Before the exhaustion from a night of excitement had even faded, Qin Feng was awakened by the buzzing vibration of the old phone on his bedside table.
He had not even fully opened his eyes, instinctively assuming it was a life-threatening alarm clock. But after unlocking the screen, a message from his landlady, Liu Yan, instantly woke him up.
"Little Qin, are you home? Big Sis is home alone today, and I happen to need your help with something. Can you come over now? We can also talk about the rent while you're here."
At the end of the message was a blushing [Shy] emoji.
Qin Feng's brows immediately knotted together.
Liu Yan? That woman known for cursing tenants from the first floor all the way to the sixth whenever she collected rent, was speaking to him like this?
Yesterday, he might have thought the sun had risen in the west. But now, after narrowly escaping death, Qin Feng's vigilance had already been carved into his bones.
With a thought, a ghostly blue system panel appeared before his eyes.
[Host: Qin Feng] [Cleansing Points: 20] [Legendary Armament: Scissors of Truth (E-rank)] [Origin Enhancement: Spirit Touch Realm (Early Stage)] [Acquired Ability: Item Affinity (Passive)]
Looking at those pitiful twenty Cleansing Points, Qin Feng gave a self-mocking smile.
The rent was pressing down on him like fire at his heels, and he did not even have enough Cleansing Points to sharpen the scissors.
Being poor really was the greatest original sin.
Whether this muddy water was a honey trap or a Feast at Hong Gate, he had to wade into it.
Maybe... it could even be some performance delivered right to his door.
Feeling the icy touch of the Scissors of Truth on his right arm, Qin Feng finally felt at ease.
He pulled on a T-shirt and headed straight out.
Liu Yan lived on the fifth floor of the neighboring building, so it did not take him long to get there.
Standing before apartment 501's security door, Qin Feng did not knock immediately. Instead, he closed his eyes and concentrated.
An icy aura, like something leaking from a morgue drawer, seeped from the cracks around the door in thin strands. It carried a rotten, fishy sweetness, and the source of that undisguised malice clearly pointed inside.
Once he had a grasp of the situation, he raised his hand and knocked on the door. "Knock, knock, knock."
The door opened with a creak, revealing Liu Yan's heavily made-up face through a narrow gap.
Her face was puffy and an unhealthy pale, while thick foundation desperately concealed the corpse-like dark circles beneath her eyes.
An extremely stiff smile hung on her face, the corners of her mouth stretched into an unnaturally wide arc, as if invisible strings were pulling them apart.
"Little Qin, you're here. Come in," Liu Yan said, stepping aside and opening the door fully.
A stronger wave of coldness mixed with cheap perfume washed over him. Beneath the perfume was a deliberately concealed stench, foul and rancid like rotting mud.
Without revealing anything, Qin Feng played the familiar role of a poor student with a bit of social anxiety and stepped inside awkwardly.
Heavy curtains covered the living room windows, sealing the place airtight. The air was so stuffy it made his chest feel tight.
"Big Sis, what did you need me for?" Qin Feng stood in the entryway, looking somewhat at a loss.
"Oh, don't just stand there. Come in." Liu Yan was overly enthusiastic as she invited him further inside, then turned to pour him some water.
"Here's the thing, Little Qin." Liu Yan handed him the cup and deliberately leaned closer, bringing a chill with her. "I want to move the bed in my bedroom, but I really can't manage it alone. You're young and strong. Can you help your big sister out?"
The bed in the bedroom?
Qin Feng sneered inwardly. The source of that coldness and malice was coming from the bedroom.
"Sure, Big Sis. No problem!" Qin Feng agreed readily. He raised the cup and pretended to take a sip, using the corner of his eye to survey the living room's layout.
"That's wonderful. Come with me." Seeing him agree, Liu Yan's stiff smile seemed to become a little more genuine as she stood and led him toward the bedroom.
The moment the bedroom door opened, the stale coldness inside was almost tangible, making his head spin. The curtains there were drawn as well, and the room was abnormally empty. Other than a large bed and a bedside table, there was nothing else.
The instant Qin Feng stepped into the bedroom, a ding rang out in his mind, and the system panel suddenly appeared!
[Weird Tale Compendium activated!] [Target locked: The Thing Under the Bed] [Danger Level: E-rank (Parasitic Type)] [Sin Points: 15] [Background Story: Beneath every person living alone's bed, there may be an "it" hiding. It longs for warm bodies, yet hates the souls sleeping peacefully above...] [Rule Analysis: It uses the bed as a medium to drain the host's life essence. When someone looks beneath the bed and shows fear, it can drag them underneath and complete the "replacement."] [Rule Loophole: It fears objects of pure yang and loathes pungent smells and intense vibrations.]
Replacement!
Qin Feng instantly understood why Liu Yan looked so haggard—and why she had truly called him over!
She had already been completely entangled by this thing, her life force being drained away. And he was the new target meant to replace her!
"Little Qin, it's this bed. Let's move it a little closer to the window."
Liu Yan pointed at the bed and urged him on.
Her eyes could not stop flicking toward the space beneath it, and a flash of undisguised fear and malice crossed her face.
"Got it."
Qin Feng answered, but did not move.
He scratched his head and spoke with an embarrassed look. "Um... Sister Liu, I'm really sorry, but can I use the bathroom first? I drank too much soy milk this morning, and I really can't hold it anymore."
The expression on Liu Yan's face visibly froze. Strong reluctance appeared in her eyes, as though she did not want him leaving her sight for even a second. But there was no way to refuse that excuse, so she could only nod stiffly. "Go quickly and come back quickly."
Qin Feng immediately turned and left the bedroom, nearly jogging into the bathroom off the living room. He locked the door behind him with a click.
Leaning against the door, he let out a long breath.
[Rule Loophole: It fears objects of pure yang.]
A thought instantly flashed through Qin Feng's mind, and his expression became strange.
"Damn it, I never thought my more than twenty years of virginity would go unused in romance, only to be used for slaying demons and monsters..."
He laughed at himself helplessly, but his gaze sharpened.
Now was not the time to worry about dignity. Staying alive was the top priority!
He quickly scanned the bathroom, his eyes locking onto a half-empty mineral water bottle in the corner.
Too bad it was not the red tea kind. It just did not have the same feel.
He unscrewed the cap and poured out the remaining water.
Hey, how could a guest arrive empty-handed? Fill it up for me!
Holding a special drink brimming with "pure yang energy," Qin Feng seemed to already see the future. "Heh heh heh!"
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