Chapter 91 The Unsolvable Curse of Room 209: He Yan, Assimilated by Ke Yan...
After Zhou Fangdong teleported to the second floor, he first opened the rental preview interface and took a look.
In room 202, He Yansheng's pixelated avatar was not huddled in a corner as usual, but was sitting on the living room sofa, reading a book.
His expression was very serious, as if he were studying some serious subject. The bandaged ghost sat beside him, the two of them leaning against each other, with one or two small pink flowers occasionally popping out from their pixelated figures, creating a very warm and cozy scene.
Seeing that He Yansheng had already gotten up, Zhou Fangdong teleported directly to room 202.
After arriving at the living room of room 202, Zhou Fangdong noticed what He Yansheng was looking at.
The room preview interface was pixelated, only showing the tenant's general movements; the book title was just a few small black pixels. In reality, however, the book title in He Yansheng's hand was clearly visible: the cover read—"On the Inevitable Connection Between the Success Rate of Resurrection Ritual and the Degree of Corpse Decomposition."
Zhou Fangdong fell silent.
He then turned to look at the books on the coffee table opposite He Yansheng.
The titles of those books are: "Random Sampling Survey Report on Paper Dolls in the Ghost Market", "Risk Prediction and Analysis Model Based on Feedback from Resurrection Ritual", and "Application Research of Supernatural Items as Substitutes for Human Bodies"...
The authors listed on these books are all Ke Yan.
Is it true that this paranoid scientist wrote a bunch of academic papers while working undercover as an investigator at the Bone Inheritance Society?
And who on earth is so free that they not only compiled Ke Yan's papers into a book, but also sent it to He Yansheng?
Just as Zhou Fangdong thought of this, a pale hand suddenly emerged from the gap between the sofa and the floor, and another booklet on the resurrection ritual was handed out.
...It turned out to be the Gap Ghost in the activity room.
When did this guy hook up with He Yansheng? And why doesn't the bandaged ghost react at all when it freely enters and exits room 202?
The human and ghost on the sofa showed no change in expression at the appearance of the Gap Ghost, clearly having become accustomed to it.
The bandaged ghost didn't move at all; it simply let a wisp of bandage hang down from its wrist, picked up the booklet, placed it on the coffee table, and then used the bandage to separate a small wisp of black mist, placing it in the gap ghost's hand.
Zhou Fangdong finally understood.
This proverb means that money can make the devil turn the millstone.
It's likely that the bandaged ghost was worried that He Yansheng would be bored, so it spent ghost coins to ask the gap ghost to find books for He Yansheng to read... finding books related to the resurrection ritual. It's very likely that He Yansheng himself suggested it; this guy still hasn't given up on resurrecting his wife.
Noticing Zhou Fangdong's arrival, He Yansheng adjusted his glasses, a smile appearing on his pale face: "Landlord, you've arrived. After these days of research, I've discovered something: human capabilities have limits. The more you care about something, the more..."
Zhou Fangdong was stunned. "Don't tell me you don't want to be a human being anymore."
Is chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) contagious? Hu Feng moved in yesterday, so he shouldn't have had any contact with He Yansheng, right?
Hearing Zhou Fangdong say this, He Yansheng was stunned for a moment: "No, I don't intend to commit suicide. I just thought of another method of resurrection from these papers. I was getting stuck on this point before. Maybe resurrection shouldn't be limited to the original human body."
With that, he closed the book in his hands, a hint of fanaticism flashing across his sickly and weak face. "I originally just wanted to read some books to pass the time, but I never expected to discover another way to bring my wife back to life! After these days of research, I have found that these theories are all feasible—all I lack now is a useful supernatural object to create a new body for my wife that can bring her back to life!"
Zhou Fangdong sighed softly.
It turns out he wasn't assimilated by Hu Feng, but by Ke Yan.
The theories He Yansheng was looking at were indeed feasible. After all, Ke Yan had already personally tested them and had come back to life in the same way. He was now researching a more suitable method of resurrection for mass production in the back building of the apartment.
Actually, they are already in the Liwan Apartment. If they really want to be resurrected, it doesn't have to be that complicated. All they need to do is have the bandaged ghost agree to become a ghost tenant... However, becoming a ghost tenant is equivalent to voluntarily becoming a ghost servant under his control.
Compared to the ghosts in the room, the ghost tenant is not only stronger and more rational, but also possesses a physical form. Aside from retaining ghostly appearances, its essence is closer to that of a human; isn't that another form of resurrection?
Mu Yuechan swallowed two cultists, gained a human body, and accepted the apartment's contract, thus becoming a ghost tenant.
If the bandaged ghost is also willing to become a ghost tenant, Zhou Fangdong wouldn't mind helping her find two cult members to return as well.
But before that, He Yansheng must pay a certain price.
To gain something, you must give something in return. Zhou Fangdong won't spoil He Yansheng like the bandaged ghost did—let He Yansheng farm for a while first.
Zhou Fangdong coughed lightly and said in a low voice, "Since you are looking for supernatural items, I happen to have some unused supernatural items here... Although their current properties may not be of much use to you, the land of the apartment can be used to modify them."
