As she spoke, Eerie Mother's slender fingers fell on his chest, her vivid nails like sharp surgical scalpels.
As her nails slashed downward, Ji Yan seemed to see his chest being cut open, blood-red darkness flooding his vision...
But then he heard a ripping sound. He was unhurt; it was only his sweater that had been torn open.
"Oh?"
"This sweater looks familiar. You're that old woman from 404's grandson."
Eerie Mother looked at the frayed threads caught on her sharp nails, her crimson lips curling slightly.
"Mother! Catch him and turn him into a 'toy'! I want a new toy!"
Eerie Child was exceptionally excited.
Ji Yan tore off the Privilege Badge on his chest. "This belongs to the Landlord..."
Before he could finish, the Privilege Badge was snatched away and crushed into pieces.
Eerie Mother smiled mockingly. "This thing might work on the residents downstairs, but to me, it's just a worthless card."
"You don't actually think that with this thing, you can run around the Apartment as you please, do you?"
Ji Yan had not expected the 8th Floor Residents to be so unreasonable.
Not only was the nighttime Privilege Badge useless,
but attacking a Player required no legitimate reason either—just a mood.
And something was very wrong.
That female eerie's eyes were filled with Killing Intent!
Just because he had exchanged a few words with her child, she should not have wanted to kill him this badly...
"If I offended you, I'll leave."
"If you want to run now, I'm afraid it's already too late."
"How durable do you think that sweater of yours is?"
The nails on Eerie Mother's fingers grew sharper and longer. As she swung them through the air, they resembled blood-red blades being drawn from their sheaths.
"Grandmother knitted this for me herself. If she finds out it's ruined, she may demand an explanation from Sister!"
"Bringing up that old woman won't scare me. Let her stand on this floor and see if she dares say a word."
"What I mean is, can I trade this treasure for my life?"
Ji Yan took out his so-called treasure from the Tool Bar and handed it to her, his eyes full of the desire to survive.
"Take a look?"
The outstretched palm opened, revealing a long nail covered in rust.
Before she could react in confusion, the nail suddenly shot forward. Ji Yan put all his strength into it, and with the enhancement of Eerie Power, it pierced her throat and sank half an inch deep.
As though it had been activated, black mist spread from the Coffin Nail. It seemed red-hot as it sizzled and burned through flesh.
Eerie Mother let out a shrill scream.
Ji Yan turned and ran.
She had not intended to spare him, so he would not hold back either.
Eerie Child was badly frightened and burst into loud tears.
Thick black blood streamed uncontrollably from Eerie Mother's neck.
She clamped the Coffin Nail between her nails and yanked it out.
"Shut up! Cry again and I'll rip your mouth apart!"
"Get back to your room!!"
Eerie Mother twisted her grotesque face toward Eerie Child and glared. Eerie Child stopped crying in fright and hurried back into the room.
"Filthy Rat, you dared to play me?"
"Do you think you can get away?"
Eerie Mother viciously crushed the Coffin Nail in her hand. Her hair rapidly lengthened and turned as white as snow, while her face completely lost its human appearance. She shot forward at terrifying speed.
Elsewhere.
Ji Yan switched on Mother's flashlight and hurried downstairs.
Hearing the hysterical roar from the stairwell, he did not dare slow down in the slightest.
After reaching the seventh floor, Ji Yan did not hesitate. He ran straight toward the end of the corridor.
Bang bang bang!!!
The door to 702 was pounded on as Ji Yan shouted, "Mr. Liu, open the door!!"
The door opened a crack.
Liu Nianqing revealed half his face. "I have a bad feeling about this. You knocking on my door in the middle of the night can't possibly mean anything good."
Ji Yan was panting heavily. "Let me in first."
"Help! A resident is trying to kill me!"
"Didn't you know that most of the residents who die every month die because they wander around at night?"
"You don't sleep at night because you enjoy thrills?"
Though he said that, Liu Nianqing still opened the door.
"Who did you provoke?"
"I'll help you this once, and after that, we're even."
After closing the door, Liu Nianqing turned to look at the disheveled Ji Yan.
Ji Yan listened to the commotion outside the door, considered his words, then slowly said, "A resident upstairs..."
The moment he heard it was the eighth floor, Liu Nianqing's face darkened.
"You said you'd help with anything except the Landlord."
The Corner of Liu Nianqing's mouth twitched. In the end, he could only grit his teeth and ask again, "Who did you provoke?"
"I swear to heaven, I was just passing by. That brat's Mother wanted to kill me, and I'm completely baffled too."
Ji Yan tried his best to make himself sound innocent.
"The family of three in 804?"
"That whole family has a terrible temper."
Liu Nianqing narrowed his eyes. "That woman couldn't possibly have developed such intense Killing Intent toward you for no reason. You must have done something!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the door behind him visibly decayed. "Liu, hand that brat over."
"I'm not in the mood to trouble you."
Liu Nianqing fell silent for a moment, then said flatly, "I don't understand what you're talking about."
"Tell your kid to stop playing marbles upstairs. It's unbearably noisy in the middle of the night."
There was a brief silence outside before Eerie Mother's gloomy voice came through. "What, are you going to protect that little Rat?"
"You pitiful widow who can barely afford rent and can't even fill your stomach—yet you still have the nerve to back someone else up?"
"That brat put a hole in his neck. You can't protect him!"
Crack, crack.
Large amounts of white hair wormed through the gaps in the decaying door, spreading over the floor as though it were about to break in.
Liu Nianqing rubbed his brow, looking utterly helpless.
He asked Ji Yan, "Did you bring the Chopper?"
"I did."
"Lend it to me."
Without another word, Ji Yan took out the Chopper and handed it to him.
Gripping the Chopper, Liu Nianqing turned and stabbed directly at a spot on the door.
A strange sound came from outside. Immediately afterward, the white hair that had wormed inside retreated like startled birds.
When the Chopper was pulled back, several drops of black blood stained the Knife Blade.
Liu Nianqing tossed it back to Ji Yan, then spoke to the person outside again. "Stop shrieking outside like a shrew."
"There's no one in my room. If the neighbors see this and gossip reaches your sensitive husband's ears, he might think I'm cuckolding him."
Eerie Mother's voice outside was nearly grinding through clenched teeth. "Liu Nianqing, if you insist on sticking your foot into this, then let's take it slow."
"I can't deal with you, but when my hot-tempered husband comes, we'll see whether you can still keep acting tough."
The sounds outside gradually faded away.
The badly decayed door returned to its original state in the blink of an eye.
Liu Nianqing shook his head, walked to the table, and poured himself a glass of water.
Ji Yan had not expected Liu Nianqing to truly stand up to the 8th Floor Residents and send her away just like that.
This favor carried some real weight!
"Mr. Liu, thanks."
Liu Nianqing said flatly, "Now we're even."
"How you drove that white-haired bitch so crazy is none of my business, and I'm not interested."
"Get out now. I need to rest."
"I want a drink of water before I leave." Ji Yan still wanted to linger for a while. For all he knew, she might be waiting outside.
Liu Nianqing shook his head. "No. You can't stay another second. Get out, now."
"So urgent?"
Liu Nianqing stopped pretending. "Obviously. If you stay any longer, that bitch's husband will be coming downstairs soon."
"My door can't stop that madman. I've repaid the favor. Whether you live or die has nothing to do with me now, so get the hell out!"
"..."
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