《Global Horror: With My Netherworld Trillions, Game On!》 Chapter 1 - The horror game has begun!!! Am I actually a beta tester?! Chapter 1: The horror game has begun!!! Am I actually a beta tester?! ¡¾Ding! The strongest Divine System has been activated!¡¿ ¡¾Today¡¯s random reward has arrived! Congratulations, host, you have received netherworld currency *1,000,000 yuan!¡¿ ¡¾Balance: 9,755,000,000,000¡¿ ¡¾Task One: First purchase! (Not completed)¡¿ ¡¾Task content: Accumulate spending over 100,000 (0/100,000)¡¿ ¡¾Task reward: Cashback critical hit card *1, Nine Nether Purification Wine *10¡¿ At eight in the morning, Lin Yu was awakened by the system voice in his mind and couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit helpless. Ever since he crossed into this parallel world, this system has always existed. At first, when he saw he had activated the Divine System, Lin Yu was somewhat excited about reliving his life, thinking he would live extravagantly in this parallel world! However¡­ this infuriating system only issued him netherworld currency! When he tried to cash out, he only got eerie copper coins and paper money issued by the Heavenly Bank! It couldn¡¯t circulate in the human world at all! In desperation, Lin Yu had to treat this system as if it didn¡¯t exist, originally planning to become successful through investing in virtual currency, but instead¡­ This infuriating parallel world didn¡¯t have any virtual currency at all! Lin Yu had to change his approach and tried to enter the artistic world by recreating classic novels and music from his past life, but upon researching, he found that the celebrities and writers he remembered still existed in this world! The shortcuts for reborn individuals to become wealthy were basically blocked off! Lin Yu had to diligently study and got into a decent university, and by working part-time, he saved up some money. Today was the first day of winter vacation. Originally, Lin Yu planned to find a temporary job to earn some extra cash, but after being woken up on time by the system in the morning, after turning off the system panel, a new ¡°prompt¡± appeared in his view, ¡¾Congratulations! You have obtained the fifth batch of beta testing qualifications for the horror game!¡¿ ¡¾Dungeon countdown: 15:59:59¡¿ Two lines of blood-red text appeared before Lin Yu! Unlike the natural feeling that seemed to originate from his soul with the system, Lin Yu instinctively felt that these two lines of blood-red text did not belong to the system, because compared to the system, these lines were full of a rough or low-quality feeling, ¡°What is this?¡± Lin Yu was taken aback, thinking it was just an illusion, then he recalled some rumors he had seen on the internet¡­ In the past two years, mysterious legends from various places had been increasing in frequency! Mysterious deaths of wealthy individuals, entire neighborhoods suddenly disappearing, a murderer who liked to skin people¡­ The official stance has always been somewhat ambiguous, Lin Yu had also read several posts about the ¡°Horror Game¡±! Chosen individuals would enter a world filled with vengeful spirits to survive, and they could gain the opportunity to control ghosts and spirits. The mysterious events around the world were caused by the ¡°players¡± returning from the horror game, some even said that the newly established ¡°No. 9 Investigation Center¡± was also created to deal with the existence of the horror game! And these posts, without exception, disappeared very quickly! Lin Yu, familiar with the pattern, knew that the faster the posts disappeared, the more likely they were to contain the truth! Combining this with the two lines of blood-red text before him, Lin Yu confirmed this point, the biggest difference between this parallel world¡¯s Blue Star and his previous world was not the absence of virtual currency, but rather the ¡°Horror Game¡±! The term ¡°fifth batch¡± also strongly confirmed this point ¡ª this horror game had already existed for a while! In sixteen hours, at midnight, he would enter the horror game! ¡°This is really infuriating!¡± Lin Yu felt somewhat helpless for a moment, because this horror game, whether by rumor or by name alone, was definitely a place where survival was extremely difficult, or one could say it was almost a death sentence! Even though Lin Yu vaguely realized that the netherworld currency issued by his ¡°Divine System¡± might be prepared for this game, he wasn¡¯t sure if it would guarantee his safety in the game. After all, while ¡°money can make ghosts do the work,¡± that¡¯s just a saying, what if the ghosts inside didn¡¯t recognize money and only preyed on humans? Moreover, a common person might be punished for having wealth, bribing vengeful spirits with netherworld currency could make them covet his wealth and kill him for it, what then? These were all uncertainties, ¡°Although the ¡®netherworld currency¡¯ issued by the system is likely useful and a good thing¡­ ¡°I can¡¯t rely too much on the system!¡± He still needed to investigate the related matters of the ¡°Horror Game¡±, Lin Yu thought this way and quickly began researching information on the internet, and just as Lin Yu expected, although the officials had been blocking information, they couldn¡¯t delete everything completely! This might also be to give a glimmer of hope to those truly chosen by the ¡°Horror Game¡±! Soon, Lin Yu gathered several key pieces of information from the various posts he had seen! First, in the horror game dungeon, ghosts cannot kill at will! S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The actions of ghosts and humans must follow the rules! Only by violating the rules or meeting the conditions of the ghost¡¯s killing rules can one be killed by the ghost! Second, the basic rules of the dungeon will generally be indicated in a direct and obvious way at the beginning! However, there will also be certain hidden rules! Third, the difficulty of the dungeon and the strength of the ghosts are related to the number of basic rules. The more rules there are, the harder it is to survive! Because gathering this information was quite difficult, it took Lin Yu almost a whole day! After a simple rest, the horror dungeon opened! Chapter 2 - The eerie Yellow Spring Inn!!! Chapter 2: The eerie Yellow Spring Inn!!! ¡¾Welcome to the horror game!¡¿ ¡¾This dungeon¡¯s name: Yellow Spring Inn!¡¿ ¡¾Mission objective: Work hard and survive for two days!¡¿ ¡¾Current surviving personnel: 6¡¿ After the countdown reached zero, three lines of blood-red text appeared in front of him, Lin Yu was momentarily distracted and found himself standing in a gloomy, blood-soaked, dilapidated courtyard! The blue stone tiles were covered in dried blood, and nearby, a flowerbed swayed with crimson spider lilies. A broken wooden door was slightly ajar, obscuring the scene behind it, and beside him stood five individuals, each with different expressions and attire: a middle-aged man in a suit, slightly plump, exuding the aura of a successful person. A young man with yellow hair, dressed flamboyantly, with tattoos on his arms, like a street youth. A taciturn, burly man in a hoodie, cautiously scanning the surroundings. A middle-aged woman of average looks, but dressed somewhat revealingly. Finally, a small, timid student girl with glasses, shrinking her shoulders in fear, staring at the ground. The group exchanged glances, their eyes filled with fear. Even the flashy yellow-haired youth didn¡¯t impulsively shout, clearly, everyone had realized the dangers of the ¡°horror game!¡± Ultimately, it was still the taciturn bearded man who spoke first, ¡°It seems that besides me, everyone else is a newcomer!¡± He said this with a sigh. Upon hearing him, the other five, including Lin Yu, were momentarily brightened. The mature woman pondered for a moment, suppressing her fear, and spoke with a light laugh. ¡°So, brother, this isn¡¯t your first time?¡± The bearded man nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m a beta player from the ¡®fourth batch¡¯. I¡¯ve experienced this type of dungeon five times!¡± A survivor who had experienced five dungeons! This identity made everyone feel somewhat reassured. Since someone had survived five times, it indicated there was still a chance¡­ The bearded man seemed to see through everyone¡¯s thoughts and shook his head gently. ¡°Don¡¯t be too optimistic. I survived five times, but each time it was a narrow escape! ¡°In every dungeon, at least half the people will die¡­ In the newcomer dungeon you¡¯re experiencing, the survival rate for newbies is terrifyingly low! ¡°When I entered the dungeon for the first time, twenty people went in, and only I and another newcomer survived¡­ Even the veteran leading us perished!¡± As he spoke, the uncle rolled up his black hoodie sleeves, revealing his arms covered in horrific black cracks, showing decayed flesh and even eerie white bones within! ¡°This is the price of survival! ¡°In that dungeon, the objective was to survive for twelve hours¡­ but this dungeon requires survival for two days!¡± The hope that had just ignited among the group was instantly dimmed significantly! ¡°Is this what ghosts are like¡­ then we¡¯re doomed!¡± The yellow-haired punk said nervously, revealing a pessimistic expression. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± The middle-aged man in a suit muttered under his breath. The two women were so scared they covered their mouths, almost screaming. Even Lin Yu was slightly startled. However, he quickly regained his composure. ¡°At least I have a system! My chances of survival must be higher!¡± The bearded uncle lowered his sleeves, looking at the four who were losing control of their emotions, shaking his head in disappointment. He felt somewhat reassured only when he glanced at Lin Yu, who remained relatively calm. This newcomer¡­ had a better mindset than the others! S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Sometimes, a slight difference in mindset in the dungeon could determine life or death! He steadied himself and continued speaking. ¡°There¡¯s not completely no hope¡­ As someone who has been through this, I can offer you some advice! ¡°There are rules in the dungeon! The ghosts are not reckless in the dungeon! ¡°As long as you follow the rules and don¡¯t meet the ghost¡¯s killing criteria, you might get injured¡­ but you won¡¯t die! ¡°What are the ¡®rules¡¯? Generally, the most important ones will be directly told to you by the ghost or written in very obvious places¡­ but those aren¡¯t all the rules!¡± Hearing the bearded man¡¯s words, Lin Yu also nodded slightly. This was consistent with the results of his own investigation¡­ Since these words came from the mouth of a five-time survivor, their credibility increased again. However, the uncle didn¡¯t mention the correlation between the number of rules and the difficulty of the dungeon. It was unclear whether he didn¡¯t know or chose not to explain to avoid causing panic, or if¡­ that was false information. Lin Yu didn¡¯t voice any objections, as he felt this bearded uncle wasn¡¯t completely trustworthy. To survive five times, he must have a very strong will to live! For his own survival, these newcomers¡­ might all be expendable to him! The other four remained immersed in shock and fear, processing the bearded uncle¡¯s words, their expressions fluctuating, uncertain of their thoughts. At that moment¡­ An old, raspy cough interrupted. An elderly man with grayish skin, a face full of wrinkles and brown spots, pushed the wooden door open and walked into the courtyard. Everyone felt a chill in their hearts. The ghost has arrived! Chapter 3 - Serving at the Inn of the Underworld! Chapter 3: Serving at the Inn of the Underworld! Although the old man looked like a frail, hunchbacked elder on the verge of death, dressed in dull gray clothing, resembling an ancient person, everyone, including the bearded uncle, could feel the terrifying aura emanating from him. Lin Yu felt as if he were facing some dangerous predator, a fear originating from the soul, like an instinct, warning them that the old man before them was a ghost! However, no one present showed their fear. Lin Yu glanced at the others. The young thug trembled uncontrollably. The mature woman clenched her fists, her nails digging into her flesh. But no one dared to cry out. Everyone knew that if they displayed anything unusual now, what awaited them¡­ was likely death! The old man¡¯s murky eyes scanned them, and a ¡°friendly¡± yet eerie smile appeared on his face, then he began to speak! ¡°Cough cough, everyone, welcome to the Yellow Spring Inn! ¡°This old man is the accountant of the Yellow Spring Inn, here on the orders of the landlady to assign you jobs,¡± his voice was even more hoarse than his cough, and just hearing it carried a chilling intent, then the old man coughed into his hand again, ¡°Cough cough¡­ however, before starting work, there are a few rules at our inn that I need to share with you!¡± Upon hearing this, the group suppressed their fear and perked up their ears. The bearded uncle¡¯s warning made them aware that what the old man was about to say would likely be the ¡°basic rules¡±! ¡°First, whether you are assigned to the front desk or the kitchen, you must do your best to complete your work¡­ any negligence, heh¡­ the landlady won¡¯t let you off lightly!¡± At this point, Lin Yu noticed that a hint of apprehension seemed to flash in the old man¡¯s murky eyes. It appeared he also feared that landlady! Indeed, that ¡°landlady¡± was a more powerful ghost than him, and even this accountant, who might also be a ghost or even a subordinate, could potentially be dealt with by her! Lin Yu silently noted this. The old man continued, ¡°Secondly, the items in the inn are old and dilapidated, easily damaged¡­ If you break anything, you¡¯ll have to compensate at full price.¡± The old man deliberately emphasized the word ¡°compensate,¡± clearly implying something. A few of them understood¡­ In this ghostly inn, breaking a plate could cost them their lives! ¡°Third, remember not to offend the guests¡­ Although the landlady won¡¯t blame you for bumping into a guest, many of our guests have a bad temper¡­ If they find an excuse to reprimand you, the landlady won¡¯t protect you!¡± After finishing, the old man let out a sinister laugh, ¡°Alright, does anyone have any questions?¡± The bearded uncle remained silent, and the other five naturally did not dare to ask. The old man nodded in satisfaction and then began to assign tasks. ¡°Okay, you over there, the big guy. You look strong, go to the kitchen and help Chef Meng with chopping vegetables!¡± He first pointed at the bearded uncle. The bearded uncle nodded, and the old man pointed to the open wooden door, ¡°Turn left after exiting. That¡¯s the kitchen.¡± The bearded uncle glanced at everyone, giving them a look that said ¡°take care,¡± then he walked through the wooden door. Next, he looked at the mature woman, ¡°You¡¯ll be responsible for cleaning the guest rooms¡­ Turn right when you exit, go to the storage room to find Sister Zhang, who is in charge of cleaning, and she will tell you what to do.¡± The mature woman seemed a bit lost. Her face pale, she nodded and then followed the bearded uncle into the wooden door. After that, the old man turned to the middle-aged man. ¡°You seem somewhat educated¡­ Go straight out, up to the second floor, and wait in the room marked ¡®Accountant¡¯ for me. I¡¯ll call you to settle accounts.¡± With that, the middle-aged man in a suit hurried away, leaving only Lin Yu and the petite girl with glasses, who had been keeping her head down. The old man stared at the two for a long time before slowly speaking, ¡°Two little kids¡­ tender-skinned, you¡¯ll be the waiters in the main hall¡­ Taking orders, serving food, that shouldn¡¯t need anyone to teach you, right? sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Just go straight in through the door¡­ That¡¯s the main hall.¡± The old man said this while revealing a smile at the two, his gaunt face filled with wickedness, as if he was looking forward to the two of them ¡°making mistakes,¡± being left behind by this old ghost was already scary enough, coupled with his sinister, evil grin, Lin Yu couldn¡¯t help but feel a chill in his heart, and the petite girl next to him trembled even more. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Lin Yu tugged at the now weak-legged petite girl, leading her toward the wooden door, passing by the accountant, they entered the wooden door, which led to a dilapidated, dark corridor, with clutter and firewood piled up on both sides. Looking up, they could see an ancient three-story building, which should be the main building of the Yellow Spring Inn. The corridor was filled with cold winds and echoed with the light laughter of angry spirits, frightening the girl enough. As if trying to bolster her courage, the previously silent girl finally spoke to Lin Yu in the corridor, ¡°Um¡­ what¡¯s your name? ¡°I¡¯m Li¡­¡± She was about to introduce herself when Lin Yu interrupted her. ¡°No need to say it out loud. I can just call you Xiao Li! ¡°Similarly, you can call me Brother Lin.¡± Chapter 4 - Anomaly! The Screaming Teapot! Chapter 4: Anomaly! The Screaming Teapot! Lin Yu stopped the other person from saying their name for his own reasons! The bearded thug and the accountant ghost didn¡¯t introduce themselves earlier, and combined with some ¡°strange tales¡± Lin Yu had seen before, he came to a conclusion that introducing one¡¯s name in horror games is a foolish thing to do! It¡¯s possible that some ghost rules involve names! Therefore, not revealing one¡¯s true name should be a ¡°universal rule¡± followed by all horror games! The girl in glasses with the surname Li realized Lin Yu¡¯s reasoning upon hearing this, her face pale as she nodded, then quietly said, ¡°Thank you.¡± After this small episode, she seemed to trust Lin Yu much more. Soon, the two quickly passed through the corridor and arrived at the back door of the inn, which was wide open, revealing the entire first floor lobby of the inn. The green bricks on the floor, like those in the backyard, were splattered with dark red, pungent bloodstains. The front desk and several simple wooden tables and chairs looked ordinary, and three huge wine jars nearby appeared unremarkable, but the wooden menu hanging above the front desk was somewhat horrifying. Written in bright red paint on the black wood were things like ¡°Roasted Human Heart¡± and ¡°Boiled Lamb Legs¡±¡­ Even names like ¡°Couple¡¯s Lung Slices¡± and ¡°Wife¡¯s Cake,¡± which should have been normal dishes, seemed quite eerie! The front door of the lobby was wide open, with a wooden sign reading ¡°Grand Opening¡± hanging from it, outside was a pitch-black chaos. The entire lobby was empty, with only Lin Yu and Xiao Li present. There were no other people or ghosts. ¡°What should we do next?¡± Xiao Li instinctively asked Lin Yu. Before Lin Yu could answer, a chilling female voice echoed in the empty lobby, ¡°Wait for the guests.¡± This voice startled Xiao Li, causing her to shrink her shoulders and look around, but it was still empty everywhere. ¡°Is that the landlady speaking?¡± Lin Yu pondered, but did not respond. At that moment, a gust of cold wind swept in from the door, bringing with it a foul stench that assaulted their senses. Lin Yu looked up and saw a swollen, grotesquely scarred man resembling a small mountain, covered only by a few tattered rags, his belly bulging, skin a sickly blue, his face contorted, with lips pulled back, sharp fangs, and a frightful grimace. As soon as he stepped into the inn, he turned his gaze towards Lin Yu and Xiao Li. Strange noises came from his throat, shocking Xiao Li into a pale expression. ¡°Human?¡± This grotesque, fat ghost made a deep, terrifying sound from his belly, questioning, and at the same time, drool flowed from his gaping mouth, as if he had spotted something incredibly delicious. Lin Yu looked at this ¡°guest¡± and recalled the words of the landlady and the accountant, then quickly stepped forward, forcing a smile, ¡°Welcome, sir! Please come in!¡± As he said this, the fat ghost indeed showed a look of disappointment. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just a waiter¡­¡± He walked over to a table and slowly sat down. The small stool groaned under the pressure of this meat mountain, making Lin Yu sweat nervously. If this stool broke, who knows if the ghost would take the opportunity to retaliate, or how he would calculate the damages for broken items¡­ ¡°First, get me a pot of hot water and a set of dishes!¡± The fat ghost tossed two copper coins onto the table, speaking coldly, ¡°Alright.¡± Lin Yu walked to a corner of the lobby, where three coal stoves and many utensils were placed, Xiao Li hurriedly followed him. After all, whether it was ¡°slacking off¡± or ¡°neglecting the guests,¡± it could cost them their lives. The kettle on the coal stove was boiling with hot water, and the black teapot and utensils were piled on different shelves. Strangely, the patterns on both the kettle and the utensils looked like countless human faces, when Lin Yu picked up the empty teapot, he suddenly heard a painful voice, ¡°Ah¡ªah¡ª ¡°I¡¯m in so much pain! Kill me! Kill me!¡± He was taken aback, his hand trembling, and the teapot fell to the ground. It looked like the ceramic teapot shattered, Xiao Li instantly jumped in shock. ¡°Brother Lin¡­ you broke¡­ you broke the teapot!¡± She said this, somewhat flustered. ¡°Should we hide it? After all, no one saw!¡± Lin Yu looked at Xiao Li, feeling a bit fonder of the girl. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Although timid, she cared for him despite having no part in this incident¡­ However, Lin Yu knew that hiding it wouldn¡¯t work! And just as he expected¡­ The next moment, the accountant ghost¡¯s cough echoed, ¡°Cough cough, young man, clumsy hands¡­ you broke the teapot right after starting work¡­ ¡°That teapot is worth fifty copper coins!¡± Xiao Li and Lin Yu turned around to see the accountant ghost, who had somehow hunched over and appeared behind them, but his expression wasn¡¯t angry. Instead, he looked somewhat delighted. His gaze towards Lin Yu was filled with greed! ¡°You just started working. I doubt you can pay for it¡­ so let¡¯s take your right hand that broke the teapot as compensation!¡± He said this, extending a dry, claw-like hand towards Lin Yu¡¯s right hand! ¡°Ah!¡± Xiao Li couldn¡¯t help but scream, as if she could see Lin Yu¡¯s right hand being ripped off at any moment. At that moment, however, Lin Yu shouted, ¡°Stop! You old bastard! ¡°Who said I couldn¡¯t pay?¡± At the same time, Lin Yu shouted frantically in his heart, ¡°System, exchange for fifty thousand ghost coins!!! Issue them in copper coin form!!!¡± Chapter 5 - Yin Qi Copper Coins! The Shocked Account Manager! Chapter 5: Yin Qi Copper Coins! The Shocked Account Manager! Just as the accountant¡¯s hand was about to touch Lin Yu¡¯s arm, the copper coins exchanged by the system appeared in Lin Yu¡¯s embrace! The accountant hurriedly withdrew his hand! This ghost suddenly sensed a surge of pure Yin energy coming from Lin Yu! It was more intense and pure than his own Yin energy¡­ no, it was even more so than that of the landlady! Lin Yu could also feel a chilling sensation in his arms! In his embrace were a thousand one-unit and five-unit copper coins! One copper coin was equivalent to ten yuan of ghost money! The coins bore the ancient inscription ¡°Heavenly Bank¡± and exuded a sinister aura. Even though there were five units of coins, they felt weightless in Lin Yu¡¯s arms. Seeing the accountant¡¯s bewildered expression, Lin Yu finally sighed in relief! Earlier, when he saw the fat ghost throw coins onto the table, he had a faint idea. These copper coins looked just like the ones he had exchanged out of curiosity before! However, his coins were much newer compared to the mottled and dilapidated ones. Lin Yu initially wanted to find an opportunity to drop a coin on the ground to see how these ghosts would react, testing whether they could circulate here. Unexpectedly, he was caught off guard by the teapot at the start, so Lin Yu had no choice but to take a gamble! And it turned out that he made the right choice! ¡°Fifty coins are equivalent to five hundred yuan of ghost money!¡± Lin Yu generously took out a one-unit copper coin and handed it to the accountant. The accountant looked at the brand-new one-unit Yin energy copper coin being offered to him and swallowed hard. It wasn¡¯t entirely due to his greed, But rather, he¡­ was somewhat hesitant to accept it! This old ghost looked at Lin Yu with a mix of fear and apprehension. It¡¯s no exaggeration to say that this one-unit coin was equivalent to a thousand coins¡­ enough to buy his life! sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. If the young man were to promise a thousand coins now, the customer would be more than willing to act against him! Even if he offered a bit more, having the proprietress take action wouldn¡¯t be impossible! And this kind of copper coin¡­ he had five units right now! Especially since he didn¡¯t even know how the other party managed to retrieve the money! Could it be some kind of storage method? With such wealth and confidence, he was definitely not a ¡°newbie¡± entering the dungeon for the first time! ¡°Could this be the incarnation of some ghost king, or a selected spokesperson?¡± Lin Yu, seeing the accountant¡¯s fearful yet greedy eyes, couldn¡¯t help but smile. Lin Yu suddenly realized that his golden finger was even more powerful than he had imagined! Originally, he was a bit worried about what would happen if these ghosts didn¡¯t recognize money or became greedy¡­ Now, from the accountant¡¯s reaction, Lin Yu confirmed something¡­ In the horror game¡¯s dungeon, even ghosts would instinctively feel a sense of reverence upon seeing a wealthy person! Moreover, due to the rules, it seemed that he really couldn¡¯t be killed! With this assurance, Lin Yu felt even more emboldened. He directly stuffed the entire one-unit copper coin into the accountant¡¯s hands. ¡°Just take it, why are you being so wishy-washy! ¡°What, as an accountant, you¡¯ve never seen this much money?¡± As Lin Yu said this, the accountant forced a smile. He wanted to say that he really had never seen it! After all, that fat ghost only threw two coins when he came to eat and drink, and those coins were still worn out and severely depleted of Yin energy. Clearly, the purchasing power of ghost money was far greater than Lin Yu had imagined! Also, because this human actively touched a ghost¡¯s hand, the accountant didn¡¯t try to harm Lin Yu. Instead, he hesitated a bit. ¡°Well, giving me this much money isn¡¯t really in line with the rules, right¡­¡± The accountant even worried that this might be a condition for Lin Yu to kill ¡°ghosts¡±! After all, powerful ghosts and ghost tamers would need rules even if they wanted to kill other ghosts. And the accountant¡¯s earlier attempt to grab him surely offended Lin Yu! Thus, to protect his own life, he nervously asked, Lin Yu pretended to ponder for a moment, In reality, he was looking at his task list! ¡¾Task 1: First Purchase! (Incomplete)¡¿ ¡¾Task Content: Accumulate expenditure exceeding 100,000 (10,000/100,000)¡¿ ¡¾Task Reward: Cashback Critical Hit Card*1, Nine Nether Cleansing Spirit Wine*10¡¿ ¡°Compensating for the teapot in the shop really counts as expenditure!¡± Thinking this, Lin Yu no longer hesitated and stuffed the remaining four units of coins into the accountant¡¯s embrace. ¡°You¡¯re right, this much money is indeed a bit lacking to compensate for the exquisite purple clay pot of ¡®Yellow Spring Inn,¡¯ ¡°Here, take the five units!¡± The accountant was completely dumbfounded! What did this mean¡­ Although the Yin energy copper coins were weightless and icy cold, he still felt that the coins in his hands were hot and heavy! Chapter 6 - Smash at Will! The Magnanimous Lin Yu! Chapter 6: Smash at Will! The Magnanimous Lin Yu! Meanwhile, the accountant stood dumbfounded, and the other person, a ghost, was also caught in shock! The originally impatient fat ghost, who had been annoyed by Lin Yu breaking the teapot and arguing with the accountant, suddenly put aside his contempt upon seeing Lin Yu casually handing out five units of money. He had planned to wait for that kid to come back so he could make things difficult for him. If he could find an excuse, it wouldn¡¯t be impossible to eat him directly! However, seeing Lin Yu casually pull out five units of Yin energy copper coins, and glancing at the two shabby coins on his table, the fat ghost decided¡­ to let this kid go! ¡°This isn¡¯t just about money. Mainly, I see this kid has a friendly face, so I¡¯ll hand him over to a friend!¡± he thought to himself! Meanwhile, the girl standing next to Lin Yu, Xiao Li, was completely stunned! This once-arrogant accountant showed a somewhat cautious and even humble attitude towards Lin Yu! The reason was simply that Lin Yu took out five units of copper coins! ¡°Is this what they mean when they say money can make ghosts do things?¡± Xiao Li looked at Lin Yu¡¯s back, feeling a sense of admiration for him, But at that moment, Lin Yu furrowed his brow, Because he glanced at the system and discovered an unfortunate situation! [Task Content: Accumulate expenditure exceeding 100,000 (10,000/100,000)] He had given away five units of copper coins, yet it didn¡¯t count as expenditure? ¡°System, did you just bug out?¡± [Ding! System Determination! ¡®Yin Qi Teapot¡¯ valued at 100 yuan of ghost money!] [This system¡¯s premium purchase limit is 100 times. Amounts exceeding 100 times do not count toward consumption tasks, cashback critical hits, etc.!] ¡°So it¡¯s because it exceeded the limit¡­¡± Lin Yu nodded, realizing he didn¡¯t mind that this old man was charging more than five times. Now that he knew it was above the limit, it was manageable! ¡°Um¡­ five units of money for a teapot is indeed a bit much!¡± He looked at the accountant and casually picked up a plate, a sharp scream echoed in his ears. ¡°Ah¡ªah¡ª!¡± Though on guard, Lin Yu still relaxed his grip. The plate shattered into pieces, and billowing black gas spilled from the cracks. ¡°How much is this plate worth?¡± Lin Yu asked, causing beads of sweat to appear on the accountant¡¯s forehead. ¡°One¡­ one hundred coins?¡± he hurriedly corrected himself, ¡°No, no, actually twenty coins would be enough!¡± In front of Lin Yu, he didn¡¯t dare to lie about the price. ¡°Twenty coins?¡± Lin Yu retorted, making the accountant shiver. ¡°Ten coins! Ten coins would be enough!¡± Hearing the old man¡¯s words, Lin Yu quickly interrupted him, ¡°That¡¯s not enough, I think this plate is worth a thousand coins!¡± Once he said this¡­ [Task Content: Accumulate expenditure exceeding 100,000 (20,000/100,000)] The consumption task¡¯s number instantly jumped by ten thousand points! ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s feasible!¡± Lin Yu¡¯s face lit up with joy. He casually picked up a black porcelain bowl, ¡°This one must be worth a unit of money, right?¡± ¡°Two teacups¡­ one unit¡­ uh, five hundred coins!¡± ¡°This plate from the little shop¡­ but it¡¯s still worth seven hundred coins!¡± ¡°Five spoons, eight hundred coins!¡± The continuous sound of porcelain breaking filled the air, with black ceramic shards scattered all around! Everyone present, whether the two ghosts or Xiao Li, was completely shocked!!! How extravagant this was! Spending five units, fifty thousand Yin energy copper coins, just to smash things! ¡°This¡­ this¡­¡± The accountant slightly opened his mouth and felt that Lin Yu was somewhat unfathomable! Lin Yu merely smiled slightly, ¡°Consider it as me just arriving and wanting to make a friend!¡± Upon hearing this, the accountant was somewhat flattered. He finally realized just who this young man was¡­ This was a significant opportunity for him! These Yin energy copper coins given to him, even if a large portion went to the landlady, the remainder would be enough for him to have a taste! ¡°Becoming your friend, I can¡¯t dare to hope! ¡°But if you encounter any difficulties in the future, I¡¯ll definitely be at your service!¡± The accountant said earnestly. Lin Yu nodded in agreement. ¡°Alright, you can put the money away first.¡± Following Lin Yu¡¯s instructions, the accountant tucked the copper coins into his sleeve. ¡°System, exchange fifty thousand ghost money again in the form of copper coins!¡± Lin Yu called out in his mind, And five units of copper coins reappeared in his embrace, He then reached for a teapot. The accountant watched Lin Yu¡¯s actions, his brow twitching. ¡°Are you coming again?!¡± But since bright five-unit copper coins had already appeared in his arms, he couldn¡¯t stop him! However, just before Lin Yu could smash the teapot, a voice that seemed to belong to the proprietress echoed again! ¡°Sir, please don¡¯t smash any more! ¡°If you smash again¡­ the entire store¡¯s bone china teapots, plates, bowls, and chopsticks will be shattered! ¡°We won¡¯t be able to open for business!¡± The voice was still cold and eerie, but there was a hint of negotiation in its tone! Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 7 - No Cheap Stuff! Bring Me the Expensive Dishes! Chapter 7: No Cheap Stuff! Bring Me the Expensive Dishes! Hearing the boss lady¡¯s voice, Lin Yu felt a bit disappointed. His money-grinding plan had failed¡­ Although the account manager dared not voice his anger, as the owner of the Yellow Springs Inn, the boss lady had spoken, Lin Yu had to give her some respect. He put down the plate, letting the five Yin-energy copper coins dangle at his waist. