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Chapter 152. The Terrifying Old Woman
"Da da……"

Footsteps echoed in the silent corridor, each step feeling like a blow to Jiang Jianxin's nerves.

She held her breath, trying to judge its location by the distance of the sound—it was very close, perhaps even reaching the corner downstairs.

—Did it see it?

The fortune teller's tightly closed door seemed particularly out of place at this moment, not to mention the "Closed for Business" sign on it.

"Da da……"

The approaching footsteps seemed to have already provided the answer.

The lock is broken.

The thought flashed through her mind, making her heart sink. Closing the door was just self-deception, but leaving it open... what difference was there between that and inviting a wolf into the house?
"Clap-"

She eventually opened the door, then quickly grabbed the calendar, slipped into the bedroom, and pressed herself against the shadow behind the door.

"Clap-"

The open door amplified the sound of footsteps, each step sounding like walking in an empty hallway, the screech of shoes against the floor amplified as if the next second—

It will appear at the door.

She forced herself to steady her breathing, her back pressed against the cold door, her gaze sweeping over the intelligence left behind by the fifth generation Yin Qingyue with sharp, piercing eyes:
The reason why doors must never be closed after nightfall is... the original inhabitants of this building have long been corrupted—they can still maintain human form during the day, but once night falls, the berserk residents roam the hallways. They will forcibly break into any room that arouses suspicion during the day and tear the "tenant" inside to pieces.

The first four women, including Yin Qingyue, were brutally murdered because they closed their doors after nightfall, allowing their identities to be immediately recognized.

The words on the paper seemed to be stained with blood, and every stroke was piercing her nerves.

She realized that the calendar was too late, and the timing was also unfortunate, as she had just finished reading about Yin Qingyue of the Five Dynasties period when darkness fell.

Jiang Jianxin had previously thought he was very lucky to have chosen key dungeons and gotten an important role to play.

Looking back now, she wasn't exactly a chosen one. Luck is something that comes and goes. She used up so much good fortune at the beginning, and now that the wheel of fortune has turned, it's time for her to have her bad luck.

Jiang Jianxin straightened the white diary strapped to his arm, temporarily put away the calendar, and began to focus on dealing with the crisis at hand.

"Da da……"

The footsteps stopped at the door.

Without hesitation or testing the waters, the monster outside stepped straight into the house, its heavy footsteps echoing in the empty living room.

It paced slowly, its soles scraping the floor with a sickening sound, as if sniffing out prey in the air.

"Da da……"

Each sound felt like a footstep on her heart, making the beating in her chest become frantic and chaotic.

The monster lingered in the living room for a long time before finally confirming that no one was there.

suddenly--

silence.

His crimson gaze slowly turned to the closed bedroom door.

"Da da……"

The sound of dragging footsteps rang out again, finally stopping in front of the door.

Then, everything fell silent.

Jiang Jianxin pressed herself against the door, held her breath, and slowly turned her head—the next second, her gaze collided violently with that scarlet eye outside the crack in the door.

The monster was perched on the door, staring intently at her through the narrow crack.

The moment their eyes met, the wrinkled face suddenly contorted—the corners of his mouth split open in an impossible arc towards his ears, revealing a chilling, sinister grin.

"boom--!"

Just as the monster was gathering its strength to break down the door, Jiang Jianxin suddenly yanked the door inward.

"Boom!"

The monster's withered hand slammed heavily into empty air, its decaying knuckles scraping against the door frame and leaving deep scratch marks on the wood.

With the door no longer obstructing the view, the monster's complete appearance was finally revealed in the dim light—it was a hunched old woman with her white hair neatly combed. If encountered in peaceful times, anyone would praise her as "kind."

But now, that face, which should have been kind, was marred by bloodshot, murky eyes with a sickly crimson hue. A gaping mouth stretched to the base of his ears, revealing dark red gums. A few blackened tooth roots remained on his receding gums. His emaciated body reeked of blood, as if he had just crawled out of a slaughterhouse.

What's most disgusting is that it's laughing.

That kind of malicious laughter that anticipates the prey's struggle.

A cold glint flashed in Jiang Jianxin's eyes, and he swung out the arm that was tied to the diary without hesitation.

The old woman's emaciated body displayed an eerie agility; her decaying joints cracked as she dodged to the side at an unbelievable angle. Her withered claws, carrying a foul stench, aimed straight for Jiang Jianxin's heart.

"Qiang——!"

At the critical moment, Jiang Jianxin spun his arm to defend.

The white diary collided with the sharp claws, sparks flying. The embossed smiling angel on the cover gleamed coldly in the dim light, leaving only a few shallow marks on the cover of unknown material.

Jiang Jianxin took advantage of the situation and stepped back half a step, blocking with his left arm.

She arched her back like a cheetah poised to pounce, the diary on her arm serving as a shield, giving her both offensive and defensive capabilities and a new fighting style.

Seeing that her first attack had failed, the old woman took a step forward and launched another attack.

"laugh--"

The second claw strike tore through the air, but Jiang Jianxin flicked his wrist, and the diary once again parried precisely. The embossed smiling angel on the cover glowed slightly warm upon impact.

At the same time, her left fist suddenly lashed out like a viper's tongue, the force of the punch exploding in the small bedroom.

Although this blow was not as powerful as the right arm, it was enough to shatter the ribs of an ordinary person.

"Shh!"

The old woman's neck was tilted back at an angle that defied human anatomy, and her dry skin was stretched into layers of wrinkles.

When she pulled her elongated neck back, she looked at Jiang Jianxin again, her turbid pupils flashing with a mocking, bloodthirsty light.

Jiang Jianxin narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at the scarlet-eyed monster in front of him.

She looked like an octogenarian, but her movements were faster than those of a young person—this was the first time she had ever seen someone react so quickly.

It's a bit difficult, but not entirely hopeless.

Jiang Jian thought to himself.

After all, when it comes to movement skills, she, a sword master who has experienced tens of thousands of battles, is not slow at all.

Thank you to m（__）m清酒, 慕湮大人, 莞菀啊, 幽冥, 儿時的月票 and 慕湮大人的议 for the reward! Thank you all for your support!