Chapter 952 919 Faded Lantern

Seventh day?

Inside the dimly lit hall of the old mansion, everyone stared at the emaciated corpse of an elderly man slumped in the black Taishi Chair, and after hearing Zhou Deng’s words, their expressions changed instantly.

In folklore, it is said that after a person dies, they return to life on the seventh day—this is known as the seventh day ritual.

On this day, the deceased turns into a ghost to revisit their old haunts one last time, seeing their loved ones before returning to the underworld. However, there’s another saying: if the deceased harbored deep resentment, they will transform into a vengeful ghost on the seventh day to seek revenge.

“The post office instructed us to stay here for seven days. If this old man died today, then we’ll end up staying here until the seventh day of this old man’s death.”

The ominous thought dawned on Old Hawk, and his face darkened slightly.

“The seventh day ritual? That’s just an unfounded legend. In my opinion, what’s truly likely to happen is that seven days after this elderly man’s death, the vengeful ghost will awaken. Don’t be fooled into thinking this is just a normal corpse now—once it starts awakening, it could transform into an extraordinarily terrifying ghost. Staying here for seven days would surely result in a horrifying death.”

One of the ghost tamers in the group spoke up.

“You’re absolutely right. Although we don’t know why a recently deceased elderly corpse appeared here, my guess is that this old man was likely a ghost tamer too. He has just died, and the vengeful ghost hasn’t yet awakened. But within the next few days, something will definitely go wrong. I suggest throwing this corpse far away; even if the ghost revives, at least it won’t affect us directly.”

Fan Xing said, “Throwing it far away is risky. Using a coffin nail to pin it down is the safer option.”

He directed this comment towards Yang Jian, hoping Yang would use the coffin nail.

If Yang Jian used up the coffin nail, his strength would be significantly diminished. Even though he was skilled, he wouldn’t be completely invincible.

This was an indirect way of weakening him.

Li Yang immediately stared at him, saying, “You want us to use the coffin nail? Don’t think I don’t understand your intentions. Fine, then we won’t touch the corpse at all. Let’s see who survives after the vengeful ghost awakens.”

The ugliness of human nature on full display.

If Yang Jian selflessly used the coffin nail on the old man’s corpse, these people would soon become restless.

“Li Yang, don’t be angry. I’m just thinking about everyone’s safety. I truly admire Captain Yang, and at a moment like this, faced with unknown dangers, none of us have much confidence. We can only rely on Captain Yang. Captain Yang, if you’re willing to use the coffin nail to eliminate this hidden threat, then whatever you ask us to do next, we’ll agree to it. What do you all think?”

Fan Xing said this earnestly, with apparent sincerity.

“Alright, I do trust the reputation of Ghost Eye Yang Jian. As long as Captain Yang sets the example, we’re willing to follow your lead from now on.”

“Taking orders from Captain Yang isn’t an issue, but Yang Jian has to demonstrate his abilities first.”

Others immediately echoed the sentiment.

They seemed to be subtly joining forces to pressure Yang Jian into leaving the coffin nail behind.

Meanwhile, Fan Xing maintained an appearance of being completely selfless, acting as if he only had the group’s best interests at heart.

But being a ghost tamer and surviving this long was no simple feat. None of them were straightforward individuals; betrayal and double-dealing were all too commonplace.

Trusting them? Yang Jian would’ve been dead countless times over.

Yang Jian’s expression shifted slightly. Holding his splintered long spear, he turned and looked at Fan Xing, then at the others. “You want my coffin nail, sure. I’m not an ungenerous person. For the safety of everyone and to eliminate hidden dangers, I’m glad to do it. But I have one small request.”

“Captain Yang, what’s your request? Just say it. As long as we can fulfill it.”

Fan Xing responded. That use of “we” already signaled his attempt to unite the remaining ghost tamers into a team.

The others understood Fan Xing’s intentions but had little choice but to cooperate in the face of Yang Jian, a top-tier Captain-level figure. Without unity, losing control of the discourse would quickly turn them into cannon fodder in any forthcoming supernatural event.

If they wanted a chance at survival, they needed to secure some voice in the matter.

As such, since Fan Xing had dared take this step, they didn’t mind temporarily aligning with him.

Too bad Zhou Deng showed no interest in joining forces. If he did, the group might have a shot at countering Yang Jian’s influence.

