Chapter 109: A Plan With No Internal Issues
Da Chang City.
Guan Jiang Residential Community.
‘My name is Yang Jian. By the time you see this, I’ll already be dead…’
‘The supernatural event in Da Chang City has been perfectly resolved. Relying on the information provided by President Lin Qian, I found the coffin nail with extremely strong suppression power in Hong Fa Temple and successfully detained the Starving Ghost.’
‘My trouble is resolved, but President Lin Qian’s trouble seems to have just begun.’
‘Before I could start executing the plan given to me by my future self, the other party also used this Human Skin Paper that can communicate with the future.’
‘He obtained a method, but unfortunately, the method he received has major issues. Although the method itself contains no traps.’
‘The one who provided this method, the future Lin Qian, is no longer human, but a ghost.’
‘He is in great danger now. My past self, if you want to save Lin Qian, now, take this Human Skin Paper, board a bus, get off at a strange graveyard, then find Lin Qian and place this Human Skin Paper on the opera stage.’
‘This will save Lin Qian’s life.’
‘Remember, be quick!’
‘Otherwise, there won’t be enough time!!!’
Yang Jian narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at the content on the Human Skin Paper.
You don’t want my body anymore; you want Lin Qian’s body instead?
Based on the information from this Human Skin Paper, Lin Qian seems to be in a lot of trouble right now.
Yang Jian knew very well that what was good for the Human Skin Paper was trouble for Lin Qian.
“I don’t think I can help much with Lin Qian’s situation.”
He was very self-aware.
With his current strength, he couldn’t help Lin Qian.
Moreover, he still had something else to do.
It was regarding the handwriting issue on the notebook in the second secret room.
He had already made arrangements for someone who could restore handwriting.
All he needed to do was deliver the notebook.
However, since the round trip would take about five to six days, he decided to go in person.
He had originally planned to drive, but his car broke down.
Taking a helicopter seemed a bit too conspicuous.
So, he decided to use his Ghost Domain, but as soon as he had this idea, the Human Skin Paper showed signs of movement.
And that’s how he discovered what had just happened.
Putting away the Human Skin Paper, Yang Jian stretched his neck. He wouldn’t consider Lin Qian’s matter for now; it wasn’t something a subordinate member like him should be concerned about.
Due to traffic control, travel was inconvenient, so he had no choice but to splurge and use his Ghost Domain to travel.
Although he knew that wasting his power like this was a terrible thing, humans are like this; after gaining incredible power, they can’t help but use it, especially now that Yang Jian no longer felt the Fierce Ghost Revival, his inner worries were less apparent, and his restraint decreased.
“I’ll just use one layer of the Ghost Domain.”
Red light gradually emerged from Yang Jian’s body, covering him, and then formed a long rainbow extending from his body straight into the sky.
Instantly.
He vanished from his spot.
With just one layer of the Ghost Domain, his speed could reach the speed of sound. If he unleashed his full power, it was estimated to reach several times the speed of sound. For travel, it felt like he could cross the Pacific Ocean to the other side of the Earth without difficulty.
The abilities of a fierce ghost were originally terrifying and bizarre, but after being controlled, they transformed into a magical power.
However, this power came at a considerable price.
Ten minutes later.
Yang Jian appeared at the doorstep of the Investigation Bureau in the new urban district of Xiao Chun City.
People were coming and going in the vicinity, completely unaware that a person had suddenly appeared in an inconspicuous corner.
“Help me contact Cheng Xiong at the Investigation Bureau in the new urban district of Xiao Chun City. Tell him I’m looking for him. I’m right outside the Investigation Bureau. He shouldn’t have gotten off work yet at this hour,” Yang Jian said, directly contacting Liu Xiao Yu via his Satellite Positioning Mobile Phone.
Commands relayed through Liu Xiao Yu carried more authority. If Yang Jian made the call himself, it would be a miracle if anyone listened.
Therefore, no matter how great the power of the person in charge, it depends on the cooperation of headquarters. If they don’t cooperate, your special privileges are just a piece of paper, completely useless.
After joining headquarters for some time, Yang Jian had gradually learned the ropes.
And after the Da Chang City incident ended, his treatment had noticeably improved. Although he couldn’t see it, Yang Jian could feel it.
“Okay, connecting to the Xiao Chun City department.” The voice on the other end wasn’t Liu Xiao Yu’s, but that of another operator. Her voice was very seductive, with a hint of allure, unlike a proper telecommunications operator.
Yang Jian said, “Who are you? Aren’t you Liu Xiao Yu?”
