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

Lin Yu didn't even glance at him. He bent down, picked up the ball of light, and opened it. It was another [Soul Essence] without any level. His gaze swept over the charred corpse on the ground that was slowly dissipating, and his brows furrowed even more deeply.

Seeing that Lin Yu completely ignored him, Liu Dashan's face flashed with embarrassment and resentment. He quickly stuffed the jade Buddha into his clothes and hid it. Not daring to linger, he glanced around warily, then turned and fled the dangerous alleyway.

Lin Yu ignored Liu Dashan's departure.

He stood up and glanced around. Although it was broad daylight, the alley was completely shrouded in shadow, not a ray of sunlight. Was that why the brat was able to move?

After thinking for a moment, Lin Yu decided to go find the things first. Soon, based on the address provided by Li Miao, Lin Yu found Liu Dagui's house in a more dilapidated corner on the second floor.

Lin Yu was adept at dealing with these low-level thugs.

It's the same old trick: one hand paving the way with cash, the other hand threatening with a gun.

When the dark muzzle of a gun was pressed against his forehead, Liu Dagui's bit of gangster toughness vanished instantly, and he cowered even faster than Li Miao.

"Big brother! Big brother, spare me! You want that broken tree branch, right? Here! Here you go! It's under the bed! Take it yourself! Money... just give me whatever you think is fair!" Liu Dagui was so scared that he wet himself and didn't dare to bargain anymore.

Lin Yu dragged a dusty old wooden box from under his musty, dilapidated bed. Inside, a willow branch, about two feet long and as thick as a thumb, was dark brown and looked as if it had been soaked by time.

A few vibrant green willow leaves, as if just picked from the tree, still clung to the branches, creating a striking contrast with the tree's aged trunk.

【Tree branches for beating ghosts】

Category: Weapons

Attribute: Special

Grade: Bronze

Attack: 40

Durability:25/50

effect:

Exorcising ghosts: This ability can attack the physical form of ghosts and forcibly remove ghosts or ghostly energy attached to a person.

Willow Shadow: Consumes a leaf from a branch; the next attack will summon hundreds of willow branch phantoms for an area-of-effect attack. (Current leaves: 5/10)

(Note: Inserting willow branches into soil filled with spiritual energy will slowly restore the number of leaves.)

Description: Taken from the main branch of a century-old willow tree, which is rich in spiritual energy, it contains pure vitality and the power to ward off evil.

Bronze grade, and it's an offensive weapon. Lin Yu nodded in satisfaction; this trip was worthwhile.

He casually tossed fifty yuan to Liu Dagui, who was sprawled on the ground, then turned and left with the willow branch in his hand.

He had just stepped out of Liu Dagui's stinking shack and was about to meet up with Wang Junyue when, not long after he left, a series of heart-wrenching screams came from all directions like a tidal wave.

It instantly shattered the illusion of the walled city's deathly silence.

"A ghost!"

"Help!!"

"Run! They...they're everywhere!"

Lin Yu's expression changed, and he rushed to the railing at the edge of the corridor to look down.

The once "peaceful" lower levels and alleyways of the walled city were now in complete chaos! Hundreds of charred corpses, their bodies blackened and emitting a strong burnt smell and a chilling aura, were like zombies from the previous game, stiffly and swiftly attacking the fleeing residents.

They are incredibly strong, and although their movements are not particularly agile, they are fearless and ordinary punches, kicks, or even sticks have little effect on their charred bodies.

A burly man swung an iron bar and struck a charred corpse on the shoulder, but only made a dull thud. The charred corpse swayed slightly, then grabbed the iron bar with its backhand, and its other charred hand gripped the burly man's neck like an iron clamp!

Click!

A sickening cracking sound rang out, the burly man's struggles stopped instantly, his eyes bulging, as he was tossed aside by the charred corpse like trash.

More charred corpses poured out from the dark corners and abandoned houses, pouncing on anyone they saw and tearing at them frantically. Blood and screams instantly stained the narrow alleyway red.

Massive zombie outbreak? Or is it daytime?

Alarm bells rang loudly in Lin Yu's mind.

Looking at the charred corpses, his mind raced, and soon a figure appeared in his mind.

Without further hesitation, Lin Yu turned and ran wildly toward Boss Wang's incense and candle shop on the second floor.

That Mr. Wang! He's definitely up to something!

The familiar wooden door of the incense and candle shop was tightly shut. Lin Yu pounded on the door: "Boss Wang! Open the door! Something's happened outside!"

There was complete silence inside the door; there was no response.

Lin Yu's eyes flashed with a fierce light. Without further hesitation, he took a half step back, his right leg muscles bulging, and kicked the door lock with tremendous force.

"boom--!!!"

A deafening crash! The fragile wooden door, frame and all, was kicked so violently that it shattered and collapsed inwards! Splinters flew everywhere!

Amidst the billowing smoke and dust, Lin Yu, gun in his left hand and butcher's knife in his right, charged into the shop with the speed and ferocity of a cheetah!

However, the shop was completely empty!

Various incense sticks and paper money were scattered haphazardly on the shelves, and the abacus on the counter was overturned on the floor. Everything maintained its usual messy state, but there was no sign of Boss Wang.

Lin Yu's gaze immediately fell on the corner of the wall—the location of the dusty "deity painting" that had once been enshrined there!

At this moment, the wall was empty, with only a square mark on it, slightly lighter in color than the rest of the wall. The idol painting had been taken away.

On the ground where the statues and paintings of gods were originally placed, a large patch of ashes was scattered.

Those were the traces left by burning paper money and talismans. Some fragments of paper figures that had not been completely burned were mixed in with the ashes, and twisted runes could be vaguely seen on them.

Lin Yu's heart sank.

Sure enough! Boss Wang ran away! Or rather, he moved away with the most important thing.

These suddenly appearing charred corpses were most likely created by him to create chaos and buy time.

"Damn it!" Lin Yu cursed under his breath, suppressing his anger. Everyone had run away, so getting angry now was useless. He quickly searched the shop.

Boss Wang left in a hurry; it's impossible for him to take everything with him.

Soon, he found a dozen or so black iron-grade incense sticks carefully wrapped in oil paper in a locked small drawer behind the counter.

In the innermost corner of the shop, in a small warehouse corner separated by a cloth curtain and piled with miscellaneous items, he lifted a tattered oilcloth and found several large stacks of rough-textured yellow paper and several boxes of dark red cinnabar.

These are the basic materials for drawing talismans, and they have all been recognized by the system.

Lin Yu unceremoniously swept all the materials into his backpack. Just as he moved a heavy stack of old ledgers, an old book with a tattered cover and rough thread binding, which had been pressed at the bottom of the ledgers, was revealed.

The book cover is made of thick, dark blue paper with severely worn edges. The title, "Collection of Talismans of Qingshan Dao (Fragment)," is written in an ancient script.

Lin Yu's heart stirred, and he picked it up.