Chapter 720: Chapter 554: Mirror Ghost_2
"How is your body recovering?" the elder put down the book in his hand, his tone and expression both extremely gentle, looking at Yang Xiao with eyes like those watching over a younger family member.
"It is recovering very well, thanks to your divine intervention!" Yang Xiao once again bowed deeply in respect.
Putting down the book in his hand, the elder nodded slightly, "I must thank you for the earlier incident. Not only did you help our Yang Family root out the traitor lurking within, but you also blocked that old ghost’s backlash at the critical moment, sustaining severe injuries in the process. Yang Xiao, our Yang Family will keep your kindness in our hearts."
"I dare not take credit, your words are humbling. If not for your protection, I would have been dead long ago."
"No need for modesty, calling me ’Elder’ so formally feels too distant. We are fated to be connected; just as the others, you should call me Clan Leader," the elder said.
"Yang Clan Elder." Yang Xiao spoke politely, and then, as if suddenly recalling something, asked eagerly, "Clan Leader, may I ask how my brother is doing?"
"Don’t worry, he is fine. He is currently resting," Yang Clan Elder changed the topic, "Little Yang, I remember you came here seeking a particular issue."
"Indeed, it is... the Soul-Capturing Mirror. The Mirror Ghost inside has nearly killed me several times." The person before him was none other than the Ru Lin Yang Family’s Old Clan Leader, no wonder he possessed such strength. This was the time to seek help; there may not be another chance, so Yang Xiao spoke up immediately.
"I have already ordered someone to search the Scripture Pavilion, but unfortunately, there was no record on how to break the enchantment of the Soul-Capturing Mirror. However, you needn’t worry, I will take you to see someone now. He may have a way to deal with your problem."
"Thank you, Clan Leader!"
Leaving the room, the elder in the long coat said nothing and silently followed the two of them, descending down the spiral staircase.
Since there were no windows all along the way, Yang Xiao couldn’t tell if it was day or night. The further down they went, the colder it got, and the atmosphere became even more oppressive.
They stopped in front of a dark iron door. At this moment, Yang Xiao confirmed that he was deep underground, but he didn’t remember such a structure inside the Academy.
There was a knocker embedded in the iron door, but the elder in the long coat didn’t knock; he just gently pushed, and the seemingly heavy iron door opened.
Inside was a slightly deep room, quite spacious, about the size of several village houses. As soon as the door opened, Yang Xiao caught a whiff of stale air, as if the door had not been opened for a very long time. The room’s furnishings were also exceptionally simple: a long wooden table, two chairs, a single bed, and almost the remainder of the space was filled with books. Some of these books were worn and tattered, obviously not from recent times, but ancient books.
His gaze locked onto the figure behind the desk, where a young man was sitting. The man appeared to be around 30 years old, thin, with fair skin, and handsome features. His simple unadorned clothes could not hide a trace of nobility between his brows. His manners were reminiscent of the Confucian elegance of ancient times, as if a young noble from a great clan from hundreds of years ago had crossed over to the present.
"Clan Leader, you have arrived." The Young Master did not stand up, merely nodding with a smile as if that were greeting enough.
In response, the Yang Clan Elder, who held supreme authority within the Ru Lin Yang Family, didn’t feel any offense and walked with Yang Xiao to the front of the table, getting straight to the point, "Little Yang, show him your Magic Artifact."
Hearing this, Yang Xiao obediently took out the Soul-Capturing Mirror and respectfully handed it over, saying politely, "Please, take a look, Elder."
The Young Master smiled, reached out to take the Soul-Capturing Mirror, and as his fingers touched it, Yang Xiao felt a strong chill emanating from this man. The Young Master only looked for a few seconds before nodding slightly, "It is the Soul-Capturing Mirror, from the Yu Yuan Sect. What’s the issue?"
It was no small feat for this man to recognize the Magic Artifact in just a few seconds and even to know its origin. Hope blossomed in Yang Xiao’s heart, "Elder, I have been troubled by the Mirror Ghost within this object. I would be grateful for any advice you can offer!"
"This object is ominous. Are you sure you want it?" the Young Master asked in return.
"Yes!" The Soul-Capturing Mirror’s ability to instantly move and to enter the Mirror World were too important; Yang Xiao could not bear to part with them.