“Hello, Yang Jian. I am your second operator, Qin Mei Rou. From now on, Liu Xiao Yu and I will take turns serving you,” said the new operator named Qin Mei Rou.
“Your voice carries a strong whiff of perversity. Is it natural, or are you deliberately speaking in this tone with me?” Yang Jian asked. “Is headquarters investigating my preferences for women and deliberately assigned you to this post?”
“That’s not the case. It’s just that your work is extremely important now, and Liu Xiao Yu alone cannot guarantee 24-hour availability. However, rest assured, my professionalism and service will definitely be more outstanding and diligent than Liu Xiao Yu’s, ensuring your work is not delayed.” Qin Mei Rou replied.
“You say you do better than Liu Xiao Yu? I don’t believe it. I need to test you to see if you’re truly competent.” Yang Jian said.
“How do you want to test me?” Qin Mei Rou’s seductive voice came through.
Yang Jian said, “Your voice is so pleasant, say a couple of things to let me hear what you know.”
The other end of the line immediately fell silent, with no further response.
Yang Jian said, “Shame is a woman’s greatest enemy. It seems your psychological fortitude isn’t strong enough. You’re too embarrassed to even say a couple of words? Resign. Get Liu Xiao Yu back on the line. I have deep doubts about your competence. If something goes wrong later, it won’t just be me who’s in trouble; it might endanger an entire city. For example, if I ask you to say a couple of words and you go silent, what happens if an emergency supernatural event occurs and I need you to say a couple of words to attract the ghost’s attention via the satellite positioning phone? If you hesitate, what then?”
“You people in offices don’t have to take risks. I, as staff working outside, am putting my life on the line every day. If you treat your job lightly, you’re treating my life lightly. Asking you to resign is being merciful.”
“Furthermore, I bet if Liu Xiao Yu were here, she would shout out a couple of words without hesitation if I asked her to.”
Underneath his righteous speech, it was as if Qin Mei Rou not shouting as he instructed was an affront to the country and the people.
“Then how do you want me to shout?” Qin Mei Rou’s voice came again after a moment of silence. “Ah, is it like this?”
“Are you calling for help? Be sexier, more seductive,” Yang Jian said.
“Mmm~!” Qin Mei Rou’s voice became much more seductive, but still very stiff.
Yang Jian said, “Are you giving birth? Or is someone hitting your stomach? Do I really need to teach you this? Isn’t this a woman’s innate skill? Where did your talent points go?”
“Alright.” Yang Jian said.
“…”
The line immediately fell into silence.
Yang Jian expressionlessly put down the satellite positioning mobile phone in his hand, his heart unmoved.
Seeing several staff members rushing out of the Investigation Bureau after receiving notifications from above, Yang Jian walked directly towards them.
“I am Yang Jian. Are you here to pick me up?”
“Hello, Ghost Controller Yang.”
A captain, upon seeing Yang Jian and confirming his identity, immediately saluted.
Yang Jian said, “I’m looking for Cheng Xiong. You should have received the orders regarding this. Where is he now? I have something important to discuss with him.”
“Cheng Xiong just received the notification and is currently on standby inside, ready to be dispatched on a mission at any time,” the captain said seriously and solemnly.
Yang Jian said, “Don’t be nervous. I’m not looking for him to go on a mission; I just have something I need to ask of him. Da Chang City is in a difficult situation, with insufficient manpower in all areas, making it impossible to proceed with many tasks smoothly. We had to seek assistance from nearby Xiao Chun City. Since he’s inside, could you take me to him?”
“No problem.”
Soon, Yang Jian met Cheng Xiong.
He was an ordinary-looking man, appearing slightly aged, in his early forties. He had been employed for over twenty years, making it obvious he was an experienced veteran with extensive investigation experience.
Yang Jian got straight to the point: “Hello, I am Yang Jian from Da Chang City. I was introduced by Captain Zhang Hua from Da Chang City. He mentioned you are quite skilled in work like handwriting restoration. I lack such talent over there, so I have something I need to ask of you.”
Cheng Xiong replied, “You’re too kind. I’m very happy to be of assistance to Ghost Controller Yang.”
“Can we start the work now? I don’t want to delay this for too long; it needs to be resolved as soon as possible. After all, this is why I rushed to Xiao Chun City,” Yang Jian urged.
He needed to understand the secret of the Ghost Cabinet as soon as possible and then decipher the message left by the Human Skin Paper.
Otherwise, if a certain ghost continued to live as Zhao Lei, the longer it went on, the more disadvantageous it would be for him.
After all, some ghosts’ growth rates are beyond reason. Ten days ago, it might have been a C-class ghost, easily contained by any ghost controller. Ten days later, it might have grown to A-class, where most ghost controllers would be on their knees. Give it a few months, and who knows what it would become.
