Mysterious Awakening

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In a situation where he felt confident and without fear, Yang Jian seized upon the vulnerability of the human skin parchment, an advantage he had thus far in dealing with this eerie object.

If one were involved with supernatural incidents, this human skin parchment often took advantage of people's will to survive, usually having the upper hand.

This was a dangerous gamble.

Yang Jian knew that if he lost, his fate could be even worse than Zhao Kaiming's.

But with supernatural incidents erupting globally, no one had any future guarantees; keeping the object would merely add a bit more confidence to his self-preservation.

Zhao Lei's notes had stimulated Yang Jian, who couldn't bear the thought of that ghost wandering outside under Zhao Lei's identity for another moment.

Such a strange thing had to be imprisoned.

The conversation continued.

Yang Jian was not afraid of the dark; he turned on a lamp and sat at the table seeking answers.

The threats seemed to be effective.

The human skin parchment that had been quiet for a while began to change again.

A line of text emerged: "I wasn't aware of Zhao Lei's situation. By the time I realized, it was already too late. His current condition is very special. Although I really want to help him, I was unable to do so with my abilities at that time. I've lost the ghost's location and can't accurately pinpoint him... but I believe if I'm given a little time, perhaps I could find his whereabouts."

Below that line of text appeared three words: One month.

Yang Jian's expression turned dark as he read.

This human skin parchment was full of deceit; it wanted him to wait a month, and by then, Zhao Lei might have evolved to an unknown level of difficulty, certainly not as easy to deal with as now.

It should be noted that the main character of the S-level supernatural event, the Ghost Infant, had grown for less than two months.

And the most important point, that thing was able to suppress his Ghost Eye; in front of the red paper, he couldn't use the Ghost Domain.

"Are you trying to buy time?" Yang Jian asked coldly, staring at the dark brown human skin parchment.

The writing on the human skin parchment started to fade slowly. Soon, all the information was eerily erased, and quiet was restored once more.

"Your bargaining power is insufficient right now. I have thoroughly mastered the Headless Ghost Shadow, and by controlling the Ghost Eye with it, the time for the ferocious ghost's resurgence will be greatly delayed.

As long as nothing unexpected happens to me, I shouldn't have to worry about the ghost's resurgence for the next few years, or even ten years, unless the Ghost Shadow wakes up again from its dead state."

Yang Jian said, "In other words, you are not indispensable to me right now. If you can't show enough value, I was not joking about burying you a million meters underground."

After getting through the ordeal of a hanging suicide, he felt he had the capital to forego his need for the human skin parchment.

Of course, what he didn't know was that during his suicide by hanging, the human skin parchment had an opportunity, which it missed; Yang Jian hadn't kept it with him at the time.

"No matter what you are, whether you're a carrier for future information or an unknown ghost, I'll give you ten seconds to think. If I don't get the information I want, you'll be worthless to me, and I'll have no hesitation in burying you completely."

Yang Jian stood up and stared at the human skin parchment, showing sufficient dominance.

After solving the problem of survival, many seemingly difficult choices can actually be resolved effortlessly.

So in this eerie negotiation, he had the upper hand.

Yang Jian checked the time on his phone and started to count down.

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

After five seconds, the silent human skin parchment revealed writing: "If I can't get the answers, perhaps the second room in that old mansion from the Republic of China can give me everything I want."

An information clue appeared before Yang Jian.

The second room in the old mansion?

Yang Jian's gaze suddenly became focused.

He couldn't help but look in the direction behind the residential complex.

There was an ancient house from the Republican era being renovated there, empty except for just three rooms.

In the last room, Yang Jian had discovered the Ghost Mirror.

It was the very thing that had allowed him to survive the Hungry Ghost incident, and also an item of extraordinary value and strangeness.

But aside from the Ghost Mirror in the last room, the first and second rooms held unknown secrets. He had chosen not to explore them back then, because Yang Jian felt there might be great terror hidden there, and he might have been in over his head if he tried to delve further without certainty.

Caution was absolutely necessary.

"Bringing up that second room at this time, are you trying to set me up?" A suspicion like this couldn't help but arise in Yang Jian's mind.

The mysterious skin paper didn't respond, and silence fell for the third time, with no more alerts or new information emerging.

"Or is it that...this information is the limit of what you can reveal for now?"

After a long wait, there was still no response.

Yang Jian felt that this kind of threat was no longer very effective. The mysterious skin paper was unwilling to reveal more, perhaps sensing that prematurely sharing information couldn't control Yang Jian; he might instead use this information to become stronger and gradually slip from its control, not becoming as dependent on the mysterious skin paper as it had anticipated.

"It looks like this is all the information I can get. But to add a precaution, I'll bury you first. If I really end up being killed because you've manipulated me, then be prepared to be buried for the rest of your life."