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Alright, since the boss lady herself spoke up, I¡¯ll stop.¡± At the same time, Lin Yu felt somewhat regretful. If only he had exchanged one hundred thousand ghost currency from the start! After all, even though he was temporarily safe now, there was no absolute safety in this horror game. It was certainly beneficial for him to complete the task and get the rewards as early as possible! ¡°Compensation won¡¯t work¡­ I¡¯ll have to think of another method¡­¡± Lin Yu surveyed the inn, and his gaze fell on the mountain-like fat ghost. Lin Yu¡¯s eyes lit up, and he hurried over. ¡°Sir, sorry to keep you waiting!¡± he spoke with anticipation, looking eagerly at the fat ghost. He had made up his mind. If the ghost showed even a hint of dissatisfaction, he¡¯d pull out money to compensate! But unexpectedly, the fierce and menacing-looking ghost¡¯s plump face actually broke into a¡­ silly grin? ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine, no worries!¡± He waved his hand, saying this, leaving Lin Yu somewhat perplexed. ¡°How can it be okay? We kept you waiting here for so long!¡± Lin Yu quickly added. But still, the ghost didn¡¯t get angry and merely wiped his drool, ¡°Really, it¡¯s fine! I¡¯m just here to eat, what¡¯s the rush!¡± Lin Yu was a bit speechless. Of course, Lin Yu didn¡¯t know that if it was anyone else, this ghost would have already taken the chance to act and eaten them! The reason he didn¡¯t dare to eat Lin Yu was the same as the accountant. He was wary of Lin Yu¡¯s identity! Yet, even though the ghost had a good temper, Lin Yu didn¡¯t intend to miss this opportunity to complete his task. ¡°Regardless, keeping you waiting so long was definitely our fault!¡± Lin Yu declared righteously, ¡°How about this. You let me cover your meal today!¡± After hearing this, the fat ghost hesitated. Judging by his size and the fact that he was drooling at Lin Yu and Xiao Li when he first entered, it was clear he enjoyed eating! So, after a bit of hesitation, he didn¡¯t refuse anymore, ¡°Well¡­ thank you very much!¡± Since he was taking from Lin Yu, the fat ghost respectfully addressed him. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, no need to be polite!¡± Lin Yu glanced at the price list on the wall and noticed that the most expensive item, ¡°Yin Spring Nourishing Soup,¡± was only one hundred coins. He couldn¡¯t help but sigh at the inn¡¯s humble standards. After a moment, the fat ghost hesitantly suggested, ¡°Well¡­ how about one of everything on the menu?¡± Lin Yu looked at him. This guy really knew how to play along! When he said not to be polite, he truly took it to heart! Compared to dealing with humans, Lin Yu found that dealing with ghosts was far simpler. If it was a person, they might have feigned politeness, or even felt he was showing off! At this moment, the account manager eagerly chimed in, ¡°Every dish, one of each? Do you need me to inform the kitchen?¡± he said to Lin Yu in a fawning manner. After all, if breaking the plates earlier had a bit of pettiness to it, Lin Yu was now genuinely handing out money freely! For someone who spent money so lavishly and without care¡­ was there any reason not to flatter him? Lin Yu looked at the accountant¡¯s fawning expression, amused, and then glanced at the fat ghost, shaking his head, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him ¡ª there aren¡¯t that few dishes here!¡± The fat ghost looked slightly disappointed, giving an embarrassed smile, ¡°My mistake!¡± The accountant shot the fat ghost a look, ¡°You really have no shame!¡± But in the next second, Lin Yu¡¯s words shocked both ghosts once again. ¡°Any dish under thirty coins, don¡¯t bring it. For those over thirty, bring him two portions each!¡± Lin Yu said, and both the account manager and the fat ghost stood there, mouths agape. Lin Yu casually tossed two units of money on the table, and the account manager picked one up, offering an embarrassed smile, ¡°Um, with that order¡­ It only totals eight hundred ninety coins¡­ No need for this much!¡± ¡°Alright, round it up to a thousand coins, and don¡¯t break it down,¡± Lin Yu replied confidently, ¡°Brother, do you drink?¡± The fat ghost shook his head repeatedly, ¡°This is already more than enough¡­ Truly more than enough¡­¡± Seeing this, Lin Yu felt a little disappointed. ¡°Alright then!¡± He opened his task panel, ¡¾Task Content: Accumulate expenditure exceeding 100,000 (60,000/100,000)¡¿ ¡°Another thousand coins spent¡­¡± He stroked his chin, thinking. Then he looked over at Xiao Li, who was standing dumbfounded in the corner, A new plan began to form in his mind. ¡°Hey, Xiao Li, come over here!¡± Chapter 8 - Task Completed! The Powerful Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine! Chapter 8: Task Completed! The Powerful Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine! One hour later, Lin Yu was comfortably seated behind the counter, while Xiao Li sat on a stool at the entrance, holding a large wooden sign reading ¡°Today¡¯s All-Purchases Free of Charge.¡± Inside the Yellow Springs Inn, it was now rare to see every seat occupied! As it turns out, nothing attracts attention quite like ¡°free¡±! Each of the five or six tables was loaded with sumptuous dishes: hands, eyeballs, fresh hearts, blood rich in Yin energy¡­ The guests were all peculiar in appearance ¡ª headless, with long tongues, faces dark and blue, or black smoke streaming from their facial orifices¡­ But regardless of the type of ghost, they all looked upon Lin Yu behind the counter with utmost respect! ¡°This young master Lin of the Yellow Springs Inn really is generous!¡± ¡°Indeed, I wonder which Ghost King chose him as their representative¡­¡± ¡°Hush¡­ it¡¯s possible Young Master Lin is the Ghost King himself¡­¡± ¡°Did you notice? These copper coins have not only pure Yin energy but are all brand new¡­¡± ¡°Any news on this Young Master Lin¡¯s marital status?¡± ¡°What, you want to arrange a ghost marriage with him?¡± Listening to the chatter among the ghosts, Lin Yu paid it no mind. Sitting behind the counter with the account manager ghost running orders and delivering dishes, he only needed to pay for things. Although none of them ate as much as the first fat ghost, in total, it was enough for Lin Yu to complete ¡°Task One¡±! ¡¾Task Content: Accumulate expenditures exceeding 100,000 (100,000/100,000)¡¿ ¡¾Ding! Congratulations, Host! Task One, ¡°First Purchase,¡± completed!!!¡¿ S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡¾Reward: Cashback Critical Card *1, Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine *10 issued!¡¿ ¡¾New Task Unlocked!¡¿ ¡¾Task Two: Spend Like a King! (Incomplete)¡¿ ¡¾Task Content: Spend over 30,000 in a single purchase (0/30,000)¡¿ ¡¾Task Reward: Perfect-Level Ghost Binding Contract *5¡¿ ¡°A new task¡­ a single expense of 30,000, which is three units of Yin-energy copper coins¡­ Tsk, not easy!¡± Lin Yu looked at the new task, finding it rather tricky. Even in the underworld, it wasn¡¯t easy to spend ghost currency! The required amount was smaller than last time, but since it wasn¡¯t cumulative, the difficulty actually increased! Although he was very eager for those perfect-level Ghost Binding Contracts, Lin Yu couldn¡¯t immediately think of a way to complete this task. ¡°In the end, it¡¯s still the low pricing and consumption level at this Yellow Springs Inn!¡± Lin Yu sighed. ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s first check out the rewards I¡¯ve already received!¡± In his awareness, Lin Yu saw a new inventory section appear in the system interface. ¡°A cashback crit card. Well, that¡¯s pretty straightforward¡­ ¡°It¡¯s the Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine I¡¯m curious about. What does it do?¡± Lin Yu examined the small wine bottle icon, ¡¾Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine: Upon consumption, increases soul strength and spiritual perception. Maximum one bottle per day, up to three bottles in total.¡¿ With a thought, a bottle of Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine appeared in his hand. The number on the icon changed to *9! Holding the cold, crackled blue-and-white porcelain bottle, he uncorked it, and a strong aroma filled the air. As Lin Yu inhaled this aroma, all the ghosts in the inn turned to look at him, sensing a precious spirit-nourishing item in Lin Yu¡¯s hands! However, no one dared to approach him, let alone attempt to steal it! Constrained by the horror game¡¯s rules and sensing Lin Yu¡¯s ¡°unfathomable¡± aura, the ghosts didn¡¯t dare to act rashly! Noticing the ghosts¡¯ gazes, Lin Yu smiled and stood up, ¡°A toast to all of you!¡± He raised the bottle, drinking it down in one gulp! Lin Yu then felt a surge of pure, chilling spiritual energy coursing through his body. After circulating once, his soul felt slightly stronger, and the ghosts before him appeared more ¡°vivid.¡± He could faintly see the Yin energy flowing around them, ¡¾Ding! First consumption of Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine: Spiritual Perception +10, Spiritual Power +100!¡¿ ¡¾Host has obtained Spiritual Perception for the first time ¡ª attribute panel unlocked!¡¿ ¡¾Current Level: First-Rank Ghost Controller¡¿ ¡¾Spiritual Perception: 10¡¿ ¡¾Spiritual Power: 100¡¿ ¡¾Advance to Second-Rank Ghost Controller at Spiritual Power of 500, Spiritual Perception of 50!¡¿ Lin Yu¡¯s eyes lit up upon seeing the panel. ¡°Just by drinking a bottle, I activated Spiritual Perception and became a First-Rank Ghost Controller! ¡°This Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine really is something¡­ too bad I can only drink three! ¡°However, after finishing these three bottles and using that perfect-level Ghost Binding Contract¡­ I¡¯ll finally have real power of my own!¡± Sure, using wealth to ensure safety was nice, but in this horror game, true security only comes from one¡¯s own strength! ¡°Now, I need to come up with a plan to complete the second task quickly!¡± Chapter 9 - A Gift from the Ghosts! The Mysterious Bronze Mirror! Chapter 9: A Gift from the Ghosts! The Mysterious Bronze Mirror! Though Lin Yu was eager for the perfect-level Ghost Binding Contract, he couldn¡¯t immediately find an opportunity to spend 30,000 ghost coins in one go! But after he toasted the various ghosts, the strange and fearsome specters also raised their glasses! ¡°Young Master Lin, there¡¯s no need for such courtesy!¡± ¡°Yes, thank you, Young Master Lin!¡± Even though they could feel the pure Yin energy radiating from Lin Yu¡¯s Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine, none of the ghosts felt any greed for it. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This wasn¡¯t just out of respect for Lin Yu¡¯s ¡°distinguished status¡±. It was also because, to these ghosts, Lin Yu was offering more than just a simple meal! After all, ghosts, being dead, don¡¯t truly need to eat. So ¡°eating¡± for ghosts is more like a form of spiritual nourishment. Many ghosts consume human flesh, blood, or souls to enhance their own Yin energy. The blood food at Yellow Springs Inn was renowned for its quality, which was precisely why it attracted so many ghosts! To most ghosts, the only downside of Yellow Springs Inn¡¯s offerings was the price! However, in reality, the ¡°high price¡± wasn¡¯t a flaw of the inn, but rather their own limitation! With Lin Yu footing the bill and treating them, such a good opportunity couldn¡¯t be missed, and all the ghosts present now owed him a favor. For humans, a favor might be shamelessly ignored, but for ghosts, that¡¯s impossible! Even when it comes to killing, they abide by many rules, and most ghosts were haunted by unresolved desires from their mortal lives! While strengthening their Yin energy was essential for advancement, peace of mind was also important to ghosts, so repaying a favor was a matter of principle! In other words, if Lin Yu was to ask these ghosts for help, they would likely not refuse! This was especially true of the first ghost who had feasted ravenously. After eating and drinking his fill, feeling his Yin energy increase by nearly 30%, he couldn¡¯t help but feel some pressure to reciprocate! As the first guest of the Yellow Springs Inn, he was a particularly powerful ghost, not much weaker than the innkeeper herself. Looking at Lin Yu drinking, he began to ponder. ¡°This Young Master Lin carries such spirit-nourishing wine, and it seems to be effective¡­¡± Although Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine was exceedingly rare, for someone who could casually spend ten units of Yin-energy copper coins to curry favor with these ghosts, would this method of nourishment still hold any significance? This rather simple-minded, fat ghost couldn¡¯t quite understand the reasoning behind it! ¡°Could it be¡­ that this great figure¡¯s soul is injured?¡± Realizing this, he wore an enlightened expression! Indeed, why would such a powerful presence appear here¡­ While the owner of Yellow Springs Inn had some skills, it wouldn¡¯t be enough to draw such a person or their representative here! If not ¡°treasure-seeking,¡± it might well be ¡°hiding from enemies¡±! Thinking this, the fat ghost¡¯s mind began to work, and he decided that this was the perfect opportunity to form a connection with Lin Yu. Now, if he could provide Lin Yu with some useful assistance, he would gain favor, while also avoiding being caught up in any future clash between powerful beings due to the favor he owed. He rose from his seat, ¡°Young Master Lin¡­ may I be so bold as to call you Brother Lin!¡± The ghost¡¯s voice rumbled from deep within his belly, and after a brief hesitation, he took out an ancient, unadorned bronze mirror. The mirror showed nothing but a vast gray mist, while its back was carved with three coiling kui dragons, their eyes half-closed as if in slumber! ¡°Having received your generous hospitality today, I feel indebted¡­ Here is a mysterious artifact I possess. I believe it may be of use to you.¡± With that, he extended the bronze mirror towards Lin Yu, who took it, surprised. ¡¾Ding! Detecting Yin Artifact: Kui Dragon Soul-Locking Mirror! Automatically bound to Host!¡¿ ¡°I¡¯ve had this mirror for years and never figured out its true purpose¡­¡± The fat ghost pondered aloud. ¡°However, by injecting Yin energy, it can reveal the presence of ghosts or areas with concentrated Yin energy nearby! ¡°I believe it may have even greater uses! Leaving it with me would be a waste¡­¡± Listening to the ghost¡¯s explanation, Lin Yu gave a slight nod and put away the bronze mirror, ¡°Indeed, this Kui Dragon Soul-Locking Mirror is a valuable item¡­ very useful to me!¡± he said this calmly, and the ghosts, especially the fat one, were all taken aback, ¡°He actually knows the name of this mysterious Yin artifact!¡± The speculation about Lin Yu¡¯s formidable background became even more credible. Inspired by the fat ghost, an elder ghost also rose. ¡°Young Master, this old ghost also has a treasure to offer you!¡± Chapter 10 - Two Deceased! Chapter 10: Two Deceased! ¡°More treasures?¡± Hearing the old ghost¡¯s voice, Lin Yu was somewhat surprised. Initially, he¡¯d invited the ghosts for a ¡°meal¡± just to complete his task. Receiving the mysterious, powerful bronze mirror was already a surprise. Unexpectedly, after the fat ghost started, the other ghosts began offering gifts too! Lin Yu looked at the fat ghost and found him increasingly likable! Though his appearance was unpleasant and bloated, this guy certainly knew how to play the game! Not only could he eat, but he knew how to navigate situations. Lin Yu made a note to remember him! If he could fight too¡­ Once Lin Yu obtained the perfect-level Ghost Binding Contract, he would definitely set one aside for him! Now, Lin Yu turned his attention to the old ghost. ¡°No need to be so polite,¡± Lin Yu feigned a bit of reluctance, yet extended his hand, ¡°Let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got?¡± The old ghost nodded respectfully, then took out a necklace with a black cord! On the black cord hung small white skeletons, each the size of a fingertip! The dozen small skulls displayed various expressions. Although they lacked flesh, their faces were fierce and pained! ¡°Young Master, this is a Grudge Skull Necklace I acquired at the ghost market. Wearing it can resist the Yin energy impacts of ghost generals and protect the soul¡­ By infusing it with Yin energy, it can also store and release that energy when needed for counterattacks. ¡°Of course, you may not need that function¡­ but it makes a fine accessory regardless!¡± The old ghost lowered his head as he spoke. With that, Lin Yu accepted the Grudge Skull Necklace. ¡¾Ding! Detecting Middle-Grade Yin Artifact: Grudge Skull Necklace! Automatically bound to Host!¡¿ ¡°Not bad! Though it doesn¡¯t seem as high-grade as that mirror, it¡¯s surprisingly practical!¡± While the old ghost saw Lin Yu as powerful, Lin Yu knew his own strengths and limits. Having additional defensive measures was more useful than anything! After all, not all ghosts cared about money! And if he encountered one lacking intelligence¡­ he¡¯d be in trouble! He also noted the old ghost¡¯s mention of the ¡°ghost market¡±¡­ That would certainly be a valuable place for him! However, he didn¡¯t ask further. If it was a well-known location, his high-status facade would be at risk! Seeing two ghosts had already offered gifts, the others rose as well. ¡°Um, Young Master, I don¡¯t have anything valuable¡­ but this necklace can store Yin energy¡­ so I¡¯ll offer some of my own Yin essence!¡± As this ghost spoke, the others echoed their agreement! A dozen streams of ghostly energy floated toward the Grudge Skull Necklace and were sealed within! Lin Yu could feel his necklace becoming significantly stronger. Now he even had an offensive option! ¡°Thank you, everyone!¡± He cupped his hands slightly, masking his excitement with a calm demeanor. The ghosts responded with variations of ¡°Don¡¯t mention it¡± and ¡°You¡¯re too kind.¡± Meanwhile, Xiao Li, who sat by the entrance, was dumbfounded by the harmonious scene! The ghosts eagerly gifting Lin Yu items, worried he might not be satisfied. It was just like her relatives and her father¡¯s subordinates gifting her father calligraphy and paintings! S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Is he¡­ really this powerful?¡± Xiao Li murmured to herself. After the gift-giving concluded, Lin Yu, who had gained considerably, watched as the ghosts left. Even though the dungeon lacked a true day-night cycle, it had a similar concept. The fluctuation of Yin energy outside the inn indicated this shift. As he watched the outside Yin energy thicken, Lin Yu, now possessing spiritual awareness, could feel the environment growing more ¡°hostile¡±! For these ghosts, the outside was likely no safe place either, which was why they hurried to leave before ¡°nightfall¡± when Yin energy and spirit energy would completely destabilize! After bidding farewell to all the guests, the account-keeping ghost diligently cleared the table for Lin Yu, and then the innkeeper¡¯s voice echoed. ¡°Today¡¯s day shift is over. Everyone, gather in the main hall for a meal!¡± Lin Yu stiffened slightly upon hearing her voice. He would soon meet the other ghosts in the inn! Who knew how the others had fared today? At that moment, Xiao Li¡¯s face suddenly turned pale, and she let out a startled cry, ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lin Yu looked at the petite girl and asked. Xiao Li shook her head, lowering her voice and speaking with a trembling tone, ¡°Brother Lin¡­ look at the number of survivors¡­¡± Lin Yu¡¯s mind raced, and he summoned the blood-red text that appeared before him. ¡°Current survivors: 4¡± Lin Yu was quietly taken aback! He couldn¡¯t help but wonder¡­ just who were the two who had died?! Chapter 11 - A Ghost’s Test! Grudge Skull Necklace in Action! Chapter 11: A Ghost¡¯s Test! Grudge Skull Necklace in Action! Lin Yu saw the blood-red text, feeling as shocked as Xiao Li. But thinking it over, it made sense¡­ After all, this was a horror game¡¯s dungeon! A place with an extremely low survival rate! Although he¡¯d managed to secure his safety temporarily with ghost currency¡­ Had he lacked enough of it or even hesitated slightly¡­ He might¡¯ve already lost an arm when that teacup shattered! And those seemingly ¡°friendly¡± ghost guests ¡ª if he hadn¡¯t offered them food and drink, they would likely have tried to make a meal of him. Even with his wealth of ghost currency, he wasn¡¯t absolutely safe! Thankfully, he now had some means of self-defense. Lin Yu touched the Grudge Skull Necklace around his neck, feeling a bit more at ease. At that moment, the door of the underworld inn suddenly closed. The wooden door shut, and the sign at the entrance flipped from ¡°Open¡± to ¡°Closed.¡± In the hall, clusters of pale-blue ghost flames appeared out of nowhere, illuminating the dim surroundings. Yet the cold light only added to the eerie atmosphere! Xiao Li, who had already been scared by the news of two deaths, turned even paler. In contrast, Lin Yu remained calm. With his newfound spiritual awareness, though he couldn¡¯t yet sense Yin energy clearly, he was no longer frightened by everything he saw. Next, the accountant ghost, who had been helping Lin Yu all day, began preparing the largest table in the hall once more. ¡°Young Master, we¡¯ll be dining together here shortly. It¡¯s a tradition at the Yellow Springs Inn! ¡°Our simple fare may not be much, but I hope it suits your taste!¡± The accountant ghost said in a raspy voice, smiling pleasantly. Just then, a cold, aged female voice rang out, ¡°Old Ghost Li, why are you showing such respect to a new errand boy?¡± The voice was filled with undisguised malice and sarcasm, making it clear that this person didn¡¯t get along with the account-keeping ghost. Lin Yu turned to see a woman dressed as a farmwife, her head wrapped in a blood-stained cloth. Her face was covered in hideous bumps, and her eyes were pale blue, making her even more frightening than the account-keeping ghost. Following behind her was a mature, alluring woman with ghastly scars covering her face and hands. She looked at Lin Yu and Xiao Li with surprise, then a flash of resentment crossed her face. With his enhanced insight, Lin Yu noticed these subtle expressions, but he was unconcerned about her thoughts. What intrigued him more was the tension among the Yellow Springs Inn¡¯s residents! The account-keeping ghost heard the farmwife ghost¡¯s mocking tone and snorted dismissively, ¡°Madam Zhang, your long hair must have stifled your brain!¡± The farmwife ghost, known as Madam Zhang, was in charge of cleaning and managing the storeroom at the inn. There was indeed a long-standing rivalry between the two. The account-keeping ghost didn¡¯t bother to remind her of Lin Yu¡¯s status, and Madam Zhang, hearing his retort, gave Lin Yu a long, cold look. It was clear this ghost was ruthless and narrow-minded, as evidenced by the scarred woman following her. Madam Zhang had been locked in a struggle with the accountant ghost for years, with neither able to gain the upper hand. Unable to vent her frustration on him, she instead directed her anger at Lin Yu, ¡°You, errand boy, why haven¡¯t you cleared the table? Are you slacking off?¡± Madam Zhang barked sharply, gathering Yin energy in her hand, which formed into a broom. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The woman behind her looked at the broom with deep fear. Madam Zhang sneered with satisfaction, her bumpy face twisting into a cruel grin. ¡°Since Old Ghost Li is weak and useless, I¡¯ll teach you some rules!¡± With that, she swung the broom, heavy with ghostly energy, directly at Lin Yu¡¯s face! But Lin Yu watched the scene calmly. The next moment, an invisible force repelled the broom. The Grudge Skull Necklace around Lin Yu¡¯s neck emitted a piercing, invisible scream! Madam Zhang cried out, stumbling as the force hit her, disbelief on her face. Meanwhile, Lin Yu stood undisturbed, a faint smile appearing. As he had suspected¡­ The Yin energy necklace could withstand attacks from a ghost general-level entity. Though he didn¡¯t know the exact hierarchy among ghosts, this unimpressive farmwife ghost was certainly no ghost general! Among the other ghostly guests, there were likely several on her level, and their combined Yin energy in the necklace had been enough to injure her! Chapter 12 - The Terrifying Cook! The Frightening Dinner! Chapter 12: The Terrifying Cook! The Frightening Dinner! Just as Lin Yu expected, the counterattack from the Grudge Skull Necklace had indeed injured Madam Zhang. Ghostly energy seeped from her mouth and nose, and her broom was damaged, indicating a deep injury. This made her glare at Lin Yu with even more malice. ¡°A mid-grade Yin weapon¡­ so that¡¯s what you rely on!¡± Though she said this, she didn¡¯t dare approach him for now, as the necklace¡¯s full power was still unknown to her. However, her gaze made it clear. Madam Zhang had already borne a grudge against Lin Yu. If given the chance, she would certainly strike at him again! Lin Yu and the others understood this as well. The mature, alluring woman looked at Madam Zhang with a hint of schadenfreude, while Xiao Li looked at Lin Yu with concern. Lin Yu remained expressionless, but he felt the pressure. He knew his current safety was due to the large amount of ghost coins he had, which made the ghosts, including the account-keeping ghost, wary of his identity. If he couldn¡¯t deal with Madam Zhang, the account-keeping ghost or even the inn¡¯s proprietress might see through his bluff. Then he¡¯d truly be in trouble. ¡°I need a way to get rid of Madam Zhang!¡± But for now, Lin Yu had no clear solution. He had just awakened his spiritual sense, lacking offensive abilities, and the Grudge Skull Necklace could only defend and counterattack. ¡°I¡¯ll need to enlist other ghosts to take her down!¡± But it seemed that the account-keeping ghost was evenly matched with her¡­ would he have to hold out until new guests arrived tomorrow? However, waiting until tomorrow might only bring more uncertainties tonight. As Lin Yu pondered this, heavy footsteps sounded. A deep, drum-like sound grew closer, making everyone tense up. A tall, dark figure appeared at the back door! This ghost was as large as the fleshy ghost Lin Yu had seen earlier, but this one was solidly built! His ashen skin was veined like small snakes, his muscles as hard as forged steel. Though his face wasn¡¯t fierce, his pitch-black eyes and grayish lips were unnerving. He wore a black leather apron with large pockets, reeking of blood. Around his neck was a copper ring with a broken iron chain, and in his massive hands, he held a large wooden tray with an equally large food container. Seeing him, both the account-keeping ghost and Madam Zhang visibly changed, adopting a more respectful demeanor. Lin Yu, Xiao Li, and the mature woman felt a powerful, invisible pressure. ¡°This must be the cook¡­ stronger than the fleshy ghost from earlier!¡± Lin Yu quickly concluded with his spiritual insight. This ¡°cook¡± seemed to be the strongest entity in the horror game dungeon, aside from the landlady. No wonder the only experienced player, the bearded man, had been assigned to work under him! Behind the cook, Lin Yu also saw the bearded man. His face was ashen, and his left arm was gone. Now, it was clear who had died. It was the middle-aged man and the yellow-haired thug! And Lin Yu was about to discover the cause of their deaths. The cook set the food container on the table, gave everyone a look, and rasped, ¡°Dinner¡¯s ready.¡± With that, he opened the container, pulling out dish after dish of¡­ human limbs and organs. Hearts, livers, spleens, lungs, hands, feet¡­ Finally, two grayish heads with empty eye sockets. Although they were eyeless, everyone recognized them. They were the heads of the middle-aged man and the yellow-haired thug! Xiao Li and the mature woman both went pale, the former stepping back in trembling terror, while the latter dry-heaved repeatedly. The cook looked at the mature woman, ¡°What, you don¡¯t like my cooking?¡± It seemed he was ready to twist her head off at any moment. She hurriedly shook her head, forcing a smile. ¡°No¡­ no¡­ I love it!¡± Satisfied, the cook nodded. ¡°Then eat up!¡± The cook took a seat at another table, ladling a bowl of murky liquor from a nearby jar, watching the group as if overseeing the meal. The accountant ghost and Madam Zhang quickly sat down, picking up their bowls and chopsticks to dig in, and Xiao Li, the bearded man, and the mature woman, sensing the implication, hurriedly followed suit! Clearly, questioning the cook¡¯s skills or refusing to eat¡­ would surely trigger a deadly reaction from him! Though hesitant, survival instincts won over their revulsion, and they each picked up fingers, forcing themselves to chew. Lin Yu alone remained standing. No matter how Xiao Li signaled him, he wouldn¡¯t budge! After a moment, Lin Yu even walked toward the cook¡¯s table himself! sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 13 - The Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine! A Sudden Change in the Cook’s Attitude! Chapter 13: The Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine! A Sudden Change in the Cook¡¯s Attitude! ¡°This young man¡­ how dare he provoke such a powerful ghost!¡± The bearded uncle was shocked by Lin Yu¡¯s actions. From his experience, this ¡°dinner¡± might be the most dangerous moment in the entire horror game! After all, during a meal, many ¡°unwritten rules¡± could easily be violated. The less trouble caused, the better! S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Moreover, the ¡°Cook¡± was immensely powerful! While chopping wood for him, a single wrong stroke had cost the uncle an arm, and not even the charms he¡¯d obtained in previous dungeons could protect him! This alone showed how powerful this ghost was! Even though the young man and the girl with glasses had been fine so far, perhaps because of some protection, this reckless move¡­ would surely lead him to a terrible fate! The mature woman and the ghostly Madam Zhang also noticed Lin Yu¡¯s actions, but instead of worry, they seemed amused. ¡°This arrogant brat is practically signing his death warrant!¡± ¡°That damned kid¡­ but good, now I won¡¯t have to dirty my hands! His necklace won¡¯t protect him from that guy!¡± Apart from the bearded uncle, Xiao Li was also very worried about Lin Yu! Seeing the heads and the bearded uncle¡¯s and mature woman¡¯s miserable states, Xiao Li realized that her safety so far was entirely thanks to Lin Yu. This sparked a sense of gratitude and reliance on him in her heart. But¡­ Xiao Li, unlike the others, had a feeling that, perhaps, Lin Yu wasn¡¯t seeking death after all! And Lin Yu, of course, wasn¡¯t heading towards his doom! He looked at the cook silently drinking, then boldly sat down across from him. The cook raised his gaze to Lin Yu and asked in a gravelly voice. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you eating? Don¡¯t like my cooking?¡± His raspy voice, though calm, carried a terrifying undertone, as if daring Lin Yu to nod, so he could kill him instantly! Lin Yu simply laughed without answering. ¡°Such crude liquor must be hard to drink!¡± Without waiting for a reply, Lin Yu picked up the cook¡¯s bowl and poured out its contents onto the floor! This act shocked everyone present! ¡°This kid¡­ he¡¯s asking for death!¡± Madam Zhang¡¯s face lit up with unhidden joy! The bearded uncle and the mature woman looked terrified, the latter worrying that if the cook got angry, she might be caught in the crossfire! Even the accountant ghost¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°Oh no, that cook has a violent temper¡­ there might be a fight!¡± Only Xiao Li¡¯s eyes glimmered, as though she realized something. At the table where Lin Yu and the cook sat, the cook, seeing his emptied bowl, also stood up. ¡°You seem to be¡­ provoking me?¡± His voice was cold, a rare tone for him. But just as he was about to lash out, he paused. A faint aroma of wine drifted into his nose. Lin Yu, sitting across from him, slowly took out a blue-white porcelain bottle from his chest. Lin Yu uncorked the bottle, and a strange fragrance filled the air. ¡°How could I dare provoke you? With such exceptional culinary skill, you must have excellent taste. I just couldn¡¯t bear seeing you drink such crude liquor!¡± Lin Yu chuckled, pouring the Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine into the cook¡¯s bowl. ¡°Try my wine!¡± The cook¡¯s eyes gleamed! If anyone else had tried to provoke him, the cook would have slapped them to death! But¡­ this wine¡¯s aroma was too alluring! Just by smelling it, he felt a pleasurable sensation, as if his very soul was soothed! And Lin Yu¡¯s words were a flattering touch, so the cook huffed, then sat back down. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll try your wine!¡± He raised the bowl, taking a big gulp! The moment the wine entered his mouth, his body trembled! An unprecedented sensation washed over him! ¡°This wine¡­ what an exceptional treat!