“I am ready to start work at any time,” Cheng Xiong stated very seriously.
Yang Jian said, “No need to be so serious. Please translate this for me.”
He took out the notebook.
The notebook was just a very ordinary object, and the paper seemed normal, just very old.
“The first page of this notebook has some writing marks, but they’ve been there for a while, so I’m not sure about the extent of the wear and tear,” Yang Jian said.
Cheng Xiong carefully took the notebook and examined it closely: “This is written in traditional Chinese characters. The strokes are somewhat complex, but the person writing had a strong hand, leaving deep marks. The wear and tear are still relatively good.”
“However, this seems…”
Cheng Xiong had a feeling that the notebook had been used recently, and the person who used it had clearly erased their traces, but wasn’t thorough enough due to lack of professionalism.
Residual traces of simplified Chinese characters could still be found on top of the traditional Chinese character marks.
“However, what?” Yang Jian asked.
Cheng Xiong quickly shook his head, “Nothing.”
“Can you translate it?” Yang Jian asked.
“Although it’s a bit difficult, it can be done. Chinese characters are a magical script; even a few strokes can determine a character. I can scan it with a computer, analyze it with software, and then manually sort it. If everything goes smoothly, most of the content will be translatable,” Cheng Xiong was very confident.
This was his profession, after all.
Moreover, there was a clear command given. If he couldn’t handle such a task, it would bring shame to Xiao Chun City, and he, as an old senior, would likely be looked down upon.
Despite his age, Cheng Xiong was full of drive.
“Give me three hours. I’ll work overtime tonight to get it done for you,” he declared, as if making a military pledge.
Yang Jian said, “Then I’ll have to trouble you. However, this matter involves a special event, so the entire incident and its contents need to be kept confidential. Once translated, please send the information to my mobile phone. This is my phone number. Of course, if there are any special circumstances, you can contact me immediately, and I will rush over at the first opportunity.”
“Then I won’t disturb your work. I’ll leave now.”
He didn’t choose to stay and wait for three hours.
Because he was currently drawing a lot of attention, if people discovered he had come to Xiao Chun City, they might start suspecting things again.
Therefore, leaving and awaiting news quietly was the safest course of action.
Even if something unexpected happened, leaving his number meant he could provide support at any time.
“Let’s go back.”
Yang Jian walked out of the building, preparing to take a car back to Da Chang City.
He could use his Ghost Domain to travel when he arrived, but there was no need to waste such power on the way back.
However, as he was thinking about how to get back by car, a voice came from his Satellite Positioning Mobile Phone.
“Yang Jian, are you there?” The voice had changed; it was Liu Xiao Yu’s voice.
It seemed his previous stunt had scared off the new operator.
“It’s me. What’s up?” Yang Jian replied.
Liu Xiao Yu said, “The Ghost Candle you requested is already being sent to Da Chang City through a secret channel. It should arrive at your place tomorrow. Please prepare to receive it. Additionally, your quota of 500 kilograms of gold will arrive at the same time.”
“That was fast. I understand. I’ll receive it tomorrow,” Yang Jian nodded.
It seemed that achieving merits made a difference; there was no need for transactions or haggling. The rewards due to him would not be lacking in any way.
With the first Ghost Candle in hand, he wouldn’t have to worry too much about encountering supernatural events for some time in the future.
The second Ghost Candle was still on credit, waiting for Wang Xiao Ming to procure it.
“Oh, are you still in Xiao Chun City?” Liu Xiao Yu suddenly asked again.
Yang Jian replied, “I’m just about to leave and return to Da Chang City. You’re very quick with your tracking; you know wherever I appear. This really invades my privacy.”
“This is also a preparation to keep track of your movements at all times. If you are in Xiao Chun City, could you investigate the case of the missing international ghost controller in Xiao Chun City?” Liu Xiao Yu asked.
Yang Jian refused without even thinking: “No. I still have a lot of unresolved issues in my own jurisdiction. When I get back, I have to deal with a foreign company. I don’t want to get involved in other cities’ affairs for now. Once I’ve settled things in Da Chang City, I’ll consider traveling to other places.”
The person in charge is missing?
It goes without saying that he must have fallen victim to a supernatural event. While he had some power now, the Starving Ghost incident had just concluded, and he didn’t want to get entangled in another event.
If you walk by the river too often, you’re bound to get your shoes wet.
“Alright, that’s indeed asking a bit much. But could you retrieve the missing ghost controller’s Satellite Positioning Mobile Phone? I’ve already located his signal, but it’s moving. Someone must have picked it up. That Satellite Positioning Mobile Phone contains important clues that would be of great help to the case.” Liu Xiao Yu added.