He paused for a moment, looked at He Yansheng's surprised expression, and continued, "If you want to find useful supernatural items, you need to put in your own effort. I will give you these supernatural items. Plant them in the soil and take good care of them. Maybe you will be able to harvest the supernatural items you want."
...it is impossible to obtain.
The [Cursed Shadow Play] that could shape the body has been transformed into the skill [Shadow Soul Contract], and it is now inside Zhou Fangdong's body.
After training He Yansheng for a while, he should first get the bandaged ghost's consent. If the bandaged ghost is willing, he will help her become a ghost tenant; if not... then let He Yansheng continue farming, since exercising won't do him any harm anyway.
Upon hearing Zhou Fangdong's words, He Yansheng immediately stood up from the sofa, his previously negative face now showing a look of great enthusiasm: "Just farming? Okay, I'll farm! I will definitely work hard at farming!"
Because he stood up too quickly, his frail body swayed precariously and he almost fell. It was only thanks to the bandage ghost pulling him up with his bandages that he regained his balance.
Seeing him like this, Zhou Fangdong felt even more that he had made the right choice to let him farm... If he didn't exercise, he was really afraid that He Yansheng would suddenly die one day.
"Come with me, I'll take you to the apartment garden. By the way, have you had breakfast?" Zhou Fangdong asked uncertainly.
"Okay, I've eaten." He Yansheng nodded and said to the bandaged ghost, "Wife, I'm going out for a bit. I'll be back before dark."
The bandaged ghost seemed a little uneasy, so it stood up from the sofa and stood behind He Yansheng, almost becoming one with him.
Zhou Fangdong reassured him, "Don't worry, he won't leave the apartment complex. The place where he farms is in the apartment garden."
After receiving Zhou Fangdong's assurance, the bandaged ghost slowly withdrew from He Yansheng's body and disappeared from room 202.
After the two left room 202, Zhou Fangdong first took He Yansheng to a hidden room on the second floor, asked him to wait for him outside the door for a while, and then went into the hidden room to rummage through the pile of supernatural items in the cell to find a few portable supernatural props.
These mountain of supernatural items were all salvaged by the system from that evil god's factory yesterday; they are mostly cursed items with strong side effects.
Zhou Fangdong found a pen holder and some small props like pens and toothbrushes that could be put into it from the corners.
Before leaving the hidden room, he remembered something and went back to the last cell, where he found five intermediate amulets inside his slime body.
He bought these before going to the Mirror World. At the time, he didn't realize that the Mirror World was the domain of slimes, so he never used these amulets after buying them.
After leaving the hidden room with the amulet and nine supernatural items, Zhou Fangdong gave He Yansheng two amulets, telling him to use them if he encountered danger.
The farming area is close to the back building of the apartment building. Zhou Fangdong is afraid that there are ghosts in the back building and that he is just like Ke Yan, throwing corpses out for fun and hurting He Yansheng.
The unlocked farmland area is on the left side of the tunnel entrance, opposite the garbage station.
Farm tools such as hoes, picks, and watering cans are right next to the cultivated land.
Zhou Fangdong placed the supernatural props next to the farm tools and said to He Yansheng, "After these supernatural props are buried in the soil, they need to be watered twice a day, the soil loosened once a day, and then chat with the crops for an hour."
He Yansheng's eyes lit up: "Can we talk about anything?"
“Well, just talk for as long as you can.” Zhou Fangdong didn’t understand why He Yansheng was so happy, and continued to instruct, “If the water bottle is empty, you can fill it up in the fountain next to you. Also, no matter what you see, don’t go to the back building of the apartment.”
"Okay, Mr. Landlord, don't worry." He Yansheng rolled up his sleeves, picked up a hoe, and started digging.
Seeing He Yansheng panting heavily after only a couple of digs with the hoe, Zhou Fangdong silently opened the garden beautification interface and spent another 500 ghost coins to unlock the garden bench next to the farmland.
With the benches, He Yansheng has a place to rest when he gets tired from working.
After arranging the farming matters, Zhou Fangdong teleported back to the second floor of the apartment.
He prepared to start cleaning room 209.
As soon as he pushed open the door to room 209, a familiar, nauseating smell of blood rushed out from inside. Zhou Fangdong immediately held his breath and took a few steps back.
—It smells like the blood of the Ganoderma lucidum.
Room 209 must be where that group of cultists used to cultivate Ganoderma lucidum.
After letting the smell dissipate for a while, Zhou Fangdong went inside.
Room 209 was empty, without any furniture.
As soon as he entered, Zhou Fangdong felt a chilling aura, as if he had entered an ice cellar.
The damp, sticky air was mixed with a lingering smell of blood, as well as a musty, rotten odor.
The sound of a child sobbing could be heard continuously, like a faint cry made after someone forcefully covered their mouth.
The side quest panel popped up the moment he entered room 209:
Side Quest 14: Clean and rent out Room 209
① Clean up ghost-related items and tidy up the house.
② Discard all furniture and buy new furniture.
③ Find the ghost hidden in the room and figure out the ghost's killing pattern.
④ Draft a rental agreement and find tenants to move in.
