)—As the four returned to the Sunshine Hotel from the temple, before they could even voice the excitement of obtaining the Buddhist scriptures, the group was jolted by the scene before them.

The location was still the suite where Zheng Zha was staying. They had agreed to gather here every evening no matter what, but when Zheng Zha and the other three opened the door, they were greeted by terrified shrieks emanating from inside—two distinct male cries.

“No, don’t come any closer! A gun, right, I have a gun…” That was Lu Renjia’s voice.

“Waaah, don’t drag me in there, I didn’t see anything, please don’t drag me in there…” This was the sound of Qiu Zhongting weeping.

Every light in the suite had been turned on, and the television wasn’t just on—the volume was cranked to maximum. It was a testament to the hotel's excellent soundproofing that the room service hadn't already come knocking to inquire. As the four swung the door open, they saw the two young men huddled in the center of the carpet. One of them was trembling violently, pointing a handgun directly at them.

Zheng Zha and Zhang Jie rushed forward simultaneously, wrestling the gun away before either of the young men could fire.

It seemed only then that the two youths recognized who had entered. Lu Renjia immediately latched onto Zheng Zha’s thigh, howling, while Qiu Zhongting simply shrank onto the floor, crying inconsolably.

The four exchanged glances, an immediate sense of foreboding settling in their hearts. Zheng Zha quickly hauled Lu Renjia up. “What in the world happened? Where is Xiao Bingyi? Where is Ming Yanwei? Why are only the two of you here! Just tell me what happened?” “Don’t bother asking them; both of them have been scared witless.”

Ming Yanwei’s voice drifted languidly from beside them. Turning, the group saw her leaning against the doorway of another room, clad only in sexy lingerie. Wearing just silk underthings, she looked exquisitely alluring—the subtle peaks of her chest visible beneath the sheer fabric, her waist slender and exquisitely curved. She was a vision of pure temptation.

This beautiful woman seemed to have made a deliberate effort. Smiling faintly, she remarked, “When they were watching me try on clothes in the dressing room earlier, those three idiots couldn’t hold it and bolted to the restroom. But moments later, gunshots echoed from inside. A few minutes after that, only these two idiots ran back. Heh, and they claimed they wanted to protect me. Men always abandon women when danger strikes, don’t they? No matter what the danger is, hehe…” There seemed to be an undercurrent to her words, but at this moment, the others had little patience for subtleties. Save for Zhan Lan, who regarded Ming Yanwei with a thoughtful gaze, the other three men crowded the two youths, demanding answers. But the two seemed genuinely paralyzed by terror; beyond clinging to their legs and weeping hysterically, they couldn't utter a single coherent sentence. As the trio pressed for details, the entrance to the room swung open once more, and Zhao Yingkong strolled in, clutching the ever-present book.

“A rather interesting way to die. Several new fatality reports have surfaced on the police network. One young man was found inside a mall restroom drainage pipe. In a pipe barely fifteen centimeters in diameter, his entire body had been compressed into a sausage shape—bones, organs, flesh, all squeezed into a single mass. When they finally extracted him, it was impossible to discern what he had looked like originally. I truly wish I could see that bizarre scene firsthand.”

Zhao Yingkong ignored the rest of the group, settled onto a sofa, and spoke to herself, particularly as she uttered the last sentence. A chilling, almost bloodthirsty smile played across the face of the stunningly handsome young girl, sending a wave of inexplicable dread through those around her.

“Additionally, four other oddly mutilated corpses were discovered. One individual had been divided into hundreds of pieces, each no larger than a fingernail clipping. It appeared as if a bomb had detonated inside him, yet forensic analysis found no trace of explosives in the remains. Two others died from bloating; upon examination, the medical examiner found that every internal organ save for their stomachs was missing. In each other’s stomachs, they found the other’s entrails. And the last one…” “Stop talking!” Zheng Zha yanked Zhao Yingkong upward, the book slipping from her grasp and falling to the floor. The man roared in fury, “What exactly is the point of detailing this? Are you trying to make us lose all hope? Are you trying to crush our morale? Huh! Do you think a group without the will to resist can possibly last seven days?” Zhao Yingkong’s initially languid gaze instantly sharpened. She stated coldly, “Let go of me… How I choose to speak is my business. I joined this team, but that doesn’t mean I acknowledge you as team members. In my view, only Zero Point is qualified to be my teammate; the rest of you…” Zheng Zha was about to retort when a sharp pain shot through his wrist, and blood immediately sprayed forth. A sense of mortal peril washed over him. Zhao Yingkong’s delicate little hand had proved as sharp as a razor blade; with a slight flick, she had sliced open his wrist artery. The girl then lunged into his embrace, raising her hand to slash at his jugular vein.