Yang Jian thought for a moment: “Can’t ordinary personnel handle this task?”
“That signal is intermittent, sometimes appearing and sometimes disappearing. Tracing the source of such a signal requires specialized equipment that the local area doesn’t possess. Only a Satellite Positioning Mobile Phone belonging to another person in charge can pinpoint the signal’s location.”
Liu Xiao Yu said, “I suspect the missing ghost controller’s phone might have been broken.”
“In that case, I’ll make a trip to retrieve that item then,” Yang Jian said.
Since it wasn’t troublesome, he’d consider it a small favor.
If he refused such a minor matter, the higher-ups would surely gossip about him.
Moreover, he had just received the reward of a Ghost Candle and an increased gold quota, having received a great gift; it wasn’t easy for Yang Jian to refuse.
“Let me see where that thing is.”
Yang Jian held the phone, as large as a brick, and activated its positioning function.
Phones between Headquarters’ ghost controllers could locate each other. This function was designed to facilitate mutual support when working together to resolve supernatural events.
“There’s a signal. It’s three streets away. It is indeed moving, but not very fast,” Yang Jian immediately confirmed a signal source on the phone screen.
It was intermittent, flickering like a poor connection.
“Let’s go take a look.”
Yang Jian hailed a taxi and followed the signal.
“Driver, turn left up ahead,” Yang Jian said, looking at the signal and directing the taxi driver to follow.
Given the signal’s movement speed, there was no need to use his Ghost Domain to rush. Simply taking a taxi would be sufficient to keep up.
The driver quickly turned onto a main road according to the direction Yang Jian provided.
The signal stopped here, and it was very close to Yang Jian.
Out of caution, Yang Jian scanned his surroundings, checking for any unusual spots.
Everything around was normal. Vehicles were constantly passing by, and there were many pedestrians nearby. There were no special circumstances. After all, this was Xiao Chun City, not a densely populated place where supernatural events occurred as frequently as in Da Chang City. Under most circumstances, cities tend to be stable and normal.
Even though the Starving Ghost incident in Da Chang City had garnered global attention and shaken the ghost controller community, it was not enough to stir up a storm in the broader context.
This was why, despite the chaos in Da Chang City hundreds of miles away, the residents here were living and working as if nothing had happened.
Yang Jian got out of the car, confirmed that everything around was normal, and then, with his head lowered, followed the signal on his phone.
The coordinates on the phone were precise. Combined with satellite positioning and the mutual positioning between the responsible person’s phones, with two positioning calculations correcting each other, the positional error of the signal would be less than two meters.
And a distance of two meters is enough for even a child to find the signal source.
“It’s up ahead.” Yang Jian walked dozens of meters forward, crossed a road, and arrived at the location of the signal source.
This was a bus stop, and about seven or eight people were boarding a bus one after another.
Yang Jian looked at the people boarding the bus, then at the signal source, and found that the signal source had not moved. This meant that the phone of the missing ghost controller was not on any of these passengers. He also looked around, even searching inside the trash can next to the bus stop, but he couldn’t find the satellite positioning mobile phone.
“If it’s not at the station, then there’s only one possibility: the phone is on the bus.”
Yang Jian was almost certain of the true location of the signal source.
Immediately, he chose to queue up to board the bus.
The people in front of him paid their fares and boarded one after another. When it was his turn, Yang Jian felt as if someone had pushed him from behind, causing him to stumble and almost fall.
“Who’s the daredevil pushing me?” Yang Jian looked back.
But he found no one behind him. He was the last in line to board, so it was impossible for anyone to have pushed him from behind.
At once, he frowned.
His experience told him that something was strange just now, but the surrounding situation told him that everything was normal. It seemed that his stumble was just a loss of balance, and not that someone had actually pushed him from behind.
“Did something happen to my body?” Yang Jian looked down.
After being revived from the ghost mirror, his body could no longer be considered human. Even after the ghost image had frozen, it couldn’t be guaranteed that there wouldn’t be any abnormalities.
After thinking for a moment, he still didn’t suspect too much. He decided to deal with the matter at hand first.
After boarding the bus, Yang Jian surveyed the bus cabin.
There weren’t many people in the cabin, only about a dozen passengers seated. The last row had more people, while the front seemed quite empty with many vacant seats on the sides.
“The signal is indeed here.”
Yang Jian checked the satellite positioning mobile phone again and found that his signal overlapped with the signal source of the missing ghost controller. Therefore, he was completely certain that the satellite positioning mobile phone was on this bus. As for who had it in their possession, he couldn’t tell for now, unless he searched them one by one.
