Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Old Man Li was utterly stumped, caught between a rock and a hard place by Lou Yangxue's audacious words.

If he were to gouge out Lou Yangxue's eyes, they were already genuinely blind and thus useless.

But if he didn't, letting this punk off the hook felt deeply unsatisfying...

Ultimately, Old Man Li decided to give up. After all, the word "waste" simply wasn't in his vocabulary.

In his twisted logic, the organs he harvested were those others neither needed nor cherished. Since they were unwanted, donating them to an elderly person in need allowed him to rationalize and guiltlessly claim these organs abandoned by "scumbags."

But if he were to harvest an organ and then not use it, wouldn't that directly contradict his entire philosophy?

At that point, how would he be any different from those scoundrels who wantonly squandered organs?

What Old Man Li failed to realize was a significant logical flaw in his operational code: if any resident possessed a truly diseased organ, his entire "robber's logic" would completely unravel.

After all, a diseased organ unwanted by the residents would certainly be even less desired by Old Man Li.

Inspired by Lou Yangxue’s demonstration, the other residents quickly caught on to this loophole.

As Old Man Li dragged his axe towards them, everyone began racking their brains, desperately trying to identify which of their own organs even the old man would disdain.

Old Man Li stood before Gao Fan, asking grimly, “What ails you?”

“I, I…” Gao Fan stammered for a long moment before a sudden idea struck him. “My appendix hurts! Oh, my appendicitis is flaring up again!”

“...” Old Man Li shot Gao Fan a furious glare, then turned to Qiao Hui. “What ails you?”

Qiao Hui frantically patted herself all over, her eyes suddenly lighting up as she pressed a hand to her abdomen, feigning intense pain. “I have uterine cold syndrome! My uterus aches, especially during my period. Do you want it? Not for 998, not for 98—it’s free of charge~”

Old Man Li, who had absolutely no use for a uterus: “...”

Unwilling to give up, Old Man Li stopped in front of Li Ze. “What ails you?”

Li Ze pointed at his left foot with the index finger he’d just used to pick his nose. “The corn on my sole is bothering me. Could you cut it off for me~”

Old Man Li: “...”

From then on, Old Man Li repeatedly met with resistance.

The residents’ answers became increasingly bizarre and worthless—nothing but blatant deception.

“My tonsils are inflamed again! Does tonsillitis count?”

“My wisdom tooth hurts! Help me pull it out!”

“I… have hemorrhoid pain…”

Old Man Li was on the verge of losing his mind. Why were the residents suddenly refusing to play by the rules? This was completely different from his plan!

“Enough!” After continuous setbacks, Old Man Li quickly realized he was being played. Fuming with rage, he abruptly ceased his questioning and instead issued the main task: “Resident Rule Number One—No wandering in the apartment corridors after midnight. It’s almost midnight now. Only the sick are granted safe rooms. For the rest of you, securing a safe room won’t be so easy.”

“Are you truly sure none of you are unwell?” Old Man Li’s murky eyes swiveled eerily, sweeping over the residents’ varied expressions.

The residents clamped their lips shut, looking at the sky, the ground, the handsome silver-haired man—anywhere but at the old man.

Seeing this, Old Man Li let out a malicious, raspy chuckle. “Young people never appreciate what they have. I understand… I know your youthful minds too well. You always believe something better awaits you in the future, so even in your prime, with the healthiest bodies, you squander them recklessly.”

His voice grew tinged with a bitter, grinding envy, as if he despised all foolish youths who wasted their time. “You think what I did earlier was cruel? Wrong! Terribly wrong!”

Old Man Li raised his arms, his expression fervent. “I was offering you a final path to survival! I was saving you!”

“You cannot possibly imagine the greatness that exists in this world!”

His withered face suddenly glowed with an utterly incongruous fervor. Trembling, he knelt as if praying to an unseen entity. “He is the Morning Dew Forger of the Hall of Ten Thousand Mirrors, the Lord of Frozen Stars in the Vermilion Hourglass, the Thousand-Faced God who governs youth and time! Those who disrespect Him will have their impure souls claimed!”

“Pray to Him devoutly,” Old Man Li raved, “before He claims your souls—”

“...” The residents stared at him as if he were a madman. Lord of Stars? Thousand-Faced God? Old Man Li truly belonged in a mental institution.

On the nearby sofa, Lou Yangxue rested his head on one hand, listening with amused interest to the fanatic follower's raving about the Thousand-Faced God. After hearing it all, he couldn’t help but whisper to Supervisor 66666, “So this is how the Thousand-Faced God introduces Himself to His followers? This guy really knows how to inflate his own importance.”