Zheng Zha’s reaction time was lightning fast. He swung the girl upward, throwing her away, while simultaneously kicking her hard in the stomach. With a resounding thud, the girl slammed against the far wall. Yet, even as she was sent flying back, spitting blood, she used the wall to push off again, accelerating back into Zheng Zha’s chest, her five fingers aiming directly for his heart.

(This… this feeling?!) Zheng Zha had already drawn his High-Vibration Particle Cutting Dagger. As he swung the blade, his entire being plunged into the Gene Lock unlocking state. He had no choice; that acute premonition of imminent death accurately informed him that this girl, too, was operating in the Gene Lock unlocked state! Just as the dagger and the girl’s fingers were about to strike, both simultaneously leaped backward. Having unlocked their Gene Locks, their danger sense was incredibly heightened. At the exact moment they were about to clash, a bullet silently streaked between them. Both looked towards the doorway and saw Zero Point standing there quietly, holding a suppressed handgun.

Zhao Yingkong was the first to revert from the unlocked state. She picked up her book from the floor and calmly sat back on the sofa, not even bothering to wipe the blood from the corner of her mouth. She merely stated flatly, “With you added, I acknowledge two members in this team…” Zheng Zha, however, did not retreat from the unlocked state. He said coldly, “That kind of talk again. Who the hell do you think you are? Do we need your approval to be team members? One Chu Xuan is enough; I don't want to see our own people harming each other! Either get out right now, or from now on, treat the team members with sincerity. If you still think you stand above everyone else because you’re stronger, I can kill you right now!” As he finished, he flicked his left hand, and the submachine gun materialized in his other hand. He stated coldly, “I am serious. Don’t think I’m joking!” Zhao Yingkong merely looked down at her book and replied, “No problem. You are the captain. If your performance ever disappoints me, I will naturally issue a challenge to kill you. Until then, your word is law… Now, back to what I was saying, one more person has died. In other words, a total of five people died today—us, and those four.”

Zheng Zha finally retracted from the Gene Lock unlocked state. He cautiously sat down behind Zhang Jie. With those two guarding him, he finally spoke, “So, that leaves three newcomers remaining… plus Chu Xuan?” Zhao Yingkong remained silent. Instead, Zhan Lan touched her forehead and chuckled, “If we continue at this pace, there’s no way we can last seven days. Perhaps we should try contacting Chu Xuan?” “No need.”

Zheng Zha clenched his teeth until his entire body began to tremble violently—a residual effect of unlocking the Gene Lock, a pain that felt akin to dying every single time. After several tens of seconds, he gradually calmed down, while Zhao Yingkong just kept reading, showing no outward distress other than a slightly increased sheen of sweat on her brow.

Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Zheng Zha muttered, “If he wanted to contact us… he would contact us. If he genuinely wants to return to the team, as long as he abandons those self-destructive notions, we will naturally…” The newcomers, unfamiliar with Chu Xuan, were unconcerned, but Zhang Jie and the others sighed softly. Then, Qi Tengyi excitedly began explaining the era of the Buddhist scriptures to the group. Upon seeing the scriptures, both Zero Point and Zhao Yingkong showed surprise. They hadn't believed that going to the temple would yield any real help, but they were astonished that they had actually brought back something capable of countering the curse. Though initially skeptical, both felt a palpable easing of tension in their bodies upon touching the scripture, finally convincing them completely.

Qi Tengyi kept talking animatedly. The young man looked very openhearted, laughing loudly. “You guys have no idea! We were even attacked by the ghost child from the curse—the Ju-on ghost! But the moment we stepped through the ‘Kai’ gate of the mountain, the ghost dared not appear again, hahaha! It seems that as long as we have this scripture, we can definitely last these seven days.”

Afterward, the group deliberated and decided to divide into three teams of three to guard the scriptures, while the remaining six would take turns sleeping and watching. The three girls were fixed as one team, and the other six men drew lots for their pairings. Subsequently, Zheng Zha, Zhang Jie, and Zero Point formed one group, while Qi Tengyi paired with the two college students who now seemed much calmer. Each of the three groups would guard the scriptures for three hours in rotation, a process to be repeated every night until the next day.

Though Zhao Yingkong was extremely reluctant, she upheld her previous promise. When Zheng Zha proposed they all live within the confines of the suite for the duration, the young girl simply accepted the arrangement in silence, finally residing with the other two women.

Everything seemed perfectly arranged, yet the group failed to notice the furtive, shifting glances exchanged between the two university students, nor the barely perceptible smile Ming Yanwei directed toward them…