Strange Emotions

Yang Jian returned to his suburban villa with the ghost child. He felt he should get some rest. Although the music box's curse didn't last long, it had tormented him for several days. The feeling of listening to deathly notes every day was unbearable.

More than the physical exhaustion, it was the mental torment.

An ordinary person might experience an emotional breakdown, going insane or even going crazy.

"It seems Liu Xiaoyu has already left." Yang Jian opened the door and came in, only to find the villa empty.

On the coffee table in the lobby, there was a pile of gleaming gold bars, which were the compensation He Tianxiong had given him. However, they had been left there without being put away, giving off a sense of mindless flaunting of wealth.

"I remember there was a small workshop in the basement of this house." Yang Jian thought of something, and he took a few gold bars and went to the basement.

The basement contained all sorts of smelting tools and many molds. It was where He Tianxiong used to make his own tools. By smelting gold and using the existing molds, anyone could create some special tools, which were used to imprison evil spirits.

After all, the people in the circle of friends are different from those at Headquarters. They don't have the logistics support from Headquarters, so they have to figure out more things on their own, unlike Yang Jian in the past, who could just make a phone call and Headquarters would immediately send over the box for imprisoning ghosts.

Yang Jian tinkered with it himself for a while.

When he came out, he had a hollow golden ball in his hand, which looked a bit like a golden bell.

This thing, containing human skin paper, was no ordinary object. Yang Jian then attached a sturdy gold chain to the ghost child's neck.

"Not bad, it suits me quite well."

Yang Jian glanced at it and adjusted the size of the chain to make it less likely to fall off.

After looking at it closely, it seems quite fitting. If you were to carve words like "May you live a long and healthy life" or "May you enjoy wealth and prosperity" on it, it would be even more appropriate.

This time, instead of simply placing the human skin paper inside the box, he welded it shut, leaving no gaps, and had the ghost child, who neither eats, drinks, nor sleeps, watch over it all day long, determined not to believe that the thing could escape.

After doing all this, Yang Jian locked the ghost child in a room, ordered him not to come out, and then went to sleep.

Although being with the ghost child was unsettling, Wang Shanshan's successful experience told Yang Jian that the current ghost child was still controllable and wouldn't attack living people without reason.

I slept very soundly.

But I didn't feel very comfortable when I woke up.

Around eight o'clock in the morning, Yang Jian's phone rang.

Very few people know his personal cell phone number, and in most cases, no one is likely to call him, so when the phone rings, it's usually because something important has happened.

"Who?"

Yang Jian immediately opened his eyes and answered the phone.

"Captain Yang, yes, it's me. I'm Chen Shumei, Xiong Wenwen's mother. We met before." A woman's voice came from the phone.

Yang Jian immediately remembered and asked, "Aunt Chen, is there something you need?"

"I have something I'd like to discuss with you. Are you free right now?" Chen Shumei's voice was nervous and she sounded very reserved.

"Is it about Xiong Wenwen?" Yang Jian asked.

"Mmm," Chen Shumei responded softly.

Yang Jian thought for a moment. Although Xiong Wenwen's mother had refused his request last time, several days had passed and her mind might have changed.

"Okay, Aunt Chen, tell me an address, and I'll be right there."

"I'm at home right now, you should know the address," Chen Shumei said.

Yang Jian, "Alright, see you later."

He felt that Xiong Wenwen should be tried as much as possible. This kid's precognitive ability was too important. If he had it with him at critical moments, he could avoid many crises, and if used properly, it could even save lives.

"Before leaving this city and returning to Dachang City, I should finish taking care of the team formation and invite some powerful Ghost Tamer. This will be helpful for my future."

What Yang Jian on WeChat Moments made him change his mind.

Although most Ghost Tamer have short lifespans, their survival rate increases when they gather together.

Yang Jian quickly returned to the city.

Just after entering the city, he had a very bad feeling. His eyelids seemed to be twitching, which made him very uneasy. The twitching eyelids were not his own eyes, but the skin and flesh near the Ghost Eye.

This is a warning.

"Something's wrong with this city today."

Yang Jian sat in the taxi and looked out the window.

The sky was dark and oppressive, covered with thick clouds. Although it was broad daylight, it wasn't very bright outside. A light rain was falling continuously, making the air very damp and giving it a chilly feel.

"But I can't quite put my finger on what's wrong." Yang Jian glanced around at his surroundings.

That's normal.

The city was bustling and noisy as usual, with people going to work or getting stuck in traffic; nothing unusual happened.

Am I overthinking it?

Yang Jian shook his head slightly. "I won't think about it. What happened here has nothing to do with me. After I finish dealing with some things, I'll return to Dachang City. I've already resigned from Headquarters, and the curse of the music box has been resolved. Even if something happens, it won't involve me."

With this idea in mind.

He took a car to the entrance of the residential compound where Xiong Wenwen lived.

