Chapter 657: Chapter 654: Turning the Tables
The Ghost Child, yet to fully grow, simply had no way to stop Wei Jing from leaving. The only reason Yang Jian was intercepted was because of the rotten Dead Manâs Head; currently, the Ghost Child wearing the Ghost Shroud mostly possessed the ability to resist the harm caused by other malevolent ghosts.
Therefore, even if Wei Jing suppressed the Ghost Child, he couldnât kill it, and without continuous suppression, the Ghost Child could come back to life again.
This point was crucial.
The reason Yang Jian chose the Ghost Shroud for the Ghost Child to wear was out of a concern that the Ghost Child was not a true ghost and could potentially be killed.
Previously, in Dachang City, he had killed a Ghost Infant of the Second Stage.
As for why he didnât allow the Ghost Child to control other ghosts, it was to prevent the Ghost Child from becoming uncontrollable, so Yang Jian was very conservative in his choice of ghosts.
Now, the conservative choice had its effect.
Wang Xiaoming didnât need the Ghost Child to stop Yang Jian; he only needed the Ghost Child to be alive.
Wei Jing continued to walk forward, stepping over the body of the dead infant on the ground, already leaving the building and soon about to reach the road outside. His speed wasnât fast, and it seemed it would take hours to reach downtown.
But donât forget, Wei Jing also had a Ghost Domain; it was just that his Ghost Domain was affected by Yang Jianâs.
The area covered by Yang Jianâs Ghost Domain wasnât very large at the moment.
At this rate, in a few minutes, Wei Jing would be out of the range of Yang Jianâs Ghost Domain.
At this moment.
The unmoving Ghost Child on the ground once again opened its eyes. Its killing routine continued, unceasing unless it died; it intended to launch a third attack on Wei Jing.
At that time, a voice came through a phone callâit was Wang Shanshanâs voice, âFrom now until nine oâclock tomorrow, you will follow Wang Xiaomingâs orders.â
Although it was over the phone, Wang Shanshan knew her words could command the Ghost Child. She had tried this before, so she was quite confident. As for whether the command would be effective and whether Wang Xiaoming could order the Ghost Child around, Wang Shanshan had no idea and could only give it a try.
The Ghost Child, which had stood up, suddenly stopped in its tracks and turned its head towards Wang Xiaoming. Its red, eerie eyes seemed to be pondering and judging.
But the old command had already become ineffective.
The killing rule given to the Ghost Child by Yang Jian was changed by Wang Shanshan, so it didnât continue its attack on Wei Jing.
âDid it work?â Wang Xiaomingâs gaze shifted slightly, âWeâll know if itâs effective once we try it out.â
âCome here.â
Wang Xiaoming was quick to adapt; he immediately gave orders to the Ghost Child. If it were someone else facing a ghost standing right in front of them, they would hardly think of giving orders, not to mention, not running away in fear would already be quite an achievement.
The next moment, the Ghost Child disappeared.
It did not come to Wang Xiaomingâs side, but it also did not completely ignore his command. It appeared behind a counter in the lobby, poking out its head to look at himâa cautious observation, yet seemingly hiding its form.
This action was because the Ghost Child could not appear in front of the living; it had to avoid crowds.
Wang Xiaoming was a living person, so the Ghost Child had to avoid him, but it still had to obey the command.
Confronted with these conflicting instructions, the Ghost Child took a compromise approach; it had gone over, but it had hidden itself.
âItâs effective, Wang Shanshanâs order worked. Control over the Ghost Infant is temporarily in my hands,â Wang Xiaoming observed the Ghost Infant hiding behind the counter.
Although the experiment wasnât perfect, it at least provided a way to deal with the current situation.
âEat this and control it,â Wang Xiaoming said as he threw out the blood-stained spiritual tablet that didnât have a portrait on it.
The Ghost Child peering out at Wang Xiaoming suddenly rushed out. It disappeared in the blink of an eye, and only a dark, greenish hand was seen touching the top of the spiritual tablet before it vanished from the ground.
The Ghost Child hid behind the counter once more.
Wang Xiaomingâs command also had an effect, and the Ghost Childâs pitch-black mouth opened once again.
From the perspective of body structure, such a small Ghost Child should not be capable of swallowing a whole spirit positioning tile, but clearly, it defied common reasoning. The Ghost Child forcefully stuffed the spirit positioning tile into its mouth, its head getting so distorted in the process, yet it seemed to suffer no harm at all.
Very soon.
The spirit positioning tile that had impacted the experimentâs outcome and caused two individuals to lose control was forcibly swallowed by the Ghost Child.
If one does not consider the Ghost Shroud on the Ghost Childâs body,
it had now swallowed the earlier corpse water and this spirit positioning tile, which may not be two complete ghosts, but at least could be considered as two incomplete ghost puzzles.
âIt has successfully swallowed it,â Wang Xiaoming walked to the side and observed the Ghost Child from a different angle behind the counter.
Its belly was noticeably swollen, stretching the Ghost Shroud it wore, and it began to resemble the Hungry Ghost that was the source of its confinement.
