After Skyfall

Searching for Artifacts in a haunted building was indeed a difficult task.

Money isn’t easy to earn.

Sitting in the car, heading towards their destination, Li Yi could not help but sigh.

But he had no other choice. If there were another way to earn fifty thousand yuan in a short time, he would not have taken on such a dangerous task.

The vehicle navigated through the old district, the journey slightly jolting along the way.

Inside the vehicle, everyone remained silent, the atmosphere somewhat heavy.

“This car has been circling around; we’ve just passed this road. It seems that Crow is very cautious. I’m starting to believe what he said might be true. Hey, if we could really find an Artifact, that would be interesting.” The man in the hoodie chuckled to himself.

“We’ll be collaborating together soon. If you don’t mind, let’s do a simple self-introduction to get acquainted. I’m Wei Li, a doctor from a small clinic in Tianchang City. I’m here because my daughter is sick and we’re short on funds for her surgery,” the slightly thin man with glasses said, smiling.

“Zhang Kaiwen. I’m not from this town. I borrowed money from loan sharks and couldn’t pay them back, so I came here to hide. This trip is solely to make money, nothing else.” The hoodie-clad man grinned as he spoke.

“Liu Yan, local. I have some talent for spiritual cultivation. I want to see if I can take the first step, but cultivation requires money. My family isn’t well-off, so I want to strive for myself. After all, even with a regular job, I can’t save up a hundred thousand in ten years. Even if I do earn it, by then, I’ll be old and too late for cultivation.”

The woman in the camisole dress spoke with remarkable seriousness, her eyes revealing her inner dissatisfaction and longing.

Li Yi said, “My name is Li Yi. I’ve just mentioned my situation to Crow; all of you should’ve heard it. I won’t waste any more words here.”

Finally, everyone’s gaze turned to the last person: the tall, sturdy man with a square face.

This man sat in the car with his arms crossed, his muscles bulging, and his expression stern and serious. He spoke with a booming voice: “I’m Wang Hu, from Xiangjiang. Don’t compare me to a bunch of losers like you. I’m just here to make some cash on my way travels. You’re nothing but extras in my eyes. And I, Wang Hu, am born extraordinary and destined to overturn this world.”

Others: “…”

Wow, you sure are different from the others, aren’t you?

As the vehicle came to a halt, a half-ruined skyscraper loomed before them. The area around it was surrounded by police tape and cordoned off with warning signs advising people to stay away from the hazardous structure. The nearby buildings were also severely damaged, each one bearing the scars of some catastrophic event.

“Is this the abandoned district?”

Li Yi got out of the car and looked around, but there were no other people nearby. The streets were littered with abandoned cars, and wild grass had taken over the surrounding wasteland.

Few people ventured into the abandoned district. The massive destruction was one reason, but another more crucial reason, was the lurking unknown dangers. Only outlaws and those who had stepped into the realm of spiritual practice dared to linger here.

“Crow, you’re late.”

At that moment, a crisp, clear sound of footsteps echoed from within the dark building. Soon after, a figure slowly emerged from the depths of the shadows. Though her features were indistinguishable, her voice revealed that she was a woman, and her tone was exceptionally cold.

“We took a few detours on the road to avoid any accidents,” Crow explained in a low voice.

The figure continued, “Only five people? With so few, you won’t make even a ripple in this building. We need at least ten.”

“Wang Jian, the investigator from the old district, is on the move. I don’t know if he received some tip or if it’s just a coincidence, but he showed up in Wangmen District. I believe we can’t afford to have too many people on this mission, or we’ll risk exposing ourselves. We don’t know exactly what’s inside this building, but it’s better to be cautious,” said Crow.

“Wang Jian? I see. You’re right. We can’t let others know about this. Five it is. Let’s give it a try; if we fail, we’ll recruit another group,” replied the woman.

“Hey, hey! So you’re saying we must succeed and can’t afford to fail? If we don’t find what you’re looking for, does that mean you’ll silence us? This isn’t what we agreed on at the start,” Zhang Kaiwen said, stepping forward with a frown.

But before he finished his sentence, in the next moment…

A pair of eyes seemed to flicker in the darkness of the building, like sudden flashes of light.

Buzz!Buzz!

In that instant, Li Yi felt his head buzz, followed by ringing in his ears and darkness engulfing his vision. An overwhelming wave of nausea and dizziness washed over him.

Fortunately, the feeling came and dissipated quickly.

When he regained his senses, he saw Zhang Kaiwen, who had just spoken, suddenly collapse to his knees. His face was deathly pale, and with a loud retch, he began vomiting profusely. Blood was streaming from his eyes, ears, and nostrils, making him look horrifyingly wretched.

