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Chapter 794: Fear
Han Fei wanted to send the 15th-floor survivors to the 6th floor, but he realized it was very difficult. Taking the stairwell was a big risk. It was fine if he was alone, but there was such a large group of them. If they took the elevator, they had to move in batches. Taking the elevator repeatedly was a very dangerous thing. The most important thing was the elevator card was still with the collector. Han Fei ran so fast yesterday night that he didn’t notice if the collector was killed by the bloody shadow or not. Han Fei shared his thoughts with others. Han Fei got precious news from Dirty. The boy saw the collector yesterday. He even helped to distract a raging Deviant away from the collector. With Dirty leading the way, Han Fei’s group came to the center of the 15th floor. The stench here was unbearable. Once the door opened, the mountainous trash gushed out. “The other floors really treat this place as a dump.”
“It can’t be helped. Once a floor weakens, it’ll be abandoned.” Zhang Xiaowei gripped his hands. “Weakness is sin.” Han Fei kicked down two doors and finally found the collector. Unfortunately, the man was already a dead body. His legs were chopped off, and something bit off his neck. His hands grabbed his head tightly. This bastard who loved to collect skulls spent the last moment of his life fearing that someone would take his skull.
Han Fei took the collector’s elevator card. Han Fei planned to return to the sixth floor first. He wanted to see if Ji Zheng had detained the calamity Ghost. If the sixth floor were safe, he would come back to fetch the survivors.
The victims abandoned by God were the only kindness in the skyscraper. They were the most pitiable group in the building. The only reason God allowed them to live was that God wanted to see kindness being trampled on. He liked to taint these pure things. He would be satisfied when kindness was tainted. These people were God’s toys. However, they were Han Fei’s allies. When they had enough food, water, and time, perhaps they could shake the citizens’ faith in God.
Han Fei took the elevator back to the sixth floor. Han Fei discovered the floor had changed a lot from when he left. There were shredded red raincoats everywhere. The smell of rain had covered the smell of blood cigarettes. “Have the Disciples been here?” The group Han Fei didn’t want to encounter the most in the skyscraper was the Disciples. The citizens in red and black raincoats had human appearances but they were just God’s puppets. “How many Disciples have died here?” Han Fei entered Red Alley. In just one night, the whole floor had been covered in carcasses. At first, Han Fei looked through the bodies but after a while, Han Fei just released Nine Lives and ran down the corridor with it. 10 minutes later, Han Fei exited the maze of corridors and entered the forbidden zone where the Calamity Ghost once was. This place had the least amount of Disciple dead bodies.
Han Fei took out the red paper doll. Han Fei wanted to use this cursed option to sense the location of Fat dog. The man was forced to eat Xu Qin’s cooking, so Han Fei could sense him quickly. He dug away the trash blocking the path. Han Fei paused before a bookshelf. He pushed away the rotten shelf. Behind it was a wall written with the characters of Death. Han Fei felt the Deaths look very familiar. He had seen similar handwriting in the black rain zone’s senior murderers’ clubhouse. “One of the clubhouse member’s hobby is calligraphy.”
Han Fei tried to find the clues hidden among the handwriting but he soon lost patience. He summoned Big Sin. “Ram through it!”
Big Sin approached the wall excitedly. The presence of death on it grew. The handwriting on the wall sensed Big Sin’s presence. It automatically faded and disappeared. The wall crumbled before Han Fei. Sister Hong’s surprised voice came from behind the wall. “Bai Cha!”
Han Fei was startled when he heard that name, but he soon reacted, “What happened here?”
“We have to go back to when you disappeared last night.” Ji Zheng, who was covered in bloody scratch marks, walked to Han Fei. “A new taboo appeared in the building. Based on what the unlucky old man said, the Taboo is related to you.” Ji Zheng kicked the unconscious elder beside him. The plant on his back had mostly wilted.
“The old man said that you might have been consumed by the creature you summoned. We also thought you wouldn’t survive being hunted by a Taboo, so we thought to hide on the sixth floor. However, the old man had some brilliant ideas. He noticed one Disciple’s raincoat was different from others. He tried to attack him and take his raincoat. He wanted to disguise as the Disciple and leave the building.” Ji Zheng sneered. “He’s so innocent. The only reason Disciples can leave is because their souls are an extension of the fake God. If the others approached the door, they would be detected.”
“The Night Police is right. The old man almost had us killed.” Fatdog was covered in wounds too. “The Disciples were searching for people on this floor. He basically pulled them to us. All the Disciples came at us. We had no choice but to release the Calamity Ghost.”
“Wait. So the Calamity Ghost is outside now?” Han Fei sweated. He was lucky not to run into it.
“Disciples can’t be killed, and neither can the Calamity Ghost. When we were wondering where to hide, Uncle Mo saved us.” Ji Zheng took a step back and invited a scholarly uncle out of the hiding place. The man was holding a broken radio.
“You must be familiar with this radio.” Uncle Mo also sighed in relief when he saw Han Fei. “The dancer told me to come near the skyscraper to find news about you. However, I was trapped here as well. Thankfully, he gave me the radio, and we can use this radio to communicate with the outside world.”