Side Quest Rewards: 500 Ghost Coins, 2000 Experience Points, 1 Random Skill Point
Zhou Fangdong casually closed the task panel and continued his inspection of room 209.
Water droplets were constantly condensing on all the walls within sight. The water flowed down the walls, leaving winding watermarks and gathering into puddles of various sizes on the ground.
Room 209 looked even more damp than the uncleaned Room 203; it was as if it had been soaked in water.
Besides the water droplets constantly seeping from the walls, clusters of mushroom-like things were growing in the corners and cracks in the floor.
Unlike the fleshy mushroom shape of the Ganoderma lucidum, these mushrooms, though also blood-red, are all shaped like children's hands. Even the fingernails are clearly visible, and they are constantly grasping, as if a real child is buried underground or in a wall, struggling and calling for help.
Upon entering, Zhou Fangdong activated his [Heavenly Eye] and immediately located the core of the supernatural phenomenon in room 209—a long, human-shaped watermark hidden in the wall, resembling a funeral procession.
Because it was Zhou Fangdong who entered room 209, this thing did not take shape to attack the intruder. Instead, it tried to hide itself and merge into the water droplets.
Zhou Fangdong directly used [Soul Absorption] on this watermark.
After successfully grabbing 500 ghost coins, he learned the origin of this thing.
Because the growth of the flesh-shaped Ganoderma requires the blood of young boys and girls to nourish it, this room is filled with the resentment of many children who died before their deaths.
The resentment turned into malevolent energy, and the mutated flesh-shaped fungus also devoured many tenants. The resentment of various people who died violent deaths intertwined and, after so many years of incubation, turned the resentment in the room into something even more ferocious than the cat ghost.
Zhou Fangdong didn't know its name, but he could see the murderous intent emanating from it.
...It's a dead end. No matter what rules are set, this room cannot be used by tenants.
Upon entering room 209, if you walk or remain standing, you will fall uncontrollably until all your bones break and your skull shatters, resulting in death—this is due to the resentment of the children who fell to their deaths in this room.
The cultists of the Bone Society have no patience to coax children, and those who believe in cults are basically psychologically twisted and inhumane perverts. To them, killing children is no different from killing small animals.
The practice of irrigating children with "meat-like fungus" only requires the blood from the neck of the child. Before beheading, some cultists would throw and beat the child to their deaths as a way to vent their anger. Many children were literally thrown to their deaths.
The child's cries that had been lingering in room 209 were also one of the factors that led to the murder.
The crying has a physical form, stemming from the fear and obsession of a child who suffocates or drowns and is unable to call for help.
As soon as the crying is heard, this tangible evil energy will approach the intruder. The sign is that the crying will become louder and louder. Eventually, the intruder will be entangled by this evil energy and will forget how to breathe, eventually suffocating to death.
The stench of blood and mold that permeated the room was also a sure-fire way to kill... These were spores of a different kind of mutated flesh-like Ganoderma lucidum, the kind of mushrooms that looked like children's hands in the corner.
Anyone who smells this aroma will become fertilizer for this mutated fleshy Ganoderma, and mushrooms resembling children's hands will grow on their bodies.
It would be even worse if you saw the watermarks on the wall resembling a funeral procession. All the murderous conditions of the malevolent energy would be activated simultaneously, until the intruder was truly 'buried'.
These mutated fleshy Ganoderma lucidum, shaped like children's hands, were easy to clean up. Zhou Fangdong only needed to use the giant blade given to him by the butcher in the ghost market to chop off all the fleshy Ganoderma lucidum in the room.
However, conditions such as crying, inability to see, and inability to walk are difficult to resolve.
Therefore, if we really want to find tenants for room 209, we can only look for disabled people who need to use wheelchairs, are blind, and are deaf.
Putting aside whether a wheelchair could even get to the second floor, in this condition, they probably couldn't even get on the ghost bus... And since they're already in such a terrible state, making them live in a haunted house and cohabit with ghosts is just too cruel.
Zhou Fangdong sighed.
In this situation, the only solution is to clear away the evil energy and then replace it with another ghost to live in room 209.
Just as he was about to make a move, Zhou Fangdong suddenly remembered something and opened the lottery interface.
He now has two lottery tickets that guarantee he'll get the ghost tenant. Since he's going to clean out the ghost in room 209 anyway, instead of wasting time finding a new ghost and then another tenant, he might as well just let the ghost tenant move in and solve the problem once and for all.
At that time, you can not only complete side quest 14 directly, but also main quest 3.
He had just finished decorating a garden bench in the garden, and now he only had 20,250 Ghost Coins left. This left Zhou Fangdong with only 250 Ghost Coins available. Having a Ghost Tenant move in would replenish his balance by 2,000 Ghost Coins, effectively alleviating his anxiety about his remaining balance.
With that in mind, Zhou Fangdong immediately used the guaranteed lottery ticket he had.
Zhou Fangdong watched the spinning wheel on the lottery interface, maintaining his [Heavenly Eye] skill while preparing to use [Shadow Soul Contract] at any moment.
Hopefully, I'll draw a less dangerous ghost tenant. If they're too rebellious, I'll have to control them with my skills first.
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