Yang Jian said, “My request is simple: I’ll provide the coffin nail, but you’ll provide one person.”

“What do you mean by that, Captain Yang?” Fan Xing asked.

Yang Jian replied, “It means I’ll use the coffin nail on the corpse without question, but I feel that there’s someone who’s been talking too much, and it’s annoying me. If you help me with this—eliminate this loudmouth—I’ll be in a much better mood and naturally willing to look after all of you.”

“To survive, one must offer their life to earn my favor. So, show me your determination.”

With that, his lips curved into a frosty smile, and his gaze lingered on Fan Xing.

Fan Xing felt a chill run through him as Yang Jian’s stare unsettled him. He could even sense the hostile glances from nearby individuals—ones that betrayed an intent to act.

They seemed genuinely swayed by Yang Jian’s words, ready to take him down as a token of allegiance.

“Cap-Captain Yang, isn’t that going a bit too far?” Fan Xing forced a smile, visibly uneasy.

Yang Jian didn’t respond and instead added, “Of course, there’s another proposal: all of you, together, come at me now. If you manage to kill me, then everything I have will be yours. Afterward, you can decide what to do.”

He coldly swept his gaze across the group.

Li Yang frowned slightly, preparing himself for any action.

The other messengers hesitated, staying silent, though their gazes grew sharp as they glanced at the remaining outsiders.

No matter what, Yang Jian was delivering the letter. Like them, he was fulfilling a mission, and they would need his help in the days ahead.

If Yang Jian were killed here, all the messengers would be doomed.

“That—that’s unnecessary. We were just having a proper conversation, and now it’s come to violence? This is simply a misunderstanding, nothing else.”

Someone, sensing the shift in atmosphere and the brewing tension, immediately backed down.

“We wouldn’t dare offend Captain Yang. Personally, I’m a big admirer of yours. Earlier was just a cautious suggestion; no offense was intended. I hope you don’t take it to heart.”

Instantly, apologies and explanations flooded in. Their attitudes changed dramatically, leaving no room for criticism.

A thinner-skinned person might feel genuinely embarrassed after being spoken to like that.

Yang Jian’s gaze remained icy, his expression unyielding. He said, “You don’t need to answer immediately. Take your time to think about it—I’m in no rush.”

The others fell into quiet, and even Fan Xing was left momentarily stunned.

He soon realized the implications of Yang Jian’s words.

From this point onward, the more dangerous the old mansion became, the greater the likelihood that Fan Xing would be killed by the other ghost tamers. As long as Fan Xing remained alive, Yang Jian wouldn’t use the coffin nail to suppress the vengeful ghost.

As for the second option—teaming up to challenge Yang Jian?

That was absurd.

Going against a Captain-level expert backed by headquarters was practically suicidal. Even if one succeeded, retribution from headquarters would be inevitable, not to mention Yang Jian had other allies by his side—he wasn’t alone.

Thus, for now, the unspoken conflict and tension were postponed.

“Yang Jian, since we’re already inside this mansion, what do we do next?” Old Hawk spoke, breaking the uneasy silence.

“Find a room to rest,” Yang Jian said. “You’re not planning to stand in this hall all night, are you?”

The others glanced at the corpse sitting in the hall, feeling an unexplained chill.

Were it not for their numbers.

No one would willingly stay in such a dark, eerie hall, face-to-face with a tall, skeletal corpse.

Yang Jian paid them no mind and began investigating the rooms along the mansion’s twin walkways. He wanted to check for hidden dangers.

The corpse had already been confirmed as a potential threat.

Since he didn’t plan to waste the coffin nail on it, he decided to simply leave it unchecked.

If the corpse really did awaken as a vengeful ghost, he wouldn’t be the only one facing danger.

Moreover.

Based on the Ghost Post Office’s instructions that ghosts would appear after the seventh day, the corpse itself shouldn’t exhibit abnormalities before then.

He decided to observe for now.

Yang Jian left the hall and walked down the corridor near the central courtyard, heading toward the right.

The walkway’s ground was paved with bluestone bricks, though it seemed neglected—darkened and faintly unclean over time.

The first room along the right-hand corridor was close to the courtyard, and thus had a clearly visible door and windows.

The intricately carved wooden windows offered a distinctly antique look. Standing near the doorway, a quick glance inside revealed a simple setup.

