Mysterious Revival

Wang Xiaoming had never dealt with human skin parchment before; he had only borrowed it for half an hour and obtained a lot of information. He didn't believe the content of the information, but Wei Jing's existence proved that the information on the parchment was real.

It was somewhat credible.

It was precisely because of this that Wang Xiaoming came up with the plan involving the Ghost Coffin and the ancestral tablet to solve the curse of the Eight-Tone Music Box inside Yang Jian's body. As for the trap, he hadn't guarded against it, thinking that in the end, either Guo Fan or Yang Jian would survive, so he wasn't worried about accidentally killing someone.

But why would Guo Fan become a ghost?

There was no reason at all.

Wang Xiaoming stood still, thinking, analyzing, gathering all the clues together, and then stringing them into a logical line.

No paranormal activity could be completely random; as long as you carefully discover and study it, everything can find its cause. What seems unreasonable might have become reasonable at some moment, but if you're unaware of it, if your thinking remains in the past, you simply won't be able to comprehend it.

"That time, when taking the Ghost Candle to lure the ghost out of the suburbs, Guo Fan swapped with the ghost inside the ancestral tablet, and then he... lost control. The out-of-control Guo Fan led to the failure of the ghost drawing mission, but for some reason he recovered afterward, not dying from the resurgence of the malevolent ghost."

Suddenly, an important clue was grasped by Wang Xiaoming.

"Does this mean that Guo Fan 'died' at that time? Died, due to the resurgence of the malevolent ghost inside the ancestral tablet... No, he must still have been conscious, not completely dead. It's that at that moment, the ghost from the ancestral tablet had already invaded his body, and he had been under the control of the ghost ever since that incident, completely unaware."

"A ghost that invades consciousness? Or is the ancestral tablet a source so that anyone who comes into contact with it, who enters within it, will have their consciousness invaded... If that's really the case, then Yang Jian is no longer trustworthy now, he may have also become a ghost."

"No, no, no."

Wang Xiaoming continued to think: "If a ghost has set this trap in the plan, then how can I be so sure that Yang Jian really has become a ghost? This might be a form of misinformation, using habitual thinking to make me believe that Yang Jian's consciousness has been invaded by a ghost, while in fact, he's still alive, and my disbelief could end up killing the real Yang Jian..."

"So why is Yang Jian's body now motionless and the ghost inside his body seems to have crashed? Even the Ghost Eye didn't open. If it's a ghost that is controlling Yang Jian's body, it should be active now."

"Doesn't fit the pattern of killing... or is it waiting for me to open the door?"

His emotions began to become anxious because his recent reflection made Wang Xiaoming realize that this was not as simple as it seemed.

Very complicated.

The whole thing was far from as straightforward as he had first imagined; all information was being concealed, only revealing itself bit by bit before the curse of the Eight-Tone Music Box was to strike. The information was fragmented, and before any outcome was clear, even the smartest person could not come up with everything out of thin air.

But once the result actually appeared, all clues would lose their meaning.

"Professor Wang, what's wrong with you? You look pale." Wei Jing said, noticing Wang Xiaoming's condition.

Wang Xiaoming had a gloomy expression on his face; he felt like he was being used.

The Ghost Coffin, the ancestral tablet, the plan to resolve the curse of the Eight-Tone Music Box; as soon as he was tempted by it and began to implement this plan, it meant he had walked into a ghost's trap, and from then on he couldn't control the subsequent events. If the plan continued, he was destined to step into this trap.

There was no turning back.

And under the current circumstances, Guo Fan would die, Yang Jian would also die, and in the end, he would personally give birth to a terrifying malevolent ghost that would take over Yang Jian's body. Once this ghost left this place, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"The only chance is to have Yang Jian's consciousness return, betting that Yang Jian isn't dead... If Yang Jian's consciousness has been invaded by the ancestral tablet, the result would be no different from now."

Wang Xiaoming thought of the only method that might break out of this situation.

He turned his head, looking toward Wei Jing, and then toward the ancestral tablet lying in the pool of blood.

As long as the ancestral tablet touches Yang Jian's body, there's a chance his consciousness might return.

But that was just a possibility; the ghost currently inside Yang Jian's body might not want to switch back. It's very possible Yang Jian would remain trapped within the ancestral tablet, becoming a new portrait.

"The chances are slim, but I still have to bet on it while Yang Jian's body hasn't started moving. Otherwise, Wei Jing might not be able to withstand the current Yang Jian."

Honestly, Wang Xiaoming didn't like this kind of risky gambling.

But he had no choice, and he even suspected that it might be a trap. However, even if it were a trap, he had to step into it, because if the ghost inside Yang Jian's body slowly regained strength, the danger would increase without limit. If he waited too long, even if he managed to switch back Yang Jian's consciousness, it would be too late.

