Chapter 68: The distinction between true and false gods is crystal clear. ...
Zhu Di received a call from Su Wan. Hearing her best friend say she was scared and wanted to come over, Zhu Di was about to agree when she suddenly remembered what Miao Zheng had said.
...Miao Zheng once said that he should not open the door for anyone, nor should he let anyone into his home.
Thinking of this, Zhu Di hardened his heart and said to Su Wan, "Wanwan, you must not go out. Just stay at home. The people from the Supervision Bureau must already know about the strange changes here. They will be here soon."
But on the other end of the phone, Su Wan acted as if she hadn't heard what Zhu Di was saying, and repeated, "Zhu Di, I'm a little scared, can I come to your house to see you?"
Even ordinary people who have never encountered paranormal events can realize that something is wrong at this time.
This time, Zhu Di didn't reply. She simply hung up the phone and threw it into the trash can.
Before she could calm the chaotic emotions in her heart, Zhu Di suddenly realized that her shadow seemed a little off...
Without saying a word, she rushed back to her bedroom as fast as she could, lay down on the bed, and put on an eye mask and earplugs.
As she lay in bed, her reflection was clearly seen in the glass of the snowflake ornament on the bedside table.
The reflection in the glass was turning its head to look at Zhu Di, who was lying on the bed, but Zhu Di, wearing an eye mask, didn't see it.
Therefore, the reflection could only remain on the cup, staring straight at Zhu Di lying on the bed, without any further change.
*
Hou San and Miao Zheng had already arrived at Penghu Residential Complex before the unusual sky appeared in the community.
They were entrusted by Zhou Fangdong to deal with the troublemaking cult members at Penghu Home.
The moment Miao Zheng noticed the sky turning dark, she realized that it was as if an invisible glass dome had enveloped Penghu Residential Complex. Although they were standing at the entrance of the complex, they couldn't get out... People inside couldn't get out, and people outside couldn't get in.
Upon seeing this, Hou San immediately took out the black paper figure he was carrying and placed it on the ground, then burned the paper to contact Zhou Fangdong.
After receiving Hou San's message via burning paper money while staying in his apartment, Zhou Fangdong immediately used a shadow puppet.
The black shadow puppet on the ground slowly rose up, and then a familiar figure appeared in front of Hou San and Miao Zheng.
Zhou Fangdong stretched his body.
Aside from feeling a bit lightheaded, it's similar to when using a Stand.
Moreover, after using the shadow puppets, there was a strange feeling... as if something was attracting him, like a part of his body that had been missing for a long time, making him uncontrollably want to go back and reunite with that thing.
Zhou Fangdong looked to the east, where the thing that attracted him seemed to be.
He activated his [Ghost Eye] and, through the flow of layers of yin energy, vaguely saw a slender wooden rod.
[Beep—Missing part detected for [Cursed Item: Human Skin Shadow Play]. This item can be upgraded. Upgrading this item will unlock important functions; please recycle it promptly.]
The missing parts of the shadow puppet show? I'll go check on them later. Right now, the most important thing is to make sure the two girls are safe.
Zhou Fangdong opened the [Linjiang City Map] and checked the location of the four investigators.
Coincidentally, all four investigators were in Unit 2, which was not far away; two were on the third floor and two were on the fifth floor.
However, the two small red dots representing the investigators on the third floor looked a bit off; they seemed to have darkened considerably.
Zhou Fangdong looked at Miao Zheng and asked, "Miao Zheng, does the girl who contacted you live in Unit 2? Does she live on the third or fifth floor?"
"It's Unit 2, on the fifth floor. I forgot whether it was 501 or 502, but I remember where her door was. I could recognize it when I got to the fifth floor."
Zhou Fangdong nodded. It seemed that the floor where the four investigators were located on the map was the same floor where the two girls were; they were still protecting them.
However, just to be on the safe side, Zhou Fangdong decided to make the trip himself.
The staircase platform on the third floor of Unit 2.
Li Zhe and his teammates stood stiffly in place, their expressions numb and exhausted.
Anyone who witnesses someone with the exact same face as themselves die dozens of times in various gruesome ways will become like them.
When the strange event occurred at night, Li Zhe and his companion, who were guarding the stairwell outside Su Wan's house, noticed that their shadows looked strange.
Immediately afterwards, the shadows they cast on the surface of the metal instrument used to detect supernatural forces underwent a strange change.
They quickly discarded the equipment, but after discarding it, the reflections on the metal buckles on their chests also changed.
Li Zhe and his companion quickly realized what was happening and hurriedly put away or covered up any reflective items on their bodies.