Having said that, Yang Jian collected the skin paper and put it back in the box.

All the while, the skin paper showed no change, and it was uncertain if this final threat had any effect.

Useful or not, Yang Jian had already decided to proceed this way.

He opened the Ghost Domain and sent the skin paper straight down to a depth of ten thousand meters. Then he marked the spot beneath his feet, to easily retrieve it should the opportunity arise.

"I'll pay a visit to the old house tomorrow," Yang Jian looked at the sky outside.

He didn't want to go over late at night, thinking it was better to wait until morning when at least the visibility would be better, without the unnecessary waste of relying on ghost eyes.

"Yang Jian, who are you talking to? Time for dinner. I've made a few dishes, not sure if you'll like them," said Zhang Liqin, approaching him at that moment.

It seemed she was planning to live there with Yang Jian.

"Okay, coming right now."

Yang Jian checked the various rooms, ensuring that the bizarre items were all normal before he felt at ease to go downstairs.

A daily check to avoid any accidents.

"I've taken your car for repair; it'll take about three days, but the paint won't be the original factory one," said Zhang Liqin.

Yang Jian replied, "That's alright, as long as it's close enough."

As he went to have his meal.

In the depths underground, within the golden box buried ten thousand meters deep, the quiet mysterious skin paper began to show a line of text: He is too cautious... after losing a good opportunity, he has begun to gradually escape my control. This is not good. Perhaps I should consider breaking away from him.

The next day.

Yang Jian left the house, and after some thought, he decided to follow the guidance of the information on the skin paper and check out the second room of the ancient Republican-era house.

With his current situation, he had gained some confidence; even if he encountered unknown terror, he wouldn't be entirely defenseless.

"Zhang Han, what are you doing here?"

Not long after he left the house, he saw Zhang Han taking a stroll with his wife inside the residential complex, where they encountered a group that seemed like journalists conducting interviews.

Zhang Han seemed impatient, but he was entangled by this team of journalists.

"I've already said I don't accept interviews. There are so many people in Dachang City, go ask someone else if you have questions. I don't know anything," he refused to disclose any information.

The reporter holding the microphone and responsible for the interview was a woman dressed in a white shirt, with delicate makeup, a graceful figure, and stunning beauty.

"Mr. Zhang, I'm just asking you a few very ordinary questions, I hope you won't avoid them, okay?" the female reporter persisted, refusing to give up.

Behind her, a camera followed her every move.

Zhang Han didn't want to answer any questions because this journalist had started by asking some sensitive topics. With the big event having just ended, he didn't want to cause any trouble in front of the camera, which was why he had been evading them.

Hearing Yang Jian's words, Zhang Han immediately said, "Yang Jian, your timing is perfect. Several groups of reporters have been coming to the community these past few days. This is the most annoying batch, can you think of a way to deal with them? After all, there are some questions it's not good for me to handle."

"Just chase these reporters away, why do you need my help? I actually have some errands to run." Yang Jian said.

Zhang Han came over and whispered, "These people start by asking some special topics as if they know something. They're targeting the Hungry Ghost incident, and the person in charge of the photography is a foreigner. I think there's something wrong with them."

"Then they should be chased away even more," Yang Jian said.

"I know, but the camera is rolling. If I make a move, won't I expose the fact that I'm a ghost charmer? If this video goes viral, wouldn't that be terrible?" Zhang Han said.

"So you're concerned about that?" Yang Jian said.

Indeed, while paranormal events were becoming more frequent, even the Hungry Ghost incident was causing an uproar on the internet, the overall situation was still stable.

"Excuse me, sir, are you a resident here? I'm a reporter from a radio station, may I ask you first: do you believe that the haze incident in Dachang City was really caused by chemical pollution, or, as the rumors on the internet say, was it a paranormal event?" The glamorous female journalist rushed up to Yang Jian and asked.

Yang Jian looked at the camera and gestured for the foreign man carrying it to come closer.

"Zoom in on the camera," a staff member said nearby.

Yang Jian said, "This is a private area, and the Guanjiang Residential Complex has not opened for sale yet, so I hope you can leave this place. Otherwise, I have the right to drive you out."

"Sir, freedom of the press is the right of every country. I believe the general public has the right to know the real face of this mysterious event. You refuse our interview, what makes you keep the silence? Could there really be an unbelievable paranormal incident happening here?

Some online mystery forums are discussing the incident in Dachang City being handled by a special individual known as 'Ghost Eye Yang Jian'. Do you have any knowledge about that?" she asked, pressing him aggressively, not caring at all if she was rejected.

Zhang Han was right; these reporters were a problem. They came asking sensitive questions right off the bat, nothing like typical street interviews, with the clear purpose of coming to the Guanjiang Residential Complex to probe for something.