Beside him, Liu Yan’s eyes widened in disbelief and fear. “Is that… a Gazer?”

“Gazer? What’s that?” Li Yi immediately asked.

“Focusing divine energy into the eyes to kill with a gaze—this is a technique only true practitioners can master. She’s no longer an ordinary person; at the very least, she’s a spiritual medium.” Liu Yan seemed to know quite a lot of things. Her voice trembled with fear, but it also held a trace of envy and longing.

“This person has already opened up a mediumship*?” Li Yi was also stunned.

Although he was not well-versed in spiritual practice, living in this era meant he had heard about it.

The first stage of spiritual practice is becoming a medium.

Although becoming a medium is the initial step, it is a formidable barrier that blocks countless people.

Because there are significant problems with spiritual practice in this world.

Ordinary people who attempt it either fall gravely ill, go insane, or ultimately die in agony.

Even if one overcomes the problems of spiritual practice, the progress is extremely slow. Li Yi knew of a relative’s child who had been cultivating at home for five years. During these five years, the child did nothing but eat, sleep, and idle away, yet achieved no results.

In the end, relatives and friends concluded that the child was probably not cultivating at all but was merely freeloading off the parents.

This kind of situation did not just happen once; many families have been facing similar situations.

Countless people invest three to five years in cultivation, only to end up with no results.

The disproportionate risk and reward, coupled with the significant time investment, caused many people to give up on spiritual practice. Only families with adequate means are willing to spend the money and time for their children to try, although there are still numerous poor families who tighten their belts to support a would-be practitioner.

“Watch your words next time. This was just a minor lesson; don’t get too full of yourself. In the abandoned district, if I wanted to kill you, I could do it without leaving a trace.” As the sound of footsteps continued, the mysterious woman emerged from the dilapidated building.

She was tall, clad in tight-fitting clothes, with a long ponytail hanging down to her waist. Her fair face carried an unyielding coldness, and her eyes were unique, with white pupils that seemed to emit a faint glow.

“Crow, transfer the money to them, and get them moving immediately. Don’t try any tricks. I’ll be watching you all from the shadows. If anyone steps out of line, I guarantee you won’t leave here alive.” After speaking, the woman glanced over the group before turning to leave.

Her figure quickly blended into the darkness of the abandoned building and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

“Wow, what a despicable woman! I almost got killed. Those who actually delve into spiritual practices are terrifyingly powerful. For a moment, I thought my head was going to explode. Is that technique called ‘Gazer’? Damn it, I might just take out a loan to start practicing that.” Zhang Kaiwen staggered to his feet, spitting out a mouthful of blood mixed with saliva.

“That was quite a hit earlier. It looks like this trip won’t be boring at all. Haha, I’m starting to get excited.” Wang Hu laughed loudly.

As a doctor, Wei Li wiped his glasses and said, “The Gazer technique is indeed dangerous. It seems to target the human brain, like a mental shock. Ordinary people have no means to defend against it. Only practitioners who have also opened up mediumship can counter such attacks. I just don’t know the maximum range of the Gazer and whether it can be blocked by walls or buildings.”

Li Yi remained silent, massaging his slightly dizzy head. He was still shaken by what had just happened.

He had only been caught in the periphery of the attack and not directly targeted.

Even so, the peripheral impact was severe. If that woman had been deliberate in her actions, Zhang Kaiwen would have undoubtedly died, with no chance of survival.

It was a bit heavy-handed for just a warning. Is it because we’re in the abandoned district, or because practitioners no longer regard ordinary people as important anymore? Li Yi pondered silently, then felt his phone vibrate.

Taking it out, he saw a message indicating fifty thousand yuan had been deposited into his account.

Almost simultaneously, the others received the same notification.

Crow said in a deep voice, “The money has been transferred. Don’t waste any more time. Get started, and I’ll provide you with more relevant information via messages after you enter the building.”

“Chattering time is over. Let’s go, you bunch of good-for-nothings.”

Wang Hu took the lead, ignoring the others, and strode towards the dilapidated building ahead.

“Hey, Wang Hu, don’t be so impulsive. Crow just said this abandoned building is haunted,” Zhang Kaiwen remarked.

(End of Chapter)

——

*TL’s note:

“Spiritual cultivation” and “spiritual practices” are used interchangeably in the novel.

Mediumship is the pseudoscientific practice of mediating communication between familiar spirits or spirits of the dead and living human beings. Practitioners are known as “mediums” or “spirit mediums”.

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