¡± He shivered, feeling a pure, cold Yin energy cleansing his soul. When he came back to himself¡­ his bowl was empty, not a drop left! ¡°Truly remarkable wine!¡± He placed the bowl down heavily, looking at Lin Yu with newfound respect, any previous hostility nearly gone! This wine was superior to any ¡°fine wine¡± he¡¯d tasted before coming to the inn! It was truly exceptional! Seeing his reaction, Lin Yu knew he had succeeded! As he¡¯d thought¡­ earlier, every time the cook took a sip of that crude liquor, his brow furrowed, yet he kept drinking it! Clearly, this was a drink-loving ghost with discerning taste! Using the Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine as a bribe was just the right move! Chapter 14 - Drive Out the Wolves, Swallow the Tigers! The Cook Makes a Move! Chapter 14: Drive Out the Wolves, Swallow the Tigers! The Cook Makes a Move! Lin Yu had planned to use the Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine to befriend the powerful ghost. It was premeditated. After all, three bottles were enough to reach his limit, but the system had given him ten bottles! Clearly, the extra bottles were meant for gifting and spending. This matched perfectly with the name of the Strongest Divine Wealth System! After all, if you have a system of divine wealth, you¡¯re bound to spend extravagantly! And fortunately, the cook turned out to be a wine lover! So Lin Yu naturally wanted to try using the Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine to win him over. Seeing the resentful spirits offer him the necklace of wraith skulls and the mysterious bronze mirror, Lin Yu had realized that the ¡°rules¡± ghosts follow might be more than just ¡°conditions for killing.¡± If you have something they want, even a ghost might become your ¡°friend¡±! Even though this cook ghost had entered carrying two human heads, Lin Yu wasn¡¯t afraid! A ghost wasn¡¯t a natural disaster. It¡¯s a being driven by desires and obsessions! He poured the rest of the Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine into the cook¡¯s bowl, ¡°Here, brother, you drank too fast last time. Have some more!¡± The remaining wine filled just half the bowl before running out, and the cook showed a look of regret, lifting his bowl. Unlike before, when he downed it in one gulp, this time the cook savored it, taking small sips. The more he drank, the more he realized this wine was truly a rare treasure, far surpassing anything he had tasted before. ¡°This really is exceptional!¡± Seeing his reaction, Lin Yu knew he had taken the bait, and slowly pulled out another bottle of¡­ Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine from his chest. The cook¡¯s eyes lit up instantly at the sight of the porcelain bottle. ¡°You have more of this fine wine?¡± Lin Yu smiled calmly, simply shaking the bottle in his hand. ¡°How about I fill you up again, brother?¡± Hearing this, the cook eagerly nodded, ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll gladly accept, little brother!¡± Even though this cook was feared by both Accountant Li and Madam Zhang, he now accepted Lin Yu¡¯s ¡°brotherly¡± term and even warmly called him ¡°little brother¡±! Lin Yu popped open the bottle and filled the cook¡¯s bowl with wine, then sighed lightly. ¡°Sigh¡­ such a shame!¡± Hearing Lin Yu¡¯s lament, the cook ¡ª who wasn¡¯t the sharpest ¡ª immediately looked at him with curiosity, as Lin Yu had hoped. ¡°Little brother, why the regret when you have such fine wine?¡± ¡°Brother, drinking this Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine alone, you can¡¯t fully appreciate its taste. If only there were some side dishes¡­¡± The cook smiled at this, ¡°Little brother, that¡¯s not an issue at all! ¡°Don¡¯t forget, I¡¯m a cook! Setting up a little extra is easy for me!¡± Lin Yu nodded slightly. ¡°I know your cooking is great, but ¡®human¡¯ as an ingredient is just too low-tier to showcase your full skills!¡± S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Hearing this, the cook looked intrigued. ¡°Little brother, blood-based food is already quite a rare and nourishing ingredient. Is there really anything better?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Lin Yu replied earnestly. ¡°Human Yin energy is nothing compared to that of a ghost! ¡°Cooking with ghost ingredients. How perfect would that be?¡± ¡°Cooking with ghost ingredients¡­ cooking with ghosts¡­¡± The cook repeated Lin Yu¡¯s words twice, then his face lit up with wild joy! ¡°Indeed, that would be splendid! Little brother¡­ I feel like we were destined to meet!¡± With that, he eagerly looked toward Accountant Li and Madam Zhang, who both immediately turned pale with shock. ¡°What are you planning¡­ I haven¡¯t wronged you¡­ We all work here at the Yellow Springs Inn! Don¡¯t break the rules!¡± Madam Zhang stood up, shouting angrily. Hearing her words, Lin Yu understood something. As expected, there were restrictions on ghosts harming each other¡­ At least within the confines of the horror game, this seemed to be the case! Accountant Li looked at Madam Zhang and then at the eager cook, giving a cold chuckle. ¡°No wronging him? Breaking the rules? Not necessarily¡­ Madam Zhang! ¡°It was you, Madam Zhang, who struck out first¡­ During dinner time, you attacked another employee first!¡± Accountant Li¡¯s words made Madam Zhang look at him in disbelief. A sinister grin was already spreading across his face! Although the cook ghost worked at the Yellow Springs Inn, he was different from the lesser ghosts who grew stronger only after starting at the inn. He had been brought from deeper realms by the inn¡¯s mistress, and breaking the rules might not affect him in the same way! So¡­ he didn¡¯t dare to risk it! And even ghosts know a simple rule¡­ when you encounter a bear in the wild with others, you don¡¯t have to outrun the bear. You just have to outrun the rest. What¡¯s more, he and Madam Zhang had already been at odds! ¡°Li!¡± Madam Zhang yelled his name with resentment, realizing his intentions, drawing her broom in a last-ditch effort to fight Accountant Li to the death. But¡­ it was already too late! A slashing sound filled the air! In the next instant, a bloodstained, rusted cleaver flew out, pierced her shoulder, and pinned her to the ground! Chapter 15 - How Could I Dare to Ask You for Money? Chapter 15: How Could I Dare to Ask You for Money? ¡°Ah¡ª ah¡ª¡± Impaled through the shoulder and pinned to the ground by the cleaver, Madam Zhang began to scream in agony. Her ghostly energy was leaking out, and it was clear that as a ¡°ghost,¡± she was not far from disintegration. But the cook wouldn¡¯t waste ¡°ingredients¡±! He pulled a burlap sack from his leather apron pocket and walked over to Madam Zhang. ¡°No attacking other employees during dinner time¡­ that¡¯s the rule. ¡°You broke the rule¡­ and my little brother here is a diligent, friendly ¡®excellent employee,¡¯ so, Madam Zhang, your punishment is doubled!¡± The cook¡¯s tone was calm, walking over while shaking open the sack. He reached Madam Zhang and stuffed her inside! Although she struggled intensely, clearly¡­ the difference between her and the cook was vast! It was like the gap between ordinary humans and ghostly beings! Soon, she was sealed in the sack, completely still. The cook ghost finished this and looked at Lin Yu with a smile, ¡°Little brother, I¡¯ll go handle this ¡®ingredient¡¯¡­ You hold onto the wine for me!¡± Saying this, he hoisted the sack over his shoulder and walked toward the back door! Lin Yu watched his towering figure, nodding slightly. Only when the figure disappeared through the door¡­ did Lin Yu slowly utter,: ¡°Amazing!¡± This cook ghost was even stronger than he had anticipated! He had taken Madam Zhang down in an instant! Lin Yu had tried to befriend and win over the cook ghost with the Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine, knowing he was strong, hoping he¡¯d injure Madam Zhang and reduce the risk of a night ambush. After all, he hadn¡¯t expected the cook ghost to risk his life over two bottles of wine! But now it seemed¡­ he had severely underestimated the quality of the Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine! It made sense. If it could elevate him from an ordinary person to a first-tier ghost tamer, it certainly wasn¡¯t ordinary! And he had underestimated the cook ghost¡¯s strength as well, eliminating Madam Zhang was no ¡°life-risking¡± feat for the cook ghost! The most important part¡­ Lin Yu looked in the direction of Accountant Li. This old ghost clearly had tried to use Madam Zhang to test him! Lin Yu grew wary of him too! Though he¡¯d spent the afternoon helping him here and there, ghosts were still ghosts! Until he sealed a contract with a ghost-taming pact, he had to stay alert! Accountant Li noticed Lin Yu¡¯s gaze and broke out in a cold sweat. He had almost forgotten that, while he¡¯d narrowly escaped the cook¡­ the truly terrifying one was still this young man, who had, with just a few words, convinced the cook to turn Madam Zhang into a ¡°dish¡±¡­ Although Lin Yu hadn¡¯t acted himself, in Accountant Li¡¯s mind, his fear of Lin Yu grew even more! To so casually offer ten ghost-energy copper coins and possess spirit wine that even moved the cook, taking out two bottles just like that! Wait, he¡¯d even drunk a bottle himself earlier in the day¡­ What did this mean? This seemingly precious wine was something he drank casually! What if he pulled out another bottle and decided Madam Zhang wasn¡¯t ¡°enough¡±? Accountant Li shivered! He regretted his earlier scheming against this young man. Not only was Lin Yu powerful and wealthy, but he was also sharp. Clearly, his little schemes hadn¡¯t escaped Lin Yu¡¯s notice! What could he do now? Thinking hard, he finally glanced at the resentment skull necklace hanging around Lin Yu¡¯s neck, Ah¡­ an offering! While Lin Yu seemed wealthy, he didn¡¯t seem to mind accepting treasures from others! S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. With that thought, Accountant Li gritted his teeth and pulled out a piece of dark wood from his sleeve. ¡°After all, staying here at the Yellow Springs Inn makes this item useless¡­¡± He stood up, walked over to Lin Yu, and respectfully presented the dark wood with both hands. ¡°Master Lin, this old man came upon an item years ago! ¡°This wood is called ¡®shadow wood,¡¯ an excellent material for crafting ghostly artifacts¡­ this shadow wood is top-quality, with a thousand years of sedimentation. It¡¯s nearly as valuable as a high-grade ghost artifact!¡± As he spoke, Lin Yu looked at him with a surprised expression. So he had changed his approach, trying to gain some benefits by selling valuable items to this ¡°wealthy man¡±? Lin Yu looked at the dark wood, pretending to inspect it and sneaking a touch. The system indeed gave a notification. [Ding! High-grade ghost material detected: Thousand-Year Shadow Wood!] ¡°It¡¯s indeed a fine item!¡± Lin Yu smiled at him. Now he had something to fulfill the task¡¯s spending limit! He looked at Accountant Li and asked, ¡°Old Li¡­ this is good stuff! ¡°How much do you want to sell it for?¡± Hearing Lin Yu¡¯s question, Accountant Li was visibly startled. ¡°This¡­ how could I dare to ask you for money?!¡± Chapter 16 - The Accountant Ghost Kowtows! Shocked Onlookers! Chapter 16: The Accountant Ghost Kowtows! Shocked Onlookers! ¡°No payment? How would that be right?¡± Upon hearing the accountant ghost¡¯s words, Lin Yu quickly shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m a man of principle. How could I take something so precious for free?¡± Lin Yu said firmly! What a joke ¡ª this item was surely worth more than three thousand ghost coins! If he didn¡¯t seize this chance to complete the single-purchase task¡­ finding another opportunity could be difficult! A perfect-grade ghost contract would quickly boost Lin Yu¡¯s strength right now! Hearing Lin Yu¡¯s words, the accountant ghost was puzzled! Yet he couldn¡¯t tell if this was Lin Yu testing him further, so the accountant ghost looked at the Thousand-Year Shadow Wood in his hand, and, after a quick thought, cautiously asked. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Then¡­ how about ten ghost copper coins?¡± The old ghost smiled, his tone ingratiating. For a Thousand-Year Shadow Wood, this price was basically a giveaway! Hearing this, Lin Yu raised his voice by eight notches! ¡°Ten ghost copper coins?¡± This made the accountant ghost shiver all over! He regretted not asking for one! But Lin Yu¡¯s next words stunned the accountant ghost completely! ¡°I¡¯ll name a price¡­¡± Lin Yu held up three fingers. ¡°Three strings! One final offer!¡± With that, three brand-new ghost copper coins emitting dark energy appeared in his hand! They jingled as he shook them! The accountant ghost stared in disbelief at the three strings of coins, placing the shadow wood respectfully on the table before reaching for the three strings of coins! ¡°This¡­ this¡­¡± His voice trembled, unable to form words! This wasn¡¯t just giving Lin Yu a gift¡­ this was like getting an incredible deal! Though precious, shadow wood would only fetch two strings at most in the ghost market! He lacked the skill to forge ghost tools and was bound by a contract with the innkeeper, leaving this item useless to him! Exchanging it for three strings of ghost copper coins was a blessing! After all, ghost copper coins contain pure ghost energy, even if not used as currency! Moreover, their contract with the Yellow Springs Inn¡¯s innkeeper was limited by ghost copper coins, not by time! With enough ghost copper coins, he could leave! These three strings of coins would allow him to escape ten years early! Looking at Lin Yu, he realized his previous fears were groundless¡­ ¡°Why did I think Master Lin would hold a grudge against me? ¡°What kind of person is he? And what am I? Not worth holding a grudge!¡± Suddenly, the accountant ghost¡¯s resistance vanished! Overcome with gratitude, he knelt on the spot! ¡°Thank you for your life-changing generosity!¡± He said this, bowing repeatedly! The remaining three onlookers were stunned! The mature woman had initially felt a pang of jealousy when she saw Madam Zhang fail to harm Lin Yu, especially since she had recently been disfigured and was filled with resentment. But ever since Lin Yu and the cook ghost drank together, and now the terrifying accountant ghost was kowtowing to him¡­ she dared not feel any dissatisfaction towards Lin Yu anymore! She even began praying that Lin Yu hadn¡¯t noticed her earlier resentment! Otherwise, she might meet a fate worse than death! The bearded uncle was also shocked, mouth agape! Even as a veteran from the last beta test with experience in five scenarios, he barely had any ways to confront ghosts directly! All he could do was use rules and experience to negotiate with or avoid ghosts! Besides, he could easily see¡­ Although the Yellow Springs Inn was a novice-level instance, none of the ghosts here were weak! Madam Zhang, the accountant ghost ¡ª these ghosts were definitely high-level, at least fierce ghosts! And the cook was likely a ferocious ghost of even higher rank! And yet¡­ this ¡°new player¡± was making a fierce ghost kneel! How was this possible? ¡°Could it be¡­ he¡¯s from one of those legendary ghost-taming families?¡± the bearded uncle murmured. It seemed like he¡¯d uncovered some hidden truth! The simplest reaction was from Xiao Li, ¡°Brother Lin is amazing!¡± Her eyes sparkled as she watched the accountant ghost kowtowing. This powerful and mysterious man was incredibly captivating to a shy girl who rarely interacted with others in real life. And, in such dangerous circumstances, Lin Yu had been protecting her the entire time! So now, Xiao Li¡­ couldn¡¯t help but feel a little flutter in her heart! Chapter 17 - Perfect-Grade Ghost Binding Contract Issued! Invitation from the Innkeeper! Chapter 17: Perfect-Grade Ghost Binding Contract Issued! Invitation from the Innkeeper! Lin Yu didn¡¯t pay much attention to the thoughts of those around him. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After helping the accountant ghost up from the ground, he checked his task rewards. ¡¾Task Details: Single expenditure amount exceeding 30,000 (30,000/30,000)¡¿ ¡¾Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully completing Task Two, ¡°Spending Freely¡±! Reward: Ghost Binding Contract (Perfect-Grade) * 5 has been issued!¡¿ ¡¾New task unlocked!¡¿ Seeing the ghost contracts in his inventory, Lin Yu felt a wave of satisfaction. How refreshing! Taking out a ghost contract, he examined it. It looked like a thin piece of rice paper, but a gray mist swirled within it. On it were shifting, ink-colored characters that appeared quite eerie. ¡¾Ghost Binding Contract (Perfect-Grade): Allows you to form a contract with a ghost regardless of rank. Additionally, the ghost bound by the contract cannot retaliate or betray and will have absolute loyalty and obedience, effective for life!¡¿ Satisfied with the contract¡¯s effects, Lin Yu nodded approvingly. Lin Yu could easily deduce that ordinary ghost contracts likely wouldn¡¯t have such strong control over ghosts! However, he only had five contracts for now and couldn¡¯t waste them. At the very least, the accountant ghost, who was overjoyed and kowtowed in gratitude for just three strings of ghost copper coins¡­ had too low of a status! It wasn¡¯t worth using a contract on him! Little did Lin Yu know, if the bearded uncle or other ghost tamers outside knew of his thoughts, they¡¯d be stunned! A fierce ghost-level spirit like this, if contractable, would drive any ghost tamer to madness! Yet Lin Yu¡­ wasn¡¯t impressed! After putting away the ghost contracts for now, Lin Yu didn¡¯t immediately check his newly issued task, because from the back door, the cook ghost returned! ¡°Brother, I¡¯ve prepared a dish using ghost ingredients!¡± The cook ghost carried a new food box, laughing heartily. ¡°Come, have a taste!¡± The cook ghost said, opening the food box in front of Lin Yu, and took out a plate with black, thin slices tinged with blood, arranged in a circular pattern. ¡°This is my first time using ghosts as ingredients, so let¡¯s see how it turns out!¡± the cook said eagerly. Lin Yu, looking at this ¡°ghost dish,¡± was a bit shocked. Though it didn¡¯t look fancy, it was definitely an improvement over intestines and fingers! He picked up a slice with his chopsticks and placed it in his mouth. It melted instantly, refreshing and cooling¡­ surprisingly tasty! ¡¾Ding! Consumed a fierce ghost¡¯s essence! Spirit Power +1!¡¿ ¡¾Current Level: First-Rank Ghost Tamer¡¿ ¡¾Spiritual Sense: 10¡¿ ¡¾Spirit Power: 101¡¿ ¡¾Spirit Power reaching 500 and Spiritual Sense reaching 50 will promote you to Second-Rank Ghost Tamer!¡¿ It even increased his spirit power! Lin Yu beamed and gave the cook a thumbs-up. ¡°Delicious and nutritious! Clean and hygienic!¡± The cook laughed heartily at Lin Yu¡¯s praise, wiping his hands on his leather apron, then sat down, starting to eat and drink with Lin Yu. ¡°Brother, you inspired me!¡± Lin Yu generously brought out another bottle of Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine, drinking with the cook. Though Lin Yu wouldn¡¯t gain any more spiritual benefits from drinking, the fierce ghost¡¯s essence had no limitations! ¡¾Ding! Consumed a fierce ghost¡¯s essence! Spirit Power +1!¡¿ ¡¾Ding! Consumed a fierce ghost¡¯s essence! Spirit Power +1!¡¿ Lin Yu kept picking up his chopsticks, as the notifications continued,¡¾Spirit Power: 197¡¿ After the meal, his spirit power had almost reached 200! Meanwhile, the three others and the accountant ghost watched Lin Yu and the cook ghost drink and dine together¡­ completely numb with shock! This kid was a total monster! The bearded uncle felt more convinced than ever¡­ that those rumors about hidden ghost-taming families and sects must be true! How else could Lin Yu pull off moves like this?! Soon, the meal came to an end. With the heavy sound of a watchman¡¯s drumbeat, the innkeeper¡¯s voice echoed. ¡°All right¡­ mealtime is over! ¡°Old Li, take them to their rooms to rest!¡± The accountant ghost nodded respectfully. ¡°Understood, innkeeper!¡± The cook ghost, a bit reluctant, cast a regretful glance at Lin Yu, then an irritated look upstairs. ¡°Too bad, brother¡­ that¡¯s all for tonight!¡± Lin Yu noted the cook¡¯s reaction and calmly nodded. ¡°All right, see you tomorrow, brother!¡± The cook ghost rose first and headed to the back door, followed closely by the accountant ghost and the others. Just as Lin Yu was about to follow, he suddenly heard a seductive female voice by his ear, ¡°Come to the third floor to see me.¡± It was the innkeeper¡¯s voice from before, but her tone was much softer now! Startled, he realized that no one else had heard it! ¡°She¡¯s speaking only to me!¡± Lin Yu couldn¡¯t help but wonder¡­ Chapter 18 - Negotiation with the Innkeeper! Chapter 18: Negotiation with the Innkeeper!The stairs in the Yellow Springs Inn, like most ancient buildings in Xia Country, were very narrow and steep! Lin Yu climbed them carefully, thinking that it would be ridiculous if he survived the horrors of the game¡­ only to fall and die on the stairs! That would be an absolute absurdity! After cautiously reaching the third floor, Lin Yu found that the entire floor was quite simple in layout. A dimly lit hallway lined with red candles on both sides led to the end, where a closed double wooden door with carved decorations and paper screens gave the impression of a woman¡¯s boudoir. Lin Yu understood at once. This must be where the innkeeper resided! Lin Yu felt a bit nervous, as he knew that the innkeeper of Yellow Springs Inn was surely the most powerful entity in this dungeon! She was leagues beyond the cook¡¯s strength! Moreover, this invitation was from the innkeeper herself, and with no clue as to her intentions¡­ Lin Yu would have to stay sharp! After all, even as the innkeeper, she should be bound by certain ¡°rules.¡± Otherwise, she could have summoned everyone in and killed them instantly. Still, caution was essential! With this thought, Lin Yu approached the door. The carved wooden door creaked open on its own! Inside, he glimpsed a room filled with suggestive, hazy purple curtains, and beyond them was a chaise longue where the figure of a voluptuous and alluring woman lay, her robes lightly loosened as she reclined with crossed legs. If he hadn¡¯t known she was a ghost, and a powerful one at that, Lin Yu¡¯s heart would likely have been racing! But now, he remained calm, bowed slightly, and spoke. ¡°Innkeeper¡­ may I ask why you¡¯ve summoned me?¡± A soft chuckle sounded from beyond the veil. ¡°Master Lin, when you arrived at my Yellow Springs Inn, I failed to recognize you and had you working as a waiter¡­ Please don¡¯t hold it against me.¡± To Lin Yu¡¯s surprise, the innkeeper actually apologized! He became even more wary, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine, just an experience!¡± After this brief response, the innkeeper spoke her next line, as Lin Yu had expected, but with a twist! ¡°However, Master Lin¡¯s ¡®experience¡¯ here has caused quite a stir in my inn¡­¡± ¡°I compensated for the broken dishes and cutlery at ten times their value.¡± Lin Yu responded calmly. The innkeeper let out a light laugh at Lin Yu¡¯s words. ¡°Yes¡­ but the tableware is trivial!¡± Her tone suddenly grew sharper, ¡°But Madam Zhang has been a loyal employee at Yellow Springs Inn for over a hundred years¡­¡± Lin Yu feigned a look of regret and said sympathetically, ¡°Yes, such a shame¡­ that the cook killed her like that! ¡°But as a newcomer in a server role, how could I intervene in an inexplicable clash between two veteran staff?¡± As he spoke, the innkeeper behind the veil fell silent at Lin Yu¡¯s attempt to dodge responsibility. In all her years as a ghost, she¡¯d never seen anyone so shameless! An ¡°inexplicable clash¡±¡­ Clearly, he had instigated it! After a long pause, the innkeeper realized¡­ that playing mind games with Lin Yu was pointless! She abandoned her sweet tone, reverting to her icy demeanor. ¡°Fine, no more beating around the bush! ¡°Master Lin, regardless of your powerful background or your reasons for coming to Yellow Springs Inn¡­ provoking internal conflicts and causing my employee¡¯s death is unacceptable!¡± S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Hearing the innkeeper¡¯s grudging respect, Lin Yu felt more relaxed, crossing his arms and looking at her with interest. ¡°So, what do you propose?¡± ¡°Madam Zhang made significant contributions to Yellow Springs Inn, and I carefully selected her. Losing her is a big blow to our business¡­¡± the innkeeper said, softly clearing her throat. ¡°You must compensate for the loss of Madam Zhang¡¯s scattered soul.¡± At this, Lin Yu nearly laughed aloud. Money was the least of his worries! Lin Yu looked at the innkeeper and asked. ¡°What do you think would be fair?¡± The innkeeper thought for a moment, then said. ¡°Twenty strings¡­ no, fifty strings of copper coins!¡± The innkeeper¡¯s demand made Lin Yu¡¯s eyebrow twitch. Fifty strings of copper coins meant 500,000 ghost coins¡­ with a markup. Apparently, one fierce ghost was worth about 500 teapots! But Lin Yu wasn¡¯t about to let this visit to the innkeeper¡¯s chamber end in him being extorted, ¡°System, use cashback crit card!¡± ¡¾Ding! Cashback crit card used! Your next purchase will trigger a cashback of 2-10 times the amount spent!¡¿ ¡°Up to ten times¡­ I wonder if buying a fierce ghost¡¯s life counts as a purchase.¡± After pondering for a moment, Lin Yu smiled at the innkeeper. ¡°System, exchange one million ghost coins!¡± One hundred strings of ghost copper coins appeared in Lin Yu¡¯s hands. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a hundred strings¡­ and as for that cook, he seems capable. How about he comes and works for me?¡± Chapter 19 - A Shocked Innkeeper! Contract Acquired! Chapter 19: A Shocked Innkeeper! Contract Acquired! Lin Yu threw one hundred strings of ghost copper coins onto the ground, the coins forming two small mounds at his feet! He hadn¡¯t casually added those extra fifty strings! Ever since seeing his reward included a perfect-level ghost binding contract, and encountering that powerful cook, Lin Yu had been thinking about how to bring him under his command! After all, being able to instantly kill Madam Zhang like that was not something any ordinary ghost could do! The perfect-level ghost-binding contract would ignore the gap between him and the cook, and the cook seemed to have a good impression of him, so forming a contract shouldn¡¯t be too difficult! The real challenge was how to get the innkeeper¡¯s consent! From the clues he¡¯d gathered from the old accountant ghost, Madam Zhang, and the cook himself, it seemed they worked at Yellow Springs Inn under restrictions similar to a ghost binding contract! The innkeeper was stunned when she saw the pile of shining coins Lin Yu had laid on the ground! Although Yellow Springs Inn and all her assets combined were worth far more than one hundred strings of ghost copper coins, she¡¯d never seen anyone casually throw that amount onto the floor! Anyone with common sense knew there was a big difference between having a million in assets and a million in cash! The sight of those coins truly shocked the innkeeper! She couldn¡¯t help but sit up, no longer reclining. Her interest was piqued. Although she didn¡¯t know why he wanted that big oaf¡­ for the innkeeper, he wasn¡¯t irreplaceable! A cook could always be replaced! Although she had brought him back from a deeper place and his strength was undeniable, she didn¡¯t really need any helpers within the inn! After weighing her options, she looked at Lin Yu through the veil with a spark of interest in her eyes. But she still feigned reluctance. ¡°Well¡­ the cook has been with me for years, and what kind of inn doesn¡¯t have a cook¡­¡± She licked her lips as she spoke. ¡°You¡¯ll have to add more money!¡± Lin Yu smiled at her words. If the innkeeper truly refused to let the cook go, there would be nothing he could do! But as long as she was willing to let him go¡­ money was no object! ¡°System, another million!¡± Another hundred strings of ghost copper coins appeared, which Lin Yu promptly tossed onto the ground! The clinking of the coins echoed as they collided! The pure ghostly energy surged, and the mound of copper coins grew larger! ¡°With an extra hundred strings, is the innkeeper satisfied now?¡± Lin Yu¡¯s lavish display left the innkeeper completely speechless! When someone casually produced one hundred fifty strings of ghost copper coins¡­ whatever he wanted, you¡¯d be wise to sell it to him immediately! To a ghost, wealth and power were practically synonymous! If you didn¡¯t want to sell¡­ chances were he had ways to take what he wanted without negotiation! sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The innkeeper swallowed hard, ¡°Then¡­ it¡¯s a deal!¡± She waved her hand. In the corner, a tattered yellow paper appeared, with two lines written in dark red vermillion. Its quality was nowhere near ¡°perfect level¡±! ¡°Zhu Jiang willingly serves as an agent of the Yellow Springs Inn owner. ¡°This contract will expire once Zhu Jiang earns ten thousand strings of ghost copper coins for Yellow Springs Inn.¡± Seeing the conditions, Lin Yu couldn¡¯t help but gape. ¡°Ten thousand strings of ghost copper coins ¡ª that¡¯s ten million ghost coins¡­ It¡¯s clearly a trap!¡± Securing the cook for just one hundred fifty strings showed that, in the innkeeper¡¯s mind, the cook ghost, ¡°Zhu Jiang,¡± wasn¡¯t worth nearly that much! Judging by the inn¡¯s most expensive dish costing only a hundred coins or so¡­ the innkeeper had never intended for Zhu Jiang to leave! The vague term ¡°earn¡± didn¡¯t even clarify whether it meant net or gross profit! The cook¡¯s freedom was likely just an empty promise! ¡°I can¡¯t be so heartless¡­ hm, I¡¯ll specify that this contract is permanent!¡± Lin Yu thought to himself! No false promises, so there would be no disappointment later on! Besides, enjoying fine wine and cooking powerful ghosts daily with him would be far better than staying in this small inn, drinking cheap wine, and eating human flesh! ¡°All you need to do is destroy this, and the cook will be free!¡± The innkeeper told Lin Yu, reminding him, ¡°However, I can¡¯t guarantee he¡¯ll agree to sign a new contract with you!¡± Lin Yu smiled at her reminder. ¡°No need for you to worry about that. I have my ways!¡± With a bottle of Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine and a few good words, he was sure the cook would follow him! Putting away the yellowed contract, Lin Yu seemed to remember something, and asked. ¡°By the way, innkeeper¡­ If I wanted a contract with you, or to buy the entire Yellow Springs Inn, how much would that cost?¡± The innkeeper heard Lin Yu¡¯s question, ready to demand an exorbitant price she thought he couldn¡¯t afford. But as the words reached her lips, the innkeeper suddenly thought¡­ there was no telling what price he might actually be willing to pay! Chapter 20 - About Investigation Center No. 9! Chapter 20: About Investigation Center No. 9!¡°I and Yellow Springs Inn are not for sale. You¡¯ve disappointed me, Young Master Lin.¡± The innkeeper laughed lightly, subtly deflecting. Lin Yu felt somewhat disappointed at her response. It wasn¡¯t that he was particularly eager for the innkeeper or Yellow Springs Inn. Gaining a powerful ghost like the cook, ¡°Zhu Jiang,¡± was already a substantial reward! It was just a bit disappointing to find that money wasn¡¯t always omnipotent in this horror game! ¡°Well then, I won¡¯t impose further!¡± Not lingering, Lin Yu rose and bid farewell. ¡°Your resting quarters are in the backyard,¡± the innkeeper reminded him. Lin Yu nodded and left the room. Unbeknownst to him, after he left, the innkeeper behind the veil looked a bit exasperated. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Honestly, he asks for the price¡­ but doesn¡¯t insist even a little!¡± While she didn¡¯t truly want to lose her freedom for money, she was still curious to see how much Lin Yu would have offered to buy her! And if she really had to pick an ¡°owner,¡± this strong and generous Lin Yu wouldn¡¯t be a bad choice! Still, she didn¡¯t dwell on it too long. She had a feeling that someone as remarkable as Lin Yu would surely cross paths with her again! Meanwhile, Lin Yu left the third floor and, following the innkeeper¡¯s directions, quickly found their designated quarters! As ¡°human employees,¡± their accommodations were naturally separated from the ghosts. They were in a small, somewhat rundown building in the backyard, but upon opening the door, Lin Yu found the interior to be surprisingly spacious and tidy! Bedding was spread out on the floor. The bearded man, a mature woman, and Xiao Li were sitting on the bedding! Hearing the door open, the three of them initially looked startled! Upon realizing it was Lin Yu entering¡­ Xiao Li relaxed, but the other two remained cautious. After all, they¡¯d just witnessed him wearing the curse-laden skull necklace and sharing a meal of Madam Zhang with the cook ghost, a scene still fresh in their minds! To them, his brutality rivaled that of the ghosts! With him mysteriously disappearing and reappearing during everyone¡¯s rest time¡­ it was only natural for them to remain wary! Noticing the bearded man¡¯s caution, Lin Yu raised his hands to show he meant no harm and then sat down in front of them. ¡°Sorry, I was negotiating with the innkeeper at Yellow Springs Inn.