Survival in an apartment, starting with a stroke of luck on a plane

He remained outwardly calm, then quickly said, "It might be due to the influence of that door. It's possible we've really seen a ghost, after all, this is a game about the supernatural. By the way, Wang Junyue, what brings you here?"

He looked at the short-haired girl.

Upon hearing Lin Yu's words, Wang Junyue's body trembled almost imperceptibly, but now was clearly not the time to be afraid.

She pointed to the locked door: "I've heard a clue."

An old man who has lived in the walled city for decades told me that the place was haunted about twenty years ago, and the source was a locked room on the east side of the fifth floor.

He added that among those who died that year was a woman named "Liu Xiangxiang," who seemed to have...mental problems. This room was where she lived.

"Liu Xiangxiang?" Lin Yu's eyes narrowed, and he immediately took out his notebook, flipped to the page where information about homeless people was recorded, quickly wrote down the name, and added the note "crazy woman, original resident of this house" after it.

He looked up at Wang Junyue: "Is there any other information? For example, what's the specific situation with Liu Xiangxiang?"

Wang Junyue shook her head: "The old man only mentioned that one sentence, and when asked again, he said he couldn't remember because it had been too long."

"Okay, this information is very important." Lin Yu closed his notebook and shared the complete story of "fire-haunting-mage sealing" that he had heard from the homeless man, as well as the information on the door lock and the rune panel, with Wang Junyue.

Upon hearing this, Wang Junyue's expression also turned serious: "Suppress...not eliminate? So that sorcerer was a fraud? Then what about this lock and talisman...?"

She looked at the mere 1 point of durability remaining, her meaning self-evident.

"I'm afraid it won't last long," Lin Yu interjected. "This might be the origin of the 'evil spirits' in the game."

It requires a silver-grade artifact to suppress, and has been suppressed for decades. Its resentment has likely accumulated to an unimaginable level. Once the seal is broken…”

He didn't say what he was going to say next, but both of them understood the consequences.

"It seems the key clue lies in this 'Liu Xiangxiang' and this sealed room." Wang Junyue looked at the door, her brows furrowed.

"Unfortunately, the door can't be opened, and we can't get in. We need to find a way to find more information about Liu Xiangxiang, or... find something else left behind by that sorcerer from back then? Perhaps there's a way to subdue these evil spirits?"

"That makes sense." Lin Yu nodded.

He then said, "The landlord, the one who hired the sorcerer, might have some clues, like the tenant registration records? Or the files from when the fire was handled? He hired the sorcerer, so he might know some inside information!"

"The landlord?" Wang Junyue's eyes lit up: "Yes, he should still be here. I think I saw a sign that said 'Landlord Management Office' downstairs just now."

With a clear goal in mind, the two immediately went downstairs to find the management office of the walled city.

The management office is located in a relatively "spacious" corner on the first floor, with a crooked wooden sign that reads "Landlord's Management Office" hanging at the door.

The door was ajar, and a dim light shone from inside.

Lin Yu knocked on the door.

"Who is it? Come in!" a rough, impatient voice rang out.

Pushing open the door, a strong smell of cheap tobacco and body odor hit me.

The room was small and filled with clutter and worn-out file folders.

A middle-aged man, obese and greasy, wearing a t-shirt, was slumped in a creaky, broken rattan chair, his feet propped up on the table, holding a greasy abacus in his hand, idly fiddling with the beads.

He had thinning hair, a fleshy face, and small eyes that revealed a shrewdness and cunning.

Seeing Lin Yu and Wang Junyue, two clearly unfamiliar young people, enter, the man narrowed his small eyes, scrutinizing them: "What are you doing here? Renting a room? There are no vacancies right now!"

Lin Yu stepped forward, forcing a polite smile: "Hello, we are not renting a room."

We are folklore journalists who want to learn about the history and features of our village, especially the great fire that happened decades ago, and we'd like to do a special report on it.

He made it up off the cuff; after all, when you're traveling, you have to choose your own identity.

"A big fire?" The landlord paused, a flicker of wariness crossing his small eyes. He waved his hand impatiently. "What big fire! It's old news! Nothing worth reporting! Go, go! Don't keep me from settling my accounts!"

He clearly didn't want to bring it up.

Wang Junyue spoke up at the opportune moment, her tone carrying a subtle hint of guidance: "Uncle, we heard that after that fire, there were some unclean things around for a while, and it was only after you invited a very powerful sorcerer that they were able to resolve it."

We just want to know the story behind it. Rest assured, we won't let you speak for free; our newspaper pays those who provide compelling stories.

As she spoke, Wang Junyue took out a small stack of brand-new banknotes from her pocket. Lin Yu noticed that the banknotes were completely different from those in the real world.

Could it be the currency of this world? How did Wang Junyue obtain it?

Lin Yu glanced at Wang Junyue curiously.

Sure enough, the landlord's expression softened slightly upon seeing the money. He put down his abacus and snorted, "Considering your newspaper's sincerity, I'll give you some advice."

A sorcerer? Of course! He's a highly skilled master I hired from the legendary Dragon Tiger Mountain at great expense. His abilities are extremely profound; without him, this stronghold would have been destroyed long ago!

He seemed to get into the conversation and started boasting with spittle flying: "You have no idea how eerie it was back then. At night, there were ghostly wails and people dying. It was terrifying!"

I invited Zhang Tianshi… oh no, I mean Li Zhenren, yes, Li Zhenren. The moment he made a move, hey! He immediately subdued those filthy things. And he locked them in that dilapidated house and refined them! Refined them until their souls were scattered and gone!”

Lin Yu and Wang Junyue exchanged a glance, both looking puzzled.

Why does it seem like no one can remember that monk's name?

After thinking for a moment, Lin Yu pretended to be curious and asked, "Master Li is truly a man of immeasurable merit."

"Those...those ghosts that were burned to death...oh no, those that haunted the place, do you remember their names? For example, I heard the name Liu Xiangxiang from an old gentleman. I heard she was a resident of that house. Is that true?"

"Liu Xiangxiang?!" Upon hearing this name, the landlord's obese body stiffened abruptly, the fat on his face twitched, and his eyes instantly filled with indescribable fear.

Like a cat whose tail has been stepped on, his voice suddenly rose, carrying a neurotic shrillness: "What Liu Xiangxiang! I don't know her! There's no such person! Why are you asking this?! Get out! All of you, get out! What kind of bullshit reporters are you! I think you're just here to cause trouble!"

He jumped up, grabbed the abacus from the table, and slammed it down. The beads clattered and rolled across the floor. His face contorted with rage, he pointed at the door and yelled, "Get out! If you don't leave, I'll call for help!"

The landlord's violent, almost out-of-control reaction made Lin Yu and Wang Junyue both feel a chill.

Liu Xiangxiang! This name is absolutely crucial! And the landlord's reaction was so strong, so fearful... What exactly did this Liu Xiangxiang do back then?

Not daring to provoke the obviously emotionally unstable fat man any further, the two immediately left the management office.

Standing in the dimly lit and noisy corridor, Wang Junyue's face was pale, and she was still shaken: "He overreacted... that Liu Xiangxiang..."

Lin Yu's eyes sharpened as he opened his notebook and heavily circled the name "Liu Xiangxiang": "Key target. The landlord definitely has clues, but he won't say."

We need to find a way... to find the records from back then, or find someone who knew Liu Xiangxiang.