Chapter 893 860: The Wooden Stool in the Way

As Yang Jian and others left the ancient mansion.

In the supernatural circle, a photograph quickly circulated. In the photo, Yang Jian is seen holding Liu Baimu’s headless corpse in one hand and clutching his cold, lifeless “Dead Man’s Head” in the other.

Also in the photograph are Feng Quan, Tong Qian, Huang Ziya, and others.

“Liu Baimu in the ancient mansion in Dadong City was taken down by Yang Jian. Tsk tsk, truly interesting. From the moment Yang Jian spoke till now, less than two hours must have passed.”

Someone left a comment on the supernatural website, an anonymous lurker.

“Offending Ghost-eye Yang Jian and still trying to leave? Who is Liu Baimu anyway? Even President Fang from his circle was killed. What makes Liu Baimu think he could survive? Lasting two hours is already pushing his luck.”

This comment was made by a user named “I Have a Plan.”

“Liu Baimu is dead, and likely, the people he gathered have been wiped out too. But Team Leader Yang seems to have incurred losses as well. His photo is missing two teammates.”

“One of them appears to be Zhang Han, who was taken down by Liao Fan and Xu Feng earlier. The other, Li Yang, is also nowhere to be seen. Looks like even Ghost-eye Yang Jian wasn’t unscathed.”

Two individuals exchanging insider information began discussing the matter.

It’s hard to imagine how something that happened today could spread across the supernatural website in less than half a day.

However, such intelligence capabilities are not surprising as the focus on ghost tamers is currently at an unprecedented level. People like Yang Jian are closely monitored. Whenever they make a major move, satellites trail them, intelligence agents infiltrate Dachang City for investigations.

“So boring, I want to find someone for a fight. Anyone up for it? Choose any location, any number of people.” This comment was left by a user named “Master Ye from Dahai City.”

But upon seeing this ID, nobody in the circle responded to him.

At this moment.

Dadong City, top floor of Ning’an Building.

“Bang!”

A loud thud echoed as Liu Baimu’s twisted, deformed “Dead Man’s Head” rolled onto the floor, stopping right beneath the polished leather shoes of a man in a suit by the floor-to-ceiling window.

Wang Chaling slightly turned, glancing into the dimly illuminated space ahead.

Within the shadows, figures appeared. Yang Jian emerged from the darkness, his pitch-black pupils faintly radiating red light.

“You’ve been hiding something from me. You knew the grandfather clock in the mansion could restart time, which is why you deliberately gave me this pocket watch,” Yang Jian said, his voice cold.

“But to Team Leader Yang, Liu Baimu still ultimately met his end at your hands, didn’t he?”

Wang Chaling smiled faintly: “I knew with your abilities, Liu Baimu’s group was doomed. I just hadn’t anticipated your speed, Team Leader Yang.”

“Did I disappoint you?” Yang Jian replied.

“Not at all, in fact, you’ve exceeded my expectations significantly. I clearly underestimated you, Yang Jian.” Wang Chaling said.

Yang Jian threw the pocket watch towards him: “Take this back. Also, your mansion has become problematic. You should handle it yourself. I don’t have time to play games with you here. I have more pressing matters to attend to.”

Wang Chaling caught the pocket watch, glanced at the time displayed on it, and his expression subtly shifted.

“You’re leaving. What about your teammate?” he said while tossing the pocket watch back; “Perhaps you should retrieve your teammate before you depart.”

“He has the ability to survive; I’m not worried,” Yang Jian replied.

Li Yang’s survival capability was formidable. He simply needed to secure a room to avoid being attacked by vengeful spirits.

Wang Chaling said, “You should be concerned because the mansion has changed—it has become unsafe, extremely perilous. Someone has disrupted its balance. This is no longer just your concern.”

“You think this is my fault?” Yang Jian frowned.

“At the very least, you should wait until this matter is resolved before leaving. The implications are enormous. If the mansion truly spirals out of control, not only will your teammate perish, but Dadong City will face an unimaginable supernatural catastrophe. Nobody wants to see that,” Wang Chaling sighed, his tone tinged with helplessness.

“Besides, you know I’m a mere waste. My abilities don’t even compare to Team Leader Yang’s.” He added.

“…”

A Captain Level individual calling themselves a waste wasn’t humility—it bordered on being neurotic.

“Also, Li Jun has already arrived. Earlier, I discussed the mansion’s situation with him. He’s quite concerned about it as well,” Wang Chaling suddenly added.

Upon hearing this, Yang Jian immediately frowned.

Clearly, both Wang Chaling and Headquarter-sent Li Jun were better informed about the mansion’s matters than he was, which explained their heightened vigilance.

“Where is Li Jun?” Yang Jian asked.

“I only know he’s somewhere in Dadong City. As for his exact location or actions, I’m in the dark. After all, I don’t oversee him.” Wang Chaling said while turning again to gaze out the window.

From the skyscraper’s vantage point, he looked in the direction of the mansion.