The room was mostly empty, containing only an old round table, a cabinet, and a bed frame. The bed was covered with blankets, though a thick layer of dust rendered them unsightly and unused for years.

“Seems like an ordinary room.” Yang Jian didn’t detect any supernatural presence.

Li Yang touched the door briefly and then shook his head slightly, signaling no findings.

The room appeared safe.

Yang Jian moved on to the next room, where the door had a brass lock firmly attached, making it inaccessible. Strangely, this room lacked windows—its walls unbroken and seamless, as if purposely designed without them.

Li Yang approached, placing his hand on the room briefly, before abruptly withdrawing, his expression shifting dramatically.

“Did you find something?” Yang Jian asked immediately.

Li Yang lowered his voice. “Captain, this room is peculiar—it seems to suppress supernatural powers. When I touched it, even the ghost within me fell silent. There must be something extraordinary inside.”

“If we want to open it, we’ll likely have to break the lock. But I suspect this lock might be a supernatural artifact itself, as it hasn’t rusted in the slightest despite being here for so long—not even a speck of dust on it.”

“Sharp observation.” Yang Jian also suspected the lock to be supernatural.

Its vivid appearance amidst the corridor’s darkness suggested it resisted the effects of the eerie environment.

Brass lock, coffin nail, firewood knife, scissors… Supernatural items from the Republic of China period, especially metallic ones, often carried ominous significance.

“A valuable item—an extraordinary find. Such a fine lock being wasted here is almost a pity.” Zhou Deng suddenly wandered over, grabbing the brass lock and tugging at it forcefully.

The lock rattled noisily but remained steadfastly attached.

Without hesitation, Zhou Deng pulled out a firearm and fired twice at the door’s latch, aiming to break it.

“What are you doing?” Yang Jian’s voice carried a sharp edge.

“Just experimenting, Captain Yang. Don’t mind me.” Zhou Deng waved dismissively, signaling others who heard the gunfire not to overreact.

But after firing, the bullets lodged themselves deeply into the wooden door.

The latch remained intact, yet fresh blood began seeping out from the bullet holes.

The scene felt eerily familiar.

It reminded Yang Jian of the time he hacked into the Ghost Cabinet with the firewood knife—the same unsettling blood seepage occurred.

“Something’s wrong with this room. That brass lock wasn’t placed here for me to take but to keep whatever’s inside locked away. Too sinister—better to leave quickly.” Zhou Deng’s face paled, and he immediately abandoned the lock, retreating with impressive speed.

In an instant, he disappeared, likely moving on to other places in search of treasure.

“He’s insane.” Li Yang watched Zhou Deng leave, alert and wary.

Messing around in a haunted location like this was either suicidal or indicative of a loose screw.

Clearly, Zhou Deng fell into the latter category.

After all, he knew fear and fled when something felt off.

“Shots didn’t work—prying it open likely won’t either. To unlock this room, we’d need to find the corresponding key.” Li Yang stared at the brass lock’s base, noting the keyhole.

It clearly required a matching key.

Yang Jian remained silent, observing and contemplating.

The key? He had one.

It was on him.

Yet he had no intention of unlocking the door right now.

“Whatever’s inside, it should only be revealed after the seventh day when the letter delivery mission is complete. Combining the delivery task with the Ghost Cabinet exchange later would minimize risks—this is the safest course.”

Yang Jian was cautious, deciding to wait until the final moments before opening the door.

“Let’s keep exploring.”

Yang Jian continued down the corridor.

The third room was ordinary; the fourth room was normal too; and so were the fifth and sixth rooms…

The farther they went, the darker the corridor became, until they had to turn on their phones’ lights to illuminate their surroundings.

Thankfully, the light wasn’t affected by supernatural forces, allowing for clear visibility.

“An endless corridor.” Yang Jian and Li Yang halted.

The two dared not delve further, fearing they’d lose their way.

Everything ahead felt repetitive.

Room, hallway, room, hallway… No door numbers or distinguishing features; every room followed the same layout and arrangement.

Yang Jian turned to retrace his steps but shone his phone’s flashlight forward, illuminating a chair in the corridor.

A black Taishi Chair.

The chair was identical to the one in the hall where the corpse sat.

The chair faced away from them, as if barring them from continuing forward.

“Who would place a chair here?” Yang Jian’s mind was brimming with questions.