“Searching and questioning is too troublesome. I’ll wait for the signal source to move again. As soon as the person carrying the phone gets off, I can lock onto them immediately.”
Yang Jian thought for a moment and decided against using forceful methods.
He didn’t want to lose his temper and start shooting indiscriminately if he disagreed with someone, which would lead to troublesome consequences. So, he chose a more gentle approach.
He chose a seat near the back door, which would make it easier to observe. He could see anyone who got off the bus and track them with ease.
Soon, the bus doors closed, and it began to move.
“Who is the ghost controller of Xiao Chun City? Let me check.” Seeing that no one would be getting off at the next stop, Yang Jian began to check the person in charge of the local area.
It was easy to access the files of others. If you were willing, you could compile a national database of ghost controllers.
However, these files were tiered.
Ordinary files only contained basic personal information, without anything special. The descriptions of abilities were not very detailed, and a codename was used to directly indicate them without revealing specifics.
But Yang Jian could access the highest level of files.
Although his position hadn’t changed, he had been internally upgraded.
“The person in charge of Xiao Chun City is Xu Feng. He has no codename and no description of his ghost control abilities. He deliberately hid his information.” Yang Jian checked the files on his mobile phone.
He discovered that Xu Feng, the local ghost controller, had a note in his file stating “deliberately hidden.”
However, his mental assessment was listed as “good.”
“This guy is also a very cautious person, distrustful of everyone. Even when facing headquarters, he hides all his information, not wanting anyone to know his background,” Yang Jian thought to himself.
However, such an idea was normal.
Anyone who suddenly possessed inexplicable abilities, if they had a mature mind, would not flaunt them recklessly but would hide them discreetly.
Moreover, ghost controllers were not an exception in this world.
Discretion was therefore particularly important.
“A ghost controller who hides all his information and has no merit, if it weren’t for his good mental assessment, he might even be dismissed. No wonder Liu Xiao Yu didn’t force me to investigate the secret of his disappearance. If it were a ghost controller of Wang Xiao Ming’s level, they would probably organize a large-scale rescue operation.”
Yang Jian didn’t find anything wrong with this.
Because this was reality, this was society.
You are valuable, and only then are you worth others investing in you. If you appear to be useless, then no one will waste resources on a piece of trash.
“Liu Xiao Yu asked me to investigate not for Xu Feng’s safety, considering his file shows he’s been missing for ten days. She wants me to investigate to see if any supernatural events have occurred here so that a file can be established in a timely manner.”
At this moment, the bus stopped at a bus stop.
Five young people boarded, two men and three women, looking like they were going on a trip.
However, no one got off.
The signal source was still on the bus, so Yang Jian decided to wait for a few more stops.
The five young people who boarded also sat towards the back, two rows ahead of Yang Jian on his left, talking to each other and in high spirits.
Looking at their carefree demeanor, Yang Jian felt a little envious.
The bus started again.
After boarding, the young people gradually started talking about recent events, and then the topic shifted to ghost stories.
Yang Jian listened nearby. He could be sure that one of the ghost stories told by a girl among them was true, because the information was very clear and not the kind of story that couldn’t withstand scrutiny.
Clearly, it was a supernatural event.
Riding the bus, the sky outside gradually darkened without them noticing.
The bus stopped at two or three stations mid-journey, but no one got off. However, later on, the intervals between each station became longer, and eventually, it seemed like a long time since the last stop. Looking at the somewhat dim outside.
Yang Jian discovered that the vehicle had left the urban area and entered the suburbs.
He checked the information of this bus and found that it had completely deviated from its original route.
And the satellite positioning signal of the missing ghost controller was still on the bus.
“This can’t be this unlucky, can it?” Yang Jian’s heart sank.
Yang Jian had originally planned to just pick up a phone, deal with headquarters’ arrangement, and then return to Da Chang City. He had no intention of dealing with any supernatural events. Although he was a little more powerful than other ghost controllers, he didn’t want to deal with those ghosts all day long. So, in his heart, he was thinking about how to be lazy, skip work, and just clock out after a brief check-in.
But who would have thought that he, while trying to catch a thief on a bus, thought such a trivial matter could be easily resolved? He didn’t realize until he sensed something was wrong that this bus was a bit peculiar.
The bus was running normally at first, stopping at several stations along the way and picking up passengers. But later, the bus became abnormal, its route was changed, and it hadn’t stopped at a station for over ten minutes. Furthermore, the direction it was heading was wrong, and it had already left the urban area of Xiao Chun City.
