Chapter Thirteen

The Scissors of Severing Evil?

Yan Zhen still did not know that You Xing had obtained the Scissors of Severing Evil. Upon first hearing the news, he could not hide his surprise: “How did You Xing get hold of those scissors?”

The apartment manager replied, “It’s not that You Xing obtained the scissors, but that the Scissors of Severing Evil chose You Xing.”

Objects are born because of people, but over the years, they select their masters and follow them.

Even among urban legends, the Scissors of Severing Evil were quite famous, for they were scissors capable of breaking rules.

If one could master them, they could shatter the regulations that bound the domain lord within their territory.

Yet, the Scissors of Severing Evil had chosen a human with only B-level spiritual power, which seemed somewhat incongruous with its status as a “big shot” relic in the relic world.

Yan Zhen suppressed his endless inner remarks and showed no expression as he accepted the item handed over by the apartment manager, then took his leave.

***

On the thirteenth floor, in the administrators’ dormitory.

You Xing leaned against the bed, took the object from Yan Zhen’s hands, tore apart the tightly wrapped cords, and peeled back the soft leather, revealing the tip of a pen intricately engraved with complex patterns.

Ququ, sitting on the edge of the bed, changed expression slightly and turned to Yan Zhen: “The apartment manager wants to give this relic to You Xing?”

Yan Zhen answered, “The apartment manager said this pen is better for inscribing rules than the Scissors of Severing Evil.”

You Xing said, “Is this the relic you were talking about?”

She had previously heard that the apartment manager possessed a pen capable of inscribing rules and wanted to borrow it, but Ququ forbade it. Helpless, she had tried forcibly to inscribe rules with the Scissors of Severing Evil.

Ququ explained, “The Life Pen, a top-tier relic that can rewrite the rules within a domain.”

You Xing said, “So relics can be used in tandem? Paired with the Scissors of Severing Evil, the Life Pen is simply perfect.”

Ququ glanced at You Xing speechlessly: “The scissors drain you after just one use, and now you want to try the pen?”

You Xing retorted, “Tonight I used it three times.”

Yan Zhen said honestly, “The Life Pen, like the Scissors of Severing Evil, chooses its master. Whether it will obey you remains unknown. If you can’t use it, just return it.”

You Xing nodded. “Okay. Also, please request ten more vials of spiritual stabilizer from the apartment manager.”

Yan Zhen clenched his fist. “...Another ten?”

There were many kinds of spiritual stabilizers, with a wide price range.

Currently, the cheapest on the market cost two thousand star coins per vial, and You Xing did not want the best nor the worst—she preferred mid-grade stabilizers, costing five to six thousand each.

Ten at a time meant fifty to sixty thousand star coins.

As a newly appointed administrator, her salary was low, but her extra expenses were higher than others.

A few days ago, on that trip outside, the food, lodging, supplies, and transportation had cost nearly fifty thousand.

You Xing looked haggard. “You know, I’m just an ordinary human with B-level spiritual power. Forcibly using a top-tier relic beyond my level is a heavy burden...”

Yan Zhen shifted his gaze to Ququ. “By the way, has your shop made any money?”

Ququ pulled out two thousand-star-coin bills from her pocket. “Sold ten candies and made this much. Because of the domain’s rules, only ten can be sold per night.”

When they had exited the domain carrying You Xing, Ququ had pocketed the candy sales proceeds herself. She wanted to experience the feeling of having money in her pocket.

This money was different from what she collected from subordinates; earning it herself felt entirely different.

Yan Zhen stared blankly at the bills in Ququ’s hand, stunned: “You can actually make money...”

***

You Xing: “You didn’t believe we could make money all along? Speaking of which, where do the apartment’s residents usually get their money?”

Ququ raised a finger. “Others don’t know, but after they become my subordinates, I make them hand it over. No human-period belongings can remain on the roamers.”

You Xing looked enlightened. “I thought the roamers in the domain would rob humans.”

Yan Zhen said, “Except in domains with special rules, most domain lords and roamers must abide by their domain’s regulations. Money isn’t something we seek to plunder, nor are there rules dedicated to stealing money. But once humans become part of a domain, their possessions from their human lives lose all value to them and are discarded freely—easy to pick up in the domain.”

You Xing: “Handing it over and picking up trash?”

Ququ: “We didn’t need to before, but after moving into the apartment, we gradually understood the importance of money.”

Monsters moving into the apartment was like their first step toward socialization.

Those once living on the fringe of society reconnected with human society, followed certain rules, and developed corresponding desires.

If they had already become monsters, why bother?

What was the apartment manager’s purpose in gathering so many monsters?

You Xing could not yet discern the apartment manager’s intentions, but she was certain the existence of the shop could gradually change the monster ecosystem, even reverse the existence rules of the entire monster domain. Nothing excited or thrilled her more at this moment.

***

Faint murmurs brushed her ears. Zhu Jin opened her eyes to see three or four monsters by the roadside, transforming into familiar people, scrutinizing her.

Had she lost consciousness?

Zhu Jin propped herself up, clutching a bright red candy wrapper emitting a familiar sweet fruit scent.

She couldn’t recall how she had collapsed there. With a lingering sweetness in her mouth, she looked up at the blood-red signboard. Her pupils trembled slightly as she steadied herself against the wall. Something fell out and struck the floor with a crisp sound.

Crouching down to pick it up, she found two one-star coins.

There were a few more in her pocket, along with two small paper bags.