After inspecting the chair and confirming no one was sitting in it, he decided to head back.

On his way back, he encountered Yang Xiaohua, Old Hawk, and others.

They didn’t dare venture deeper, lingering instead near the third room.

“Let’s settle in this room. Keep your distance from the others; those reckless wanderers are beyond reason. Compared to them, you folks lack their sheer madness. As for the corpse in the hall, leave it alone for now—it might just be our letter’s delivery target. Either way, we’ll have to wait seven days and reassess the situation.”

Yang Jian addressed the others.

“Are you certain this is the right room? Wouldn’t a room closer to the outer area be better? At least we could retreat quickly in case of danger.”

Yang Xiaohua suggested.

“Being too close to the hall isn’t safe,” Wang Feng said, his gaze shifting. “But being too far away isn’t ideal either. The second room is locked—it seems unusual. I’d recommend checking the rooms on the left-hand corridor instead.”

He glanced towards the opposite side.

Over there, other ghost tamers had already opened one of the rooms.

“We’ll stay here,” Yang Jian repeated firmly.

The others relented, dropping the issue.

While the rooms on the left side seemed preferable, the presence of other tamers there wasn’t reassuring.

Here, at least, their group of messengers from the fourth floor offered some sense of security.

Opening the room door, Old Hawk, Yang Xiaohua, Da Qiang, and Wang Feng began unpacking their belongings.

Their gear included emergency food and water, flashlights, batteries, and tools—well-prepared for survival.

Given no supernatural interference, ordinary people would likely endure seven days here without issue.

Yang Jian required none of these supplies; he could go without food, water, or sleep now.

Similarly, Li Yang, whose body had been invaded by a ghost, wouldn’t encounter problems over seven days either.

The group examined the room quietly before settling into their chosen spots.

The bed was notably untouched.

Nobody dared use it or considered sleeping there, opting instead for corners to rest.

Checking the time.

They had departed Dachang City at nine, traveled through three stations, and finally reached here. Unnoticed, it was already 11:40 PM.

Once midnight passed, their seven-day task in the mansion would officially begin.

Currently, it hadn’t.

“This room feels completely unsafe,” Old Hawk commented, noting the intricate, carved windows. “Anyone passing by could see right in.”

Wooden doors offered no defense.

The room was small, the corridors barely wide enough.

If confronted by a ghost, they’d likely face a dire struggle—akin to their horrors in the Ghost Post Office.

“Hmph. No place in this mansion is safe. The outside is even creepier—the old grove is clearly unnatural. The hall has a corpse. Unless we stayed in the courtyard, which isn’t practical for seven days, rooms are relatively better hidden—less conspicuous…”

Da Qiang coldly retorted at Old Hawk’s complaint.

Old Hawk offered no rebuttal.

Because he knew Da Qiang’s assessment was correct.

Sticking to the rooms gave them some semblance of invisibility, reducing likelihood of encountering a ghost. Wandering recklessly meant courting death.

“Get some rest. I’ll take the first night watch,” Yang Jian declared.

“Captain, let’s rotate shifts,” Li Yang suggested.

“No need. Only I’m capable of handling emergencies right now. You can’t afford to be incapacitated—if you face trouble, we won’t have a chance to leave alive.”

Li Yang’s ability to connect to the Ghost Gate left them a potential escape route.

Hence, he couldn’t be allowed to meet misfortune.

Li Yang offered no resistance, simply nodding in agreement with Yang Jian’s reasoning.

The others, too, had nothing further to add, quietly awaiting the passage of time.

Midnight arrived without notice.

Everything remained uneventful—no sudden disturbances, though the silence outside grew increasingly eerie, suggesting the ghost tamers were settling their own plans without foolishly venturing recklessly.

Meanwhile.

None paid attention to the fact that, at the mansion’s entrance, the two red lanterns rapidly began losing their color after midnight.

Their crimson hues faded, and the lanterns turned stark white—the light within also transforming into pale radiance.

Soon.

The red lanterns became two white ones.

A chilling wind swept from the old grove.

The white lanterns spun slightly.

On the opposite side of the lanterns, a black “奠” character emerged at some unknown point.

No.

Perhaps the character had always been there—it had merely been overlooked.

At this moment, the mansion seemed transformed into the setting for a funeral.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by novlove.com

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