¡± He spoke calmly, yet the three were visibly shocked! Not only could he chat casually with the cook ghost, but he was also on equal footing with the innkeeper, who seemed like a boss-level entity? ¡°¡­ According to my mission hints, you¡¯re supposed to be a newcomer, so are you from some hidden family, by chance?¡± the bearded man asked in disbelief. Lin Yu, sensing a misunderstanding, answered with a slight smile, ¡°I¡¯ve had a few lucky encounters and some inheritance, that¡¯s all.¡± He didn¡¯t want to correct the misunderstanding, merely nodding with a smile. The bearded man nodded in understanding. ¡°So that¡¯s it¡­ So you people really exist! I¡¯d only heard about you on the ¡®forum¡¯ before!¡± Hearing this, Lin Yu raised an eyebrow, ¡°From what you¡¯re saying, there¡¯s an exchange platform for the beta players of this ¡®game¡¯?¡± The bearded man nodded and replied seriously, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s also what I wanted to tell you¡­¡± He glanced at Xiao Li and the mature woman, clearing his throat. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you two listen as well¡­ You¡¯re aware of the newly established ¡®Investigation Center No. 9,¡¯ right?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen rumors, so was it really set up for the horror game?¡± Xiao Li asked, eyes wide with curiosity. ¡°Yes, if you call Investigation Center No. 9 after you get out, an official representative can connect with you, providing resources and even channels to exchange certain ghost items,¡± the bearded man explained seriously. ¡°But in exchange, your identity will be recorded by the government, and you¡¯ll have certain obligations, like truthfully reporting your experiences in these supernatural missions¡­ It¡¯s basically like becoming an unofficial employee. ¡°I¡¯m pretty much in that role now, and it¡¯s what a lot of people choose. Since if you eventually become a full ghost handler and contract your own ghost, there¡¯s a chance to be promoted to a formal member! ¡°Once you¡¯re formal, you can enter the weekly missions with other full members, which greatly increases survival rates!¡± The bearded man¡¯s tone revealed a hint of longing. Xiao Li and the mature woman also seemed persuaded by his words. Only Lin Yu remained unmoved. ¡°Hm¡­ so, you¡¯re saying that these horror missions are mandatory once a week?¡± he asked, and the bearded man nodded. ¡°Yes, every Monday at midnight, the missions activate¡­ Though I¡¯ve heard you can also pay a certain ¡®price¡¯ to enter additional missions¡­ Some experts reportedly do that! While horror missions are perilous, they¡¯re also filled with opportunities!¡± At this point, the bearded man cast a meaningful look at Lin Yu. Chapter 21 - A New Spending Quest! Tempting Rewards! Chapter 21: A New Spending Quest! Tempting Rewards!To the bearded man, the idea of willingly entering a horror instance might seem absurd for most people. But for someone as powerful and mysterious as Lin Yu¡­ it was almost certain he would choose to enter on his own! Lin Yu noticed the bearded man¡¯s meaningful glance, but he just smiled and said nothing. ¡°Besides contacting ¡®Investigation Center No. 9¡¯ directly, are there any other ways to connect with other horror game players?¡± Lin Yu asked seriously. Since he had the secret of his own system, getting involved with the official organizations¡­ might not be beneficial to him. The bearded man fully understood Lin Yu¡¯s reasoning, and nodded. ¡°There is¡­ it¡¯s what I mentioned earlier: the ¡®forum.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s a website funded by the government but not directly under their control. ¡°It¡¯s managed by high-level ghost handlers, and, most importantly, everyone is anonymous!¡± The bearded man provided a URL. ¡°This is a ¡®buffer zone¡¯ set up by the officials for those who wish to keep their identities hidden. ¡°After all, once you leave a horror instance, others can¡¯t recall your true appearance unless you reveal it yourself!¡± He explained, and Lin Yu nodded knowingly. ¡°I see.¡± As he spoke, the bearded man looked at the two women in the group. ¡°Any questions?¡± Both women shook their heads, and they resumed resting. Even though the room had beds, nobody dared to sleep in such a creepy night. They all leaned against the wall, resting with their eyes closed. Lin Yu took the opportunity to check his system¡¯s third task. After awakening his spiritual sense, he had better stamina than most people, so he could go without sleep tonight. Busy negotiating with the innkeeper and gathering information from the bearded man, Lin Yu hadn¡¯t yet opened the task panel. When he did, he saw a surprising notification before the task panel. ¡¾Ding! Cashback Crit Card activated!¡¿ ¡¾Total spending from the last transaction: 2,000,000!¡¿ ¡¾Random cashback multiplier: 5x! Congratulations, you¡¯ve received 10,000,000 in cashback!!!¡¿ Lin Yu blinked, then smiled in delight! So that counted as a transaction! He¡¯d spent two million, and with five times cashback, he received ten million! After days of splurging at Yellow Springs Inn, he¡¯d made back his spending in one go, plus a profit. His money really seemed to multiply the more he spent it! This cashback crit card was fantastic! He checked the new quest. ¡¾Task Three: Impulse Spending Is Bliss, Keep Spending to Stay Blissful! (Incomplete)¡¿ ¡¾Task Objective: Make three purchases where the price exceeds five times the base value and each item costs at least 100,000 yuan. No voluntary price increases allowed (0/3)¡¿ ¡¾Task Rewards: Cashback Crit Card *1, Yin Spirit Essence *5, Soul Capture Talisman *10, Spirit Extermination Talisman *10!¡¿ ¡°Wow, these rewards are abundant!¡± Lin Yu was more thrilled about the items than he was about the ten million! To him, his bank balance was nearly just a number now! Items were what really mattered! Not only was he getting another cashback card, but also Yin Spirit Essence, which sounded as valuable as Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine! And the Soul Capture and Spirit Extermination Talismans sounded like powerful offensive tools! Ten of each might seem few, but if another ghost provoked him, he¡¯d be able to obliterate them! Plus, there would surely be more rewards in the future! Twenty offensive talismans were plenty for several future instances! But¡­ Lin Yu examined the task details. ¡°I need to buy items valued at five times the base price and worth over 100,000, so the asking price has to be at least 500,000¡­¡± Lin Yu scratched his head. ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll need to find a serious profiteer for this!¡± This task couldn¡¯t be completed at Yellow Springs Inn! Especially with the restriction¡­ No voluntary price increases allowed! Not sure if it was a bug fix for him raising prices too often, or if the task simply came with this rule! Either way, those lucrative rewards wouldn¡¯t come easily. ¡°Hopefully the next instance has high prices!¡± sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He then started studying his perfect-grade ghost contract, to be ready for negotiations with the cook Zhu Jiang the next day! ¡ª The night passed quickly without any disturbances or strange events. Of course, this didn¡¯t mean Yellow Springs Inn was any safer at night! After all, at night, ghosts had fewer ¡°rules¡± to follow compared to the daytime. But¡­ the usual ¡°dangers¡± could have been attacks from Madam Zhang, the ghost accountant, or the cook Zhu Jiang! And those three ghosts ¡ª one had been eaten by Lin Yu, while the other two had goodwill and some fear towards him! They¡¯d hardly attack him! Chapter 22 - Subduing Zhu Jiang! Chapter 22: Subduing Zhu Jiang!After a shrill, piercing ¡°rooster crow,¡± the chaotic yin energy outside the Yellow Springs Inn settled down significantly, and the ¡°daytime¡± of the underworld ghost realm began anew! The bearded man opened his bloodshot eyes, clearly having only pretended to sleep all night without actually resting! Beside him, the young woman Li and the mature woman woke with a start, both seemingly unaware of when they had dozed off against the wall! Fortunately, no ghost attacks occurred last night, and no one died! Lin Yu also stood up, having also been awake the entire night, but thanks to the first-rank ghost controller¡¯s spiritual sense, he felt fine. Two knocks sounded from outside, instantly putting the three inside on high alert. Lin Yu, however, was not particularly worried, walking to the door and opening it. Standing outside was the ghost accountant. Upon seeing Lin Yu, the accountant immediately broke into a smile. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Mr. Lin, you¡¯re up!¡± he said with a somewhat ingratiating tone. Clearly, everything Lin Yu had done yesterday had made a deep impression on this old ghost! Lin Yu nodded slightly, looking at the accountant. ¡°Where¡¯s the cook?¡± ¡°He should be in the kitchen,¡± the accountant said respectfully. Lin Yu nodded and walked directly outside toward the kitchen. The accountant watched Lin Yu¡¯s departing figure, opening his mouth, originally wanting to say that according to the rules, they should be heading to their respective ¡°workstations¡± now. But after some thought¡­ So the accountant gave up on pursuing that topic and turned to the other three, showing no friendly demeanor toward them. ¡°Get to work!¡± he said coldly, urging the remaining three. Watching the accountant¡¯s sudden change in mood, the other three did not dare to say anything more, and hurried off to their respective tasks. Chopping wood, cleaning, running errands! Meanwhile, in the kitchen¡­ Lin Yu successfully found the cook, Zhu Jiang, who was simmering something. ¡°Hey, brother.¡± Lin Yu greeted Zhu Jiang warmly, and upon hearing the familiar voice, Zhu Jiang turned his head. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s Brother Lin!¡± His voice was filled with joy as he lifted the pot lid, ¡°Come, have a taste of the fresh bone soup I just made!¡± Lin Yu glanced at the human bones floating in the pot and quickly waved his hands, ¡°No, no, thanks¡­ I came to find you for something important.¡± As Lin Yu said this, Zhu Jiang¡¯s expression shifted slightly. He wiped his hands on his leather apron, his demeanor turning serious. ¡°Oh? Brother Lin¡­ what important matter?¡± Lin Yu looked at Zhu Jiang, thinking for a moment before speaking. ¡°Brother, are you here as the cook at Yellow Springs Inn willingly?¡± Hearing Lin Yu¡¯s question, Zhu Jiang¡¯s expression changed slightly, and finally, he sighed. ¡°I really can¡¯t hide anything from you, Brother!¡± Zhu Jiang pointed to the shackle with a half chain around his neck, which was neither copper nor iron, ¡°Once, I was a prominent figure in the deeper levels of the ghost realm, but I was betrayed. ¡°After a long struggle to escape, I was at the brink of death¡­ and had no choice but to seek refuge with the innkeeper.¡± Zhu Jiang sighed and continued. ¡°Although I¡¯ve healed over the years, this innkeeper is no simple character¡­ I signed a contract with her, so I¡¯m stuck here, unable to explore the vast world or enjoy fine delicacies!¡± As he spoke, his tone was filled with uncontainable regret! Hearing Zhu Jiang¡¯s words, Lin Yu was also slightly moved. ¡°If¡­ Brother, if I offered you a chance, would you be willing to follow me and explore both realms?¡± Upon hearing Lin Yu¡¯s words, Zhu Jiang¡¯s expression shifted. A glimmer of hope crossed his face, but he ultimately shook his head with a bitter smile. ¡°The innkeeper won¡¯t let me go¡­¡± But he paused mid-sentence because Lin Yu had pulled out two sheets of paper. One was a tattered yellowed contract he had signed with the innkeeper, and the other was a grayish sheet with ink words floating on it. ¡°I willingly serve Lin Yu!¡± Just these simple words and a blank for a name. There was no specified duration, but Zhu Jiang felt no aversion. He was simply shocked. ¡°How¡­ how did you do this?¡± Lin Yu smiled slightly. ¡°I¡¯m quite wealthy! ¡°So, while I may not be able to promise you things like freedom or safety¡­ I can guarantee there will be plenty of fine wine!¡± As Lin Yu spoke, Zhu Jiang¡¯s mouth dropped slightly, and then the tall ghost, Zhu Jiang, broke into laughter. ¡°Alright¡­ since you¡¯re willing to spend so much for me, I¡¯ll treat you as a close friend! ¡°Then I¡¯ll face fire and water for you, what¡¯s the harm? ¡°Fine wine and delicacies are not what matters. What matters is adventuring together!¡± As Zhu Jiang said this, his name appeared on the perfect-grade ghost binding contract! And the original tattered contract turned to ashes in Lin Yu¡¯s hand, disappearing without a trace! ¡¾Ding! You have signed a contract with the ghost ¡°Zhu Jiang!¡±¡¿ ¡¾Would you like to view his attribute panel?¡¿ Chapter 23 - Dungeon Cleared! The Courageous Xiao Li! Chapter 23: Dungeon Cleared! The Courageous Xiao Li! ¡¾Contract: Zhu Jiang (Cook)¡¿ ¡¾Level: Ferocious Ghost¡¿ ¡¾Yin Awareness: 2500¡¿ ¡¾Yin Power: 36900¡¿ ¡¾Innate Yin Artifacts: Yin Energy Apron (High Quality), Soul-Cutting Cleaver (High Quality)¡¿ ¡¾Talent Skill: Soul-Cutting Blade Technique¡¿ ¡°This panel¡­ is way too strong!¡± Lin Yu stared at Zhu Jiang¡¯s panel, unable to hide his astonishment. The ghost¡¯s Yin Awareness and Yin Power correspond to the ghost controller¡¯s Spiritual Awareness and Spiritual Power! Yin Awareness and Spiritual Awareness enhance perception, or mental strength! They are equivalent to the strength of the soul or, in other words¡­ spell power and mana! Yin Power and Spiritual Power represent the total amount of Yin energy contained in the soul, akin to health and attack power! His own Spiritual Awareness was only 10 points, and even after several boosts, his Spiritual Power was just 197 points! But Zhu Jiang¡¯s panel exceeded his by over a hundred times! Only at this moment did Lin Yu understand¡­ how absurd the Yellow Springs Inn was as a beginner dungeon! The rules that ghosts needed to follow were too numerous¡­ Otherwise, the six of them would have long since been completely wiped out! ¡°Although this place looks quite shabby, it¡¯s truly a hidden gem¡­¡± Lin Yu couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. However, for him, the Yellow Springs Inn was relatively friendly! After all, only the stronger ghosts with greater Yin Awareness have stronger intelligence. In other words, a ghost¡¯s Yin Awareness was different from a human¡¯s Spiritual Awareness. It not only enhances perception but also IQ! If it were an ordinary ghost, they might not think too much of Lin Yu¡¯s considerable wealth, assuming he had a deep background and was playing dumb. It was precisely because every ghost in the Yellow Springs Inn had a notable history and strength that they were so cautious about their lives, wary of Lin Yu¡¯s ¡°abnormal¡± behavior! On the other hand, after establishing the contract with Lin Yu, due to the existence of the perfect-level ghost binding contract, Zhu Jiang couldn¡¯t perceive Lin Yu¡¯s true level! Instead, he felt Lin Yu was even more unfathomable and admirable! At the same time, his initial favorable impression of Lin Yu was amplified by the perfect-level ghost binding contract! With the presence of a ghost binding contract, the contracted party cannot resist or harm the contracting party. The perfect-level ghost binding contract further prevents any malicious thoughts from arising! Lin Yu withdrew his gaze from the cook ghost Zhu Jiang¡¯s ¡¾Attribute Panel¡¿ and looked at Zhu Jiang, whose eyes were shining with excitement! ¡°Brother Lin¡­ no, Master! From now on, Zhu Jiang will follow you!¡± Zhu Jiang said in a hearty manner. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Lin Yu smiled slightly and took out two more bottles of Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine from his pocket, ¡°Don¡¯t be so formal; just call me Brother Lin! ¡°In the future, I¡¯ll be relying on you a lot¡­ such a delightful occasion calls for us to drink together! Let¡¯s toast!¡± Lin Yu hadn¡¯t had any Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine today, so he seized the opportunity to drink! The cook Zhu Jiang caught a whiff of the intoxicating aroma of the wine that had haunted his dreams since yesterday, his eyes lighting up! Remembering Lin Yu¡¯s earlier words about plenty of fine wine, he found Lin Yu more and more likable. ¡°Great! Then I¡¯ll drink first!¡± Zhu Jiang took the wine bottle and downed it in one go! Lin Yu also drank down all of the Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine, boosting his Spiritual Awareness and Spiritual Power! ¡¾Spiritual Awareness: 20¡¿ ¡¾Spiritual Power: 297¡¿ Lin Yu looked at his progress towards becoming a second-level ghost handler and couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit pleased! Sure enough, what the bearded man said was true¡­ Horror games were indeed filled with opportunities! Originally, Lin Yu didn¡¯t think he would actively enter horror games in the future, but it seemed now that¡­ with the system at his side, that day might actually come! After subduing Zhu Jiang, the second-in-command of the Yellow Springs Inn, and becoming a true ghost handler¡­ the Yellow Springs Inn dungeon would naturally pose no further challenges! Lin Yu then wandered around the Yellow Springs Inn, and soon awaited the dungeon¡¯s conclusion! During this time, he noticed that the number of survivors in the crimson text had decreased by one! [Survivors: 3] After casually inquiring, he learned that the mature woman had accidentally bumped into a guest while cleaning and was torn to pieces! This caused Lin Yu to temper the inflated confidence he had just gained. No matter how much he had the system at his side¡­ this was still a horror dungeon! A place where ghosts roamed! Wealth wasn¡¯t everything! Zhu Jiang wasn¡¯t invincible! In a beginner dungeon, with seasoned experts like the bearded man and someone like him who had a cheat¡­ half of the participants had still perished! This left Lin Yu with a lot to think about. As the dungeon concluded, while passing through the lobby, Lin Yu was suddenly called out! ¡°Wait, Brother Lin!¡± Turning around, Lin Yu saw the blushing Xiao Li, though he couldn¡¯t tell if her rosy cheeks were from shyness or running. ¡°Thank you¡­ without you, I probably wouldn¡¯t have survived the first day!¡± Shyly, Xiao Li bit her lip, and in the end, she stuffed a piece of paper into Lin Yu¡¯s hand. ¡°Um, I¡¯m from Jiangcheng in reality¡­ my family has some connections there, so if you need help in real life, you can call this number!¡± Before Lin Yu could say anything¡­ [Dungeon ¡®Yellow Springs Inn¡¯ concluded!!!] [Congratulations, player, for completing the mission!] After the crimson text appeared, Lin Yu returned to his home! Clutching the warm piece of paper in his hand, Lin Yu touched his nose. ¡°Am I¡­ being flirted with?¡± Chapter 24 - Return! Zhu Jiang is surprisingly strong?! Chapter 24: Return! Zhu Jiang is surprisingly strong?! Recalling the shy gaze of Xiao Li, Lin Yu let out a sigh! He truly was a deeply flawed man! After all, with his sunny and handsome appearance, he was hardly inferior to those movie stars, having received love letters during his two lives in school was quite normal for him! However, Lin Yu himself was not very interested in romance! Especially with girls he met in horror games¡­ Though Lin Yu believed that Xiao Li wouldn¡¯t harm him, contacting her impulsively would inevitably expose certain matters! He glanced at the clock on the wall, and although two days had passed in the horror game, only a second had gone by in reality! It was still just past Sunday, deep into early Monday morning! After confirming that he could retrieve and use Zhu Jiang, the cursed necklace, and other items normally, Lin Yu felt relieved. ¡°Indeed, ghost controllers can bring ghosts and Yin artifacts back to reality! ¡°It seems that¡­ with the increasing number of ¡®strange incidents¡¯ and bizarre news in recent years, many of them are likely caused by ghost handlers with ulterior motives!¡± Thinking of this, Lin Yu took out his phone, hesitating for a moment, debating whether or not to call the No. 9 Investigation Center! In the end, Lin Yu shook his head and put down the phone! It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t trust the authorities¡­ The implications of the horror game were too vast, and contacting the authorities would inevitably expose some of his secrets¡­ Even if the officials had no intention of leaking information, it was hard to ensure that other ghost controllers wouldn¡¯t take risks after hearing it! Moreover, in his two lives, Lin Yu had always been free-spirited, and while he did want to help others survive in horror dungeons as much as possible, it didn¡¯t mean he wanted to turn it into a semi-forced responsibility. So, Lin Yu ultimately set the phone aside. He turned on the computer in his rental apartment. He didn¡¯t rush to log into the website left by the bearded uncle, because due to his previous job, Lin Yu was quite knowledgeable about internet security. After briefly masking his IP address, he logged into the site! Once he entered the URL, a dark, minimalist interface appeared before Lin Yu. ¡°Horror Game Communication Forum!¡± The straightforward title was displayed in the upper right corner of the forum, which was divided into three main sections: announcements, discussions, and releases. Lin Yu checked and found only two posts in the announcements section, posted by the verified accounts of the Xia Country official No. 9 Investigation Center and the forum itself. One was the forum rules, and when Lin Yu clicked in, he found it was no different from an ordinary forum! No personal attacks, no sensitive topics, no spreading rumors, no meaningless spam¡­ This made Lin Yu feel somewhat nostalgic. The other post from the Xia Country official forum was much more serious. Upon entering, there were only three parts! The first floor was an attachment for the horror game player guide, the second floor was the horror game player code of conduct! The latter resembled a simplified, temporary set of laws for horror game players! Prohibited from profiting through improper means! Prohibited from using supernatural methods to harm others! Prohibited from actively exposing the existence of horror games and ghosts, spreading panic! ¡­ The rules were indistinguishable from current laws! And the punishment measures only had three words. ¡°Consequences are self-borne!¡± However, these words carried significant weight because of the third section¡¯s content! S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The third part was a lengthy, still-updating list of penalties for violators. Arrests, on-the-spot executions, being shot after fleeing for days¡­ Each name and their fate left Lin Yu dumbfounded. ¡°Xia Country is amazing¡­¡± Although he never intended to break the law, Lin Yu was still somewhat shocked. Next, Lin Yu casually registered an account and downloaded the attachment for the player guide. As Lin Yu expected¡­ this was an officially certified ¡°experience summary¡±! The three points he summarized were confirmed: ghosts must kill according to the rules, basic rules will have prompts, and the number of rules determines dungeon difficulty. At the same time, Lin Yu also learned more useful information! First¡­ all horror dungeons exist within a common realm known as the ¡°Ghost Realm¡±! The Ghost Realm was vast, filled with countless ghosts, and the exploration of the entire Ghost Realm so far has only scratched the surface! Secondly, ghosts were ranked as vengeful ghosts, evil ghosts, fierce ghosts, ferocious ghosts, ghost generals, ghost commanders, and ghost kings, seven levels in total! The stronger the ghost, the more cunning it becomes! Similarly, ghost controllers were also ranked from one to nine! First and second-level ghost controllers could control vengeful ghosts. Third and fourth-level could control evil ghosts! Fifth and sixth-level could control fierce ghosts! Seventh, eighth, and ninth-level could control ferocious ghosts! Currently, the highest recorded level of ghosts that could be controlled and contracted was the ferocious ghost! This left Lin Yu somewhat speechless. Only then did he realize how absurd it was for him to control Zhu Jiang! ¡°A ghost, a perfect-level ghost binding contract¡­ able to disregard level differences, that¡¯s just too powerful! ¡°And my luck is incredible!¡± As a first-level ghost controller, his first ghost to control¡­ was the ferocious ghost Zhu Jiang! The highest recorded ghost that can be controlled! ¡°Brother!¡± Lin Yu called out to Zhu Jiang in his mind. When he didn¡¯t summon him, the contracted ghost would exist in a special space connected to his soul. Zhu Jiang, having heard Lin Yu¡¯s call, curiously responded. ¡°What is it, Master?¡± Though Lin Yu called Zhu Jiang brother, Zhu Jiang insisted on referring to Lin Yu as Master. Lin Yu gently sighed. ¡°Nothing, brother¡­ just wanted to compliment you. You¡¯re really amazing!¡± Chapter 25 - Offline Transactions! Lin Yus Contemplation! Chapter 25: Offline Transactions! Lin Yu¡¯s Contemplation! Although he was already a ghost controller , Lin Yu still glanced at the guide regarding how to become one. The simplest method¡­ was to survive! Yes, survive! As long as one could endure two or three dungeons without dying, most people would develop spiritual energy and awareness due to prolonged contact with ghosts and the Ghost Realm! For example, the bearded uncle Lin Yu encountered earlier was like this! Although he was not yet a first-level ghost controller, he had already developed some spiritual awareness and energy! However, this seemingly simplest method was actually quite difficult! Relying on the meager spiritual awareness generated by oneself, how easy is it to survive in a horror dungeon against ferocious ghosts? From the official guide, Lin Yu learned that¡­ Aside from the first batch of beta testers whose information was unclear and were suspected to have all perished¡­ the second, third, and fourth batches of beta testers globally numbered one hundred, one thousand, and ten thousand, respectively! Additionally, with today¡¯s updated information, the fifth batch of testers had reached a whopping one hundred thousand! Most of them fell in the first and second dungeons! It was virtually impossible to survive more than three dungeons without activating spiritual awareness! Most ghost handlers, or those who awaken spiritual awareness, only activate their potential in life-and-death situations, becoming ghost controllers or forcibly contract with a ghost or Yin artifact before awakening spiritual awareness or energy. Of course, both mainstream methods came with a heavy price! Thus, the guide subtly hinted that¡­ if one joined the official organization, they could provide some harmless and mild ¡°items¡± to help awaken spiritual awareness! However, Lin Yu speculated that the items provided by the officials were likely mass-produced, and their effectiveness was definitely not as good as his Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine! ¡°Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine¡­ I¡¯ve had two bottles. I can still drink one more¡­ ¡°To subdue Zhu Jiang, I¡¯ve used three bottles¡­ Now, I still have four!¡± Looking at the Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine in his inventory, Lin Yu¡¯s thoughts stirred. The next four bottles of Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine might serve an even better purpose! Thinking this, Lin Yu turned his attention to the other two sections of the forum. The discussion area allowed everyone to speak, but they must adhere to the forum rules, and most of the posts are shared experiences and insights from ghost handlers and horror game players, S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. such as which ghosts in a dungeon were particularly vicious, how to quickly find a ghost¡¯s killing rules, how to get along with one¡¯s contracted ghost, and so on¡­ Of course, the hottest posts tonight were all about the reopening of the fifth beta test! ¡°I encountered fifth batch players tonight¡­ There really seem to be a hundred thousand in this batch!¡± ¡°Yeah, but the survivors are probably less than fifty thousand!¡± ¡°I wonder how many new talents we will see from Xia Country this time¡­¡± ¡°I heard that the ghostly energy and spiritual energy are recovering faster in various places, and with a hundred thousand in the fifth test, it¡¯s becoming increasingly concerning!¡± Lin Yu casually glanced at these discussions, feeling they lacked substance. While some of these posts might sound shocking, they were likely exaggerated or completely fabricated. The rules against spreading rumors did exist, but defining and identifying rumors was inherently difficult! Thus, Lin Yu browsed briefly before heading to the release area! The posts in the release area require approval. The content consists of various ¡°trades¡± and ¡°bounties¡±! This part piqued Lin Yu¡¯s interest! ¡°Looking to buy five premium Yin jade! Cash or gold accepted!¡± ¡°Selling a broken Maoshan Five Thunder Talisman! Accepting gold or cash, can trade for equivalent Yin material!¡± ¡°Long-term acquisition of cultivation methods!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve cleared two horror dungeons, looking for a team! Female, attractive!¡± ¡°Buying dungeon directional cards!¡± One post after another made Lin Yu quite pleased! Sure enough, his guess was right! This forum had trading functions! Items obtained from horror dungeons that he didn¡¯t need¡­ could be exchanged with others or even directly sold for money! The first thing that came to Lin Yu¡¯s mind was the Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine! That item, diluted, would probably be much better than what the No. 9 Investigation Center could offer to awaken spiritual awareness! Exchanging for some materials he could use would greatly increase his survival chances in the next dungeon! Not only that¡­ Lin Yu looked around his living space. Although it was clean and tidy, it wasn¡¯t spacious or upscale! In this world, without parents to rely on, he couldn¡¯t become a professional copywriter or trade Bitcoin, and being able to attend college and become self-sufficient was already utilizing the natural advantages of being a transmigrator! He might as well earn some real-world money to improve his living situation! Moreover¡­ besides the Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine, Lin Yu thought of other ways to make money! That would be the Yin energy copper coins and ghost money! However, those Yin energy copper coins were so astonishing to the ghosts¡­ If he took out too many at once, he would inevitably attract the attention of the Xia authorities! So, Lin Yu still felt he should pay more attention in the horror dungeons, buying Yin materials with Yin energy copper coins, then reselling them in reality! Of course, selling a few dozen to ease financial pressure wouldn¡¯t be a problem! However¡­ Looking at those ¡°trading methods,¡± Lin Yu felt a bit hesitant! Most of these people¡¯s trades were conducted ¡°offline¡±! Cash in hand, goods in hand! After all, many items infused with Yin energy weren¡¯t suitable for express delivery! He had no disguise and carried secrets¡­ Even though he wasn¡¯t afraid of Zhu Jiang being coveted by others, Lin Yu didn¡¯t want to attract unnecessary trouble! ¡°If only there was a venue that was inherently hidden¡­¡± Lin Yu murmured to himself. Just as he finished speaking¡­ A new post appeared in the release area! The poster¡­ was actually the official account of the forum! Chapter 26 - I, the Emperor of Fengdu! Participating in the Transaction! Chapter 26: I, the Emperor of Fengdu! Participating in the Transaction! ¡°Attention, players! Due to the opening of the fifth batch of beta testers, this forum will organize the fourth offline trading event! ¡°This trading event will take place in Jiangcheng! ¡°The specific time and address will be communicated via private message after registration! ¡°Furthermore, every player, whether as a buyer or seller, will have their identity fully concealed during the event! ¡°All players are encouraged to sign up and leave a message to participate!¡± Once the official post from the forum was released, it quickly received a large number of replies! ¡°I can¡¯t believe the offline gathering is back!¡± ¡°I absolutely cannot miss this time!¡± ¡°Registering! I hope to find a suitable Yin artifact this time!¡± ¡°Sign me up +1!¡± Seeing this situation, Lin Yu felt very excited! Concealed identity, offline gathering, the ability to buy and sell¡­ It perfectly met Lin Yu¡¯s needs! Moreover, the city he lived in, Hecheng, was located on the eastern coast of the Xia Country, just like Jiangcheng. It only took an hour to get to Jiangcheng by car! Now, seeing so many ¡°players¡± signing up like they were actors, Lin Yu¡¯s heart raced even more! The fact that so many people were participating indicated that the previous three events were very successful¡­ And it also suggested there would be a significant flow of people! At that time, whether Lin Yu wanted to buy or trade for good items¡­ it would be a good choice! As he continued to scroll down, Lin Yu saw some newcomers asking questions. ¡°What¡¯s so good about this offline trading event? Can¡¯t we post trades and purchase requests online?