Yang Jian did not bring the ghost child out, as having that thing wandering around would still pose a great danger, not to himself, but to the passersby.

However, it's easy to summon the ghost child. As long as the Ghost Domain covers the villa, the ghost child can appear instantly.

We arrived at Xiong Wenwen's house.

Before I even knocked, the door opened immediately.

"Captain Yang, you've arrived. Please come in."

A mature and beautiful woman, around thirty years old, opened the door. She had a smile on her face, but her brows were furrowed with worry, showing no sign of joy.

"Hello, Auntie." Yang Jian nodded and greeted her politely.

When he entered the house, he looked at the empty living room and asked, "Where's Xiong Wenwen? Is she still sleeping?"

After closing the door, Chen Shumei's smile vanished instantly upon hearing Yang Jian's words, "Xiong Wenwen hasn't returned yet. Captain Yang, please have a seat, I'll make you a cup of tea."

Yang Jian had no idea that Xiong Wenwen had gone to participate in the Ghost Painting mission; he simply assumed that the mischievous child had gone off to play somewhere.

"You're too kind. I heard from your aunt on the phone that she wanted to talk to me, but I don't know what it is."

Chen Shumei handed a cup of hot tea to Yang Jian before slowly sitting down, her face showing some guilt. She said, "I should apologize to you, Captain Yang, for what happened last time. I was a bit agitated and my attitude was rather rude. I hope Captain Yang won't take it to heart."

Yang Jian waved his hand and said, "It's nothing, just a small matter. I didn't take it to heart."

"That's good." Chen Shumei held a cup of hot tea, appearing somewhat silent.

Yang Jian said, "Aunt Chen, please speak frankly. I don't like beating around the bush."

Chen Shumei hesitated for a moment before slowly saying, "Then, Captain Yang, I'll be frank. Just as we discussed on the phone, the main reason I asked to meet with you this time is about Xiong Wenwen Captain Yang."

"I know that. Apart from Xiong Wenwen, I don't believe Auntie would proactively talk to me about any private matters," Yang Jian.

Chen Shumei forced a smile, then said with some worry, "Here's what happened: not two days after you left, Captain Yang, a Captain Li from Headquarters named Li Jun came to my house."

"Li Jun? I know him. I've dealt with him before. He's a good guy," Yang Jian nodded.

Although he and Li Jun were from different backgrounds, he still admired Li Jun's personality.

"Li Jun told me that you recently got into a fight with a guy named Jiang Shangbai and something happened. At first, I was worried I wouldn't be able to get through on the phone, but now that I see Captain Yang is alright, I'm relieved," Chen Shumei said.

Yang Jian was somewhat surprised. "Li Jun actually told you about this too, but that doesn't seem to be the main point. Aunt Chen wanted to talk about Xiong Wenwen, right?"

"Li Jun's visit must be on a mission, so... Xiong Wenwen went on a mission?"

"Yes, yes, Captain Yang, you guessed correctly. Xiong Wenwen has been gone with Li Jun for two days now, and today is the third day. There's still no news of her. I'm very worried, so I wanted to ask you about the situation, Captain Yang," Chen Shumei said after a moment's hesitation.

What's the situation?

Yang Jian's eyes flickered slightly as he sized up Chen Shumei: "There's no need to hide anything now, Aunt Chen, you've come to me to rescue someone, haven't you?"

Xiong Wenwen went out with Li Jun, most likely to deal with the Ghost Painting Incident. He hasn't been seen for two or three days now, and the Ghost Painting Incident hasn't been resolved. The fact that the ghost painting is still stored in his old villa is the best proof of that.

I've been experiencing paranormal events for several days now, and there's been absolutely no news.

Yang Jian knew perfectly well what this meant.

"I... I really do want to ask Captain Yang to help bring Wenwen back. Before Wenwen left, he told me to call you for help if he encountered any problems," Chen Shumei said earnestly, gritting her teeth.

Yang Jian paused for a moment, then said, "While it's a good thing to be entrusted with hopes, Aunt Chen, you need to understand that Xiong Wenwen is not under my jurisdiction. He went with Li Jun, which means he joined Li Jun's team. From now on, Li Jun will be in charge, not me."

"Aunt Chen, perhaps you don't know the real inside story, but I know very well that Xiong Wenwen's involvement is extremely dangerous, and I am powerless to stop it."

Xiong Wenwen is most likely in the Ghost Painting world with Li Jun and the others. In a normal situation, Xiong Wenwen would definitely call her mother. Yang Jian has been to the Ghost Painting world before.

It was extremely dangerous.

He only dared to force his way in last time because of the music box's curse, and even so, he died once.

This time, Yang Jian finally managed to escape the curse. If he were to enter the Ghost Painting again, he might never be able to get out.

