Introductions mattered.
They shaped the first impression people had of you.
So Wu Xian decided to make a bad first impression.
"Ahem, cough, cough... I'm Wu Xian. I came to Fuyuan to seek medical treatment. My health isn't very good, so I'll be counting on all of you to help me out."
Wu Xian didn't know enough about the blessed land, and he didn't completely trust Qi Zhiyong's account. So, for now, he planned to keep a low profile and hide his true self.
The people standing beside Wu Xian edged away when they heard this. Only Yue Mei, who was a nurse, looked at him with concern.
Wu Xian frowned. "Why me?"
Wen Chao was old and frail, but he was levelheaded and well-read. Old men like him could always prove useful in unexpected ways.
Wu Xian licked his lips. This wasn't a statue—it was a living person, trapped in cement!
He tentatively asked, "Can you speak?"
Wu Xian searched the room briefly and picked up a phone with a pink case from the floor. He held it up to the sunlight and easily cracked its pattern lock by following the greasy marks left on the screen.
Wu Xian walked over, picked up a piece of wood, and poked it.
"Is this user called Overbearing Little Puppy her boyfriend? Twenty-five transfers in seven days. Tsk, what an idiot. He's obviously a scumbag. He's manipulating you, girl."
"Lu Yuzhu, twenty-six. She'd been working for just two years—right in the prime of her life."
Getting exclusive, firsthand information might help him survive in the blessed land.
Either the way they entered the blessed land differed, or the restrictions they faced were different.
Wu Xian's face reddened slightly. "My kidneys aren't in great shape."
Qi Zhiyong immediately shut his mouth.
Qi Zhiyong led Wu Xian to the door of Room 405.
Qi Zhiyong nodded in satisfaction, then stood off to the side and waited for Wu Xian to report his findings.
You were the one who wanted to play the fool and catch the tiger off guard.
Looks like you overdid it!
Whenever he thought of Wu Xian, Qi Zhiyong frowned.
After waiting a little while, Qi Zhiyong started to lose patience.
As for Wu Xian...
Yue Mei shook her head sympathetically. There was nothing she could do to help.
That was that.
"Wait. Don't leave yet."
"Daytime is relatively safe, and that time is precious. We need to use it to gather information, weapons, food, and drinking water."
"Since we're all still alive, that means the evil spirits can't break down doors at will. But the occupant of Room 405 was attacked in his room last night. For everyone's safety, I need you to go into Room 405 and find out why he was the one who died last night."
While the survivors introduced themselves, Qi Zhiyong had been watching them all.
But either way, the phone belonged to Wu Xian now. It could prove extremely useful.
But she kept moving all the same.
Wu Xian sighed.
How long did that kid plan to dawdle by the door?
The moment the thought crossed his mind, Wu Xian picked up a few large wood chips from the ground and fitted them together over the hole in the door. Then he reached around behind it and shoved hard.
Could his acting have been so bad that he'd given away his identity as a detective?
And beneath the footprints was the imprint of a woman's hand, pressed into the ground with muddy water!
Qi Zhiyong immediately scanned the other doors. Most were spotless, but the door to Fang Zhi's Room 407 bore an identical handprint.
"If you can understand me, don't blink."
To his surprise, Wu Xian didn't go straight inside. Instead, he crouched in front of the door and studied it, hand on his chin.
Shi Ji looked honest and sturdy. He'd make a good helper.
He immediately realized that this handprint was some kind of mark.
"But if you want to make it back alive, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, head back before noon. Don't wait until nightfall. Second, don't approach any statues recklessly; there's usually danger around them. Lastly, stay away from places that are too dark."
"As for why she's still alive in this state, all I can say is that evil spirits have mysterious powers. The woman hanging from that billboard across the way can still stick out her tongue even though her belly's empty."
"I need you to do something for me."
"That's the situation. Everyone can go now."
