Chapter 978: Chapter 690: Peeking_2
"I don’t know either, but if it attacks you, don’t hold back. Use whatever you have, go all out, kill it if you must, and it’ll be on me," Yang Xiao stretched out his hand and firmly patted Tong Han’s shoulder.
After everything was prepared, Tong Han hid himself about 15 meters away from Yang Xiao. That distance was just right.
Yang Xiao hesitated no longer, putting on the Drama Robe. After taking a few deep breaths, he pulled out the Ghost Phone from his arm, held the receiver close to his left cheek, extended his right index finger, and dialed the number on the Little Mirror Ghost’s phone, one button at a time.
The moment the call connected, that eerie yet familiar sensation surged forth, spreading instantly through Yang Xiao’s entire body.
When he regained his senses, the scene before him had already shifted to a street in a villa district. The surrounding space was shrouded in a dim gray mist, silent and lifeless.
Learning from his previous mistakes, this time Yang Xiao did not immediately turn around or move abruptly. He lowered his head, and sure enough, he saw that familiar dirty and ragged flower-patterned outfit, along with a pair of muddy, bluish-black feet grounded on the earth.
He noticed the big toe was severely bent outward, and the gap between the first and second toes was shockingly wide. Yang Xiao slowly became acquainted with this new body and walked to a black sedan parked by the roadside, peering through its window to examine his current appearance.
Indeed, it was none other than the Flower-Clothed Female Ghost, with most of her face obscured by disheveled hair, making her true visage hard to discern.
Yet disturbingly, as the "controller" of this female ghost, Yang Xiao’s vision remained unimpaired. The sensation was as if he were merely an observer—or as if he were still in his original body, with only his outward appearance transformed by an uncanny force into this horrific figure.
Walking along the street, familiarizing himself with this body, Yang Xiao’s current goal wasn’t to find the Little Mirror Ghost; instead, he aimed to return to his own villa in this guise, to appear before Tong Han’s eyes and allow him to scrutinize the situation comprehensively and provide answers.
The street was empty, and each villa appeared enveloped in a lifeless gray mist, stripped of vitality and color, accompanied by a pervasive silence.
Soon, Yang Xiao found his way back to his home along the street. He pushed open the door and entered the living room where he had agreed to meet Tong Han. Standing before a door leading to the bedroom, he saw a silhouette, motionless.
The figure was enveloped in a swirling, distorted force, making its features impossible to discern, not even its body. However, based on its actions, Yang Xiao was certain that the figure was himself, as it was clearly holding a phone and making a call.
Yang Xiao tried summoning the Ghost Lantern, illuminating the figure with its green light, but the normally unstoppable glow failed to dispel the distorted force around the shadow. The entity didn’t even cast a shadow on the wall.
The feedback Yang Xiao received from the Ghost Lantern sent chills down his spine—it was like battling himself, using his own magic artifact to harm an intrusive reflection of himself. This bizarre discomfort compelled him to swiftly put away the Ghost Lantern, refraining from further rash actions.
A moment later, he retrieved the Ghost Bamboo Stick, Human Bone Staff, Soul-Capturing Mirror, and even a kitchen knife, displaying them as if for an exhibition.
Yes, he intended to showcase all of these to Tong Han lurking in the shadows. He wanted to know how he appeared in the eyes of an observer and, additionally, whether the foes he would face in the future could track him via the exposure of his magic artifacts. This was crucial—after all, he couldn’t guarantee he could always eliminate everything without a trace.
Yang Xiao was the Director of the Patrol Defense Office, a Specialist of the Action Bureau, and a revered figure among the righteous. He could not afford any blemishes on his record.
Before he could examine further, his body suddenly stiffened. Moments later, that discomfort returned—the sensation of his internal organs melting. There was no pain, only a cold numbness radiating throughout his being, as if undergoing a form of transcendence.
