2. There are always treacherous subjects trying to harm me!

“Hi, Sister Yu.” As soon as the video call connected, Yu Dongxi heard a youthful voice.

“Where did you get that ^[1]Mount Tai stone, 泰山石 — a type of rock from Mount Tai, often used in feng shui for protection or suppression of evil.Mount Tai stone?” Yu Dongxi hadn’t even caught her breath yet, but she jumped straight to the point.

“We found it in the rental place we just moved into.”

Yu Dongxi frowned. “In your private message earlier, you said you found a bunch of stuff while cleaning. What exactly did you find?”

The guy turned the camera down to the floor. On the dark-colored floorboards were something like a Luoyang shovel and a sword.

【Holy crap, the ^[2]Bagua symbol (八卦) is a traditional Chinese symbol made up of eight trigrams, used in Taoism, feng shui, and the I Ching (Book of Changes). Bagua forms an octagonal symbol representing balance and … Continue readingBagua symbol on that sword clearly means this thing is not ordinary.】

【The relationship between knives and swords is like water and fire—if these two are together, the situation must be dangerous enough to need both elements working together to suppress something.】

【Knives and swords are incompatible.】

“Pick up the sword—don’t unsheathe it—just let me take a look,” Yu Dongxi said, her face still pale, now with a few more serious lines between her brows.

She leaned in closer to the screen and examined the sword carefully. There were runes carved into the hilt, clearly in the Taoist style. Yu Dongxi’s voice turned low: “Where exactly did you find this thing?”

“Under the sofa.”

“Under the sofa?” Yu Dongxi licked her dry lips. “This thing… was probably placed there on purpose. Now listen to me—put it back where you found it. Do not draw the sword. It’s hard to say what role it’s playing.”

“Alright, alright, we’ll do what you say, Sister Yu. But we have a question—can we still live in this place?”

“How many of you are there? Any girls?”

“Just two guys living here.” The other person hesitated for a second.

“Then what are you scared of? Two grown men—it’s fine. This is the age to be adventurous anyway. Plus, guys are full of yang energy. And honestly, from a financial point of view, if you break the lease now, you’ll probably lose money. Why waste it when there are better things to spend it on?” Yu Dongxi clicked her tongue a few times. “Let me take another look at that stone.”

“Oh, okay.” The guy moved the camera and revealed a stone. “Sister Yu, this was under the sofa too.”

He zoomed in to show the stone clearly. It wasn’t very big, but Yu Dongxi recognized it instantly—it was an authentic Mount Tai stone.

【That’s super rare nowadays. Most of the ones you see now are fake.】

【Yeah, and this one looks old—really old.】

“Damn,” Yu Dongxi muttered as she unscrewed a bottle of water, “You know what, this place might really be something. Worth digging into.”

“Sister Yu, there are actually a bunch of these stones in the house.” The guy shifted the camera to show under the sofa again, where it was full of Mount Tai stones.

Yu Dongxi even slowed down her drinking: “Alright. Don’t panic. Just show me everything that looks weird or suspicious to you.”

“There’s a string of dried chili peppers here,” the man pointed the camera toward the living room. Then he shifted it to the second-floor stair railing—something that looked like a goat was coiled around the railing. “Sister Yu, this thing’s really strange too.”

【A demon-suppressing goat… holy sh*t, that gave me chills.】

【That thing seriously freaked me out.】

【Something definitely happened in this house—this thing is used to suppress vengeful spirits.】

【Not necessarily. It could also be used to suppress people—super shady stuff. If there aren’t any ghosts, then it’s meant to suppress people.】

【And it’s positioned up high, overlooking the entire house. That’s messed up—it’s basically sitting at the central command spot.】

【They say wherever a goat’s eyes are pointed, something bad happened there.】

Yu Dongxi spat out a mouthful of water and rushed toward the camera. “Oh my god.”

As soon as she saw what it really was, she immediately backed away. Cold sweat poured down her face. “Listen to me—don’t touch that thing. Just leave it exactly where it is.”

“Okay,” the man said, moving toward the first bedroom. “This room doesn’t seem that weird.”

“Go that way.” A man’s voice came from off camera.

Yu Dongxi gripped her water bottle tighter, squeezing out half the water in an instant.

“Wait a second,” she squinted at the screen. Hanging from the ceiling beam was a red banner. “What’s that red thing?”

The man moved the camera closer. On the banner, the characters were hanging upside down—it read “Great Wealth and Prosperity.” And in front of it hung a string of dried chili peppers.

【Bro… an upside-down wealth charm right at the door】

【Putting a “Great Wealth” charm on a beam, facing the door—so as soon as you enter you see it. That’s “wealth upon sight.” That phrase is also written on ^[3]Bai Wuchang (白无常) is a figure from Chinese folklore and Taoist mythology, often known as the “White Impermanence”. He is one of the two Heibai Wuchang (黑白无常)—Black and … Continue readingBai Wuchang’s hat, and hanging the charm upside-down means “wealth upon sight arrives”… which means Bai Wuchang has arrived.】

Yu Dongxi was silent for a moment, then said, “Are there any other bedrooms? Check them too.”