However, they still couldn't escape the corrupting influence of that ghost.
The last time, Li Zhe and his companion saw their own eerie reflections in each other's pupils.
After witnessing the eerie reflections three times in a row, Li Zhe and his companion found themselves unable to move.
Immediately afterwards, their shadows underwent a strange transformation, as if they had come to life, slowly rising from the ground and turning into the black silhouette of a graceful, long-haired woman.
As the two women's silhouettes approached, they gradually transformed into their likeness.
During this process, Li Zhe and his companion felt their memories and senses being gradually stripped away...
Just as they were about to be completely replaced, a burning sensation suddenly came from their chests.
The two keys to room 204, which were originally hanging around their necks and hidden inside their clothes, somehow managed to slip out from under their clothes on their own.
The key gleamed faintly, and then Li Zhe and the other person heard that familiar, chilling cough suddenly ring out.
As the coughing sound appeared, the shadow replacement was forcibly stopped. The shadow, which had already transformed into the likeness of Li Zhe and his companion, suddenly began to be covered in blisters, rapidly decaying and turning into two unrecognizable, rotting corpses.
However, the deaths of these two shadows did not end the replacement; two more shadows rose from the ground.
The coughing sounded again, this time the two figures were covered in festering sores and oozing pus, corroded into a pool of pus by unknown bacteria.
And yet, the shadow persevered and stood up again.
The coughing resumed without hesitation.
The shadow died tragically once more.
...This cycle repeated dozens of times, until Li Zhe and the other man were completely numb.
Although they were not in mortal danger, they were trapped in place and unable to move.
It's unclear whether it was just them who were attacked by this ghost, or whether all the residents of the building were attacked by a ghost.
If ordinary people were replaced by shadows, then something terrible would happen.
This shadowy ghost cannot be detected by any instruments, and it can also steal the memories of ordinary people. Li Zhe didn't even dare to imagine the terrible disaster that would be caused if these ghosts disguised as ordinary people were allowed to spread in the city center.
After witnessing Shadow's death once again, Li Zhe suddenly heard hurried footsteps coming from the back stairs.
But he couldn't turn back, and he didn't know whether the person who came was a friend or foe.
But soon, a familiar voice put Li Zhe at ease:
“Those shadows have spread to the fifth floor. The ordinary people I’ve brought back should not be allowed to leave this building. After I deal with those shadows, I will check again.”
Zhou Fangdong gave Miao Zheng and Hou San some instructions as he went up to the third floor.
As he passed by Li Zhe and his companion, he waved his hand, and the dark shadow that had been troubling them for so long immediately dissipated, turning into two wisps of smoke that merged into Zhou Fangdong's hand.
This eerie power that can replace the shadow of a living person is of the same origin as the power of the cursed prop, shadow puppetry. It should be the result of the pole-shaped supernatural prop that Zhou Fangdong sensed earlier.
Li Zhe was still in shock at how the landlord of Liwan Apartment was able to leave the apartment, and then he saw Zhou Fangdong casually wave his hand and deal with the black shadow that had left them helpless, which made him even more horrified.
What terrifying power this is...
However, the shock did not last long. Zhou Fangdong's words brought them back to their senses: "You two should also go down and help seal off the building. Don't let anyone leave this building."
"Yes!" Li Zhe and the other man quickly composed themselves and ran downstairs.
When Zhou Fangdong arrived on the fifth floor, he found that the other two investigators had also turned into the same way Li Zhe and the other person had looked, and were trapped on the fifth-floor staircase platform.
A short-haired girl was standing at the door of apartment 502, knocking incessantly and calling out in a frantic, almost ghostly voice, "Zhu Di... open the door... it's me, Su Wan... Zhu Di..."
Zhou Fangdong placed his hand on the girl's shoulder, and another wisp of black energy merged into his hand. The girl who had just been knocking on the door instantly transformed into a small black paper cutout, spontaneously combusted, and vanished in an instant.
At the same time, the shadow on the ground slowly rose, and a pale and weak short-haired girl appeared on the ground.
She was still conscious, but seemed to be terrified, with her eyes tightly closed and muttering something incessantly.
After confirming that she was still alive, Zhou Fangdong didn't linger. He dealt with the shadows on the two investigators, signaled them to take care of Su Wan, and then continued running to the sixth floor.
Everything from the sixth floor to the top floor was fine, which relieved Zhou Fangdong.
When he returned to the third floor, he happened to run into Li Zhe, the investigator who was carrying an ordinary person downstairs.
