Chapter 640 - Chapter 640: Chapter 637: Astonishing Changes

Chapter 640: Chapter 637: Astonishing Changes

After his attempt, Yang Jian’s plan to resolve the curse of the eight-tone music box with the help of the Ghost Cabinet fell through.

Of his three alternative plans, he was now left with only one: to trust Wang Xiaoming to find a way to solve the curse. Although this was something that headquarters had already agreed to, Yang Jian had never felt completely at ease with Wang Xiaoming.

“If I must try Wang Xiaoming’s plan, then I have to let the Ghost Cabinet devise a way to deal with the traps in the plan,” Yang Jian thought to himself.

With the help of the Ghost Cabinet to foresee dangers and then avoid them rationally was currently the most feasible method.

He thought hard for quite a while.

Yang Jian then realized that this seemingly simple problem was actually very difficult, having already wasted several sheets of paper.

For example: Help me deal with the traps in Wang Xiaoming’s plan.

If he wrote down this sentence, the Ghost Cabinet would indeed meet the requirement, but what if the plan failed? What if he didn’t die in the traps but died from the curse of the eight-tone music box?

He then wrote: Help me successfully survive tomorrow’s plan.

If he wrote down that sentence, Yang Jian might indeed survive, but it’s possible that only a consciousness preserved by the curse of the Ghost Cabinet would remain, turning him into a special anomaly.

“Dealing with the Ghost Cabinet isn’t as simple as I imagined. You never know how the Ghost Cabinet will affect you, so perfection is unattainable. No matter what request I make, the risks I have to bear are still mine to bear.”

Yang Jian shook his head slightly, crumpled the paper in his hand irritably, and threw it away.

Quickly.

His gaze shifted, and he directly wrote the following sentence on the paper: “I want to be alive a month from now and conduct the next trade with you.”

This request was quite clever.

Yang Jian proposed that the next trade take place a month later, meaning he had to be there a month from today, which means he couldn’t die within that month. If he did die, then the Ghost Cabinet would have failed to meet his requirement, and the rule of infinite trade would be unilaterally broken by the Ghost Cabinet.

Therefore, if the Ghost Cabinet wanted to continue the trade, Yang Jian could not die from the curse of the eight-tone music box, nor could he die from other supernatural events.

The most important thing was he did not make any requests regarding supernatural events. Under normal circumstances, this should not be very difficult; after all, it’s quite easy for an ordinary person to live for a month.

The paper stuffed inside the Ghost Cabinet remained without any reaction.

The old wooden cabinet was as silent as before, as if judging the difficulty of Yang Jian’s request or considering whether to agree to it.

Yang Jian was not in a hurry; he continued to wait.

The wait was not very long this time, and soon there was a movement in the door below; it opened slightly.

Yang Jian immediately opened it to check, and inside was the note he had just stuffed in, with two black, twisted words written on it: Seven days.

Seven days?

Yang Jian’s gaze sharpened. Although the timeline had been shortened, there was an effect. Sure enough, there was a loophole in the Ghost Cabinet that could be exploited. It couldn’t solve the curse of the eight-tone music box, but it could ensure his survival for another seven days to conduct another trade, which seemed to be more difficult. Yet, the Ghost Cabinet deemed the former to be harder.

“Good.”

Without a second thought, Yang Jian wrote down a single character in response.

After stuffing the paper back in, the Ghost Cabinet went completely quiet as if waiting for the seven days to arrive, and the rule of infinite trading was temporarily extended.

“This is the best outcome. It’s like buying insurance from the Ghost Cabinet, ensuring that no matter what, I will be alive to stand in front of it after seven days,” Yang Jian thought to himself.

Whatever the trap or the failure of the plan, betting on either side was unstable, only this was the most secure.

“That’s all I can do for now. This should be the best I can do at the moment. Tomorrow’s plan by Wang Xiaoming doesn’t matter anymore. What matters is that I will definitely survive the next few days.”