This building was deliberately chosen by Wang Chaling for its perfect visibility of the mansion, allowing constant surveillance of its activities.

At this moment, his eyes narrowed, and his inner unease surged.

“Look, the streetlights on the road outside the mansion have gone out.”

Yang Jian turned to look.

Indeed.

The streetlights along the road outside the mansion were no longer lit. However, lights at the very ends of the street remained on, suggesting the outage wasn’t due to power or line issues but interference in the vicinity near the mansion.

“The supernatural is spreading. The mansion can no longer contain those entities inside. My worst fears have come to pass,” Wang Chaling said.

“Besides Liu Baimu and his group, are there others in the mansion? Do you know what’s happening?” Yang Jian asked.

This time, Wang Chaling seemed less inclined to conceal information, saying, “I’ve mentioned before: My Wang Family owns the mansion, but I avoid living there for a simple reason—the mansion harbors actual ghosts, true vengeful spirits. The grandfather clock manipulates time inside, turning the mansion into a prison to trap the ghosts within and prevent them from escaping.”

“My greatest fear has always been someone finding the clock, restarting the mansion’s time, and releasing the imprisoned ghosts. That’s why I sent my father to locate the clock.”

“Of course, failure to retrieve it wasn’t a concern. The key was ensuring no one else finds it. However, the clock’s supernatural properties exceed my expectations, causing my father to get lost and never return.”

“But now, it seems this concern is unwarranted. I am certain the clock has been found, and the mansion’s time is being restored. Examine the time on the pocket watch carefully. Although chaotic, isn’t it progressively aligning with real-world time?”

Yang Jian reopened the pocket watch and inspected it.

Indeed.

Despite the time fluctuation, it gradually converged with real-world timing.

“If the mansion’s time synchronizes with reality, then the supernatural will fully overlap with the present. And you know what will happen next, don’t you, Team Leader Yang?” Wang Chaling said.

At this moment, Yang Jian finally understood the erratic jumps of the pocket watch’s time.

“Someone is manipulating the grandfather clock, recalibrating the mansion’s timeline, bringing the trapped vengeful spirits from the past into the present?” Yang Jian asked.

Wang Chaling chuckled: “Discussing matters with you is always straightforward. Yes, the current situation is indeed like that. Because the grandfather clock occasionally misfires and restarts, the trapped ghosts must avoid being active during its re-initialization.”

“For example, if it’s 8:00 sharp now, the mansion will be ghost-free. However, if the time is pushed forward by a minute, or even ten seconds, a ghost may appear.”

“Specific moments interact with distinct ghosts—that’s my family mansion’s secret.”

These words made not only Yang Jian but also Feng Quan, Tong Qian, and the rest of the teammates behind him feel an icy chill.

This wasn’t just an ancient mansion—it was a ghost prison, with the Wang Family leveraging the grandfather clock’s supernatural abilities to stagger the mansion’s timeline, trapping various ghosts within discrete time slots.

Now, someone was recalibrating the time, merging the time zones, which meant all the ghosts were about to manifest in the present.

“How many ghosts are in there?” Yang Jian’s face grew grave.

“In an hour excluding full-hour and half-hour slots, how many individual time points do you think remain?” Wang Chaling responded.

At this moment, the mathematically inclined Xiong Wenwen began calculating.

Sixty minutes in an hour equals 3,600 seconds. Excluding the full-hour and half-hour slots, if each second represents a time point, that leaves 3,558 distinct points.

“Wow, 3,558 points!” Xiong Wenwen exclaimed.

“My Wang Family certainly didn’t fill all the slots with imprisoned ghosts, but the dangerous time points are definitely numerous. Besides, the recalibration has begun. I don’t know who has gained control of the clock, but I hope Team Leader Yang will join me in taking down that person and preventing a potentially S-level supernatural event.”

“No, if it spirals completely out of control, this might escalate into an SS-level supernatural event.”

With that, Wang Chaling stepped closer and extended his hand to Yang Jian.

Yang Jian’s gaze flickered, but he eventually reached out to shake his hand: “Joining forces isn’t an issue. But I won’t act rashly. Besides, this mess stems from your negligence. If you had cleared Liu Baimu’s group earlier, none of this would’ve happened.”

“You definitely had private motives.”

“Everyone has private motives. Nobody in this world is wholly noble and flawless. Don’t you agree, Team Leader Yang?” Wang Chaling said with a smile. “Let’s hope this collaboration is fruitful.”

“If you want cooperation, show sincerity. My entire team is here. Where are your people?” Yang Jian asked.

Wang Chaling replied: “My Wang Family spans three generations, just five people altogether. We’re not inferior to your team.”

Then.

The glass behind him reflected the eerie figures of two elderly men. Their faces were gaunt and wrinkled, their demeanor lifeless and chillingly unsettling.

“Still not enough.” Yang Jian said. “The clock exists in the past. Anyone capable of manipulating it must understand restarting, or at least be connected to it. Numbers help, but they don’t determine outcomes.”

