Trash Is Meant to Be Burned!

"A trade is possible, but do you really know what happened with the monster on the first floor?"

"Of course, Yuan Xing never lies."

"You don't have any other names, do you? Like Zhang San, Li Si, Er Gou, or Er Dan?"

Yuan Xing: ...

"I assure you, this is my only name, and I don't play word games. I have no interest in that thing."

Bai Yuze thought for a moment, took the key ring from behind his back, removed the key, and handed it to Yuan Xing.

"A wise choice. You can take this knife now."

Yuan Xing tossed it casually, and the knife embedded itself into the floor.

Bai Yuze pulled the knife out. It had significant weight, and it felt powerful in his grip.

"I can't leave right now, so I won't see you out. Pleasure doing business."

With a creak, the tightly shut iron door opened.

Due to the restrictions of the rules, Yuan Xing could not leave the room during this time, and Bai Yuze nodded to show he understood.

He and Yukino retreated. By the light of the hallway, he saw the shape of the blade clearly: it was a kukri, also known as a "big white dog leg."

Yukino wanted to speak, but Bai Yuze interrupted her.

"We'll talk when we get back."

Back in room 202, Yukino asked with a worried expression.

"What now? That thing isn't here."

"We already got what we wanted."

"We did? You mean this knife?"

"Of course. There was never any 'that thing.' I never once described what 'that thing' looked like; I said it on purpose for Yuan Xing to hear."

Bai Yuze's words left Yukino confused. She didn't understand how Yuan Xing knew about the three of them coming or their purpose.

"Do you remember the stairs? Tell me your impression of them."

Bai Yuze pulled a pen and paper from his pocket and doodled on it.

"Emmm, sticky, slippery, damp, and pitch black... You mean 'pitch black'? Could it be that Yuan Xing's eyes were hiding there at that time?"

Yukino suddenly realized. The three of them had only talked about looking for "the thing" in the stairwell, and the schedules of the second-floor and first-floor residents were opposites. That was the time when Yuan Xing could move freely, so it made sense for him to control his own eyeball to act as a surveillance camera.

"Then why did Yuan Xing help us stop Zhu Daqiang? If he hadn't intervened, we would have died."

When the three of them went up, it was exactly during the active hours of the eerie residents; it was no different from walking into a tiger's den.

"Because he also wants to leave this place. The eerie entities here can be understood as fragments of souls from when these people were alive; they still retain a portion of their consciousness and intelligence."

"Now that we have the weapon, can they still leave?"

Yukino's body tensed. She didn't look at Bai Yuze when she asked this, but stared fixedly at a mass of gas near the ceiling.

"There is one other way: the two eerie entities kill each other, and only one can survive. But I don't think they will act; after all, rivals often share a mutual respect. It's a pity they are destined to stay here forever."

"Why can only one survive? Is there no other way?"

"No. Strictly speaking, each floor can only accommodate one eerie entity, but this floor has two. This indirectly keeps the two entities in a state of mutual restraint."

Bai Yuze also turned his head, keeping his attention away from Yukino.

At that moment, the gas at the top of the room gradually dissipated.

"Hahaha, two idiots! Did you really think I, Zhu Daqiang, was as weak as that piece of trash? My ability ignores both day and night!"

In room 207, after Zhu Daqiang retracted the mass of gas, he danced with joy. He had long since grown tired of this dump, but he could never find a way to escape.

But now it was different; he knew his chance had arrived!

"Rivals sharing mutual respect? Bah! I feel sick just looking at that guy, but I really do have to thank him. So, I've decided to present my 'beloved' rival with a grand gift!"

"The winner! Only I shall be the winner!"

Inside room 202, Bai Yuze and Yukino exchanged a glance, both blinking at each other in silent understanding.

The night continued. After a while, Tuanzi pushed the door open in a rush.

Seeing Tuanzi panting, Bai Yuze quickly gave up his seat for her.

"Huff, huff, huff... I brought what you wanted."

"Thank you so much. You aren't hurt, are you?"

Bai Yuze instinctively grabbed Tuanzi's arm, carefully checking for any wounds.

"Ah... n-no need... I'm fine! I threw the candy at that monster, and it really stopped chasing me!"

Tuanzi shyly pulled her arm back and recounted what happened on the first floor to Bai Yuze.

After listening, Bai Yuze finally let out a sigh of relief.

Just to be safe, he reached out and rummaged through Tuanzi's pocket, finding the white sugar granules he had specifically placed there still intact.

"Mm, you are indeed Yuigahama Yui."

"What is that supposed to mean! I barely escaped with my life, and this is when you finally believe me?"

Tuanzi was a little angry; although she could understand Bai Yuze's actions, she was still upset.

I was downstairs playing a battle of wits with monsters, and what were you two doing upstairs? Dating?

"There was no other way. After all, this task could only be completed by you; it was something neither Yukino nor I could do."

Bai Yuze looked at Tuanzi with sincere eyes, his words coming straight from the heart.

"Re... really?"

Tuanzi's mood shifted from cloudy to sunny. The thought that she, in her weakness, had been able to help the two people she cared about made her feel wonderful.

"Of course!"

After all, who would bother to care where a little fool went?

Of course, Bai Yuze did not say this part out loud.

"Still, Yukino is quite ruthless... impressive, to have come up with this plan."

Bai Yuze wiped the non-existent sweat from his forehead, thinking to himself that he should stop provoking Yukino in the coming days, or else he would be in trouble if she took revenge!

"I'll take that as a compliment. One must use thunderous means when dealing with enemies. Besides, I naturally have no pity for people who continue to cause trouble for others even after they are dead!"

Yukino brushed back her hair, her heroic and spirited aura instantly surging.

Bai Yuze looked at the materials for the Molotov cocktails before him, his thoughts drifting back to that earlier scene.

"I have a plan!"

"Go on."

Bai Yuze was somewhat curious about Yukino's plan.

"Heh, these guys who continue to cause trouble for others after death aren't worth any sympathy. They should be collectively labeled as trash, and trash is meant to be burned."

"You mean to burn them to death directly with Molotov cocktails?"

Bai Yuze was stunned. Although the prerequisite for clearing this floor was to kill the two anomalies, he hadn't expected to burn them alive.

"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. For those who block the path, you either make them move aside, or you make sure they can never block anyone's path again."

"Good idea, but you said it was cruel earlier..."

"Just a bit of praise preceded by criticism."

Looking at Yukino, who had stated this plan with such composure, Bai Yuze suddenly recalled that saying.

"There are no girls from the Yukinoshita Family who break up, only widowed wives."