Die, Replay, Repeat

Lu Ziming's roar echoed through the air, as though years of pent-up frustration and resentment were finally being released.

"Out there, I'm the Chief Commander, leading the entire nation of psychics! But here, in the Land Between...

"I have to live in a goddamn doghouse!"

He was trembling with fury now, his voice shaking under the weight of his rage. "Every day, I’m fighting Specters non-stop, never daring to relax for even a second, terrified that if I don’t earn enough, I won’t be able to afford even a doghouse to sleep in!

"I work my ass off, trying to get everyone to work together, to help each other, so we can gather one hundred million Spirit Money bills as quickly as possible. But what do they do?

"They deceive me, exploit me! They push me into massive debt!

"My life is hell! I live like an underdog!"

The words spilled from him, raw and unfiltered. "At least I eventually killed the bastard creditor, but that son of a bitch wouldn’t even leave me any Spirit Money! What was I supposed to do?"

"So, you lied to us?" Luo Qingxin's voice cracked, her face streaked with tears. "You could’ve just told us the truth. We could have suffered together, and made money together! Why did you have to deceive us?"

Lu Ziming let out a bitter laugh. "Lie? In Whitestone, the only thing that matters is Spirit Money! Right now, you all think we can work together, and share the burden. But a year from now, two years from now, you’ll change your minds.

"Emotions are useless. Only relationships built on Spirit Money are strong—unbreakable!"

Luo Qingxin and the others stood frozen, unable to process the cruel words coming from the person they once trusted most.

Lu Ziming scoffed and turned his gaze to Fang Xiu. "Fang Xiu, have you ever been to the Land Between? There's no way you know the rules of this place so well otherwise."

Fang Xiu answered calmly, "I’ve never been here. But I did meet someone who escaped from there. I learned all of this from him."

"Impossible!" Lu Ziming didn’t believe him. "As far as I know, no one has ever escaped from the Land Between."

Fang Xiu remained unfazed, his voice steady. "I’m talking about someone from the previous generation who was trapped in the Land Between."

"What?" Lu Ziming's expression shifted from disbelief to shock. He knew that if this person was from the past era, Fang Xiu might be telling the truth. After all, a century had passed—someone might have escaped and brought news of the outside world with them.

Though the idea seemed unbelievable, it was the only explanation that made sense. Otherwise, how could Fang Xiu, a newcomer, know so much about the Land Between?

"Could it be... he can foresee the future?" Lu Ziming muttered, but quickly dismissed the thought. It seemed too ridiculous.

The only explanation left was that Fang Xiu had learned this from someone who had escaped the Land Between.

A spark of hope flickered in Lu Ziming’s eyes. If someone had already managed to escape, then Fang Xiu might know the way out. That would mean they wouldn't have to waste time gathering one hundred million Spirit Money.

Lu Ziming had had enough of this hellish place.

"Fang Xiu, do you know how to leave the Land Between?" His voice had taken on a desperate edge.

Fang Xiu nodded slowly. "One million, and I'll tell."

Lu Ziming’s face darkened instantly. "One million?"

Wei Xin’s eyes widened in alarm. He rushed forward, shouting, "Boss, don’t listen to this scammer! Last time, he tricked me out of a thousand and then just said he didn’t know anything!"@@novelbin@@

Lu Ziming stared at Fang Xiu intently, as though searching for some crack in his composure.

"Fang Xiu, don’t think you can fool me," he sneered, malice dripping from his voice. "Last time, you told Wei Xin you didn’t know anything. But the deal still went through, which means you really don’t know the way out. If you did, the deal would’ve failed."

He paused, his face darkening. "Alright, since I couldn’t trick you earlier, let’s get to the point. If you don’t stay in my doghouse tonight, you’ll be dead for sure. Sure, you can go to Yue Lai Inn, but it’ll cost you Spiritual Energy. Let me tell you, that’s the worst choice you could make. Losing your strength here is like signing your own death sentence."

A cruel amusement flickered in his eyes as he added, "It’ll cost you two hundred thousand Spirit Money for one night in my doghouse."

Yang Ming exploded. "Two hundred thousand!? You’re shameless! We’ve already figured out your game, and you still want that much?"

Lu Ziming chuckled coldly. "It’s because you figured me out that I’m giving you a discount. Before, it would’ve been one million each. But here’s the thing—this is one of the rules of the Land Between. You can’t jack up the price by more than ten times. So think it through. Two hundred thousand isn’t so bad. You could earn that much hunting Specters in a day. If you can’t, don’t worry. You can always trade these two ladies as collateral."

He gestured to Luo Qingxin and Xiao Chuxia, a cruel grin twisting his lips.

The two women’s faces darkened with disgust and anger.

Wei Xin, the Zombie, laughed. "Better make up your minds now. Right now, you’re treating these two as teammates, but if you’re short on money later, they’ll just be goods—just like this bitch here."

He motioned to the woman behind him, her face vacant and lifeless. "Let me tell you something—women are worth a lot in Whitestone. You two are in luck. With your looks, you could fetch a high price!"

Luo Qingxin and Xiao Chuxia trembled with fury, their hands clenched tight as they tried to control the rising tide of anger. But the cold, creeping fear sank deep.

If Fang Xiu hadn’t seen through Lu Ziming’s scheme, they would have been trapped in a monstrous debt. 

At that point, they’d have been nothing more than Lu Ziming’s slaves, with no escape. Even death wouldn’t be a quick release, not with a fifth-tier psychic like him around.

"Dream on! Even if we die, we won’t stay in your damn doghouse!" Xiao Chuxia spat, her teeth gritted in defiance.

Luo Qingxin stepped forward, her gaze icy and determined. Her voice was cold and cutting, severing any ties to the past. "Lu Ziming, you are a beast!"

Lu Ziming let out a bitter laugh. "Haha, thanks for the compliment. I never noticed how good your body looked, Qingxin. If I had known, I should’ve taken you back then. It would’ve been better than all these years in the Land Between. You’d have scratched an itch for me."

He flashed a mocking, suggestive smile, his tone almost casual as he continued, "But it won’t be long now. Every woman in Whitestone ends up the same way. Qingxin, if you don’t want that fate, maybe you should just come to me. I could make you my personal plaything. How about it?"

Translator's note: Happy Chinese New Year everyone! Xin Nian Kuai Le!