The First Murder

Chapter 9: The First Murder Case

Why does it feel hot?

Mr. Wang looked down and saw that Wu Xian had a copper coin sword tucked into the small of his back.

This copper coin sword was emitting a yellow light, and its scorching heat was burning his pale flesh. His frozen flesh had long since lost feeling, so he didn't realize it until Wu Xian reminded him.

"Ah!"

Mr. Wang screamed and quickly let go of Wu Xian, retreating a few steps.

This subconscious action allowed Wu Xian to regain his mobility.

"Heh heh, I can worship God again. Should I eat a peach first this time... Or maybe not, this longevity peach is more useful to keep."

He took a bite of the large intestine and found it tasted pretty good. It had been cleaned thoroughly, without retaining its original flavor. So, he picked out the piece with the most fat and began to eat earnestly.

"We found a few survivors willing to communicate, and by talking to them, I found out the reason why this world has become like this."

The flow of time in the blessed land is problematic; daytime is shorter than nighttime!

"Anything that has killed is a weapon. Anything stained with filth like excrement, urine, black dog blood, or menstrual blood is a vile weapon."

He hurriedly ran out of the apartment door and looked up. The sky was a hazy gray, with a thin mist drifting in the air. He could vaguely see the sun hanging in the sky, slightly west of the center.

While eating, Wen Chao and Fang Zhi also talked about their discoveries from their exploration.

This evil spirit, which had cursed Wu Xian, exuded an icy aura and had survived a fall from the ninth floor, had thus died simply at Wu Xian's sword.

But when Qi Zhiyong lifted the lid of the lunchbox, his expression froze. The lunchbox was filled to the brim with large intestine rice!

The men were doing slightly better, but the three women practically had disgust written all over their faces. If they hadn't been completely out of options, they probably wouldn't have eaten this stuff in their lives.

This Suixiang was thicker and longer than the previous one, which might indicate that Mr. Wang's strength was significantly greater than his wife's.

Everyone burst into laughter, especially Wu Xian, who laughed the loudest.

But based on Wu Xian's perception, it had been no more than three hours since dawn.

Shi Ji brought the iron bucket wrapped in a quilt from behind him to the front and opened it. Inside were steaming hot iron lunchboxes.

The short sword woven from copper coins and red thread struggled to cut even tofu, but it pierced Mr. Wang's body effortlessly, like a hot knife through lard, making sizzling sounds and emitting a burnt smell.

Mr. Wang looked at his chest in terror. Two wounds emitted red light, and his flesh, like ice and snow melting under high temperatures, gradually turned into an indescribable mass of filth.

This meeting was organized by him, with the purpose of exchanging and compiling information.

"Don't respond, don't look at her!"

He immediately took out Lu Yuzhu's phone to check the time and found that it was already one o'clock in the afternoon, and the minute hand was clearly moving much faster.

He revealed a sinister grin, turned, and drew his copper coin sword, stabbing the panicked Mr. Wang twice in the chest!

Qi Zhiyong's expression changed slightly. These were today's spoils. His weapons would be distributed based on their value, while Shi Ji's meal was for everyone to share. This comparison made him seem stingy.

When the apartment door could finally be opened, and he looked back, the disgusting mass of filth had evaporated, and a white Suixiang lay on the ground.

A wandering wraith is like an adult holding a gun, while a favored one is like a child holding a gun. Although their strengths differ, the bullets they shoot are equally deadly.

Wu Xian didn't waste any time. He quickly placed the copper coin sword, which now only had eight sections of blade left, against the door lock, using its residual heat to melt the cold ice blocking the keyhole.

Wen Chao asked curiously, "Are you sure these things are effective against evil spirits?"

In this environment, someone who can cook and is willing to cook is far more valuable than imagined.

Shi Ji quickly waved his hands, "No, no, no, my food is for everyone to share."

"As for magic treasures... Heh, you'll know when you see them. These things of mine might not be effective against evil spirits, but even if they can only delay them for a moment, it might save a life."

"However, weapons from the outside world cannot be brought into the blessed land. We can only rely on what we find within the blessed land for self-defense. Normally, to be effective against evil spirits, the best is a magic treasure, followed by a weapon, then a vile weapon. If none of the above three are available, ironware can be used as a last resort."

Wen Chao was about to speak, but Qi Zhiyong knew what he was going to ask.

Today, everyone had gone out to search for supplies and found some food, but it couldn't compare to hot meals.

Wu Xian turned to go upstairs, but his peripheral vision caught sight of something outside the door, and his expression suddenly changed.

"No, wait, let's discuss..."

But looking at Shi Ji, who was honestly distributing food, he couldn't find a reason to blame him. So, he directed his resentment towards Fang Zhi and Wu Xian, who was laughing the loudest.

The evil spirit was finished.

Wu Xian chuckled. This thing was indeed suitable for Shi Ji.

He spread open the woven bag in his hand to show it, then quickly closed it. "This is the weapons I collected today, but these things are not easy to find. Therefore, whether to distribute them to everyone will depend on how much value each person can provide to the collective."

"We first tried to leave the inn and walked a short distance before being blocked by an invisible barrier. After testing in multiple directions, I determined that our range of activity is limited to the four residential areas centered around the Ping'an Hostel."

Qi Zhiyong spread his hands helplessly.

But with the current limited conditions, even if they didn't want to eat large intestines, they only had this one choice.

This meant it was already afternoon!

Shi Ji said apologetically, "The vegetable markets here are closed, and there's very little fresh produce. I managed to find a refrigerator full of frozen pig large intestines..."

"So, please show your value, everyone."

"It all began with a murder."

He had already been weakened by harming someone during the day, and then he fell from a tall building. Being exposed to the sun weakened him further. It was only in this weakened state that Wu Xian was killed by two sword strikes.

Fang Zhi's door was marked, and Wu Xian was also targeted by an evil spirit. Neither of them would live long. For now, it was time to enjoy a hot dinner.

Qi Zhiyong threw a steel pipe to Shi Ji. "This is the mop handle from the inn. I observed that they've been washing the mops in the urinal here. After years, this mop handle has become a vile weapon."

"I'm a bit timid, so I didn't get much intel. But everyone must be hungry after working so hard. I only found these ingredients, so I whipped up a dinner for everyone."

Qi Zhiyong sat at the head of the table.

But he knew the importance of priorities, so he paused before continuing.

"According to the police investigation, he dug out his own eyes. Those bloody words were his dying words, written with his finger."

"The case occurred in Huade Mingmen Estate to the north. A single man was found dead in his home, his eyes gouged out, and a line of blood written on the wall."

In this light, a wandering wraith and a human wielding a magic treasure talisman were essentially equal existences. Victory or defeat depended on whose attack landed first.

In Wen Chao's view, that barrier was incredibly miraculous and held immense research value. If it could be studied, it might lead to groundbreaking scientific achievements.

The atmosphere suddenly became a bit strange.

But even so, the evil spirit's swift demise still surprised Wu Xian.

"It's time to go back."

However, he had no need for revenge.

Fang Zhi asked sarcastically, "Do you have to contribute to the group to eat this meal too?"

"Who knows."

The first floor of Ping'an Hostel had no guest rooms, only a spacious hall. Nine chairs were arranged in the hall. The nine people who had set out in the morning to gather intel and supplies sat around the table, all present and accounted for.

"After this case, seven more people were killed within three days. All the victims had their eyes gouged out and bled to death."

"And the residents of the four surrounding residential areas all heard faint clapping sounds at midnight..."