“Although there are some strange things happening right now, it’s not to the point of putting me in danger. I’ll maintain this state for now.”
Although Yang Jian was in a bad mood when encountering such a situation, his experience in handling special events told him.
When encountering something unusual, never act rashly. Calm down, find a place to sit, smoke a cigarette, and think carefully. It’s better than shouting and yelling in an agitated state.
Of course, most people can’t remain calm in the face of crisis.
Yang Jian checked the time.
6:20.
However, summer days are longer, and there was still sunlight outside at this time, so it wasn’t considered night. It was just that the bus had driven into the suburbs, and the nearby mountains blocked the line of sight, creating an illusion that the sky around was rapidly darkening.
It was precisely this light outside, the rapid change in environment, that made him notice something was wrong.
“Should I go confirm the situation to see if it’s really a supernatural event, or should I just jump out the window and leave here?” Yang Jian had two options in his mind at this moment.
Although he had an eighty percent certainty that this was the beginning of a supernatural event, everything inside the bus was normal. Perhaps the driver had just made a mistake with the route.
“Let’s jump out the window and leave. I don’t want to get involved in these things.” Yang Jian made his decision immediately without overthinking.
No matter what the situation was, dangerous or a misunderstanding, he would leave first.
Yang Jian immediately reached out to open the window next to him, preparing to jump out and leave. Given his current condition, even if he jumped from the tenth floor, he would be fine as long as he didn’t hit his head, let alone jump from a bus.
“The bus window won’t open?”
However, the next moment, he tried to push open a glass window on the bus but found that the window was stuck and wouldn’t open at all.
He tried again, using more force, but it still wouldn’t open.
The glass window was tightly shut, unmoving, as if it were harder than steel.
“With my current strength, I can easily shatter tempered glass. Yet this glass has no reaction?” Yang Jian’s expression changed slightly.
Since he couldn’t break the window, he could only use his ghost domain.
He placed his palm on the glass window, and his palm cracked open, revealing a ghost eye that emitted red light.
However, the red light of the ghost domain could not spread outwards, being blocked by the bus cabin. It was as if the outside and the inside of the cabin were two different worlds. Even the ghost domain couldn’t cross this boundary. This seemingly normal bus, after tentative exploration, gradually revealed its strangeness.
“What on earth is this thing? Not only can I not open the door, but even my ghost domain is isolated.” Yang Jian frowned deeply.
He now believed that the missing ghost controller of Xiao Chun City, Xu Feng, had most likely met his end on this bus. His satellite positioning mobile phone wasn’t stolen; it must have fallen somewhere on this bus.
It was just that he was unlucky. He wanted to help him retrieve his phone but accidentally boarded this strange bus.
Suddenly, Yang Jian seemed to recall something, his expression changing unpredictably.
At this moment, strange text appeared on the human skin paper he carried with him.
‘Got on the bus…’
In the old house, Zhang Dong frowned slightly.
Meng Xiaodong, seeing Zhang Dong’s unusual expression, asked somewhat confusedly, “What’s wrong?”
Zhang Dong stood up and said, “Something’s not right. That piece of human skin paper has also come along.”
The human skin paper, which should have been left in Da Chang City, had now boarded the bus with Yang Jian.
Moreover, the bus route had changed.
“Let’s go and see.”
Meng Xiaodong was extremely surprised and stood up as well. “Are you worried?”
Zhang Dong shook his head, “It’s not worry. I’m curious if that piece of human skin paper has schemed against Luo Qian.”
Upon hearing this, Meng Xiaodong’s gaze shifted slightly. “What is the identity of that piece of human skin paper?”
“It’s from the same organization as the one inside Lin Qian.”
Zhang Dong did not choose to hide it. “The human skin paper was not handled by us. It was dealt with by the controller of the Ghost Bride while she was still alive.”
“I’m not entirely sure how she dealt with it, but for it to revive, it can only look for a body.”
“Clearly, it has its sights set on Lin Qian.”
“Or rather, it wants more.”
Hearing this, Meng Xiaodong understood. Zhang Dong was worried that the purpose of that strange piece of human skin paper was not Lin Qian at all, but Luo Qian.
“Let’s go. There’s no way they could have schemed against me.”
Zhang Dong waved his hand, and the two instantly disappeared from the old house.
Meanwhile, within the ghost domain in the Endless Graveyard, on the opera stage.
Lin Qian narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at the anxious woman.
“This is the second time. For the second time, you’ve returned my memories to me.”
“Let me guess, you don’t dare to let me enter this place. To be precise, you don’t dare to let me die here.”
The woman fell silent upon hearing this.
