Mysterious Awakening

Yang Jian didn’t get much sleep last night because there had been too many things happening lately, and he had much to think about and judge.

For him, a high school student with little life experience, this was somewhat challenging, because some matters couldn’t simply be handled according to one’s character, such as the headquarters’ conflict, Cao Yanhua’s suggestion, and assessing the situation...

These were not things his teachers at school would teach, and this place was not a school.

He wasn’t clear whether some choices were right or wrong, all Yang Jian could do was to always ensure his personal interests before making any decision.

"Losing is a blessing" is a saying to comfort others.

For people like Yang Jian, taking a loss could lead to death, or even a settling of accounts.

This wasn’t child’s play, but a game of survival.

Morning.

A phone call woke Yang Jian from a deep sleep.

"Hello, is this Yang Jian?" The voice on the other end was that of a middle-aged man, polite and somewhat restrained.

Yang Jian couldn’t recognize the voice. He glanced at the caller ID and immediately remembered the man he had met on the plane to J city.

Named Wan Delu, president of the Wande Group, he got involved because of the paranormal incident on the plane.

"Is that you, President Wan? What’s the matter?" Yang Jian asked.

Wan Delu’s voice came through the phone, "Hehe, Brother Tui really is a big shot who forgets things easily, eh? Last time, didn’t you ask me to investigate that antique? Well, I’ve spent quite a bit of effort these past few days, contacted quite a few people, and finally have some findings. When would you be free to meet and have a meal?"

"The soul bottle matter?" Yang Jian’s spirits lifted slightly; he remembered the significantly important matter.

"Come to Ping’an Grand Hotel to find me, you’ve been here before so I won’t repeat the address."

"Alright, should I head over now?" Wan Delu asked.

Yang Jian said, "Sure, I have time today, you can come over anytime, but don’t make me wait too long."

"Don’t worry, Brother Tui, I won’t take long to arrive, please wait a moment," Wan Delu said with enthusiasm and utmost politeness.

"Then let’s leave it at that for now, contact me if there’s anything," Yang Jian said and hung up the phone.

"The other ghost in the soul bottles? It seems like something left behind from an old house from the Republic of China Period," he turned and looked at the gold bottle on the nightstand.

The bottle was empty.

The ghost inside had escaped, and up to now, Yang Jian hadn’t found any trace of it.

But as the only gain, Yang Jian had taken one hand from the ghost and managed to attach it to himself through the Ghost Shadow.

Of course, this attachment was not something he was willing to see; it was the instinct of the Headless Ghost Shadow that prevailed, causing a loss of control over the Ghost Shadow, and this loss of control caused him to lose one of his hands. To a certain extent, Yang Jian’s body was becoming more and more like a real ghost.

The only relief was that he still had his sanity.

"But speaking of which, I haven’t truly explored the abilities of this Ghost Hand. I only know that it can stay hidden within the Ghost Domain, invisible to ordinary people. Beyond that, it seems able to control someone else’s hand, just don’t know how to wield this power yet," Yang Jian mused.

He hadn’t fully utilized this third hand of his, nor deeply excavated its capabilities.

After all, he hadn’t had it under his control for long, and lately, he didn’t have the time to experiment.

Just like when he first harnessed the Ghost Eye, some abilities could only be unearthed through constant trial and weren’t things one could control proficiently upon first capture.

Since Wan Delu was coming, Yang Jian decided not to go to the headquarters to pressure Cao Yanhua for his salary today.

He got up, took a shower, and looked at his reflection in the mirror – the healthy complexion and muscular build. Although the dark shadow at his feet exuded a chilly aura that was quite uncomfortable, Yang Jian felt that he might be in the best condition of his life.

He just didn’t know how long this state would last.

The Headless Ghost Shadow’s ability must also have its limits. Once the ghost’s erosion of the body became severe, it would be difficult to restore himself using the Ghost Conman’s power.

"Ding-dong!"

Suddenly, the doorbell outside the room rang.

"Wan Delu is here already? That guy really is attentive."

Yang Jian paused for a moment. It hadn’t even been fifteen minutes, had it? Discover hidden stories at

He got dressed and left the bathroom. When he opened the door, however, he saw that it wasn’t Wan Delu who had rung the doorbell, but a woman. She was tall, wearing sunglasses, and looked like a magazine cover girl – very beautiful.

Li Yao?

Yang Jian’s eyes narrowed. He had met this woman before, but what struck him most deeply was not her appearance or figure, but the fact that he had altered her memory with a bloodied old newspaper.

"Why are you here?" His tone was cold, even a bit wary.

"Don’t be so tense, the people in our circle won’t find out about our relationship," Li Yao said, taking off her sunglasses with a grin, then walked over and hooked her arm around Yang Jian’s; "Haven’t seen me in days, did you miss me?"

Yang Jian’s expression shifted slightly. He was still struggling to adapt to Li Yao’s enthusiasm.

After all, not only had they been strangers before, but also strangers with hostility. Such a sudden change was not easily accepted.

But this showed just how terrifying the influence of ghosts could be.

"I’ve been busy with some stuff lately, no time to miss you. Since you’re here, come in," Yang Jian reasoned briefly. He couldn’t turn her away after all; how else could their charade with Li Yao continue?

Smiling, Li Yao said, "I know what you’ve been busy with. You’re dealing with the circle’s issues, right? You personally took care of Gao Zhiqiang at the headquarters and almost clashed with Jang Shangbai at the conference table. It nearly escalated into a full-blown fight. If it weren’t for the people at headquarters holding things back, it might have gotten out of hand."

Just as Yang Jian sat down, her revelation startled him. "Your news is really timely. That was confidential information from just yesterday, and you know about it today?"

What happened at headquarters generally didn’t leak to the outside, especially not such unfavorable news.

Li Yao cuddled up to Yang Jian, wrapping her arms around his neck and perching on his lap like a child begging for affection. She teased in a sweet voice, "Aren’t you going to praise me? Maybe I even know some more important stuff."

"What more important stuff?" Yang Jian asked, keeping his gaze steady on her.

"Kiss me, and I’ll tell you," Li Yao tilted her face up, giggling.

Yang Jian replied, "It’s fine if you don’t tell. I’m not very interested."

Li Yao seemed to fear that Yang Jian would get angry. She quickly relented, "Okay, okay, I was just joking. How could I not tell you about something so important? I skipped work especially to come here today, I didn’t even have time for breakfast. You’re going to have to treat me to a good meal later."

Towards the end, her voice became sugary sweet, almost nauseatingly so, like a clingy little demon.

Yang Jian remained unmoved, simply watching her calmly.

Li Yao leaned in closer and whispered, "Just last night, a few people from the circle held an emergency meeting because of you to discuss how to deal with you."

"Oh? So they’ve decided to take me down?" Yang Jian narrowed his eyes. He wasn’t particularly surprised by the news.

"There was a Ghost Master named Ma Tianxiong who proposed such a plan, but the others, especially Jang Shangbai, vetoed it. He thinks you are too dangerous and doesn’t want to flip the table unless absolutely necessary," Li Yao whispered this information into Yang Jian’s ear.

She didn’t dare speak loudly for fear of being overheard. Even though Yang Jian had gotten rid of the bugs last time, who knows if any had been installed during his absence.

Yang Jian let out a cold laugh, "It’s not that they don’t want to flip the table, but that they dare not, because they know I also have the capability to flip it. If I were just a bit weaker, they probably would have made a move last night."

It seemed that the Ghost Coffin incident had revealed his abilities to Jang Shangbai, thus deterring him.