Chapter 237: The Two Blocked Individuals
“Professor Wang, how’s the situation?”
Zhao Bai entered the base under Wang Xiaoqiang’s lead.
Wang Xiao Ming and Li Jun looked at the two.
Wang Xiaoqiang shrugged; he had only brought Zhao Bai here.
After bringing him, he was also leaving.
Soon Wang Xiaoqiang left.
Zhao Bai found a seat and sat down.
“The situation isn’t great. Over on Xu Zhou’s side, there’s a ghost with wisdom scheming against him, but it’s unclear how.”
Wang Xiao Ming felt a bit of a headache.
“Mm, I know. The President, Fang Shiming, Ye Zhen, and the others are preparing to enter the Ghost Painting.”
Wang Xiao Ming was startled in his heart: “Have they recovered their strength?”
Zhao Bai nodded, “Mm, directly recovered to their peak period.”
Getting the definite answer, Wang Xiao Ming immediately felt relieved in his heart.
“If it’s them going in, then Xu Zhou and Wei Jing have a chance to get out.”
Zhao Bai was stunned, “Just a chance?”
He knew the situation inside the Ghost Painting was very severe, but he truly hadn’t expected it to be this severe.
Even with the leaders of three top Ghost Controller organizations teaming up to go in, they only had a chance to bring out Xu Zhou and Wei Jing.
How terrifying was the ghost inside the Ghost Painting?
Zhao Bai didn’t dare to imagine.
Nor could he imagine.
“So Professor Wang, besides this, do you have any other methods?”
Zhao Bai’s expression became solemn.
He was very clear that inside the Ghost Painting now, unless it was at the President’s level of strength, there wasn’t even a chance to escape.
Moreover, the situation inside the Ghost Painting was very complex; once something went wrong, they would really die.
Wang Xiao Ming shook his head, “The ghost’s terror level is too high; I can’t find any other ways.”
Zhao Bai fell silent; so, were they just supposed to watch helplessly?
They couldn’t help much from here; only Wang Xiao Ming could provide some ideas at key moments.
Zhao Bai didn’t know what to say, so he simply shut up.
‘Accident’ would bring misfortune, but also ‘hope’ and ‘opportunity’.
The place where the Painter died.
In the villa, in front of that oil painting.
A pale hand stretched out from the darkness, gently brushing over it.
Based on the touch of the hand, its owner seemed to confirm something, then softly spoke in a sorrowful tone:
“Our Painter unfortunately went to meet God, and even the ghost on his body was controlled by someone else.”
As the words fell, seven or eight pairs of eyes slowly opened in the darkness.
Staring fixedly at that oil painting.
“A moment of silence for the Painter’s sacrifice.”
Those seven or eight pairs of eyes slightly lowered.
The darkness was completely silent.
It lasted for nearly three minutes.
The silence was broken.
“Our Painter followed in the Priest’s footsteps.”
“Let us for the late Priest…”
“Cut the crap, stop with this nonsense and get to the point.”
A sharp, comical voice rang out, very dissatisfied.
“Clown, we must be gentlemen.”
A voice said unhurriedly.
The previous voice didn’t appear again, but in the darkness, a pair of eyes narrowed slightly.
“Missionary, you shouldn’t engage in this nonsense either; get to the point.”
“You gathered us here, surely not because of the Priest and Painter’s deaths, right.”
The Missionary turned back and looked at the several people hidden in the darkness.
“Manor Lord is as gentlemanly as ever.”
“As everyone knows, gentlemen are extremely wise.”
“Indeed, the deaths of the Painter, Priest, and Witch aren’t the reason I called everyone.”
There was some movement in the darkness.
But it quickly calmed.
“Everyone, our cooperation with the Reform Society needs to be viewed with scrutiny.”
Reform Society.
The moment the Missionary said this organization’s name, all the eyes in the darkness flickered.
“The cooperation with the Reform Society was personally finalized by Captain; Missionary, from your tone, it seems you’re somewhat dissatisfied with Captain’s decision?”
A gloomy voice questioned from the darkness.
“Oh, my God, how can you think that?”
The Missionary said with fear and trepidation, “Of course I wouldn’t, and couldn’t, be dissatisfied with Captain’s decision.”
“Great Captain is destined to lead us to victory; that’s inevitable.”
“I respect and admire Captain, always, unwaveringly.”
“However!”
However, it came.
The Missionary’s eyes narrowed:
“The setup in Daao City was prepared together by us and the Reform Society.”