Li Zhe also noticed Zhou Fangdong coming down from upstairs: "Landlord, we've gathered all the residents on the same floor. You can come with me." He reported the progress of the work to Zhou Fangdong as if he were reporting to his superior.
After the mysterious landlord took the initiative to help deal with paranormal events and rescue ordinary people, the fear he felt when they first met was gone, replaced by unconditional trust.
[The favorability rating of all four investigators in Room 201 has reached 80. Please claim your reward promptly.]
Zhou Fangdong and Li Zhe arrived at the first floor together.
The door to room 101 was open, and all the residents of the building were in these rooms. Miao Zheng and Hou San were watching them.
However, three people were bound hand and foot and left in a corner.
Upon seeing Zhou Fangdong return, Miao Zheng said, "Boss, not long after you left, these three were controlled by the shadow again."
Zhou Fangdong strode over and extracted the shadows again.
While extracting the shadowy figure, Zhou Fangdong said to Miao Zheng and Hou San, "Go and look around the bicycle parking area on the east side of the community. See if there are any cult members nearby. If you see any cult members using a stick-shaped paranormal prop, Hou San, steal that prop and don't let those cult members use it again."
If this continues, it will never end. If we don't stop it at the source, those cultists will keep using those wooden stick paranormal props to control shadows and replace living people.
Hou San rubbed his palms together and said with a smile, "You can do it right~ We guarantee we'll handle this perfectly."
Zhou Fangdong added, "Don't be stingy with the talismans. If you feel danger, just use the substitute doll. The consumption of these items is negligible. Your safety is the most important thing to me."
Hou San was deeply moved and readily agreed.
[Householder Hou San's favorability rating in room 203 has reached 80. Please claim your reward promptly.]
Miao Zheng and Hou San left the apartment building.
When the two arrived near the bicycle shed, Hou San flicked his loose suit sleeves and laughed: "Wow, that's really blatant, not even trying to hide it. Miss, this way, we'll have to trouble you to cover for us in a bit."
Miao Zheng nodded, prepared all the talismans, and hung the paranormal camera that Zhou Fangdong had given her, which could take pictures of ghosts, in the most convenient spot.
Hou San led her to an open space near the bicycle shed. This was the community's activity area, with a small square in the middle and a circle of fitness equipment around it.
Next to the fitness equipment, there is a small pavilion for resting, and behind the pavilion is a small hut that looks like a storage room for cleaning supplies.
The four bald men sat casually on the stone benches in the pavilion.
They were gathered around a stone table, and three of them were doing paper cutting. Every time they cut out a small black paper figure, they would draw runes on it with their fingertips and blood, and then hand it to the tall, fat, bald man holding the wooden stick.
The tall, fat man held a wooden stick about the length of an adult's forearm, engraved with strange runes. Every time he received a paper-cut figure, he would flick it with the stick, and the paper figure would transform into a black shadow and fly towards a distant apartment building.
Hou San and Miao Zheng hid behind a big tree. After discussing their next move, Miao Zheng slapped a talisman on himself and went outside.
The four cultists in the pavilion immediately noticed Miao Zheng's presence, but only the bald man stopped what he was doing.
He looked at Miao Zheng with disdain and took out a talisman.
As he chanted incantations, a hideous ghost appeared out of thin air and suddenly attacked Miao Zheng.
This feeling... Miao Zheng's expression hardened, and he decisively threw out a mid-level exorcism talisman.
The ghost exerted a strong sense of pressure on her, probably around Rank B, so she didn't hesitate and used her strongest talisman.
The bald man who was controlling the ghost was initially disdainful, but when he realized that he had inexplicably lost control of the vengeful spirit, he finally panicked.
"How is this possible?!"
This was the strongest ghost he had, and it was so easily dealt with by a single talisman?
However, he did not give up. He gritted his teeth, took out a handful of talismans, and released some ghosts to attack Miao Zheng.
This time, Miao Zheng was much more relaxed. Holding her paranormal camera, she quickly pressed the shutter and captured each ghost clearly without her hand shaking at all.
Because they were all relatively low-level ghosts, they were all frozen in place after being captured by the paranormal camera.
Before the bald man could scream again, the three bald men behind him shouted, "Where's the soul-picking pole?! How did it suddenly disappear?!"
The wooden stick in the tall, fat man's hand had vanished.
Beside the big tree behind Miao Zheng, Hou San smiled and squinted his eyes as he took the wooden stick from a bluish-purple ghost hand.
Upon discovering that the soul-carrying pole was missing, the four cultists were furious and rushed out of the pavilion.
Just then, the bald man who controlled the ghosts sensed something and pointed behind Miao Zheng: "This woman has accomplices! The Soul-Picking Pole was stolen by her accomplices!"