And in just a short moment, the Ghost Child, which initially appeared to be around five or six years old, had grown taller and bigger in stature. It still looked like a child but now seemed to be about nine or ten years old, no longer the image of a Ghost Infant, but truly a peculiar child.
âWei Jing shouldnât have gone far, thereâs still time,â Wang Xiaoming glanced outside.
He could still see Wei Jingâs retreating figure.
Meanwhile, Yang Jian inside the hall, as well as the rotting Dead Manâs Head, were still locked in a stalemate, with no new supernatural incidents occurring during this time, which was very fortunate.
The situation had now turned back around.
At this moment, Wang Xiaoming took out a black and white obituary photo from his pocket, which had just fallen from the spirit positioning tile. It contained the true consciousness of Yang Jian.
âFollowing the previous plan, since the Ghost Infant successfully ate the spirit positioning tile, it should now possess the ability to switch the consciousness of the living. Even if this ability is insignificant, it can play a crucial role right now.â
Immediately, Wang Xiaoming passed the obituary photo of Yang Jian to the Ghost Child and commanded, âSend Yang Jianâs consciousness back to his body.â
Upon the command,
The Ghost Child disappeared once again, traversing the Ghost Domain. Soon, a cyan-black little hand appeared next to Wang Xiaoming, and a pulling force manifested.
The obituary photo signifying Yang Jian was promptly taken.
After snatching the photo, the Ghost Child ran about in the hall, now vanishing, now reappearing, reveling in the Ghost Domain. At last, the terrifying child with a cyan-black complexion appeared beside Yang Jianâs corpse.
The Ghost Child looked up at Yang Jianâs body, then at the photo in its hand, and leaped up, slapping Yang Jianâs forehead with the black and white obituary photo.
The photo, stained with sticky crimson blood, now adhered to the forehead of the corpse.
The Ghost Child, having commandeered the spirit positioning tile, possessed the ability to switch consciousness. This simple action indeed signified the exchange of consciousness.
On closer observation, one could notice the eerie smile on Yang Jianâs face gradually fading, and the crimson blood on the black and white spirit positioning photo rapidly dripping off, revealing the photoâs original appearance.
Before, when Wang Xiaoming held the photo, he couldnât wipe off the bloodstains no matter how he tried, as if it had seeped into the photo and could not be cleaned off.
But now⊠the blood was actively peeling away from the photo.
âItâs yet another kind of strangeness,â Wang Xiaoming noted as he saw the dripping blood from the photo, keenly sensing that something was amiss.
He couldnât pinpoint this uneasiness because there was no precedent to refer to, and he couldnât analyze the cause.
Too many accidents had occurred today, with many events completely exceeding expectations.
As the blood dripped from the obituary picture, Yang Jianâs face covered by blood was revealed, and the Yang Jian in the photo appeared calm because he had already accepted the outcome of consciousness transfer during the experiment, thus he was not panicked or scared, resembling someone
who had passed away peacefully, without pain, struggle, or fear.
Unlike the grotesque obituary photo of Guo Fan seen before.
But now, with the swapping of consciousness once again, Yang Jian in the photo underwent a change.
Originally calm and serene, Yang Jian at this moment revealed a creepy smile, a pair of eyes seemed to be spying on the people outside from within the photo, creating an indescribable sense of horror.
Very soon.
The black and white portrait with the creepy smile that was attached to Yang Jianâs forehead slowly fell off.
With the end of the consciousness swap, Yang Jian managed to break free from the confines of the portrait and successfully came back to life.
The next moment.
Yang Jian opened his eyes, as if a person who had been sleeping for a long time was abruptly awakened, taking in the world around once more.
âThis isnât the Ghost Coffin in the lab? Did something go wrong halfway through?â
He saw everything around him, and instantly knew his current location. He was in the lobby on the first floor of the building, not in the experiment room on the fifth basement level. But then Yang Jian also noticed that the short piece of music that had been playing repeatedly in his mind had disappeared, stopped.
This proved that although the experiment encountered some issues, his Eight-Tone Curse had been resolved.
âHowever, why is this rotting head staring at me?â Yang Jian tried to control the ghost within his body, but found himself suppressed.
Directly in front of him on the floor, a rotten Dead Manâs Head was staring at him with a pair of greyish-white eyes.
This was a terrifying gaze, possessing the eerie ability to make someone die instantly.
Despite this, Yang Jian noticed the Ghost Child beside him and, although he still couldnât understand the current situation, it didnât impede him from giving an order, âTake that Dead Manâs Head away.â
Immediately, the Ghost Child ran over and picked up the Dead Manâs Head that was staring at Yang Jian.
Right then, Yang Jian felt a relief throughout his body, sensation returned, and he was able to move again. He could also feel the ghost within his body.
Without the expected urge of a fierce ghost awakening, Yang Jian found a great calm within himself.
The ghost existed, but it was far from reviving.
It was as if a new balance had been achieved.
This was incredible.