She held the bags up for a long moment as a clear, calm voice echoed faintly in her mind, mechanically repeating a few phrases.

Hard candy?

A monster standing on the street slowly approached. Zhu Jin tucked the bags away and hurried toward the other end of the street.

She probably hadn’t slept long, but her spirit and consciousness had recovered significantly.

Could the red candy the shop clerk gave her have some restorative effect on spiritual power?

After walking some distance, Zhu Jin glanced back at the now-closed candy store. The dilapidated sign, the stained glass windows, and the darkness behind made it look nothing like a shop that had ever been open.

Zhu Jin lowered her head and rubbed her temples hard, unable to discern whether that brief memory was an illusion or something that had truly happened.

Across the street, on the empty road, Zhou Zi ran, drenched in sweat. The monster chasing him gradually transformed into a colleague who liked whispering in the restroom. Recalling the hateful curses he had overheard before, he felt a faint despair.

As a newcomer in the workplace, he deeply understood the complexity of human relationships and knew that whether studying, working, or socializing, it was inevitable to be gossiped about behind one’s back.

Everyone understood the principle, but remaining unaffected and mentally calm was not so easy.

This monster amplified others’ evaluations, complaints, and cutting words infinitely. In this single extreme environment, there was no positive feedback. Anyone would unconsciously fall into self-doubt and self-deprecation.

The paper bag in his hand had become damp with sweat. Zhou Zi didn’t really believe the candy was effective; he had simply seen the girl buy it and instinctively thought it might help. But both the shop and the clerk radiated an inexplicable strangeness.

Zhou Zi had never heard of monsters having shops. Professional monster hunters prepared ample supplies and tools before entering a monster’s domain, but ordinary people like him, dragged into a domain for no reason, had a very high mortality rate—ten to one odds of death.

Moreover, the Tongue Blade monster’s existence rule was to destroy one’s spirit through words, yet the candy sold in that shop had a counteracting effect against the monsters.

That was very strange.

***

If the shop existed to save those trying to clear the domain, why would the monster boss accept such a shop?

Zhou Zi ran breathlessly, trying to distract himself by thinking to avoid sinking further into negative mental states, but the monster’s speed kept increasing.

The monster in front floated in midair, leaning its head toward Zhou Zi’s ear, speaking with a woman’s voice: “You’re short and fast. Being with you is no fun at all.”

“...” Zhou Zi stopped dead, pulled a piece of candy from the bag, and stuffed it into the monster’s mouth.

This monster was truly irritating—verbal bullying was one thing, but now it was spreading rumors too.

Caught off guard, the monster froze. Its dark eyes, like black holes, stared steadily at Zhou Zi.

Zhou Zi took off running, a few meters ahead, then angrily looked back. “You’re short, and your whole family is short!”

Only then did he realize the monster had shut its mouth and was no longer chasing him.

This candy... actually worked?

Like casually buying two lottery tickets after work and unexpectedly winning a five-million grand prize, Zhou Zi suddenly felt uplifted. Remembering the candy shop’s location, he resolved to buy some more after finishing the ones he had.

***

After overexerting her spiritual power and sleep deprivation, You Xing still felt drowsy upon waking. Luckily, Yan Zhen had brought two boxes of brand-new spiritual stabilizers. After drinking one vial, she barely regained her composure.

Today’s coffee was three times as strong as usual. With no time for breakfast, You Xing grabbed two ordinary soy milk buns she hadn’t finished yesterday.

On the way down, the elevator stopped nearly on every floor. You Xing clearly noticed more residents heading downstairs this morning. They seemed to be sneaking glances at her.

You Xing’s sensitivity to gazes was keen; the residents watched her with eyes that seemed subtle but were filled with presence.

Yet no one spoke to her. Having slept poorly and knowing she had to work overtime tonight, she was in no mood to engage.

The elevator stopped on the first floor. You Xing stepped out first.

The monster residents followed closely behind, but once You Xing entered the administrators’ office, they suddenly lost their direction like bees without a hive, buzzing erratically through the corridors and lobby.

You Xing messaged Yan Zhen: “Why are there so many people downstairs today?”

Yan Zhen replied, “It’s all because of Ququ’s big mouth, telling everyone you’re good at making money.”

You Xing: “...Isn’t she supposed to be unable to talk in the apartment?”

If less than two thousand star coins counted as being good at making money, what miserable lives must the domain lords lead?

Yan Zhen: “Ah, domain lords of similar power can communicate by thought, plus there are 250 residents and Ququ’s portable translator.”

You Xing: “You scared me—I thought something bad happened.”

Yan Zhen: “To domain lords, humans are like ingredients to chefs. Humans are both food and excellent material to enrich their domains. They know how to drive intruding humans mad or to their deaths, but they don’t know how to normally interact with a valuable human. Try to understand.”

You Xing: “...You’re quite the talker.”

Yan Zhen was completely oblivious, thinking he got along well with You Xing.

The dormitory administrator’s work was leisurely. You Xing slacked off and caught up on sleep, then spent the afternoon planning the candy shop’s future development.

After work, You Xing carried newly bought materials back to the dorm.

She and Ququ made two more jars of hard candy. Ququ couldn’t make ear-closure candy, so You Xing made a jar herself following the adjusted recipe. It was already close to midnight.

Dragged into the Tongue Blade domain by Ququ, You Xing whispered a complaint, “My old bones really can’t take these continuous sleepless nights. I should think about hiring shop assistants.”