They had thought the storage room was a temporary safe haven. No one had anticipated that a ghost had been following them all along. Had it not been for Yang Jian's reminder, they would not have discovered this fact until it was too late, with consequences that were all too clear. None of this group would have been able to leave alive, including even the ghost tamer... Yan Li. Ghost tamers possess the power of fierce ghosts, but they are not omnipotent. Indiscriminate use of such power only hastens one's own demise.
At this moment, Yang Jian saw the young man named Yan Li. His complexion was not good, bearing a pale and weak look indicative of excessive blood loss. But what concerned Yang Jian more was what kind of ghost lurked within Yan Li's body? Was his body nearing its limit, and how soon until the fierce ghost within him awoke?
"Are... are you human?" Yan Li did not panic like the others. Instead, he stopped immediately after running out of the storage room and looked at Yang Jian with a very serious expression. He was still uncertain whether the young security guard before him was a human or a ghost.
Yang Jian replied, "I suppose I am. I heard you say your name is Yan Li? You're a ghost tamer?"
Yan Li's eyes narrowed slightly, "And you?"
"I'm a member of the International Police."
Yang Jian thought for a moment, deciding to invoke a more authoritative presence. He couldn't very well tell people he was just a student.
That would lack prestige, and besides, hadn't the operator Liu Xiaoyu wanted to recruit him into the International Police?
"International Police?" Yan Li looked Yang Jian over again. Seeing him in a security uniform and noting the satellite phone hanging from his chest—a standard piece of equipment for police officers—he was convinced.
"I've heard that the International Police are severely understaffed, with less than one officer per city across the country. The previous International Police officer in Dachang City was Zhou Zheng. What's your name?"
"My name is Yang Jian, and by the way, let me tell you something: Zhou Zheng is dead. He was sacrificed in a university incident a few days ago," Yang Jian said calmly.
Yan Li responded, "So that's how it is. Thank you for your help just now. I'm curious, how have you managed to fend off so many fierce ghosts? Even as a ghost tamer, one would be quite passive in this situation. At first, I thought the disappearances in the mall were the work of only a grade C ghost. It seems I've seriously underestimated the situation."
"I knew I shouldn't have been greedy for this money," he said, his face showing regret and self-reproach for his actions.
"What ability have you relied on to survive the attacks of these fierce ghosts for so long?" Yang Jian inquired, not revealing his own abilities but instead asking about Yan Li's.
Yan Li did not hide anything, looking down at his blood-stained hands, he said, "People in my trade call me Ghostblood Yan Li. My hands are stained with ghost blood, which can restrict the abilities of other ghosts. I've successfully captured a ghost in cooperation with others, but I can't leave my ghost blood out for too long; otherwise, ghosts will emerge from it..."
"Wait, you said you've successfully captured a ghost in cooperation with others?" Yang Jian's eyes focused intently, showing surprise and suspicion.
Could ghosts also be captured?
"It's a very simple and crude method. I used ghost blood to restrict the ghost's movements. As long as it's confined within a box made of pure gold within a short time, and the seal is good enough, the ghost cannot escape," Yan Li explained.
"This is a method used all over the world. As a police officer, you didn't know?"
"I'm an intern, not a full-fledged officer yet," Yang Jian said.
He did recall a paper he had seen on a website before, written by a professor named Bruce Pi.
The paper's main content was that ghosts' powers could affect all materials but not gold. The professor had attempted to analyze and find a way to restrain ghosts using scientific and rigorous methods.
If the paper was useful, it meant that using gold to make boxes or containers could indeed imprison and capture ghosts, but it could not kill or completely eliminate them.
"Help! Help me!"
However, the terrified cries for help from nearby interrupted their conversation.
At this time, Yang Jian saw that the ghosts with switched heads had surrounded them from all directions, blocking every passage.
There was no way out unless they jumped from the fifth floor, which was also suicide.
Boss Tang, Manager Li, Master Luo, and the others retreated, crying out in despair, realizing they were trapped.
"What method do you have to be unafraid of the attacks of so many ghosts?" Yan Li was also panicked.
"If this continues, even as an international police officer, you will die here. You must know that using too much ghost power will lead to death."
"I'm well aware," Yang Jian said calmly.
"You've used a lot of ghost power, and even the ghost blood on your hands is barely under control. Your limit is near. Have you prepared your coffin in advance?"
"I'm very clear on what you're saying, but sometimes there's no choice but to survive," Yan Li gritted his teeth.
"Sometimes there indeed isn't a choice, but you fight ghosts by relying first on your own ghost power, which will only lead to a quicker death. I'm different; I rely on my brain. When my brain fails, that's when I use the power of ghosts. But this is not the time for chatting; I can't let these bosses die like this," Yang Jian pointed to his head and revealed a slight smile.
After saying that, he walked towards a group of ghosts not far away.
Yan Li's face changed dramatically. Even he did not dare to face so many ghosts at once. Did this young police officer have such courage?
Moreover, seeing the others trapped by ghosts, he had already decided not to save them, only thinking about how to escape.
Money was not worth risking his life for.
Suddenly, Yan Li saw Yang Jian walk over and trip them.
With a few strange screams, three or four people were tripped and fell.
Was he saving people or harming them?
Yan Li was stunned.
"If you don't want to die, lie down on the ground and don't move. That way, these ghosts won't attack you, and you can get out alive. If you run around, you'll only die faster," Yang Jian grabbed Boss Tang's collar and whispered to him sternly.
Boss Tang was so scared that he was at a loss. A group of ghosts were right in front of him.
He had no choice.
He immediately closed his eyes tightly, chose to believe Yang Jian's words, and lay on the ground motionless.
Lying on the ground meant that the back was always facing down, which could perfectly avoid an attack from any direction by any ghost.
"Anyone else who doesn't want to die, do the same, lie down and don't move," Yang Jian said again.
However, while some people obeyed and lay down, many others ignored Yang Jian's words, thinking that lying down meant waiting to die on the spot. So they continued to run in horror, trying to escape.
"Hey, that's the fifth floor; don't jump! You'll die," Yang Jian shouted at someone.
A man who was with Master Luo at that time, scared and crying, panicked and jumped over the railing, falling from the fifth floor.
Brave man, Yang Jian sighed inwardly.
Not jumping might have left a chance to live, but jumping ensured death.
The person who jumped to his death was certainly doomed, and those who ran didn't fare much better.
Soon, the runners found their paths completely blocked.
The ghosts closing in from all directions got closer and closer... until they were surrounded.
"Ah!" screams erupted among the group of ghosts.
With the extension of several rotten arms, the screams stopped immediately.
A few living heads were forcibly taken off.
Some ghosts removed their own heads and placed them on the necks of several people, then placed the others' heads on their own necks.
New ghosts were born.
However, after all this, everything around returned to calm.
All the ghosts... stopped moving.
The remaining people lying on the ground were indeed not attacked and all survived.
"How is this possible?" Yan Li was shocked. He had also lain down, but now he looked at Yang Jian as if seeing a ghost.
Yang Jian did not lie down; he just stood there, leaning against the railing, not turning his back to any ghost.
"So, I didn't lie to you, did I?"
Yang Jian said, "Congratulations, you survived. If you don't mind, let's settle the service fee now. Let me warn you in advance, my service fee is quite expensive."
Why go through the trouble and risk to save these despicable rich people?
Of course, it was to make money.
Did anyone really think Yang Jian cared for them?