The Young Master nodded, handing back the Soul-Capturing Mirror, "This Mirror Ghost is very tricky. It will continuously mimic the Artifact’s Angel Envoy, from appearance to behavior, personality, preferences, daily habits, even the heart and memory, from the outside in, from the surface to the core, with the ultimate goal of replacing the Angel Envoy, stealing everything the Angel Envoy has left in this world, and becoming a complete person."
"You’ve managed to survive up to now, which certainly means you’ve entered the Mirror World several times looking for the Mirror Ghost, but every time you can’t find it, right?" Young Master asked, "Even on the off chance you do stumble upon it, it still manages to escape."
Yang Xiao, who had suffered greatly at its hands, nodded repeatedly, "Exactly!"
"That’s because it has hidden away, in a secret space known only to itself. You could think of it as... a special room hidden among countless others, almost impossible to find. That is its exclusive territory."
"What should I do then?" Yang Xiao suddenly remembered the last time he sneaked into the Mirror World, the strange door that had been revealed only after the Daoist robe old ghost had corroded it, a bizarre bronze door, but its exterior was disguised to look just like the other wooden doors inside the apartment.
As it turned out, the Mirror Ghost had been hiding behind that door, in that... special room!
If it hadn’t been for the Daoist robe old ghost, he might never have found the hiding place of the Mirror Ghost. As Yang Xiao recounted the previous situation, Young Master laughed and shook his head, "It’s no use, that room will be constantly moved by the Mirror Ghost. You can think of it as building blocks, or a Rubik’s cube; every time you leave the Mirror World, the position of that room will be reset."
"And as your spiritual power grows stronger, the space of the Mirror World also expands, making the probability of finding that special room even smaller."
"No matter what, the Mirror Ghost will hide within a room, within the range of the Mirror World that I can control, right?" It seemed Yang Xiao had realized something.
"Right, rooms, or any similar closed spaces, can all be utilized by it." Young Master smiled and corrected, as if there was an unspoken understanding between them. He was guiding Yang Xiao to think, rather than merely preaching.
"Then what if I did this: suppose there’s a building, and I remove all the doors inside except for one room’s door, and there are no other buildings around it. That is to say, within the realm of the Mirror World that I can open, there’s only this one building, this one room with a door. Then would this become the only hiding place for the Mirror Ghost?" Yang Xiao asked after some thought.
Young Master nodded and smiled, "Smart, that’s exactly right!"
Yang Xiao suddenly saw the light and held even more admiration for the person before him, bowing with hands clasped in thanks, "Many thanks to you, senior, for pointing out the way, but... I once tried to open that door, and failed. I wonder if you might have a good strategy."
"Wait." Young Master spoke calmly.
"Wait?"
"Exactly, after finding the room where the Mirror Ghost hides, you just need to wait quietly outside the door. At most one day and night, it will have to come out." Young Master leaned back lightly in his chair, appearing very relaxed.
"I’m slow to understand, please explain further, senior." Seeing that the problem that had troubled him for so long was about to be solved, Yang Xiao couldn’t contain his excitement.
"Do you know that the Mirror Ghost can recover from injuries?" Young Master lifted his chin.
"I am aware," Yang Xiao nodded.
"That special room, you can think of it as the sick room for the Mirror Ghost. Whenever it is injured, it will go there to heal, but it can’t stay too long. Once it exceeds one day and one night, it will be devoured by the strange power within that room."
"It... will die?" Yang Xiao’s eyes widened.
Young Master slowly shook his head, "Not just that. The old Mirror Ghost will be devoured, and at the same time, a new Mirror Ghost will be born. It’s like a cycle of reincarnation. Everything... will start all over again."
"Then wouldn’t I have to fight with a new Mirror Ghost all over again?" This notion clearly frightened Yang Xiao. Although he now knew of a solution, it was a temporary one, not lasting a lifetime. The threat of the Mirror Ghost would always accompany him, until his death.
"No, you misunderstand my point," Young Master said with a smile. "It’s a completely new ghost, like... a newborn baby. What it will become in the future, its personality, its achievements, all depend on how it is treated. Or rather..." Young Master deliberately paused, then in a low voice, he continued, "the education of its master."
