The True Identity

Listening to the approaching footsteps outside the restroom.

Yang Jian covered Jiang Yan's mouth, turned off his flashlight, and let out a soft shushing sound, telling her not to make a noise.

This Jiang Yan was much smarter than the students at school; she immediately understood and, fearing Yang Jian's grip wasn't tight enough, covered her own mouth. Not only did she not make a sound, but she even held her breath.

As soon as the flashlight was turned off, the entire restroom plunged into darkness, the silence around them almost terrifying.

But in the darkness, the sound of approaching footsteps was exceptionally clear.

Without a doubt, someone walked into the restroom at a leisurely pace.

The person didn't turn on a flashlight, didn't use their phone for light, and didn't speak. It was as natural as any ordinary person using the restroom.

Yang Jian could sense the presence of the person outside.

Jiang Yan could sense it too. Her eyes widened, revealing fear.

"The footsteps stopped?"

Then, Yang Jian's expression shifted slightly as he heard the footsteps outside disappear, as if the person who had entered had stopped.

Based on the distance of the footsteps, he could roughly judge that the person was standing next to the first stall in the restroom.

"What does he want? Is he really going to the restroom? Should I go out and take a look?" Yang Jian began to weigh his options.

However, after thinking it through, he decided against it.

Because if he encountered a ghost, he would be forced to use the power of a vengeful ghost to protect himself, which would be a waste of an opportunity.

It wasn't worth it.

But at this very moment.

"Bang!"

A loud noise suddenly echoed through the restroom.

It sounded like the sound of a door breaking.

The door of the first stall in the restroom seemed to have been violently kicked open.

"Mmmph mmmph~!"

Jiang Yan trembled all over from fright. If she hadn't desperately covered her mouth, she would have screamed.

As the loud noise subsided, the person started moving again, footsteps echoing through the restroom once more.

After a few steps, the person seemed to stop in front of the second stall door.

"Bang~!"

Another loud crack of breaking wood echoed, and the second stall was violently smashed open by whatever was outside. The sound of a broken cistern and spraying water could faintly be heard.

The sound returned to silence.

But then the footsteps continued.

The person outside walked to the front of the third stall.

"Mmm, mmmph."

Jiang Yan trembled all over with fear. She tightly shut her eyes, her heart consumed by terror.

She could feel that the thing outside was definitely not human; it was undoubtedly that ghost.

There were only five stalls in the restroom, and she would be found by the ghost soon.

She was definitely doomed.

"Is that thing targeting me?"

Yang Jian also felt the person outside gradually closing in, opening each stall in search of anyone hiding.

"Bang~!"

Another loud noise, and the fourth stall door was opened.

"There's no choice. Since that thing isn't looking for others and is specifically coming for me, I'll have to fight it."

Yang Jian took a deep breath, no longer covering Jiang Yan's mouth. He turned and stared at the stall door.

As soon as the door opened and he saw the ghost, he would unleash his ghost domain without hesitation.

Jiang Yan felt Yang Jian stand up. With a surge of courage she didn't know she had, she quickly stood up too, hugging Yang Jian tightly from behind, refusing to let go.

"You, you take me with you, I don't want to die. Please, I'll agree to any condition. As long as we leave here, I can be your girlfriend, sleep with you."

She pleaded with a tearful voice, afraid Yang Jian would run off and leave her alone.

"Be quiet."

Yang Jian hissed in a low voice.

"Mmm~!"

Jiang Yan was obedient. She immediately bit her lip tightly, not making a sound, only her body trembling uncontrollably from fear.

Yang Jian had to admire this woman at the moment. She was very perceptive and seemed to know he had the ability to protect her. Thus, she clung to him like a drowning person grasping at the last straw, willing to say anything and agree to any condition.

But he didn't have the mind to pay attention to her right now.

At this moment, his face was solemn, listening to any sound coming from outside.

"It's here~!"

Suddenly, he felt it.

The ghost had gotten close.

It was right outside the single room, separated only by a wooden door, less than two meters away.

You could say it was within arm's reach.

A faint smell of corpse decay wafted in, the same smell he had encountered when he first arrived at the mall two days ago.