Yang Jian didn't say a word, walked over, snatched the camera away, and then hurled it dozens of meters away. The camera smashed to the ground and shattered with a loud bang.

This extraordinary strength, which seemed unbelievable, was not difficult for him to summon.

"Oh NO," the tall foreign man who had been holding the camera exclaimed in surprise.

"Why did you have to smash our camera?" a staff member who accompanied them said in shock and anger.

Yang Jian said calmly, "I'll cover the loss. Give me a figure, and I'll have my accountant reimburse you, but before that, I hope you'll leave. I won't repeat this again."

"Reacting to the reporter's questioning, this gentleman furiously destroyed our camera. Is this a distortion of human nature, or a decline in morality? What dreadful content is hiding behind the Dachang City haze incident that everyone refuses to speak of? I'm reporter Su San, continuing to report for you," the reporter said while holding a recorder, continuing her audio report.

"Annoying, isn't it?" Zhang Han smiled helplessly from the side.

"Indeed, quite annoying. Are journalists these days all so dedicated? Still, I can use the charge of obstructing official duties to forcibly expel you all if you insist on pursuing the interview," Yang Jian said as he drew a pistol and fired a warning shot into the sky.

"Bang~!"

The glamorous reporter named Su San was startled, while the foreigners behind her cursed "Shit," and hurriedly reached for the weapons at their waists.

"Oh, since when do reporters have the right to carry guns?" Yang Jian laughed when he saw this.

If he were truly a reporter, all he could do was scare them away; it wouldn't be right to take any real action after all—they were just ordinary people, and he didn't need to waste his energy on them.

But it was a different story when these people directly drew their guns.

This was definitely not a regular news team.

"Judging by how fast each of you drew your guns, you're much more professional than I am, must be trained, right? You look somewhat similar to the mercenaries I've encountered before... A well-trained team, accompanied by one or two amateur journalists, with such a combination, I have every reason to suspect that you are spies," Yang Jian glanced at them.

Out of the five people in the line, three had drawn their guns, while the other two seemed inexperienced and frightened, crouching on the ground with their heads in their hands.

"The crisis in Dachang City just lifted and some forces couldn't wait to reach out, could they?" Yang Jian said, but soon he chuckled, "No, that's not right. If you were really gathering intelligence, you wouldn't need to arm yourselves with weapons. You wouldn't make such an amateur mistake. Let me guess."

"You're armed, surely to protect yourselves from danger, and the only danger in Guanjiang Residential Complex seems to be one person... 'Ghost Eye' Yang Jian who lives here?"

"So, the real reason is you're using the interview as a cover, with the goal being to make contact with me, gather my information."

He made a bold guess, meanwhile observing the expressions of these people.

His guess did not disappoint him.

The faces of the three with guns changed in an instant.

"Mister, this, it's all a misunderstanding. Someone wants to invite you to a ball, and we were sent to deliver the invitation to you. Without the guise of a reporter, we couldn't move around in Dachang City," said the foreigner who was carrying the camera, his face grim and speaking in awkward Chinese.

"What's your name? You speak fairly good Chinese," Yang Jian said.

"Terry," the foreigner replied.

"Bang~!"

Yang Jian fired a shot, a bullet whizzing past the crotch of his pants.

"Sorry, my marksmanship is not very good; I meant to aim at your foot but I missed. I'm not interested in balls because I can't dance, so I must decline your invitation. But, I'd like to extend another invitation to you. Are you interested in learning about the Dachang City prison?"

Terry was so frightened that his heart skipped a beat, and his hand moved instinctively towards his gun, but he forcefully suppressed the urge to retaliate.

This man didn't seem to mind being at gunpoint.

Indeed, he had been possessed by demons.

"Mister, you should consider it; it's for your own good," Terry insisted.

"If you lay down your weapons and surrender, I might treat you a bit more kindly. Otherwise, the next bullet might find its way to you," Yang Jian said.

Although he understood why some forces wanted to make contact with him, why couldn't they make a formal invitation? Skulking around like this was quite unbecoming, didn't they know?

"I thought you were really reporters; it turns out this was all for you. Well, I'm out of this; you handle it yourself. I'm off to eat breakfast," said Zhang Han, ready to leave with his scared wife.

"You're not going to help me out?" Yang Jian looked back at him.

Zhang Han replied, "Help you collect your body? Please, my wife is right here watching. It's a minor matter; you can handle it yourself."

With that, he left without looking back.

Dealing with a few ordinary people was nothing for Yang Jian; any manipulator of spirits wouldn't bother with them. These people were obviously prepared to take a fall here by sending these few insignificant individuals.

"Really no choice, I have called the police," Yang Jian decided to report it nonetheless.

When in trouble, call for Yaoyao Ling.

He believed these people carried certain intelligence value and decided to let Captain Liu interrogate them.

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