Yu Duanhong stared at the mirror in silence for a few seconds before turning to Xiao Wu.
“You two head out first and cordon off the scene. Don’t let anyone get close; I need to conduct a solo investigation.”
Xiao Wu hesitated for a moment but didn't ask any questions.
The Bureau was full of weird people and strange events, so requests for solo action were quite normal.
“Alright, be careful. Call me if you need anything.”
Xiao Wu led the other intern forensic doctor out, pulling the grocery store door shut behind them.
The light inside dimmed further.
Only Yu Duanhong remained in the shop, surrounded by piles of goods.
He walked up to the mirror.
The Knocking Ghost inside him was restless, and the sensation of bone-chilling cold became increasingly pronounced.
What would the killing rule of the ghost in the mirror be?
A reflection? Eye contact? Or seeing something one shouldn't see in the mirror?
To be honest, Yu Duanhong wasn't entirely sure how one was supposed to harness a ghost.
His only method was to try and touch it through crude, brute force, finding a way to make the ghost possess his own body.
During this process, he might trigger its rules.
However, he already had a Knocking Ghost inside him. Even if he triggered the killing rule, he shouldn't be killed instantly... right?
A flash of determination crossed Yu Duanhong's eyes.
He looked into the mirror.
The mirror reflected the grocery store's interior—the shelves, the counter, and himself.
At first, everything was normal.
But gradually, he noticed something was wrong.
The 'him' in the mirror stood perfectly straight, while in reality, he was leaning slightly forward due to the angle.
The 'him' in the mirror stared calmly ahead, while the real Yu Duanhong was staring intently at the glass.
The reflection was out of sync.
Furthermore, the discrepancy was slowly widening.
The Yu Duanhong in the mirror began to turn his head with agonizing slowness.
He turned to the left, inch by inch, until his face was completely in profile, watching the real Yu Duanhong out of the corner of his eye.
The real Yu Duanhong’s neck remained stiff and unmoving.
Then, the version of him in the mirror smiled again.
It was that same stiff, eerie smile from before. The corners of the mouth curled wider and wider until the skin of the entire face was pulled out of shape, revealing another face beneath.
It wasn't Yu Duanhong's face.
It was a pale, featureless visage wearing Yu Duanhong's face as a mask. Now, that skin was being torn apart by the smile, exposing the interior.
Yu Duanhong felt his blood run cold. It wasn't the chill brought by the Knocking Ghost, but a different kind of freezing sensation—the feeling of being locked in the gaze of something from the depths of the mirror.
He had likely triggered the killing rule.
He had seen it.
And now, it was looking at him.
What would happen next?
Would he drop dead instantly?
The ghost in the mirror slowly raised its hand.
That hand passed through the surface of the mirror, reaching out toward Yu Duanhong's chest.
Yu Duanhong did not dodge.
He even forced himself to take a small step forward, bringing the hand closer to him.
He could feel the restlessness of the Knocking Ghost inside him reaching its peak as the icy aura surged wildly.
At that moment.
The fingertips of the mirror ghost touched his chest.
A sharp, piercing pain—like an icicle driven through his body—instantly exploded!
Simultaneously, his hand instinctively made a knocking motion, and the power of the Knocking Ghost within him erupted with a roar!
“Urgh!”
Yu Duanhong let out a muffled groan and collapsed to his knees.
He felt two completely different forces of supernatural cold clashing violently inside him.
One came from outside, pouring in through the mirror ghost's fingertips; the other came from within—the Knocking Ghost.
They instinctively fought each other inside his body.
The pain was indescribable.
It felt as if two knives were churning inside him, repeatedly tearing him apart.
Yu Duanhong's vision went dark, and his ears rang. He could only clench his teeth with all his might to keep from passing out.
He could feel the livor mortis on the back of his right hand deepening; his heartbeat was nearly zero.
He didn't know how much time had passed.
Perhaps only a few seconds, perhaps several minutes.
The sensation of conflict between the ghosts within him weakened slightly, settling into a sort of stalemate.
The two ghosts were keeping each other in check.
Yu Duanhong gasped for air, propping himself up on the floor as he struggled to lift his head.
He knew he would succeed because he wasn't alone. Since that mysterious long-haired man had chosen him, he surely wouldn't leave him to die.
The mirror was still there, but it was now just an ordinary mirror.
The reflection of Yu Duanhong in the mirror was as pale as paper, almost indistinguishable from a corpse.
The ghost in the mirror had vanished.
No.
It hadn't vanished.
Yu Duanhong looked down at his right hand.
He had succeeded; he was now possessed by a second ghost.