“What if you include me?”

A strange voice suddenly echoed, sounding like a throat scarred by burns—hoarse and grating, making one uncomfortable.

A tall, dark-complexioned, eerie man appeared from the sinister green light, his presence unnerving.

This individual emerged abruptly, almost as though he materialized out of thin air.

“Li Jun?”

Yang Jian focused his eyes on him: “You seem to have changed quite a bit since the Ghost Painting Incident.”

“Not bad. You’ve matured too.” Li Jun said in an emotionless voice.

The two were fairly acquainted from their past encounters.

“How did the aftermath of the Ghost Painting Incident go?” Yang Jian asked, “That cursed painting hasn’t been dealt with yet, right?”

“Controlled for now. That’s enough.” Li Jun replied.

Wang Chaling interjected, “Three Captain Levels joining forces—what do you think of the odds?”

“We might all be annihilated,” Yang Jian said bluntly. “The one who reset the clock won’t be easy to deal with. Plus, the mansion is breaking down. We face far greater risks than we anticipate.”

“You’re as cautious as ever. Let’s not waste time. Take action now. Solve this issue before the danger escalates,” Li Jun urged.

“The more you rush, the more mistakes you make. I already warned you during the Ghost Painting Incident,” Yang Jian replied harshly.

Li Jun asked, “What do you suggest?”

“Prepare enough containers for imprisoning ghosts and isolate this area,” Yang Jian advised.

Wang Chaling said, “I’ll delegate those tasks to others. It won’t delay the operation.”

“Li Jun, Yang Jian, Wang Chaling—you all wait a moment. I have something to say; not sure if it’s appropriate.” Suddenly, Feng Quan stepped forward from the shadows, his expression grave.

“Feng Quan? What is it?” Li Jun asked.

Feng Quan pointed toward the doorway: “That bench by the entrance—was it always part of the furniture here?”

The door at the entrance was wide open. The corridor lights further inside inexplicably dimmed, and the distant lighting flickered on and off erratically.

An old, red wooden bench now stood at the doorway, blocking the path.

Hmm?

All three men turned their attention to the dilapidated red wooden bench.

Clearly, the bench wasn’t standard furniture for this floor. Its crimson hue radiated an eerie aura, suggesting links to supernatural activity.

“There’s another one back there.” Huang Ziya suddenly pointed behind her.

The hallway leading to the restroom had a similarly placed red wooden bench, diagonally obstructing the passage.

“One appeared here too.”

Throughout the current floor, red wooden benches mysteriously filled key access points—unbidden and imperceptibly.

“Has the supernatural already seeped into this building?” Li Jun’s face stiffened.

“This skyscraper harbors ghosts—exceptionally unusual ones at that,” Yang Jian narrowed his eyes, heightening his vigilance.

For three Captain Levels to remain oblivious to the buildup, assuredly, such phenomena were extraordinary.

“Are we that unlucky? Dadong City is enormous, and this skyscraper has over a hundred floors. Is it mere coincidence that a supernatural event would occur right here?” Tong Qian glanced around, blending suspicion with concern.

Wang Chaling spoke calmly, “Perhaps someone drove the ghosts here from the mansion.”

“Something akin to the white Ghost Candle’s ‘ghost-luring’ effect?” Li Jun speculated aloud.

“Possibly a more potent method,” Wang Chaling posited.

Yang Jian intervened: “You must know something concrete.”

“It’s hard to confirm specifics at this stage,” Wang Chaling shook his head.

“Let’s set speculation aside for now and tackle the immediate threat.” Li Jun strode toward the bench at the doorway.

Yang Jian and Wang Chaling watched silently.

They both understood: Li Jun intended an initial probe.

Supernatural events require someone to first brave the unknown—it allows the group to devise strategies accordingly.

Acting collectively risks entire teams facing ghostly assaults, yielding unnecessary casualties.

The crimson bench beneath the dim hallway lighting shimmered faintly like blood. Vibrant red light seemed subtly to emanate, keeping it disturbingly conspicuous.

Approaching cautiously, Li Jun encountered no harm.

He frowned slightly, kicking the bench hard.

The force sent the bench flying to the far end of the corridor, clattering on the floor without incident.

“No ghosts encountered, nor did I face an assault. Strange indeed.” Li Jun remarked.

“That’s because you haven’t triggered the ghost’s rules for killing. Look around more thoroughly.” Yang Jian pointed out.

Only then did Li Jun notice the corners of the vicinity. Noticeably, more red benches had congregated—creeping in unnoticed, lacking signs of intentional placement.

Each carved mahogany seat, harsh and vivid, stood hauntingly still.

The momentary lapse filled the room scattered with faintly glowing wooden apparitions’ shadows.

Yang Jian activated Ghost-eye ability for keener insights into anomalies influencing surrounding areas.

Spreading the mystical Ghost Domain through layers distorted conceptual visibility in sub-realities associated surroundings.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by novlove.com

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