Most importantly, in the face of the Ghost Painting, his Ghost Eye are suppressed, he cannot use the Ghost Domain, making it difficult to find people, and even more difficult to rescue them.

"Captain Yang, please don't say that. I know you must have a way. Please help Wenwen. I'll agree to let Wenwen join your team after she comes back this time, and I won't object anymore," Chen Shumei pleaded hurriedly.

Yang Jian shook his head and said, "That's not the reason. It's because I myself don't have the confidence to bring Xiong Wenwen back. I might even die if I try to save him. You can only trust Li Jun. After all, this matter is still unresolved. Xiong Wenwen might be alright. Maybe we'll hear news in a couple of days."

He refused the request.

It's true that Xiong Wenwen is a good teammate, but the Ghost Painting Incident is very complicated. I'm not his guardian, so I can't really be considered a teammate. It's really impossible for me to force my way into the Ghost Painting world for Xiong Wenwen's sake.

Yang Jian wouldn't do something like that.

"But..." Chen Shumei

"Aunt Chen, I have something to attend to, so I won't bother you any longer." Yang Jian interrupted her and prepared to get up and leave.

Not wanting to agree to her request, yet unwilling to get involved in this deadly paranormal event, he could only choose to turn a blind eye and leave.

"Captain Yang, wait a minute, don't rush off, sit a little longer." Chen Shumei said anxiously, grabbing Yang Jian's arm, not wanting him to leave.

She knew that once Yang Jian left, he would never appear again, especially since she had lied to get him to come by phone this time.

Yang Jian said, "Aunt Chen, it's no use pulling me back. I really can't help with Xiong Wenwen's situation."

"Captain Yang, please think of something. He's my only son, and I don't want to lose him. I can't find anyone else to help, except for your phone number, Captain Yang. So I really hope you can help Xiong Wenwen Captain Yang matter what. He's still a child; this shouldn't happen to him."

Tears welled up in Chen Shumei's eyes, and she looked heartbroken.

But faced with Chen Shumei's plea, Yang Jian's expression remained unchanged. He found himself somewhat unfamiliar with this intense emotion, even somewhat unable to understand it.

It seems that he himself had lost these feelings a long time ago.

Yang Jian looked at her, pondered for a moment, and then sat down again, saying, "Aunt Chen, let me put it this way. Suppose Xiong Wenwen is still alive and in a very dangerous place. If I want to rescue him, I must also go deep into that dangerous place. So there's a prerequisite."

"What if Xiong Wenwen is already dead? I might have made a wasted trip and even lose my life there."

"No, no, Wenwen must still be alive, he must still be alive, I can feel it," Chen Shumei said hurriedly.

Yang Jian glanced at it and said, "Okay, let's assume Xiong Wenwen is still alive. After I enter that dangerous place, I'll have to find him first. It's very possible that I'll encounter danger and die on the way to find him, and in the end, Xiong Wenwen will come back alive and sound, and I'll have died for nothing. Or, for example, if I find Xiong Wenwen alive, then the two of us might not be able to come back alive, and there's a high chance we'll both die."

"So, Aunt Chen, do you understand now? It's not that I'm unwilling to help Xiong Wenwen, but the risks are just too great, and there are too many unforeseen circumstances. I'm powerless to do anything about it. To put it bluntly, Aunt Chen, please don't be angry. Xiong Wenwen's life is precious, and so is mine. Besides, Xiong Wenwen isn't my responsibility."

"On the other hand, if Xiong Wenwen had joined my team back then and I had been in charge, none of this would have happened."

Yang Jian's words were somewhat harsh, but they were very realistic.

"I can give you money, Captain Yang, probably tens of millions," Chen Shumei said earnestly.

"Aunt Chen, this isn't about money. Didn't you understand what I meant? There are too many uncertainties. If we could be absolutely certain about saving people, I don't think we would have waited for me to take action; Headquarters would have already done so," Yang Jian said.

He felt that Xiong Wenwen's mother had not understood what he was saying at all.

Perhaps I understand, but I'm still pleading with myself.

Chen Shumei bit her lip and said, "As long as Captain Yang agrees to rescue Wenwen, I... I'm willing to be your girlfriend, Captain Yang."

She wanted to say "woman," but her inner pride prevented her from saying it, so she could only muster her courage and say it tactfully.

It's quite clear what it means for someone her age to be Yang Jian's girlfriend.

But for Xiong Wenwen, Chen Shumei has already given up everything, abandoning all dignity and restraint.

"."

Yang Jian, who had been expressionless, couldn't help but twitch at the corner of his mouth.

"Aunt Chen, you don't need to say such things. Saying that will only make me feel more embarrassed. If I don't help, won't I seem too cold-blooded, heartless, cowardly, and weak? If I do help, won't my colleagues laugh at me and say that I'm lusting after your body and that I'm shameless?"

"In reality, how many people like us are still interested in women? If we needed to, we'd have plenty around."