It was night.
At eight or nine o'clock, Chengyang City, under its colorful lights, resembled a hot dancer wearing a veil, showcasing its charm to people.
Wu Liang, carrying a backpack like a college student on holiday, walked down the street, through the bustling pedestrian street next to the TV station, arriving at the entrance of Xingfu District.
He pulled out his phone and glanced at the information he found before leaving—"Xingfu District, Building A, Unit 203 for low-price rent, men only. Interested parties contact Ms. Zhang, phone number: 176xxxxx"
The rental post was published yesterday.
And the time when the Hanged Ghost was found in Xingfu District was the 3rd, which was the day before yesterday. Wu Liang didn't believe this subtle timing was just a coincidence.
"Then there's only one possibility—the tenant in 203 was killed by the Fierce Ghost, and the apartment became vacant, and with the TV station right next to it without any reports, it proves that the officials currently aren't aware of the Fierce Ghost's existence."
After a round of reasoning, Wu Liang basically confirmed that the Fierce Ghost was indeed inside the 203 apartment.
He entered the district.
The landlord he had contacted in advance was quite enthusiastic about showing him the apartment.
Two bedrooms, one living room, one kitchen, and one bathroom, eighty square meters, simply decorated with complete and undamaged furniture.
"One thousand yuan a month, young man, you won't find a lower price around here, to be honest, this apartment is in high demand, it's only because you seem pleasant that I'm offering you such a low rent,"
The landlord boasted solemnly about the value of the apartment.
Generally speaking, after hearing this, most people would feel flattered, at least think the landlord is easy to talk to.
But who exactly is Wu Liang?
He stepped forward, wandering around the apartment, muttering: "The average rent in Xingfu District is above fifteen hundred, this apartment's decoration alone would usually cost at least two thousand, and it's rented only to men, there must be a reason behind these conditions."
Upon hearing this, the landlord's gaze began to avoid eye contact.
Wu Liang continued: "For example, you might think men have a strong yang energy, good for clearing away bad luck or something, did someone recently die here?"
At this moment, the landlord's gaze became uneasy, except for a few nearby residents, no one else knew that a patient had died unexpectedly in this apartment the night before last.
If word got out about this, how could it be resolved?
"Wh... What nonsense are you saying!" She attempted to argue.
After all, an apartment where someone just died isn't easy to rent in today's societal atmosphere.
Even if she slashed the price by half, she prepared to hang the listing online for at least several months before finding a renter.
She didn't expect that just after posting the listing, someone came by, initially seeming like a fool but unexpectedly quite shrewd.
"Don't be too quick to deny, I didn't say I won't rent." Wu Liang shook his head and said helplessly.
"What? You know someone just died here and you still want to rent?" Now the landlord was puzzled.
Unexpectedly, in the next moment, Wu Liang's tone shifted, happily saying: "Good, good, so you admit someone died here!"
"Renting this apartment to help you dispel bad luck, essentially means I'm taking on a problem, rounding it up means you need me to help with this trouble, hiring someone to help requires payment."
"So, here's the deal, you pay me a thousand yuan a month, and I'll stay here, oh and, water and electricity must be free, okay?"
Wu Liang's rapid-fire combination of words left the landlord dizzy, and she stood there stunned after hearing him out.
Shocked, the landlord said: "You rent my apartment, and want me to pay? Are you serious?"
Looking at the genuine expression in his eyes, she felt as if the young man meant it.
But Wu Liang immediately chuckled in response: "Just kidding, how could I?"
"Young man, your joke is too…"
"Only need the utilities to be free, or I'll have to broadcast on the TV station that someone just died here, oh here is my press card, feel free to take a look."
The landlord had just begun to relax when Wu Liang's subsequent words shocked her again.
Moreover, he actually pulled out a press card from his backpack!
Through clenched teeth, she said: "A reporter like you doing this isn't afraid of retribution?"
"Retribution? The Fierce Ghost taking life? I'd truly hope such a thing happens, so I don't have to bother going out to find it." Wu Liang shrugged, unconcerned as he spoke.
He was speaking the truth.
And he didn't feel getting free utilities was extortion of the landlord, don't forget there's truly a Fierce Ghost here!
If this apartment were rented to someone else, or even the landlord herself sometimes came in for checks and cleaning.
Sooner or later, someone would die here again under such circumstances!
Though Wu Liang was somewhat ruthless, he at least does the job when paid, he truly engages with ghosts!
The two had a tug-of-war verbally, and eventually, the landlord couldn't overcome Wu Liang, agreeing to the free utility measure, with the rent still set at one thousand yuan.
Of course, it was Wu Liang paying the landlord the rent, he wasn't that much of a scoundrel.
Since he didn't have much luggage, just a large backpack on him, while the landlord went upstairs resentfully to retrieve the rental contract, Wu Liang took the opportunity to take out everything from his bag except clothes—
A large red oil paper umbrella placed at the entrance;
Dark sunglasses set on the living room cabinet;
A worn-out puppet doll tossed into the guest room;
A creepy mask hung in the master bedroom;
A rusty kitchen knife stabbed into the kitchen;
An old antique mobile phone replacing the landline position.
Since the morning when the Puppet Ghost acted irrationally, Wu Liang felt that he couldn't keep the physical forms of these Fierce Ghosts confined within the Ghost Compendium for long.
They need to be out in the environment to air out, or else the next time they're used, something weird might happen.
He was genuinely worried that next time the Puppet Ghost, with his face, might do something abstract.
"So, do you dare to appear next?" he whispered, looking up at the living room chandelier, there was a faint yet visible friction mark.
It looked like something finger-thick had previously hung on the chandelier, blocking the dust and leaving a mark, like—a rope?
Wu Liang was truly fearless facing Fierce Ghosts.
But that's if facing them directly!
If the entity decides not to come out, constantly hiding without exposing itself, even knowing it's in the apartment, Wu Liang might still struggle to find it.
Spreading out the physical forms of all Fierce Ghost Minions across various places wasn't to worry about it attacking him, but to prevent the Hanged Ghost from sneaking away unobserved!
"Why does a grown man have such a bright red umbrella… ah!"
The landlord returned with the contract, seeing the bright red oil paper umbrella on the entrance rack, she couldn't resist commenting.
Bang—
Before she could finish speaking, the oil paper umbrella suddenly sprang open, the umbrella surface hitting the ground and bouncing up, grazing over her head, frightening the landlord.
Wu Liang walked over, squinted, held the umbrella, and slowly closed it saying: "Sorry, the umbrella wasn't properly shut and must've triggered a spring mechanism."
The landlord looked at the ancient-looking oil paper umbrella in his hand, unable to figure out where it contained a spring.
But before she could say anything, Wu Liang pulled her out of the apartment, quickly reviewing the contract, signing, and making a fingerprint outside the door.
Little did they know, the umbrella surface inside suddenly had a long thin dust mark, precisely from when it bounced over the landlord's head.
Earlier, something invisible almost landed on her head!