“Have the dancer and the gardener left the black rain zone?” Han Fei hoped the two elders were safe.
“They were going to the ancestral home. Only the dancer knows about the place. It’s related to God.” Uncle Mo pointed above and didn’t say anything else.
“Now is not the time to chat. More Disciples might be coming. We have two choices now. Stay to find the Calamity Ghost and try to comfort it; or leave this floor and never come back.” Ji Zheng was heavily wounded. But he seemed to be used to this pain already.
“We’ll split up. The others can go to the 15th floor. The Mausoleums there have been cleaned. Ji Zheng and I will stay to find the Calamity Ghost and try to communicate with it.” Han Fei urged everyone to move.
“Are you sure you want me to come with you?” Ji Zheng pointed at his bloody body. “I’ll only drag you down.”
“It’s fine.” Han Fei placed the red paper doll in his chest and had Xu Qin’s pet hide inside his clothes. “Normal people can’t see the Calamity Ghost, so how did you find it?”
“Using this.” Ji Zheng raised his camera. “My old friend here can capture fate. I followed the threads of fate and found it.”
“Threads of fate? Can you take a picture of me?” Han Fei wandered what his fate would look like.
“I already did when we first met, and…” Ji Zheng took out a picture from his pocket. It was completely dark with no light at all. “Even the evilest Night Police will have some light I his fate. But yours…”
“Is it good or bad?” Han Fei felt like his luck had always been good.
“How shall I put it?” Ji Zheng didn’t expect this question from Han Fei. “Your big bug has a much better fate than you do.”
The pair stopped talking and walked around the corridors. Half an hour later, Ji Zheng suddenly stopped. He looked at the empty corridor and opened his arms. He put down his guard and slowly moved forward.
“Don’t be afraid. Relax. Just like how we used to play.” As Ji Zheng said that, his one finger was snapped by an invisible force. Just hearing it made Han Fei feel pain. Han Fei was nervous, but Ji Zheng was unfazed. With his arms open, he continued to move forward.
“Bastard, it’s me! Look closely. Who shielded you from bullies? Who saved you from that horrible family? Crawl out of fear. Remember what I told you!” The only response was the sounds of Ji Zheng’s bones being snapped. “I know you don’t have the heart to kill me. That’s why you’re doing this from getting close to you, right?” Five of Ji Zheng’s fingers were broken but he was still smiling. This was the first time Han Fei saw him smile.
“You’ll shred the others into pieces, but you’re always gentle around me. Don’t deny it. You’ve been carefully controlling yourself and breaking my fingers one by one. Of course, I can’t disappoint your good intention.” Ji Zheng’s voice traveled down the corridor. Han Fei looked at Ji Zheng. Ji Zheng, the Calamity Ghost, and he were all gentle people. His shirt was torn. Blood burst out of Ji Zheng’s chest, but he didn’t give up. Ji Zheng knew that if he gave up on the Calamity Ghost this time, more Disciples would return. They might conduct some rituals to harm the Calamity Ghost.”
“Fine. I’ll admit that I wasn’t particularly nice when we first met. I kept having you buy me alcohol. I swindled your money and ate your food. But I really see you as my family. My son was your age when I left.
“I’m a fallen Night Police. That time, my mission was to kill you but I couldn’t do it. In this chaotic place, you gave me a reason to live. I don’t know how you view me but I hope you can understand that I’ve always seen you as my son.
“Overcome your fear! Do not surrender! I’ll protect you as I did!”
When Ji Zheng said these things, his chest was bloodied beyond recognition. However, he didn’t retreat. He walked to the end of the corridor. There was a weak sobbing sound. A thin boy appeared in the dark. He wore an orphanage uniform. But the number was too blurry to be seen.
“Hold my hand. This time we’re moving to a new home.” Ji Zheng didn’t seem to know fear. He extended his almost snapped arm. But as just his hand was about to touch the boy, a giant crying shadow crawled out of the boy’s back.
“Big Sin!” Han Fei quickly summoned Big Sin, but he didn’t expect what would happen next. Ji Zheng still didn’t evade when the giant shadow was about to consume him. The Calamity Ghost also stopped attacking at the last moment. The boy stopped crying and took Ji Zheng’s hand.
“The Calamity Ghost is transmuted from this boy’s fear. Whenever he’s in fear, the ghost will appear.” Ji Zheng pinched the boy’s face with his broken fingers. “You surely didn’t hold back. It’s so painful.” But Ji Zheng was smiling. He’d only show his other self around the boy.
“Your injuries are serious. Let me treat them.” Han Fei took out many things from his inventory. Ji Zheng waved his hands. He pointed at the names on his body. “As long as these sinners are still around, I’ll not die. Don’t worry. What we need to do now is to leave this place before the Disciples return.”
“Okay.” After the boy fully calmed down, he touched the boy.
“Notification for Player 0000! You’ve found a child missing from the Red Orphanage!
“Fear Calamity Ghost (One of the children kidnapped by the Red Orphanage): This child is more than a mere God’s toy. He has secrets hidden on him.
“Warning! Calamity Ghosts, Taboos are most hated by God! Some of them are as strong as Pure Hatreds!”