She looked at Lin Qian.
“I didn’t expect that even though you’ve lost your memory and are like someone dreaming, you still trust your instincts so much.”
“If it were anyone else, I would have succeeded by now.”
Lin Qian chuckled. “I’m extremely selfish. When I sense something is wrong, I only think about myself. That’s my instinct.”
He looked at the strange street ahead. He hadn’t completely entered that street before this woman appeared and returned his memories.
According to the past, the other party would definitely have let him enter the street, and only after walking halfway would she have returned his memories.
Then, she would have made him choose to go back.
“You returned my memories to me in advance this time.”
“Let me guess, something unexpected has happened, something you can’t handle.”
Lin Qian looked at the woman. He sat under a tree, and the woman sat beside him.
The two appeared to be very intimate.
But in reality, that was not the case.
The woman in front of him wanted his everything.
“You indeed know,” the woman sighed.
Lin Qian fell silent for a moment.
His guess was correct; there was indeed a hidden threat within him.
At this moment, due to his actions, it was exposed.
“The thing inside you has revived, taken over your body, and inherited your supernatural abilities.”
“But because of your own arrangements, the opera stage was isolated. It couldn’t inherit the supernatural abilities of the opera stage. Of course, this is largely because of my existence.”
“Your methods allowed me to revive, and as I revived, the opera stage became independent.”
“So, you are still alive entirely because of me, and the other party couldn’t directly take over all of you is also because of me.”
“The other party has now discovered this problem. Using the abilities of the opera ghost, it has entered the opera stage and is currently looking for the mask you are possessing.”
“Once it finds your mask, everything will be over. You will die, and I will die too.”
The woman spoke very seriously, even with a tone of alarmist exaggeration.
But Lin Qian knew it was true.
“Are you very weak?”
Lin Qian asked after a moment of silence.
“No, on the contrary, I am very strong. Except for the two opera ghosts you control and the supernatural abilities of the opera stage which I cannot use, I can temporarily wield all the supernatural abilities of the opera troupe.”
“Although supernatural abilities are illusory, killing you is not a problem.”
Lin Qian smiled. “If that’s the case, what are you afraid of?”
“Even if the other party takes over the supernatural abilities within you, its strength will not be as great as yours. You can easily defeat it.”
The woman looked at Lin Qian with a sorrowful expression. “I can tell you haven’t fully understood the abilities of the opera stage.”
“What abilities?” Lin Qian asked, confused. The opera stage only had those abilities, right?
Did it have other abilities?
“Balance.”
“This is an ability that is automatically activated when the consciousness of the person controlling the opera stage is invaded.”
“It is also a passive pattern.”
“Any supernatural entity that invades the consciousness of a controller will be drawn into the space of the opera stage, and then the supernatural abilities will be balanced.”
“This means one thing: although I can use the supernatural abilities of the opera troupe, I will also be balanced to an equal level of strength with the other party.”
“You are the same.”
“This is also one of the reasons why I only dare to threaten you and not fight you directly.”
Lin Qian frowned slightly. When he heard that the opera stage had this ability, he instantly understood what the other party was afraid of.
“I understand, you want me to help, otherwise, you will lose.”
“Yes!” The woman nodded, “If I lose, you die, and if you die, I die too.”
“Now we are all in the same boat.”
“Whatever conflict we have is an internal matter. The thing on you is external.”
“We should cooperate.”
Interesting, it’s clear that the other party knows the ability of that thing.
Coincidentally, Lin Qian also knew.
But both of them tacitly did not state it.
Human skin paper, a truly bizarre existence.
The method provided by the other party really has no problems.
Although many things were not explicitly stated, from the current situation, he already knew that he was in a winning position.
A three-way standoff. As long as he delays and waits for the fierce ghost outside to fall dormant and Yan Li to enter and take him away.
Everything will be over.
It can be said that the plan provided by the other party seems very simple, and it is very dangerous to implement at the beginning, but it is very clear afterwards.
Lin Qian already knew what to do.
He knew that before the thing inside him revived, his biggest threat was within the opera stage, this woman of unknown identity, but who could use the supernatural of the ghost play troupe.
But the other party didn’t dare to kill him.
Because of the opera stage’s ability.
Nor could she let him die outside.
Although he didn’t know why he was involved with that place.
But for now, it was a good thing.
“Let’s join forces, deal with the thing on you first, and then we’ll compete based on our own abilities,” the woman said.
Lin Qian did not answer immediately, but began to think.
The current situation.
Outside, there is Luo Qian, who will help him deal with external dangers.
And internally, the two biggest threats have emerged.
What to do next, he actually already knew.
