At this moment, Yang Jian and the others clearly felt that the ghost lurking in the dark differed from other ghosts involved in supernatural events. This ghost didn’t kill much and wasn’t planning to cause a large-scale supernatural event. Instead, it seemed to be following certain rules,

trying to achieve a specific goal.

But this time, the ghost’s opponent isn’t Zhao Kaiming, but Yang Jian.

Trying to achieve its objective through Yang Jian poses a challenge for the ghost as well.

However, the game has just begun.

Hundreds of people flooded into the Peace Hotel.

The ghost wished to overcome Yang Jian’s trap with strength in numbers and was prepared to fulfill Zhang Wei’s wish at any given moment. Once the wish was fulfilled, one of Zhang Wei’s family members would die.

“Brother Tui, I’m counting on you. I believe you can handle this ghost. I’m too young to become an orphan,” Zhang Wei began to feel nervous at this moment.

Nineteen plates of egg fried rice were placed before him, just one more and a family member would die, making it difficult for anyone to remain calm.

“Don’t worry, your family member won’t die so easily. The ghost could complete the last plate of egg fried rice to fulfill your wish and kill one of your family members, but according to what Yang Jian said earlier, one wish means one family member dies. Once the ghost kills one of your family members, it means it can no longer threaten us with your family,”

Wang Shanshan said coldly, “To the ghost, killing one more person or one less makes no difference. Therefore, before it loses this bargaining chip, it won’t easily deliver the last plate of egg fried rice.”

“It’s increasing its bargaining chips.”

Miao Xiaoshan pondered for a moment, then looked at Yang Jian, “Is it trying to make an additional deal with Yang Jian?”

Yang Jian also realized this, his expression shifting slightly, “Is the ghost trying to use Zhang Wei’s family’s lives as leverage to complete a deal with me?”

“Very likely, it doesn’t dare to appear easily, fearing confinement by you. So it hasn’t shown up yet. But it has less than an hour left to act, so during this time it won’t appear on its own but will continuously use supernatural powers to increase its bargaining chips, forcing you to agree to its deal,” Miao Xiaoshan pondered.

“A ghost not daring to come indicates it fears us, knowing it can’t win in a direct confrontation, all actions trying to avoid confronting us,” Liu Qi said.

“If the ghost can use this method to leverage Zhang Wei’s family as a threat, then it might reapply the same strategy on others. It’s no longer under Zhao Xiaoya’s control.”

Yang Jian’s expression changed suddenly, then realized something, his ghost eyes promptly turning towards the Guanjiang Residential Complex.

But it was already too late for Yang Jian to react.

Meanwhile.

In a five-story villa within Guanjiang Residential Complex.

Though it was past eleven at night, Jiang Yan and Zhang Liqin hadn’t slept. They sat in the first-floor living room watching TV, waiting for Yang Jian’s return.

The topic from earlier made them increasingly uneasy.

They didn’t know what Yang Jian’s stance was, fearing unfavorable outcomes. Let alone progressing the relationship, they might even get kicked out by Yang Jian.

“Yang Jian went to attend a class reunion with Zhang Wei today, probably won’t return early,”

Jiang Yan said, then fretfully added, “Elder Sister Qin, what do you think Yang Jian means? Is he dissatisfied with us or does he feel we are too calculating, so angry he doesn’t plan to come back?”

Beside her, Zhang Liqin gently shook her head, “I don’t know what President Yang thinks nowadays. Before, I could still somewhat fathom his thoughts. Since he returned from a certain business trip, instead of seeing through him, he could deduce my thoughts clearly. His wisdom is more profound now than ever. We should just obediently listen, thinking more is futile.”

“You’ve read President Yang’s diary. If he wishes, he could subtly influence our thoughts. But if he does acting this way, it reassures me, as it shows we can be fully trusted, with no barriers. Unlike now, worrying endlessly.”

She finished and sighed helplessly.

“Are we sure Yang Jian hasn’t influenced our thoughts subtly?” Jiang Yan blinked.

“Definitely not, because this matter isn’t recorded in his diary,” Zhang Liqin shook her head.

Jiang Yan then whispered, “Elder Sister Qin, is Yang Jian really planning to get married?”

“He likely is. To President Yang, marriage is merely a formality. He needs to explain things to his mother and needs someone to reasonably and legally take care of his company and family, plus his mother has been urging him, so he won’t refuse. The key is who will become the lucky one.”

Zhang Liqin propped her chin and glanced at the TV casually.