The curse of the eight-tone music box lasted three days, but he had to trade with the Ghost Cabinet after seven days; the dates did not match.

This means that if Wang Xiaoming’s plan failed, there would be a conflict between the curse of the eight-tone music box and the trading rule of the Ghost Cabinet. It was an intangible contest between ghosts, and Yang Jian used this factor to enhance his chance of survival.

Of course, if Wang Xiaoming’s plan were successful, then the help from the Ghost Cabinet would be redundant, and Yang Jian would have wasted a condition in vain.

After ensuring there were no problems, Yang Jian descended from the clock tower.

He did not return to Big J City, although the ghost painting event was still being processed. For the time being, it had nothing to do with him; after all, he had resigned from the position of captain. Although he had not completely left the headquarters, he was on indefinite leave, which had its pros and cons.

The advantage was now apparent.

He could avoid the ghost painting event, and nobody at headquarters would assign him any tasks.

Yang Jian walked through the quiet residential complex. The Guanjiang Residential Complex, although a bit lively, still had a low occupancy rate. While quiet, it was relatively safe; the more people there were, the higher the chance of causing supernatural events. You never know which unlucky person might inadvertently attract a supernatural event.

Of course, living in a mountain area might be safer. If possible, retreating to the mountains would be a good choice.

Lost in his thoughts, he had arrived at his front door.

Yang Jian’s current home was once the sales office of the Guanjiang Residential Complex, converted into a five-story residence with facilities like a reception hall, dining room, gymnasium, swimming pool, office, and so on. Originally purchased from Zhang Wei’s father, Zhang Xiangu, it was quite luxurious for Yang Jian at the time.

According to Yang Jian’s plans, this place was to be where he would take care of his mother in her old age. The yard was large enough, and the building spacious enough, that this asset alone could ensure they would never want for food and drink.

However, this asset was no longer impressive, but since he had grown accustomed to living there, he had no intention of moving.

As Yang Jian approached the door, he noticed that the green belt next to the courtyard had changed; it was now planted with a good number of vegetables, which, due to poor weather conditions, weren’t growing well. These were likely planted by his mother when she was bored.

He pressed the doorbell.

Nobody opened the door.

“Not at home?” Yang Jian’s Ghost Eye opened and swept over the place; the house was empty.

“Have Jiang Yan and Zhang Liqin moved out? Or did they go to work at the Shangtong Tower in the city center?”

However, after glancing at the two women’s rooms, Yang Jian saw signs of occupancy. It didn’t seem like they had moved out, meaning they were likely still living here.

After all, they were two women who had survived supernatural events and had suffered some mental trauma. To some extent, they both lacked a sense of security, otherwise, they wouldn’t have willingly stayed here for so long.

Yang Jian also had no intention of driving them away.

With such a large place, having more people around to liven it up and accompany his mother during her free time seemed good to him.

Yang Jian entered the house and made his way to the fifth floor.

The fifth floor housed some dangerous items.

Two ghosts confined in golden boxes, a bound ghost skeleton, a ghost mirror covered with a black cloth, and some firearms.

He was least worried about the imprisoned ghosts; as long as nobody touched them, it was impossible for the ghosts to escape. What he feared most was someone tampering with the Ghost Mirror, which is why the door was locked, but such locks were really only a deterrent for ordinary people; if someone truly intended to open it, they couldn’t be stopped.

After checking everything, Yang Jian moved to the room where the Ghost Mirror was kept.

The room was pitch-black, devoid of any reflective surfaces.

He looked at the mirror covered by the black cloth and pondered, “These things are too dangerous, there is inevitably going to be a slip-up if they’re kept here. It would be better to put them in the safe house. Zhang Xiangu expanded the safe house last time; carving out a small room to store these items shouldn’t be an issue.”

Yang Jian felt that it was unsafe to keep these dangerous objects here; if a problem arose, wouldn’t his home be completely compromised?

Thereupon, he began to move these hazardous objects.

