Discovery

Of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, what is the best one?

Retreat is the best course of action.

Yang Jian sensed something was wrong and decided to slip away first. What did it matter if he controlled two ghosts?

Faced with the insurmountable power of this demon, even controlling three demons would be futile; there would be no difference whatsoever.

Having finally managed to prolong the time before the vengeful spirit revived and temporarily save my life, how could I be so careless as to die here?

As the thick fog enveloped the mourning hall, he immediately slipped into the ghost coffin.

The coffin was dark and oppressive.

Aside from that, I didn't feel anything particularly special.

It actually felt a bit unsettling, like there was something pressing down on me, which made me feel very uncomfortable.

It looks like a perfectly normal coffin.

"Oh right, the coffin lid hasn't been put on yet."

Yang Jian noticed that the coffin lid was not yet closed.

The coffin and its lid should be a single piece; perhaps the absence of either one would prevent this ghost coffin from fulfilling its true purpose.

He immediately closed the coffin lid.

"Bang!"

With a soft sound, the coffin lid closed tightly on the coffin.

All the light disappeared.

Lying in the coffin Yang Jian seemed to be swallowed by darkness; even when he opened his eyes, he couldn't see anything.

"That's all?"

Then he frowned.

I still don't feel anything unusual; everything is normal.

Etc.

Suddenly.

Yang Jian sensed something was wrong.

He found his body slowly sinking, as if the coffin behind him was constantly caved in.

No, that's not right. The body isn't sinking; it's disappearing.

Yang Jian's body was melting away little by little. During this time, he felt no pain, no sense of death, and no fear whatsoever. It was as if this disappearance was not a true disappearance, but the beginning of some kind of rebirth. He even felt a sense of anticipation for the unknown changes.

Soon.

His body completely disappeared inside the coffin.

But he regained consciousness after disappearing; he could feel that he was still in the coffin.

It's just that it no longer has a body.

It's a very contradictory feeling.

Yet it feels so real.

It was as if Yang Jian had detached himself from the human body and gradually become an alternative existence.

This unusual existence is very similar to something else: a ghost.

"Could this ghost coffin transform a person into a ghost?"

Yang Jian was perfectly lucid, and he made a bold guess that even shocked himself.

If that's the case, then this ghost coffin is terrifying.

But this phenomenon seems to make sense; why is it that detective Feng Quan can stay in this coffin for months without eating or drinking and not die?

If he truly became a complete ghost, a ghost with human consciousness, then he could indeed do that.

"No, that's not right. If the person inside the coffin turned into a ghost, how could they get out? Feng Quan had a physical body when he left the coffin; he wasn't existing as a ghost. This ghost coffin must have some kind of strange and special purpose, but I haven't figured it out yet, so I don't know it yet."

Yang Jian thought to himself.

Although I don't quite understand how this happened, in this state, it's true that no one could kill me.

No ghost can kill itself.

Moreover, it seems that consciousness can extend outwards through the existence of the ghost coffin.

It's like the feeling of the body remaining in the coffin, but the soul flying out.

Own.

It seemed to be everywhere in this village.

He witnessed everything that happened in the mourning hall.

The thick fog could no longer obstruct his vision.

However, at this moment...

The external confrontation seems to be coming to an end.

The man in the portrait was now highly decomposed, with only a skeleton and some flesh clinging to it, a grotesque and terrifying sight.

Feng Quan was also feeling bad at that moment.

His condition was also bad due to overuse of the vengeful spirit's power and prolonged confrontation.

His numb eyes revealed weariness and pain, and his pale, bloodless face showed a deep sign of illness.

He's like a patient in a hospital, swallowing his last bite.

Just seeing it sent chills down my spine.

"While this ghost's abilities are unbeatable, they do have a limit. Against Zhang Han, Yang Jian's ghost has already reached its limit. In a one-on-one situation, no Ghost Tamer can be a match for this thing. If it's alone, it's certain to die. But right now, I still have a slight advantage."

"However, even though I've managed to control two ghosts, I still feel uneasy about using the power of vengeful spirits for an extended period of time."

"This matter should come to an end."

Feng Quan walked to the side and picked up the suitcase from the ground.

The golden suitcase was very sturdy, making it perfect for imprisoning this ghost.

The man in the portrait slowly took a step forward.

However, the next moment, its body completely collapsed.

Like a set of building blocks, bones, legs, and feet all detached from the body in an instant, falling to the ground and forming a pile of limbs.

But the rotting head was still moving.

He did not die.

Feng Quan seemed to have anticipated this. He took his suitcase and walked over, then picked up the ghost's bones, flesh, hands, feet, and head one by one from the ground. In no time, he had stuffed them all inside.

Locked, sealed, all done in one smooth motion.

After the ghost was imprisoned, whatever it had suppressed immediately broke free.

Zhang Han, who had already fainted on the ground, was now slowly being forced back into his body by his blood-soaked corpse.

The headless ghostly figure that had been standing still transformed into a shadow, quickly shrank back, and finally disappeared into nowhere.

However, the Ghost Domain shrouded in red light was behaving abnormally at this moment.

Instead of disappearing, it began to spread rapidly outwards.

This is no longer covering a distance of twenty or thirty meters.

In the blink of an eye, the Ghost Domain enveloped the entire village.

The entire village was now within Yang Jian's Ghost Domain.

"Yang Jian, this matter is over."

Feng Quan said in a deep voice, "Get out of the ghost coffin right now. That's not a place for you."

However, the next moment...

The coffin was suddenly opened.

Yang Jian's body coalesced again in the darkness, returning to its previous form.

He sat up abruptly, looking as if he'd seen a ghost.

"The ghost is still there."

Cold sweat broke out on Yang Jian's forehead, and he uttered these words.

"What?"

Feng Quan frowned. "The matter here has been resolved. You have nothing to do now, so get out of here. I'll contact others to handle the aftermath."

"I'm saying, that ghost is still there, are you deaf?"

Yang Jian jumped out of the ghost coffin, his face contorted with rage. "You weren't lying in the ghost coffin for any kind of balance, nor to suppress this ghost. Your most important goal was to obtain this ghost coffin and turn yourself into a real ghost. Do you think you successfully imprisoned the ghost here just now?"

"I just entered the ghost coffin, and based on my own senses, I can tell that the ghost here has no physical form; it is a consciousness."

"The man in that portrait is a ghost, but his appearance is merely an amalgamation of the features of all the villagers—no, all the people who died here. That's the image this ghost considered the most perfect."

"All you've destroyed is its image."

As if to confirm Yang Jian's words.

A clear sound of footsteps rang out again from the darkness outside the house.

Feng Quan's eyes narrowed, and the suitcase in his hand fell to the ground with a thud.

Did he misunderstand the existence of this ghost?