With the two ghosts contending, they had reached a temporary balance.
The speed of his recovery... should slow down.
He braced himself against a shelf and shakily stood up.
His body was still freezing and the pain lingered, but the sense of urgency from being eroded by the Knocking Ghost had indeed faded slightly.
He glanced at the chalk outline of Old Chen's body on the floor, then at the now-tranquil mirror.
Then he turned and pulled open the wooden door of the grocery store.
Outside, Xiao Wu was looking in anxiously. Seeing him come out, he hurried over to ask, “Are you alright? There seemed to be some strange noises inside just now.”
“I'm fine,” Yu Duanhong said. “The case can be filed. The source of the anomaly has been handled.”
Xiao Wu was taken aback. Looking at Yu Duanhong's exceptionally pale face, he seemed to want to say something but ultimately just nodded. “Alright, I'll report it immediately.”
Yu Duanhong said nothing more, walking straight through the cordon tape toward the official vehicle.
The sunlight hit him, but it couldn't dispel the chill radiating from the marrow of his bones.
He pulled open the car door and sat inside.
The moment the door closed, he lifted his right hand to look at the back of it.
The livor mortis and the stench of death had worsened.
He lowered his hand and closed his eyes.
After harnessing the second ghost, he had a rough understanding of it.
The killing rule of this second ghost was quite peculiar. It wasn't about looking in a mirror, nor was it about making eye contact with the faceless reflection.
Instead, it was “detecting an anomaly.”
The ghost would create anomalous phenomena within a reflection.
If one did not notice the anomaly, they would not be killed by the ghost.
However, once one realized the anomaly existed and made any response to it, the killing rule would be triggered.
It was a very counterintuitive ability.
‘It can be used for unexpected assassinations.’
Yu Duanhong stiffened. How could he have such a wicked thought?
He was a kind person.
Forgive me, forgive me.
...
The Wang residence.
Old Madam Wang’s muffled sobs sounded particularly grating in the hall.
The rage and killing intent on the patriarch's face had frozen in place.
He turned to look at his black-clad subordinates, who lay there neither alive nor dead, his pupils trembling. A chill surged from the soles of his feet to his skull, dousing his anger and leaving only a bone-deep, icy terror.
He had been careless. This person impersonating Wang Er was far more powerful than he had imagined.
Yue Shi seemed completely indifferent to the patriarch's reaction.
He picked up the snow leopard cub and leisurely picked up the half-finished cup of tea from earlier. He took another sip before calmly setting it back down.
The snow leopard in his arms yawned and curled up again.
“Why bother? Why go through all this trouble?”
“All this fighting and killing... it really ruins the harmony.”
Yue Shi’s gaze swept over the statues of corpses before landing back on the patriarch’s ashen face. His tone held a hint of helpless mockery, though his eyes danced with malice.
Old Madam Wang’s crying paused for a second before turning into deeper whimpers of terror.
The patriarch’s Adam's apple bobbed as he spoke in a dry, raspy voice, “What exactly do you want?”
“What do I want?” Yue Shi leaned forward slightly, resting his chin on his hand with his elbow on his knee, looking like a curious child.
“Didn’t I say it just now? Answer my questions, and I’ll give you a quick death.”
His smile deepened, and the malice on his face seemed to flow.
“Actually, killing you is still too cruel. How about this? I’ll change the terms.”
“I’ll ask, and you answer truthfully. If your answers satisfy me, I’ll consider... sparing your lives. After all, I am using your son’s skin; I’m not an ungrateful person.”
The word “ungrateful” coming from his mouth was the height of irony.
The patriarch’s body continued to tremble. He glanced at his wife, who was slumped on the floor, then at his downed men. Finally, his gaze returned to Yue Shi’s face.
His struggle lasted only two seconds.
The instincts of a businessman, the recognition of the power gap, and the desire to survive overrode everything else.
He took a deep breath, forcing down all his humiliation and rage. He lowered his eyes and spoke submissively, “Please, ask.”
“That’s more like it.” Yue Shi nodded with satisfaction, leaning back into his chair and crossing his legs, looking as relaxed as if he were in his own living room.
“First question. The mechanical ██ organ produced by the Wang Group—what is the specific source of that special sponge-like filling material? I want to hear the truth, don't try to fool me with the nonsense you tell outsiders.”
The patriarch choked up again.
He hadn't expected Yue Shi to ask this right off the bat; it was one of the Wang family’s most core commercial secrets.
But he didn't dare hide it.
“The raw material was originally provided by the ‘Deep Blue Route’,” the patriarch said in a low voice, not daring to slow his pace.