Given the current circumstances, Yang Jian directly utilized the Ghost Domain to transfer all the items to the safe house, then carried them into the small room constructed from gold.

This safe house was undoubtedly rarely used. If a time came when it did need to be used, the situation would be quite dire already, and the potential risks of these items wouldn’t be much of a concern.

“What’s left is the Ghost Cabinet,” Yang Jian said as he exited the safe house, glancing up at the clock tower.

After thinking it over, he decided it would be better not to move the Ghost Cabinet for the time being.

Though the object was strange, it was relatively stable. He would figure out a way to secure it after getting through the current crisis with the Eight-Tone Music Box,

After handling the potential hazards at home, he didn’t rush to leave the complex but went to the unfinished building site at the very back of the residential area.

A newly constructed building with the semblance of a modern temple stood in the middle of the empty site.

The temple-style design was merely a disguise; inside was actually an ancient house from the Republic of China Period. The reason for the renovation was that Yang Jian neither dared to destroy that ancient house from the Republic era, nor did he want others to discover it—the best method was to conceal the old house with another building.

Yang Jian took a moment to consider, then walked over.

A tall wall had been newly erected around the ancient house, with only one antique-style red-painted gate. But the gate was currently locked tight, as if no one was inside.

Yang Jian disappeared in front of the gate, directly entering the interior.

The refurbished ancient house was not as ghostly and sinister as one might imagine. On the contrary, it was filled with a modern aura—clean, well-lit, and featuring a retro style that was exceptionally elegant and serene, well-suited for those who enjoyed tranquility.

“Yang Jian, you’ve come? Your business trip seems to have lasted quite a while this time.”

A quiet, pleasant voice rang out, as an eighteen or nineteen-year-old young girl emerged from a room on the second floor. She stood in the corridor, calmly looking at Yang Jian in the living room below.

That room was previously where the Ghost Cabinet had been placed.

But after the renovation, it had become Wang Shanshan’s personal room.

“Came to have a look and deal with some minor issues,” Yang Jian replied, looking at Wang Shanshan.

There was not much change in her from before—aloof, pale, lean, yet her figure remained graceful, possessing an indescribable air of cold beauty.

“Are we about to die?” Wang Shanshan said as she walked down the stairs.

Yang Jian said, “Why would you suddenly say that? Can’t I just come and see you?”

Wang Shanshan pointed to her head, “Recently, a piece of music has been appearing in my mind, and I think it has something to do with you. This music is kind of eerie; it’s probably not a good thing.”

Yang Jian was startled, then his heart chilled, “You too?”

The curse of the eight-tone music box had actually extended to Wang Shanshan, which he hadn’t expected.

“You’ve said before, if you die, I will die too. Looks like your trip wasn’t smooth. Want a Coke?” Wang Shanshan went downstairs, took out a bottle of Coke from the fridge, and handed it to Yang Jian.

It seemed that her life here was still full of ample supplies.

“Thank you.”

Yang Jian opened the Coke and took a gulp, “I’ve encountered some trouble, but I’ll solve it. Don’t worry, you won’t be in any danger.”

“I’m not worried about myself, but what if we die, what about it?” Wang Shanshan’s gaze showed a hint of concern as she looked toward a corner of the living room.

Somehow, in that corner, stood a child who appeared to be five or six years old.

This child, although clothed, had skin that was exposed and looked as deathly pale and bluish-black as a corpse’s. It was incredibly cold to the touch, and its eyes were red and lacked pupils. It was eerily and ominously similar to ghost eyes. Right now, it was motionless, with its head tilted slightly as it watched Yang Jian.

A feeling of being watched by a fierce ghost irresistibly surged from the bottom of his heart, making one’s hair stand on end.

Ghost Infant!

Yang Jian’s gaze instantly hardened.

It was a deviant left over after the Hungry Ghost incident ended, and he himself didn’t know what to call this thing. This Ghost Infant was at once a derivative ghost of the Hungry Ghost, a ghost slave, and parasitically lived inside Wang Shanshan’s body, having some unclear connection with her.