¡± His question was quickly answered by an enthusiastic person. ¡°Online trading doesn¡¯t allow you to see the goods, and you have to bear the risk! ¡°And many good items won¡¯t be sold online for the same reason! ¡°So, at the offline trading event, what you couldn¡¯t find after months of online searching might be available for direct comparison!¡± Lin Yu watched as a senior user named ¡°Crazy Blade¡± answered the question. He nodded slightly. ¡°I see¡­¡± After pondering for a moment, he registered a new account. When naming it, Lin Yu thought for a while and decided to choose a low-key, ordinary nickname. ¡°Emperor of Fengdu,¡± registration successful! There was no way around it. In a forum where everyone went by names like ¡°Crazy Blade,¡± ¡°Ghost Slayer,¡± ¡°No Ghost in the World,¡± ¡°Unmatched Across the Seas,¡± an ordinary ID seemed quite strange! He didn¡¯t know who started this trend of such ostentatious names! ¡°Register.¡± After writing this, Lin Yu casually browsed through more posts on the forum. He also gathered some other somewhat trivial knowledge. For instance, most ghost controllers suffer from backlash from Yin artifacts and ghosts. Despite having ghost contracts, their agreements didn¡¯t seem to be like Lin Yu¡¯s one-sided terms¡­ Basically, they all had to pay ghosts or Yin artifacts with their own souls or promise to provide blood, among other things¡­ Some even sacrificed their lifespan directly. Moreover, aside from the costs, the side effects were quite apparent. Some people would experience intermittent mental instability, becoming eccentric and violent. Others faced immense physical pain, needing to endure excruciating agony when borrowing ghostly powers or suffering from unbearable itching before sleep¡­ There were many who became repulsive in appearance and physique! The stronger the ghost, the heavier the cost and side effects! Looking at his still healthy body, handsome face, and the honest Zhu Jiang beside him, Lin Yu couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the power of a perfect-level ghost contract, silently thanking his elder brother Zhu Jiang. If one were to speak of ¡°costs,¡± it seemed there were none¡­ After all, he promised Zhu Jiang he would find him some fine wine. But for someone with trillions of ghost money, this didn¡¯t count as a painful ¡°cost.¡± Not lingering on this thought, Lin Yu¡¯s ¡°Emperor of Fengdu¡± account received a private message. ¡°Thursday at 8 PM, Jiangcheng Golden Seat Shopping Center, underground level locker 046! ¡°Do you have something to sell?¡± Lin Yu looked at this slightly strange address and didn¡¯t think much of it. He would find out what was going on when the time came! ¡°Yes,¡± he casually replied in the background. The other party responded immediately, ¡°Okay, looking forward to your arrival!¡± After this response, Lin Yu closed the forum. ¡°Thursday evening¡­ Jiangcheng¡­¡± Lin Yu suddenly thought that Xiao Li seemed to be in Jiangcheng too? That piece of paper with her phone number was still lying beside his computer, but after hesitating for a moment, Lin Yu ultimately didn¡¯t call. ¡°Let it be!¡± ¡ª At the same time, in Jiangcheng! Xiao Li also closed the forum at the same time. ¡°I signed up for the offline trading event¡­ I hope I can buy some useful things back¡­¡± S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Thinking this, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit excited, yet also a bit regretful. ¡°I wonder¡­ will Brother Lin come to Jiangcheng? ¡°Darn it, I was so focused on giving Brother Lin my number! I forgot to ask for his!¡± Chapter 27 - The Trading Event Begins! The Doorman Ghost of the Abandoned Factory! Chapter 27: The Trading Event Begins! The Doorman Ghost of the Abandoned Factory! ¡¾Ding! The Strongest Divine Wealth system is starting!¡¿. ¡¾Today¡¯s random reward has been credited! Congratulations to the host for receiving 6,452,000 nether coins!¡¿. ¡¾Balance: 9,870,000,000,000¡¿. ¡¾Item Inventory: 1 Thousand Year Shadow Wood, 4 Perfect Level Ghost Binding Contracts, 3 Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wines¡¿. ¡¾Bound Yin Artifacts: Kui Dragon Soul Locking Mirror (Unknown grade), Grudge Skull Necklace (Medium grade)¡¿. ¡¾Contracted Ghosts: Chef Zhu Jiang (Ferocious Ghost level)¡¿. ¡¾Task 3: Impulse spending is momentarily enjoyable, but it keeps being exciting! (Not completed)¡¿. ¡¾Task Content: Engage in three instances of spending exceeding five times the price, where the item¡¯s original value exceeds one hundred thousand. Cannot raise the price proactively (0/3)¡¿. ¡¾Task Reward: Cash Back Critical Card, Yin Spirit Essence *5, Soul Binding Talismans *10, Spirit Exterminating Talismans *10!¡¿. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Three days later, at eight o¡¯clock in the morning, Lin Yu was woken up on time by the system notification. Looking at his gradually enriching inventory of items and Yin artifacts, aside from the balance of coins, Lin Yu felt quite accomplished. ¡°This is the feeling of being wealthy! What kind of wealthy person is just a number?!¡± After a quick wash and tidying up, Lin Yu put on a high-necked shirt to cover his Grudge Skull Necklace, then grabbed his backpack and headed to the train station. Hecheng and Jiangcheng were very close to each other, plus there were frequent trade exchanges between the two cities, so high-speed trains run roughly every half hour, and there¡¯s no need to buy tickets in advance. Once at the station, Lin Yu purchased a ticket for the next train. Due to the weekday¡¯s weather change, the entire train was nearly empty, and he didn¡¯t encounter any other ghost controlelrs, horror game players, or any beauties needing assistance, which left Lin Yu feeling a bit disappointed. ¡°Hey, this is not how it should go¡­ I thought I might encounter some young and powerful beauty ghost controllers!¡± After complaining about the unexciting journey, Lin Yu headed straight for the Golden Seat Shopping Center in Jiangcheng. By this time, it was around three or four in the afternoon, and the shopping center was equally empty. Lin Yu pretended to be a university student shopping, wandering around the mall for a few laps before locating a storage locker in the corner, hidden from surveillance. Seemingly to respect the ¡°fully anonymous¡± rule, he didn¡¯t feel any other people¡¯s scrutiny around him, and Lin Yu even asked Zhu Jiang, whose spiritual sense was a hundred times his own, and received a confirming response. ¡°There is no one spying here, Master!¡± Feeling reassured, Lin Yu entered the locker number 046, then re-entered the password he received last night. The door of locker 46 swung open, and Lin Yu quickly walked over to find a mask and a business card inside. The mask was made of silvery metal, floating with Yin energy, seemingly capable of blocking others¡¯ peering and spiritual senses, while the business card had a line of blood-red text floating on it. ¡°8 PM, outskirts of Jiangcheng, abandoned factory in Qingyuan District, enter with this card.¡± Below it, a blood-red simple sketch map appeared, marking the location of the abandoned factory. Lin Yu quietly placed the mask and the business card into his backpack, then wandered around the shopping center for a while, had dinner, and finally left. After leaving, he took a taxi to a road near the abandoned factory in the outskirts of Qingyuan District as shown on the map, and because the location was remote, just taking a taxi took quite a bit of effort! Furthermore, halfway through the ride, Lin Yu put on a ghostly mask, almost scaring the taxi driver! When Lin Yu got out and paid, the driver sped away in fright! At this point, it was already past seven in the evening, the sky was darkening, and Lin Yu, carrying his backpack, approached the vicinity of the factory. On the way, he saw quite a few people wearing masks like himself. Most of them, like him, tried to dress as ¡°unobtrusively¡± as possible, choosing loose clothing to conceal their shapes, making it hard to tell whether some were male or female at a glance! Soon, Lin Yu arrived at the entrance of the abandoned factory! The two iron doors were wide open, and the ones checking the ¡°business cards¡± at the entrance were¡­ two ghostly figures exuding thick black smoke with green faces and sharp fangs! Each stood nearly three meters tall and looked very imposing. Many onlookers, like Lin Yu, were quite curious and even shocked, ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡­ they are ghosts!¡± ¡°What level are they? Fierce Ghost level?!¡± ¡°This is so terrifying¡­ is it really safe?¡± ¡°This forum really has experts! They can summon ghosts to guard the door!¡± However, many people remained calm, clearly having attended the previous three offline trading events. ¡°These are the ghosts controlled by one of the forum¡¯s three founders, ¡®Bai Ye¡¯!¡± ¡°However, they are not Fierce Ghost level. They are just relatively powerful Evil Ghost level!¡± Someone explained to the new arrivals nearby. Upon hearing this, Lin Yu nodded slightly. ¡°I see, this level of spiritual power is probably Evil Ghost level¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely much weaker than Zhu Jiang¡­ but to be able to guard the door, they must not be Bai Ye¡¯s trump card!¡± Chapter 28 - Appraisal! Chapter 28: Appraisal! After gaining a rough estimate of the strength of the ¡°forum¡± founders, Lin Yu submitted the business card. The tall ghost with a green face and sharp teeth took the card, and handed him a light gold badge, engraved with the words ¡°Emperor of Fengdu.¡± ¡°Wear the badge to participate in the trade. ¡°Items for sale should be taken to the appraisal office for assessment.¡± Its voice was cold and eerie. Lin Yu nodded, pinned the badge to his chest, and entered the factory. This abandoned factory seemed to have been around for some years. The spacious, tall workshop was empty, and the steel frame structure had begun to show some wear. The exposed brick walls were also covered in moss. At this time, the offline trading event had not officially started, but many people wearing silver masks were already moving about, chatting with each other inside the spacious workshop. At the end of the workshop stood a temporary high platform, where three middle-aged men wearing gold masks and uniforms sat in front of a strange instrument. In front of the platform, over ten people were lined up, holding various Yin artifacts and materials that emitted a fog of Yin energy, and Lin Yu knew this was probably the so-called ¡°appraisal office¡±! The three men wearing gold masks were likely the appraisers, but Lin Yu wasn¡¯t quite sure¡­ ¡°This instrument looks very modern¡­ Can it really appraise the grade of Yin artifacts and materials?¡± At the end of the line, Lin Yu couldn¡¯t help but mumble to himself. A young man in a black hoodie, also waiting in line with a pile of rags, turned around, ¡°Bro, is this your first time here?¡± Although the other party was wearing a mask, Lin Yu could feel his warm smile, glancing at the badge on the man¡¯s chest¡­ ¡°Crazy Blade.¡± Lin Yu realized, wasn¡¯t this the guy who enthusiastically answered questions on the forum yesterday? He unexpectedly met him here! ¡°It really is my first time!¡± Lin Yu didn¡¯t pretend to understand, nodded, and asked, ¡°Please enlighten me, friend.¡± Sure enough, this ¡°Crazy Blade¡± was a warm-hearted person. Upon hearing Lin Yu¡¯s question, he spoke up enthusiastically, ¡°This instrument is officially produced by Center No. 9! It can accurately measure the quality of a Yin artifact or Yin material! ¡°Yin artifacts and materials are divided into three grades: upper, middle, and lower, and each grade is further divided into three levels, based on the spiritual energy contained within. ¡°The better the quality and the higher the grade, the more expensive it will be! ¡°Of course, if it¡¯s a consumable or functional item, like talismans or elixirs, then quality isn¡¯t really a factor! ¡°Moreover, quality doesn¡¯t determine value, so we also invited three experienced ¡®players¡¯ to estimate based on functionality, condition, side effects, etc.¡­ ¡°Also, some Yin artifacts or materials cannot be appraised due to their special characteristics, which is why we brought in these three experts!¡± After hearing the explanation, Lin Yu nodded in understanding. ¡°I see¡­¡± He wasn¡¯t surprised that there would be such appraisal methods at this offline trading event! After all, Lin Yu had a system that could evaluate ¡°quality¡± and grade. He was simply quite shocked that the Xia government had actually ¡°manufactured¡± this instrument! It seemed that the technology mastered by the government, as well as the strength of the earliest batches of internal testers, might be even more formidable than he had imagined! Although the strongest ghost handlers might only control fierce ghosts like himself, their own strength and their reserves of Yin artifacts and technology were likely much stronger than his! S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It seemed he still needed to be more low-key! As Lin Yu was thinking this, Crazy Blade spoke to him again, ¡°Hey¡­ buddy, are you planning to sell something?¡± Lin Yu thought for a moment, feeling that nether copper coins probably didn¡¯t count as Yin artifacts or materials, so he replied, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ some functional little gadgets!¡± He didn¡¯t plan to take out the Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine for appraisal. Since even the ferocious ghost Zhu Jiang was moved by it, he had already decided to operate under the identity of a ¡°newcomer¡± and keep a low profile. Crazy Blade nodded in understanding upon hearing Lin Yu¡¯s words. With the cover of the mask, ghost controllers couldn¡¯t easily assess each other¡¯s strength unless they actively released their spiritual energy, so Crazy Blade viewed Lin Yu as a lucky newcomer! ¡°He should be from the fifth batch of beta testers, who got some benefits by chance in the first dungeon! ¡°After the appraisal, I should remind him not to let the more experienced buyers fool him!¡± The warm-hearted Crazy Blade thought this as the line quickly moved forward, the three specially invited senior experts combined the instrument¡¯s results to continuously label the items held by everyone with authentication tags. With nothing to do, Lin Yu also looked at the platform, ¡°Low-grade, first level, soon to be medium-grade Yin artifact¡­ function is primary detection! Not bad! You¡¯re quite lucky!¡± A bald man looked at the red light flashing on the instrument, listened to the expert¡¯s opinion, and showed a delighted expression. ¡°Thank you, expert!¡± As he said this, people around him displayed expressions of either envy or jealousy, and many eyes flashed with a hint of greed! ¡°I can¡¯t believe it, a low-grade first level Yin artifact¡­ even a detection type could be worth hundreds of thousands!¡± Even Crazy Blade¡¯s tone involuntarily revealed a bit of sourness. Upon hearing his words, Lin Yu felt the reactions of the crowd and touched the Grudge Skull Necklace hidden under his collar¡­ ¡°It seems everyone is having a tough time these days¡­¡± After all, he had a medium-grade, dual-function Yin artifact here! Chapter 29 - Precious Yin Copper Coins! Shocking the Appraisers! Chapter 29: Precious Yin Copper Coins! Shocking the Appraisers! The line progressed steadily, and soon only a few people were left in front of Lin Yu! ¡°Yin iron ore, a low-grade Yin material¡­ such a large piece can be made into excellent armor or weapons!¡± ¡°This¡­ the instrument can¡¯t determine the grade, but the spiritual energy contained within is equivalent to a low-grade second-level Yin artifact!¡± ¡°This necklace¡­ was probably taken from a ghost! The Yin energy is depleting and has almost no value!¡± The three seasoned players and a device evaluated all the ¡°Yin artifacts¡± submitted by the sellers and issued appraisal certificates, looking all-knowing. Soon, it was Crazy Blade¡¯s turn in front of Lin Yu! Crazy Blade seemed a bit nervous as he placed the pile of bloodstained rags on the device, the red light on the instrument lit up, but then it flickered and went out. The few ¡°senior players¡± glanced at the rags and seemed slightly moved, ¡°This¡­ doesn¡¯t seem to be a Yin artifact or any Yin material¡­¡± the appraiser on the left, wearing a gold mask, spoke in an aged voice, seemingly lost in thought. ¡°Strange, it seems to contain very strong Yin energy¡­¡± The appraiser on the right also chimed in, his voice a rich baritone. Finally, the appraiser in the middle made a move. He appeared to be the most powerful among the three appraisers. The previous assessments had been made by the other two, who couldn¡¯t decipher the items. His voice was clearly altered by a voice modulator, making it impossible to determine his age or gender. He reached out and gently touched the pile of yellowish-white rags. ¡°Hmm¡­ indeed a bit peculiar. ¡°I don¡¯t know its origin¡­ so you can set your own price, but we cannot guarantee its quality.¡± The electronic synthesized voice sounded. Crazy Blade looked obviously disappointed. ¡°Even you all don¡¯t know, huh¡­¡± He sighed, picked up the pile of rags from the appraisal area, and then stepped aside to make way for Lin Yu, preparing to leave. Lin Yu curiously looked at the pile of rags, when suddenly a line of text appeared before his eyes! [Ding! Detected Yin artifact (upper grade), the Pharaoh¡¯s ominous bandages!] ¡°Wow, system, you have this function too!¡± Lin Yu exclaimed in surprise. He had always thought that the reason he could know the names and grades of the Thousand Year Shadow Wood, Kui Dragon Soul Locking Mirror, and Grudge Skull Necklace was that they belonged to him! It seemed that even Yin items and materials that didn¡¯t belong to him could be investigated using the system! He just needed to concentrate! However, the specific ¡°effects¡± and descriptions were still unknown. But just knowing the names and grades was already useful! This made Lin Yu¡¯s eyes light up! Just now, many items had gone unappraised¡­ And there were definitely many people present who would choose not to appraise! With the ability to discern names and grades, wouldn¡¯t he be able to find great deals? He could identify the value of items that even these seemingly ¡°authoritative¡± people couldn¡¯t recognize! Perhaps he could unearth some decent treasures! Lin Yu¡¯s thoughts became fervent! Then he thought for a moment and reached into his backpack. ¡°System, exchange for one batch of Yin copper coins!¡± Originally, he planned to exchange for only a few dozen since he didn¡¯t have much need for consumption, but now that he could ¡°pick up bargains¡±¡­ he definitely needed to acquire more ¡°capital¡±! A thousand coins appeared in his backpack, but Lin Yu didn¡¯t rush to take them all out. Instead, he first untied the string and took out ten coins. Then he placed one on the testing device. A faint red light lit up, and the three appraisers didn¡¯t seem surprised, ¡°Quite a common Yin material¡­ not low grade¡­ if it were a hundred coins, it would roughly have the Yin energy content of a low-grade third level.¡± the elder on the left said as he picked up the coin, but the moment he lifted it, he froze! This coin was exquisitely crafted, almost weightless, with four ancient characters inscribed that read ¡°Heaven and Earth Bank.¡± What shocked him the most was¡­ despite the low Yin energy content, the energy on this coin was extremely pure!!! This was the purest Yin energy, containing no impurities! His pupils constricted! As a senior who participated in the third batch of beta test, he had visited many dungeons! Among them, he had witnessed several transactions between ghosts¡­ And what this boy brought out seemed to be the ¡°currency¡± that circulated among ghosts in many dungeons! No¡­ not only that¡­ The quality of this coin was even better! This single coin was worth more than ten of those worn and damaged coins from ghosts!!! sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Of course, just this wouldn¡¯t shock him too much¡­ What truly astonished him was¡­ this Yin copper coin was like a ¡°credential¡±! Because it was a ¡°recognized currency¡± among all ghosts, it couldn¡¯t simply be considered a Yin material! Even humans could trade with ghosts using this Yin copper coin! Although the old man had never experienced such a thing, he had heard¡­ As long as you had ¡°ghost coins,¡± ghosts could trade! If you exchanged a type of Yin material for what you wanted from a ghost, it would rarely work! However, if you used ghost coins¡­ the ghosts would only complain about you offering too little! Furthermore, in times of danger, it could be used to buy one¡¯s life! He looked at Lin Yu with great shock. ¡°Where did you get this thing!¡± Chapter 30 - I Never Said This Was All of It! Chapter 30: I Never Said This Was All of It! Faced with the inquiry, Lin Yu naturally couldn¡¯t say it was exchanged with the system. So he spoke somewhat vaguely, ¡°Loot.¡± Seeing that Lin Yu was unwilling to elaborate, the appraiser didn¡¯t press further. After all, in principle, they wouldn¡¯t inquire about the ¡°source¡± of the appraised items, but the elder was too surprised by the Yin copper coins and couldn¡¯t help but ask! In horror dungeons, ghost coins circulate in the form of Yin copper coins and paper money! Ghosts also trade using ghost coins, which was considered a semi-public ¡°hidden rule.¡± Many seasoned players were aware of this! However, there were very few people who possess ¡°ghost coins¡±¡­ because these things were too precious! Ordinary ghosts would never give such items to humans! Even if a powerful ghost tamer happened to enter a dungeon where the ghosts weren¡¯t too strong, and used the rules to limit and kill a ghost, they would still only receive a very limited amount of ghost coins! S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After all, ghost controllers could kill ghosts, mostly relying on the ghosts they have contracted! And loot usually belonged mostly to the ghosts! Especially for valuable items like ghost coins, they almost never leave anything for humans! Although they were called ¡°ghost controllers,¡± very few, like Lin Yu, took the dominant role! Therefore, seeing such brand new ghost coins in Lin Yu¡¯s hands¡­ the elder and the other two appraisers exchanged glances with a barely noticeable glint of intrigue. ¡°This is an experienced player and also a master!¡± ¡°Emperor of Fengdu¡­ a name I haven¡¯t heard before. Could it be a rising star?¡± ¡°Or are these the mysterious lone wolves from the third batch?¡± As seasoned players invited to serve as appraisers for the forum, they may not be the founders, but they have countless connections to it. Especially the appraiser in the middle, he was a rank higher than the other two appraisers! The other two appraisers were merely third-rank ghost controllers. However, he was already a fourth-rank ghost controller and might even reach the fifth rank. mastering fierce ghosts! Thus, although Lin Yu¡¯s ¡°aura¡± was obscured by the mask, making it impossible to determine his strength, when he took out the Yin copper coins from his backpack earlier, it was perceived by this fourth-rank ghost tamer! This kid¡¯s backpack was merely a decoy! His Yin copper coins appeared out of thin air! In other words¡­ he was a powerful individual who mastered something akin to ¡°remote item retrieval,¡± or even a supernatural ability! His rank should be at least above six! ¡°I need to quickly notify ¡®Bai Ye¡¯ later.¡± This appraiser thought to himself while discreetly picking up the coin. ¡°Yin copper coins, ghost realm ghost coins¡­ interesting!¡± As the appraiser in the middle said this, the elder beside him nodded, ¡°Indeed¡­ my friend, if you¡¯re willing, I would like to purchase it for fifteen hundred each, just to make a friend of you!¡± Lin Yu was slightly stunned to hear this. Then he patted his backpack. He had over a million inside! He originally planned to exchange for a better rental apartment to improve his living situation¡­ That would be equivalent to a house in a small county! Even in a big city, it could be a down payment! Is the exchange rate between ghost coins and real money that outrageous? This single Yin copper coin was worth 10 nether coins, and it could actually be exchanged for 1500 Xia currency! Lin Yu thought about his total amount of ghost coins and felt a bit daunted¡­ His worth was terrifying! At this exchange rate, he probably wouldn¡¯t be surpassed even if he combined all the wealthy lists in Xia! However, Lin Yu was just thinking! He couldn¡¯t realistically convert all his ghost coins into Xia currency! But he could definitely exchange all the coins in his backpack. Just as Lin Yu was about to agree, he saw the appraiser on the right snicker coldly, ¡°Fifteen hundred¡­ why don¡¯t you go rob someone?¡± The elder, quite annoyed, looked at him and said unhappily, ¡°Although Yin copper coins are rare, they do have trading records. One for twelve hundred is already a premium price!¡± The middle-aged man on the right glanced at him and sneered again. He picked up a coin from the table and said, ¡°You old thief, I don¡¯t believe you didn¡¯t notice the difference between this coin and ordinary Yin copper coins! ¡°When ghosts trade, one coin cannot simply be counted as ¡®one¡¯ because the Yin energy and integrity are diminished! ¡°One batch of coins, on average, might only be worth six or seven hundred, or even less, reduced to two or three!¡± Ghost transactions did not consider face value! They look at the ¡°Yin energy content¡± instead! The appraiser in the middle also nodded slightly. ¡°Indeed, this Yin copper coin is new, intact, and full of Yin energy¡­ It is vastly different from those ¡®defective¡¯ coins.¡± As he said this, he looked at Lin Yu, and the electronic synthesized voice sounded, ¡°Friend, if you are interested. Here, we will purchase the Yin copper coins at three thousand each!¡± Lin Yu¡¯s heart raced upon hearing this, Three thousand each¡­ One thousand Yin copper coins¡­ Three million Xia currency!!! But he suppressed the joy in his heart and calmly nodded. ¡°Okay, but¡­ can you guys produce that much money right now?¡± The appraiser in the middle looked down at the sixteen Yin copper coins on the table and shook his head, ¡°You¡¯re joking. We can still manage fifty thousand Xia currency¡­¡± Lin Yu looked at him, smiling and shaking his head. ¡°I never said this was all of it¡­¡± He opened his backpack and pulled out a handful of new coins, throwing them onto the table! Then¡­ another handful! One handful after another of coins was dug out of Lin Yu¡¯s backpack, and finally, a small mountain formed on the table! Chapter 31 - Bidding! The Crazy Crowd! Chapter 31: Bidding! The Crazy Crowd! When a thousand overflowing copper coins were piled on the table like a small mountain, the three senior players, the appraisers, were left with only two words in their minds. ¡°What the heck!¡± With a thousand coins displayed on the table, even a powerful evil spirit would be envious! Let alone these ghost controllers who could barely survive in the horror dungeon? Even the appraiser in the middle, who had been acting mysterious and seemingly calm, couldn¡¯t help but swallow hard. However, he also felt somewhat helpless! A thousand Yin copper coins¡­ that¡¯s several million in huge sums! He really couldn¡¯t make this decision! He needed to contact Bai Ye quickly! The other two appraisers were even more shocked and lost their ability to think. As Lin Yu took out so many Yin copper coins, the clattering sound combined with the sudden surge of strong Yin energy¡­ drew the attention of those nearby! At first, when they saw this ¡°newcomer¡± take out more than a dozen brand new Yin copper coins, Crazy Blade felt a bit emotional, thinking the kid was lucky. After all, he initially thought this person, who didn¡¯t seem to understand the offline trading rules, should be a rookie. But now, Crazy Blade realized¡­ he was way off! ¡°Good luck¡± couldn¡¯t possibly explain how someone could have so many Yin copper coins! This must be a senior expert with extraordinary abilities! As for why he seemed so ¡°out of the loop¡±¡­ It was clear that this was a powerful existence who acted low-key and walked alone! The other party came to the offline trading fair just for some excitement! Thinking of this, Crazy Blade couldn¡¯t help but feel a little scared¡­ ¡°Oh no¡­ When I was speaking earlier, I didn¡¯t offend him, did I? ¡°My tone seemed sincere enough, and I wasn¡¯t too arrogant!¡± He quickly reassured himself. Meanwhile, the few people who were originally waiting behind Lin Yu felt a bit dissatisfied because of the delay caused by the appraisal. However, seeing this pile of Yin copper coins and the expressions of the appraisers¡­ that dissatisfaction quickly turned into envy and¡­ realization. Behind Lin Yu, a middle-aged uncle wearing a silver mask quickly spoke up, ¡°Brother¡­ it¡¯s impossible for the forum to buy so many coins all at once¡­ Why don¡¯t you sell me a portion? ¡°I¡¯ll buy twenty coins at four thousand each!¡± Lin Yu turned to look at this enthusiastic middle-aged uncle, also dumbfounded. ¡°Wow¡­ Are ghost controllers and other horror game players this wealthy?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but complain. But soon, Lin Yu realized this was reasonable! Although it¡¯s a life-and-death situation in horror games, and controlling ghostly beings has many side effects and huge limitations¡­ after all, this was genuine supernatural power! Even under the official restrictions of the Xia Country, the earliest batches of horror game players must have improved their lives in various ways! Just like himself, didn¡¯t he think of this first? However, Lin Yu still underestimated these people¡¯s desire for Yin copper coins! After the middle-aged man spoke, the remaining people seemed to be reminded and started to speak up¡­ sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Brother, I¡¯ll buy at four thousand each too! I¡¯ll take ten!¡± ¡°Senior, I need fifty¡­ please!¡± ¡°I want a hundred!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you go and grab them¡­ big brother. I just need five, I want a little, sell to me first!¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the logic in selling fewer first!¡± In an instant, the crowd gathered here became noisy! And the commotion quickly attracted the attention of others in the abandoned factory! Some buyers, who came with large amounts of cash specifically to buy treasures and enhance their strength, also noticed that something good seemed to have appeared at the appraisal area! They also approached, and many recognized the Yin copper coins, exclaiming. ¡°Wow¡­ It¡¯s actually circulating ghost coins!¡± ¡°With such good quality Yin copper coins¡­ maybe a hundred could be exchanged for some not-so-precious low-grade Yin materials with a ghost!¡± ¡°No wonder they¡¯re so crazy! They actually bid four thousand each!¡± ¡°Four thousand? Too low! One can be worth five! Just think about its value!¡± ¡°Indeed¡­ big brother, don¡¯t believe him, I¡¯ll pay five thousand each!!! Give me five hundred!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pay five thousand three! I¡¯ll take them all!¡± Those who recognized the Yin copper coins, who had seen spirits use them or even had the fortune of trying them once and tasted the sweetness, naturally understood the rarity of this item just like the three senior appraisers on stage! And it¡¯s definitely better to get as many as possible at once! Even the other ghost controllers, who didn¡¯t know how precious the Yin copper coins were, saw the craziness of others¡­ combined with their snippets of information, also understood what a treasure this was! They all fell into a frenzy of bidding! ¡°Five thousand five! Three hundred coins!¡± ¡°Five thousand six¡­ I¡¯ll take them all!!!¡± ¡°Bro, look at me. Five thousand five, I¡¯ll throw in three low-grade Yin materials for you!¡± ¡°Little brother! I want to buy for five thousand, but¡­ I can offer you other services, okay?¡± ¡°Bro, I¡¯m a fourth-rank ghost controller¡­ would you like to be friends?¡± In an instant, the previously quiet factory became as noisy as a market! Chapter 32 - The Mysterious Bai Ye! Seven Million Five Hundred Thousand in Hand! Chapter 32: The Mysterious Bai Ye! Seven Million Five Hundred Thousand in Hand! Lin Yu looked at these frenzied ghost controllers and was also taken aback. He had considered the possibility that Yin copper coins might be very popular, but Lin Yu never expected that these would make everyone so envious! Moreover, these ghost controllers, like the ghosts in those horror dungeons, were clearly filled with awe towards him! The price had already approached six thousand each. In other words¡­ this thousand Yin copper coins was worth at least over five million! Lin Yu was feeling a bit dazed! He had so easily obtained five million! That¡¯s enough to buy a house outright in Hecheng!!! Looking at the eager crowd, Lin Yu was also somewhat troubled. There were too many buyers, and each person¡¯s offer was very tempting, so simply going with the highest bid didn¡¯t seem appropriate! While Lin Yu was in a dilemma, a figure wearing a golden mask, adorned with gorgeous red patterns, appeared not far behind him. It was a graceful figure in a white qipao, with a curvy silhouette that sparked the imagination, but the human skin lantern in her hand, glowing with a bluish-white light, made those ¡°imaginations¡± remain just that! The intense Yin energy emanating from that lantern felt almost tangible! ¡°Everyone, quiet.