When Gu Mian and the others decided to stay at the woman’s house, she didn’t find it odd.
"I know you’ve encountered strange incidents too, which is why you want to take shelter here, but I must tell you, this god statue is on the brink of breaking apart; it might shatter at any time.
"When that happens, Zhong Min will immediately come after me, and you will all be caught in the crossfire too."
She didn’t think Gu Mian and the others had any ulterior motives towards her. Who would have indecent thoughts about a fifty-year-old woman with half of her face disfigured? Besides, she was going to die sooner or later, so she had resigned herself to everything.
Yuwen Hao didn’t really want to stay, but both Qing Huan and Huang Yu decided to follow Gu Mian. He didn’t dare to leave on his own, so he reluctantly stayed behind.
Dusk had already fallen; the sun was setting, and darkness gradually descended.
The woman went straight back to her bedroom and shut the door, leaving Gu Mian and the others in the living room.
Seeing the woman enter her room, Yuwen Hao finally spoke, frowning, "Gu Mian, have you gone mad? Zhong Min is far more terrifying than the ghosts following us; she’s the source of all this! You’re just going to stay here?"
As he spoke, he took a deep breath. "I know you’re a Doctor, an Angel in white, a kind soul who wouldn’t hurt a fly. But your kindness shouldn’t be applied here. Right now, you’re just being a saint! In this game, if someone gets killed, they’re killed. There’s no need to care about a virtual person!"
Hearing this, Qing Huan looked at Gu Mian doubtfully. Why didn’t he think that Dr. Gu was acting like a saint?
However, Gu Mian found the comment quite agreeable. Rubbing his chin, he finally spoke, "Do you think this woman is a pushover?"
Yuwen Hao was stunned.
"A woman with half her face ruined, who has spent her entire life cowering in a gloomy house... do you think she harbors no resentment? And this is a woman who has managed to contend with Evil Ghosts for decades. She’s so formidable while alive; if she dies... especially if you’re the one who kills her..."
Yuwen Hao immediately understood Gu Mian’s point.
This was a Mysterious Dungeon; anyone who died could potentially become a ghost.
He feared that after her death, this woman might become an even more horrifying Evil Ghost, perhaps even more terrifying than Zhong Min!
But whether she was terrifying or not wasn’t Gu Mian’s main concern.
He continued, "Think about it. If you kill her and she instantly turns into a ghost, wouldn’t it be awkward when you two come face to face?"
Qing Huan’s face twitched. "Wait, what do you mean by ’awkward’? That’s hardly the point, is it?"
Gu Mian didn’t mind these minor details, "In short, you can’t just kill indiscriminately in the instance. Otherwise, if they die and turn into a ghost, you’ll have your hands full. Of course, if you’re talking about killing ghosts, then never mind what I said."
Yuwen Hao’s face also twitched. Who would dare to kill a ghost!
Gu Mian continued, "Besides, as you just said, I’m a Doctor, a good person, an Angel in white... My purpose is to save people. Even if the other party is a ghost, I’ll try to save them."
Yuwen Hao’s eyebrows twitched. "You’re going to save Zhong Min?"
Gu Mian nodded. "Of course."
They were all puzzled. Was he going to persuade her to mend her ways and lay down her butcher’s knife, or was he going to eliminate her karmic hindrances and help her reincarnate?
As if sensing their confusion, Gu Mian said, "Let’s just call it a... physical salvation, for now."
Physical salvation? Why did that sound so ominous...
Night fell quickly. They didn’t know if the woman in the bedroom was asleep but, regardless, Yuwen Hao and the others outside couldn’t sleep at all.
After entering the house, the feeling of being watched that had plagued Yuwen Hao vanished. Qing Huan no longer sensed anyone behind him, and the phone hadn’t rung. It was as if those ghosts didn’t dare to enter this house at all.
Yet, the more this was the case, the more terrified they became.
Huang Yu kept pacing restlessly in the living room, occasionally walking over to the shrine to stare at the god statue within it.
After pacing for a few rounds, he finally couldn’t resist reaching out, seemingly wanting to touch the statue. Before doing so, he specifically asked the others for permission, "Can I touch it?"
Gu Mian looked up. "Whatever makes you happy."
Yuwen Hao was a little nervous. "Just don’t break it."
Qing Huan also leaned in, indicating he wanted to touch it too.
Just as Huang Yu’s hand made contact with the god statue, he suddenly let out a low cry. Yuwen Hao immediately stood up. "What’s wrong?"
If the statue broke now, they’d be done for.
Huang Yu stammered, "It seems to be... a special item..."
Upon hearing this, Qing Huan was also startled and placed his hand on it. He too let out a low cry, then softly read something aloud, "Shattered Evil God Statue, functional special item..."
After an instance starts, only the player can see their own panel. Yuwen Hao also went over and touched the statue, then began to look at his own panel.
This was the first special item Gu Mian had found in this instance. He walked up to the statue and reached out to touch it.
But the moment he placed his hand on the statue, it suddenly emitted a faint cracking sound.
Immediately after, the cracks on its surface began to visibly expand, spreading over its entire body. Within a few seconds, the whole statue made a crisp shattering sound.
It’s over! It shattered.
Gu Mian’s hand was still in mid-air, and he looked rather awkward.
The other three hadn’t even finished reading their panels, let alone had a chance to discuss who should own the special item, before it shattered—smashed to smithereens.
Yuwen Hao stared at Gu Mian with wide eyes. "You..."
Gu Mian guiltily retracted his hand. "I honestly don’t know why it suddenly crumbled. I swear, I didn’t use any force."
Perhaps the game held a grudge against him and decided to throw in a little accident.
Yuwen Hao’s eyes widened further, as if he wanted to say something more. But before the words could leave his mouth, he suddenly felt an icy chill creep over him.
The others felt it too and looked around in terror.
The statue had crumbled; Zhong Min could now pass through unhindered.
First, they felt a deathly chill, but it was immediately followed by a searing wave of heat. When they looked around again, they were in a sea of fire.
Yuwen Hao looked to the side in astonishment; the surrounding scene had changed dramatically.
His lips trembled. "Is this... a warehouse?"