CHAPTER 64: CHAPTER 47: TOP FLOOR

Xu Yichao’s hand rested on the doorknob, pressing the lock extremely slowly and gently pushing the door open bit by bit.

Sang Que held her breath and gripped the fruit knife tightly, ready to strike at any moment.

Fortunately, they went unscathed. They didn’t look, didn’t touch, didn’t trigger any terrifying rules, and successfully left Room 502.

After the door was closed again, both Sang Que and Xu Yichao’s hearts were pounding wildly in the silent night.

Swallowing, Xu Yichao asked, "What was inside just now?"

"Not sure."

Sang Que’s answer left Xu Yichao momentarily stunned, but he decided it was better not to ask, as Sang Que had said before, knowing too much does no good.

The bottle of rooster blood that Sang Que had poured earlier was still on the ground, but all other rubbish had disappeared. She picked up the bottle, took out two red strings soaked inside and wrapped them around her arm, handing the remaining blood to Xu Yichao.

"I’m going to check the public restroom. This is rooster blood, it can repel filthy things. If it’s not enough... you’re a child, right?"

Xu Yichao was momentarily stunned but quickly understood, blushing, "I’m not even an adult yet, sister!"

"Child’s urine is also effective, it can also break ’Ghost Wall’. At most five minutes, if I don’t come out, you must leave on your own."

Having said that, Sang Que handed Xu Yichao the tenant guidelines, tenant registration form, and Zheng Letian’s phone, then headed towards the distant public restroom, carrying a crowbar.

Xu Yichao opened his mouth, then swallowed his words. He wanted to ask how child’s urine could break ’Ghost Wall’. Was it to urinate while walking, leaving a trail behind?

*

On each floor of this building, the layout of the public restrooms is the same. In the middle, there are two rows of taps and sinks, with the men’s restroom on the left and the women’s on the right.

Drip... Drip...

The classic sound of dripping water, along with the mirror above the sink and the partitions in the women’s restroom, all are classics of horror movies.

Sang Que restrained her imagination and stepped inside.

It was as if she had entered another unusually quiet world. The cold, damp feeling hit her face, carrying the distinctive mildew stench of the restroom.

In the mirror above the sink, a figure darted into the women’s restroom. Sang Que turned her head, seeing only a glimpse of a blue hem.

Sang Que adjusted her mask and first headed towards the men’s restroom.

Before she even got inside, she heard the sound of running from within, like that of a child.

Carefully, Sang Que peeked halfway inside, seeing urinals at the entrance filled with rotting rats, wriggling maggots, and flies buzzing as they were disturbed.

The wall was yellowing, the partition wooden doors of the squat toilets were broken and tattered, some had fallen to the ground, some were half-hanging on the door, and others were tightly shut.

Could there be a flushing sound next?

Sang Que thought to herself, and sure enough, there was a flushing sound coming from the innermost tightly closed partition.

Sang Que paid no attention, glancing around briefly before turning away. Black Mountain Village had already taught her not to have any deadly curiosity.

After taking just two steps, all the taps in the sink area suddenly turned on, murky water quickly filling the sinks and overflowing.

Plop! Plop!

There were footsteps in the water, wet footprints appearing in the distance, quickly rushing towards Sang Que.

Sang Que stood still, timing it just right to swing her fruit knife in a sweeping motion.

Splash!

A pool of foul-smelling water burst apart out of thin air in front of Sang Que, the ghost soldier talisman imprint on the fruit knife fading slightly.

The sound of running water ceased, and the sink returned to its dry, waterless state.

"The water in the restroom is indeed not ’clean.’

Sang Que walked straight into the women’s restroom. As she turned a corner, blood stains dragged across the floor came into view. Her gaze followed the trail, stopping at the second-to-last stall, where a mass of black hair slowly withdrew underneath.

Sang Que only stood at the entrance, inspecting inside without intending to go in. Most horror movies feature protagonists who fall prey to curiosity, allowing filth to take advantage of them.

Logically, this should be 404, but it clearly lacked the ’village resentment’ she sought.

Sang Que had no idea what ’village resentment’ should look like. Suddenly, she had a surge of impulsivity to cut her hand and let her blood drip, imagining that ’village resentment’ might smell it and come looking for her.

Never mind, let’s take a look at the forbidden top floor.

*

Outside the restroom.

Xu Yichao tightly hugged Sang Que’s Tang Cross Blade, trembling slightly as he huddled in a corner, periodically checking the time on his phone.

Two minutes later, seeing Sang Que emerge from the restroom, Xu Yichao let out a sigh of relief and went up to greet her.

"How did it go, resolved?"

Sang Que shook her head, "Keep heading upstairs."

They ascended another floor, where the time showed six in the afternoon, the blood-red rays of the setting sun illuminating the interior, adding to the eerie atmosphere.

Sang Que and Xu Yichao cautiously followed the rules from the tenant guidelines, exploring floor by floor. Sang Que’s caution and self-restraint helped them avoid many dangers.

Five minutes later, they reached the top floor of the Skywell Building, which was the seventh level, but on this level, all the room numbers started with 8.

On this level, the time was four in the morning, with thick clouds overhead obscuring the moon.

Everything on the floor, including the restroom, was sealed off with wooden boards, on which a variety of yellow talisman papers fluttered slightly in the chilling wind.

"Hiss—what kind of Evil Ghost requires such a grand setup? Are we even going in?"

To be cautious, Sang Que held Xu Yichao back at the stairway, not daring to formally step onto the top floor, to avoid triggering any rules and invoking security guard Old Tian’s presence.

"Twist open the bottle of rooster blood."

Sang Que set down the crowbar, tucked the fruit knife into her bag, and grabbed the Hunting Bow she hadn’t had the chance to use, taking out an Arrow and having Xu Yichao pour the rooster blood over the arrowhead.

"Step back."

Xu Yichao moved aside as Sang Que stood sideways, nocking the arrow with the bow facing down, glancing at the restroom directly opposite the stairway, taking a deep breath.

Raising the bow, drawing the string, aiming.

Buzz!

The bowstring vibrated, the arrow whooshed through the air, all actions completed seamlessly, the blood-soaked arrow fiercely embedding itself into the clock above the opposite restroom.

Xu Yichao stared wide-eyed in amazement, "Such accuracy!"

Sang Que ignored Xu Yichao’s astonished look, frowning as she observed the distance. There was no change from the restroom over there, the rooster blood should at least somewhat restrain evil; there should be some reaction, no?

A reaction would break the rules and let her enter the top floor without needing to alarm the guard.

Sang Que felt that the abnormal time prevented them from finding the ’village resentment.’

But clearly, what controlled the time changes in this building wasn’t the clock hanging above the restrooms on each floor.

Could it be... Sang Que recalled the large grandfather clock they saw upon entering the Brother Watch Shop.

The most conspicuous place is often the most easily ignored.

"Let’s head back to the first floor, if we still can’t find it, we’ll have to give up. We must leave the village before midnight in real time."

Even though they were in two worlds, Sang Que always kept in mind what Yan Daozi had told her.

After midnight, the Evil Spirits outside would be troublesome; this modern world might also have such rules.

Just as they turned around, an ethereal and eerie opera voice echoed from behind.

"Brother Zhang—please—have mercy—on me—"

Xu Yichao’s eyes widened in horror, goosebumps rising.

Sang Que slowly turned her head back.

"Don’t let my husband and I part—I’ll pay your gambling debt—I won’t renege—"

The chilling wind whistled, various talisman papers fluttered and rustled.

The former public restroom had transformed into an opera stage, with a woman in opera costume mournfully singing on it.