Jiang Yan’s eyes lit up, “Aren’t we very likely? Who do you think Yang Jian would choose, you or me? We agreed before, no matter who Yang Jian chooses, we’ll support each other.”

Zhang Liqin laughed, “You’re too naive, you think President Yang only has us as options? He has many choices, Yang’s classmate Wang Shanshan, Liu Xiaoyu from the company, and Miao Xiaoshan who was almost his childhood playmate with him….. Besides, he may have acquaintances outside who’s also female friends.”

“Age, beauty, figure, education, we can’t offer much. Our only advantage is being with Yang Jian for longer. So we should stop thinking too much and stay at home obediently. I’ve long stopped hoping, no matter whom President Yang marries, I’d work for him all my life.”

“Damn!”

Jiang Yan’s spirits sunk upon hearing this, frustratedly pounding the pillow in her arms.

Suddenly.

At this moment, a cold wind blew, the originally closed door creakingly opened.

In the silent night, the noise unnerved Jiang Yan and Zhang Liqin, making their hairs stand on end, instinctively directing their gaze towards the door.

The door was now wide open, darkness enveloping the outside, lights flickering sporadically, appearing to be under some interference, the electricity unstably flowing.

And not far outside the door, sometime ago, a silhouette abruptly stood there.

“Who!” Jiang Yan plucked her courage to ask, her body tensed tightly.

Under the flashing illumination from the backyard, the outline briefly appeared, the person was Yang Jian himself. Yet under the pallid light, his face appeared grotesquely pale, eyes frozen and void.

Relieved, Jiang Yan and Zhang Liqin exhaled.

Terrified for a moment, but relieved it’s Yang Jian,

They were quite accustomed to these situations, as Yang Jian often returned home through various means, sometimes suddenly appearing in rooms, sometimes in the pool, sometimes shower sounds suddenly emerging from upstairs….. An uninformed individual might think the house was haunted.

Actually, every time something happened at home, their first reaction was that Yang Jian appeared, not that the house was haunted.

Over time, it became a subconscious reaction.

However, it was the first time something like this had happened, suddenly appearing outside the door.

“Yang Jian, why did you come back so late? Come in quickly, Elder Sister Qin and I have been waiting for you to come back and rest.” Jiang Yan called out.

But the person outside the door didn’t move, nor did they respond, only a familiar yet strange voice sounded, “Do you want to eat egg fried rice?”

“I’m not hungry right now, I don’t want to eat. Are you hungry?” Jiang Yan asked. “If you’re hungry, Elder Sister Qin and I can cook for you.”

Zhang Liqin also stood up, preparing to go to the kitchen to cook.

“Do you want to eat egg fried rice?”

However, the Yang Jian outside the door remained silent, still asking, his voice carrying a hint of unfamiliarity.

Just as Jiang Yan was about to speak, Zhang Liqin suddenly came over and covered her mouth.

“What are you doing?” Jiang Yan struggled a bit, unable to understand Zhang Liqin’s behavior.

But Zhang Liqin’s eyes widened, her body trembling slightly, revealing an indescribable fear. She was quite familiar with Yang Jian, yet her intuition told her the person outside didn’t seem like Yang Jian. Although he looked the same, the feeling he gave off was exceedingly strange.

“Jiang Yan, something’s wrong. Yang Jian never asks the same question twice. The person standing outside makes me feel scared.”

Though Jiang Yan was somewhat thick-skinned, she had experienced paranormal events, and she immediately reacted, her eyes widening in fear.

“Let’s hurry and leave, escape through the back door, and head to the safe house. I still remember the password.” As Zhang Liqin spoke, she continued to cover Jiang Yan’s mouth, slowly retreating.

Although she was scared, she hadn’t lost her reason. Faced with such a situation, her first thought was to hide in the safe house.

This was a lesson learned from the Hungry Ghost incident.

Jiang Yan cooperated by slowly retreating, but as they passed the staircase, she suddenly remembered something and hurriedly pried Zhang Liqin’s hand away, “No, we can’t leave. Aunt is still resting upstairs. We can’t just ignore her.”

“Let’s go upstairs and take Aunt with us.”

Zhang Liqin also realized that Yang Jian’s mother was still sleeping upstairs.

They dared to leave anyone else behind in their escape, but they absolutely couldn’t abandon Yang Jian’s mother, or they wouldn’t be able to face Yang Jian in the future.

They carefully made their way upstairs, their eyes fixed on the situation outside the door.

