Demon Apartment - Chapter 10 - Namo Amitabha Buddha

Ah Ning felt a surge of anger when she heard someone speak to her elder brother like that. To her, Dong Xie was her Achilles’ heel, and no one could humiliate him in front of her!

But just as she opened her mouth to say something, Zhao Long’s voice interrupted.

“I think he makes a good point.”

Zhao Long glanced around and said, “Staying in such a dark, enclosed room is actually scarier. If those dirty things come out and block the doorway… the consequences would be unimaginable.”

Zhao Long had similar thoughts for a while, but leaving could be the line between life and death. If something happened, he would be fully responsible. With Dong Xie, the new resident, speaking up, he could share the responsibility between the two of them.

Hearing Zhao Long, Feng Yu nodded and said, “Seems reasonable, then… let’s go with Zhao Long’s suggestion.”

People are easily swayed, especially in situations like this. Fear often strips away rationality and personal judgment, making following the crowd the best choice. After all, even if it turned out to be a wrong decision, everyone would face it together, and dying wouldn’t necessarily mean being the first to die.

“Alright then,” Ge Qi said, already forming his own plan. He decided to position himself near Zhao Long, neither too far ahead nor too far behind. This way, no matter where the dirty things emerged from, he wouldn’t be the first to die.

Finally, the temporary team reached a consensus. Dong Xie was utterly disappointed by their blind conformity and ignorance, especially compared to Mo Yuan’s wisdom and emotional intelligence, which seemed worlds apart. Mo Yuan had to act as the building manager, leading a group of fools, which must be exhausting.

They began moving toward the door. At this moment, the lighter in Ge Qi’s hand was the only source of light. Everyone held their breath, inching toward the door in the oppressive darkness. Dong Xie felt his scalp tingle, his body instinctively shrinking back, while clutching Ah Ning’s hand tightly. To him, if danger arose, only Ah Ning’s life mattered; the fate of the other three was irrelevant. After all, his abilities were limited, and so was his responsibility.

At the door, Zhao Long reached out, unlocked it, and slowly turned the handle. Everyone was terrified, fearing that opening the door would reveal a dirty thing standing outside.

“Namo Amitabha Buddha… Namo Amitabha Buddha… Namo Amitabha Buddha…” Dong Xie muttered under his breath, knowing that the Bodhisattva probably couldn’t help him, but reciting these words brought him some comfort. Beside him, Ah Ning said, “Praying to Buddha is less reliable than relying on ourselves. There’s no savior, no divine emperor; we can only depend on ourselves.”

To Ah Ning, the darkest and most despairing moment in life was losing her parents in that damned car accident, more painful than entering this apartment. After the accident, she stopped believing in gods and Bodhisattvas. At eleven, she prayed to every deity she could think of, but no miracle occurred, and none returned her parents. Even this apartment couldn’t grant wishes to resurrect the dead.

All gods preach rewarding good and punishing evil, claiming to protect humanity. But if good and evil are repaid, why did her parents die?

Since then, she never prayed to any god or Buddha again.

Zhao Long slowly pushed the door open…

Everyone held their breath, staring at the doorway. Dong Xie’s heart pounded so hard it felt like it would burst, instinctively gripping Ah Ning’s hand tightly. If the worst came, those things would have to cross his corpse to harm Ah Ning!

Finally, the door opened. Outside… there was nothing!

“Phew…”

Dong Xie felt his legs go numb, his back drenched in cold sweat. His heart had been in his throat, and now, relieved, he realized he could barely stand.

“Amitabha… Thank you, Bodhisattva… Please protect us, Bodhisattva…” Dong Xie thought, willing to pray to any deity or demon if it meant survival for him and Ah Ning, even offering his soul if necessary.

“Stop mumbling, it’s annoying!” Feng Yu, close to Dong Xie, had been irritated by his chanting, and now glared at him, saying, “You suggested this, so you should lead the way!”

Ah Ning couldn’t hold back and retorted, “You kept saying my brother is a new resident, but now you want a new resident to lead the charge while you, an ‘old’ resident, hide behind? Now I understand what double standards mean!”

Ah Ning had been careful not to offend anyone in the apartment, but Feng Yu clearly had no skills, only pushing problems onto others, repeatedly troubling her brother. She couldn’t tolerate it anymore! In front of such people, constant yielding only made them think you were weak and easy to bully, leading them to take advantage.

“You…” Feng Yu’s face turned sour, about to say something when Zhao Long grabbed his arm.

“Feng Yu, I’ll lead. Ge Qi, you stay beside me for lighting. Everyone keep an eye on the rear and above; we never know when those dirty things might appear.”

Feng Yu had to give Zhao Long face; besides, arguing with a young girl was beneath him. So he muttered something unintelligible and said no more.

Dong Xie looked at Feng Yu, unwilling to argue further. This guy might be the first to go in this Blood Letter. For Dong Xie, the priority was figuring out how to ensure survival for himself and Ah Ning.

“But…” Ge Qi stepped outside, using the lighter to illuminate the surroundings, especially after Zhao Long mentioned “above.” He checked thoroughly, confirming there was nothing, and asked, “Where should we go?”

Where to go?

Should they head to the fourth floor? Would it lead to the path of death, or uncover clues to the Path to Survival?

Dong Xie was speechless; how did people like Ge Qi and Feng Yu survive their first Blood Letter without any personal judgment?

“Let’s… let’s check the fifth floor first…” Zhao Long glanced around, feeling goosebumps, “The fourth floor… hmm… let’s avoid it for now.”