Mysterious Awakening

Chapter 577: Chapter 574 Sudden Wound

In the afternoon, Yang Jian spent most of his time wandering around downtown, since the Ghost Domain operation had already started, it seemed a bit inappropriate for him to stay in the hotel sleeping, so to support the operation, he decided to take a walk.

The result was quite evident.

After wandering through several snack streets and food streets, apart from feeling a bit full, everything was normal.

Indeed, after being chased out by Xiong Wenwen’s parents at noon, he hadn’t been able to eat his fill.

"It’s about time, let’s call it a day,” Yang Jian checked the time, it was almost six o’clock.

He thought about calling it a day and returning to Ping’an Hotel, to continue today’s work.

...

As long as there were no unexpected incidents in the next two days, he could smoothly return to Dachang City. Although he had encountered several dangers and experienced quite a few supernatural events this trip, at least there were gains, and the main goal was also accomplished.

Now he had managed to control three ghosts to achieve a very good balance, had killed Gao Zhiqiang, and taken the ghost from his body, which would allow his own body to recover to a healthy state, which was better than he had expected.

Beyond that, there was the acquisition of supernatural objects and an increase in the number of Ghost Candles in his possession.

He believed that if nothing unexpected happened, he could survive for quite a long time.

During this period, he intended to do some things he wanted to do.

With these thoughts in mind, he walked alone toward the hotel.

However, at this moment.

A fatal crisis that had gone unnoticed had quietly arrived.

Inside an office of Ping’an Tower.

Fang Shiming sat motionless, staring at the clock on his desk, like a statue, and had been sitting there for several hours.

Patience was something he always had in abundance, even sitting there for a whole day was an easy feat for him.

After all, he was no longer an ordinary person.

The winter sun set earlier than in other seasons.

The originally bright office was now cast in darkness and during this time, he had not gotten up to turn on the lights, nor had any company staff come in to disturb him, making the surroundings exceptionally silent.

He didn’t know how long he had been sitting in the dim office.

Not until the clock on the desk reached five fifty-five, did Fang Shiming finally move.

He slowly reached into his clothes and pulled out a box.

The box wasn’t large, just a bit bigger than the size of a common smartphone, colored a striking gold, because it was made of gold.

Only gold could seal off all things supernatural, a common knowledge in the Supernatural Circle.

The box was welded shut, without leaving the slightest gap.

Fang Shiming took a small knife and drew a line around the box, finally opening that long-sealed golden box.

Once opened.

The dim office immediately became somewhat colder, and a faint stench of decay spread through the air, suggesting that something had rotted away.

Inside the box was a pair of scissors.

The scissors were outdated in style, not resembling modern designs but rather those from the Republic of China Period. It was unclear if the item had lain buried in mud for a long time as the black stains on it couldn’t be scrubbed off, indistinguishable as rust or as having absorbed something they shouldn’t have.

The eeriest part about these scissors was the handle, which was wrapped in strands upon strands of black hair, with some even connected to the scalp.

The rotten stench seemed to be emanating from there.

Ghost Scissors!

That’s what Fang Shiming called them, simple yet fittingly descriptive because he had obtained this item from a ghost during one supernatural event.

"I really don’t want to mess with this thing.”

He furrowed his brows, as if using these eerie scissors was subject to some taboo, making him afraid to use them casually, so he could only seal them in the golden box and carry them with him.

But…

Looking at the photo of Yang Jian on the table.

Fang Shiming knew that Yang Jian, with his Ghost Eye, was not easy to kill. If he were to face Yang Jian head-on, he might win but would definitely be dragged down to a state akin to ghost’s revival, and it was very likely they would both end up dead.

But Yang Jian had to be killed.

Not just because he posed a threat, but also because he knew about the existence of the Ghost Scissors and even demanded them from Jang Shangbai as a condition.

This crossed Fang Shiming’s bottom line, so he was very resolute, with no possibility of wavering. Even if Cao Yanhua had been pressuring him all afternoon, he still had to kill Yang Jian today.

"It’s a pity I couldn’t get that Coffin Nail. Otherwise, with the two items countering each other, it would be even more advantageous for me,” Fang Shiming’s gaze shifted slightly.