“Do you want to eat egg fried rice?” The Yang Jian outside was still asking that question.

That’s the third time he’s asked.

At this moment.

Any remaining hope in Jiang Yan and Zhang Liqin’s hearts was completely swallowed by fear.

Without a doubt, the person outside couldn’t possibly be Yang Jian; it was likely an Evil Ghost that looked exactly like him.

“Run!” Jiang Yan shouted.

The two of them quickly ran upstairs.

However, before they even reached the stairs, the lights in the living room suddenly flickered, and the silhouetted figure cloaked in darkness began to slowly enter.

“It’s coming inside.” Zhang Liqin felt her scalp tingle.

Since the end of the Hungry Ghost incident, this was probably the first time an Evil Ghost had stepped into Yang Jian’s home.

Even though Yang Jian was in Dachang City, why would a ghost appear here? Wasn’t the Guanjiang Residential Complex protected by the Ghost Child?

Where is the Ghost Child?

Amidst her fear, Zhang Liqin suddenly remembered the Ghost Child and everything noted about it in that book.

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Yet the Evil Ghost was now walking in the dim living room, its clear footsteps echoing, its silhouette in the dark drawing a terrifying black outline. As the darkness crept closer, both Jiang Yan and Zhang Liqin felt as though they were about to be swallowed, even as they tried to escape.

“Ghost Child.” Suddenly, Zhang Liqin called out in fear, almost hysterically.

Jiang Yan was so frightened by this scream that her legs went weak, and she fell onto the stairs, pulling Zhang Liqin down with her.

“Ghost Child.” Zhang Liqin was still shouting, calling the name of the Evil Ghost.

“Buzz!”

The lights flickered.

At that moment, the room regained some brightness.

Two children, wearing burial clothes and exuding a cold, eerie aura, suddenly appeared near the stairway, their pairs of eyes emitting a faint red glow. They moved slightly, their innocent yet wicked gaze fixed on the living room ahead.

The terrifying figure shrouded in darkness stopped in its tracks.

“Is the Ghost Child really here?”

Jiang Yan’s tightly wound nerves relaxed a bit, an inexplicable sense of safety surged within her.

She had seen the Ghost Child many times; it was on their side, always wandering around the Guanjiang Residential Complex, safeguarding the safety of that area.

The human-shaped silhouette hidden in the darkness of the living room was blocked by the Ghost Child, and it slowly retreated, withdrawing from the living room.

The Ghost Child remained motionless, just watching everything without doing anything.

Because it was Zhang Liqin’s shout that drew out the Ghost Child, but she wasn’t qualified to command it. Only two people could give orders to the Ghost Child: one was Yang Jian, the other was Wang Shanshan.

Zhang Liqin, as the recorder of Yang Jian’s diary, was very aware of this.

The ghost continued to retreat, and the lights in the living room gradually returned to brightness.

But just as the ghost was about to exit the door, a scarlet light appeared, instantly engulfing the entire building, making everything seem to freeze under its glow.

In the blink of an eye.

The red light dissipated.

The darkness disappeared along with it, and the lights returned to normal.

At the doorway, a cracked long spear pierced through a chilling corpse, pinning it to the ground, incapable of any further movement.

Subsequently, Yang Jian appeared out of nowhere beside it, coldly staring at the chilling corpse.

The corpse was rapidly decaying, its face, identical to his own, sloughing off.

“Another corpse being controlled; this ghost is hidden deep, always using living or dead humans as walking mediums, never showing itself. But everything is just as I suspected—the ghost is tempting people to make wishes, increasing its stakes.”

Yang Jian’s gaze was somber, ghost flame ignited as he set the supernatural corpse aflame, then pulled out the long spear, casually flicking it to throw the body into the river outside the villa.

The river connected to Ghost Lake; the body disappeared quickly once it plunged into the water.

Afterward, he looked at Jiang Yan and Zhang Liqin, collapsed on the stairs.

Clearly, this time the ghost was targeting them.

“How are you two? Are you okay?” Yang Jian asked.

“No, we’re fine.”

Jiang Yan was dazed, instinctively replied, then realized, her tears welled up as she rushed out, throwing herself onto Yang Jian: “Boohoo, I was scared to death. I thought I was sure to die this time. Where did you go, and why didn’t you come to save me?”

Zhang Liqin sighed in relief, limp all over, utterly exhausted; she touched her tears, filled with the joy of surviving a catastrophe.

