Chapter 66: Red Socks

The woman in the red dress, a rare and terrifying ghost, was uncharacteristically showing a posture of listening. The two faced each other—one spoke, the other listened.

“How… how did he do it?”

Everyone present—employees and customers alike—watched the scene with bated breath, chills running down their spines. They all knew that to make a special-grade evil ghost quietly listen to someone speak was not something ordinary people could accomplish.

“Well done, keep talking… Satisfy her… and we might be saved…”

Niu Haoshou, trembling with fear, looked at Ji Linmo as if he had found a lifeline.

“Madam, among the styles I mentioned, is there any you like?”

“If not, we can always bring out another batch for you to choose from.”

At this moment, Ji Linmo felt his smile stiffen on his face. He was walking a razor’s edge. At any moment, he could perish as inexplicably as those before him. But faced with such an unpredictable evil ghost, he could think of no better way than to go along with her as much as possible.

“I…”

The woman in red lifted her pale, swollen hand and reached toward a sock. Just as she was about to grab it, she paused, her throat making strange noises.

“Socks… socks… socks…”

Accompanied by her frenzied mumbling, she slowly turned her head, her chin rising by degrees.

Crack!

It was the sound of bones breaking.

Her head twisted a full three hundred and sixty degrees, swaying atop her neck. The dry, black hair that had concealed her face fell away with gravity, revealing her true visage.

—She had no eyes!

Ji Linmo looked up and saw her face, swollen as if soaked, with empty sockets where eyes should have been, filled only with writhing maggots that fell out as she muttered.

“Socks… so many socks! Which pair should I pick, which pair…”

“You… pick them out, pick out the red socks for me.”

Ji Linmo lowered his head in silence, seeing that among the row of socks in his hand, there were none that were red.

Should he tell the truth, that there were no red socks?

Ji Linmo glanced at the woman, his brows furrowed. He understood now—no matter what she chose, she could never be satisfied.

Because she had no eyes.

Thus, she could not see anything, and so she had no idea what she wanted, guessing blindly each time.

No, this is extremely dangerous now, I must leave immediately!

“Madam, you want red socks, is that right? Let me bring you a pair right away.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Ji Linmo turned and retreated.

But the next second, a piercing pain tore through his body.

Ji Linmo looked down, seeing blood pooling on the floor. Blood streamed from his eye sockets, nose, and ears.

“Liar… Red socks… right in your hand… Why won’t you give them to me?”

The woman in red drew close, her empty sockets nearly pressing against Ji Linmo’s face.

[Warning!]

[Advanced item “Ring of Love’s Protection” has blocked a fatal injury for you today. Usable once per day.]

[This time, damage reduced by 25%.]

[Special note: Your current state is not life-threatening.]

[When you are in a critical state (“health less than 5”), you will gain an extra absolute defense. Please note, this is only triggered when your “health value is less than 5.”]

Staring at the prompt, Ji Linmo spat out blood, his pupils contracting sharply.

The message meant that unless he was attacked again, leaving him barely alive with only 5 health points, he would not trigger the absolute defense.

But the ghost before him killed instantly—how could he meet that condition?

“Find them! Find my red socks!”

The ghost suddenly screamed hysterically, as if stirred to madness.

[Alert!]

[You have enraged the “Red-Dressed Ghost.” Take immediate action to avoid death!]

This was bad—the Red-Dressed Ghost was truly losing control.

Reading the prompt, Ji Linmo quickly checked his current status.

[Player: Ji Linmo]

[Status: Injured]

[Health: 40/200]

Ordinary players had only 100 health points.

Now he had just over 40—he had to do something to gain absolute defense.

Ji Linmo grabbed the bronze gong from the terrified Niu Haoshou and struck his own head several times, beating himself furiously.

[Player: Ji Linmo]

[Status: Injured]

[Health: 5/200]

“Socks! Why won’t you give them to me… I’ll kill you… kill you…”

The hollow gaze of the woman in red locked onto him.

Boom!

With a thunderous crash, the supermarket’s glass doors exploded, shelves toppled, goods spilled everywhere, and a few unlucky employees were injured by falling items.

Only a few bulbs remained flickering on the ceiling, plunging the supermarket into a liminal realm between light and darkness.

[Detected: You are in a critical state.]

[Advanced item “Ring of Love’s Protection” has activated absolute defense, blocking the next attack.]

[Remaining uses today: 0]

Ji Linmo blacked out, his body collapsing weakly against a shelf behind him.

Barely clinging to life, he could no longer make any major moves.

Wait…

The eyeless woman, first asking for shoes, then socks.

Does she truly not know what she wants?

Or perhaps she knows her need, but cannot recognize what the item should look like?

Ji Linmo frowned, his blurry gaze fixed on the woman’s legs, bulging with veins and writhing like living worms.

In that instant, he understood what she truly desired.

But now, even knowing, he lacked the strength to speak.

“We’re done… We’re done… Will anyone save us?”

Niu Haoshou, the supermarket’s “Big-Eye Monster,” his huge eyes streaming tears, watched the Red-Dressed Ghost in despair, bending and kneeling.

“Sister, please spare us! We’re just a small business… We’ve never offended you…”

But his kowtowing did nothing to stop the ghost. She slowly turned her head toward Ji Linmo, clearly unwilling to let him go, step by step approaching.

“Sister, rather than the red socks you mentioned, I think you might like these stockings even more.”

A figure stepped in front of Ji Linmo.

He looked up and saw Qin Feng holding a pair of stockings, standing calmly before the Red-Dressed Ghost, flashing his signature charming smile.

“If you don’t believe it, try them on. I guarantee these will satisfy you!”

With that, Qin Feng turned, smiled at Ji Linmo, and stuck out his tongue.

This kid—truly clever.