Strange Items

The storage place for supernatural items is deep underground in the Headquarters, a converted underground base. The narrow and deep passage is oppressive and dull, with faint lights flickering on the thick concrete walls, barely illuminating the path ahead.

The surroundings were eerily quiet, with only the sound of their footsteps echoing around. The air seemed rather murky, making it difficult to breathe.

If an ordinary person stayed here for a long time, they would definitely suffocate from lack of oxygen.

As Cao Yanhua walked, he said, "Actually, in my opinion, some things should be sealed away forever and should never appear in this world again. The appearance of these things will only bring bigger problems. But the biggest problem now is no longer these things, so bringing you here today is to set a precedent."

Yang Jian remained silent, simply following behind with a calm expression.

Soon.

Small rooms appeared along the passageway ahead, each numbered 001, 002, and so on, extending all the way to the bend in the passageway in the distance.

"We're here. This is where the Supernatural Item are stored. This is the first room. You can come and take a look. You can ask me for more information, or you can ask Professor Wang." Cao Yanhua stopped at the door of the first small room.

The room's door was made of steel, thick and sturdy. Above the door was a small window through which one could see inside through a pale yellow pane of glass.

The room was a small single room, probably only about five square meters in size, with a very ordinary table in the middle.

"How about giving me a file? I can look at it faster," Yang Jian said as he walked over.

Cao Yanhua said, "The files might have problems, but the people involved won't. If the person who knows the files has a problem, then they're probably dead. In that case, these things will just be sealed away forever."

"Oh, why would you do that?" Yang Jian asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Even those who knew about the files couldn't survive, which means the situation is completely out of control. In that case, these things must be sealed up and must not be allowed to leave the country," Cao Yanhua said righteously.

"Deputy Minister, your idea is quite strange." Yang Jian smiled, then walked to the gate, placed his hand on the cold steel door, and looked inside through the pale yellow glass.

On the table in the small room sat an old camera, not a modern product, but probably decades old. The paint on the camera had peeled off, making it look dirty and worn, like a piece of junk picked up from a garbage dump. It was hard to believe that this thing could still work properly.

"What is this thing?" Yang Jian slowly lowered his hand.

He discovered he couldn't breach the door; clearly, the exterior was made of steel, but there must be a gold interlayer inside, isolating it from supernatural forces.

"Ghost Portrait," Cao Yanhua said slowly.

"What's the use?" Yang Jian asked.

Cao Yanhua thought for a moment and said, "Take a picture."

Yang Jian looked at him strangely. "Why do I feel like you're playing me? Aren't cameras all for taking pictures? I want to ask what's the difference between this thing and a regular camera?"

"This thing can take pictures of ghosts. As long as the camera successfully captures a ghost, it can imprison the ghost in the photo."

Cao Yanhua continued, "It's a terrifying ability. The previous owner of the Ghost Portrait was a photographer. He successfully photographed a ghost, and then the ghost disappeared. Then, the camera spat out a photo, and the thing in the photo looked exactly like the ghost. So it has the ability to imprison ghosts."

Yang Jian's eyes flickered slightly. "Such an important item, instead of being Ghost Tamer to solve supernatural events, is left here. Wouldn't that have some terrible side effects?"

Capturing a ghost by photographing it is even more powerful than using coffin nails. If what Cao Yanhua said is true, then this thing should be used to photograph Ghost Messenger and imprison them in photographs.

However, Headquarters did not do so.

This Ghost Portrait clearly has a problem.

"Yes, the Ghost Portrait can imprison ghosts when used correctly, but there are two prerequisites. The first prerequisite is that the ghost's entire appearance must be captured in the image, meaning the entire body of the ghost must be photographed. If an arm or a leg is missing, the Ghost Portrait cannot imprison it," Cao Yanhua said.

Yang Jian then asked, "What's the second premise?"

"The camera will flash during the shooting process, and there is a risk that this flash will get out of control. If it gets out of control, the user will be trapped inside the photo," Cao Yanhua said.

