Chapter 2 Witnesses

Chapter 2: The Witness

It’s indeed difficult to search for suspected qi objects in a haunted building.

Money is hard to earn.

Sitting in the car, Li Yi, who was on his way to the destination, couldn’t help but sigh.

But he had no other choice. If there was another way to earn fifty thousand yuan in a short time, he wouldn’t have taken on such a dangerous mission.

The vehicle traversed the Old City, the ride slightly bumpy.

Everyone in the car was silent, the atmosphere somewhat heavy.

“This car is going in circles. We just passed this road. It seems Crow is very cautious. I’m starting to believe that what he said might be true. Hey, if we really find a qi object, that would be interesting.” The hoodie man chuckled to himself.

“We’re about to work together. If you don’t mind, let’s do a simple self-introduction and get to know each other. My name is Wei Li, a doctor from a small clinic in Tianchang City. The reason I’m here is because my daughter is sick and needs money for surgery.” The thin man wearing glasses spoke with a slight smile.

“Zhang Kaiwen.” The hoodie man grinned, “I’m from out of town, hiding here because I couldn’t pay back high-interest loans. I’m only doing this for money, no other reason.”

“Liu Yan, local. I have some cultivation talent and want to see if I can take the first step, but cultivation requires money, and my family isn’t well-off. I want to fight for myself. After all, with a normal job, I wouldn’t save 100,000 in ten years, and even if I did, I’d be too old then, and it would be too late for cultivation.”

The woman in the halter dress spoke with unusual seriousness. From her eyes, one could see her unwillingness and longing.

Li Yi said, “My name is Li Yi. I already told Crow about my situation, and you all should have heard it, so I won’t waste any more words here.”

Finally, everyone’s gaze turned to the last person, a tall, burly man with a square face.

This man sat in the car with his arms crossed, muscles bulging, serious and earnest. He spoke, his voice booming: “My name is Wang Hu, from Xiangjiang. Don’t compare me to you useless people. I’m just here on vacation and need some pocket money. In my eyes, you’re just extras, and I, Wang Hu, am destined for greatness, destined to overturn this world.”

“…” The others.

Goodness, why are you so different from the others?

As the vehicle stopped, a half-ruined building stood before them. Caution tape surrounded the building, and signs warning to stay away from dangerous buildings were plastered everywhere. The nearby structures were also severely damaged, each building incomplete, as if they had suddenly suffered some immense disaster at some point.

“Is this the Waste District?”

Li Yi got out of the car and looked around, but saw no one else. Many abandoned cars were parked on the road, and the surrounding wasteland was overgrown with weeds.

Few people came to the Waste District, not only because of the immense destruction here but also because there was a high possibility of unknown dangers lurking. Only outlaws or those who had stepped into cultivation were willing to stay here.

“Crow, you’re late.”

At this moment, a crisp, clear sound of footsteps came from within the dark building, and then a figure slowly emerged from the depths of that darkness. Although her appearance was unclear, her voice indicated that she should be a woman, though her tone was exceptionally cold.

“I circled a few times on the road to avoid any accidents,” Crow explained in a low voice.

The figure continued, “Only five people? This many people scattered into this building won’t even make a ripple. It’s too few. We need at least ten people.”

“Investigator Wang Jian from the Old City is active. I don’t know if he received some information or if it’s a coincidence, but he appeared in Wangmen residential district. I believe the number of people for this operation shouldn’t be too many, or it’ll be easy to expose ourselves. Although we’re not sure what’s inside this building, it’s always right to be careful,” Crow said.

“Wang Jian? I understand. You did well. This matter indeed cannot be known by others. Five it is then. Let’s try it. If it fails, we’ll find another group,” the woman said.

“Hey, hey, by your tone, does that mean the five of us can only succeed and not fail? If we don’t find what you’re looking for, does that mean we’ll be silenced? This isn’t what was said initially.” Zhang Kaiwen took a few steps forward at this moment, frowning as he asked.

However, no sooner had he finished speaking than, the next moment…

From the darkness of that building, a pair of eyes seemed to light up, as if a gaze had suddenly appeared.

Buzz!

At this moment, Li Yi felt his head buzzing, instantly experiencing tinnitus, and his vision went black, seeing nothing. At the same time, a feeling of nausea surged into his heart.

Fortunately, this feeling came and went quickly.

When he came to his senses, he saw Zhang Kaiwen, who had just spoken, suddenly kneeling on the ground, his face exceptionally pale, spewing out large mouthfuls of vomit with a “wa” sound. At the same time, blood continuously flowed from his eyes, ears, and nostrils, making him look miserable and terrifying.