¡± The qipao-clad woman holding the lantern said, and the scene instantly fell silent. The three senior players responsible for the appraisals also stood up, the one in the middle slightly nodding to her. ¡°Bai Ye.¡± Upon hearing the three address her, Lin Yu was slightly shocked. This was actually the person who could command evil spirits at the gate and co-founded the forum with the other two! It turned out to be a young woman! Lin Yu was quite astonished but still gave her a gentle nod in greeting. The woman nicknamed ¡°Bai Ye¡± also nodded in return, then looked at the thousand Yin copper coins on the table. ¡°Consistent Yin copper coins, ¡®Emperor of Fengdu¡¯¡­ Sir, selling such good things at an offline trading fair is a bit of a waste,¡± Bai Ye spoke. Her voice was unprocessed, cool and clear, sounding full of the calmness of a master. Lin Yu didn¡¯t back down, merely smiling slightly. ¡°I¡¯ve encountered some urgent matters recently, and I¡¯m a bit short on cash.¡± Bai Ye nodded, showing no hesitation. ¡°Seven million five hundred thousand in cash, I¡¯ll buy this batch from you, as a friend representing the forum in my capacity as ¡®Bai Ye¡¯,¡± as she said this, many ghost controllers in the audience revealed envious looks. Bai Ye, one of the founders of the forum, was one of the few in Xia Country who controlled two evil spirits! It was rumored that she was at the peak of the sixth rank of ghost controlling! She could step into the seventh rank at any time and command a ferocious ghost! The human skin lantern she held was also a high-grade offensive Yin artifact! Her ¡°friendship¡± was almost equivalent to a life-saving talisman! In horror games, after completing three dungeons, ghost controllers could become ¡°friends¡± and ¡°team up¡±! If they teamed up with strong individuals like Bai Ye in horror dungeons¡­ their survival chances would be greatly increased! At the same time, because of this, they had no intention of competing with Bai Ye! And seven million five hundred thousand was already over double the price¡­ Even if they bid normally, they couldn¡¯t buy at such a price! Hearing what she said, Lin Yu nodded. ¡°Alright, as expected of Bai Ye, your offer is indeed generous.¡± He gathered the Yin copper coins, restrung them, and handed them over to Bai Ye. The other party was a prominent figure with a strong presence, so Lin Yu wasn¡¯t worried about her defaulting. Bai Ye took the Yin copper coins and shook the human skin lantern in her hand, ¡°Swallowing gold toad, swallowing gold toad, bringing in wealth with no outflow,¡± she whispered softly, her voice imbued with a peculiar power, reminiscent of ancient incantations chanted by shamans during rituals to summon spirits. The bluish-white light flickered, and a thick blue smoke of Yin energy billowed from the human skin lantern, a ghostly bronze toad¡¯s shadow flashed through the dense smoke, spitting out a suitcase, which was wrapped in Yin energy and flew towards Lin Yu. Lin Yu raised an eyebrow slightly. He could feel the Yin energy in the resentment necklace filling up, as if it sensed some threat, but Lin Yu wasn¡¯t worried either. ¡°Zhu Jiao,¡± he said this as a surge of black smoke appeared behind him, a tall, vague figure emerged behind him, extending a hand to disperse the toxic Yin energy wrapping around the suitcase, catching it. Lin Yu opened the suitcase, looking at the neatly stacked bright red Xia currency inside without counting, ¡°Pleasure doing business, Bai Ye,¡± he said with a smile. Bai Ye glanced at him meaningfully, tossed the Yin copper coins into the human skin lantern, the toad¡¯s tongue flicked, drawing the Yin copper coins inside, then Bai Ye shook the lantern, her figure once again disappearing from the spot. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°The offline trading fair officially begins!¡± just before her figure completely vanished, her voice echoed through the abandoned factory! Chapter 33 - The Bountiful Lin Yu! Reunion with the Crazy Blade! Chapter 33: The Bountiful Lin Yu! Reunion with the Crazy Blade! After Bai Ye left, and with her announcement, the offline trading fair officially began! Within the abandoned factory, as Yin energy surged, independent tables appeared, forming various ¡°booths.¡± Sellers intending to sell items could display their ¡°goods¡± there, and even buyers could write down their purchase requests on the tables. The crowd gathered at the appraisal area naturally dispersed, starting to set up their own booths. Of course, many approached Lin Yu, wanting to ¡°make friends¡± with him. After all, in their eyes, Lin Yu was someone on par with Bai Ye! Moreover, the ghostly figure that had appeared to catch the suitcase earlier¡­ also made many people present feel a sense of dread! In the community of horror game players, strength was paramount! Thus, Lin Yu naturally became the target of flattery from many, and he could only helplessly deal with these people, making a few casual remarks before finally returning to normal trading! Holding a huge suitcase filled with Xia currency, Lin Yu felt quite emotional! He had actually received seven million five hundred thousand! Now, he could start considering buying some ¡°good stuff¡±! He wandered around between the ¡°booths,¡± stopping whenever he saw items infused with Yin energy that lacked an ¡°appraisal certificate,¡± using the system¡¯s function to identify them. ¡¾Detected Yin material, Yin Blood Fruit (no grade)!¡¿. ¡¾Detected Yin artifact, Black Copper Gauntlet Fragment (damaged)!¡¿. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Though he found nothing significant, Lin Yu gained some understanding. He figured out how the system would prompt if an artifact or Yin material had no grade. ¡°So it directly marks them as ungraded and damaged¡­¡± Lin Yu realized. From this perspective, the ¡°unknown grade¡± of the Kuilong Soul Locking Mirror probably meant it was of a grade too high! Most of the displayed items were indeed worthless junk that didn¡¯t need appraisal, and while some couldn¡¯t be appraised due to certain peculiarities, they weren¡¯t particularly valuable either. Yet, many of the sellers of unappraised items held onto the mindset of ¡°this might be a treasure,¡± and each was asking for a high price. Lin Yu naturally had no interest! After his earlier conversation with Bai Ye, many sellers didn¡¯t dare to deceive Lin Yu. Seeing his lack of interest, they wouldn¡¯t say much, fearing they would offend this formidable figure. Lin Yu remained calm. After all, ¡°picking up a bargain¡± required the utmost patience! Finally, after wandering for twenty minutes. a prompt flashed in the system! ¡¾Detected Yin artifact (medium grade), Luo Hou Seven Evil Nails!¡¿. Medium grade artifact! Lin Yu was slightly shocked upon seeing the system¡¯s prompt. After turning for so long and only seeing things of no grade, his expectations had repeatedly lowered! He originally thought it would be great to pick up some useful low-grade artifacts, but now, he had directly found something of the same grade as the Grudge Skull Necklace! Lin Yu calmly looked at the medium-grade artifact identified as Luo Hou Seven Evil Nails on that booth. Though called ¡°nails,¡± it turned out to be an inconspicuous little black wooden box! The fluctuations of Yin energy above it were also quite weak, and the seller of this item was a young man called ¡°Blood Sovereign,¡± wearing a baseball cap. Lin Yu nonchalantly picked up the box, pretending to examine it. He then asked. ¡°How much for this?¡± The young man in the baseball cap recognized Lin Yu as the powerful individual who had just exchanged a thousand Yin copper coins, and he was somewhat reserved. Seeing him pick up the small wooden box, he sighed in relief. ¡°This¡­ I found it in an ¡®ancient tomb¡¯ dungeon. I¡¯ve never figured out its use, and it has no Yin energy, so¡­ if you want it, I can sell it to you for two thousand!¡± Having just received seven million five hundred thousand, Lin Yu naturally wouldn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take it!¡± He calmly pulled out two thousand Xia currency from the suitcase and handed it to the young man. ¡¾Detected Yin artifact (medium grade) Luo Hou Seven Evil Nails! Automatically bound to the host!¡¿. The system notification sounded, and Lin Yu nodded. Indeed, binding could only occur after the ¡°ownership¡± of the item belonged to him! Lin Yu checked the Luo Hou Seven Evil Nails that appeared in his ¡°equipment slot,¡± feeling very satisfied, and next, it seemed his luck was improving! Every few booths he visited, he could acquire a low-grade artifact or Yin material for a few thousand or even a few hundred! ¡¾Detected Yin material (low grade) Ghost Hand Vine! Automatically bound to the host!¡¿. ¡¾Detected Yin artifact (low grade) Deadly Bowl! Automatically bound to the host¡¿. ¡¾Detected Yin material (low grade) Soul Destroying Poison Silk! Automatically bound to the host!¡¿. Before he knew it, Lin Yu¡¯s inventory and equipment slots had become increasingly filled! In total, he had collected four low-grade Yin materials and two low-grade Yin artifacts! His wealth had suddenly become substantial! Although he hadn¡¯t encountered anything of medium grade again¡­ Lin Yu didn¡¯t feel disappointed! Because he soon saw a ¡°familiar¡± face he had seen before! It was Crazy Blade, who had eagerly helped him with his questions! Lin Yu remembered¡­ this guy had an unappraised high-grade artifact in his hands!!! Chapter 34 - The Generous Gift from Crazy Blade! Chapter 34: The Generous Gift from Crazy Blade! ¡°Emperor of Fengdu, we meet again!¡± Lin Yu quickly walked up to the booth of the Crazy Blade, who recognized him as the one who had just stood out in front of Bai Ye and greeted him. In front of him was a pile of strange items. A golden snake statue, a glass bottle filled with wriggling sand, a dried cat¡¯s paw¡­ and the pile of unappraised rags, specifically the ¡°Upper-Grade Yin Artifact: Pharaoh¡¯s Ominous Bandage!¡± Lin Yu smiled and greeted him, ¡°You have quite a few good items here!¡± Upon hearing this, the Crazy Blade seemed a bit embarrassed. ¡°Ah, they¡¯re just low-grade trinkets, really. I found some junk while clearing a dungeon in a shattered temple in the desert¡­ ¡°I feel we have a good rapport. If you want it, I can sell it to you at a lower price!¡± As he said this, Lin Yu picked up the pile of rags to examine them. ¡°This is the item that didn¡¯t have its grade appraised earlier, right? I¡¯m quite interested. How much do you plan to sell it for?¡± Hearing Lin Yu¡¯s question, the Crazy Blade scratched his head, ¡°This one? It has no grade. I really don¡¯t know if it¡¯s good or bad¡­ ¡°I have to remind you, brother, just because something isn¡¯t appraised doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s a good item! ¡°If you really want it¡­ I can give it to you!¡± Crazy Blade said readily. Lin Yu was somewhat surprised by his words. At first, he was a bit wary of the Crazy Blade¡¯s enthusiasm, after all, some people who appear friendly and straightforward can be quite dark and deceitful inside, but now it seemed that the Crazy Blade was indeed an upfront guy! ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that this item might actually be a very precious treasure?¡± Lin Yu looked at Crazy Blade and asked in return. Crazy Blade waved his hand dismissively, ¡°If even a seasoned appraiser can¡¯t recognize it, then it¡¯s a waste to have it in my hands! ¡°If you can identify it, it means it belongs with you! ¡°Moreover, you¡¯re also a strong one¡­ helping you out means I¡¯m making a connection with you!¡± Crazy Blade didn¡¯t hide his thoughts and said frankly. Lin Yu nodded slightly upon hearing this, ¡°Alright! Since that¡¯s the case¡­ I can¡¯t let you take a loss!¡± As Lin Yu said this, he picked up the blood-stained rags, leaning closer to Crazy Blade¡¯s booth, ¡°System, exchange for one string of Yin copper coin!¡± Saying this, he placed a string of Yin copper coin on Crazy Blade¡¯s booth, and Crazy Blade was startled to see the very Yin copper coin that had just been fought over by many, even Bai Ye himself, appear on his booth. ¡°This¡­ doesn¡¯t seem appropriate!¡± He looked at Lin Yu with some suspicion, and Lin Yu smiled slightly. ¡°This is worth much more to me than a thousand Yin copper coins!¡± After all, a thousand copper coins only equated to ten thousand nether coins, and while that might be quite valuable for ghosts and ghost controllers, for Lin Yu, it was merely one percent or even one thousandth of his daily random income! Conversely, a upper-grade Yin artifact would be a great item for boosting his combat power immediately, and a high-grade artifact itself is priceless! ¡¾Detected Yin artifact (high grade) Pharaoh¡¯s Ominous Bandage! Automatically bound to the host!¡¿ After obtaining the Pharaoh¡¯s Ominous Bandage and putting it into his backpack, Crazy Blade carefully collected the Yin copper coin, his face filled with gratitude towards Lin Yu! ¡°Emperor of Fengdu¡­ Brother Emperor! You¡¯re quite impressive! We can get along! ¡°From now on, I, Crazy Blade, will be your sworn brother! ¡°Let¡¯s add each other as friends in the horror game! I¡¯m also a third-rank ghost controller¡­ though my power is weak, I¡¯m definitely reliable!¡± As Crazy Blade said this, Lin Yu smiled, ¡°Sure, but you might have to wait two weeks! ¡°I¡¯m part of the fifth batch of beta testers and haven¡¯t even left the novice phase yet.¡± Lin Yu said this, and Crazy Blade thought Lin Yu was just jokingly rejecting him. After all, how could a big shot like him, who had just laughed and chatted with the powerful Bai Ye, be a fifth-batch beta tester¡­ who would believe that? After leaving Crazy Blade, Lin Yu continued to wander around, and his figure fell into a small room on the second floor of the abandoned factory, where two people stood: the earlier Bai Ye and the middle figure who spoke with a voice like an electronic tone, the appraiser! The appraiser had already removed her golden mask, revealing a notably young and beautiful face. ¡°Bai Ye, why is this ¡®Emperor of Fengdu¡¯ always collecting unappraised items¡­?¡± she asked, puzzled. Bai Ye looked at the Pharaoh¡¯s Ominious Bandage that Lin Yu had just put away, and the eyes hidden beneath the golden mask flashed with a strange expression, ¡°I don¡¯t know, but this guy¡­ does seem interesting!¡± Earlier, she had sensed through the mask that this guy who had pulled out a thousand Yin copper coins was actually just a ¡°first-rank ghost controller.¡± After all, for a master like her, the mask¡¯s disguise wasn¡¯t enough, so she couldn¡¯t help but test him! But he had directly summoned a fierce ghost in response to her probe! Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Clearly, this ¡°Emperor of Fengdu¡± was not only masking his appearance but had also concealed his aura to the point where even she couldn¡¯t see through it! And now, everything he had just bought, although unappraised, was far from ordinary! Besides the disguise, he seemed to have unique insights into identifying Yin artifacts and Yin materials! ¡°What a curious guy!¡± Bai Ye couldn¡¯t help but mutter to herself. Chapter 35 - Selling Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine! Ten Million! Chapter 35: Selling Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine! Ten Million! Inside the factory, after Lin Yu made a few more rounds, he realized there wasn¡¯t much good stuff left. All the unappraised items had already been thoroughly searched by Lin Yu. However, with four low-grade Yin energy materials, two low-grade Yin artifacts, along with a mid-grade and an upper-grade Yin artifact, Lin Yu had gained quite a lot! Even veteran players who have gone through over ten dungeons didn¡¯t usually have such a solid collection! ¡°I¡¯ve bought enough. Maybe I should consider selling something?¡± As he thought about it, Lin Yu checked the items people were looking to buy, and soon enough, he saw an interesting request. There was a middle-aged man in a suit and a silver-white mask. His name tag was somewhat peculiar. ¡°Xiao Nian.¡± It seemed like the kind of name a young girl would choose! In front of him was a sign that read, [Seeking high-priced items that can awaken spiritual awareness!][Requirement: No side effects!] Evidently, the requirement for no side effects was the main reason his booth was deserted. Items that help people awaken their spiritual awareness are already very rare, and those without any side effects are even rarer! To fight ghosts and become a ghost controller already requires a steep price! Someone like Lin Yu, as a ghost controller, was truly unique! But that sign made Lin Yu¡¯s eyes light up. This requirement was practically tailor-made for the Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine! He had already finished drinking his three bottles, and now Lin Yu¡¯s spiritual awareness had reached 30, while his spiritual power was at 397, nearing the second rank. He planned to save two bottles for Zhu Jiang, and intended to sell the extra bottle. However, he thought it might be a waste to sell it in a booth, since it wasn¡¯t essential for ghost controllers who had already awakened their spiritual awareness, and to Lin Yu, no one at the offline trading event would likely still be unawakened! Yet surprisingly, someone was actually requesting such an item! So, Lin Yu stepped forward. ¡°You need something without side effects to awaken spiritual awareness, right?¡± Lin Yu asked, and the man nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right. As for the price, I¡¯m willing to negotiate¡­ ¡°If it truly has no side effects, I¡¯m willing to offer ten million!¡± The middle-aged man opened with a price of ten million, which startled Lin Yu. Veteran ghost controllers and long-time horror game players having wealth made sense, but why would someone who appeared to lack spiritual awareness be this wealthy? Seeing Lin Yu¡¯s silence, the man assumed Lin Yu didn¡¯t believe him, so he quickly pulled out a business card, covered his name, and showed it to Lin Yu. ¡°I¡¯m an executive at the Jiangcheng Li Group. You don¡¯t need to worry about me defaulting!¡± Lin Yu was slightly moved when he saw ¡°Li Group.¡± He remembered the little ¡°Li¡± girl he had met in the last dungeon, and recalled her mentioning her family had connections in Jiangcheng before she left¡­ Lin Yu didn¡¯t believe this was just a coincidence! Since it was the little ¡°Li¡± girl, Lin Yu didn¡¯t mind lending her a hand. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And, of course, ten million¡­ was no small sum to Lin Yu! He nodded slightly and pulled a bottle of Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine from his pouch. ¡°Here is a bottle of spiritual wine. Drinking it will awaken your spiritual awareness!¡± Lin Yu said, and the middle-aged man looked puzzled. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ that simple?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s that simple. If you don¡¯t believe me, you don¡¯t have to make the deal,¡± Lin Yu replied calmly. The middle-aged man hesitated, then shook his head. He had noticed that this young man had stirred up quite a bit of commotion earlier, meaning he was a ¡°master¡± in the horror game circle! The middle-aged man himself wasn¡¯t a horror game player or a ghost controller. He was here on behalf of his boss, who had sent him to assist the young lady of the Li family at the trading event. After some hesitation, he nodded. ¡°I believe you!¡± The middle-aged man pulled out a card from his wallet, ¡°This is an anonymous bank card with ten million Xia currency. The password is six zeros!¡± Lin Yu took the bank card and nodded slightly. ¡°A pleasure doing business!¡± After pocketing the card, Lin Yu turned and left. ¡°So easily, I earned another ten million Xia currency!¡± Though Lin Yu was pleased, he no longer felt as shocked as when he first obtained seven and a half million! Afterward, Lin Yu took out his phone and looked up information on the Li Group. It was a powerful entity based in Jiangcheng, controlling the trade channels for nearly half of Xia Country. And, unsurprisingly, the Li Group¡¯s CEO had a beloved only daughter. Her name was ¡°Li Nian¡±! ¡°So it was her.¡± Lin Yu thought to himself, feeling a bit amazed. Appearances could truly be deceiving! The gentle and delicate ¡°Li¡± girl from the last dungeon turned out to be a super-rich beauty! She¡¯d mentioned her family had some connections in Jiangcheng¡­ that was quite an understatement! However, Lin Yu didn¡¯t let it affect him too much. He was always a person with a humble and composed nature. Li Nian¡¯s identity only made him realize one thing¡­ ¡°In the horror game world, even the super-rich from reality are equally vulnerable! ¡°Strength is the true key to survival in the horror dungeons!¡± Of course¡­ if you¡¯re like me, a ¡°super-rich¡± in the horror dungeons, then that¡¯s a different story! While ghosts didn¡¯t recognize Xia currency, they certainly do recognize ghost currency! Chapter 36 - Training Spirit Sense! Lin Yu’s Power Increase! New Instance Begins! Chapter 36: Training Spirit Sense! Lin Yu¡¯s Power Increase! New Instance Begins! In Jiangcheng, South Lake Villa District, Inside a standalone villa, Li Nian sat gloomily in her room. She had originally planned to sneak out to attend the ghost handler¡¯s offline trading event, but her father caught on to her intentions that morning. As one of Jiangcheng¡¯s top businessmen, Li Nian¡¯s father wasn¡¯t a player in the horror game, But he was aware of the recent spike in supernatural incidents in Xia Country and worldwide, and understood the reality of the horror game. Once he found out that his daughter had become a ¡°player,¡± naturally, he refused to let his beloved daughter go alone to the offline trading event. However, Mr. Li also knew that the horror game instances were much more dangerous than the trading event. So, he sent his trusted aide to purchase materials for his daughter. While Li Nian understood her father¡¯s well-meaning intentions, she wasn¡¯t only going to the event to buy spirit vessels or enhance her abilities! She also hoped to see Brother Lin, who had looked after her in the previous instance. ¡°Sigh, Brother Lin hasn¡¯t called me¡­¡± Li Nian thought wistfully, and just then, there was a soft knock on her door. ¡°Xiao Nian, the item I had someone purchase to awaken your spirit sense has arrived!¡± Her father¡¯s voice came from outside. Even though Li Nian was sulking, her usually gentle nature wouldn¡¯t let her ignore him. She opened the door reluctantly, and upon seeing the jade bottle in her father¡¯s hands, her eyes brightened. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the same type of wine Brother Lin drank?!¡± Li Nian nearly exclaimed. Could it be that her father¡¯s aide had coincidentally bought Brother Lin¡¯s wine? But she suppressed her excitement. After all, it was just a similar-looking bottle. She couldn¡¯t be sure it was the same wine! She took the bottle and opened it, and a familiar, chilling aroma confirmed it instantly¡­ ¡°This really is the same as Brother Lin¡¯s! ¡°Could it be that Brother Lin specifically set this aside for me?!¡± Thinking of this, Li Nian felt a warmth in her heart, And even gave her father a smile. ¡°Thank you, Dad¡­ you¡¯re so kind to me!¡± Seeing his usually quiet daughter so happy, Mr. Li was taken aback. ¡°I¡¯m glad it¡¯s helpful to you! ¡°Hurry and drink it¡­ this way, with spirit sense, you¡¯ll have a better chance of survival in the instances!¡± As her father said this, he quietly closed the door. Li Nian nodded to herself. Indeed¡­ she couldn¡¯t always rely on Brother Lin for protection! She needed to get stronger so that the next time she met Brother Lin¡­ she could be a reliable ally! ¡ª Meanwhile, with Lin Yu, after the trading event, he rested in Jiangcheng for a day and then returned to his rental in Hecheng. Despite having 17 million in funds, he didn¡¯t rush to spend it lavishly, knowing that the next instance was just around the corner. With his system, billions in ghost currency, a collection of spirit materials, and fierce spirits like Zhu Jiang as his contracted ghost, he couldn¡¯t let his guard down! He¡¯d been following the forum, seeing that even advanced ghost controllers sometimes fell unexpectedly. In the later stages, although many spirits had ¡°rules of killing,¡± some rules were almost meaningless! In some instances, you could be trapped in a maze, and once a spirit caught up to you, you¡¯d be killed! In others, if the spirit felt hungry, it could simply eat you! In such instances, fleeing or directly confronting the spirit were the only options! There was no way to manipulate the rules for survival! So Lin Yu knew that while he had a higher survival probability for now¡­ He couldn¡¯t ignore the risk of failure! Thus, in the past few days, he¡¯d been using some meditation techniques from the forum to train his ¡°spirit sense.¡± In just two days, his spirit sense had increased by three points! It wasn¡¯t much, but Lin Yu noticed that his sense had grown more acute during meditation! Before, he could only roughly gauge a spirit¡¯s strength. Now, he could pinpoint its exact level! As his spirit sense sharpened, it seemed like his system had leveled up, too! The grades of spirit materials and vessels became more precise in their identification! For example, his Thousand Year Shadow Wood was a mid-grade, third-level spirit material. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Luo Hou Seven Evil Nail was a mid-grade, third-level spirit vessel. His Grudge Skull Necklace was a mid-grade, first-level vessel! However, the grade of his Kuilong Soul Locking Mirror remained unknown. At the same time, the system also gave some ¡°introductions¡± for vessels with unclear effects. For instance, the Luo Hou Seven Evil Nail had a hidden mechanism activated by injecting spirit power! Upon testing it, Lin Yu found that the nail released multiple spikes condensed from ghost energy! And his ¡°Pharaoh¡¯s Ominous Bandage,¡± an upper-grade, second-level vessel, had powerful functionality! If placed on a wound caused by a spirit, it could absorb the negative energy and quickly heal the wound. Injecting spirit energy made it entangle spirits and absorb their ghost energy, greatly restricting their movements! Though it might not sound impressive, Lin Yu found that once spirit energy was injected, the bandage moved with strange speed! Ordinary spirits couldn¡¯t dodge it. It was almost guaranteed to hit! Now, Lin Yu had a mid-grade attack vessel and a defensive one, plus an upper-grade vessel for control and healing! His strength had grown considerably, leaving him with almost no weaknesses! After organizing these vessels and practicing their uses, time once again reached the early hours of Monday! [Welcome to the Horror Game!] As the blood-red text appeared, and the familiar haze set in. A new instance began! Chapter 37 - New Instance! The Beyond Apartments! Chapter 37: New Instance! The Beyond Apartments! [Welcome to the Horror Game!]. [This instance name: The Beyond Apartments!]. [Mission objective: Stay at the Beyond Apartments for three days and pay the rent!]. [Current number of survivors: 3.]. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Lin Yu opened his eyes and found himself in a small, cold room. The room was barely over twenty square meters, even narrower and more rundown than his rented room. The cracked, white walls and ceiling had an eerie appearance, with a single dim light flickering unsteadily. The room contained only a small single bed with a gray bedsheet, a mirror, and a bedside table. The door had an electronic lock along with a chain, and outside the large window with security bars and a clothes rack, a gloomy sky could be seen through the grimy glass. Unlike the last instance at the Yellow Springs Inn, though this one showed a survival count of three people, Lin Yu found himself alone in the room without a trace of the other two. Having read posts on the forum, Lin Yu knew that this was common. In some special instances, ghosts even impersonate players, so players must determine who was human and who was a ghost. He stood up and noticed a black magnetic card on the bedside table, with ¡°1202¡± printed on the front. This was undoubtedly his room key. On the back of the card, a few lines of white text read: [Notice for Residents of the Beyond Apartments!]. [First, this card is your only proof of identity as a resident. Lost cards will not be replaced, and no responsibility will be assumed!]. [Second, no loud noises or disturbances are allowed in the Beyond Apartments at any time!]. [Third, security around the apartments is poor. Residents, please stay alert and be cautious about opening doors to visitors. Try to keep windows closed!]. [Fourth, do not enter other residents¡¯ rooms without permission, or face the consequences at your own risk!]. [Fifth, apartment management will regularly inspect the premises, so do not linger or discard trash improperly or damage room furnishings!]. [Sixth, a curfew is enforced at this apartment complex starting at 11 p.m.! Keep track of the time at all times!]. Lin Yu looked over this ¡°Resident Notice¡± and quickly understood that this was the ¡°basic rule set,¡± which outlines the common killing conditions for most ghosts in this instance. ¡°Six basic rules¡­ which makes this instance quite difficult,¡± Lin Yu murmured, pocketing the key card. However, this instance also held an advantage for him, as the mission objective was not only to survive but also to ¡°pay the rent!¡± Based on common sense, ¡°rent¡± was likely to mean nether coins! With his abundant nether coins, this would not be a problem. If he wanted, Lin Yu could simply pay his rent and sleep in the room for three days, ensuring his absolute safety. But, of course, Lin Yu would not choose that. For him, every horror instance was dangerous but also an opportunity. If he only tried to survive each instance, he would eventually slip up. Seizing every opportunity to improve himself was the only way forward. So Lin Yu didn¡¯t hesitate to put on the Grudge Skull Necklace, placed the Pharaoh¡¯s Ominous Bandages and the Luo Hou Seven Evil Nails within easy reach in his pocket, then opened the door and stepped out. Once outside, Lin Yu found himself in a hallway. It was a square-shaped hallway, with a ten-meter-wide atrium in the center. Peeking over, he could see the hazy sky above and a spacious square on the ground floor below. The hallway was surrounded by countless rooms, all identical to his own with black doors, modern electronic locks, and bright red room numbers, giving off an oppressive atmosphere. Even Lin Yu felt a chill run down his spine. The survival count was only three¡­ This meant that in this massive building with over thirty floors, each with over ten rooms, structured like a honeycomb¡­ Most of the rooms might be occupied by ghosts. Lin Yu walked down the hallway toward the elevator. The building had two glass elevators, giving a view of each floor from the atrium. In the back of the elevator area was a wooden door for the stairwell, left completely open, revealing a spiral staircase inside. Between the two elevators was a directory map labeled, ¡°Beyond Apartments Layout.¡± Lin Yu examined the black and white floor plan, getting a rough idea of the layout. The Beyond Apartments indeed had a full thirty-three floors! The first floor contained an open activity plaza, a convenience store, an indoor food court, and a laundry room. The second floor housed a paid recreation center and a ¡°members-only¡± luxury goods shop, with a security office also located on this floor. The third floor was the ¡°Beyond Apartments Property Center¡± for rent payments and card recharges. The fourth floor served as a warehouse and staff quarters, where cleaning supplies were stored. Floors five to twenty-five were the ¡°Residential Area,¡± where all the residents, including him, lived. Floors twenty-six to twenty-nine were restricted as ¡°Private Areas.¡± Above the thirtieth floor was a revolving restaurant, which included a viewing terrace and a rooftop garden. This thirty-three-floor apartment building essentially covered all aspects of daily life. Besides the residential area, the building even contained various ¡°shops.¡± Of particular interest to Lin Yu was that many of the shops, especially the ones on the first floor geared toward common residents, required room cards for purchases. The high-end ones had no such requirement, but all were marked as ¡°members-only.