He didn't want to personally nurture an Unsolvable Level ghost.

"But should I really take the gamble?"

Wang Xiaoming hesitated, and his unease grew, because he believed that the whole affair couldn't be so straightforward; there must be something he hadn't thought of yet, something overlooked due to the lack of information.

Continuing, Wei Jing said, "Professor Wang, did you hear what I said? Are you okay?"

In his eyes, Wang Xiaoming had been in a daze, as if focusing intently on something, but his complexion didn't look good, which was cause for concern.

Wang Xiaoming came to his senses, waved his hand, and said, "I'm fine, I'm good. We're running out of time. Open the door and put the ancestral tablet back on Yang Jian's body; let his consciousness return."

"Okay," Wei Jing agreed without hesitation.

"Wait," suddenly said Wang Xiaoming.

Wei Jing asked, "What's wrong?"

"Be careful. If you encounter any abnormal situations, withdraw immediately. Also, do not have direct contact with the spirit tablet or Yang Jian. The current situation has already exceeded my expectations. Anything could lead to irreversible consequences, so don't put yourself at risk."

Wang Xiaoming said this, trying to advise and remind him as much as possible.

This was not his usual habit, but this time was different. He had no confidence and no assurance because such matters were not something he would normally do. It wasn't his style. However, this time he had fallen into the trap of human skin paper, leaving him no other choice but to do his best to minimize the losses.

This forced position left Wang Xiaoming with no options, and at such a time he couldn't just do nothing. If he did nothing, it would essentially be the same as him killing Yang Jian himself.

Although deep down, Wang Xiaoming hoped Yang Jian would die, it wasn't supposed to be at this time, nor in this manner.

Now, it was essential that Yang Jian stay alive—he could not die yet.

"I understand," said Wei Jing with a stiff nod, donning a pair of gloves. These gloves were made of Gold and could isolate paranormal forces.

"But just to be safe, Professor Wang, you should still choose to isolate yourself aside for the time being."

This laboratory level had more than one room; there were several isolation rooms designed for handling special circumstances.

"Don't worry about me. If an accident happens, I know what to do," Wang Xiaoming said.

Without further comment, Wei Jing walked to the sealed door and used the key and mechanical code to unlock the first door. However, the inner door had already been dented and deformed—it was no longer sealed—a result of a massive impact before.

Upon fully opening the sealed room, a chilling breath accompanied by a piercing smell of blood wafted out.

There was a small area within the room where blood was spilling, and the spirit tablet lay in the center of the pool of blood.

Wei Jing looked at it, expressionless, and walked over. He directly picked up the spirit tablet, prepared to place it back on Yang Jian's corpse to end this somewhat perilous experiment.

But then, in the next moment.

An ice-cold, stiff hand, blackened in color, materialized out of nowhere and gripped Wei Jing's arm firmly.

Crack!

Wei Jing's body shuddered, his head instinctively turned to the side, and the spirit tablet he had just picked up fell to the ground again.

Yang Jian, pale and exuding a chilly aura, somehow appeared next to Wei Jing. He looked at him with an eerily smiling expression, a restless ghost eye on his forehead moving around restlessly.

"Damn, it's an illusion. 'Yang Jian' came back to life a long time ago. It used the Ghost Domain to deceive our eyes. The corpse lying motionless on the ground is fake. This ghost was waiting for me to open the door... Wei Jing, get out," Wang Xiaoming nearly shouted as he realized what was happening.

His unease was valid, and the situation he'd least wanted to see had nonetheless occurred.

Why had he made such a foolish mistake?

No, this mistake was bound to be made eventually. Maybe he could resist for a day, maybe two, but he would inevitably be unable to resist opening that door, and the ghost was bound to be released because he was clear in his heart that he couldn't just watch Yang Jian die in the lab without doing anything.

The opportunity was lost the moment he fell into the trap and failed to realize Guo Fan was a ghost.

There was no chance for a gamble.

Because it was an assured loss.

However, Wei Jing neither fought back nor did he retreat as Wang Xiaoming had instructed. He remained rigid, as if he had lost the ability to move.

After a moment, he slowly turned his head to look at Wang Xiaoming.

The previously expressionless Wei Jing now wore an odd smile, the same as the one on Yang Jian standing next to him.

Wang Xiaoming's voice stopped abruptly, and his eyes narrowed involuntarily as he took a step back.

Had Wei Jing been possessed?

Now the situation was completely out of control; the ghost from the spirit tablet was even more horrific than imagined.

In this moment, Wang Xiaoming's heart trembled.