Yang Jian was somewhat astonished, knowing that previously, when suffering from the Eight-Tone Curse, the Ghost Eye had been used to a very dangerous extent. He had always been worried that once the curse from the Eight-Tone Music Box was resolved, he would have to face the perilous situation of the Ghost Eye Resurrection.
âWhy is this happening?â
At this time, he noticed that his originally pale, stiff Ghost Hand had turned black, as if it had been eroded by some supernatural power, undergoing a particular transformation.
Now it seemed a bit like⊠the hand of a Ghost Envoy.
It also possessed the real ability of a Ghost Envoy to suppress ghosts.
Although Yang Jian still had one quota left to suppress a ghost before, this time was different, this time it was an enhancement, because the complete suppression of his Ghost Eye was the best proof of that.
âNow is not the time to be concerned about the changes in your body. There was a problem with the plan, and unexpected changes occurred halfway through. Not only did you lose control, but Wei Jing was also controlled by a ghost. Heâs now leaving this place. If youâre up to it, go stop him. Iâm worried something big might happen,â
Suddenly, the voice of Wang Xiaoming rang out from the side.
He was intently observing Yang Jian, still a bit uneasy in his heart.
After all, the question of who the ghost was had become unclear to him now as well.
âWei Jing lost control?â At this moment, Yang Jian spotted Wei Jing, who was leaving the place.
He hadnât paid much attention before, but now, taking a closer look, he found that Wei Jingâs condition was indeed very peculiar, showing not the slightest sign of life, unlike before when, though numb and cold, there was at least consciousness.
âThe experiment was a trap set by ghosts, and even Guo Fan himself in the spiritual tablet didnât know he was being controlled by a fierce ghost. Thatâs why what entered your body before wasnât Guo Fan but the ghost in the spiritual tablet⊠Now that ghost should have invaded Wei Jingâs body,â
âThis kind of invasion is infectious, thatâs the only conclusion I can come to,â Wang Xiaoming said.
Yang Jian frowned. He had been most worried about a trap occurring before he conducted his experiment, and now it seemed it had indeed happened. However, it appeared that the trap had been lifted with his awakening.
Was it the contingency of leaving behind the Ghost Child that played a key role?
That question would have to wait for later.
At this moment, Yang Jian said, âThe first time I saw the Ghost Coffin, I noticed a spiritual tablet placed in front of it, so the spiritual tablet and the Ghost Coffin probably belonged to the same ghost. Wei Jingâs loss of control was not an accident; it was highly likely that it happened because the ghost found its missing piece⊠How could the consciousness of the living possibly stand a chance against a real ghost.â
âThereâs no reason for two people to lose control at the same time,â Wang Xiaoming pointed out a flaw.
âI donât know about that, maybe something is wrong with me, or maybe itâs as you said before, the ghost in the spiritual tablet is infectious, and anyone who uses it will be eroded by the ghost. I used it once and got eroded. Wei Jing didnât use it, but because he was part of the Ghost Envoy puzzle, he was also eroded,â
Yang Jian quickly said, âBut thatâs not the point. The point is Iâve broken the Eight-Tone Music Boxâs curse and successfully survived.â
âSince Wei Jing is now out of control, Iâll do a good deed and deal with him for you, to save future trouble.â
After saying that, he was ready to make his move.
Yang Jian hadnât much liked Wei Jing to begin with, and now was the perfect time, a legitimate reason to get rid of the guy.
Wang Xiaoming immediately said, âNo, I fed the spiritual tablet to the Ghost Infant, which has the ability to swap consciousness. You can continue to imprison that ghost and let Wei Jing recover.â
Wei Jing was unique and very powerful, so he was worth saving.
âWhat? You let the Ghost Child eat the spiritual tablet?â
At that moment, Yang Jian was somewhat surprised; he looked at the Ghost Child and indeed, its belly was swollen, unclear as to what strange things it had eaten while he was asleep.
âHowever, killing Wei Jing and saving Wei Jing are two tasks of different difficulty,â he then added, switching tones, âWhat conditions can you offer me?â
âLetâs get one thing straight; the business with the Eight-Tone Curse is over, we are even now. Anything else will be settled in clear terms. Of course, if you think Iâm being mercenary, feel free to find someone else to deal with Wei Jing. I donât mind.â
He felt Wei Jing could fetch a good price.
Squeezing a bit more out of Wang Xiaoming could be advantageous for his own survival in the future.
âNow is not the time to discuss this,â Wang Xiaoming said.
âTrue, but you at least need to state some rough terms,â Yang Jian said, âto prevent backtracking later.â
Wang Xiaoming said nothing but simply held up three fingers.
âAlright,â
Yang Jian responded, and with the Ghost Child, he vanished from the hall, chasing after Wei Jing.
Three meant three conditions.
One condition might be exchanged for a Ghost Candle, helping one person to command a second ghost.
Or possibly taking away an item of the supernatural from headquarters.
Such a price was already quite high.
And Yang Jian was also curious to see just how the Ghost Child swapped the consciousness of the living, and he wanted to see his own changes in detail.
Wei Jing would make for an excellent subject to attempt this on.
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