Unease

"Yu Jing, give me your clothes."

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At such a terrifying moment, an elegant voice came from the bathroom at the back. In an instant, Yu Jing came to his senses, and the horrifying woman's face that had been pressed against the window had vanished without a trace.

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Yu Jing's body was currently tilting slightly backward, one palm braced against the edge of the bed. His arms and calves trembled faintly, and his palms were drenched in sweat. Even when he had faced Butcher, who had mutated inside the research institute after obtaining the Bloodstained Hand Axe, Yu Jing had never felt such vivid fear.

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"Y-yes."

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Yu Jing shook his head, trying to quickly recover from his fear, then hurriedly handed the completely dried clothes into the bathroom.

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Yu Xiaoxiao walked out together with the billowing steam from the bathroom, wearing a short-sleeved shirt.

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Her damp black hair, petite and exquisite features, and fair skin exuding a delicate fragrance gave her an immaculate, fairy-like appearance. The sight left Yu Jing staring blankly at Yu Xiaoxiao.

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Seeing that the fear had not yet faded from Yu Jing's face, Yu Xiaoxiao asked, "Did something happen outside just now?"

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Yu Jing immediately looked away and replied, "Something hidden here seems to be deliberately targeting me. Just as Commissioner Lu Chuan said, this inn probably locked onto me long ago. No matter where I teleport in the mountains, the inn will appear accordingly... There are still quite a few questions that need sorting out. I'll take a shower first."

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"Mm."

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Yu Jing did not encounter anything frightening again while showering in hot water. He used Plant Ability to absorb all the rainwater from his clothes. When he returned to the room, he found that Yu Xiaoxiao was already sitting on his bed, with the quilt covering her lower body.

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Yu Jing had initially thought that a young lady from a great family like Yu Xiaoxiao would dislike this dilapidated inn.

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In fact, from the very beginning, he had never seen even the slightest trace of a so-called young lady in Yu Xiaoxiao's actions and bearing.

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Yu Jing's slightly damp hair and appearance after removing his hood made him look rather sunny beneath the lamplight. Yu Xiaoxiao, sitting on the bed, also gave him a cute and charming smile when she saw him like this.

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However, just as Yu Jing sat down beside his bed, a series of metallic scraping sounds came from Yu Xiaoxiao's hands.

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A small dagger about three inches long was held in Yu Xiaoxiao's hand. She was currently using her fingernail to sharpen its edge.

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Moreover, unfamiliar characters were engraved on the dagger's surface, radiating an invisible killing intent.

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"How did your dagger get through the inspection?" Yu Jing asked, somewhat astonished.

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"Didn't Commissioner Lu Chuan say so? Parts of the body aren't restricted. The human body usually has 206 bones. The bones essential to the joints of the hands and feet are extremely important and cannot be replaced, but some bones in the body aren't necessary. For example, the ribs protect the heart, but there's no need for quite so many of them."

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Yu Xiaoxiao did not hide anything. She lifted half of her short-sleeved shirt, revealing a suture mark on her upper abdomen. It was obvious that this dagger normally replaced one of her ribs and was stored inside her body.

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"Let's act tonight. I know you're still hiding some aspects of your ability from me, Yu Jing. How about we work together and kill whatever is inside the inn?"

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The four-person team staying in the rooms on the second floor had been formed by the Physical Training Academy newcomer Jiang Pengyu. Their expressions were even more solemn as they gathered in a circle to discuss the problem before them, having already found a way to dry their clothes.

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There were three men and one woman in the team.

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Among them, Jiang Pengyu was a boy of roughly the same age who had been admitted to Medical School and looked extremely frail. The only girl was a disciple admitted to Art School. The last member was a man who appeared to be over thirty, with deep-set eyes and a face covered in stubble.

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There were three ways to obtain newcomer admission qualifications for the Dihua Ability Institute.

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First, every year, major corporations and great families that cooperated with the Ability Institute received one recommendation quota, or the Chana Empire government could submit a recommendation letter. This method granted direct admission without any review.

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Second, ordinary families or companies connected to Dihua could submit the information of the people they wished to train to Dihua's admissions office three months in advance for review. Those who met the requirements would receive an admission notice directly.

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Third, and also the method most accessible to the general public, was for the research institutes, Military Regions, directly affiliated Potential Institutes, and other authorized institutions in each district under the Chana Empire to select civilians whose bodies met the requirements through Dihua's screening measures and conduct strict testing. Those who achieved passing scores would receive admission qualifications.

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However, the third screening mechanism came with a large number of deaths.

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Yu Jing had entered through the third method, but why would Yu Xiaoxiao, who came from a great family, also participate in the testing? The reason was still unknown.

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Of the four people present, Jiang Pengyu was the descendant of an ordinary family, and his excellent physical condition had passed Dihua's internal review.

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The man and woman of a similar age beside him likewise came from medium-sized families. Only the man in his thirties had been the sole survivor of the Military Region's testing. He possessed a sturdy, powerful physique and a gaze that seemed to come from hell.

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"None of us should have any experience fighting real ghosts. Compared with actual combat experience, this uncle who walked out of the Military Region over the corpses of his comrades should have the most. Uncle, do you have any thoughts or suggestions?" Jiang Pengyu asked.

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The uncle with deep dark circles habitually felt around for the cigarettes in his pocket. Upon discovering that all external items had been confiscated, he let out a faint sigh and furrowed his brows.

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"When I entered this inn, I realized that it was several times more dangerous than the nightmares I'd experienced in the Military Region. Based on my experience, we should proceed from two points.

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"First, find the old woman from earlier, who had no living person's aura but moved just like a living person, and ask her for information. Naturally, this is the most dangerous option.

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"Second, I feel that among the two people earlier, the less conspicuous young man has something wrong with him. Although he hides it well and doesn't attract attention, he seems to know something about the mystery of this inn. The four of us can try working with him to learn more information and ensure our safety."

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"After all, none of us here has any experience fighting real ghosts. That's my opinion... Actually, there's another point that's extremely disadvantageous to us. There are a total of eight hundred people in the Physical Training Academy. According to what the commissioner said earlier, the ghosts in the mountainous region around Dihua number in the single digits. On average, that should mean one ghost for every hundred people."

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"But now, counting the two people upstairs, there are only six of us trapped in this area... In theory, our situation is extremely dangerous. The possibility that we'll all die here is over ninety percent."

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The soldier, who had witnessed mountains of corpses and seas of blood in the army, spoke with a grave expression. His words made the four-person team feel increasingly tense.

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"If that's the case, let's try contacting Yu Jing and the others! As for Miss Yu's temper, everyone just needs to be a little patient..."

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"Shhhhh!"

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At that moment, the television nearby switched on by itself, and the ceiling light in the room dimmed.