The time reached five fifty-nine.

Just one minute left until six o’clock.

Fang Shiming didn’t touch the scissors but picked up a ballpoint pen and wrote two characters on the full-body photograph of Yang Jian: Yang Jian.

A real name, a complete full-body photo, that was the method to trigger the Ghost Scissors’ killing rule.

At least that’s what Fang Shiming had found through experimentation.

Therefore, the threat of this object falling into human hands far exceeded the threat of it being in ghostly hands.

Otherwise, Fang Shiming wouldn’t have been able to obtain this supernatural item from the ghost in the first place.

"The time has come, time to send you on your way, Yang Jian,” Fang Shiming saw that the time had reached six o’clock.

Without any hesitation, he took off his gloves, revealing a pair of dreadful hands reminiscent of those from a mummy, the dark brown skin clinging tightly to the bone, all flesh already gone, and looked exceptionally creepy.

Even though his hands had transformed into this state, it didn’t affect their use, they were still able to move.

Fang Shiming grabbed the Ghost Scissors.

Instantly.

The surrounding dimness deepened all at once, and the whole office was shrouded in darkness.

Drip, drip!

The sound of water droplets echoed around, and the decaying stench in the air grew even stronger, carrying with it the thick smell of blood.

Most eerily, within this deepening darkness, several shadows flickered and gradually formed into the contours of corpses… These silhouettes of corpses were incomplete, some missing arms, some missing heads, and others missing legs.

Nevertheless, these weird, incomplete shadows kept moving closer to Fang Shiming.

Fang Shiming held the Ghost Scissors in one hand, and in his other hand, he picked up Yang Jian’s photograph.

However, at that moment when he picked up the picture, the backside was already smeared with sticky fresh blood. His gaze shifted slightly. Despite the close distance, he didn’t know when a pale, severed human head had been placed on his desk, blood oozing from the neck, gradually covering the entire desk surface.

Not only that, but when he moved his feet ever so slightly, it felt as if he had stepped on something.

Cold, soft, like stepping on a corpse.

"The curse of the Ghost Scissors has deepened.”

In the face of all the eerie happenings in the office, Fang Shiming remained calm and collected, not showing the slightest disturbance as he continued to go about his work in an orderly fashion.

This level of a curse still couldn’t take him down.

The scissors landed on the photograph bearing Yang Jian’s name. The once brightly colored picture now suddenly aged, a dark shadow looming over it, and the vibrant colors seemed to rapidly fade away.

The picture was painstakingly snipped apart, a strange curse beginning to spread.

At that very moment.

Walking on the streets of Dachang City, Yang Jian, walking along, was on the phone with Cao Yanhua.

"Yang Jian, I’ve already put pressure on people in our circle. They’ve denied your request and refuse to hand over that item. However, you’re free to propose other conditions—gold, assets, companies… If it’s money you want, then boldly name your price; they’ll do their best to meet it.”

"This is mere stalling, pure and simple,” Yang Jian spoke, “I know how wealthy everyone in the circle is, a group of top conglomerates, capitalists tirelessly backing them—funds are of no real consequence to them. I asked for a response by six o’clock, but obviously, this reply is far from satisfying.”

"Cool down for a second, Yang Jian. This is at least a good start. Negotiations never reach an agreement in an instant,” Cao Yanhua continued to persuade him, “If you trust me, I can keep negotiating and applying pressure on your behalf. But that’s provided you don’t go off the rails now, Headquarters doesn’t want a conflict between you and the people in our circle at this juncture.”

"We can’t afford to deal with the Ghost Painting and your situation simultaneously.”

"It’s not my fault; it’s theirs. I shouldn’t be the one to shoulder the blame,” Yang Jian said, “Moreover, your approach doesn’t work with people in the circle. If it did, they wouldn’t have waited until now to give you an answer. They’re stalling. I have a premonition that the people in the circle won’t stop. They’re planning to retaliate against me.”

"You’re being paranoid; they absolutely wouldn’t dare make a move. I can assure you,” Cao Yanhua said with conviction.

The circle may be influential, but the bigger the force, the more restraints they have. It’s solo players like Yang Jian who are the most dangerous, acting without care for the consequences.

