The Butterfly Dreamed of Zhuang Zhou (IV)

The man continued, "A vicious ghost with a living person's memories. Of course, those memories aren't complete."

A flicker of surprise crossed Yang Jian's eyes.

A ghost with a living person's memories...

If a ghost possessed a living person's thoughts, no longer feared ghost revival, and could use supernatural items at will, then one day, that existence could bring the entire supernatural era to an end.

This made Yang Jian think of another possibility: could he reach that point himself...?

But there were more urgent matters to deal with right now. Yang Jian continued asking, "Then, are you my father?"

The man fell silent for a moment, seemingly uncertain of the answer himself.

"I can't be sure whether a person's memories can define that person's existence, either. I've been dead for a long time. Perhaps you could think of me as an anomaly with your father's memories."

He continued, "But none of that matters now. Someone once told me that the supernatural is always full of uncertainty. Just think of me as an uncertain factor within this nightmare."

...The uncertainty of the supernatural? This was very similar to Wang Xiaoming's theory: unexpected situations always arose during supernatural incidents.

"There's not much time. If you have any questions, ask me now. That ghost will be back soon."

Yang Jian suddenly thought of the "father" who had kept holding a newspaper in front of his face.

"Are you saying the Yang Xiao I met earlier was a ghost?"

The man nodded and said, "That's right. That body is mine, but the head belongs to a ghost. I placed the dog beside it, so it never dared lower the newspaper. That's what created its greatest loophole: me."

Yang Jian asked in confusion, "The dog?"

"Yes. You should have seen it, too-the big black dog that kept following it. It possesses part of this dream's supernatural power. I entered this dream through it as well."

At this, a trace of disbelief flashed through Yang Jian's eyes. A dog had actually become involved in a supernatural incident, and had even successfully controlled this almost unsolvable supernatural power. Although it was only a portion, he had to admit that the method was simply inconceivable.

Yang Jian immediately understood. "The ghost never dared take down the newspaper because it was afraid of being exposed as someone other than the dog's owner. If two supernatural powers with the same puzzle piece collide, one side will always win. But that ghost wants to kill me. That's a killing rule he can't defy, so he instinctively wants to avoid a collision between the puzzle pieces."

A stiff smile tugged at the man's face.

"Clever. Since it also possesses part of the dream's supernatural power, the first order I gave it was to bite the source ghost of this nightmare to death."

At this point, the man took out a shard of a mirror.

"But because your friend intervened, the ghost dream has started to spiral out of control. At the same time, though, that has given us an opportunity."

"Lin Bei? That bald guy?"

The man nodded and continued, "The ghost dream has started invading reality, but because of that great Buddha, it has lost its bearings. That's why he didn't kill you outright: it can't determine whether the you in front of it is real. Once he acts, he'll expose himself. All he can do is trap you in this nightmare until you die, caught within his own inviolable killing rule."

The sky was already growing faintly light. They didn't have much time left. Yang Jian looked at the man.

"You just said you gave that dog an order. Can I take that to mean it's an anomaly with self-awareness, just like you?"

The man nodded. "That's right. That dog's state is far more complete than mine. I merely exist through it as a medium. You could say it's a self-aware vicious ghost in the true sense."

He continued, "What you need to do now is tear away the newspaper so the dog sees the ghost's face and attacks it. Under the clash of supernatural powers, this dream will overlay reality. But by the same token, reality can also affect the dream."

Yang Jian pondered quietly, trying to unravel this almost unsolvable supernatural phenomenon using the man's information.

Yang Jian asked, "And then? What are you going to do?"

The man said, "This ghost has a physical body in reality. I dismembered it into three parts and placed them in Meishan Village. You just need to stay here quietly. I'll handle what comes next. I..."

"Wait!" Yang Jian suddenly interrupted him.

"The dream can invade reality, and reality can also affect the dream... Are you saying that if I manage to take down that newspaper and get the dog to attack it, you can briefly appear in reality?"