“That thing won’t kill you; its appearance was just to make a deal with you. Did you two ask it to do anything just now?” Yang Jian said calmly.

He knew the killing pattern of the Wishing Ghost, wouldn’t randomly kill before fulfilling wishes.

“No, the ghost kept asking me if I wanted to eat fried rice. I sensed something was wrong, didn’t dare answer, grabbed Jiang Yan, and tried to escape to the safe house. At the last critical moment, I called out the Ghost Child, and then the ghost was planning to leave.”

Zhang Liqin hurriedly recounted what had just happened.

Yang Jian glanced at her and said: “You actually knew to call out the Ghost Child’s name.”

After the Ghost Child devoured Code Silent’s evil ghost, it possessed Silent’s supernatural power and would appear whenever someone called its name, albeit within a certain range. But few people knew about this; coincidentally, Jiang Yan and Zhang Liqin, who were responsible for recording the diary, did.

“I was just trying it in desperation… You won’t blame me, right?”

Zhang Liqin stood up, like admitting fault, cautiously walked over.

Yang Jian said: “No, this time you did very well, far exceeding my expectations, even managing to think of such a tactic at a critical moment.”

“Glad you don’t blame me,” Zhang Liqin sighed in relief.

“Yang Jian, what are you all shouting about downstairs? Do you not sleep at night?”

Suddenly, Zhang Fen upstairs heard the commotion and came down, somewhat reproachful.

“Mom, it’s fine, just now, they accidentally tripped when coming upstairs and fell,” Yang Jian said.

Zhang Fen said: “How badly did they fall, are they okay?”

“Auntie, we’re fine, just a little scraped, we’ll apply some medicine later,” Zhang Liqin replied.

Zhang Fen said: “That’s good, be careful in the future. By the way, didn’t you say you bought me a piece of clothing, asking if I wanted it earlier? Where is it? I’ll try it on first, and if it doesn’t fit, I’ll return it. Also, don’t buy anything in the middle of the night in the future.”

“Buying clothes?” Yang Jian was momentarily stunned.

Jiang Yan and Zhang Liqin suddenly looked at Zhang Fen; the fear that had disappeared from their eyes surfaced again.

It’s over.

The ghost didn’t target them but targeted Auntie.

The two realized the severity of the issue, no longer dared to look at Yang Jian, slumping directly to the ground.

Yang Jian’s indifferent face rarely showed a hint of anger; he was fully aware at this moment that the Wishing Ghost wasn’t just targeting Jiang Yan and Zhang Liqin at home but ultimately targeting his mother, Zhang Fen.

“What’s wrong with you? Why suddenly sit on the ground?”

Zhang Fen hadn’t yet realized the seriousness, walked over, attempting to help Jiang Yan and Zhang Liqin up.

Zhang Liqin and Jiang Yan didn’t stand up but nervously and uneasily turned their gaze to Yang Jian.

“President Yang, I’m sorry, we didn’t take good care of Auntie.” Zhang Liqin bit her lip, utterly powerless, even the apology was weak and futile.

Jiang Yan dared not say a single word.

They understood that anyone here could have problems, but Auntie must not; Yang Jian had repeatedly instructed them to take care of Auntie. If something happened to Auntie, even with a tiny bit of responsibility, they knew they couldn’t stay in this home.

Leaving this home equaled leaving Yang Jian, an unbearable huge price for them.

Yang Jian’s complexion was gloomy with an indescribable anger; he sternly said at this moment: “Stand up.”

Zhang Liqin and Jiang Yan nervously and uneasily supported themselves to stand up, their expressions evasive, faces pale, at a loss for what to do.

“This matter has nothing to do with you. Take my mom to the safe house and don’t come out before dawn.”

Yang Jian was seething with anger, but his anger wasn’t directed at these two people in front of him; it was directed at the Wishing Ghost.

“Alright, alright, I understand.” Jiang Yan replied nervously.

Zhang Fen asked, “Yang Jian, what’s going on?”

“Dachang City is haunted. I’m looking for that thing. Don’t worry, I can handle it.” Yang Jian said.

“Haunted? Will there be many casualties again?” Zhang Fen also became a bit tense.

“Not this time. This time it’s not serious.” Yang Jian didn’t want to say too much and just brushed it off with a couple of words, then gestured to Zhang Liqin and Jiang Yan.

The two didn’t dare to be careless and hurriedly took Zhang Fen away to the safe house.

After the three left, Yang Jian then tightly gripped the cracked lance and turned to leave.