Yang Jian laughed upon hearing this; "So, taking this camera is like gambling with a vengeful ghost? But if that's all, this Ghost Portrait wouldn't be sealed away, would it? After all, sacrificing a few ordinary people to imprison a vengeful ghost is a worthwhile price to pay. There must be other dangers involved."

"It is true, but I don't know much about it. I only know that the camera lens would be blocked by something strange every time we filmed. Sometimes it would capture a non-existent hand, sometimes a second figure, and sometimes the photos would be very blurry. It seems like something is interfering with the filming."

Cao Yanhua glanced at the camera in the room. "I was worried about the potential for horror, and considering that the success rate of taking full-body photos of ghosts isn't high, I didn't approve its use. But sometimes, with a bit of luck, this thing can turn the tide, after all, even ordinary people can use it."

"The probability you're talking about is obviously not that high, otherwise it would have been used long ago," Yang Jian.

"That's why I put it in room number one, because if there's really no other way, I'll allow its use," Cao Yanhua said. "It's a last resort."

"I think I'll look at something else," Yang Jian.

As he spoke, he walked into the next room.

However, this Ghost Portrait did tempt him. If he really encountered a vengeful ghost that he couldn't deal with, rather than waiting to die, he might as well take a gamble with this camera. As long as he could successfully capture the ghost's entire body in the photo and avoid the danger of the flash going out of control, he could survive.

This is like having a trump card up your sleeve.

However, having just arrived, there are still many things to observe. Yang Jian felt that what he needed was something to protect his life, not something to risk his life for. After all, if you walk by the river often enough, you're bound to get your shoes wet. If you risk your life too many times, you'll eventually fall. Therefore, protecting his life was of utmost importance.

We've arrived at the second room.

Yang Jian saw what was inside through the small glass window.

It was a small wooden box, and he couldn't immediately identify what it was.

"What is that box?" Yang Jian asked again.

"Music box".

Cao Yanhua casually replied, seemingly familiar with the document. "After opening it, music will play inside. The person holding the music box will absolutely not die while the music is playing, and will be able to save their life even if they encounter the most terrifying ghost. This has been tested, and some people have used it."

"Similar to ghost candle?" Yang Jian.

"They're different. The ghost candle only prevents you from being attacked by ghosts, but the music box can't guarantee you won't be attacked by ghosts. It can only guarantee you won't die, and the duration is quite long. The maximum duration hasn't been tested, but it's certain that it can easily keep you safe for at least a few days," Cao Yanhua said.

Yang Jian narrowed his eyes. "A music box that guarantees no one will die? What are the risks?"

All Supernatural Item carry some risk; some are controllable, some are not. Take the ghost mirror in his house, for example. It can bring people back to life, but the price is high—it must release a vengeful ghost. However, since he doesn't bear the risk himself, it's still acceptable. But things like the Ghost Portrait are not so good; if he messes it up, he'll die.

"I don't know for now."

Cao Yanhua pondered for a moment and said, "All we know is that those who used the music box to prolong their lives, as well as the Ghost Tamer, all died in the end. The causes of death were very strange. The last Ghost Tamer used the music box was tried by Headquarters to save his life, but they failed. This thing has an incomprehensible curse. Considering that this thing can easily kill people, it was sealed away."

"What if it's used in conjunction with the Ghost Portrait?" Yang Jian narrowed his eyes.

The music box's immortality offsets the side effects of the Ghost Portrait, creating a combination that is unsolvable in the short term. Although there is still a possibility of being killed by the music box's curse afterward, at least one can survive at the time.

At this moment, Wang Xiaoming spoke up, "I've considered this combination, which is why Headquarters placed these two items in rooms one and two. If we're going to activate them, it's better to activate them together, so that we can at least ensure the successful imprisonment of a vengeful ghost even if one person is sacrificed."

"Yes, these two things can be a lifesaver in critical moments, and even turn the tide," Cao Yanhua nodded.

"I'll continue looking at other things," Yang Jian thought for a moment, then continued walking forward.