Chapter 11 Beginnings

```

"W-what's going on here?"

A man dressed in a suit, carrying a briefcase, was pacing in circles, looking extremely anxious, constantly checking the watch on his wrist.

"What time is it now? The sun hasn't risen yet? Could it be a solar eclipse?"

"There's no way it lasts this long, we still have to go to work."

"What work are you talking about now," a young woman who ran down in her pajamas complained, "haven't you noticed that the neighbors next to you are all gone? What kind of situation is this?"

"Yes, they're missing. I thought they had all gone out... You too? Also, I can't get through on my phone, isn't this too strange?"

The few people looked at each other helplessly, all looking puzzled.

They had obviously all noticed the unusual nature of the current situation, but still didn't understand what was happening specifically.

Until an old man spoke up shakily:

"Didn't you, didn't you notice those white shadows...?"

"What things?"

"We, we saw them too, a group of white shadows floated past my door..." said the husband in a couple, his face pale, still looking shocked, and his pregnant wife beside him was so weak in the legs she could only sit, "my wife and I hid in the house, waited for a long time after they passed before we dared to come out..."

"I saw it too! Saw it clearly, it wasn't ghost fire, it was something like a person but not a person..." said another person, clutching his hair, still with an incredulous look on his face, "was that a ghost?"

...

Cen Dongsheng and An Zhizhen stood at the entrance of the stairway not far from the courtyard, observing the reactions of this group of people.

Only after a while did Sister Zhi Zhen speak:

"I thought it was just the two of us who got caught up in this..."

"No, at least Miss Zhou was also a victim from the start. She was probably taken over by some ghost shortly after the 'ghost house transformation' began inside Xiaokang Building."

"Is that so..."

An Zhizhen exhaled heavily, turning her head gently to speak:

"Dongsheng, can I help them?"

"Yeah, of course."

An unsurprising question. Cen Dongsheng answered straightforwardly and efficiently.

"...Wouldn't it trouble you?"

"Even if we wanted to leave the Ghost House, it's not something that can be done in a short time, I originally came down just to see the situation." He shrugged, "If Sister Zhi Zhen can help me settle these people, it will save me some trouble."

The reason their Exorcism Department task force had to rescue survivors in the Ghost House was not only out of humanitarian consideration, but also to avoid trouble with the on-site personnel.

People who died in bitter resentment and extreme pain, especially in places like the Ghost House where yin energy gathered, would most likely become new ghosts; not to mention high-level ghosts inherently had the ability to transform human souls into their kind; these newborn ghosts could also become obstacles.

Of course, compared to the personal safety of frontline members and achieving the core objective of exorcising the Ghost House, the priority was relatively low, only within their ability to save. If not, it was up to fate.

"Really? I can help you?"

Sister Zhi Zhen's eyes brightened, and she clasped her hands together, looking delighted.

"I thought I could only be protected by you, and felt a bit down. It seems I can still be useful. Dongsheng, you find a way to solve the Ghost House, I'll gather the remaining people and ensure they don't wander off and drag you down... How does that sound?"

Cen Dongsheng nodded, "How do you plan to do it?"

An Zhizhen thought for a moment, then asked:

"How long do you think it will take to get out of here? No need for precision, estimate it!"

"To find the whereabouts of the Core Ghost in Xiaokang Building, without clues, we'll only be able to use the clumsy method of going through each floor and room to check..."

Cen Dongsheng didn't hold back, estimating the time based on experience.

"About five days to a week."

If there were a "Ghost Immortal Series" Curse Forbidden Master present, skilled in reconnaissance, they could greatly enhance search efficiency, which was the value of a team and partners.

Unfortunately, he could only rely on himself now.

"I understand."

An Zhizhen nodded slightly, looking quite confident.

Then, she walked alone towards the crowd, clapping her hands and raising her voice, saying:

"Everyone! Look this way."

...

"Doctor An, you're here!"

"Doctor An! So you're here too, that's great..."

Most of the residents of Xiaokang Building gathered here recognized her, as she was well-liked, and several people who had received her help came up to inquire.

"Doctor An, do you know what's going on?"

"The weather is acting strange, and there are weird things in the building, like haunted..."

"What should we do..."

The man in the suit looked at the door shrouded in darkness, gritting his teeth.

"We can't just stay here, I want to go out and see what's happening."

"No."

An Zhizhen's attitude was unusually calm, and her voice seemed to carry some kind of calming power, making those around her willing to listen.

"We can't get out for now, and no one will come to rescue us."

"Can't get out? What's going on?"

"Did anyone try pushing the door?"

Several people, including the man in the suit, walked to the door, unwilling to accept this.

But no matter how hard they tried, the tightly shut community iron gate didn't budge an inch, and through the cracks in the gate, what they saw was—

```