The man didn't know what Yang Jian intended, but he still answered, "That's right. With supernatural powers belonging to the same puzzle piece, I can do that."

Yang Jian lowered his head and continued, "In other words, at that moment, the three parts you dismembered the ghost into can also be pulled into the dream..."

Clues and details slowly came together in Yang Jian's mind like puzzle pieces, and a wildly imaginative plan gradually took shape.

Raising his head to look at the man, Yang Jian said, "You said earlier that because of Lin Bei and that dog, the ghost itself can't distinguish reality, so even if it fully invades reality, it won't notice..."

At this point, Yang Jian fell silent. His mind was now frantically analyzing this chaotic, tangled dream.

The man waited quietly beside him, without speaking to interrupt Yang Jian's train of thought.

A moment later, Yang Jian spoke:

"And ghosts can be killed within this dream. Bringing the ghost's body from reality into the dream would mean physical attacks could work. And that dog just happens to be a self-aware anomaly..."

Yang Jian paused, seemingly considering the next step, then continued, "Pull the ghost into the dream. You'll be responsible for ordering the dog to eat the three dismembered parts of the ghost's body from reality, allowing it to control this dream perfectly."

Yang Jian laid out his plan in one breath.

After hearing it, the man's eyes filled with shock. This was a plan he had never imagined, something unheard of even in the supernatural circle of his time.

Yang Jian wanted to use the dream's own rules to "kill" it. It was an astonishing plan that made perfect use of the ghost's own killing rules.

Of course, ghosts could not be killed. Even if Yang Jian's plan worked and the ghost's body was completely destroyed here, that still wouldn't end this dream.

But the dog itself was a self-aware vicious ghost. It wouldn't undergo ghost revival. If the dog were allowed to control this dream, it would effectively "kill" this ghost. The dog would obey Yang Xiao's orders, and this nightmare would end with that.

The shock in the man's eyes lingered for a long time. Looking at Yang Jian, he said, "You're truly clever. Far cleverer than anyone I've ever known."

After composing himself, the man said, "Although your plan really is astonishing, when it comes to dealing with the ghost dream, the course of action I've spent over a decade planning is more reliable. I think..."

"Shut up."

Yang Jian cut the man off coldly and continued, "So you know it's a plan from over a decade ago. The dead should stay properly buried in the ground, not come out and cause me trouble after dying."

Staring into the man's eyes, Yang Jian said in a low voice:

"I remember you just said that the supernatural is always full of uncertainty. Never mind that you're only a ghost with my father's memories-even if my father really were standing in front of me, I wouldn't carry out a plan from over a decade ago. Let me make myself even clearer: when facing the supernatural, I trust no one but myself."

The man froze for a moment, then showed a gratified expression.

"Elder Qin used to keep hoping I'd die sooner. I even attacked him several times. Only now do I understand his intentions. Someone like you should go and resolve more supernatural incidents. There are still many things waiting for you to do. You'll reach greater heights than this."

The man sighed, as though lamenting some ideal he had once held.

"After this is over, I'll help you control that dog. A man has to leave something behind when he dies. That dog is the greatest achievement of my life."

"Yang Jian. A name chosen a very long time ago."

The man suddenly said something completely unrelated, then stood and walked toward the door.

"Wait." Yang Jian stopped him.

"Who's Zhang Xianguang? Why have I heard that name at headquarters?"

Yang Jian had seen Zhang Xianguang's name several times in the follow-up investigation files for the loss-of-control incident in Dajing City, but he had been busy dealing with the Hurricane Incident at the time and had put the matter out of his mind.

"Him? An old acquaintance, both an enemy and a friend. He used to be a teacher. As for why I used that name, consider it a little twisted amusement of mine."

With that, the man gently closed the door behind him, leaving Yang Jian sitting alone by the bed, thinking quietly.

Yang Jian still had many questions he hadn't had time to ask, but when facing the supernatural, he had no choice. It had always been that way.

For Yang Jian, making it this far was already enough.