Mysterious Revival

Upon entering room number seven, Yang Jian's expression immediately darkened.

The decor was styled after the Republic of China Period, with old-fashioned tiles, chandeliers, and the somewhat faded furniture, the whole room was imbued with a gloomy aesthetic, making it quite uncomfortable.

But this wasn't the main issue.

The main point was that the layout of this room was exactly the same as the mysterious corridor room in the Caesar Hotel.

He had been there twice and had entered several of the rooms; there was no mistake, the similarity in layout and decoration style was striking. Except for some individual pieces of furniture that were slightly different, almost everything else was the same.

"The two are indeed connected..." Yang Jian thought to himself.

The Ghost Post Office and that eerie hotel were products of the same era.

"There are four men in the room, all grown men at that, and there's only one bed. How are we going to sleep tonight? If word gets out, we'll be the laughingstock," Sun Rui couldn't help but knock on the wooden bed with his golden cane as he stared at it.

Li Yang said, "Let's just make do for one night. I have a bad feeling about this place, especially after the lights went out."

After speaking, he glanced toward the door.

The old wooden door was somewhat warped so that, even when closed, it wasn't secure. There were gaps as thick as fingers, and through those gaps, he could clearly see the pitch black outside. This darkness seemed to have taken on a substance of its own, even seeping in a little.

"Your perception is much stronger than mine," Sun Rui commented, glancing at him.

"Mine is just a bit special. As long as I'm inside a building with rooms, my perception is quite sharp. But outside, I can't sense anything," Li Yang explained.

Sun Rui nodded and said, "I've done research on this and even wrote a paper. I believe that a ghost controller's perception of fierce ghosts is, in fact, just the triggering of the ghost's murderous habits, and since we, the ghost controllers, suppress these murderous instincts in our bodies, it results in an indescribable sensation."

"It's like walking down the street and seeing a beautiful woman. Even if that woman is a stranger and not your type, as a man, you can't help but take a glance, but then you restrain yourself and look away."

"This is the conflict between instinct and reason, leading to behavior you can't control."

"Fierce ghosts are instinct, ghost controllers are restraint, and in the clash between the two, that's when perception arises. Unfortunately, my paper wasn't accepted by the headquarters; they thought I lacked the necessary evidence, that it was all conjecture and supposition. To put it bluntly, they basically thought I was talking nonsense and did not find it suitable for publication," he added, sighing deeply with regret.

"I never thought you were such a man of culture," Yang Jian approached and remarked, somewhat surprised.

Sun Rui smiled and said, "I was even planning to write a book called 'I am the Responsible Man of the Great Han', and I've already contacted a publishing house. I was planning an initial print of a few million copies, certain it would be a bestseller. Unfortunately, I haven't finished writing it. Yang, you might not guess, but I'm a college graduate. I used to submit manuscripts to publishers frequently. How about I write an autobiography for you one day? I promise it will be thrilling."

"We can call it 'That Man Comes From.....'"

Before Sun Rui could finish, Yang Jian cut him off, "Enough, enough, save it for another time. Today has brought enough events already, and right now, we're in the Ghost Post Office. Moreover, we have intruded here directly. Whether this will bring any negative consequences, no one can be sure."

"I'll keep watch tonight. You all find somewhere to rest. Tomorrow, I want to go to the fifth floor. You're called Wang Shan, right? You said you have a way to the fifth floor. Aren't you going to share it? I hope your method is viable, and not just some unrealistic talk. I'm not one to be fobbed off easily," he said, his attention now shifting to the young man who looked to be about nineteen or twenty.

Wang Shan gave a slight smile, "I'm not Wan Xing. Of course, I have a workable method. Besides, my reason for agreeing to help you guys is that I want to leave this place alive too, and I have no ulterior motives."

"Some couriers upstairs have said, though I'm not sure if it's true, that there's a staircase on the fifth floor of this post office that leads outside. Anyone who leaves via that staircase can shed their courier identity, no longer have to deliver mail, escape this curse and gain freedom. I think I have no choice but to take a gamble."

"But my abilities are limited, and trying to reach the upper floors by delivering mail would surely get me killed, so while I'm helping you three, I'm also hoping you'll give me a hand when the time comes."

