Searching for the Pattern

The entire ghost candle, since Yang Jian obtained it, has only been used once.

I didn't bring it with me on the ghost bus ride, so I didn't use it.

The only time I used it was on the second floor of a hotel, but I didn't use much that time, so this ghost candle is still basically intact.

Even so.

It had only withstood one attack from a vengeful ghost before the entire ghost candle was almost burned out. The fireball-like burst of flames seemed to have exhausted the candle's energy, leaving only a small section remaining.

Ah~!

The incident happened so suddenly that Lin Luomei, who was holding the ghost candle, couldn't help but scream after the flame of the ghost candle exploded. Although her voice had an indescribable eeriness, it could not hide the fear and terror in her heart.

The last remaining ghost candle, still burning with a green flame, slipped from my grasp and fell to the ground.

It fell onto the carpet at our feet and then went out with a plop.

The surrounding light dimmed again.

A sense of death suddenly welled up from the depths of everyone's hearts, making them feel desperate and devastated.

The ghost candle went out, and the only thing that could guarantee everyone's safety was gone.

Moreover, the ghost was right in front of them, blocking their escape route.

The situation suddenly became extremely bad. Although Xiong Wenwen was not dead, if things continued like this, the predicted time of death for the others would soon arrive, and then the vengeful ghost would launch another terrible attack.

The next time, Ghost Candle was no match for the ghost's attack.

"Come with me, stay away from this ghost."

Yang Jian picked up the ghost candle that had fallen to the ground and was now only a small piece, then growled anxiously.

This low growl finally snapped the somewhat bewildered crowd out of their daze.

Everyone stepped back and followed Yang Jian as they ventured deeper into the strange hotel.

As they retreated, the tall, terrifying corpse in the corridor remained stiff, standing motionless, exactly the same as it had been at the crossroads in the corridor—the same movements, the same posture. The only difference was that the ghost was now facing them.

As Yang Jian retreated, he quickly began to think, trying to analyze the pattern of the ghost's killings.

"Why did that ghost stop and kill people? Did it see us? No, that's definitely not it. Or was it facing us, and randomly killing someone in front of it as long as the direction was right? No, that's not it either. Xiong Wenwen had his premonition while he was in the room; he already foresaw his own death at that time."

"In other words, it doesn't matter if that ghost sees you or even faces you. That ghost doesn't kill by relying on sensory targeting, but rather on a much more demanding method of targeting."

But what could be the pattern of this killing?

Although all the information is available, it is almost unrealistic to consider all the details in a short period of time.

Without sufficient supporting data, even someone with a high IQ like Wang Xiaoming would be unable to analyze it.

"Yang, Yang Jian, am I next? Am I about to die?" At this moment Luo Suyī was pale, sweating profusely, and looking at Yang Jian with extreme fear.

Because Xiong Wenwen foresaw that he would be killed by a ghost at 2:15.

It's already 2:11 PM.

In other words, he has four minutes of safety time left, and once that time is up, he will likely die a gruesome death on the spot, just as predicted.

"I don't know. Although this ghost's method of killing is simple and brutal, its killing pattern is very special. Xiong Wenwen is not dead. I don't know if the ghost will skip this target and start the next one, or if it won't stop until it kills the first target. If so, then the second attack will also target Xiong Wenwen, not you."

As Yang Jian spoke, he walked quickly. Although he was carrying Zhao Lei's body, his attention was very focused. He kept observing the surrounding situation while searching for room number 31.

Now that our retreat is blocked, we have no choice but to charge forward.

Even if it means heavy losses, we must at least deal with that ghost that has altered our memories. If we choose to run away now, all our sacrifices might be in vain.

That ghost is already killing people; leaving the hotel probably won't help it.

"Wh-what? They might attack me? I'm doomed!" Xiong Wenwen was so scared she was almost crying, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Where's the Ghost Candle? Don't you still have the Ghost Candle? Take it out quickly! I don't want to die here. You promised Zhao Jianguo you'd send me back to J City alive. You can't lie to me. Just take me here and get me out of here, and I'll introduce you to my mother, okay?"

Yang Jian ignored the brat's next words and said in a deep voice, "I only have one ghost candle. It was almost burned out to block the attack just now, and only a small section is left. That little bit of ghost candle definitely won't last for the next attack, so I can't count on it to save my life."

"If there's no change in the situation within five minutes, the next person targeted by the ghost will surely die."

Although it was cruel, Yang Jian would not hide anything at this point and had to tell them the reality.

"To be honest, this is the first time I've ever seen anything like this. The ghost candle is burning so fiercely. Even when I faced that starving ghost, it didn't get this bad. From now on, you all need to be prepared to die here. Of course, I will do my best to ensure your safety."