“Governor of youth and time”? If the Thousand-Faced God truly possessed such an impressive divine portfolio, His followers would have circled the globe three times over. He wouldn’t be reduced to hiding in a dilapidated apartment, personally killing and consuming sacrifices.

Supervisor 66666 scoffed with equal disdain. [If they don’t boast and elevate themselves, who would worship them? Just standard fake god behavior. Remember the “God of Advertising and Express Delivery” I mentioned before? His titles are even more exaggerated. Want to hear them?]

Lou Yangxue tapped his forehead with a finger. “Go on.”

Supervisor 66666 immediately declaimed with dramatic flair: [The Resonant Voice of Countless Contracts, Atop the Divine Throne Built High in the Eternal Night Void, the Star-Gate Creator of Folded Dimensions~]

Lou Yangxue: “...”

Pleased to have rendered Lou Yangxue speechless, Supervisor 66666 resumed a serious tone. [Rumors say the true form of the God of Advertising and Express Delivery is a giant bee. That’s why the heretical organization He founded—‘Have You Eaten?’—has a headquarters structured like a beehive.]

“A giant bee…” Lou Yangxue pondered for a moment, a hint of trouble in his voice. “Never heard of it.”

Lou Yangxue’s past adversaries were always among the absolute elite. This “God of Advertising and Express Delivery” was likely too low-tier to even register on his radar; He simply didn't make the cut for the upper echelons.

Supervisor 66666 secretly observed Lou Yangxue’s reaction. Seeing his genuine confusion, it lowered its estimation of Lou Yangxue another notch.

If he hadn’t even heard of the “God of Advertising and Express Delivery,” Lou Yangxue’s former employer must have been rather mediocre.

No wonder Lou Yangxue defected—he probably thought his old boss was too lame…

Feeling more confident, Supervisor 66666 continued, [Back to the “Thousand-Faced God”—this guy really is a low-tier deity. His superior is the “God of Beauty and Jealousy,” the one who runs the Zhenyan Beauty Salon.]

Lou Yangxue still had some recollection of the Zhenyan Beauty Salon—its employees had tried to recruit him as a model that very morning. He hadn’t realized it was another controlled territory.

After a moment’s thought, Lou Yangxue asked, “So, the Thousand-Faced God is essentially a vassal god to the God of Beauty and Jealousy?”

[Vassal god? Yes, you could certainly say that. If we were to rank these heretical entities by their level of authority, the Thousand-Faced God would occupy a position at the very bottom of the pyramid.]

Lou Yangxue nodded slightly, gaining further insight into the workings of this world.

Unbeknownst to Old Man Li, the duo had been quietly trash-talking the Thousand-Faced God behind his back. He was still spraying saliva as he raved about the god’s greatness, while the residents stood frozen in dread, huddled together, hoping the nightmare would end soon.

As if answering their prayers, Old Man Li suddenly hit the pause button mid-speech, his expression frozen, his raspy voice abruptly silenced.

A moment later, his eyes rolled, and a malicious grin spread across his face.

“Midnight has arrived.”

“Resident Rule Number One: After midnight, no wandering freely in the apartment. Otherwise, bear the consequences yourself.”

Before everyone’s eyes, Old Man Li spread his arms wide. “Young people, fate’s gifts always come with a hidden price. If you wish to escape becoming sacrifices, shouldn’t you pay a little something?”

Behind Old Man Li, a door suddenly materialized on the smooth wall. As it swung open with a loud crash, everyone saw the corridor behind it, lined with thirteen identical apartment doors.

"Go on, go find a safe room," Old Man Li said with an eerie smile. "Of course, if you can’t find one, you can call for me and trade away a small part of yourself for a chance to survive... It’s quite a bargain, isn’t it?"

After saying this, Old Man Li vanished on the spot, leaving all the residents in the room standing bewildered, uncertain what to do next.

"...Is he really gone? Will he come back?"

"Let’s run, let’s get out of this cursed apartment together!"

"Mom, I’m scared..."

"What’s a safe room? What happens if we don’t get one and have to stay in the hallway?"

The residents fell into chaos. Gao Fan seized the opportunity to push through the crowd and rushed over to Lou Yangxue, asking urgently, "Brother Lou, are you okay?"

"I’m fine," Lou Yangxue replied, sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed, struggling to keep his feet off the ground. He said helplessly, "Have you seen my shoes?"

Gao Fan looked around but couldn’t find Lou Yangxue’s slippers.

Lou Yangxue sighed softly, said "Never mind," and stepped directly onto the slippery floor, standing up.

Gao Fan had intended to offer his own shoes but awkwardly gave up upon seeing this. "Brother Lou, what should we do now?"