He knew clearly that the ghost had already made a deal with his mother Zhang Fen, and Zhang Fen’s wish was just a piece of clothing.

Once the ghost fulfilled this wish, a relative would die.

What concerned Yang Jian most was not this.

But that the Evil Ghost might persistently linger around his mother.

Dealing with ghosts has always been dangerous, especially with such terrifying ghosts, it’s peril of the highest order.

However, Yang Jian didn’t have the time to worry about this; he needed to resolve this quickly and imprison the ghost, or else his mother would be in danger.

A brief appearance and a brief departure.

Yang Jian returned once more to the Peace Hotel.

“Yang Jian, there’s been an incident. I just received a call from my mom, she seems to be haunted by a ghost.”

As soon as Yang Jian appeared, Wang Shanshan immediately reported the recent situation.

“What’s going on?” Yang Jian asked.

“When my mom was at home, someone knocked on the door, and when she opened it, she saw my dad coming back from the company…”

Wang Shanshan quickly recounted the situation, which was very similar to what Zhang Liqin and Jiang Yan encountered.

The ghost disguised itself as a relative, attempting to lead others to make a wish.

Wang Shanshan’s mother, Wang Haiyan, fell for it; her wish was for a pearl necklace.

At this time, Miao Xiaoshan also put down the phone in her hand, her face grave: “There’s a situation with my dad as well.”

“Your dad isn’t in Dachang City; even from such a distance…”

Liu Qi said suspiciously, and then his phone rang as well.

Yang Jian said, “There’s no need to answer the phone; the situations are similar. The people around us have been targeted by the ghost; they all made deals with it. Now our relatives are being threatened by the Evil Ghost. If we don’t cooperate with the ghost, that fatal gift will be sent out. Once sent, the deal completes, and what happens afterward, I think you all understand.”

“Damn it.”

Liu Qi squeezed the constantly ringing phone and slammed it, smashing it to pieces.

“It’s indeed bad now; if we’re not careful, everyone is finished.” Zhang Wei was pacing anxiously.

Miao Xiaoshan pressed her lips, saying, “The ghost is holding more cards now. We’re passive. It’s gambling with us, betting that we won’t imprison it before midnight. If the ghost wins, it becomes completely free and no longer bound by rules. But we don’t dare to gamble because if we lose, we’ll lose a relative.”

“So you mean to let the ghost appear, and just walk past midnight openly? Do you think that will make the ghost spare our families?” Wang Shanshan said coldly, “Yang Jian, don’t be influenced by that ghost. Imprison it before midnight to solve all problems once and for all.”

Liu Qi was silent for a moment before saying, “The problem is, if we do that, the ghost might begin killing our relatives before midnight.”

“Even if you let the ghost pass midnight, it won’t spare our families. The supernatural is untrustworthy; it’s not human and doesn’t have integrity. A deal has been made, and the ghost will keep acting on it.” Wang Shanshan said.

Liu Qi said, “But if the ghost gets past midnight, it can escape the rules, and the deal with our relatives can be indefinitely postponed.”

Wang Shanshan said angrily, “The ghost can use this method to coerce us once, and it can do it a second and third time. Are we supposed to agree to the ghost’s demands every time? Imprisoning it solves the problem once and for all; keeping it around remains a scourge, a hidden danger. When the ghost wants to kill, it can kill anyone. We’ll still lose relatives, maybe even more.”

“Wang Shanshan makes sense; this time, I’m with her.” Zhang Wei expressed his stance.

“Yang Jian, make your decision; whatever you decide, I respect you.” Liu Qi said seriously to Yang Jian.

This was a painful decision. No one dared to make the call because this decision bore so many lives.

“Me too, the risk of losing relatives is not just ours; Yang Jian is also bearing it. But we’re limited in our ability, so we can only leave it to you. Whatever decision you make, I’ll support you,” said Miao Xiaoshan.

Wang Shanshan and Zhang Wei also looked at Yang Jian.

At this moment, the pressure fell on him once again.

However, Yang Jian was accustomed to such situations. He was a decision-maker. This time, it was special because his mother was also involved in this supernatural incident.

“Let me think.” Yang Jian did not rush to make a decision; he was pondering.

However, he didn’t have much time left.

It was already 11:30 PM.

Only the last half-hour remained.

During this half-hour, the ghost was certain to appear. Whether the deal would proceed depended on whether Yang Jian would give the ghost a chance to pass midnight.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by novlove.com

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