The man moved to another room. “This bedroom is really strange.”

He lowered the camera under a desk. Carved underneath were two kinds of flowers. Yu Dongxi recognized them—one was osmanthus, which blooms in autumn, and the other was plum blossom, which blooms in winter.

【Say no more—these two flowers represent two seasons: spring and summer mean life, autumn and winter mean death. Whoever set this up never intended to leave a way out.】

【It’s a death trap. No spring or summer—this setup is meant to bring financial and life ruin.】

【This house is seriously cursed. Whether these objects really work or not doesn’t matter. What matters is—did the person who set this up believe in it? Were they trying to harm someone?】

“There are also little peachwood branches scattered all around the house. Sister Yu, can we really live here?”

“You even recognize peachwood?”

“My family used to grow peach trees.”

Yu Dongxi pressed her lips together and said, “You’ve probably been following me for many years. Some things—I can’t say them too directly. The platform doesn’t allow it. So I’ll just say this: move out. Get out of there, fast. That house… tsk, I really can’t say more, but you definitely need to leave. Actually, people’s instincts are pretty accurate. If you walk into a house and just feel uncomfortable, then in some way, that house doesn’t match your energy. There’s no reason to keep living there.”

“Sister Yu, actually, we’re all fresh graduates. We don’t really dare break the lease… it’s also a money issue.”

“Go ask the local police station if there’s been any unnatural death in that house. That kind of thing is usually on record. If that’s the case, the landlord has to return your deposit,” Yu Dongxi replied, her expression serious. There was not just a sense of sickness in her tone, but a faint trace of unease as well. “Actually, I have another question. How old are you?”

“Sister Yu, I’m 23 this year.”

“Oh, right, just graduated. Then you’ve been following me for a while, huh? Your family must be doing okay.”

“Just average.”

“Who chose the house?”

“A friend recommended it. It was cheap.”

“You’re not exactly short on money, are you?”

“Just graduated—money’s tight.”

Yu Dongxi suddenly burst out laughing. “That watch on your wrist costs over forty grand, doesn’t it? Looks like being a fresh grad isn’t that stressful—you still have time to go grave robbing.”

“Sister Yu, we’re law-abiding citizens. We’d never dare do something like that.”

Yu Dongxi smirked, her smile full of irony. “I don’t have many strengths, but I’ve got an excellent memory—especially for voices. I may not be rich, but I do like watching luxury product reviews.”

“Alright, stop pretending. I heard your voice. You were the little grave robber from last night. So come clean—what are you trying to do? You picked a house that’s missing all five elements. What kind of trick are you trying to pull?”

【I’m kinda lost now. What’s going on?】

【Holy sh*t, Sister Yu is badass! I knew something felt off.】

【If you’re new here, give the streamer a follow!】

【Looking closely, that guy’s watch really is expensive.】

【Yeah, and he’s way too calm.】

“Sister Yu, you’re amazing,” the same voice from last night said again. Yu Dongxi wasn’t surprised at all.

“I thought I hid pretty well.”

“So?” she asked. “What do you want?”

“Well, I don’t have many good traits either… but I do hold grudges.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? You want revenge on me?” Yu Dongxi let out a laugh of disbelief. “And how exactly are you planning to do that?”

The man chuckled and said, “That house really was missing all five elements. But now—it’s not missing anymore.”

Yu Dongxi’s expression turned dark. “What do you mean by that?”

“The original owner of this house was a complete scumbag—a disgraceful son,” the man pointed toward the living room, right where the demon-suppressing goat was aimed. “Right there, in that exact spot, he used a kitchen knife to hack himself to death. Blood was everywhere—so much that it couldn’t even be cleaned up properly.”

【That’s messed up.】

【So creepy.】

“This formation is called the Soul-Locking Array. The reason that man suddenly killed himself is because he was born under a pure Yang Eight Characters. He abused and beat his parents, burning through his life’s Yang energy. After death, instead of reincarnating, he stayed behind and caused disturbances in the house. That’s why his parents had someone set up this formation—to suppress his spirit.”

“So?” Yu Dongxi looked coldly at the living room.

“A stone placed under the sofa represents peace under heaven—that’s Hei Wuchang. The banner hanging from the beam that reads ‘Wealth Flows In’ represents Bai Wuchang. The goat is a demonic creature—it not only suppresses spirits, but specifically targets the unfilial. The table decorated with osmanthus and plum blossoms mimics the desk of the King of Hell—also called the ‘Yama’s Ritual Table.’ It’s said to be the most yin (dark) item in the world—born in autumn and winter, yet unable to tolerate autumn fire. Do you know why it’s all arranged this way?”

“I don’t want to know.”