“But the Priest in charge of everything in Daao City and the Witch lady inexplicably died, and even the friendly Chinese Luo Sheng and Sun Ren died similarly.”
“I’d like to ask, why didn’t the Reform Society’s friends have any issues?”
“That’s a very interesting point.”
“Our people died, but theirs didn’t.”
“Now, they’re preparing the entry into the Ghost Painting together with the Painter.”
“And then, as everyone saw, the Painter unfortunately met with disaster.”
The darkness became even quieter.
No one spoke.
They were all pondering.
Two cooperations with the Reform Society, and they lost two Kings and one Candidate King.
Yet the Reform Society had no losses.
Wasn’t that a bit off?
Far from just a bit off; it was completely wrong.
That slow voice rang out unhurriedly, exuding elegance.
It was the Manor Lord’s voice.
He broke the silence.
“You’re right; there is indeed a problem. The cooperation with the Reform Society was finalized by Captain, but we’re partners, not subordinates, and certainly not cannon fodder.”
The Missionary nodded.
“The Reform Society’s friends have the right idea, and it’s the best method for that country. Compared to Captain’s plan, their plan is more stable.”
“But unnecessary sacrifices cannot exist.”
“We haven’t formally torn faces with that country yet; if we die off before that, it’ll be almost all of us.”
“That would be very uninteresting; as a saying from that country goes, making wedding clothes for others, fetching water with a bamboo basket—all for naught.”
This statement received unanimous agreement.
At this moment, a hoarse, low voice rang out.
“What is your idea?”
“The Reform Society’s Ghost Country plan is very stable; it’s impossible for us to sway Captain.”
The Missionary nodded, “I know, but we don’t need to sway Captain; we just need to be more vigilant during cooperation with the Reform Society.”
“If something feels off, just escape.”
“Our lives matter too; unlike the Reform Society’s friends who are hard to kill.”
“If we die, we’re really dead.”
At this moment, someone suddenly spoke, a ethereal voice with an echo:
“Just be vigilant?”
The Missionary’s gaze shifted slightly, meeting a pair of pale, transparent eyes, and he said:
“Everyone isn’t stupid; you have your own ideas. I believe you all know what to do.”
As the words fell, everyone’s gazes shifted slightly.
Those who could become Kings weren’t fools; that’s for sure.
Silence descended again.
The Missionary turned back to look at the door on that oil painting.
His eyes narrowed slightly:
“The Painter’s ghost is very important, truly very important; it can’t fall into others’ hands.”
“Moreover, if the Painter’s ghost can be retrieved, the Painter might descend from heaven back to earth.”
At this point, the Missionary slightly turned his head to look at the people behind him.
“So, we can’t let the other side go!”
In the darkness, pairs of eyes narrowed, becoming long and eerie.
……
……
“Found them.”
Lin Qian looked up, gazing in one direction.
“They sure slipped away fast, but why are they getting closer and closer to the Ghost Painting’s source?”
“They?”
“Not just Xu Zhou alone?” Fang Shiming was surprised.
“Mm, and Wei Jing too.”
Lin Qian reached out, using his finger as a pen, drawing a door shape in the void.
He gripped that non-existent door handle and pulled.
A creaking sound.
As if there really was a door.
With Lin Qian’s action, the air was actually pulled open.
An unfamiliar environment appeared.
Ye Zhen poked his head out to look around; behind was empty and normal, but from here, Lin Qian couldn’t be seen.
It seemed as if there really was an invisible door here.
A desolate city, ruined walls, ancient and modern alternating.
Dust of history.
Fang Shiming looked at the city through the portal, his gaze flickering.
“Need to open it three times; good thing this is the Ghost Painting, and the ghost on the Painter is a puzzle piece of the Ghost Painting, plus the Ghost Painting’s source is hiding.”
“Otherwise, if I use supernatural power, the Ghost Painting’s source would come instantly.”
Lin Qian spoke as he stepped through the door.
Fang Shiming and Ye Zhen followed slowly.
“There are indeed far fewer ghosts inside the Ghost Painting.”
“This Ghost Painting is empty; there’s no ghost inside.”
Ye Zhen stood on the road where cement and asphalt alternated, scanning the surroundings.
Substitute Death hadn’t detected any fierce ghosts that could substitute; only buildings.
Ye Zhen stroked his chin: “With our current strength against Ghost Messenger and Starving Ghost, we might die instantly.”
“I have a premonition that these two ghosts’ current strength is comparable to those Republic of China era old antiques, or possibly even stronger.”