"I just don't know if I'll be able to handle it then."

Yang Jian's expression was extremely grave. The ghost candle had been almost completely consumed, a situation that made him feel uneasy.

He knew very well that under these circumstances, even if he were targeted by that ghost, he might not escape death.

"Isn't this the end of the road?" Luo Suyī said, his voice trembling.

"No, not necessarily. There's still a chance. As long as we figure out the ghost's killing patterns and neutralize them, we'll be safe. The ghost's patterns aren't actually complicated; they're just hard to determine at first. If we can fully understand them, not only us Ghost Tamer, but even ordinary people can survive," Yang Jian said.

In paranormal events, ordinary people who get caught up in them are not necessarily doomed, unless they enter Ghost Domain from which they cannot get out. Otherwise, in most cases, they can survive by their own efforts.

For example, in the headless ghost incident that Yang Jian experienced, as long as he didn't turn his back to those Ghost Slave, he wouldn't be attacked, and then he could find a way to escape.

Even in S-class Starvation Ghost Incident, ordinary people can still survive, as long as they are not seen, heard, or touched by the Ghost Infant.

"But there are still more than three minutes left. How can we possibly figure out the ghost's killing patterns in such a short time? It's simply impossible," Luo Suyī said in despair.

He wasn't wrong.

While being attacked by the ghost, I was already terrified and had no time to analyze the ghost's killing patterns.

So, while ordinary people may seem to be able to survive, their own fear has actually extinguished their last glimmer of hope.

"You'll find it eventually if you try a few more times. You might be the next one to die. Don't you want to give it a try?" Yang Jian turned to look at him.

"Of course I wanted to," Luo Suyī.

Yang Jian stopped in his tracks; he had already arrived outside another room.

Room 31.

This was a crucial clue left by Zhao Lei before his death. Without it, Yang Jian would have had no idea that room 31 was connected to the ghost that altered memories.

"Xiong Wenwen, let's foresee the future one more time. We don't have time to figure out the ghost's patterns right now. The only way is to try all possibilities in a short period of time using your foresight. This is our only chance to survive."

Yang Jian put down Zhao Lei's body, squatted down, and looked at Xiong Wenwen.

"This time, we can only succeed; failure is not an option."

"I... I'll try my best." Xiong Wenwen clung to Yang Jian's arm, her voice trembling with tears, too afraid to let go.

"Very good, then it's up to you. Find the ghost's killing pattern in the future. I believe you will succeed, and no matter what happens, I will protect you. You will definitely be alright, just like before." Yang Jian encouraged him, giving him confidence.

At this moment, everyone's lives may be on his shoulders.

We must ensure that Xiong Wenwen is in a relatively good state of mind to foresee the future.

Xiong Wenwen nodded, and then his body gradually grew cold, his face turned ashen, and his breath gradually disappeared, as if he had suddenly transformed from a living child into a cold and eerie corpse.

This is the third time he has used his ability to foresee the future since entering Z City.

Yang Jian noticed that Yang Jian had been using his ability rather frequently, and that something was off about him when he used it in the room earlier.

When Xiong Wenwen uses her precognitive abilities, she is interfered with by the ghost inside her body.

The ghost is gradually awakening.

This is a sign that a vengeful ghost has resurrected.

"Tell me, who's next to die? Is it you, Luo Suyī, or Lin Luomei?" Yang Jian asked.

The order in which people die is crucial.

He needed to find out whether the ghost would skip over Xiong Wenwen after its failed attack.

Xiong Wenwen closed his eyes, his little face full of struggle. He was as if he were trapped in a terrible nightmare, unable to wake up, and experiencing unimaginable terror in the world of nightmare.

"I... I'm not dead. Luo Suyī... he's dead. The time is still the same as before, 2:15."

Upon hearing this...

Yang Jian's expression shifted.

Clearly, after failing to attack Xiong Wenwen, the ghost skipped that target and chose the next one to attack.

In this way, it is actually a good thing.

This shows that the ghost doesn't necessarily want to kill a specific person; it just happens that that person fits the pattern. Moreover, after one attack, regardless of success or failure, it won't attack again unless that person fits the pattern again.

"And now? Luo Suyī dead or not?" Yang Jian immediately opened his Ghost Domain, enveloping Luo Suyī within Ghost Domain.

With his eyes closed, Xiong Wenwen seemed to foresee the future. He struggled for a moment and said, "He still died, he died in your Ghost Domain."

Judging from the predicted outcome, the Ghost Domain cannot save Luo Suyī.

This is a terrifying, deadly attack; simply covering the Ghost Domain won't save him.