He laid it all out honestly, hoping to alleviate any doubts Yang Jian and the others might have.

As an ordinary person, Wang Shan was acutely aware of the danger these individuals posed—one wrong move and they could easily dispose of him, and that was no joke.

"Is that so? There's a staircase on the fifth floor that leads out of here?" Yang Jian's gaze flickered, but he did not fully believe these words.

"Let's talk about that later. So what's the quick method of ascending floors you were talking about?"

"Please take a seat, let me explain slowly. We have plenty of time at the moment; there's no rush, is there?" Wang Shan said with a smile.

Yang Jian casually sat down and said, "Indeed, tonight we have plenty of time to talk."

Wang Shan seemed to be organizing his thoughts for a moment, then he began, "The task of a messenger may seem to be just delivering letters, but in fact, there are many unspoken rules that are not explained. These unspoken rules are like hidden loopholes, waiting for each messenger to discover and try. Such attempts require boldness and the risk of great danger."

"Take tearing up letters, for example. The post office doesn't explicitly state that you can tear up letters, but some people have done it and still survived. Consequently, such an unspoken rule has been passed down among messengers."

"However, that's just one of the unspoken rules."

Yang Jian nodded and said, "Makes sense, go on."

"In the time that I've been a messenger, I've carefully reasoned and studied, and I've found a loophole in climbing floors. Well, it's not exactly a loophole; it's a rather special method of ascending. Ordinary people can't do it—they would die horribly. Only those who are special have the ability to do it."

Wang Shan was very calm; this mature composure did not match his young age at all.

"All messengers know that after delivering their third letter, everyone moves up a floor. But with each floor, newcomers join, and this creates a strange phenomenon. Some have already delivered two letters, while others haven't delivered a single one. This discrepancy leads to the phenomenon of newcomers and veterans staying on the same floor."

"At first, I thought it was so that veterans could guide newcomers, increasing their survival rates and avoiding detours. Later, I changed my mind."

"The post office isn't so humanitarian as to care about a newcomer's fate, so I believe this situation is designed to allow newcomers to rise more quickly."

"Therefore, moving up isn't about the number of letters delivered, but the key letter for ascending." Wang Shan said earnestly: "The third letter in everyone's hands is the one for climbing floors. If you can snatch it and deliver it yourself, and succeed, then there's a good chance you'll replace the original messenger and move up successfully."

"As a consequence, the original messenger may have their delivery count reset to zero and need to start over, delivering three more letters."

Yang Jian looked at him and asked in a deep voice, "That's an interesting guess. Do you have any evidence?"

"No," Wang Shan shook his head with a smile: "But I want to bet on it, bet that you guys can ascend. Soon, I'll be dispatched the third letter, which I could give to you. Wan Xing also has his third letter, which you could snatch. As for that woman named Qian Rong, she's only delivered one letter and isn't a suitable target."

"You're saying that among the three of us, two can obtain that ascending letter and move to the upper floor?" Yang Jian said.

"Yes," Wang Shan nodded.

Yang Jian followed up, "Are you content with giving away your own letter for ascending?"

Wang Shan gave a bitter smile, "It's the best way. Even if I reach the second floor, what then? I have to continue delivering letters anyway. Carrying on this way will definitely lead to a terrible death. So, I have to place all my bets on you guys, betting that when you leave, you might have a way to take me with you."

"This is an unequal trade. All I can trust is your word. If you ignore me, there's nothing I can do about it."

His words came across as rather miserable.

But the fact was that he was just an ordinary person. After carefully calculating, he felt that his chances of surviving all the way to the fifth floor were too slim. The appearance of Yang Jian, Sun Rui, and Li Yang could be a pivotal opportunity.

Uncertain factors can always bring uncertain changes.

Wang Shan was betting on this kind of uncertainty.

"You're a smart man, much smarter than many others. Honestly, I appreciate your ability to face reality; I've met many people, and frankly, most of them aren't nearly as clear-headed as you," Yang Jian said. "Alright, I promise you, if there is a chance, I will take you out with me."

"Thank you, Captain Yang," Wang Shan said gratefully.

"Let's pause our conversation, I want to say something. Has this room always been like this?" Suddenly, Sun Rui pointed towards the direction of the door.

