Chapter 5: The First Victim

First impressions are crucial. They determine how others perceive you. Therefore, Wu Xian decided to make his first impression on the group as poor as possible.

"Cough, cough... I'm Wu Xian. I came to Fuyuan seeking medical treatment. My health isn't great, so I'll need everyone's help."

Wu Xian did not know much about the Blessed Land, nor did he fully trust Qi Zhiyong’s one-sided account. He intended to play the fool for now and keep his true self hidden.

Those standing next to Wu Xian took a step back, though Yue Mei, the nurse, cast a look of concern. "Where are you feeling unwell? Is there anything I can do to help?"

Wu Xian’s face turned slightly red. "I have a weak kidney."

Yue Mei shook her head with pity; this was a problem she could not help with. It was no wonder everyone believed him so easily; Wu Xian’s appearance was truly sickly. With his pale skin and deep, dark circles under his eyes, he looked like he suffered from severe kidney deficiency even without putting on an act—not to mention the bleeding gums caused by brushing his teeth too vigorously this morning.

...

While the survivors introduced themselves, Qi Zhiyong had been observing everyone.

He Qiong’s attitude was arrogant; it was clear that, like him, she was a "Blessed One." It was best not to provoke her, nor the pair of sisters who followed her. The remaining five appeared to be nothing more than ordinary people swept into the Blessed Land.

Yue Mei possessed some medical knowledge, but her emotions were unstable. She could cause trouble at a critical moment and could not be entrusted with important tasks. Shi Ji looked honest and sturdy; he would be a good helper. Wen Chao was old and frail, but calm and knowledgeable; such an old man could always play a role in unexpected ways. Fang Zhi was young and highly educated—he should have been a useful talent, but his constant look of defiance suggested he was courting death. Such a person was best suited to be deceived into serving as cannon fodder.

As for Wu Xian... Qi Zhiyong frowned. He was a strange one. Despite being in a dangerous situation, he showed little tension. He looked like a weakling, yet he had provoked him the moment they met... He was simply worthless trash.

With that, Qi Zhiyong mentally ranked the eight people besides himself based on their potential utility.

"Daytime is relatively safe, but time is precious. We need to use this time to gather intelligence, weapons, food, and drinking water."

"But if you want to survive and come back, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, head back before twelve o'clock; don't wait until dark. Second, if you encounter a deity statue, do not approach it rashly; there is usually danger surrounding them. Finally, do not approach overly dark spaces."

"That is all. Everyone, disperse."

The group immediately scattered. Some returned to their rooms, while others left the building. They would not take Qi Zhiyong’s word at face value; they needed to see the Blessed Land for themselves to know if he was telling the truth.

Wu Xian had been looking forward to wandering around for a long time. With a smirk on his lips, he started to head down.

"Wait. Don't go just yet."

Qi Zhiyong called out to stop him. "I have something I need you to do."

...

"Since everyone is still alive, it means the evil spirits cannot break down doors at will. However, the tenant in room 405 had their door broken down last night. For the safety of everyone, I need you to enter 405 and tell me why they were the ones killed."

Qi Zhiyong led Wu Xian to the door of 405.

Wu Xian frowned and asked, "Why me?" Was his acting too poor? Had his identity as a detective been exposed?

Qi Zhiyong waved his hand impatiently. "Don't ask so many questions. Someone has to check it, and you just agreed to follow my orders, didn't you?"

Seeing his expression, Wu Xian suddenly understood. No matter how the tenant of 405 died, whoever entered to investigate risked the same fate. Qi Zhiyong simply thought he was the most useless, so he dumped this dangerous task on him.

Wu Xian chuckled to himself. Who told you to play this game? You've overplayed your hand!

...

Although he was annoyed, Wu Xian did not refuse. He had intended to investigate the victim's room anyway. Obtaining first-hand information might help him survive in the Blessed Land. But he would make sure to remember this grudge.

Qi Zhiyong nodded in satisfaction and stood at a distance, waiting for the results. To his surprise, Wu Xian didn't go inside immediately but squatted down in front of the door, studying it while rubbing his chin.

After waiting a short while, Qi Zhiyong grew irritated. How long was this brat going to linger at the door? Just as this thought crossed his mind, he saw Wu Xian pick up some large wooden splinters from the floor, fit them back into the door, and push hard from the other side.

Qi Zhiyong fell silent. The hole in the door was pushed shut by Wu Xian, revealing a clear impression on the wood. It was a giant footprint! Underneath the footprint was the imprint of a woman's hand!

Qi Zhiyong immediately scanned the other doors. Most were clean, but room 407, where Fang Zhi lived, also had an identical female handprint on it. He immediately realized the handprint was some sort of mark; those marked would be attacked by the owner of the footprint!

Fang Zhi had been targeted by the evil spirit; he would be the one to die tonight!

After checking the door, Wu Xian entered the room. Qi Zhiyong hesitated but did not follow; his own value was far higher than Wu Xian's, and he could not take unnecessary risks.

With Qi Zhiyong no longer watching, Wu Xian relaxed. The layout of the room was identical to his own room, 406. There was no special furniture, but one object was visually striking.

It was a cement statue. Inside the room, next to the bed, a woman was kneeling naked on the floor. Her chest was thrust forward, her arms spread wide, her head tilted back as if in flight. Her arms were sculpted into the shape of wings; it looked lifelike and exquisitely crafted.

Wu Xian walked over and poked it with a wooden splinter. The statue’s eyes snapped open, blinking frantically at Wu Xian. Tears streamed down, staining the surrounding cement a dark color.

Wu Xian licked his lips. This was no statue—it was a living person trapped in cement!

He probed, "Can you speak?"

The statue continued to blink frantically. Wu Xian pried her lips apart and found her mouth filled with cement. "If you can understand me, stop blinking."

But she continued her frantic motions. Wu Xian sighed. Her tears and her blinking were merely supernatural phenomena. Her spirit was already dead; what remained was a living corpse without self-awareness. As for why she was still alive in this state, it could only be attributed to the bizarre powers of the evil spirits. After all, the person hanging on the billboard across the way could still wag their tongue even with a hollowed-out stomach.

Wu Xian searched the room briefly and picked up a phone with a pink case. He held it up to the light, and by following the oily smudges left on the screen, he easily cracked the gesture password.

"Lu Yuzhu, 26 years old, two years into her career—in the prime of her life."

"Is this ID, 'Domineering Little Puppy,' her boyfriend? Twenty-five transfers in seven days? Tsk, how stupid. This is clearly a scumbag. He's been gaslighting you, girl."

"She made over a dozen calls. It seems she was desperate for someone to share her panic."

Through the information on the phone, Lu Yuzhu’s image became vivid in Wu Xian’s mind. He could roughly guess how such a woman would react after suddenly finding herself in the Blessed Land. She must have responded to that Yu Yinghua last night, perhaps even opening the door for her!

What left Wu Xian speechless was why her phone could be brought into the Blessed Land while his own had turned into origami. Either the entity managing this place just wanted to see people suffer—for someone like Wu Xian, who was highly capable, it even stripped the steel wires out of his clothes, whereas an ordinary, panicked woman like Lu Yuzhu could bring something as useful as a phone—or perhaps the method of entry into the Blessed Land dictated the restrictions.

Regardless of which was true, the phone now belonged to Wu Xian. It would prove to be very useful.