Liu Yan, next to him, widened her eyes at this moment, revealing a look of incredible fear: “This is Witness?”

“Witness? What is that?” Li Yi immediately asked.

“When the spirit gathers in the eyes, the gaze can kill. This is something that can only be mastered after truly stepping into cultivation. She can no longer be considered an ordinary person; at the very least, she is a cultivator who has opened her Spiritual Medium.” Liu Yan seemed to know a lot. Although her tone carried fear, it also contained a hint of envy and longing.

“This person has already opened her Spiritual Medium?” Li Yi was also stunned.

Although he didn’t understand cultivation much, living in this era, he had heard of it even if he hadn’t seen it.

The first realm of cultivation is the Spiritual Medium.

Although the Spiritual Medium is the first step in cultivation, this step is a chasm, blocking countless people outside the gate.

Because there are problems with cultivation in this world.

If normal people cultivate, they either get seriously ill or go mad and crazy, eventually dying in pain.

Even if they overcome the problems of cultivation, the speed of cultivation is incredibly slow. Li Yi knew that a child in a relative’s family had been cultivating at home for five years. During these five years, he did nothing every day, but his appetite was huge, eating, sleeping, and defecating a lot. As a result, he had gained nothing so far.

Finally, relatives and friends concluded that this child was probably not cultivating, but most likely sponging off his parents.

And this situation was not an isolated case; many families were like this.

Those who spend three to five years cultivating and ultimately gain nothing are everywhere.

The risks and rewards are disproportionate, and it wastes a lot of time, which has led many people to give up cultivation. Only families with decent conditions are willing to spend money and time to let their children try. Of course, there are also many poor families who tighten their belts to support a cultivator.

“Next time, be more careful when you speak. This time is just a small lesson for you. Don’t be so arrogant. In this Waste District, if I really wanted to kill you, I guarantee no trace would be found.” As the sound of footsteps continued, the mysterious woman’s figure appeared from within the ruined building.

She was tall and slender, dressed in tight clothing, with a long ponytail reaching her waist. Her fair face carried an unyielding coldness, and her eyes were very special, with whitish pupils that seemed to glow faintly.

“Crow, transfer the money to them and tell them to start acting immediately. Don’t try any tricks. I’ll be watching you from the shadows. If anyone is dishonest during this time, I guarantee you won’t be able to leave here alive.” After speaking, the woman scanned everyone, then turned and left.

Soon, her figure merged into the darkness of the abandoned building, disappearing in an instant.

“Heh, what a hateful woman. I almost got killed. Those who truly step into cultivation are really powerful. At that moment, I thought my brain was going to explode. That method is called Witness, right? Damn it, I’m going to borrow high-interest loans to cultivate too!” Zhang Kaiwen staggered to his feet. He spat, blood mixed with saliva coming out.

“That was quite something just now. It seems my journey won’t be uneventful, haha, I’m starting to get a little excited.” Wang Hu laughed loudly.

Wei Li, the doctor, wiped his glasses and said, “The Witness method is indeed dangerous. It seems to target a person’s brain, similar to a mental shock. Ordinary people have no means to defend against it. To deal with such an attack, only cultivators who have also opened their Spiritual Medium can do it. I just don’t know what the maximum range of such a Witness is, and if it can be blocked by walls or buildings?”

Li Yi remained silent, not speaking. He rubbed his somewhat dizzy head, still feeling lingering fear.

He should have only been affected by the collateral damage just now, not directly targeted.

And merely being affected was so severe. If that woman had been serious, Zhang Kaiwen would undoubtedly be dead, with no chance of survival.

“If it’s just a warning, isn’t the hand too heavy? Is it because we’re in the Waste District, or have those who’ve stepped into cultivation stopped treating ordinary people as human beings?” Li Yi thought to himself. Then, he felt his phone vibrate.

Taking it out, the message showed that fifty thousand yuan had been deposited.

The others also received notifications almost simultaneously.

Crow said in a deep voice, “The money has been paid. Don’t dawdle. Let’s start. I’ll slowly tell you some relevant information via text message once you enter the building.”

“Chatting time is over. Let’s go, you useless people.”

Wang Hu was the first to act. He ignored the others and strode towards the collapsed building ahead.

“Hey, Wang Hu, don’t be so impulsive. Crow just said this abandoned building is haunted,” Zhang Kaiwen said.

A quick update: before it goes on sale, there will be two updates a day (four thousand to six thousand words).

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