The man chuckled. “Let me tell you. He had a pure Yang birth chart in life, and even after death, it remained the same. Since he refused to reincarnate and insisted on lingering in the mortal world, they used autumn fire to burn through his Yin lifespan—so his soul would be completely annihilated!”

【Anyone who beats their parents is an animal, but this formation really is too cruel…】

【Isn’t that a bit too much?】

“The peach wood sword represents Wood. The blade represents Metal. Dried chili peppers are Fire. The Taishan rock stands for Earth,” the man paused, “And you—you represent Water. Now, the Five Elements are complete. Do you know what happens when a person becomes the missing element in a formation?”

【Holy crap, that’s brutal.】

【Wait, does that mean the streamer’s part of the formation now?】

Yu Dongxi was silent for a few minutes, staring steadily at the screen. Then suddenly, she burst out laughing and clapped her hands. “You’re hilarious. Let me tell you something—believe in science, reject feudal superstition! A formation? Huh? You little brat, sit your butt down and don’t move—Uncle Police is on the way. Be a man and don’t run!”

And with that, Yu Dongxi ended the live stream.

That night, Yu Dongxi couldn’t shake the feeling of cold in her hands and feet. The small, cramped motel in the suburbs was nothing like the comfortable inns in the city. She lay in the dark on the bed.

Footsteps echoed down the hallway, growing louder and closer. Yu Dongxi couldn’t sleep with the noise. The sound stopped right outside her door.

Yu Dongxi opened her eyes and looked toward the door.

At the exact moment she did, the lights in the room flicked on one by one—from the bathroom to the little balcony.

She got up, face pale, her whole body weak. Forcing down the nausea rising in her throat, she got out of bed and turned off every light. Then she stood at the door, hand on the doorknob. She took a deep breath—then suddenly flung it open. Light from the streetlamp outside the window faintly spilled into the room.

A man stood there with his back to her.

The man slowly turned his head and looked at her, puzzled. “Do you live across the hall?”

Yu Dongxi swallowed hard. She realized she had been too impulsive—she shouldn’t have opened the door. “Yeah… and you are?”

“Oh, I live right across from you.” The man moved very slowly, with a strange mechanical stiffness. He slowly raised his hand and pointed to the windowsill. “Sorry about this—I have a bit of OCD. When I see messy or disorganized things, I just have to tidy them up.”

After speaking, he bent down and neatly rearranged the pairs of shoes that had been left outside the door. Yu Dongxi glanced at her phone—it was a little three o’clock in the morning.

She didn’t sleep well that night. While she respected people’s personal quirks, getting up in the middle of the night to organize shoes was just… really hard to wrap her head around.

The next morning, Yu Dongxi woke up to the sound of police sirens. There was a constant knock on the door. With dark circles under her eyes, she opened the door to find two police officers standing outside. One of them said, “Good morning, miss. There’s been an incident at this motel, and we need everyone’s cooperation for the investigation.”

“What do you mean?”

“The person in Room 202 committed suicide last night.”

Room 202 was the room directly across from Yu Dongxi’s.

The motel’s guests were all taken to the nearby police station to verify the details. After an investigation, the police confirmed that the man had indeed died by suicide, and the time of death was just after eleven o’clock that night.

Upon hearing this conclusion, Yu Dongxi immediately became agitated. “That’s impossible! I saw him around three o’clock last night, standing right outside his door. How could he have died after eleven o’clock?”

Hearing this new information, the police conducted another investigation, and the result confirmed that the man had, in fact, died by suicide just after eleven o’clock.

When Yu Dongxi left the police station, her mind felt a bit dazed. She couldn’t help but think back to the formation the tomb raider had set up for her.

Although her ID was with her, there were still some of her belongings left at the motel. After a full day of events, she checked the time—it was 8:40 p.m. on December 22nd. Yu Dongxi decided she would grab her things and leave the motel.

The other motel guests were gradually being released. Since Yu Dongxi had raised doubts, she stayed a bit longer at the police station. The motel’s doors were all wide open now, and Yu Dongxi was the only one left. She decided to grab her things and leave quickly—after all, her charger was still in the motel.

If she lost her life, so be it, but losing her charger would be a real hassle.

As she reached the second floor, Yu Dongxi noticed that the door to Room 202 was wide open, and the light inside was on. A jacket was carelessly draped over the door, hanging in a sloppy manner. Saying she wasn’t scared would be an exaggeration, but she wasn’t afraid either. Yu Dongxi took off her shoes at the door, hesitated for a moment, thinking she’d be in and out quickly, and casually placed her shoes by the door.

Once inside, she turned on the light and prepared to gather her things. Suddenly, the front door slammed shut. Yu Dongxi froze. She turned around, and through the crack in the door, she saw that the light that had been leaking in was now blocked.

Someone was at the door.

A cold sweat instantly broke out on the back of Yu Dongxi’s neck.

She quickly turned and pushed the door open with all her strength, rushing into the hallway.

But in the next second, she felt as if she had fallen into an ice-cold pit. A wave of chilling terror swept over her.