions are the thin line of survival for the Spirit-Bound.

Seeing this, Wu Xian thought of the Door-Breaking Great Evil. The chains that were originally on that thing had already been partially undone, which likely meant it had shed some of its rule-based constraints. It might no longer appear at fixed times, or it might be able to force open multiple doors in a single night. This information made Wu Xian’s mood sink significantly, though he reasoned it was still better than facing an enhanced version of the entity without any preparation.

The notebook also contained information regarding Qi Zhiyong’s divinations and his theories on the Blessed Lands, all of which proved useful. As Wu Xian flipped to the final page, he found a handwritten note from Qi Zhiyong:
[To let those with more value survive—that is my creed.]

On the inside cover was a photograph of a family of three. The husband was Qi Zhiyong, the wife’s head had been cut out, and the child’s face had been rubbed until it was a blur. Wu Xian sighed. After reading the contents, he finally understood Qi Zhiyong’s logic. Qi had wanted to use the rule that the Great Evil could only kill one person per day to find a scapegoat, but he had been too severely injured in the process while Wu Xian and the others remained in good condition. Judging his own value to be lower than theirs, he had helplessly chosen to face death.

Because of this, Wu Xian felt no debt toward him, yet he still felt a sense of melancholy. If he hadn't hidden his true capabilities from the start and had instead openly demonstrated his value, perhaps the story would have turned out differently. Having finished the notebook, Wu Xian felt his mood improve, and his eyelids finally grew heavy.

...

Early the next morning, Wu Xian rubbed his sleepy eyes as he stepped out of his room. The previous night had been too grueling for him to wake up early. Upon exiting, he saw Wen Chao and the Su sisters standing in the hallway, their expressions grim. Wu Xian glanced at the doors and immediately cursed.

"Damn it!"

Qi Zhiyong’s body was gone, clearly consumed by whatever lurked within the hotel. But that wasn't what prompted his outburst. Today, two rooms had been marked: Wen Chao’s 401 and Shi Ji’s 403. This proved the rules for the Door-Breaking Great Evil had indeed changed; starting tonight, it could break open two doors per day.

Things were turning dire. A moment later, Su Huijin spoke, "Since two rooms have been marked and we don't know the order of the attacks, everyone should just come to our room to hide tonight..." She and her sister looked somewhat disheveled, their skin marked with small handprints—evidence of harassment by the Child Spirit the night before. Despite their disarray, they looked even more alluring; the tears in their clothes revealed glimpses of their delicate skin, and their red, teary eyes evoked a strong sense of protective instinct. The suggestion for everyone to stay with them had clearly been their plan all along.

Wu Xian scoffed. "Since things have reached this point, let's stop playing games. The truth is, there is no sequence to how the monster marks the rooms. Other than the first day, every room marked in the morning has been opened at night. That means after tonight, there will only be one room left."

Su Huilan looked stunned. "But before, it clearly..."

Wu Xian, now carrying his copper-coin spear, could no longer afford to hide his capabilities. He laid his cards on the table, explaining his previous preparations and his deductions regarding the rules of the Blessed Land. He concluded, "In short, we can no longer act like cowards, or tonight will be our final night."

Wen Chao showed no reaction; he had already suspected as much. The Su sisters exchanged a glance, a hint of shock in their eyes. They replied in soft, delicate voices, "Then we shall leave everything to you, sir..."

Seeing the sisters acting this way made Shi Ji itch with desire, but it only infuriated Wu Xian. "I’ve already laid it all out. Do you really think you need to keep up the charade? No one here believes you are helpless damsels; everyone is already on guard against you. Stop the act."

The sisters looked aggrieved, their eyes turning red instantly, ready to launch into a performance of tears and hysterics. But when they saw that neither Wen Chao nor Shi Ji intended to refute Wu Xian, they realized their charade was meaningless. Su Huilan pulled her clothes together to cover her exposed skin; since they couldn't fool anyone, she wouldn't let these three men take any more advantage of them.

She asked with a hint of sarcasm, "Then tell us, if we don't hide, what can we do? Even Qi Zhiyong is dead!"

Wu Xian was silent for a moment. "We can seek help from the native survivors within the Blessed Land. They must possess methods for escaping these malevolent entities." Though he said this, he had little confidence, as Yue Mei, who had gone to seek out survivors, had long since vanished.

Wen Chao offered a suggestion. "I can try to concoct some explosives. There are only four blocks here, but I might be able to gather enough materials. If the yield is high enough..."

Wu Xian shook his head. "Qi Zhiyong said that only magical artifacts, cursed items, and lethal weapons are effective against these entities. Explosives might not work."

At this, Shi Ji suddenly became excited. "I have a way! We can blow up the septic tank! I know where the septic tank is!"

This fellow had blown up a septic tank in his first Blessed Land, and it had clearly become a path-dependent habit. Upon hearing Shi Ji’s suggestion, the Su sisters couldn't maintain their composure, but Wu Xian and Wen Chao began to seriously consider the feasibility!

Just as the plan was about to veer into a dangerous direction, a voice suddenly came from downstairs:

"I have a way!"