The Unbroken Connection

Yang Jian was certain that the ghost following Zhang Wei had come out of the Ghost Mirror.

Through the previous dangerous tests, it has been basically confirmed that there are ghosts inside this mirror, and not just one, but many.

The bruises on my arms, resembling handprints, are the best proof.

However, as things stand, the ghosts in the mirror don't seem to be able to come out easily, except for the one that looks exactly like Zhang Wei.

"Will it be alright if I just stand here? I'm not going to end up like my cousin Shangguan Yun, suddenly walking into the mirror, am I?" Zhang Wei appeared calm, but inside he was panicking.

If Yang Jian hadn't been standing nearby, he would have run away while shouting.

Because the mirror now reflects the image of a ghost.

It looked exactly like Zhang Wei, but its face was deathly pale, devoid of any color. The mirror itself walked straight in from the direction of the door.

Looking back, there was nothing there.

This is a ghost that only exists in the mirror.

"No, your movements are not synchronized with the ghost in the mirror. It can't replace you. I need to try something else," Yang Jian. "You just need to stand still."

Out of trust, Zhang Wei had no choice but to stand motionless in front of the mirror.

Yang Jian's real purpose was to get the ghost completely inside the Ghost Mirror so he could see how the ghost actually left the mirror.

If this ghost can leave, then the other ghosts in the mirror can also leave.

The atmosphere around them became oppressive.

In the dimly lit room, the mirror, styled after the Republican Era, reflected Zhang Wei's figure clearly under the light.

But the figure appearing in the mirror wasn't Zhang Wei; it was a real ghost.

However, this isn't the first time I've seen this.

Yang Jian knew that this ghost was currently a low-danger entity. Even if it were to kill, the conditions would be somewhat demanding. It would need to synchronize its movements with the person outside the mirror in order to pull the person looking in the mirror into the mirror and thus release itself.

But such harsh conditions for killing him did not make him feel relaxed.

Because this ghost is only part of this mirror.

This mirror, which has been sealed away for at least a hundred years and has been deliberately treasured, must have something very special about it.

After staring at the ghost in the mirror for a moment...

Finally, the ghost walked completely into the mirror, as if it had become Zhang Wei's shadow, reflected on the smooth mirror surface.

The movement had almost stopped.

But at this moment, Zhang Wei's hand started moving wildly, making various gestures.

Yang Jian glanced at it; this guy was actually imitating a hand seal from anime.

So fast it's dazzling.

"As clever as I am, do you think that ghost can keep up with the afterimage of my hand seals? I was able to form three hand seals in a second with one hand back in middle school. Trying to imitate me is absolutely impossible. Today, I'll let you, ghost, witness my skills." Zhang Wei sneered inwardly, while at the same time feeling proud of his outstanding talent.

All the hard work I put in over the past year has finally paid off; it's finally coming in handy today.

When Yang Jian saw that astonishing hand speed, he was stunned. He finally understood why this guy, whose grades were so bad in junior high, had to spend money to find connections to get into No. 7 Middle School.

I spend all my time learning about relationships on this.

But before he could speak, Yang Jian saw Zhang Wei's other hand start waving again.

Depend on.

Both hands can form hand seals with one hand, and each one is different.

How incredibly immature were you back then? How long did you secretly practice? You actually managed to pull off such a difficult move.

Thank goodness you weren't born in the world of anime.

Otherwise, you could be a big shot in the anime industry.

"Alright, alright, stop showing off your one-handed hand seal technique and get out of there." Yang Jian felt a headache coming on and pulled Zhang Wei away from the mirror.

At this moment, he saw that the ghost in the mirror was also imitating Zhang Wei's movements, its stiff fingers beginning to form hand seals, but its speed was far ahead of Zhang Wei's.

"Huh? Is that all? I've prepared a lot of contingency plans. Don't put too much pressure on me, Brother Leg. I can do it," Zhang Wei said.

Yang Jian, "That's really enough, believe me."

"That's good. If that doesn't work, I don't mind continuing to confront that ghost face to face," Zhang Wei said.

After Yang Jian pulled Zhang Wei away, he discovered that the ghost in the mirror, which looked exactly like Zhang Wei, stopped moving.

It just stood there quietly, like a photograph branded onto the surface.

"You leave here first. I need to see if that ghost will still disappear with you. If the attempt fails, it means the curse is still on you. From now on, don't look in the mirror and go out with your face covered, otherwise you might accidentally get trapped in the mirror by a ghost in the future," Yang Jian instructed.

"OK, I'll be going now." Zhang Wei immediately turned and left.

Without the slightest hesitation.

But a moment later, Zhang Wei, who had just come downstairs, let out a scream, "Which jerk is so rude as to take a dump here?"

Yang Jian was speechless.

Isn't this the good deed that you forced Brother Hu to do?

This time, I've fallen victim to it myself.

However, as Zhang Wei moved away, Yang Jian saw that the ghost in the mirror had not disappeared and was still standing inside the ghost mirror.

Motionless.

The previous conditions have changed.

