Come quickly and save me.

Qi Xi managed to grab only one, startling the rest, which all immediately burrowed beneath the floorboards. These creatures dared not attack humans—utterly feeble in combat, even more so than the weakest of the weak. While most people might have been wary, Qi Xi was fearless, handling the creature with impunity, squeezing and kneading it.

The little monster was soon played with to the point of tears… Qi Xi tossed a worldview data scan at it.

Instantly, information appeared.

[Name: Creaking Dweller]
[Type: Monster]
[Attribute: Yokai]
[Attack: Inferior to the weakest]
[Defense: Weak]
[Agility: Average]
[Note: When stepped on, it emits a creaking sound. If it didn’t frequently come out to rattle windows and doors, I’d give top marks for this sound effect.]

“So you’re the one behind all these tricks…” Qi Xi recalled the creaking sound from earlier when stepping on the floorboards, and upon seeing the note, understood everything.

Hearing Qi Xi’s words, the little creature managed a reluctant, stiff smile.

“But you’re just an ordinary yokai, not a ‘controlled one.’ Someone must have noticed me and is looking for trouble… Hmph. Clearly not here with good intentions. Let’s see what more I can find out.” Qi Xi flashed a sinister grin, startling the monster so much it began to tremble, utterly discarding any pretense of yokai dignity.

“Go on, then.” Qi Xi tossed it aside. The creature, as if granted amnesty, let out a sharp cry of delight and dove into the ground. Such minor monsters couldn’t speak and thus yielded no useful information.

After a while, the wall monster was finally exterminated.

Looking at the severed human head, Qi Xi couldn’t help but frown, recalling Kengo Hajime, who had been swallowed earlier. He glanced at the three beside him, thinking none of them would dare attempt such a task…

Qi Xi took a pair of gloves from his pocket and reached into the monster’s mouth.

Witnessing this, the three onlookers were dumbstruck.

“Shirakawa! What are you doing?!”

“My god…”

“Divine one…”

They watched this shocking scene, unconsciously swallowing hard, convinced that Shirakawa Kinda had lost his mind—his personality entirely replaced or perhaps thoroughly corrupted.

“Hmm… This is the stomach… This is…” His words prompted the three to retreat a step in unison, exchanging fearful glances. Shirakawa Kinda was extremely dangerous! Qi Xi, oblivious to their thoughts, merely smiled. “Found it.”

It was one of those strange fragments.

Discarding the gloves, Qi Xi wiped the fragment clean and placed it into a special pouch.

“What is that…?” Kojima Muramasa asked, eyeing the fragment curiously.

“I don’t know either. But I think it’ll be useful.” Qi Xi’s reply was met with disbelief; they assumed he simply didn’t want to tell them.

Qi Xi couldn’t be bothered to explain further.

The group proceeded onward, but the three companions were already losing their resolve.

Just as they rounded a corner and were about to voice their desire to “head back first,” a white figure suddenly appeared beside them!

“Ah!” The three cried out in fright, unable to contain their screams.

The white figure ahead was equally startled, letting out a shriek as well.

As the three prepared to flee, Qi Xi immediately recognized the newcomer. “Yuxi, what are you doing here?”

“Huh?” Yuxi—otherwise known as Melon—patted her chest, still shaken. “I’m looking for them. Were you looking too, brother?”

“Didn’t you ask me to?” Qi Xi replied.

In truth, Melon had not asked him, but hearing Qi Xi say so, she could only nod. “Ah, I didn’t expect you’d really come out, brother.”

Seeing that this was Shirakawa’s sister, the three relaxed, their hearts finally calming.

Mizukami Jirou, moved by the encounter, remarked, “Your brother’s changed so much! It must be for your sake!”

Mizukami Jirou and Yuxi had always had a decent relationship—Yuxi had always been enthusiastic. In fact, the reason Mizukami Jirou and Kojima Muramasa maintained ties with Shirakawa Kinda was in part because of Yuxi.

But Yuxi was not the same as before. She simply nodded. “Let’s keep searching.”

Her words left the three awkwardly hesitant.

Should they continue searching or turn back?

Indecision gripped them.

But Kojima Muramasa, who had already wet himself in fright, couldn’t worry about anything else. Though he tried to hide his pants, time would soon betray him. He couldn’t risk staying with Yuxi and being found out, which would surely cost him points. So he laughed and said, “I need to use the restroom.”

“I’ll go too,” Oshii Daisuke said suddenly.

Melon frowned at Oshii Daisuke. “Who’s he?”

Oshii Daisuke was taken aback, but before he could answer, Mizukami Jirou replied, somewhat baffled, “That’s Oshii Daisuke. Don’t you know him? The idiot whose catchphrase is ‘Haas!’”

“Who are you calling an idiot?!” Oshii Daisuke retorted angrily.

“Hahaha, sorry…” Mizukami Jirou scratched the back of his head.

Mizukami Jirou wanted to leave too but didn’t want to lose face. Glancing at Qi Xi, recalling his earlier composure, he suddenly felt that staying with Qi Xi might actually be safer. So he decided to stay.

The group split, with Oshii Daisuke and Kojima Muramasa heading back.

“Let’s continue exploring,” Qi Xi said, glancing at Melon.

Melon nodded solemnly.

But as soon as they reached the entrance to the bathhouse, a cry for help came from another corridor!

“Did you hear that?” Mizukami Jirou was taken aback.

“Who’s calling for help?!” Melon heard it too.

“Let’s go!” Qi Xi decided at once.

The three rushed forward.

There, they saw a beautiful young girl pinned to the ground by a semi-transparent woman in red, who was beating her relentlessly. The ghost’s eyes glowed red; she was slender but brimming with resentment, shrieking, “Wretch! Die! Wretch! Die! Wretch! Die!”

Even though the girl shielded her head with all her might, she continued to scream in pain. Fortunately, the ghost’s attacks were not particularly strong—perhaps due to a lack of weapons—so the girl hadn’t yet been killed. Upon spotting the newcomers, the ghost immediately unleashed a psychic assault, causing the group to feel a crushing weight, sapping their strength.

The girl saw them and shouted, “Help me!”

Qi Xi, unaffected by the psychic attack, leapt forward, swinging a steel pipe!