But what about this Bai Shui Town?
Lin Qian couldn’t figure it out, so he directly asked the woman, “What’s the situation with Bai Shui Town?”
“Why did I end up here?”
The woman was slightly stunned when she heard the name Bai Shui Town, apparently surprised that Lin Qian knew about Bai Shui Town.
But this was not the time to dwell on these matters.
“It’s very simple, because the core fierce ghost of the ghost play troupe, the Troupe Leader, is in Bai Shui Town.”
Lin Qian’s face instantly sank, “You damn…”
“Watch your language.” The woman frowned, warned Lin Qian, and then quietly suppressed a ghost within her that had triggered a killing pattern.
At one moment, Lin Qian felt a supernatural presence emerge within him.
But the feeling quickly disappeared.
He looked at the woman with surprise, “Interesting, within the ghost play troupe, there is a ghost performer whose killing pattern is that you cannot use foul language.”
The woman’s expression was calm.
“Have you considered it?”
She didn’t respond but asked.
“That thing has already entered.”
“It’s only a matter of time before your mask is found.”
Lin Qian didn’t answer, just looked at the woman with a smile.
The woman frowned slightly, “You know?”
“Heh.”
Lin Qian sneered, “I wasn’t sure at first, but just now when I triggered your killing pattern, I felt the supernatural presence within me, and then I was certain.”
The woman’s expression turned cold, and she stared intently at Lin Qian.
“I always thought you were a brute with no brains, but now I realize I was wrong.”
He didn’t need her agreement to cooperate; as long as the other party used supernatural abilities, the opera stage would automatically balance them.
And he would directly possess supernatural abilities.
The woman knew she couldn’t deceive Lin Qian anymore. She stood up, originally intending to set a trap for him, so that after they dealt with that thing together, she could use this trap to deal with Lin Qian.
It seemed impossible now.
The moment the woman stood up, a chilling aura emanated from her.
Instantly, Lin Qian felt the supernatural presence within him.
A familiar supernatural presence.
But the terror level was extremely high.
Completely different from his previous level of supernatural power.
“So, this is the strength of a ghost controller from the Republic of China era?”
“As expected, it’s terrifying.”
Lin Qian said.
The woman’s expression was blank, and she said nothing.
Lin Qian reached out, a chill surrounding his arm, and grabbed at the air. Instantly, a ghost face mask appeared in his hand.
The woman looked at this mask, her heart stirring.
This, this was the thing that could let her leave.
But now, she couldn’t snatch it. How could she snatch the other party’s true form?
Lin Qian looked at the woman with some surprise, then smiled, “As expected, it can only be replaced, not stolen.”
The woman remained expressionless.
Lin Qian stopped wasting words and directly put on the ghost face mask.
The opera stage’s ability was activated, and the supernatural powers began to balance completely.
At this moment, within the opera stage space, there were three eerie existences.
Lin Qian moved his neck.
“Ghosts that won’t revive are very comfortable for me.”
Inside him, the ghost performer, the killer ghost, and the ice ghost were all dormant, and their supernatural powers were extremely terrifying.
Furthermore, the supernatural powers of the faceless ghost and the ghost messenger had also increased.
The terrifying supernatural powers made Lin Qian feel that he could easily defeat his past self.
Of course, these supernatural powers were also illusions.
Not real supernatural powers.
The ghost eye rotated slightly, and Lin Qian looked at the woman.
“That thing is here. Do you know about the ghosts inside me?”
Lin Qian sensed the supernatural power within him and discovered that he had lost one ability.
Plunder.
That’s right, the plunder ability, which he thought was his golden finger, was essentially a ghost.
He no longer had this ability.
“Guess if I know?”
The woman really didn’t want to talk to Lin Qian right now, asking such foolish questions.
Lin Qian chuckled, “It’s good that you know, it’s good that you know.”
His ghost eye rotated slightly. Each with their own agenda, this was certainly the best outcome; competing based on individual abilities was also excellent.
But external forces were also one of his abilities.
“It’s here.”
The woman suddenly looked forward.
In the forest ahead, a person suddenly appeared.
The person was a young man, emanating a chilling aura, with a dead and numb expression.
Terrifying supernatural powers stirred within him.
A familiar face.
Lin Qian gazed at the young man, who had his face.
“Lin Qian, everything you have, I created. Now, you should return it to me.”
The young man suddenly spoke, his expression extremely bizarre.
Hoarse and dry, as if like frosted glass.
“Listening to you speak, you sound like someone without innate wisdom,” Lin Qian said calmly.
The other party was stunned.
The woman said calmly, “He’s calling you an idiot.”
“…”
