Chapter 86: “Letting You Stay the Night? Absolutely Not!”
While eliminating the rabbit-eared savage ghost, Zhang Yangqing had been carefully observing the curly-haired woman’s reactions.
He wasn’t killing just for the sake of killing—there was strategy behind it.
If the ghost and the woman were enemies, then killing the ghost would earn him her goodwill.
In the supernatural world, raising favorability with certain figures could grant unexpected advantages for other chosen ones.
For Zhang Yangqing? It meant gaining intel.
Right now, he knew nothing about this world beyond the rules.
The curly-haired woman was clearly a native here—she had to know something.
That was his reasoning, and it was also why many other chosen ones had chosen to save her.
From his observations, when he killed the rabbit-eared ghost, the woman’s expression had visibly relaxed, as if a weight had been lifted.
That made her words fairly credible—though he still wouldn’t take them at face value.
Zhang Yangqing’s principle was simple: first, remember what she said. Then, find ways to verify it.
Only then could he determine whether she was friend or foe.
It was an effective approach.
Because of the ongoing conversation and fight, the motion-sensing lights in the hallway had stayed on.
But the moment things quieted down, the lights flickered off—and Zhang Yangqing suddenly felt countless pairs of eyes fixated on him.
Greedy. Bloodthirsty. Bone-chilling.
He had violated Rule 7: When going downstairs, pay attention to whether the hallway lights are on. Leave the corridor before the lights go out.
This was likely the trigger for supernatural activity—perhaps some strange creatures would attack him.
But when the curly-haired woman stood up, her movements reactivated the lights, and the eerie eyes instantly vanished, as if they’d never existed.
Still, Zhang Yangqing had noticed something: those eyes seemed to peer from behind the closed doors—specifically, through their peepholes.
Not that he cared.
“Thank you. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you,” the woman said gratefully.
Only now did Zhang Yangqing properly study her.
Her shoes were damp—it was still raining outside, so she must’ve just returned.
Otherwise, she seemed normal. Just an ordinary person.
“No problem. Just a small favor. This place isn’t safe—let’s talk somewhere else.”
With that, he led her back to his apartment.
But this wasn’t just about hospitality. Zhang Yangqing was running a test.
He wanted to see how the black cat would react to her.
According to the rules, the black cat was likely a ward against evil—it would respond to supernatural beings or anomalies.
Since the rules explicitly mentioned it, there had to be truth to it. Rules were absolute in this world, the foundation of survival for chosen ones.
As it turned out, when the woman entered, the black cat remained lazily curled up in the corner, still asleep.
So, for now at least, she wasn’t a threat.
For now being the key phrase.
This was a three-star difficulty scenario, and one keyword stood out: “corruption.”
She might be safe now, but that could change.
So Zhang Yangqing wasted no time gathering intel.
First, he asked what had happened in her apartment.
Recalling the events made her shiver.
Like Zhang Yangqing, she was a “tenant” here.
She usually returned around 10 p.m. and had lived here for about a week.
That part seemed believable—her shoes hadn’t even dried yet.
But tonight, when she got home, she found two strange people inside.
They called her “daughter” and invited her to eat—except there was no food in sight.
And the way they looked at her? Like they wanted to eat her.
She’d gotten angry, demanding to know why they’d broken into her place.
An argument broke out, and when she realized she couldn’t win, she fled.
One detail stood out: “She couldn’t win”—not that she was scared into running.
This suggested the woman wasn’t some helpless civilian either.
If she could hold her own against a savage ghost, she clearly had some skills.
Then again, this was the supernatural world—that made sense.
You wouldn’t last long here without some ability to defend yourself.
For now, Zhang Yangqing classified her as “same faction”—after all, they were both “tenants” living in equally bizarre conditions.
After hearing her story, Zhang Yangqing pressed further: “Have you heard any rumors about the apartment I’m staying in?”
This was the real reason he’d brought her inside.
None of the rules mentioned the strange decorations in the bedroom.
Many chosen ones might assume those items were harmless.
Zhang Yangqing believed the opposite—those odd decorations were likely hidden rules.
The challenges ahead wouldn’t be straightforward, and those images might hold clues for survival.
The more intel he gathered, the better he could deduce the identities and stories behind those portraits.
What the woman said next gave him plenty to think about.
Zhang Yangqing’s apartment was Unit 7-4.
An extremely unlucky number.
The woman lived in Unit 9-2.
The building had 12 floors, mostly occupied by “tenants,” with a few “residents” mixed in.
The previous occupants of 7-4 were a family of three—their exact identities unclear.
According to the woman, it was a blended family: a father and son, later joined by a woman who married the father.
She also mentioned the man had violent tendencies and often abused the woman.
But since she was just a tenant who hadn’t lived here long, that was all she knew.
Zhang Yangqing then asked about the community cafeteria or supermarket—and whether anything strange happened there.
Without knowing how long he’d be stuck here, food was a necessity.
Hunger in the supernatural world actually weakened you.
As a veteran, he knew only rule-sanctioned food was safe—everything else was a gamble.
The cafeteria and supermarket were key.
And this scenario’s requirement was ridiculous: only a balanced meal (meat + vegetables) could stave off hunger.
After thinking, the woman replied: “The supermarket owner is a vegetarian—he only sells plant-based food. The cafeteria owner only serves meat.”
Zhang Yangqing nodded. No wonder the rules demand both—they’re making me run back and forth?
“Oh, one more thing,” she added. “Both the supermarket and cafeteria serve food at noon sharp—and supplies are limited.”
“Are there no other options in the community?”
“No. Just those two.”
“What about you? Do you eat meat or vegetables?”
“I balance both.”
That was all the intel she could provide.
After processing this, Zhang Yangqing fell deep into thought.
In other words, if chosen ones didn’t want to starve, they’d have to fight for those limited supplies.
A brutal challenge—many chosen ones would struggle to be in two places at once, especially since the two locations were reportedly far apart.
The woman returned around 10 p.m. nightly, so she clearly had her own ways of getting food—but her methods wouldn’t work for him.
Just like how most of the food in his apartment was meant for the cat.
Since she returned late, she couldn’t help him procure meals. He’d need to find other allies.
As he pondered, the woman suddenly made a request: “Can I stay here tonight?”
Zhang Yangqing refused outright and promptly kicked her out.
Rule 8 was crystal clear: The bedroom is absolutely safe—but only if you’re alone inside.
No sane chosen one would risk breaking that rule.
Not even if she had the body of a goddess. This was the supernatural world—those who thought with their lower halves died fast.
But then, the woman made another request.
One that every other chosen one would pretend not to hear—except Zhang Yangqing.
She asked him to help clear out or drive away the remaining savage ghost in her apartment.
To other chosen ones, this was a death wish.
To Zhang Yangqing? Easy.
Letting you stay the night? Absolutely not.
But helping you kill something? Sure, why not?
He’d already slaughtered one—what was one more?