At this moment, darkness from outside the door seeped in, affecting nearly half of the living room as if it was shrouded in a layer of shadow. Moreover, the darkness was intensifying, and the nearby lights kept dimming.

It felt as though there was something outside influencing all of this.

"No, there has never been such a phenomenon before," Wang Shan's face changed dramatically. "It's just not right today. Indeed, one room can only accommodate one person, and too many people will cause some terrible abnormalities to occur."

"Quiet."

Yang Jian suddenly whispered sternly.

Immediately, Wang Shan stopped talking, saying no more.

Sun Rui and Li Yang also stared fixedly at the wooden door.

Without conversation, the surrounding area became silent all of a sudden, without a single noise.

"Thud, thud, thud!"

Suddenly, outside the door, in the ground-floor post office lobby, the sound of footsteps, faint yet distinguishable, emerged. These heavy steps echoed in the darkness outside, gradually approaching closer and the sound grew clearer as the distance shrank.

A set of footsteps echoing in the darkness?

Everyone's heart grew tense.

"It's a ghost," Yang Jian said with a calm face and in a suppressed voice.

"This place is really cursed," Sun Rui muttered under his breath.

Li Yang became extremely nervous: "What should we do now?"

"Don't panic, it might not be headed for us," Yang Jian gestured, and instead of retreating, he approached the door.

Wang Shan, on the side, was sweating profusely. Being just an ordinary person, he was very aware that once targeted by a ghost, death was certain. Therefore, he dared not move rashly, biting his lip and forcing himself to overcome the fear and calm down.

After all, there were three responsible people here.

The sound of footsteps outside became clearer.

Based on the sound, one could determine that whatever it was, it was located in the corridor outside the door. The corridor wasn't large, and with a little mental calculation, one could figure that the footsteps should be around the area of rooms one and two.

Yet the footsteps showed no sign of stopping.

It should now be at room three, room four.

"It's reached room five," Yang Jian narrowed his eyes, looking towards the direction from which the footsteps were coming.

The heavy footsteps still showed no sign of stopping.

Room six.

Very close, extremely close now.

It was next door, but the room next door should be unoccupied.

Room six is empty; Wan Xing and Qian Rong are staying in rooms one and three.

"Captain Yang, it looks like it's coming for us," Sun Rui leaned on his cane, narrowing his eyes, his expression extremely solemn.

Can we outfight it?

He was uncertain in his heart, unable to estimate since the ghost outside was completely unknown, and one couldn't judge its level and degree of danger.

It might be weak, or it might be terribly vicious.

"It's stopped."

All of a sudden.

The footsteps outside the door halted, and at that moment Yang Jian could clearly feel that there was something standing right behind that wooden door.

But due to the influence of the environment outside, even an attempt to peer through the door gap failed to reveal what that something was.

Yang Jian had already opened his Ghost Eye.

Inside this Ghost Post Office, his Ghost Eye was suppressed, unless he activated the fifth level of Ghost Domain.

But he hadn't done so.

"The vision of the Ghost Eye is obstructed, it can't see through that door. Indeed, this place is the same as the Caesar Hotel, all the buildings are special, and the Ghost Eye can't see through them," Yang Jian thought to himself. He then signaled, "If that thing wants to attack us, we will confront it head-on. After all, it's very difficult to escape once a ghost has targeted us."

But no sooner had he finished speaking.

An incredible event caused Yang Jian's hair to stand on end instantly, and a chilling horror surged from the depths of his heart.

"Knock, knock, knock."

A heavy, muffled knocking sounded.

This sound was familiar.

Without a doubt.

It was the murder method of the Door Knocking Ghost.

Killing by knocking.

"How is that possible?" Yang Jian's mind was filled with disbelief.

The Door Knocking Ghost had clearly been imprisoned by him personally and was currently being held in Dachang City. How could the Ghost Door Knocker still appear?

Ever since ghosts appeared in this world, there had not been two of the same kind.

"Wait, this isn't the murderous knock. No one inside the room has been attacked by the knocking..." Yang Jian suddenly realized.

Even Wang Shan, who was just an ordinary person, was still alive.

This was enough to prove that this deadly knocking sound was not the kind he was familiar with.

So what did this knocking sound, identical to the Door Knocking Ghost's, signify?