"It's that guy?!" Another bald man, who seemed to recognize Hou San, pointed at him and said to the tall, fat man, "Steward, that's the thief who stole our base's furniture!"
"Stop talking nonsense, hurry up and kill this woman, then catch that thief, don't let him get away with the Soul-Picking Pole." The tall, fat, bald man's face was unusually gloomy, and he pulled out a blood-red dagger engraved with runes from his waist.
Seeing this, the other three also pulled out the same type of dagger.
Since attacking with vengeful spirits is ineffective, let's just kill them physically.
They could all see that only the woman was capable of attacking; if they could take her down, they could easily catch the thief she was protecting.
Four grown men with knives, surely they could kill a woman?
Miao Zheng watched their actions, raised an eyebrow, and said in disbelief, "Huh? Instead of using ghosts to kill me, you're attacking me at close range? Are you serious?"
The cultists did not respond. The bald man at the front, who was controlling the ghost, was the first to attack, thrusting his knife directly at Miao Zheng's face.
Miao Zheng sneered and dodged the knife with lightning speed. Then, instead of retreating, he advanced, his right arm muscles bulging, and his hammer-like fist slammed into the cultist's face like a cannonball.
Blood splattered from his nose, and his face instantly caved in. The cultist didn't even have time to scream before he fell straight backward.
After knocking down one cult member with a single punch, Miao Zheng's momentum didn't diminish; instead, it accelerated. She pushed off the ground with all her might, like a cheetah pouncing on its prey, and used the momentum to rush in front of another cult member. Then, she swiftly raised her elbow and slammed it into the second cult member's jaw like a heavy hammer.
A sickening cracking sound rang out, and the second cultist didn't even realize what was happening before his eyes rolled back and he collapsed to the ground unconscious.
At the same time, the blades wielded by the other two cult members arrived.
Miao Zheng nimbly ducked to avoid the attack, the cold blade almost grazing her short hair.
However, she did not merely dodge. As Miao Zheng crouched down, she also changed her stance, her right leg sweeping out like a steel whip, directly knocking down the two cultists who were attacking her.
Two cries of pain rang out almost simultaneously. The sharp pain in their ankles caused the two men to lose their balance and fall forward in a sorry state.
The tall, fat, bald man, taking advantage of his weight, didn't fall to the ground. He staggered and tried to regain his balance, but at that moment, Miao Zheng had already taken to the air and delivered a flying kick that struck him directly in the chest, sending him crashing back to the ground.
He heard a crisp cracking sound from his chest as the back of his head slammed heavily onto the ground.
Using the momentum from that kick, Miao Zheng tightened his core and twisted his body suddenly in mid-air. His other leg swung out like a battle axe, delivering a double flying kick.
The powerful kick landed squarely on the cheek of another cult member who had just managed to get up.
The only conscious cult member was kicked so hard that his head lolled to the side and he became completely still.
Miao Zheng landed steadily on the ground and patted off non-existent dust from his body.
She looked at the four cult members lying on the ground and curled her lip in disdain: "That's it? I thought they were much more powerful."
While Miao Zheng was fighting with the four cult members, four other cult members were hiding in the small shack behind the pavilion.
The four noticed the chaos outside and, without hesitation, offered themselves as sacrifices, using the core of the evil god's clone to initiate the summoning ritual.
This mission must succeed; failure is not an option.
As the cultists chanted incantations, the eerie runes drawn in blood on the ground began to emit an ominous red glow, and the entire tin shack trembled slightly, as if something was about to burst forth from beneath the runes.
The air grew increasingly viscous, and an invisible liquid seemed to be pouring into the cabin.
Just as the air reached its peak of stillness, an indescribable mass of pitch-black matter suddenly emerged from beneath the runes.
It had no fixed shape; it was merely a constantly writhing mass of dark matter, sometimes expanding, sometimes contracting, its muddy surface constantly revealing distorted human faces with expressions of despair and agony. Those faces were like bubbles that appeared and disappeared incessantly, endlessly cycling through a process of reshaping and bursting.
The moment this dark substance appeared, a terrifying aura filled with malice and spiritual pollution spread violently in all directions, instantly blowing away the fragile tin hut where the summoning ritual was taking place.
The cultists were also blown away and crashed heavily near Miao Zheng, lying down with his four unconscious companions.
But the four men did not faint; instead, they quickly got up from the ground and looked toward the hut with fanaticism.
"The avatar of the deity has descended!"
"My Lord God! Please allow us to become one with you!"
