Stirring on the Staircase

Dachang City, Ghost Eye Yang Jian?

Upon hearing this, Li Yang was stunned, because these few words revealed a great deal of information. It not only indicated that many people outside knew about the paranormal event, but also that there was an organization with specialized personnel to handle such matters.

No wonder Yang Jian just said that times have changed.

"To be honest, I didn't expect you to give me any useful information," Yang Jian said, looking at them. "I'm just trying to give you a chance to survive."

"If you can seize this opportunity, you should be able to leave here alive with me. If you didn't come with me, you've essentially given up your chance to save yourselves. Now it seems you're not so foolish as to realize you should seize the opportunity."

"Perhaps this is why you've survived until now without being killed by ghosts."

Upon hearing this, Li Yang's haggard expression changed slightly. He had met many people in his life, but never anyone so special and unconventional as the person in front of him.

This is a very unique charm.

Although most of the time it is easy for them to feel disgusted, the people who feel disgusted are not aware that the person in front of them Yang Jian is no longer on the same level as them.

"Are you looking for a ghost? Are you here to deal with that thing?" Li Yang's eyes flickered slightly, showing unease.

"Let's find the ghosts in this area first; they might be the source," Yang Jian said.

The Ghost Painting Incident initially broke out here.

Therefore, this city is very likely the origin of the ghost paintings.

"I will try my best to help you," Li Yang said, and then began to speak in English with the foreigner next to him named Jimmy.

"Listen, Jimmy, this Mr. Yang is here to deal with that thing. We have to help him find it; it's our way to survive. You encountered that thing last time, so you should know its approximate location. Now you need to remember."

Jimmy looked terrified. He spoke and gestured rapidly, his words coming out in a jumbled mess.

Yang Jian, a poor student, could only understand a few simple words; he couldn't understand most of the sentences.

Li Yang, who frequently travels abroad, clearly had a high level of foreign language proficiency. After listening, he nodded and said, "Mr. Yang, it's over there. Jimmy said he saw a ghost there when he was out last time, but it's very dangerous there, and we usually avoid that area."

"Then take me there. The scenery here changes over time, so pointing in one direction won't be very effective," Yang Jian said.

Li Yang nodded, agreeing to risk leading the way.

Immediately, the three of them headed deeper into the deathly silent city.

Everything around them was eerily quiet. Only their footsteps echoed on the empty street. Apart from Yang Jian, who remained remarkably calm, Li Yang and Jimmy beside him had shifty eyes, scanning their surroundings with fear, watching for any movement nearby.

This cautious and suspicious demeanor has almost become a survival instinct.

Among the many survivors, to survive, one must either withstand the pressure and grow stronger, or be killed by the demons; it is a very cruel selection process.

"This puzzle is very big."

Yang Jian looked around at the architectural style, which remained unchanged, indicating that he was still inside another ghost painting, and the background of this ghost painting was even more complete than the previous one.

The more complete it is, the larger the Ghost Domain becomes.

Similarly, the higher the level of danger represented.

"Are you the only survivors here? Are there no other survivors?" Yang Jian asked.

Li Yang was startled by Yang Jian's sudden question. He immediately replied, "I have seen other people before, I don't know if it was a month or two ago, but I don't know after that. We dare not wander around, because if we encounter a ghost, we will surely die. So we rarely have contact with others, but I can confirm that there is no one else in the surrounding streets."

"The Ghost Painting's killing efficiency is not high, and its killing patterns are somewhat demanding, so it's not easy to trigger." Yang Jian's expression shifted slightly.

If they were to operate at the same rate as the starving ghosts, there wouldn't be anyone left alive in this city, let alone someone who could live here for six months.

What makes the Ghost Painting truly terrifying is the vast Ghost Domain it encompasses.

Moreover, the Ghost Domain can continuously expand.

The more complete the puzzle of the ghost drawing background becomes, the wider the scope of its ghostly influence.

In terms of sheer danger, the Ghost Painting far surpasses the Starving Ghost, yet it is not as difficult to deal with, which is good news for the Ghost Tamer.

"Haven't we arrived yet?"

After walking for a while, Yang Jian asked.

Li Yang then asked Jimmy, who was standing next to him, Jimmy pointed in horror to a building in front of them.

"He said he saw a ghost standing at the entrance of that building last time; it was a woman wearing red."

"And then?" Yang Jian asked again.

Li Yang said, "He chose to run away at that time."

Yang Jian arrived in front of the building. It was a residential building in a foreign country. Behind the narrow door, a deep corridor extended into the house. In the dim environment, one could vaguely see the staircase winding and turning, connecting the upper and lower floors.

"This is really not a good place."