"Is that so? Too bad I can’t bet my life on your guarantee,” Yang Jian replied.

Cao Yanhua hesitated for a moment, then, grinding his teeth, said, “You head back to the hotel and rest tonight. Don’t get into another fight, just give me some time; I’ll have them agree to your demands by tomorrow morning.”

"You can’t guarantee that. However Yang Jian’s words were cut off mid-sentence as his footsteps suddenly came to a halt.

For some reason, he felt an intense sense of crisis at that moment.

It was as if… ghosts were right beside him.

Yang Jian looked around vigilantly, scrutinizing every passing pedestrian, his body tensed to the extreme, and even his Ghost Eye had surreptitiously opened.

Yet, he discovered nothing.

"An illusion? Or am I being too sensitive?” he frowned deeply.

But out of caution, he still felt he should leave the area. It would be unfortunate to become unwittingly involved in a Ghost Painting incident.

But just as he was about to take a step.

Suddenly, a strange gash appeared on his neck.

The gash was large and deep, almost severing his entire spine. In an instant, blood gushed out, splattering onto several bystanders, and his head lost support, dangling powerlessly.

"Gurgle, gurgle

Blood backflow choked Yang Jian’s throat as he staggered and fell to the ground, his brain instantly feeling dizzy.

Everything happened so swiftly, without any warning, as if he had inadvertently triggered a ghost’s killing pattern, attacking Yang Jian in an incomprehensible manner.

But at this moment, Yang Jian had no time to think about that; if only his neck had been half-slit, he would still be conscious and able to react.

In an instant.

Skin split open all over his body, eerie eyes opened, and the entire street was immediately enveloped in a red glow.

Moreover, the intensity of the red glow intensified in an instant.

Four-layer Ghost Domain—Yang Jian, in that moment, activated the four-layer Ghost Domain, dragging the whole street into his Ghost Domain.

He no longer had time to select people or things, nor to care about whether it affected reality.

The moment the Ghost Domain was activated, the black shadow laying behind him moved.

The black shadow extended a hand to cover Yang Jian’s slit throat, seemingly trying to fill and complete the wound.

Ghost Shadows have the ability to piece together corpses; they can stitch together even the bodies of ghosts, let alone those of humans.

An icy breath seemed to invade his brain, energizing Yang Jian’s spirit. The feeling of dizziness and lack of oxygen immediately improved. With only an injury of this level, he wouldn’t die.

The survival capability of a ghost controller was fully exemplified in him.

Yet, that hair-raising sense of danger had not dissipated.

In the few seconds of clarity, he immediately pulled out a red Ghost Candle.

He could no longer worry about what the situation was; as long as he lit the Ghost Candle, he would be safe at least until the candle burned out, even if faced with an S-rank evil spirit, he could survive a while.

But he had just taken out the Ghost Candle and hadn’t even had time to light it.

Crack!

That bizarre split manifested again, and Yang Jian’s entire neck was completely severed,

The Headless Ghost Shadow’s stitching had no effect; his head separated from his body and rolled a short distance forward.

"How is this possible Yang Jian, observing his headless body gushing blood, his eyes slightly narrowed, displayed an expression of disbelief.

Four-layer Ghost Domain, combined with a Ghost Shadow, couldn’t block this strange attack?

At this moment.

Inside the office of Ping’an Tower.

Fang Shiming looked at the photo he had cut with scissors. The split in the photo aligned perfectly with Yang Jian’s neck, but the originally faded photo had turned a shade of red as if soaked in paint, making the Yang Jian in the photo seem very unreal, gradually blurring away as if he was about to disappear from the photo.

"Not dead yet? In that case, let’s do it once more.”

He moved the scissors again.

According to Fang Shiming’s experience, decapitation was the most effective way to kill. No one could lose their head and still live—ninety-nine percent of ghost controllers couldn’t either.

Furthermore, the neck occupies the least space on the photo, so cutting it uses the least effort and is less likely to deepen the curse of the Ghost Scissors.

"This time, sever the head.”

Fang Shiming pondered for a moment. Since he had decided to make a second cut, he wanted to be thorough, to eradicate all possibilities for Yang Jian.