“It hasn’t been that long; this Ghost Infant has actually grown so much.” Yang Jian said, “How have you been feeding it?”

“Meat.”

Wang Shanshan glanced at the fridge, “Fresh flesh and blood. I’ve tried beef, pork, chicken… but it prefers mutton the most. However, mutton is just a substitute out of necessity. You should be clear about what it really wants to eat. Now it has stopped growing, at least from what I’ve observed these past few days.”

“This is the Second Stage Ghost Infant.”

Yang Jian calmly analyzed, “If it needs to continue growing without killing, it has to be fed with ghosts, but that could easily get out of control. I left it behind out of greed, and I still don’t know whether that decision was right or wrong. It’s too dangerous for you to continue living with it.”

“One misstep and you could die.”

Wang Shanshan said, “For now, I am still safe; it’s more obedient than you’d think.”

“No matter how obedient, it’s still a ghost.”

Yang Jian’s gaze was frosty, “Starting tomorrow I may encounter some dangers. My visit this time was to consider its existence. If I really die by accident, you’ll also die with me, but what about it? If it still exists in this world, then there’s nobody who can control it. I won’t allow the Hungry Ghost incident to happen again.”

“So what do you suggest?” Wang Shanshan was stunned, then asked.

“I’m thinking… either I’ll take it with me, at least it can’t cause too much trouble outside, or you lock it in a specially made box for a few days. Once I can confirm it’s safe, I’ll call you,” Yang Jian said.

He would meet Wang Xiaoming tomorrow.

So taking advantage of today, he needed to take care of some loose ends—essentially, to make arrangements in case of his death. The existence of the Ghost Infant was a potential hazard, even more dangerous than leaving a Ghost Mirror at home. He definitely had to deal with it.

“You can choose a solution for me; after all, this matter also concerns you.”

Yang Jian left the choice to Wang Shanshan.

Wang Shanshan thought for a moment, then walked up to Yang Jian, looking up at him, “Take it with you. It might be able to help you, but don’t let it die. If everything is fine in a few days, bring it back. It can solve many problems here and provides a certain level of security to the neighborhood.”

“Alright, since you’ve said so, I’ll take it with me when I leave Dachang City today,” Yang Jian looked at the Ghost Infant, his gaze shifting.

He knew this thing was not a danger for now, but after all, it was a horrifying entity left by the Hungry Ghost, and he couldn’t help but feel wary since the memories of the Hungry Ghost incident still cast a shadow in his heart.

“By the way, you just mentioned it solved quite a few problems. Did something happen in the neighborhood recently?”

Suddenly, he picked up on the information in Wang Shanshan’s earlier words and asked immediately.

Wang Shanshan replied, “It should have been five nights ago, it went out and when it came back, it had several human fingers in its mouth.”

Yang Jian’s complexion changed slightly, as this short sentence revealed the dreadful ferocity of the Ghost Infant.

“What made it run out?”

Wang Shanshan shook her head, “I don’t know. Just to be cautious, I gave it an order: to drive away any ghost-user that enters the neighborhood without permission.”

“So you’re saying that a strange ghost master attempted to enter the residential complex that night? Then the Ghost Infant found him, ran out to attack him, and even bit off several of his fingers?” Yang Jian made a reasonable guess.

“It should be that way.”

“Does Zhang Han know?”

Wang Shanshan said, “He mentioned it, and said he would investigate, but there’s been no news for the past few days.”

Yang Jian glanced at the corner where the Ghost Infant lurked and fell into deep thought.

A ghost master, at the very least, is someone who controls a ghost, yet when confronted by the Ghost Infant, several of his fingers were bitten off and he was driven away. What did that indicate?

It indicated that the most ordinary ghost masters were no match for this Ghost Infant.

And that was without even letting the Ghost Infant consume other ghosts; otherwise, the level of danger would be unimaginable.

“Where is Zhang Han now?” Yang Jian asked.

