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

Many shirtless men whistled sharply at them, and unabashedly hurled vulgarities.

"Little sister, are you new here? Want to play with your big brother?"

"Tsk tsk, what's with all that delicate skin coming to this godforsaken place?"

"Hey girl, how much for a night?"

Several daring thugs even surrounded them, their eyes scanning Wang Junyue and Liu Yueyue with ill intent, and one of them even reached out to touch Liu Yueyue's face.

Liu Yueyue screamed in fright and hid behind Zhang Jun.

Wang Junyue's face was ashen. She tried to remain calm, but her knuckles were white from clenching her fists.

"What are you doing! Get out of my way!" Zhang Jun mustered his courage and stood in front, trying to reason with them: "We're here to find someone! Don't lay a hand on us!"

"Looking for someone? Looking for me, your older brother?" A tall, thin man with a roguish look grinned and reached out to hook Wang Junyue's chin. "Pretty boy, get out of here! Let the older brothers get intimate with the younger sisters first..."

Before he could finish saying "dear," a cold, hard object, with the distinctively icy feel of metal, pressed against his temple.

The world fell silent instantly.

All the noise, filth, and jeers seemed to have been paused.

The lewd smiles on the faces of the onlookers froze, replaced by astonishment and fear.

The tall, thin man froze, glancing sideways. He saw that the young man in the trench coat, who hadn't said much, had somehow pulled out a pistol and was holding it firmly to his head.

Lin Yu's gaze was eerily calm, without the slightest fluctuation, as if he were looking at an inanimate object.

"You...who the hell are you trying to scare? Go ahead and open fire if you dare..." the tall, thin man roared, trying to regain his composure despite his bluster.

A muffled thud was heard, but it wasn't a gunshot.

Lin Yu flicked his wrist, and the hard butt of the gun slammed into the tall, thin man's temple like a hammer. The movement was lightning fast and ruthless.

"Ugh—!" Under Lin Yu's nine-point strength, the tall, thin man couldn't even finish his scream. His eyes rolled back, and blood gushed from his mouth, nose, and ears. He fell straight to the ground like a piece of rotten wood, twitched a few times, and then stopped moving.

Lin Yu flicked non-existent blood off the butt of his rifle, his voice icy and clear, echoing across the deathly silence: "Shooting trash like you is a waste of bullets."

He didn't even glance at the lifeless scum on the ground, his sharp gaze sweeping over the surrounding thugs who were now trembling with fear: "Anyone else want to try?"

Anyone caught in his gaze felt their scalp tingle and instinctively back away.

That ruthlessness and the real weapon in his hand completely intimidated this group of cowardly bullies.

No one dared to take another step forward, and the crowd automatically parted to make way.

Liu Dashan looked at Lin Yu with a complex expression, a mixture of shock and apprehension.

He knew better than any newcomer how difficult it was to acquire firearms in this game.

This Lin Yu... is definitely not simple. Wang Junyue, Zhang Jun, and Liu Yueyue were dumbfounded, never expecting Lin Yu to be so ruthless and decisive.

Lin Yu put away his gun and said to Liu Dashan, "Brother Liu, lead the way."

Under the watchful eyes of countless people filled with fear, the five of them made their way unimpeded into the depths of the metal-clad area.

No one paid any more attention to the unfortunate man on the ground. Soon, several figures sneaked over and began searching the tall, thin man's "belongings"—in this place, death and looting were commonplace.

The old man Liu Dashan mentioned lived in a relatively "neat" shed on the edge of the tin-roofed area.

He had clearly witnessed Lin Yu's thunderous attack. The old man, who was standing nervously at the door, immediately raised his hands above his head upon seeing them approach, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace.

"G-heroes! Spare me! Spare me! I'm just a useless old man waiting to die, I haven't done anything! Ask me anything you want to know, I promise I'll tell you everything I know, just please don't hit me!"

He still remembered Liu Dashan, and therefore understood that they had come to him to ask about those old stories.

Lin Yu walked up to him, and without saying a word, took out a brand new one-hundred-yuan bill and slapped it onto a relatively flat piece of sheet metal next to the shed.

"Sir, don't be nervous. We are civilized people and we reason with each other." Lin Yu said calmly, "We're here to learn about the old stories of the Walled City. As long as you cooperate, this money is your reward."

The hundred-yuan bill, still smelling of ink, seemed to possess a magical quality in the dim light.

The old man's eyes widened instantly, a greedy glint almost overflowing from them, and his throat bobbed involuntarily.

Clearly, the hundred dollars were very attractive to him.

"Good! Good! Hero... no, boss! Ask away! This old man will tell you everything he knows." He nodded and bowed, his attitude completely changing.

"How do you know that the monk from back then wasn't from Longhu Mountain?" Lin Yu went straight to the point.

The old man licked his chapped lips, his eyes still glancing at the banknote: "This... cough cough, to tell you the truth, when I was young, I also dreamed of becoming a Taoist priest who would slay demons and monsters."

So... he went to the foot of Longhu Mountain, worked odd jobs and learned new skills, and stayed there for several years.

Although I didn't learn any real skills, I personally witnessed the dignified and imposing manner with which a true Taoist priest would set up an altar, chant incantations, and draw talismans, drawing upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. That aura... wow.

A hint of reminiscence and longing appeared in his eyes.

Immediately, his face turned disdainful: "But that guy from the city walled village we invited back then? Hmph, he was just a charlatan. The things he used when he opened the altar were wrong, the ritual implements exuded an evil aura, and the incantations he chanted were even more sinister and strange, completely different from the righteous incantations and scriptures."

That smell... it's like something crawling out of a grave. Where is there even a trace of the righteous path of Longhu Mountain? It's purely a heretical and unorthodox practice from a wild and unorthodox sect.

It might fool those who've never seen the world, but it won't fool this old man's eyes.

Lin Yu nodded, confirming their suspicions. "Since you know a thing or two, do you know how to deal with ghosts? Or do you know anyone knowledgeable in the field? Are there any truly skilled people in or around this stronghold?"

Upon hearing this, the old man immediately shook his head vigorously, saying, "Boss, you think too highly of me. I'm just a spectator; I have no real skills whatsoever. Dealing with ghosts? I can't even handle a wandering spirit. Please don't make things difficult for me..."

Seeing the disappointment on Lin Yu and the others' faces, the old man's eyes darted around, and he quickly added, "However! If we're talking about someone who knows what they're doing... there really is one in this stronghold!"

Lin Yu's spirits lifted: "Who? Where?"

The old man chuckled, his gaze then drifting back to the banknote on the metal sheet.

Without hesitation, Lin Yu stuffed the banknotes into his hand.

The old man, as if holding a priceless treasure, quickly stuffed it into the pocket closest to his body, then lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "On the second floor of the walled city, at the innermost corner, there is a shop called 'Wang's Incense and Candle Shop'."

That shop owner, Mr. Wang, is really something!"

"Wang's Incense and Candle Shop? Boss Wang?" Lin Yu noted down the name and location.

"Yes! That's him! That guy is usually very mysterious, and the incense and paper money he sells in his shop are different from other shops. They are ridiculously expensive, but some regular customers only recognize his products and say that burning them works."

"I reckon he must know something about exorcising evil spirits!" the old man said confidently.

"Okay." Lin Yu noted down this important clue and continued to press, "One last question: Have you heard of Liu Xiangxiang? And what do you know about the fire more than twenty years ago?"