The group scattered at once. Some returned to their rooms, while others went straight outside. They weren't about to take Qi Zhiyong's word for it; they'd have to see the blessed land for themselves to know whether he was telling the truth.
"She made more than ten calls. Seems like she really needed someone to help her bear the fear."
Her tears and blinking were just biological reflexes. She had no self-awareness anymore—in other words, she was brain-dead.
The information on the phone gradually fleshed out Lu Yuzhu's image in Wu Xian's mind. He could more or less guess how a woman like her might react after suddenly arriving in the blessed land.
Without Qi Zhiyong watching him, Wu Xian felt much more relaxed.
In Qi Zhiyong's mind, the other eight had been ranked according to how useful they could be.
A gigantic footprint!
Either whatever managed the blessed land wanted to watch people suffer...
No matter how the occupant of Room 405 had died, anyone who entered the room to investigate might suffer the same fate. Qi Zhiyong only thought Wu Xian was the least useful, so he'd assigned him this dangerous task.
He Qiong had an extremely arrogant attitude. Like him, He Qiong was clearly one of the Chosen, so it was best not to provoke him. The pair of sisters who followed him were best left alone, too.
Qi Zhiyong called out to Wu Xian.
"Where does it hurt? Is there anything I can do to help?"
Qi Zhiyong waved impatiently. "Don't ask so many questions. Someone has to investigate. Didn't you just agree to follow my orders?"
Wu Xian gave a self-deprecating smile.
But Wu Xian didn't refuse, because he wanted to investigate this himself.
The hole in the door had been pressed closed by Wu Xian, leaving a clear mark on the wooden door.
Fang Zhi was young and highly educated. He should have been a useful asset, but he always looked so defiant. He was practically asking to die. Someone like that was best sent to serve as cannon fodder.
His pale skin and heavy dark circles made him look like he had severe kidney problems even without pretending to be sick—not to mention the bleeding gums he'd gotten that morning from brushing his teeth too vigorously...
The layout of this room was identical to the Room 406 where he was staying. There was nothing unusual about the furnishings, but one thing was a shocking sight.
Of the remaining five, they were probably just ordinary people who'd been swept into the blessed land.
Still, Wu Xian couldn't help wondering: why had her phone made it into the blessed land, while his had turned into origami?
The statue suddenly opened its eyes and blinked wildly at Wu Xian. Tears welled up drop by drop, darkening the cement around it.
Inside the room, beside the bed, a naked woman knelt on the floor with her chest thrust out and arms spread wide, her head lifted as though she were flying. Her arms had been shaped into wings. She looked lifelike, a true work of craftsmanship.
It was a cement statue.
Even if he was a little unhappy about it.
This was a strange guy. Even though he was in danger, he didn't seem very tense. He looked like a sickly weakling, yet he'd provoked Qi Zhiyong as soon as they met... He was nothing but useless garbage.
Wu Xian had been looking forward to exploring the place for a while. With a smile on his lips, he was about to head downstairs.
She'd answered Yu Yinghua last night. She might even have let her in!
Yue Mei knew some first aid, but she was too emotionally unstable and might cause trouble at a critical moment, so she couldn't be entrusted with any major responsibility.
With someone like Wu Xian, who was so proactive, Qi Zhiyong even took the steel wire from his clothes. But an ordinary woman like Lu Yuzhu, who was panicking, had been allowed to bring in something as useful as a phone.
Seeing his expression, Wu Xian suddenly understood.
The statue kept blinking wildly. Wu Xian pulled her lips apart and saw that her mouth was packed with cement.
The evil spirits had set their sights on Fang Zhi. He was the one who'd die tonight!
After inspecting the door, Wu Xian entered the room. Qi Zhiyong hesitated and didn't follow. He was far more useful than Wu Xian and couldn't risk himself carelessly.
New chapters every day at 5:00 p.m. and 5:05 p.m. Two chapters daily during the new-book period, so don't complain that it's too few. Stories of this type really aren't easy to write.
Seriously...
Before you continue