Lin Qian nodded and reached out to repeat the previous action.
Fang Shiming turned back to look at the door slowly closing.
At the moment the door closed, Fang Shiming frowned slightly; just now, there seemed to be a shadow rushing toward the door for an instant.
Not an illusion.
“No need to worry; it’s that ghost. Though it lost its Ghost Domain, its hiding ability is still strong.”
“But no rush; using supernatural power will lead to discovery.”
As he spoke, the door opened.
This portal led to a lake.
Thick mist over the lake.
Ye Zhen tilted his head, “Yo, what a formidable one.”
Fang Shiming was also somewhat surprised, but then his expression turned serious, “Not simple.”
Lin Qian’s eyes narrowed, “Crossing the Ghost Painting still has risks. Forget it; we can handle this thing, but no need.”
With that, he closed the door again.
And just as the door was about to close, a head suddenly emerged from the misty lake.
The head appeared, and soon, a female corpse without any clothes floated up from the lake, standing in the water.
Her figure vaguely visible in the mist.
The door closed.
Lin Qian looked at his hand; the flesh on it had all fallen off, exposing bone.
He moved his hand, his figure flickered, and the injury instantly recovered.
“A ghost that survived Ghost Messenger and Starving Ghost; its terror level isn’t low, might even have Restart.”
Lin Qian said calmly, then nonchalantly began drawing the door again.
Just a face-to-face with a terrifying ghost.
Only a small matter.
Though attacked, it was only a supernatural invasion, not a real attack.
Ghosts in the Ghost Painting decreased, but the Ghost Painting became even more dangerous.
Lin Qian drew the door in another spot.
Soon, the three entered the next Ghost Painting.
And after they left, in less than five minutes.
A large swath of shadow rapidly covered over.
The shadow twisted ferociously, like a person struggling on the ground.
Eerily creepy.
But soon, the shadow disappeared.
Submerging into the ground.
……
“Not right…”
Xu Zhou suddenly stopped in place, staring fixedly at the familiar mansion ahead.
“What’s wrong?”
Wei Jing’s dead-man-like voice rang out.
Xu Zhou’s expression fluctuated, “One good news and one bad news.”
Wei Jing didn’t speak, just stared at the mansion.
“The Ghost Painting is inside there.”
“The source.”
Wei Jing narrowed his eyes slightly: “Is that the good news or bad news?”
Xu Zhou’s gaze flickered: “Good news, but it will soon turn into bad news.”
“Because there’s an extremely terrifying ghost inside this mansion.”
“How does it compare to me now?” Wei Jing asked, somewhat curious.
Xu Zhou countered: “Can you restart time?”
Wei Jing’s numb eyes stiffened slightly, then he shook his head: “I can’t restart time; Ghost Messenger can.”
“Then we can’t go in.”
Xu Zhou scanned the surroundings:
“The ghost inside has Restart.”
Wei Jing’s expression shifted slightly.
“Then let’s change…”
But before he finished, Wei Jing’s expression changed:
“Too late.”
Xu Zhou was stunned, then realized something.
The two instantly appeared on the rooftop.
On the distant street, a man with bluish-black skin, wearing an International Police uniform, with bluish-black eyes, slowly walked on the street.
Xu Zhou’s pupils shrank sharply.
Wei Jing looked to the other side; a man with a black hemp rope wrapped around his arm, also in International Police uniform, stepping in black leather shoes, with numb, dead eyes, walking toward them.
“How could it be this fast?”
Xu Zhou was puzzled; the two ghosts’ travel speed was even faster than theirs.
Ghost Messenger aside, how did Starving Ghost pinpoint them so accurately?
“Cannot Escape.” Wei Jing said calmly.
He hadn’t lost control yet, only because he was in Xu Zhou’s Ghost Domain, and Ghost Messenger was still some distance away.
Returning the way they came was impossible; Ghost Messenger was on that road.
The opponent reaching here meant the Ghost Painting leading here couldn’t be used.
One Ghost Painting could connect to any other Ghost Painting.
But first, the source couldn’t exist here.
When the source existed here, this Ghost Painting could only connect to two ways out: another Ghost Painting, or the source.
The incoming road was blocked; it seemed they had to gamble and enter the mansion to leave via the source.
Xu Zhou’s face alternated between gloom and uncertainty, “Impossible; I’ve always avoided heading toward the source.”
“How did we reach the source?”
“Could it be!”
Xu Zhou’s gaze at Starving Ghost changed.
Could it be, ghosts chase ghosts?!