The ghost was left inside the ghost mirror.

Yang Jian pondered this for a moment. He looked around, thought carefully, and finally came to a conclusion.

If the ghost in the mirror wants to leave, it must pass through another mirror.

The reason why ghosts like Zhang Wei left was because the mirror that was facing the building on the construction site was carried away by the glass of the building.

Now, the mirror faces the wall, and there is no second mirror to act as a medium.

So the ghost was left behind.

"If my guess is correct, then I can understand why the original owner covered this mirror with an oilcloth." Yang Jian's eyes flickered slightly, and he somewhat understood the original owner's good intentions.

But.

Looking at Zhang Wei in the mirror, and then thinking of Zhang Wei had already left.

Humans and ghosts look exactly alike.

The shadow remained in the ghost mirror, but the person was already gone.

Some connection between them has not been severed.

The curse was only limited, not completely eliminated.

Looking at the bruises of various sizes on his arms, Yang Jian felt very wary of the mirror.

"Take it back and ask that piece of paper; it must know something."

He thought for a moment, and then remembered that strange piece of human skin paper again.

Actually, Yang Jian was reluctant to touch the human skin paper if necessary, but sometimes the human skin paper was indeed very useful and could save lives in critical moments.

They immediately picked up the old oilcloth, covered the mirror again, and then carried it away.

The reason for taking it away was that they didn't feel comfortable leaving such a dangerous thing in this abandoned old house.

The wooden door is already open; inevitably, a few curious people will sneak in.

If he were to break any taboos and cause a supernatural incident, Yang Jian certainly didn't want to be cleaning up the mess again.

Therefore, it is safer to keep this mirror in your own hands than in anyone else's.

As for the remaining two rooms

For now, we need to find a way to preserve it and prevent anyone from entering or leaving this old house at will.

Now.

Zhang Wei has returned to the residential area.

Zhang Xiangui and the others waited at the intersection and did not leave.

"He's here, Zhang Wei is here," Zhang Wei's uncle said happily.

"However, Yang Jian didn't come along." Zhang Xiangui frowned.

Has something happened?

But the next moment, he saw Yang Jian also walk out of the old house, carrying something on his back.

"What happened inside?" Zhang Xiangui asked.

Zhang Wei, panting, ran over and said, "That place really is eerie. Brother Leg said there are ghosts there. Luckily, your son is quite capable and survived. He's alright now."

Zhang Xiangui's face darkened. Wasn't this just spouting nonsense?

But it's good that the kid is alright.

"Mr. Zhang, it's a close call. Zhang Wei is alright for now, but I can't guarantee what will happen in the future. His connection with the ghost hasn't been completely severed, so I can't be sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing." Yang Jian walked over carrying the Ghost Mirror.

Zhang Xiangui nodded and said, "It's good that everything is alright for now. Thanks to you this time. Is that house really haunted?"

Yang Jian thought for a moment and said, "It is indeed a bit unusual, but it's safe for now. I suggest that you send a construction team to repair that house, renovate what needs to be renovated, and maintain what needs to be maintained. That house absolutely cannot collapse."

Once the house collapses, the contents of the first and second rooms will have to be taken out.

He wasn't sure what might happen.

"Is it okay to start construction directly like this?" Zhang Xiangui was taken aback.

"No problem. Zhang Wei and I both took a walk around inside. As long as the doors to those two rooms on the second floor aren't opened, there's no danger. After all, people used to live there. But if the house isn't properly managed and gets flooded and collapses, the problem could become unmanageable. For the sake of the future, I suggest reinforcing and repairing it," Yang Jian said earnestly.

"The doors to the rooms on the second floor? I understand. I'll personally oversee the construction." Zhang Xiangui said, "How about we fence off that land, build a temple, hide the old house inside, and then invite a Bodhisattva or a large Buddha statue to guard it and ward off the evil spirits?"

"Anyway, that piece of land can't be demolished, so it's a waste to leave it lying there undeveloped."

As a real estate developer, he is somewhat superstitious.

"That's fine too." Yang Jian nodded.

Building temples to ward off evil spirits is obviously ineffective; its main purpose is to stabilize people's hearts.

It's better to see a temple standing there than a gloomy old house.

Moreover, the temple will perfectly conceal the old house, so there's no need to worry about anyone sneaking in again.

"What is this? It looks like a mirror," Zhang Wei's uncle asked curiously.

He wanted to lift the oilcloth to take a look, but Yang Jian stopped him.

"It's a very dangerous thing. It's best not to touch it. It could kill someone. The two workers who went missing before were swallowed by this mirror," Yang Jian said directly, without hiding anything.

"What?" Zhang Wei's uncle shuddered in fright.

Zhang Xiangui frowned as he looked at the covered mirror. "There's actually such a strange thing?"

A living person was swallowed by a mirror?

A simple sentence, yet it reveals a chilling eeriness and terror, the more you think about it, the more unsettling it becomes.

"Go back now, construction can resume normally," Yang Jian.

"I'm relieved to hear you're alright." Zhang Xiangui nodded. "Drive back."