It wasn't strong, just a faint trace.

"Bang~!"

Suddenly.

A loud noise erupted. The thin wooden door of the single room was struck by a tremendous force, as if it were about to shatter immediately.

The phản lực almost sent Yang Jian and Jiang Yan, who was behind him, stumbling backward. They only stopped when they hit the wall.

"Creeeak~!"

At this moment, the wooden door slowly opened a crack.

Through the gap, it was still pitch black outside, and nothing could be seen.

Yang Jian could feel that the ghost was outside.

It was just that he couldn't see clearly due to the lack of light.

"It's not coming in immediately? It seems to have stopped."

Yang Jian almost instinctively used his ghost eye, but he stopped himself.

Because the ghost didn't come in to kill, it meant that neither he nor Jiang Yan were the ghost's primary targets.

This point was very important.

Yang Jian stared intently into the darkness ahead, not making any rash moves.

As long as the ghost outside didn't take any further action, he wouldn't use his ghost eye.

Thus, the person and the ghost seemed to be in a standoff, separated by a slightly ajar wooden door.

Yang Jian made no sound or movement, and the ghost outside also remained motionless.

Everything seemed to have frozen.

But out of caution, he slowly reached out and closed the slightly open wooden door.

There was still no movement from outside, which meant the ghost wasn't looking for him, nor was it looking for Jiang Yan.

Just as Yang Jian thought things would settle down.

Jiang Yan behind him seemed to be feeling uncomfortable from being squeezed by Yang Jian, and she gently turned halfway around.

However, the next moment.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The door was suddenly slammed against again, almost breaking open.

"Not good, it's back." Yang Jian quickly moved to block the door.

Jiang Yan wasn't stupid at this moment. Although scared, she also lunged forward, fearfully bracing the thin wooden door.

However, the impact on the door became more violent, with each blow stronger than the last. Several times the door was almost forced open, but Yang Jian managed to push it shut.

At this moment, he couldn't help but want to use his ghost domain.

No, that's not right.

Why did the ghost not act just now, and only started moving again after Jiang Yan turned around?

"Don't lean your back against the door, turn around," Yang Jian shouted, grabbing Jiang Yan and making her turn around.

As soon as Jiang Yan turned, the commotion outside immediately lessened and then quickly stopped.

Everything returned to peace.

"So that's how it is," a hint of surprise flickered in Yang Jian's eyes.

He had figured out the conditions under which this ghost killed.

The silence lasted for a good while.

The ghost outside made no move, which made Yang Jian even more convinced of his deductions and guesses.

"Since neither Jiang Yan nor I have met this ghost's killing conditions, and this ghost hasn't started killing indiscriminately, it means this ghost's danger level is only C, restricted."

As he was thinking.

The ghost outside began to move again.

This time, it wasn't walking toward Yang Jian, but gradually walking out of the restroom.

The sound of footsteps faded into the distance.

The ghost outside the stall had given up on Yang Jian and Jiang Yan and was starting to choose other targets.

"Is it leaving? But I need to figure out the true identity of this ghost."

Yang Jian's gaze shifted slightly. He quickly took out his phone, opened the camera, and extended it outside the stall, pointing it in the direction the footsteps were receding to take a picture.

Click.

The flash lit up once.

"Wh-what are you doing? What if you attract that thing back?"

Jiang Yan behind him was startled. She pinched Yang Jian and whispered in an extremely low voice.

"I'm taking a picture, of course. I need to confirm the ghost's identity. You said Wei Xiaohong is a ghost, but I saw her yesterday, perfectly alive, not like a ghost at all. If she really is a ghost, then I should be able to capture her image, even a tiny distinguishing feature would be enough."

Yang Jian said very calmly, "This is my business, you don't need to worry about it. Since that ghost didn't break down the door, it means neither of us are its targets. If anything goes wrong, I'll take responsibility, I won't deliberately get you killed."

However, when he looked at the photo he had just taken, he was instantly stunned.

"Impossible, how could it be him?"

The photo didn't capture the ghost's full appearance, only less than half of its body. The rest was blocked by the restroom's corner wall.

And that small part of its body was wearing the exact same security uniform as him.