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Despite completing all the actions, the elevator's malfunction persisted. Accompanied by flickering lights, it shot abruptly to the top floor.

The sensation of weightlessness triggered screams from those inside.

Pausing for about a second on the rooftop, it then plummeted downward fiercely.

The fatty and the skinny man clung together in fear.

"We're dead, we're dead," the fatty lamented with a gloomy face, "This time, I'm really done for. If only I knew, if only I'd left earlier. I insisted on getting more money from Shengshi Real Estate, and now look where it's gotten me."

"I'm still young, I don't want to die!" The skinny man, terrified, hugged the tray tightly while staring at the flickering lights in horror.

Kang Nancy helped the old lady up and embraced the crying Little Cucumber, watching as the elevator continued its descent.

Ten floors, nine floors, eight floors...

"Little Cucumber, don't be afraid, Mommy is here. Little Cucumber, don't be scared..." Kang Nancy was also at a loss, trembling against the elevator wall as she constantly stroked Little Cucumber's forehead. With tears in her eyes, she recalled the scene when her father had first brought her into the building, closing her eyes in fear.

"Daddy, I'm coming to find you."

Amidst a critical situation.

The elevator plummeted downward at an alarming speed.

Assuming no unexpected turn of events, the tremendous impact upon hitting the ground would shatter its occupants into fragments.

Just as everyone was on the brink of despair, an unseen yellow talisman flashed swiftly through the window and attached itself to the control panel, emitting an invisible, transparent wave of light.

In the next instant.

The rapidly descending elevator began to slow down and, surprisingly, opened its doors steadily.

Inside the elevator, the panicked passengers witnessed a young maiden and a short-haired youth in a loose daoist robe, holding a puppy, waving at them from outside.

Chu Yuening's lips curled into a smile.

"Hello, everyone."

A narrow escape.

Everyone collectively released a huge sigh of relief.

"Grandmaster Chu?"

Kang Nancy, holding Little Cucumber, opened her eyes as the elevator doors slid open. The trapped individuals hurriedly exited. Nancy's legs trembled as she stood up, but the skinny man rushed to carry Little Cucumber out first.

They were afraid that even a single extra second in the elevator could result in an irreversible mishap.

When Little Cucumber was returned to Kang Nancy's arms, he was still wailing loudly.

Nancy's hands shook as she wiped away her child's tears, bowing gratefully towards Chu Yuening. "Grandmaster Chu, it's a good thing you arrived in time. Otherwise... otherwise, we all would've been stuck in there."

"I did promise I'd come," Chu Yuening greeted the other neighbors as well.

The fat man, freshly rescued, watched in horror as the talisman on the button disintegrated into ashes. His eyes widened as he took a step back, pointing at the charm and shouting.

"Look at the talisman! Quick, look at the talisman!"

Their gazes followed.

The skinny man asked, "A talisman? Usually, they're only used when there's a malevolent spirit involved. Could it be that the elevator accident just now wasn't an accident?"

"It certainly wasn't," Chu Yuening said as she looked at the dissipating black aura, which had been suppressed by the talisman. She then entered the elevator and tore off the advertisement pasted inside.

After the modern shampoo advertisement featuring a lady was peeled away, a blood-red talisman was revealed underneath.

In fact, blood was still dripping down continuously.

"Whoa—!!" They were all startled.

"This… How could there be a talisman here?" The fatty was utterly confused. "What good would it do for him to draw a talisman to harm us?"

Chu Yuening chimed in, "That's right, what good would it do?"

She turned to look at Nancy. "I heard there's a real estate company interested in buying out this neighborhood, right?"

"Could it be… them?" Nancy, being quick-witted, figured it out soon enough. Thinking about how close she had come to losing her father's inheritance, she bit her lip. "Master Chu, could it be that the recent bizarre incidents in Garden Estate were all orchestrated by them?"

"Indeed. The property company must have hired a feng shui master," Chu Yuening explained. "They've set up a 'Whistling Cranes and Cowering Ducks' feng shui formation in the building. It can use the crane's shape to constantly peck at your spirits."

"This would cause residents to feel uneasy, live in constant fear, leading to accidents or even death from such incidents."

"Damn it!"

The fatty cursed inwardly. "I thought we were already pretty ruthless by trying to swindle some money from them. I never expected them to be even more ruthless. Seeing that their neighbors refused to move, they actually wanted to harm them! Simply despicable!"

Everyone was furious, and the fatty even rolled up his sleeves. "I know where the CEO of Shengshi Real Estate lives. Let's go deal with him right now!"

"I'll go with you!" the skinny one followed swiftly.

"You're going? How will you get there? They've set up such a grand feng shui formation in your district," Wei Yanlin said, ruffling the little curly-haired boy's head and smoothing down his unruly hair. He then handed over the scarecrow.

The fatty's face turned red at the mention. He couldn't even avoid the elevator mishap, so how could he dare to boast about causing trouble at their headquarters? He laughed awkwardly. "Master is right."

Taking back the scarecrow, the fatty distributed one to each person.

Kang Nancy was trying to console the endlessly crying Little Cucumber, clumsily taking the scarecrow when offered. She passed the scarecrow to the child.

"Don't cry, Little Cucumber. Look, what's this?"

Normally, Little Cucumber would have been intrigued by the scarecrow, but today, he paid no attention to it, sobbing relentlessly while wiping his eyes with both hands.

"Master Chu, can you please take a look at what's wrong with Little Cucumber?" Panic-stricken, Nancy Kang could only turn to Chu Yuening for help with an anxious gaze.

"I'll have a look."

Chu Yuening crouched down, observing the weeping boy before offering him a reassuring smile. "Let big sister help calm your fright, okay?"

By 'calming the fright,' she meant soothing the trauma.

Little Cucumber had been so terrified that one of his three souls had fled.