"Let’s go find a safe room," Lou Yangxue said, using his cane to support himself on the floor. He lifted his foot uncomfortably and frowned. "From what Old Man Li said, if we don’t find a safe room to hide in quickly, something bad will probably happen."

Li Ze and Qiao Hui also gathered around. In the face of danger, they preferred sticking with familiar neighbors rather than unfamiliar residents.

Hearing Lou Yangxue’s words, Li Ze interjected anxiously, "Then we need to hurry and grab one. I just counted—there are only thirteen doors in that hallway. If each door can only hold one person, the rest of us are done for!"

Qiao Hui added urgently, "Some people are already heading into the hallway. Let’s go too!"

Humans tend to follow the crowd. After the first person rushed into the hallway and pulled open a door to hide inside, the others could no longer hold back and began pushing frantically into the hallway.

Pulled along by Gao Fan and the others, Lou Yangxue was also swept into the hallway. The scene was chaotic, and in the panic, Lou Yangxue had his feet stepped on several times by the crowd pushing forward. Before he knew it, he had become separated from Gao Fan and the rest.

The crowd flowed past Lou Yangxue like a river, while he remained motionless like a stubborn rock in the current, staying firmly in place.

Soon, everyone had entered a door, leaving Lou Yangxue alone in the hallway, like a lost and innocent lamb.

"Did everyone else go in?" Lou Yangxue asked Supervisor 66666.

[They’re all inside. You’re the only one left in the hallway now.]

Supervisor 66666 felt inexplicably nervous and cautiously asked, [What are you planning to do? Are you... going to catch the dog?]

"Catch," Lou Yangxue replied, pulling out a collar and leash from his person. He assembled them, weighed them in his hand, curled his lips into a smile, and said, "But I think we can add one more trophy."

"Midnight is when the Thousand-Faced God begins its slaughter," Lou Yangxue said, lifting his face to gaze into the dark void. "56, what kind of person do you think the Thousand-Faced God prefers to possess?"

Supervisor 66666 didn’t understand why Lou Yangxue was asking this but answered honestly, [Data shows It has possessed humans of all ages, with varying appearances and levels. Therefore, the Supernatural Management Bureau suspects It chooses Its possession targets randomly.]

Lou Yangxue narrowed his eyes. "That guess isn’t wrong, but you’re overlooking a key point: Its superior god is the God of Beauty and Jealousy, who runs a beauty salon."

Gods also have a hierarchy of disdain. To gain the favor of a superior god, aside from increasing one’s own power, there’s another way to curry favor—by offering sacrifices that please the superior god.

The Thousand-Faced God might randomly choose to possess any ordinary person, but would It ignore a beautiful human with an appearance score of 96?

"So, It will like me."

Lou Yangxue smiled slightly and asked Supervisor 66666, "My current spiritual power threshold is 102. What is the Thousand-Faced God’s spiritual power threshold?"

[The power of heresy isn’t spiritual energy; the Supernatural Management Bureau calls it 'pollution value.' Currently, the Thousand-Faced God’s maximum pollution value is 7890.]

Lou Yangxue fell silent.

Then, under Supervisor 66666’s horrified gaze, Lou Yangxue’s spiritual power threshold suddenly fluctuated.

The number, which had just barely scraped past the F-grade passing line, climbed steadily and finally settled at "3168."

"That should be delicious enough," Lou Yangxue murmured to himself. "Appearance 96, power less than half of the Thousand-Faced God’s—whether for possession, consumption, or sacrifice, it’s absolutely perfect. What an ideal prey."

Because Lou Yangxue’s level changed so casually, Supervisor 66666’s worldview shattered once again: [Y-you... you...]

Supervisor 66666 stuttered in terror for a long time, unable to form a complete sentence. Seeing this, Lou Yangxue smiled. His nearly nonexistent conscience stirred slightly, so this time, he gave Supervisor 66666 a heads-up: "Next, I’ll play the role of the most delicious prey to lure the Thousand-Faced God into possessing me. And then—"

"I’ll eat It."

A smile lingering on his lips, Lou Yangxue pushed open the door in front of him and stepped inside.

To hook the "Thousand-Faced God," Lou Yangxue mobilized the last remnants of his power, shaping himself into the perfect prey.

He hoped the "Thousand-Faced God" wouldn’t disappoint him and would definitely choose to possess him.

Author’s Note:

Respected "Thousand-Faced God," the Lou Yangxue Victims Alliance reminds you to promptly download the anti-fraud app and beware of scams~

Thousand-Faced God: ? Spam message. Delete.

Thousand-Faced God: Huh, there’s a beautiful weak human over there. Let me try possessing them—