When he awoke again, his perspective had shifted back. He was now standing before the bedroom door inside the villa, staring into the dimly lit living room. From his view, he could see a door left ajar—the same one the "other" him had opened moments ago.
Glancing around the room, he saw no sign of Tong Han. He called out for him but received no reply until half a minute later, when a figure appeared outside the door—it was Tong Han.
Now, the look in Tong Han’s eyes had become nuanced, tinged with suspicion and resistance, mixed with a hint of wariness.
"I’m back," Yang Xiao refrained from approaching hastily, opting to explain first. He knew the scenes from earlier must have deeply unsettled Tong Han.
After a while, Tong Han was finally assured that the person before him was Yang Xiao and not some grotesque ghostly entity. Yang Xiao signaled for Tong Han to wait for a moment, left briefly to retrieve the phone belonging to the Little Mirror Ghost, and spent some time playing with it to ensure its satisfaction. Only after that did he pull Tong Han back to the real world.
He brewed a pot of hot tea and poured a cup for Tong Han. The two sat facing each other on the sofa. The wariness in Tong Han’s eyes gradually dissipated, and he finally began recounting the terrifying visions he had witnessed in the Mirror World.
Through Tong Han’s description, Yang Xiao obtained two crucial pieces of information. First, his speculation was correct: upon dialing the Ghost Phone and entering the "Soul Separation" state, his true body remained in place, unmoving, not even blinking.
Second, from the perspective of an observer, "he" appeared as nothing but a ghost—a tall, emaciated, terrifying Fierce Ghost dressed in the flower-patterned clothes, with a face obscured and covered in corpse spots, walking barefoot.
The most critical part was that the observer couldn’t discern "his" actions, nor see the magic artifacts he wielded. According to Tong Han’s recollections, the female ghost he saw merely walked ceaselessly, performing incomprehensible, erratic movements, creating an intensely eerie atmosphere.
Armed with these two points, Yang Xiao had a clearer understanding of how to use the Ghost Phone. Before killing someone, he must ensure his true body is hidden safely; otherwise, carelessness could lead to devastating consequences, as even a child holding a knife could easily end his life in the "Soul Separation" state.
This was a major vulnerability—but one that depended on the opponent. For someone possessing the Soul-Capturing Mirror, this wasn’t an issue at all. He could simply conceal his true body in the Mirror World, then dial the target’s number and remotely control the "female ghost" to commit murder using his spiritual power.
This approach provided not only absolute safety for his true body but also a flawless alibi, even if someone suspected him. He could always offer an explanation.
Next, once he fully mastered the Ghost Phone, Yang Xiao planned to test its maximum communication range. These ghostly artifacts often came with various limitations, some of which could be fatal; he had to figure them out.
Additionally, the opponent’s inability to perceive his actions or the magic artifacts in his "female ghost" form worked perfectly, eliminating any concerns about exposing his tools.
However, after two attempts, Yang Xiao also realized the artifact’s biggest issue: in his "female ghost" state, he could only maintain the form for less than 20 minutes. This was under conditions where he hadn’t used the magic artifacts excessively. If he were to engage in a fierce battle with an equally matched opponent, the duration would undoubtedly be even shorter.
In summary, this artifact was ideal for tracking and killing weaker adversaries while keeping himself concealed, provided he had knowledge of the target’s phone number. However, it wasn’t suitable against stronger foes.
Moreover, while the Ghost Phone could transport him in "female ghost" form to the vicinity of his target, it lacked precise targeting. The exact range still needed experimentation, and there was a possibility that accuracy would drastically decrease with increased distance—this was a variable not to be dismissed.
"Are you sure that thing is truly under your control?"
Tong Han’s sudden question interrupted Yang Xiao’s thoughts, instantly putting him on alert. "What do you mean by that?"
Tong Han instinctively hugged his shoulders tightly, curling slightly on the sofa. "I’m not sure, but I... I keep feeling like that female ghost might have noticed me."