Setting aside the matter of the Ghost Infant for now, since he had decided to take it away and could handle it slowly later on, the appearance of a strange ghost master in Dachang City who tried to enter the Guanjiang Residential Complex warranted vigilance.

If he were a ghost master with a well-known name and power, he would surely have approached through proper channels. This sneaky behavior was very hostile.

Revenge?

Or some sort of malicious probe?

Regardless, Yang Jian felt that he had to look into the matter; otherwise, he would find it hard to leave in peace.

“He’s at Shangtong Tower. It’s working hours now, and since you left, he’s taken over your responsibilities there,” Wang Shanshan said.

Yang Jian nodded and said, “That’s what I asked him to do. Then I need to make a trip to Shangtong Tower. Actually, you don’t have to stay here all the time. It wouldn’t be bad to go out and spend more time with your family.”

“I need to keep an eye on it, and I’ve grown accustomed to being alone. I can surf the internet, play games, read books here, and people bring me all kinds of delicious food, so it’s not boring. Sometimes it’s quite interesting to watch Zhang Wei’s livestream,” Wang Shanshan said.

Yang Jian said, “I’m sorry, I’m the one who made you like this.”

“You don’t need to feel guilty. You saved me. Otherwise, I would have been dead a long time ago. We’ve been over this several times, and you’re not allowed to say that again,” she responded, her indifferent eyes subtly flickering with seriousness.

The two of them were no longer the students who sat in school, studied, and prepared for exams. Although only about half a year had passed, both Yang Jian and Wang Shanshan had grown a lot.

“I don’t have much time left. There are still some things I need to deal with. I should leave,” Yang Jian suddenly said again.

Wang Shanshan nodded but then seemed to remember something, “By the way, I’ve been in contact with Miao Xiaoshan recently. She mentioned you met with her during your trip. How is she? Is she doing okay?”

“Not too well. She almost died.”

Yang Jian continued, “A supernatural event occurred at her school. If I hadn’t arrived in time, the situation would have become more dangerous than the one at No. 7 Middle School within half an hour.”

“It’s good that she’s alright. But I want to know, how are things between you and her? Your mom is pressuring you to find a girlfriend. I told her you and Miao Xiaoshan are quite close, so I’m asking on her behalf,” Wang Shanshan said.

“Of course, if you find it troublesome, I can cover for you for a while. Later, I’ll tell your mom that we’re dating. That way, my parents will also feel more at ease, especially considering my current state—they are really worried,” she added.

“You can do that. Let the adults worry less. There’s no future for Miao Xiaoshan and me. She’s just an ordinary person and should live an ordinary life. Getting involved in this circle would only harm her. You wouldn’t want all of our high school classmates to die out, would you?” Yang Jian didn’t refuse and spoke up.

Like Yang Jian, Wang Shanshan was gradually losing her emotions; all that remained was perhaps some attachment. To some extent, they were the ones who truly understood each other.

“Since you agree, let’s settle on that.”

Wang Shanshan calmly said, “Whether it’s pretending to be your girlfriend or even a fake marriage, I can help you out. The only thing beyond my ability now is having children. My current physical condition doesn’t allow it, but I don’t mind trying with you.”

“…”

Yang Jian said, “I know what you’re thinking. You just want us to die a dignified death to avoid regret, but you don’t have to do this… never mind, let’s not talk about this anymore. I’m heading out. Once I’ve dealt with the curse, I’ll come back to see you. Don’t be so pessimistic, okay?”

“Do you think people like us still have hope?”

As Yang Jian was leaving, Wang Shanshan’s query, almost as if she were talking to herself, came from behind him.

She was looking for an answer or perhaps, pained by the current state, was seeking some truth.

“I don’t know, but I’m looking for it. At the very least, we can’t give up, right?” Yang Jian stopped, turning back to say.

Wang Shanshan didn’t say anything, just calmly watched him.

Without lingering any longer, Yang Jian quickly left the ancient house.

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