The dark mass writhed in place for a moment, then, as if it had heard the cultists' voices, it rushed toward Miao Zheng at an extremely fast speed—it seemed to regard the eight cultists and Miao Zheng as sacrifices, and wanted to swallow them whole.
Miao Zheng stared in horror at the scene before him, belatedly realizing that he was unable to move his body.
The eerie mental pollution brought by that lump of silt completely severed the connection between the brain and the body. The moment you saw it, you were already corrupted and controlled by it, and could only offer your neck to be slaughtered, becoming a lamb to be sacrificed to it.
However, just as the mud reached the pavilion, Zhou Fangdong appeared in time.
As he arrived at the scene, the system's slightly anxious electronic voice sounded:
[Aura of an evil god detected nearby! Host, please clean it up immediately! Once the evil god's clone fully revives, it will devour and corrupt all ordinary people within this area!]
Without needing any system notification, Zhou Fangdong could already feel the disgusting and filthy aura.
He pulled Miao Zheng aside, making him face the twisted, dark mass that had emerged from the ritual and was not yet fully formed.
After confirming that there was an open space ahead, Zhou Fangdong raised his hand and used [Dead Zone Invasion] directly on the clump of mud.
A more powerful and terrifying yin energy directly overwhelmed the eerie pollution brought by the dark substance. A scarlet crack slowly opened in the void, and the restless yin energy that surged out from the crack directly tore apart the talisman array that the cultists had used to isolate this area.
The rune array tore apart, and the darkness that had enveloped the neighborhood vanished instantly, turning the sky from black to white. But as the yin energy dissipated from the gaps, the sky, which had just brightened, darkened again... The light seemed to be changing color with a flick of a light switch, just as Zhou Fangdong waved his hand.
The cultists who had just summoned the avatar of the evil god were stunned. The inspectors who were finally able to enter the community after the barrier array was torn apart were also stunned by the scene.
An invisible pressure emanated from Zhou Fangdong and spread outwards. The terrifying intimidation was almost tangible, and the air seemed to freeze, pressing heavily on the hearts of everyone present. The feeling of suffocation spread from the body to the depths of the soul.
The dense, restless yin energy transformed into countless ghostly hands, which seized the evil god's clone.
Just as those ghostly hands tried to drag the evil god's clone back into the crevice, Zhou Fangdong had already walked over and stepped on the frantically writhing mass of filth.
Seeing this, the yin energy ghost hands that had been surging out of the cracks, frantically trying to obliterate everything, obediently released the evil god's clone and transformed into the gentlest wind beside Zhou Fangdong.
The loose black robes billowed in the eerie air, outlining his slender and upright figure. His phoenix eyes, with their upturned corners, were slightly lowered, their dark pupils like bottomless pools of icy water, reflecting the writhing mass of filth at his feet.
He didn't even deliberately tread on it; he just stood there casually, as if the ground beneath his feet wasn't some evil god incarnate, but merely an insignificant clump of dust and mud.
The evil god's clone emitted a piercing shriek beneath his feet. The shapeless black substance struggled to wrap around Zhou Fangdong's calves, but melted away with a hiss the moment it touched his trouser leg, just like snow scorched by the blazing sun.
The first cultist to kneel down didn't even know when he had done so. He just stared at the figure with trembling pupils, making meaningless gasps in his throat, his hands shaking involuntarily.
One, two, three... The cultists who had summoned the avatars of evil gods knelt down like wheat fields blown down by the wind, their bodies trembling uncontrollably—a fear that originated from the depths of their souls and was an irresistible, instinctive dread.
These cultists, driven mad with excitement by the summoning of the evil god's avatar, had long forgotten the god they trampled underfoot; their eyes were fixed only on that tall figure.
Their so-called gods, their twisted beliefs, were utterly crushed in this moment by absolute power and a terrifying force capable of tearing apart souls. They unconsciously knelt, submitted, and gazed intently at the dark figure trampling their deity.
The scarlet crack that had been casually torn open had quietly closed at some point, but the oppressive feeling emanating from that person had not diminished in the slightest.
He simply stood there, and people felt no desire to resist; they only wanted to bow down and offer up everything they had.
Whether they were members of the Bureau of Supervision or members of the cult who had already lost their minds, everyone present had the same thought at the same time.
If there truly are gods in this world, they would probably be like this... tearing through the heavens, trampling on filth and karma, causing all things to willingly bow down in submission.
The figure, revered as a god by the crowd, remained expressionless, his gaze calmly sweeping over everything before him.
Whether it was submission or amazement, it seemed to him to be nothing more than the most ordinary scenery.
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