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s head to the Property Center on the third floor first and check things out,¡± Lin Yu thought, pressing the elevator button. Chapter 38 - Elevator Ghost! Chapter 38: Elevator Ghost! Lin Yu was on the twelfth floor. After pressing the down button, the elevator on the left, which was on the thirteenth floor, began descending. About ten seconds later, the elevator slowly stopped. Although it was supposed to be a ¡°glass capsule elevator¡± for sightseeing, when the doors opened, Lin Yu realized it no longer had any sightseeing function. The ¡°glass¡± was covered in dried, dark red bloodstains, and upon closer inspection, the stains seemed to have handprint-like patterns, as if layers of bloody handprints had piled up, like every person who¡¯d ridden this elevator had desperately tried to escape, slapping the glass with blood-soaked hands. Anyone timid would probably be too afraid to get on. But Lin Yu wasn¡¯t scared at all. If this elevator was a death trap, there would have been some indication. And even if there was a hidden danger here¡­ With the powerful guardian Zhu Jiang, two mid-grade Yin artifacts, and an upper-grade Yin artifact by his side, could he really be taken down so easily? On the contrary, it felt like a trap designed to discourage him from taking the elevator and steer him to the stairs. Though dangerous, Lin Yu knew he could handle it, so he had no fear. Calmly, he entered the elevator and pressed the button for the ¡°third floor.¡± The button lit up with a bright red glow, almost as if it were bleeding. As the elevator doors closed and it began to move, the back of the door transformed, covered in writhing flesh. The pulsing flesh revealed two enormous eyes and a giant mouth. ¡°Please pay the elevator fare!¡± The massive mouth spoke in a low voice, and the light above Lin Yu¡¯s head started flickering. This elevator was haunted by a terrifying ghost! Lin Yu watched this disturbing scene and smiled faintly. ¡°Elevator fare? How much?¡± Hearing Lin Yu¡¯s response, the grotesque face on the elevator door replied. ¡°One person¡­ one ride¡­ one!¡± It spoke, a greedy gleam in its rolling eyes. ¡°If you can¡¯t pay, you can settle your debt with your flesh or soul!¡± It had gone a long time without fresh flesh! Looking at this weak human with minimal Yin energy, it assumed Lin Yu was easy prey, thinking it could easily claim an arm. Lin Yu was surprised but amused. ¡°So cheap? That¡¯s actually quite fair!¡± Silently, he thought, ¡°System, exchange for 100 one nether coins!¡± He reached into his pocket and pulled out a stack of gray ghost coins printed with a fuzzy image of the King of Hell, each marked with a ¡°1.¡± He took one, folded it twice, and tossed the light gray bill toward the elevator door. The elevator ghost opened its massive mouth and caught the nether coin, a little taken aback. This weak human actually had nether coins! However, its greed knew no bounds, and it had no intention of honoring its promise after receiving just one coin. After swallowing the coin, it sneered wickedly. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°What you just gave was cash¡­ it doesn¡¯t count! ¡°This elevator belongs to the Beyond Apartments and only accepts card payments! ¡°You¡¯re not a Beyond member, so you can only pay with your room card!¡± With that, the pulsating flesh extended a decrepit machine that could read room cards. As a ¡°staff ghost¡± of the Beyond Apartments, the elevator ghost could indeed refuse nether coins. And since new players¡¯ room cards naturally had no funds, the first elevator ride here was almost guaranteed to be a setback. Most would have to lose some flesh or bribe the ghost with high-value Yin energy items to reach the third floor! One hidden difficulty of the Beyond Apartments was that, until players earned and stored ghost coins, they faced constant threats like this throughout the complex. Lin Yu sighed as he looked at the elevator ghost. He sensed that this ghost¡¯s Yin energy was weak. Even the weakest guests at the Yellow Springs Inn had been stronger than this ghost, even Zhang Niang, who had been made into a side dish by the cook, could probably crush it. ¡°A mere vengeful ghost¡­ I gave you a chance.¡± Though Lin Yu had ample funds and could easily have paid more, he didn¡¯t intend to do so. A low-level vengeful ghost wasn¡¯t worth his money. The elevator ghost continued rambling, trying to frighten Lin Yu with lies. ¡°Using ghost coins is a serious violation in the Beyond Apartments! ¡°If you¡¯re willing to sacrifice an arm, I might overlook your infraction!¡± Hearing this, Lin Yu didn¡¯t respond and simply snapped his fingers. Behind him, a powerful shadow began to materialize ¡ª a towering Zhu Jiang with a butcher¡¯s blade in hand appeared at his side. Chapter 39 - Honored Member of Beyond! Chapter 39: Honored Member of Beyond!The moment Zhu Jiang appeared, the elevator ghost wisely shut its mouth. It was just a lowly vengeful ghost, and without the Beyond Apartments, it likely wouldn¡¯t even have consciousness. Although it couldn¡¯t discern Zhu Jiang¡¯s relationship with Lin Yu, the ghost knew that with Zhu Jiang present, it had no place to speak. And Zhu Jiang, summoned by Lin Yu, wasn¡¯t just there to stand idly. He gripped his blood-stained cleaver and approached the elevator door, tapping the metal handrails along the way with the back of his blade. The sound echoed like a death knell, and finally, Zhu Jiang stood directly in front of Lin Yu, just one step away from the door. ¡°You wanted my master¡¯s hand?¡± Zhu Jiang asked. The elevator ghost, its dim mind finally grasping the situation, realized it had offended someone it shouldn¡¯t have. A ¡°pleasing¡± expression even appeared on the grotesque, bloody face. ¡°Uh¡­ uh¡­ ¡°I¡­ I misspoke. I don¡¯t need a hand!¡± the ghost said, hurriedly spitting out the one-yuan ghost coin it had swallowed, returning it to Zhu Jiang. ¡°I was just kidding¡­ I don¡¯t want the money either! ¡°From now on, you can ride the elevator for free!¡± The elevator ghost stammered, and Zhu Jiang nodded. Then, with one swift slash, he struck the ghost! ¡°Ahhh!¡± the elevator ghost screamed in agony! The cleaver sliced in three inches, and from the gash, thick, dark red blood dripped, and murky Yin energy oozed out in black wisps. Zhu Jiang looked over at Lin Yu. ¡°Master, it¡¯s bound to this elevator¡­ If I kill it, the elevator might stop working.¡± Lin Yu nodded slightly. ¡°Then spare it. ¡°But¡­ what¡¯s this ¡®honored member¡¯ about?¡± Zhu Jiang sheathed his cleaver and returned to Lin Yu¡¯s side. With a deep, gaping wound on its bloody, fleshy face, the elevator ghost, unable to muster any anger, forced a twisted smile and answered. ¡°Well¡­ ¡®honored member¡¯ is the highest-status resident in the apartment. A symbol of great privilege¡­ ¡°They can access high-level areas only open to members, and even the apartment¡¯s ¡®rules¡¯ don¡¯t fully bind them! ¡°Of course, members seem to have their own ¡®rules¡¯¡­ I don¡¯t know much about those! ¡°Becoming an honored member is a prerequisite for becoming a council director in the Beyond Council! ¡°And the directors of the Beyond Council are the true ¡®masters¡¯ of this apartment, the ones we follow!¡± Hearing this, Lin Yu fell into thought again. ¡°Hmm¡­ so, how does one become an honored member?¡± Lin Yu asked, and the elevator ghost looked uncomfortable. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m just a minor ghost bound to operate the elevator shaft¡­ I wouldn¡¯t know such things!¡± This answer was about what Lin Yu expected, so he didn¡¯t press further. ¡°It seems I¡¯ll need to find a way to become an honored member soon.¡± In this Beyond Apartments instance, becoming an honored member would definitely be crucial! If he could achieve it, he¡¯d likely gain significant benefits! However, it also probably wouldn¡¯t be easy to obtain this status. But Lin Yu was confident, even if it proved challenging, it wouldn¡¯t be impossible! If needed, he could always clear the way with money!!! The elevator arrived on the third floor, and the sound broke Lin Yu¡¯s train of thought. The elevator ghost, visibly relieved, didn¡¯t dare trouble Lin Yu anymore, retreating quickly into the door¡¯s gap, leaving the elevator door wide open for Lin Yu! Lin Yu had Zhu Jiang dissipate for the time being, as constantly keeping a powerful ghost materialized could easily invite complications. Outside the elevator, the layout was still a square-shaped corridor! But unlike the twelfth floor¡¯s residential area, this floor had significantly higher ceilings, and fewer doors overall. Looking around, Lin Yu saw that there were only four doors on the entire third floor. They were labeled as the Property Center, Payment Center, Complaints Center, and Information Center! ¡°Well, well, there¡¯s even a Complaints Center!¡± Lin Yu commented, smirking. In this eerie apartment, would anyone ¡ª or any ghost ¡ª actually dare to file complaints? The Beyond Council directors, chosen through rigorous selection, didn¡¯t sound like a friendly bunch! So, Lin Yu shook his head. Anyone who goes there must be an idiot! As for the Information Center¡­ Lin Yu couldn¡¯t quite figure out what useful information an apartment building would have to publish. He thought he¡¯d check it out later! Then there was the Property Center and Payment Center¡­ After a moment of thought, Lin Yu decided to go to the Payment Center first to top up! With that, he stepped toward the Payment Center. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 40 - Payment Recharge! Honored Guest of Beyond Apartments! Chapter 40: Payment Recharge! Honored Guest of Beyond Apartments! Lin Yu forcefully pushed open the door of the Payment Center. Behind it was a spacious, almost empty room. A long counter was divided by partitions and glass into seven service windows. A notice hung below the counter: [Above All ¡ª Service First!] At each window sat a ghostly figure with pale faces, resembling paper effigies. Dressed in suits and ties, male and female alike, yet exuding the unmistakable aura of the dead. Like the elevator ghost, Lin Yu could sense with his spirit that these were all low-level vengeful ghosts, indicative of the sheer size of Beyond Apartments, unlike the smaller Yellow Springs Inn. Most of the ghosts encountered here were weak vengeful ghosts. But Lin Yu knew that for ¡°new players¡± who had only been through two instances, even vengeful ghosts were formidable! Even those lucky enough to contract a ghost as a first-rank ghost controller might not have a full-fledged ghost! And even if they did, the ghost wouldn¡¯t necessarily serve them loyally. Having a ferocious ghost like Zhu Jiang guarding him was rare indeed! Lin Yu approached the first window, cleared his throat, then tapped on the glass and placed his room card in the counter¡¯s slot. ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯d like to top up my room card!¡± he said, and the paper ghost in the suit and tie looked up. ¡°1202, new resident¡­ ¡°To top up, you need money! For new residents¡­ head to the Information Center to find some work. ¡°You need to pay rent, utilities, accommodation, and management fees totaling 2500 in ghost currency. ¡°Before tonight¡¯s curfew, deposit at least 500 as a guarantee¡­ or we¡¯ll forcibly collect it by other means! ¡°In Beyond Apartments, everything ¡ª food, drink, and lodging ¡ª must be paid for with the room card! ¡°Pay the 2500 in ghost currency within three days, or¡­ we¡¯ll still forcibly collect it!¡± The paper ghost said this with practiced malice, clearly following a set script. Lin Yu nodded slightly, realizing the Information Center likely functioned as an ¡°employment center¡± within the apartment. New residents ¡ª human or ghost ¡ª would likely have to work for money upon arrival! As for ¡°forcibly collecting¡±¡­ Lin Yu could guess. Human flesh, soul, or a ghost¡¯s yin essence were all valuable ¡°currencies.¡± S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. If you couldn¡¯t gather 2500, you might end up paying with your life! That must be why the task required full rent payment. ¡°This place is truly merciless¡­ making you earn 500 on the first day and 2500 within three¡­¡± Even the fierce ghosts of Yellow Springs Inn might struggle to come up with 2500 yuan quickly. Let alone ordinary people! But Lin Yu wasn¡¯t an ordinary person¡­ ¡°Hey, are you deaf? ¡°Hurry and find work¡­ do you want to die?!¡± The paper ghost yelled, its pale face contorted into a lifeless scowl. ¡°Beyond Apartments doesn¡¯t welcome paupers or lazy people! ¡°No money? Get to work! No top-up, no stay!¡± The ghost reprimanded him, and Lin Yu frowned, pointing at the sign that said ¡°Above All¡± and replied, ¡°Yelling at a paying customer ¡ª is this your ¡®service¡¯?¡± The paper ghost sneered again, ¡°You saw the sign! It¡¯s for honored guests! ¡°Those who pay are honored guests¡­ but you¡¯re a broke new resident in the ordinary district! ¡°Your card has zero balance! ¡°By tonight, you¡¯ll be nothing but meatballs for the restaurant!¡± The ghost laughed. Lin Yu gave it a pitiful look, now understanding what people meant by ¡°dealing with tricky little devils.¡± Compared to the fierce ghosts of Yellow Springs Inn, these grudging ghosts were indeed weaker in mind and awareness, and their attitudes were much nastier! ¡°Who said I wasn¡¯t here to pay?¡± Lin Yu replied, silently thinking to himself, ¡°System, exchange 100,000 in ghost currency in denominations of 100.¡± He placed his hand on the counter. In the next moment, neat stacks of 100 ghost bills appeared beneath his hand, each imprinted with Heaven and Earth Bank and a blurred face. The dense yin energy startled the paper ghost behind the counter! Though the bills had a different template, they matched the usual standard ghost currency, and the pure Yin energy made them valid currency! This guy actually had the money! Lin Yu looked at him, a cold smile on his face. ¡°100,000. Please deposit it¡­ ¡°Now, would you consider me an honored guest?¡± Chapter 41 - Payment of 100,000! Other Players Appear! Chapter 41: Payment of 100,000! Other Players Appear!When Lin Yu placed 100,000 in ghost currency on the counter, the intense Yin energy made all the paper ghosts behind the counter turn their heads. This amount of ghost currency was likely the result of diligent work over a long time for them! Even for ghosts, survival in Beyond Apartments required money. Their ¡°salary¡± was already minimal, and with everything in Beyond Apartments costing money, how could they possibly save anything? But this new resident casually took out 100,000! They dared not feel even a shred of greed! After all, Beyond Apartments had ¡°security¡±¡­ which was essentially an unspoken rule! Fighting, and especially robbery or theft, were prohibited here! Besides, anyone who could pay such an amount at once was a guest of the highest rank. The paper ghost who had previously disrespected Lin Yu turned even paler, practically translucent, and began to tremble. ¡°You¡­ you are, of course, an honored guest¡­¡± it stammered with a mournful look. For a guest capable of a 100,000 top-up, if they were reported to property management for disrespect, the punishment for these ghosts¡­ would certainly be more than just a fine or a pay cut! More likely, it would mean extreme torment! If Lin Yu didn¡¯t relent, this ghost might even face complete annihilation. However, Lin Yu didn¡¯t bother to argue with this foolish ghost. Its fear was punishment enough. He watched as the trembling ghost loaded the bills into a large, creaky, old machine, swiped his room card, and, after completing the top-up, returned his card. The room card now had a new feature! Below his room number, 1202, a balance of 100,000 was displayed! ¡°They actually show the balance!¡± Lin Yu was slightly surprised. No wonder this little ghost had been so arrogant earlier, seeing his empty room card and bare hands, assuming he was broke! Truly a case of the ¡°ghost¡¯s eye underestimating people.¡± Shaking his head, Lin Yu decided not to make things harder for this minor character. He took his room card and left the payment center. Lin Yu decided to wait for a while in the hallway on this floor, realizing¡­ he still had two ¡°human companions¡± in this instance! Although he didn¡¯t know their exact floors, they¡¯d likely come to this third floor to check the top-up process. Staying here would give him a chance to see what kind of people the other two players were. After the offline trading fair, Lin Yu realized one thing: some ghost handlers were far from ordinary. Opportunities to meet other players or ghost controllers in the real world, as at the fair, were scarce. That ¡°add friend¡± and ¡°freely enter horror instances¡± feature would only unlock after completing three instances. For now, meeting others depended on encounters within ¡°horror instances.¡± Just as Lin Yu expected, after waiting for several minutes, he heard footsteps from the staircase. He wasn¡¯t surprised by this. If he hadn¡¯t had the confidence from Zhu Jiang and his upper-grade Yin weapon, he would also avoid using the elevator. The confined space of an elevator was unsettling in a horror instance! He waited by the entrance to the stairwell, and soon, the stairwell door opened! Out stepped a young man with a sharp face, holding an old black-gold knife. Dressed in a loose gray tracksuit, his right arm was pitch black, covered with blood-red eyes. Clearly, his contracted ghost manifested through his arm! Such ghosts, unable to exist independently, were typically ¡°incomplete.¡± Compared to full-fledged ghosts of the same level, they tended to be weaker in battle. Lin Yu sensed that this young man was a fourth-rank ghost controller, and his ghost and black-gold knife were a vengeful-class ghost hand and a first-level low-grade Yin weapon, respectively. The man¡¯s wary expression suggested he¡¯d encountered something in the stairwell! Upon seeing Lin Yu, he looked startled. ¡°A ghost controller?¡± he asked cautiously, probing Lin Yu. Lin Yu nodded, indicating he had no ill intent, and released a trace of spiritual energy. The man relaxed and asked, ¡°Is this floor safe?¡± ¡°It¡¯s safe for now.¡± Lin Yu replied, and the man nodded, pulling a dirty cloth bag from his pocket. He took out a piece of fresh, bloody beef and placed it on his right arm. A large mouth appeared on the arm, swallowing the meat whole. The eyes closed, and the black color faded away. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It seemed fresh meat was what he needed to sustain his contracted ghost! Chapter 42 - It’s You!! Chapter 42: It¡¯s You!!After feeding his ghost hand, the man with the black knife looked at Lin Yu again, ¡°Brother, did you come down by elevator? How did you get here so fast? Was there any danger?¡± Lin Yu nodded and replied, ¡°Yes¡­ there was a vengeful ghost in the elevator that asks for a nether coin, but even if you give it, it¡¯ll claim you didn¡¯t pay with your room card and attack¡­ but it¡¯s not strong.¡± There was nothing to hide about the elevator incident, so he told the man, and then asked steadily, ¡°You came down by the stairs. Was there any danger?¡± Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The man with the black knife nodded, saying, ¡°There¡¯s no ¡®monitoring¡¯ in the stairwell. According to the ghosts passing by, it¡¯s a ¡®lawless zone¡¯ of Beyond Apartments, occupied by six vengeful ghosts led by an evil ghost with a baseball bat. They¡¯ll block you and ask for money to buy cigarettes. ¡°They¡¯ve also set traps on some of the stair steps, making them very troublesome!¡± The man shook his head as he spoke. ¡°It seems like everything in Beyond Apartments requires ¡®ghost currency¡¯ to get through!¡± Lin Yu nodded, this wasn¡¯t surprising, as paying the rent was stated as a mission objective. Of course, Lin Yu had already completed it! Seeing the man¡¯s frank attitude, Lin Yu reminded him, ¡°The payment center over there can recharge your room card. I went there already. You¡¯ll need at least 500 ghost coins on your card today to avoid certain ¡®penalties!¡¯ ¡°A total of 2,500 over three days! ¡°However, it seems there are ¡®job opportunities¡¯ in this building. You can probably earn ghost coins at the information center!¡± Hearing this, the man with the knife breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°500 for today¡­ a total of 2,500. I can manage that! ¡°But living here, the actual amount is probably more than that, so I¡¯d better deposit a little extra!¡± The man with the black knife looked pained. Lin Yu was somewhat surprised at his reaction. Even though this man was a fourth-rank ghost controller with a powerful ghost, from what he¡¯d seen at the offline trading fair, he likely counted as a ¡°wealthy man¡± among fourth-rank ghost controllers! He could take out over 2,500 ghost coins at once, even if he felt the pinch, and despite looking a bit disheveled, he hadn¡¯t sustained any injuries on his way down the stairs. This guy clearly had some skill! With that thought, Lin Yu nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve already topped up. I don¡¯t mind accompanying you to the payment center again. We can explore this floor together afterward!¡± Lin Yu offered, and the fourth-rank ghost controller readily agreed. ¡°Sure! No problem!¡± This made Lin Yu warm up to him even more. Considering he himself appeared to be just a first-rank ghost controller, yet the other man didn¡¯t see him as dead weight! The two of them walked back toward the payment center. Upon re-entering the room, the man with the knife walked straight to the first counter, slapping his room card on the counter and saying, ¡°Top-up!¡± He said it boldly. The paper ghost at the first counter heard his arrogant tone and saw the new, empty room card. It was about to react aggressively, though it could tell the man was a fourth-rank ghost controller and not an ordinary human. Still, in Beyond Apartments, money was everything! Strength mattered, but money ruled! However, as it looked up, it saw Lin Yu calmly watching, and immediately froze, reining in its arrogance, and respectfully asked the man with the knife, ¡°How much would you like to top up?¡± The man with the knife thought for a moment and gave a number. ¡°2,700 nether coins!¡± With that, he took out a dirty cloth bag, from which he pulled out a handful of Yin-energy-infused copper coins. They were stamped with the words ¡°Bank of Heaven and Earth¡±¡­ clearly self-issued, with no other branches! Lin Yu, having read up on ghost currency on the forums, recognized what he saw. Though ghost currency was rare, some people in the Ghost Realm of the horror game held a portion of it, the biggest difference being that typical ghost currency showed only its face value, with no bank or serial number, and usually its value depreciated due to ¡°yin energy depletion,¡± which ghosts would point out during transactions. However, self-issued ghost currency was full value, with no depreciation! The Yin energy copper coins the man had drawn were dense with yin energy and bore four characters, clearly self-issued! Seeing this, Lin Yu¡¯s mouth twitched, and he immediately guessed the man¡¯s identity. Judging by his black-gold knife, his forthright personality, and his status as a fourth-rank ghost controller¡­ he recalled selling two strings of yin-energy copper coins. This man was almost certainly the Crazy Blade! Chapter 43 - Information Release Center! Head to the Supermarket! Chapter 43: Information Release Center! Head to the Supermarket!After placing 270 ghost coins on the counter, the man, now almost certainly Crazy Blade, turned to Lin Yu with a smile, ¡°Brother, if you¡¯re short on rent, I can lend you some! ¡°Funny thing, I once attended a ghost controller gathering, and a mysterious expert who controls high-level vengeful spirits took a liking to me! We hit it off, talked, and drank together, and in the end, he was so impressed by my potential that he insisted on giving me 1,000 fresh ghost coins! ¡°This stuff is rich in yin energy! One coin is worth 10 ghost currency!¡± Crazy Blade bragged with pride. Lin Yu opened his mouth slightly, wanting to say something, but in the end, he refrained from exposing Crazy Blade¡¯s exaggeration and simply gave him a thumbs-up. ¡°Amazing!¡± Though the Beyond Apartments looked modern, the Yin energy in ghost coins wasn¡¯t fake, and ghosts didn¡¯t care about the details, so it could be used to pay at face value. Of course, if the paper ghost at the counter wanted to be difficult, it could refuse these ghost coins, but since Mad Blade was a fourth-rank ghost controller and could easily produce 2,700 ghost coins, and with Lin Yu, that ¡°VIP¡± with unknown status, standing behind him, the paper ghost didn¡¯t dare cause trouble, quickly topped up the amount, and handed the card back to Crazy Blade! Crazy Blade pocketed the card and, as he walked toward the door, turned to Lin Yu, ¡°Oh, by the way, brother, I didn¡¯t catch your name! ¡°Seeing as you¡¯re only a first-rank ghost controller yet made it into this rule-heavy instance with me, you must have boundless potential or had some unique encounter! ¡°My name¡¯s Crazy Blade ¡ª same handle on the forum and in the horror game. If you¡¯d like, let¡¯s add each other as friends afterward!¡± Crazy Blade offered. Lin Yu nodded. However, since Crazy Blade had just given that whole exaggerated story, if he used the title ¡°Emperor of Fengdu,¡± it would be pretty awkward, so Lin Yu decided to use a new alias. ¡°Feng Du.¡± He chose this name as a homophone of ¡°Fengdu.¡± S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Crazy Blade heard it and, being straightforward, didn¡¯t think much of it. ¡°Nice, sounds kind of understated but also cool¡­¡± Crazy Blade then looked toward the Information Center. ¡°Brother Feng Du, how about we take a look over there?¡± Lin Yu was thinking the same thing and readily agreed. ¡°Sure, Brother Crazy Blade.¡± The two of them walked to the door of the Information Center and entered. The setup was even simpler than the Payment Center, with only a large ¡°bulletin board¡± and a clock! The clock showed just past nine o¡¯clock! It was clearly ¡°9 a.m.¡± The board was covered in notices, and a thin paper ghost sat below, looking sluggish in a tank top and flip-flops, with a sign beside it. The ghost¡¯s strength was also that of a small vengeful spirit. The wooden sign displayed three lines in black text: [Post announcement, 10 ghost currency each!].[Payment by card only, no credit!].[Prominent placement, additional charge!]. Looking at the posted announcements, they were all very down-to-earth! [Laundry: hiring part-time washers! No base pay! Paid per item!].[Blood Moon Restaurant: hiring chefs, assistants; hourly rate negotiable!].[Long-term recycling of various Yin materials; interested parties knock on Room 1511!].[Lost ghost gnawing rat; finder please contact Room 2203 for a reward!].[Beyond Convenience Store: hiring clerks, hourly pay of 70; come quickly if interested.].[Selling specialty Yin medicine, Room 0907!].[Hiring cleaners and caretakers; inform the paper ghost in charge of the Information Center if interested!]. Most of the notices were recruitment ads from tenants and shops within Beyond Apartments, with a few lost and found or sales notices. Crazy Blade looked at these announcements, nodding slightly. ¡°So that¡¯s how it is¡­ if you don¡¯t have ghost currency, or not enough of it, you¡¯ll need to ¡®work¡¯ to earn it!¡± ¡°Entering as a worker in these shops will definitely mean following additional rules and facing more dangers!¡± Crazy Blade analyzed, making his point clearly. This was similar to Lin Yu¡¯s guess, and he nodded, saying, ¡°But fortunately, neither of us needs to work! That¡¯s good news!¡± Crazy Blade was somewhat surprised by Lin Yu¡¯s words, seeing he had managed to gather 2,500 ghost currency as well? Still, each ghost controller likely had their own resources and secrets, so while Crazy Blade was curious, he didn¡¯t ask further. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s go check out the first floor!¡± ¡°Since we¡¯ll be here for three days, we¡¯ll need some supplies!¡± Crazy Blade suggested. Chapter 44 - Crazy Blades Guess Chapter 44: Crazy Blade¡¯s GuessHearing Crazy Blade¡¯s suggestion, Lin Yu didn¡¯t refuse. After all, living for three days does require food and water! There were also forum posts mentioning that any ordinary food brought into a horror instance would be corroded by Yin energy the moment it came out and become inedible. So, any food available in a horror instance generally had to be obtained from within the instance! In the Yellow Spring Inn instance, although it was dangerous, it was still a beginner instance, where the proprietress provided ¡°employees¡± with meals and lodging. Of course, Lin Yu¡¯s meal included eating a fierce ghost along with Zhu Jiang! But in this Beyond Apartments instance, it was clear that ¡°food and drink for survival¡± was also a problem to solve! Ultimately, it all came down to ¡°money¡±! Luckily, neither Lin Yu nor Crazy Blade was short on funds! However, ¡°shopping¡± would also mean entering a new environment with new ¡°rules¡± to follow. Being a customer might be less dangerous than being an employee, but it still wasn¡¯t completely safe! After exchanging information, they both determined that the elevator was the safer choice! So they took the elevator and soon arrived on the first floor! During the ride, the sight of the elevator¡¯s vengeful ghost nervously avoiding Lin Yu and not even taking their money made Crazy Blade regard Lin Yu with newfound respect. This elevator vengeful ghost was not weak, and with the advantage of a confined space, it was certainly not something an average first-level ghost handler could handle! ¡°Brother Feng Du must either have a very strong vengeful ghost or a powerful yin artifact! ¡°No¡­ he could easily produce nearly 3,000 ghost currency¡­ maybe he¡¯s hiding his true strength!¡± Crazy Blade pondered this and felt even more admiration for Lin Yu. When the elevator doors opened, they stepped onto the first floor of Beyond Apartments! Though it was called an ¡°apartment,¡± they noticed there was no exit to the outside world on this floor! In the center, there was a large activity plaza with rusty, creaky outdoor gym equipment and a blood-stained playground with a slide and swings. Five or six old fierce ghosts and over ten small vengeful ghosts were resting and playing in their respective areas, occasionally letting out chilling, high-pitched laughs. But both Lin Yu and Crazy Blade understood that these ghosts were also bound by rules and wouldn¡¯t pose a threat as long as they weren¡¯t provoked. The laundry room, supermarket, and food court ¡ª three civilian-like establishments ¡ª each occupied a third of the floor¡¯s area. ¡°How about we check out the supermarket first?¡± Crazy Blade suggested, looking to Lin Yu for agreement. Lin Yu nodded slightly, ¡°Sounds good!¡± With that, the two walked through the door labeled ¡°Life Supermarket.¡± The supermarket was quite spacious, with four checkout counters, each manned by vengeful ghosts in white uniforms. The rows of shelves were neatly organized, with signs for ¡°Convenience Foods,¡± ¡°Fresh Produce,¡± ¡°Condiments,¡± and ¡°Toiletries,¡± among others! If one ignored the dim red lighting throughout the store and the eerie products like severed limbs, eyeballs floating in glass jars, or soap bars that seemed to scream with human faces, the place wasn¡¯t much different from a normal supermarket! Lin Yu and Crazy Blade walked inside, where quite a few ghosts were shopping for ¡°household items¡± and ¡°food.¡± Most were weak-looking ghosts resembling housewives or office workers, their heads drooping, with the strongest among them only reaching fierce ghost level. Even seeing two living humans, they showed no interest. The items on the shelves, whether food or toiletries, emitted a rotten stench, containing a trace of yin energy, but all of low quality. As a result, the prices were quite low, mostly under ten ghost currency, with slightly better items going for twenty to thirty at most! Crazy Blade frowned, browsing for a while before finally picking up three ¡°moldy loaves of bread¡±! Priced at fifteen each, it seemed Crazy Blade had planned his meals for the next three days. Then he grabbed a bottle of murky mineral water priced at 20. Compared to the other bottles, which were greenish or even had eyeballs and fingers floating in them, this one was relatively decent! Lastly, he took a roll of¡­ coarse sandpaper-like toilet paper! S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Seeing its rough texture, Lin Yu¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°Impressive, Brother Crazy Blade!¡± This time, his compliment was genuine! Crazy Blade, carrying his five items, looked at Lin Yu and asked, ¡°Brother Feng Du, aren¡¯t you buying anything?¡± Naturally, Lin Yu wasn¡¯t about to buy such low-quality items for himself, so he shook his head and replied, ¡°I¡¯m not in a rush!¡± Hearing this, Crazy Blade didn¡¯t press him further. However, he had a hunch! Still, unless Lin Yu asked for help, Crazy Blade wouldn¡¯t offer to buy him anything directly! ¡°All right, in that case, I¡¯ll head back to put these away¡­ ¡°What about you?¡± Crazy Blade asked, and Lin Yu shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m planning to look around a bit more!¡± Lin Yu said, and Crazy Blade understood. ¡°Young people and their pride!¡± Crazy Blade thought to himself but didn¡¯t comment further. ¡°I¡¯m staying in Room 1111¡­ easy to remember! Come find me if you need anything!