“It’s a multinational trade alliance active on the high seas with a very complex background. They claim the raw materials come from the ocean. After initial processing, it passes through multiple layers of middlemen and is eventually sold to us as a semi-finished product through ABT Advanced Biotechnology Holdings.”
Yue Shi’s finger tapped gently on the armrest. “Be more specific. Where exactly in the ocean does the material come from?”
“I don’t know.” The patriarch gave a bitter smile, this time out of genuine helplessness.
“I tried to look into it before, but while the ‘Deep Blue Route’ appears to be a trade alliance, they are actually just a bunch of pirates.”
“They are extremely secretive about it and don't allow anyone to pry.”
“But please rest assured, all samples have undergone strict inspection and are harmless to the human body. We are only responsible for the final assembly according to the formula and process they provide.”
“The only definitive clue I have is that an overseas manager once mentioned in passing that the raw material seemed related to some kind of sacrifice. That manager disappeared shortly after.”
“Sacrifice?” Yue Shi raised an eyebrow.
“Perhaps it's a necessary step to obtain the material? I don't understand those things.” The patriarch shook his head.
“The Wang family started in manufacturing and hasn't delved deep into the occult. We only look at the performance of the final product and the compliance documents.”
Yue Shi was silent for a moment, a trace of thought flashing in his eyes. Then he asked, “The rise of the Wang family is related to foreign powers?”
The patriarch’s body stiffened. He instinctively wanted to deny it, but seeing Yue Shi’s sinister face, he knew he couldn't avoid this hurdle. He could only grit his teeth and admit, “Yes.”
“In the beginning, the Wang family was just a medium-sized machining factory. Decades ago, overseas friends provided us with key technology, initial funding, and some special channels, allowing the Wang family to rise rapidly and become the leader of mechanical bionic prosthetics in the Jinlong Continent.”
At this point, he hurriedly defended himself. “But that was only at the start. Once the Wang family gained a foothold and grew in scale, we did our best to break free from their direct control.”
“Our current cooperation is based on equal commercial interests. I can swear that the Wang Group, including myself, has never proactively done anything to harm the Jinlong Continent! We have always operated legally and paid our taxes according to the law...”
“Operated legally?” Yue Shi interrupted him softly, his lips curling into an arc.
“Using advertisements to trick young people into giving up their healthy flesh and blood? Manufacturing mechanical prosthetics from materials with unknown sources and potential side effects and implanting them into the bodies of your own compatriots—you call that operating legally?”
“Have the poisonous hands of foreign powers already reached in through you, their front?”
The patriarch’s face turned deathly pale. He opened his mouth, cold sweat pouring down his forehead, but he couldn't produce a single word of rebuttal.
The history of the Wang family's rise he had just told had already been beautified countless times; the truth was far filthier than imagined. Otherwise, why would the foreign powers have chosen to support their family specifically?
Fortunately, Yue Shi had no interest in this and wouldn't press him on these minor details.
He wasn't here to serve justice; he might even be here to fan the flames.
Yue Shi changed the subject, his tone casual. “The high-level officials of the Anomaly Management Bureau who truly hold power—who are they?”
“Who is the strongest? What are their mainstream transcendent systems?”
The patriarch froze, a look of bewilderment and dread appearing on his face as his voice trembled.
“I... I really don't know that.”
“I'm just a businessman. To ordinary people, I'm an unattainable member of the elite. But in the grand scheme of the Jinlong Continent, what am I?”
“I might have some say in the local Bureau, but further up, at the central headquarters—those big shots who truly make the rules and control the power—their identities, whereabouts, and strength are all top secret. How could I have the qualifications to contact them?”
Seeing Yue Shi’s eyes narrow slightly, he hurriedly continued, “I have heard a bit about the transcendent systems, though.”
“The mainstream transcendent systems in the Jinlong Continent are Cultivation and Martial Arts, followed by Incense Godhood, though the latter isn't very popular. Below those are some less common systems and a few rare cases that don't fit into any system at all.”
“At the level of the Wang family, we can at most come into contact with ordinary Martial Arts. As for knowledge regarding Cultivation, it is strictly locked down by the government.”
Yue Shi watched him silently for a few seconds, gave a light chuckle, and stood up.
“It seems I won't get anything more interesting out of you.”
He turned to look at the patriarch, whose face was full of despair, and Old Madam Wang, who had stopped crying and was left with only hollow hopelessness.
“Well then...” Yue Shi drawled.
The patriarch’s heart pounded wildly as he awaited judgment, praying that the other party was a man of his word.
But Yue Shi suddenly turned his head toward a corner of the hall, his tone turning sinister.
“Come out. You're already here, so why hide?”
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