"My Corpse"

It seemed his guess had been right: the way through this intersection lay inside this shop.

It was just that the price...

Well, the things it asked for weren't exactly fatal. If he only bought one item, he could still live without a section of intestine or a kidney. Even the liver—the most dangerous one to lose—could keep the body alive if a third of it was missing.

But honestly, Zhou You didn't want to give his organs to anyone. And from the look of this shop, there probably wasn't anything like an operating room. Who knew how the old woman planned to take those things out?

What was more, judging by what she'd said earlier, the odds of her ripping him off were far higher than the odds of her doing honest business with him.

So...

Seeing Zhou You hesitate, the shopkeeper gave him a very kindly smile.

"What is it? Haven't found anything to your liking?"

The tone was friendly enough, but he couldn't help shivering.

It felt less like she was asking, "Have you made your choice?" and more like, "What would you like to become?"

Zhou You had no desire to turn into the head in that jar of formalin, so he quickly pushed the suspiciously human-skin catalog back and smiled.

"I did see a few things I like, but right now... I'm a little short on cash. I can only pick one."

As he spoke, Zhou You tapped the catalog lightly.

At last, the shopkeeper gave a satisfied smile.

"You have excellent taste, sir. So, how do you plan to pay? We never overcharge our customers. This item will only cost you both your legs, one eye, or..."

But before she could finish, the system answered on Zhou You's behalf.

He opened his hand, revealing something in his palm.

The soul crystal, which had originally been just a number, had become a dark, solid block in the real world.

The shopkeeper's smile briefly froze, then grew even more radiant.

"Is that... a high-quality Refined Yin Block? Tsk, tsk, you don't see these often nowadays. Ever since those Bull Noses all died out, hardly anyone's been able to refine Yin into something tangible... This item can be bought with that, too. So, then..."

The shopkeeper beckoned, and a jar on the shelf floated over to her. Its lid opened by itself, and amid a familiar stench, a pale hand trembled as it reached out and placed the item on the counter.

It was the Blood-Stained Knife.

At first glance, it was just a small, exquisite dagger, pitch-black and utterly ordinary in design. But when Zhou You gripped its handle, a strange urge suddenly arose in him.

—To plunge the dagger into his own flesh, dig out his organs bit by bit, and let the blood soak every inch of the blade...

Wait. What was I thinking?

Zhou You abruptly raised his head, only to see the shopkeeper's eerie smile.

"Well? Does it suit you?"

Zhou You stared at her malicious eyes for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled back.

"I'm very satisfied. If I could, I'd give you a five-star review: one star for the product, four for the service. But by the way..." He tucked the dagger into his clothes, then casually added, "Is your shop open at night?"

"...Why do you ask?"

At the shopkeeper's wary expression, Zhou You smiled as casually as ever.

"It's nothing in particular. I saw a few other things I liked, but as I said, I'm a little short on cash right now. I'll probably have enough by tonight, so I wanted to ask whether you're open then."

But for the first time, the shopkeeper seemed uncertain.

"I'm open... but I should warn you, if you come by tonight, be careful. Things have been unsettled at night lately. My shop is well hidden, and it can block their senses to some extent, but ultimately, I don't want to attract those beings. You can come here to shop, but don't cause trouble for me. Understand?"

Her words were full of menace.

The system's prompt sounded the next second.

"Attention: The player has unlocked the nighttime route: Ghostly Granny's Shop. The player may ignore the nighttime restriction and reach this area."

Zhou You replied with utmost sincerity.

"Don't worry. I won't cause you any trouble."

"Not a bit."

Now that he had the clue he needed to get through, Zhou You couldn't be bothered to find somewhere to hang himself. He simply waited for dusk to arrive. When he opened his eyes again, he was still in the security office.

But unlike during the day, the security office showed no signs of damage at night. Everything seemed just as it had been before he left. Zhou You walked around the room, then stopped in front of the old television and knocked on the screen.

Perfectly intact.

"It was such a mess during the day. How did everything return to normal at night? Even if someone cleaned up, they could've put the tables and chairs back in place, but I remember this TV was completely smashed. How could it be in perfect condition? Even replacing the screen wouldn't leave no trace at all."

"So..."

The corner of Zhou You's mouth lifted into a playful smile.

"Could I make the bold assumption that day and night are actually two different spaces?"

He looked down at the security uniform he'd changed back into.

"Or, to be even bolder, could even I be two different people?"

Of course, no one could answer his questions. Not until some time later, when a knock suddenly sounded at the door.

Zhou You looked up and noticed the security team captain huddled at the entrance.

—It was a rather amusing sight. The captain was at least six feet tall, with a fierce-looking face. With his gleaming bald head, he could intimidate an entire row of shopkeepers just by standing there. Yet now he was crouched inside the doorway like a quail, peeking into the security office now and then with terrified eyes.

The contrast was almost...

...Well, not cute at all.

Zhou You took a step forward, and the captain immediately shuddered.

"Hmm?"

Zhou You took another step, a little heavier this time, and the captain trembled even more violently.

As if he'd found an amusing game, Zhou You made his steps bigger and bigger. The captain grew more and more frightened, until he looked ready to burst into tears.

At last, Zhou You stopped in front of him and suddenly grinned.

"Hey, Captain, what are you crouching here for? It's freezing outside. Come on, come inside and sit down..."

Who could've expected a scream in response?

"Don't touch me!"

The captain stumbled backward, shaking all over, his expression on the verge of collapse.

"You shouldn't be here! You absolutely shouldn't be here! It's impossible, impossible! You can't possibly still be alive. I saw your corpse with my own eyes—"

At that, the captain suddenly glanced into the room. His face changed at once. Scrambling to his feet, he fled as if trying to get away from something utterly terrifying.

Zhou You instinctively wanted to stop him, but the system prompt sounded at the same time.

"Attention: You cannot interfere with this entity's actions today. If you force your way in, this scenario will immediately fail..."

The description had changed again from "temporarily" to "today."

And also...

"—Why was he so certain that I was dead? And what did he mean by saying he'd seen my corpse?"