Chapter 2: The Eyewitness

Searching for a suspected supernatural object in a haunted building is truly a difficult task.

Money isn't easy to earn.

Sitting in the car on the way to the destination, Li Yi couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

But he had no other options. If there were a different way to earn fifty thousand yuan in a short time, he wouldn't have taken on such a dangerous task.

The vehicle bumped along through the old city district.

Everyone in the car remained silent, the atmosphere heavy with tension.

"This car is going in circles. We've already been down this road before. It seems that Old Crow is very cautious. Now, I'm starting to believe what he said might be true. Hey, if we really find a supernatural object, that would be interesting." The man in the hoodie chuckled to himself.

"We're about to work together. If you don't mind, let's do a quick self-introduction to get to know each other. I'm Wei Li, a doctor at a small clinic in Tianchang City. I'm here because my daughter is sick and I need money for her surgery." The man with glasses said.

"Zhang Kaiwen." The man in the hoodie grinned. "I'm from out of town. I borrowed from loan sharks and couldn't pay them back, so I hid here. I'm just doing this for the money, no other reason."

"Liuyan, a local. I have some talent for cultivation and want to see if I can take the first step. But cultivation requires money, and my family's financial situation isn't good. I want to fight for my future. With a normal job, I can't save a hundred thousand yuan in ten years. Even if I could, by then..."

The woman in the slip dress spoke seriously. From her eyes, one could see her inner resentment and desire.

Li Yi said, "My name is Li Yi. I already told Old Crow my situation earlier, so you all should have heard it. I won't repeat it."

Everyone then looked at the tall, muscular man with a square face.

This man sat in the car with his arms crossed, muscles bulging, looking serious. He spoke in a loud voice, "My name is Wang Hu, from Hong Kong. Don't compare me to you weaklings. I'm just here to earn some pocket money while on vacation. In my eyes, you are all nothing but small fry."

"..."

The others were speechless.

Goodness, why are you so different from everyone else?

As the vehicle stopped, a half-collapsed building stood before them. A perimeter had been established around it with warning signs to keep people away. The surrounding buildings were also severely damaged, each one incomplete, as if suddenly struck by something at some point.

"Is this the abandoned district?"

Li Yi got out of the car and looked around but saw no one else. There were many abandoned cars on the road, and the surrounding wasteland was overgrown with weeds.

Few people come to the abandoned district, not only because of the massive destruction but also due to the potential lurking dangers. Only outlaws or those stepping into the path of cultivation dared to stay here.

"Old Crow, you're late."

At this moment, a crisp, loud footstep came from the darkness of the building. A figure slowly emerged from the shadows. Although the face couldn't be seen clearly, the voice indicated it was a woman, but her tone was particularly cold.

"We took a few detours to avoid any surprises," Old Crow explained in a low voice.

The figure continued, "Only five people? This many won't make a splash in this building. Too few. We need at least ten people."

"Investigator Wang Jian is active in the old district. I don't know if he received some news or if it was a coincidence, but he appeared in Wangmen community. I think we can't have too many people for this operation, or it'll be easy to expose. Even though we're not sure what's in this building..."

"Wang Jian? I understand. You're right. This matter mustn't be known by others. Five people it is. We'll see how it goes. If we fail, we'll find another group." The woman said.

"Hey, hey, does that mean we have to succeed? If we can't find what you want, does that mean we'll be silenced? That's not what was said at the beginning." Zhang Kaiwen stepped forward, frowning.

But before he finished speaking, the next moment.

In the darkness of the building, a pair of eyes suddenly lit up, like sudden flashes of light.

Buzz!

At that moment, Li Yi's head buzzed, and he instantly experienced tinnitus and blacked out, unable to see anything. At the same time, a wave of nausea surged up.

Fortunately, the feeling came quickly and left just as fast.

When he regained his senses, he saw Zhang Kaiwen, who had just spoken, suddenly kneeling on the ground, his face extremely pale, vomiting profusely. Blood streamed from his eyes, ears, and nostrils, looking horrifying and pitiful.

Liuyan's eyes widened in disbelief and fear: "Is this... Eyewitness?"

"Eyewitness? What's that?" Li Yi immediately asked.

"Gathering spiritual power in the eyes, capable of killing with a glance. This is something only those who have truly stepped into cultivation can master. She's no longer an ordinary person, at least a practitioner who has opened the spirit medium." Liuyan seemed to know a lot. Despite her fear, she explained clearly.

"She's already opened the spirit medium?" Li Yi was stunned.

Although he didn't understand much about cultivation, living in this era, he had heard about it even if he hadn't seen it.

Because there are issues with cultivation in this world.

For ordinary people, attempting cultivation often results in serious illness, madness, and ultimately a painful death.

Even if one overcomes these problems, the pace of cultivation is incredibly 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 consume a lot, yet had made no progress at all. The family concluded that the child was likely just freeloading rather than truly cultivating.

This situation was not uncommon; many families experienced the same thing.

Spending three to five years on cultivation only to achieve nothing was a common story. The risks and rewards were disproportionate, and it consumed a lot of time, causing many to give up on cultivation. Only families with decent financial means would invest the time and money to let their children try. Of course, there were also poor families who tightened their belts to support a cultivator.

"Watch your words next time. This was just a small lesson. Don't think too highly of yourself. In this abandoned district, if I wanted to kill you all, I could ensure no trace would be found." The mysterious woman's voice echoed from within the building as her footsteps continued.

She was tall, dressed in tight clothing, with a long ponytail reaching her waist. Her fair face bore an icy expression, and her eyes were peculiar, with pale pupils that seemed to glow faintly.

"Old Crow, transfer the money to them and have them start immediately. Don't try any tricks; I'll be watching you from the shadows. If anyone misbehaves, I guarantee you won't leave here alive." After saying this, the woman swept her gaze over everyone and then blended into the darkness of the abandoned building, disappearing in an instant.

"Damn, what a nasty woman. I almost got killed. Truly, those who have entered the path of cultivation are formidable. Just now, I thought my head was going to explode. That technique is called 'Eyewitness,' right? Damn it, I might borrow from loan sharks again just to cultivate." Zhang Kaiwen spat, his voice tinged with fear.

"That was intense. Looks like this trip won't be uneventful. Haha, I'm starting to get excited." Wang Hu laughed loudly.

Wei Li, the doctor, wiped his glasses and said, "Eyewitness is indeed a dangerous technique. It seems to target the brain, similar to a mental attack. Ordinary people have no defense against it. To counter this attack, one would need to have also opened their spirit medium. I wonder how far the range is and whether walls or buildings can block it?"

Li Yi remained silent, rubbing his still-dizzy head, feeling lingering fear.

He had probably only been affected indirectly, not targeted directly.

Even being indirectly affected was severe enough. If that woman had been serious, Zhang Kaiwen would have undoubtedly died, with no chance of survival.

"Is it because we are in the abandoned district that she was so heavy-handed, or do cultivators no longer regard ordinary people?" Li Yi thought to himself. Suddenly, he felt his phone vibrate.

He took it out and saw a message indicating fifty thousand yuan had been deposited.

The others received similar notifications almost simultaneously.

Old Crow said in a deep voice, "The money has been transferred. Stop dawdling and start the mission. I'll send you additional information via text once you enter the building."

"Chat time is over. Move out, losers."

Wang Hu took the lead, striding towards the collapsed building, ignoring the others.

"Hey, Wang Hu, don't be so rash. Old Crow said that this abandoned building is haunted," Zhang Kaiwen called out.