"Friends inside the room, please open the door."
"I'm in the same situation as you. It's already daylight now, those ghostly things are gone, and it's safe outside."
The knock was clean and crisp, made with fingers. The voice was sincere and strong. Besides, it was daytime now...
Wu Xian judged there was a ninety percent chance the person was alive—but caution was still necessary.
So, with a toothbrush clenched between his teeth and his middle finger raised—ready to cast a fire spell at any moment—he slowly pulled open the door.
Outside stood a man with a shaved head, a broad forehead and thick neck, muscular and sturdy. His upper body was clad in a dark green short-sleeve shirt stretched taut over his muscles, and his lower body wore tactical pants loaded with several pockets. He glanced at Wu Xian, who looked as if his kidneys were failing, and froze for a moment. Then a flicker of disappointment and displeasure crossed his face.
Wu Xian realized raising his middle finger was quite rude.
So, to cover up, he used that same finger to pick his nose.
"Get ready quickly and come out with me. Daytime safety is precious. We need to talk with all the survivors to figure out how to survive in this cursed place."
The man snorted coldly and turned to knock on other doors.
"Okay, I'll finish brushing my teeth and come out."
The man's body stiffened for a moment.
...
When Wu Xian stepped outside, the muscular man was already knocking on other doors. Taking advantage of the moment, Wu Xian scanned his surroundings.
They were on the fourth floor of a hostel with eight rooms in total, all with the same old-fashioned redwood doors. Room numbers were nailed to the wall beside each door. The corridor was spacious, the floor tiled with yellow ceramics, and three yellowed lamps hung from the ceiling. The staircase to the left led to rooms 401 to 404, then the corridor turned back to rooms 405 to 408.
Wu Xian was in Room 406. The door next to him, Room 405, had been violently broken down—apparently, that was where the person who died last night had stayed. No wonder the agonized sobbing had been so clear.
Wu Xian also noticed that the floor and walls of the corridor were covered in dried mud stains. Most were completely dry, but a few patches had just solidified. However, almost all the doors remained spotless, without any mud splashes.
While the muscular man was distracted, Wu Xian dipped his hand into some of the still-wet mud.
"It's cement…"
"The initial setting time for cement is at least forty minutes. That means the ghost named Yu Yinghua must have left at least half an hour before dawn."
The muscular man did not notice Wu Xian's subtle action.
He led Wu Xian as they knocked on other doors. One by one, those hiding inside came out. Eventually, nine people—six men and three women—stood together in the corridor. They were the entire group of survivors in the Ping'an Hostel.
The muscular man took on the role of leader, speaking loudly:
"My name is Qi Zhiyong, I live in Room 402. I won't waste time with nonsense. After what happened last night, you all should know the situation. I'll share everything I know and do my best to lead us all to survive."
"But my help isn't free. If you accept it, you must follow my orders. Anyone who refuses is welcome to return to their rooms."
The group exchanged glances, their expressions varied.
Some looked disdainful, others whispered among themselves, some kept their heads down clutching their companions' sleeves. A square-faced man in a suit tried to leave with a flick of his hand but was grabbed by an old man beside him.
In the end, everyone, including Wu Xian, stayed.
Qi Zhiyong nodded with satisfaction and began to share his intelligence.
"The 'Blessed Land' is a localized abnormal phenomenon that can appear anywhere in the world. The area it covers is an independent space. Until the Blessed Land ends, we cannot leave."
"Though it's called 'Blessed Land,' it's actually a hell on earth. All common sense from the outside world doesn't apply here. Ghosts roam freely, demons lurk everywhere, monsters run rampant, and some indescribable horrors exist."
"We collectively call these things 'evil spirits.'"
"The evil spirits we commonly encounter are divided into two levels: the lower level are called 'wandering spirits,' the higher level are 'great spirits.'"
"But no matter which, they can kill. Even the weaker wandering spirits. As for the great spirits… if you meet one, just pray you're lucky."
...
Wu Xian listened attentively.
Qi Zhiyong's information was useful—for example, the Blessed Land also has day and night. Daytime is relatively safe, while night is dominated by evil spirits. Fear is useless against these creatures; it only strengthens their killing power. Some spirits can disguise themselves as humans…
But even after all that, Qi Zhiyong didn't reveal a single word about the statue.
Apparently, he wasn't as open as he claimed.
"That's all the information I have," Qi Zhiyong said, scanning the group. "In the days ahead, we must unite if we want to survive. To build trust and understanding, please introduce yourselves."
"Then I'll start. My name is Wen Chao. I live in Room 401 and work at Fuyuan Polytechnic Institute's Physics Department."
The first to stand was an elderly man wearing glasses, a blue shirt, and a wool vest.
The old man pointed to the square-faced man in a suit. "This is my student Fang Zhi, he's staying in Room 407. We were supposed to catch a 2 a.m. train, so we just stopped here. Then this happened."
Fang Zhi tried to say something but was silenced by Wen Chao's stern look.
Wu Xian narrowed his eyes.
So these two had already been living at Ping'an Hostel?
That meant the disappearances related to the Blessed Land case were indeed divided into two categories.
One type was random individuals who all received mysterious text messages before vanishing. The other was regional, involving groups disappearing together.
Wu Xian belonged to the first group, while Wen Chao and Fang Zhi were part of the second.
The second to introduce himself was a slightly chubby young man.
"My name is Shi Ji. I live in Room 403 and also work at Fuyuan Polytechnic."
The young man wore a blue tracksuit, had thick eyebrows and large eyes, and his slightly broad hips gave him a simple, honest appearance—someone with no guile.
Fang Zhi looked at him in surprise. "You work at Fuyuan Polytechnic too? How come I've never seen you before?"
Shi Ji shifted awkwardly. "I'm the guy who cleans the bathrooms."
Fang Zhi didn't look down on him; instead, he pulled Shi Ji close. Since they worked at the same school, they should help each other in a place like this.
Next, the fourth person stepped forward—a man with curly hair, wearing a floral shirt and a gold chain.
"I'm He Qiong, living in Room 404. These two are with me."
He Qiong's attitude was relaxed, even a little cocky. Two beautiful girls who looked alike clung shyly to his arms from behind.
The girl with a single ponytail was the older sister, Su Huilan.
The one with twin ponytails was the younger sister, Su Huijin.
The trio drew everyone's attention. Qi Zhiyong grew wary, while Shi Ji and Fang Zhi looked envious. Having sisters like these to oneself was something that only happened in novels or anime—a dream scenario for any man.
Wen Chao sighed softly, lamenting how the world had changed and how people's hearts had grown cold.
As for Wu Xian, he noticed something interesting.
The next to introduce herself was a good-looking woman who had been shrinking into the back, clutching a protective talisman and trembling.
"I… my name is Yue Mei. I'm a nurse. Can we really survive? I have elderly family at home, and I've never been in a relationship before, I…"
Her words tumbled out in panic and confusion, her eyes full of hope as she looked at everyone—yet no one could offer her any real guarantee of safety.
After her, the only one left who hadn't introduced themselves was Wu Xian.