¡± With that, he bid farewell to Lin Yu and left. Chapter 45 - Membership Fee? Do You Think This is Enough? Chapter 45: Membership Fee? Do You Think This is Enough? After checking out with Crazy Blade, he carried the bread, water, and sandpaper toilet paper toward the elevator! Before leaving, the enthusiastic Crazy Blade repeatedly reminded Lin Yu, ¡°If you have any difficulties, be sure to come find me in Room 1111! ¡°We hit it off, Brother Feng Du. Don¡¯t be too polite!¡± Lin Yu, of course, had no idea what Crazy Blade was imagining! Crazy Blade leaving on his own was indeed a good thing for Lin Yu! After all, even though he didn¡¯t plan to eat or use anything from the supermarket, with his current balance of 100,000 yuan in the card¡­ he could casually buy something without worry! S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But this annoying room card printed the balance on the card¡¯s surface, and in front of Crazy Blade, it was really awkward to take it out! This guy had been flaunting his wealth for so long, and the moment he pulled out the card would surely be embarrassing! Moreover, Lin Yu didn¡¯t want to reveal his ¡°financial strength¡± too early or too conspicuously to Crazy Blade. Although Crazy Blade seemed warm-hearted and righteous, he likely wasn¡¯t a bad person, such straightforward people could easily be used by others to extract information! Lin Yu had already made up his mind to keep a low profile and not expose his identity in reality, so he naturally wanted to minimize risks! After all, sometimes human hearts are harder to read than ghosts! Therefore, Lin Yu planned to send Crazy Blade away and go check out the second floor! He remembered very clearly that the second floor¡­ had a ¡°high-end lifestyle store for members¡±! While he wanted to keep a low profile, there was no need to force himself to eat those moldy foods¡­ especially the sandpaper-like toilet paper! This really shocked Lin Yu! After Crazy Blade¡¯s elevator slowly ascended, Lin Yu pressed the button for the upward elevator, and another one opened. He stepped inside, and surprisingly, the elevator ghost, upon seeing Lin Yu, was also silent and didn¡¯t even mention payment! Lin Yu guessed that perhaps there was some communication between the two elevator ghosts! When the elevator doors opened, Lin Yu arrived on the second floor! The entire second floor looked very different from the other floors Lin Yu had been to! The ground was covered with a deep red carpet, the walls were adorned with light gray wallpaper, and even oil paintings were hanging. Aside from the pervasive yin energy and the fact that most of the paintings featured grotesque organs and severed limbs¡­ this floor surprisingly didn¡¯t seem so hellish! In fact, the yellowish lights in the hallway were somewhat bright, making Lin Yu temporarily think he had returned to reality! ¡°Wow, is this what a ¡®high-consumption venue¡¯ looks like? It wins on environment alone!¡± Lin Yu exclaimed and quickly found the upscale lifestyle store! A delicate sign and artistically designed font radiated a deep red glow, with the words ¡°Beyond Selections¡± appearing eye-catching yet not jarring. The large frosted glass door at the entrance also exuded an air of sophistication! Lin Yu felt increasingly intrigued! He had actually found a sense of wealth disparity in the ghost realm! Thinking about the supermarket downstairs, it was completely overshadowed by this store! Lin Yu approached the double frosted glass doors, and they opened automatically! Not because they were automatic doors¡­ but because two paper ghosts dressed in dark red servant uniforms slowly opened the door for him. These two paper ghost servants, although of the vengeful ghost level, were among the stronger ranks! They were even slightly stronger than the elevator ghost! At the same time, while they emanated a dead aura and looked pale as paper, their faces were adorned with eerie red makeup, clearly indicating they had been made up! One of the paper ghost servants looked at Lin Yu and offered a smile that kept others at a distance, ¡°Hello, sir, this store is members-only and does not provide services for ordinary residents of Beyond Apartments!¡± Lin Yu was stopped but didn¡¯t rush. He simply asked calmly, ¡°How much is the membership fee?¡± Upon hearing Lin Yu¡¯s question, the paper ghost servant continued, ¡°This store does not allow payment for membership¡­ Your room card balance must reach a certain amount to automatically qualify you as a member!¡± Lin Yu nodded at this, took out his Room 1202 card, ¡°Then take a look, is this enough?¡± The two paper ghost servants exchanged glances, seemingly a bit helpless. Clearly, they had seen too many newcomers trying to check if they qualified! But this prestigious ¡°selection store¡± was not something one could enter with a few thousand or even hundreds in savings! ¡°Hello, sir, your balance is insufficient¡­¡± The servant on the left lowered his head as he said this, and then his voice fell silent! ¡°Ten¡­ ten¡­¡± This clearly trained servant¡¯s voice began to tremble, and his companion looked at him in confusion before also lowering his head. Then they understood why the other was shocked! ¡°Your balance is 100,000¡­ You¡­ you are now a member of our store! Please come in quickly!!¡± Chapter 46 - Beyond Kitchenware Set! A Major Power Boost for Zhu Jiang! Chapter 46: Beyond Kitchenware Set! A Major Power Boost for Zhu Jiang!The displays in the ¡°Beyond Selections¡± store were just like the entire second floor, with a clean and tidy decor that was both low-key and luxurious. The ground was covered with a thick, heavy carpet, and the metal shelves had decorative wrought iron patterns on the edges. The products displayed also emanated a strong aura of Yin energy! The beautifully packaged ingredients and beverages were not only clean but also made one¡¯s mouth water at first sight, while toiletries and other daily necessities were packaged in very high-end styles, housed in crystal-like glass bottles. The prices started from several hundred to several thousand or even tens of thousands! Lin Yu casually picked up a beautifully packaged pork chop, and the label carefully detailed its ingredients, ¡°From a vengeful-grade ghost beast, premium leg meat.¡± Lin Yu looked at the description, slightly taken aback! It was actually meat from a vengeful-grade ghost beast! In horror games, ghosts include not only humanoid spirits but also livestock, animals, and even some plants infected by yin energy! This piece of leg meat from a vengeful-grade beast weighed about two kilograms and cost only over 600! Lin Yu turned to a similarly uniformed store employee following him, handed it over, and said, ¡°Wrap this up. I¡¯ll take it.¡± As he said this, the paper ghost employee nodded, ¡°Understood!¡± The paper ghost employee carefully placed the meat into a paper bag, and then Lin Yu glanced at the drinks on the shelf, instructing to wrap up the two most expensive bottles, one priced at 15,000 and the other at 8,000. The 15,000 bottle was called ¡°Drunken Life and Dreaming Death,¡± while the 8,000 yuan one was called ¡°Soul Brew of the Clear Shadow.¡± Compared to the Nine Nether Spirit Cleansing Wine, which had better appearance and Yin energy content, these were still nice wines! Afterward, he also bought some toiletries: towels, dental supplies, soap. All of them were the most expensive options! In total, he spent 56,000 ghost money! The 100,000 he recharged immediately dwindled by half! However, Lin Yu felt no fluctuations about this¡­ S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. None of these purchases even helped him complete his ¡°impulse spending¡± task! After all, his current task required him to spend at least 100,000 on low-priced items! These items were just too cheap! Even if this was a ¡°members-only high-end store¡±! ¡°Indeed, no matter how upscale daily necessities are, there are still limits!¡± Lin Yu sighed as he took the nearly 60,000 yuan worth of items to check out! Although Lin Yu thought the total for these items was quite cheap¡­ for even this ¡°high-end¡± store, it was still a big sale! It should be noted that the entrance threshold for this store was actually only ¡°30,000¡±! In other words, as long as the room card balance exceeded 30,000, one would become a member of ¡°Beyond Selections¡±! The purchasing power of ghost money was actually stronger than Lin Yu had imagined! Therefore, when Lin Yu was checking out, a round, very short ghost creature that was only as tall as Lin Yu¡¯s calf, with short arms and legs but still wearing a red uniform and a tie, appeared from behind the selection store counter! Instead of being human, it looked more like a meatball with a swollen head! ¡°Greetings, VIP from Room 1202! I am the manager of the selection store! ¡°Your patronage is a great honor for us! ¡°As a token of appreciation, we will provide you with a small ¡®gift¡¯!¡± The manager wore a smile, and behind him, a paper ghost attendant presented a beautifully crafted gift box similar in size to himself. ¡°What is this?¡± Lin Yu casually took the gift box and asked. ¡°This is a kitchenware gift box from the 30th-floor rotating landscape restaurant. Since you¡¯ve bought so many ingredients, you will need these kitchenware! ¡°Even as a Beyond member, you cannot buy this¡­ it¡¯s not for sale! It is only provided to the directors of the Beyond conference!¡± Hearing the response, Lin Yu was quite surprised! Zhu Jiang¡¯s profession was a chef! After leaving the Yellow Springs Inn, he hadn¡¯t brought his set of pots and pans with him, only that soul-cleaving butcher knife remained, thus Zhu Jiang¡¯s power was somewhat diminished. After all¡­ Zhu Jiang was not only powerful in direct combat, but his cooking skills were also very high! As long as he had good kitchenware, he could prepare a dish from a fierce ghost that would increase one¡¯s spirit power! Now that Lin Yu had purchased some high-quality ingredients rich in yin energy¡­ using only ordinary kitchenware would indeed be a waste! ¡¾Ding! Detected a mid-grade second-tier yin object: Beyond Kitchenware Set! Automatically bound to the host!¡¿ ¡¾Ding! Detected that the Beyond Kitchenware Set is highly compatible with your ghost, Zhu Jiang. Do you wish to equip it?¡¿ ¡°It¡¯s actually mid-grade second-tier¡­ great!¡± Lin Yu immediately chose to equip it for Zhu Jiang! The manager was also quite pleased when he saw Lin Yu accept it. ¡°VIP from Room 1202! Do you need us to help deliver the remaining items you purchased?¡± he asked, and Lin Yu nodded. ¡°By the way, you just mentioned the directors of the Beyond conference¡­ ¡°If I want to become a member of Beyond or join the Beyond conference, do you know how to go about it?¡± Chapter 47 - Three Ways to Become a Member of Beyond! Chapter 47: Three Ways to Become a Member of Beyond!¡°You want to become a member of Beyond and a director of the Beyond conference?¡± Upon hearing Lin Yu¡¯s question, the manager of the Beyond Selections store showed a slight look of surprise, but he quickly managed his emotions. This young man in front of him could casually spend 50,000 in his store, which meant he either had a powerful background or was quite formidable himself! In any case, he was definitely someone of considerable wealth or status! Such a person would want to excel in everything they did! Since he came to the Beyond apartment today, he must be aiming to attain the most prestigious identity here! And this manager was indeed different from the previous little ghosts. He actually knew some ¡°insider information¡±! For such a VIP, there was no need to conceal these insider details, after all, such people would eventually find out their own way! It would be better to sell him a favor! sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Thus, thinking this, the short, round manager slowly began to speak, ¡°Ahem, honored guest, although I don¡¯t know how one becomes a director of the Beyond conference, I do know how to become a prestigious member of Beyond! ¡°However, the requirements for this are much stricter than becoming a member of our selection store! ¡°After all, being a member of Beyond comes with a lot of privileges throughout the Beyond apartment¡­ The specifics are known only to those members!¡± As he said this, his expression became serious, ¡°There are currently three ways to become a member of Beyond, to the best of my knowledge! ¡°However, it must be emphasized that regardless of the method used to become a member, a membership fee of 150,000 yuan must ultimately be paid! ¡°The first way, which is the choice for most Beyond members, is to make a certain ¡®contribution¡¯ to the Beyond apartment and the Beyond conference! ¡°Whether by working diligently for many years with outstanding performance in the Beyond apartment, stopping multiple malicious events that harm the apartment¡¯s interests, or providing very useful constructive suggestions¡­ All of these can lead to opportunities for membership!¡± Lin Yu shook his head upon hearing this. He directly dismissed the first option. He didn¡¯t have time to make significant contributions at the Beyond apartment! In three days, he would be leaving here! Even if it was possible to become a member of Beyond in three days, he could hardly accept that! Lin Yu was determined to find a way to become a member so he could see if it would unlock more places to spend money! The mysterious floors 26 to 29, which were not open to the public¡­ Lin Yu felt that perhaps they concealed high-end clubs accessible only to Beyond members! The rotating restaurant also noted, ¡°Some areas accept reservations only from Beyond members, and some dishes are exclusive to Beyond members!¡± If he only became a member at the last moment, when would he have time to spend? So, that method wouldn¡¯t work! Seeing Lin Yu shake his head slightly, the manager continued speaking! ¡°The second way, which many people also know, is the ¡®Resident Referendum¡¯! ¡°If your reputation is high and your name is good, you can submit an application to become a member at the property center. After that, all residents and merchants will vote on whether you can become a member of Beyond! ¡°You only need over half of the people to agree by joint signature, or more than a third to agree while the number of dissenters is less than a third, to become a member of Beyond!¡± The manager continued speaking, and Lin Yu nodded slightly. This was also a feasible method. At least he could consider buying votes with money! ¡°What about the third option?¡± Lin Yu asked, and the manager nodded. ¡°This method, I¡¯ve only heard about¡­ ¡°It is said that if over ten members jointly invite you, or if over three directors explicitly invite you, then you can automatically become a member of Beyond!¡± He spoke with a tone filled with envy and longing, ¡°However, I¡¯ve only heard this¡­ After all, being able to become a member of Beyond through this method is a level I cannot normally access, so I have no way to verify it!¡± As the manager said this, Lin Yu noted this method! Bribing half the apartment¡¯s residents would surely be less effective than bribing ten members or three directors! After all, Lin Yu wasn¡¯t short on money! However, the difficulty of the third method, as the manager pointed out¡­ was figuring out how to connect with these members and directors! Lin Yu found himself in a dilemma. Should he directly choose the second method, or try the third one first? In the midst of this dilemma, Lin Yu casually asked, ¡°By the way, are there really only these three methods?¡± ¡°Are there no other options?¡± Upon hearing this question, the manager hesitated for a moment, deep in thought, and after a while, this ghostly manager spoke again, ¡°There is indeed another way, and it¡¯s not something I¡¯ve just heard¡­ it¡¯s explicitly stated! ¡°However, that method is not only very difficult for most people, but also extremely unprofitable. No one has ever used that method to become a member of Beyond!¡± Chapter 48 Chapter 48: The Membership Path Best Suited for Lin Yu! The Last Player Appears!Upon hearing what the ghostly manager said, Lin Yu became intrigued! ¡°What¡¯s the method? Tell me about it!¡± When Lin Yu asked this, the ghostly manager no longer dared to keep it a secret. ¡°This actually counts as a ¡®special¡¯ method of the first pathway! ¡°It¡¯s an alternative interpretation of ¡®significant contribution¡¯. It¡¯s one that doesn¡¯t require time, qualifications, or enough merits!¡± As he said this, he pinched his two fingers together. ¡°The answer is, ghost money! Paper currency! Money!¡± the ghostly manager exclaimed exaggeratedly. ¡°You only need to donate something of high value as ¡®Yin material¡¯ or ¡®Yin tools¡¯, or even simply donate ghost money amounting to ten times the membership fee! ¡°Then you¡¯ll have undoubtedly made a huge contribution to the Beyond apartment! ¡°Therefore, you can certainly become a member! ¡°However¡­ ten times the membership fee means 1.5 million ghost money! ¡°That¡¯s an amount that most ghost workers wouldn¡¯t be able to save up in a hundred years! ¡°It¡¯s essentially like using 1.5 million to indirectly purchase a ¡®membership identity¡¯! ¡°Of course, that¡¯s extremely unprofitable¡­ With 1.5 million, if managed well, you could certainly climb to the top tier of this apartment in just a few months, which would naturally provide channels for you to be recommended to join! ¡°Although the membership identity is great, it truly isn¡¯t worth such a huge sum! ¡°Because the membership mainly provides you with better and higher-end consumption venues and a higher quality living experience! ¡°Having only the identity of a Beyond member, without any deposits, is equivalent to having no membership at all!¡± The ghostly manager spoke earnestly, sincerely analyzing the pros and cons for Lin Yu, hoping to gain the favor and recognition of this esteemed guest and major client. However¡­ Lin Yu didn¡¯t absorb the ghostly manager¡¯s analysis at all! A few months of managing¡­ but he only had three days! Moreover, what the ghostly manager described as ¡°members only providing more consumption opportunities¡± was exactly what Lin Yu urgently needed! The reason he wanted to become a member of Beyond was that he instinctively felt that it could give him opportunities to complete tasks! Upon hearing the ghostly manager say this and confirming that his thoughts were indeed valid¡­ Lin Yu felt even more that he must secure this Beyond membership! 1.5 million¡­ is that a lot? For him, it was merely a few days of random rewards! Sometimes, with a bit of luck, he could earn more than that in just one day! Not to mention that when he completed tasks, he occasionally received cashback cards¡­ His ghost money was practically endless! Thinking of this, Lin Yu smiled slightly at the ghostly manager, ¡°I understand now, thank you for your explanation!¡± As he said this, he took out a hundred-yuan ghost money bill from his pocket, ¡°This is your reward for your hard work!¡± S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Seeing the hundred bill, the ghostly manager was also quite excited, ¡°It¡¯s not hard¡­ this is what I should do!¡± Watching Lin Yu turn to leave, he bent his already short and round body, ¡°Honored guest! Please take care! ¡°I¡¯ll have someone deliver the items to your room right away!¡± After leaving the selection store, Lin Yu¡¯s destination¡­ was naturally the ¡°Property Center¡±! He returned to the elevator, pressed the button for the upward elevator, and after a few seconds, the right elevator slowly opened, allowing Lin Yu to ascend to the third floor! When the elevator door opened, Lin Yu stepped out, only to see the left elevator door, which surprisingly opened as well! Walking out from inside was Crazy Blade, along with another somewhat honest-looking mushroom-headed boy! The mushroom-headed boy was slightly short and chubby, wearing thick glasses, looking quite timid. Lin Yu glanced and immediately noticed the boy¡¯s weak spiritual power and awareness, ¡°This is the third and final human player!¡± He thought to himself, understanding the situation. Moreover, although this boy¡¯s spiritual power and awareness were awakened, they were quite weak, clearly not even reaching one-fifth the level of a first-rank ghost controller! Crazy Blade led this mushroom-headed boy and, upon seeing Lin Yu, greeted him enthusiastically, ¡°Oh, Brother Feng Du, why are you back?¡± Lin Yu nodded, smiling, ¡°I went to gather some information on the third floor, and the manager told me a few things. Now I¡¯m preparing to head to the property center!¡± Upon hearing this, Crazy Blade nodded. He instinctively thought that Lin Yu was mostly inquiring about work-related matters. To maintain the ¡°self-esteem¡± of his imagined version of Lin Yu, Crazy Blade didn¡¯t probe further. He patted the boy behind him and, without waiting for Lin Yu to ask, explained on his own. ¡°I came back because I met this kid on the eleventh floor. He lives in room 1103, and I could tell at a glance that he¡¯s a newbie who¡¯s only been through one dungeon¡­ After all, the fifth batch of beta testing just started!¡± As Crazy Blade said this, he couldn¡¯t help but express his amazement. ¡°I don¡¯t know what bad luck this kid has. He¡¯s a newbie who isn¡¯t even a ghost master¡­ yet he ended up in a dungeon with six rules!¡± Lin Yu shrugged and said, ¡°Actually, there are two newbies in this instance, Brother Crazy Blade¡­ I¡¯m also one of the newbies from the fifth batch of beta testing!¡± Hearing Lin Yu¡¯s words, Kuang Dao burst out laughing. ¡°Brother Feng Du, you sure know how to joke!¡± Lin Yu shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not joking¡­ Alright, I¡¯ll come clean. My first-rank ghost controller is a disguise. Actually, I¡¯m a first-batch beta tester, a seventh-rank ghost controller!¡± As he said this, Crazy Blade fell into thought. ¡°Wow, is that true?¡± Seeing Crazy Blade deep in thought and the shocked expression on the mushroom-headed boy, Lin Yu felt somewhat helpless. Chapter 49 Chapter 49: Hundred Thousand Denominations of Ghost Money! Shocking the Beyond Apartment!After thinking for a while, Crazy Blade also realized that Lin Yu was joking! After all, no one from the first batch of beta testers had been seen until now! They were even more like urban legends than ghost kings! As for the seventh-rank ghost controller¡­ Crazy Blade felt that it might not be without basis! Although he, as a fourth-rank ghost controller, had exceptionally managed to control a powerful ghost! Crazy Blade was quite skeptical that Lin Yu could control a true powerful ghost! And Lin Yu also roughly understood the relationship between Crazy Blade and the mushroom-headed boy. It was obvious. The enthusiastic Crazy Blade saw a newcomer appearing in this ¡°high-risk dungeon¡± and decided to help him! ¡°Are you taking him to pay the fee?¡± Crazy Blade nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right, but he has no money¡­ I plan to take him to the information center to ¡®find a job¡¯!¡± as Crazy Blade said this, he patted the mushroom-headed boy behind him. Lin Yu also slightly nodded, acknowledging Crazy Blade¡¯s approach. With Crazy Blade¡¯s character, it was indeed impossible for him to ignore a newcomer. However, if he merely protected him, even if the boy survived this time, in the next dungeon, the mushroom-headed boy would only die worse! ¡°Then you help him pick a job. I¡¯ll go check the property center!¡± Lin Yu said this as he and Crazy Blade, along with the mushroom-headed boy, walked in two different directions. He arrived in front of the property center and pushed open the large door! The property center felt quite different from the payment center and information release center! The room wasn¡¯t too large, with a sofa and coffee table for receiving guests. The simple decor, while not as luxurious as the selection store upstairs, didn¡¯t appear cheap either. Behind the office desk sat an elderly lady in a blue uniform, looking very approachable, Yet exuding a powerful aura close to that of a powerful ghost, and with ten long, sharp nails, making her appear kind yet with a strong sense of oppression! She looked up at Lin Yu, and a smile broke out on her wrinkled old face, ¡°Hello, I am the duty director of the Beyond Apartment Property Center¡­ May I ask what this resident needs?¡± Hearing the elderly lady speak, Lin Yu directly stated his purpose. ¡°I would like to apply to become a member of the Beyond Apartment!¡± As he said this, the elderly lady was momentarily taken aback, then smiled again, ¡°Let me check your contribution level, or you can show me a recommendation letter from a council member or other members¡­¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not using those methods.¡± Lin Yu said, reaching into his pocket. ¡°System, I¡¯d like to exchange for¡­ fifteen hundred-thousand denomination bills!¡± Then, he pulled out the thin stack of fifteen bills of ghost money! The elderly lady watched Lin Yu¡¯s actions, still maintaining that rather eerie smile, ¡°Sorry, you must first meet other conditions before you can pay the membership fee¡­¡± Lin Yu directly slapped the fifteen bills down onto the desk! The fifteen bills fanned out, revealing the words ¡°Heaven and Earth Bank¡±¡­ along with the string of zeros that made up the amounts on each bill! ¡°This is ten times the membership fee. ¡°I heard that as long as you pay this much in one go, you can directly become a member of Beyond!¡± Lin Yu said grandly! As Lin Yu spoke, the elderly lady director also noticed the ghostly energy emanating from the fifteen bills in front of her¡­ It made even her, a powerful evil ghost just a step away from being a fierce ghost, feel an intense heart palpitation!!! Clearly just fifteen thin bills, yet they caused her immense unease!!! ¡°What¡­ what¡­ is this?!¡± she stammered in surprise, not daring to reach out to take it! Lin Yu tapped the table and emphasized once more, ¡°This is one million five hundred thousand ghost money, ten times the membership fee¡­ Do you understand? ¡°May I now become a member?¡± Lin Yu asked, and the ¡°director¡± seemed to wake from a dream. ¡°Of course you can!¡± She nodded vigorously, trembling hands picking up the fifteen thin bills! Then, she picked up the phone on her desk, ¡°Hello¡­ sir¡­ ¡°Yes, a new member has appeared, just completed the membership fee payment¡­ I need you to deploy security personnel to transport the fee he paid. ¡°No¡­ no, he¡¯s not an old resident who has sufficient contributions to become a regular member. ¡°This is a new resident, and he took out¡­ one million five hundred thousand! ¡°And every bill is a denomination of one hundred thousand!!! Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Alright¡­ I understand!¡± After hanging up the phone, she immediately stood up from behind her desk, ¡°Honored member of Beyond, please have a seat! ¡°Shortly, a council member will personally come to coordinate with you! Helping you process the upgrade to Beyond membership!¡± Seeing the elderly lady appear flustered and fearful, Lin Yu casually sat on the sofa. ¡°This process is even simpler than I expected!¡± Especially since it had directly drawn the attention of a council member from Beyond¡­ Lin Yu knew that the normal membership upgrade process certainly didn¡¯t require the presence of a council member! This must be because his method of upgrading was simply too astonishing! ¡°It seems that choosing to pay ten times the fee is indeed quite rare!¡± Chapter 50 Chapter 50: Membership one million five hundred thousand¡­ How much for the council member? In less than a minute, the door to the property center was opened again! A powerful ghost swiftly walked in! It was a ghost in a black robe, surrounded by ominous energy, wearing a large hood that obscured its face. Clearly, this must be one of the council members from Beyond! After entering, he glanced in Lin Yu¡¯s direction, then spoke in a hoarse voice. ¡°Do you wish to become a member of Beyond?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Lin Yu replied calmly. Seeing that the other party was only at the ghost level, Lin Yu felt much more relaxed, after all, even the strongest ghost was still somewhat inferior to Zhu Jiang! However, this council member was clearly not an idiot, one could tell from the slight wariness in his voice towards Lin Yu¡­ He clearly understood what it meant to take out one million five hundred thousand! He then looked at the elderly lady ghost, who respectfully handed over the fifteen bills, and with a flick of his sleeve, he drew the fifteen hundred-thousand-denomination bills to himself and examined them closely. Then, he spoke again, ¡°So it really is a bill of one hundred thousand¡­ ¡°May I ask, esteemed guest, why are you spending lavishly at Beyond?¡± There was now a tone of negotiation in his voice. Upon hearing this ghost¡¯s question, Lin Yu also spoke slowly. ¡°This is an apartment. Of course, I came to stay. ¡°And since I have money, I must stay in the best! ¡°Some services here are only available to members, so I certainly need to buy a membership! ¡°Is it really that rare for someone to choose to pay one million five hundred thousand to become a member?¡± Lin Yu asked, and the council ghost chuckled lowly. ¡°Not just rare¡­ sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Since this rule was established, you are the only one to choose this method!¡± As he said this, Lin Yu couldn¡¯t help but be a bit taken aback. It seemed he had been a bit excessively extravagant! No wonder this council member was surprised! However, thinking it over, it wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing¡­ After all, while waiting for this council member to arrive, Lin Yu had opened the task panel to take a look. [Task content: Engage in three consumptive actions with a premium exceeding five times, where the value of the object consumed itself exceeds one hundred thousand, without raising the price actively (1/3)]. [Task reward: Cashback crit card *1, Yin Spirit Essence *5, Soul Binding Talisman *10, Spirit Extinguishing Talisman *10!]. His task progress had already been completed! Clearly, spending one million five hundred thousand to ¡°purchase a membership¡± also counted as a consumptive action with a premium exceeding five times! Even if this membership had no special privileges, Lin Yu felt it was already worth it! After all, under the condition of not being able to raise the price actively¡­ Finding opportunities for such premium consumption was truly difficult! Of course, from various signs, it seemed that the benefits of this membership were not few! Lin Yu looked at this council ghost and put on a calm demeanor again, ¡°Well, it seems the others won¡¯t really enjoy it!¡± This demeanor made the black-robed council ghost twitch at the corners of his mouth. As a ghost, and also a ¡°council member¡± of Beyond, he was clearly not only powerful but also had some background. He had seen many strong individuals, some bloodthirsty, some with strong Yin energy, many were quite ¡°extravagant,¡± possessing many high-quality or even higher-grade Yin tools, but someone like Lin Yu, who was ¡°extravagantly inhumane,¡± was indeed a first! His extravagance was so pure. It was purely about having money! With a denomination of one hundred thousand in ghost money, not to mention him, even those few council members with more experience and higher status¡­ They probably had never seen such a thing! Taking out one million five hundred thousand to pay the membership fee, is this a matter of ¡°will they enjoy it¡±? Even if the strongest council member in the assembly were to do it, they would likely need to sell some Yin tools in the short term to gather the amount, and this guy, who seemed to be human, just took it out without hesitation! ¡°I¡¯ll upgrade you and explain the membership privileges!¡± He said this as he took out a black card edged in gold, ¡°This is the ¡®Beyond Member¡¯ room card, which serves as proof of your identity, just like your regular room card! ¡°Your original room card will be retained, and you will also receive a newly enjoyed room! ¡°The rules printed on the back state that there are no longer curfews or sanitation restrictions because your new room can be entered and exited at any time, and there will be special personnel to clean it¡­ but you still need to be careful, don¡¯t make noise or open doors without permission, and definitely don¡¯t trespass into others¡¯ rooms! ¡°Additionally, floors 26 to 29 are also open to you! Your new room is located on the 26th floor! ¡°The 27th floor is where the council members stationed at Beyond reside, which is also my residence, and it is equipped with a conference room. ¡°The 28th floor consists of more high-end consumption venues, open only to Beyond members¡­ however, most of them focus on the trading of Yin tools and Yin materials. There are no shops for consumables. ¡°The 29th floor is the ¡®Activity Center¡¯ for Beyond members. Here, you can enjoy entertainment such as gambling and dueling that ordinary residents cannot access, and even some special services! ¡°The rotating scenic restaurant will also prioritize reserving seats for you, and will open up top-floor private rooms and special dishes!¡± He said this as he handed the card to Lin Yu, ¡°Do you have any questions?¡± Lin Yu took the card, thought for a moment, then nodded and said, ¡°I do have a question¡­ ¡°Since membership is one million five hundred thousand¡­ ¡°Do you sell council member positions at Beyond?¡±