His eyes flickered slightly; the environment of this house was very complicated, and anything could be hidden there.

I checked the time.

There are still two and a half days until the curse is lifted; there's still time to act.

"I need to find that ghost, so you'll have to come in with me," Yang Jian said curtly.

He was unable to open his Ghost Eye, which greatly limited his ability to search through the complex environment, requiring several pairs of eyes to do so.

Li Yang hesitated; he was afraid.

He had witnessed too many horrific scenes during his time trapped here, and his survival was mostly due to luck. If he were to enter this house again, he would most likely die here.

"I'm not threatening or forcing you. This is a fair trade. If you want to leave here, you have to risk your life. Even I am the same. Don't think I'm not worried about dying here," Yang Jian said seriously.

In some ways, he's not much stronger than an ordinary person here; the music box's curse and the Ghost Tamer's abilities aren't omnipotent.

Anything can happen after you actually come into contact with a ghost.

Li Yang's expression changed, and he explained the current situation to Jimmy, the young black man next to him.

Jimmy Rattle Drum his head vigorously, shouting "NO!" repeatedly, refusing the task in great fear.

"Think it over carefully." Yang Jian didn't ask any more questions and walked directly into the building.

The narrow passageway was dark and oppressive.

A cold, damp smell wafted over me.

Yang Jian's expression remained unchanged. He looked around and followed the passageway to the old wooden staircase.

It's clear that this house is quite old and hasn't been renovated, making it look extremely dilapidated. In other countries, this kind of place would definitely be rented to families with limited means or working professionals. People with even slightly better financial conditions wouldn't live in a place like this; most people would find such an environment unbearable.

The world of the Ghost Domain is not real; it is a replica based on reality.

The ghost paintings are quite unique; the Ghost Domain can influence reality, so everything here seems exceptionally real—no, this is reality itself.

"Creak."

Yang Jian stepped onto the stairs, the wooden staircase making a grating sound that echoed throughout the floors, creating an eerie and sinister atmosphere.

"The ghost in this puzzle is suspected to be the source ghost. As long as we find that ghost, we don't need to confront it head-on or imprison it. This makes things much easier for me."

He finalized the plan beforehand to avoid making mistakes later.

"Yang Jian, wait a minute. I agree to take the risk with you. I hope you can keep your promise."

As Yang Jian reached the second floor, he heard Li Yang's voice from downstairs. He seemed to have convinced himself, as well as the young black man named Jimmy, and ran over quickly with an uneasy expression, his face extremely pale.

"You're worried about my credit? I've never defaulted on a deal," Yang Jian said, unusually praising his own merits.

But this is no joke; he truly is a very trustworthy person.

No matter which paranormal event he was dealing with, or what he had promised to do, he always kept his word. This is one of the reasons why Cao Yanhua always pulled him out of trouble at crucial moments.

It's already rare for ordinary people to keep their word, let alone Ghost Tamer.

"I can only trust you, Jimmy too. This isn't just about our lives, it's about whether other people can survive," Li Yang said through gritted teeth.

As Jimmy walked over, he closed his eyes and gestured to his chest. Of course, he wasn't gesturing for Aaron Kwok; he was praying.

The two walked up the wooden stairs, the creaking sound echoing in the cramped space.

"Stop for a moment." Yang Jian's expression suddenly changed, signaling them to stop.

Li Yang was taken aback and quickly pulled Jimmy next to him to stop against the wall.

Just then, a creaking sound came from above them, as if someone was going down the wooden stairs. But the sound quickly disappeared, as if footsteps had stopped somewhere upstairs.

"It's not an echo." Yang Jian narrowed his eyes and looked up.

From this angle, you can't see anything clearly; it's all dark, and you can't even be sure which floor the footsteps are coming from.

Li Yang also noticed something was wrong. His face instantly turned pale as he realized that there might be a real ghost in this building.

Because he had already confirmed it some time ago.

There's no one around here.

"Don't move yet, let me check the situation." Yang Jian's eyes flashed, and he deliberately stepped forward onto a flight of stairs.

The wooden floor creaked.

But then a creaking sound came from upstairs, as if in response, or as if a ghost was coming down from upstairs.

"Something's wrong with this staircase," Yang Jian thought with a chill.

There's absolutely no way there could be a person upstairs, because people don't follow their own footsteps; it could only be a ghost.

An unknown ghost lingers up and down this old wooden staircase.

This ghost follows people up and down the stairs.

In other words, Yang Jian had already alerted the ghost upstairs the moment he stepped onto the stairs.

The ghost is coming downstairs.

But they wanted to go upstairs.

If this is the case, at some point, the ghost and the human will definitely meet in this stairwell.