"That's about enough." Yang Jian stepped forward in two strides.
"Continuing to watch won't change that ghost's killing method in the slightest."
As he spoke, a dense crimson spread outward with Yang Jian at the center, rapidly enveloping the surroundings. In mere moments it covered this entire area. The previously bustling market immediately became empty of people. Yang Jian had used his Ghost Domain to isolate all ordinary people.
Within this world suffused with red light, only Yang Jian and Cao Yang remained. The Ghost Eye swept across the empty market but did not discover that ghost's presence.
Yang Jian didn't plan to open a deeper level of the Ghost Domain. Since he already knew the killing pattern, he only needed to lure that ghost out.
He turned and said, "Cao Yang, just keep making sounds right here."
"Uh."
Cao Yang was stunned for a moment, then stood there somewhat awkwardly. He said, "Can we switch it up a bit? Like, you make the sounds, and I'll contain it."
"Sure. But after containing that ghost, I'll kill you."
Yang Jian glanced at Cao Yang and continued:
"This supernatural incident has nothing to do with me. I know Dachang City's situation very well. This ghost ran here from somewhere else. You tracked it here, and not only did you fail to report this ghost's movements to me, you even caused the deaths of more than a dozen ordinary people."
Beneath his feet, a pitch-black headless shadow slowly crept toward Cao Yang.
"As a person-in-charge, you can't even handle such a small matter. Even if I kill you right now, headquarters won't say anything."
Cao Yang watched the approaching black shadow. Yang Jian was clearly not joking. He had witnessed Yang Jian's conduct at headquarters meetings long ago—this guy would kill someone at the slightest disagreement.
Ever since the out-of-control incident, Cao Yang had been containing the fierce ghosts that escaped from headquarters in Dajing City, causing his condition to deteriorate terribly. He had been hovering at the edge of his ghost's resurgence.
But this incident was indeed caused by his own mistake. Even if Yang Jian really did act, headquarters would have no reason to blame him. After all, Cao Yang himself had been the first to break protocol.
Thinking this, Cao Yang immediately said, "Captain Yang, I've noticed you really like to take things seriously. I've got a loud voice, so let me do it."
Speaking, Cao Yang walked to the open street and stood there. But he felt somewhat embarrassed—having to inexplicably make noises like this, he suddenly felt at a loss. Yet now was no time to be reserved.
Straining his voice, Cao Yang let out two dry roars.
"Ah! Ahh~!"
His pale face showed no expression. Cao Yang roared dryly like this, but such a bizarre scene was truly rather peculiar.
Cao Yang glanced at Yang Jian a couple of times while roaring. Seeing Yang Jian watching him with a perfectly straight face, Cao Yang simply decided to let himself go. However, he secretly turned off his satellite phone and stuffed it into his pocket.
"Yang Jian has a cold personality, so he probably won't talk about it."
In this crimson Ghost Domain, Cao Yang coughed forcefully twice to clear his throat, then with a deathly pale, corpse-like face, shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Happy New Year, hey! Happy New Year to you! Wishing you fortune as vast as the eastern sea! Longevity rivaling the southern mountains, hey! Happy New Year with plenty of red envelopes, hey!"
Cao Yang even felt this wasn't enough. Imitating the scattered crowds, he began jogging around, straining his throat to shout "Happy New Year" as he ran.
Such a scene was simply far too bizarre.
Just as Cao Yang was wondering if he should move to another planet, a deathly black figure suddenly appeared behind him, raising an arm to touch him.
Yang Jian reacted swiftly. The Headless Ghost Shadow immediately spread over. But Cao Yang was closer to that ghost and reacted even faster.
From Yang Jian's perspective, Cao Yang's figure suddenly vanished, then abruptly reappeared not far away, over ten meters distant, while the ghost that had been attacking him had also disappeared.
This method of instantaneous movement was different from a Ghost Domain. Cao Yang himself was currently inside Yang Jian's Ghost Domain, yet just now Yang Jian had distinctly felt that his Ghost Domain had actually developed a slight crack.
"Teleportation? No, this is..."
Yang Jian discovered several pale, glowing footprints on the Headless Ghost Shadow. Judging by their size, they should belong to an adult male.
Within the range of those footprints, Yang Jian couldn't sense the Ghost Shadow's presence at all. The Headless Ghost Shadow had actually been suppressed by those footprints.
In that instant just now, the Headless Ghost Shadow had nearly covered the area before Cao Yang, but because Cao Yang was closer and reacted faster, he mobilized his own fierce ghost's power to escape that attack.
"A fierce ghost that can leave footprints on a ghost shadow."
Yang Jian looked at Cao Yang, thinking. If he had a codename, it would definitely be:
"Ghost Foot: Cao Yang."
Cao Yang stood over ten meters away, stunned for a few seconds. The restless stirring of the fierce ghost within his body grew even more pronounced. He said, "My condition is terrible right now. I can't fully control the ghost I've harnessed. Once I activate it, my consciousness will sink into a trance. In that instant, anyone in the areas I pass through will die, including ghost controllers."
"Now isn't the time to talk about this. Captain Yang, do you need me to continue? I can do it—"
Before Cao Yang could finish, an extreme crimson light flashed wildly. Within his field of vision, a hatchet shot straight toward him from the red glow.
Then, he felt a chill. Looking down, he saw that at some point, a large stretch of frigid lake water had seeped up from the ground, already submerging his ankles.
Only then did Cao Yang realize that the ghost had appeared behind him again at some point.
But this time, no accidents occurred.
As the dense crimson slowly dissipated, Cao Yang walked out carrying a massive golden corpse bag alongside Yang Jian. One could faintly see a hideous corpse inside the bag.
When a lion hunts a rabbit, it uses its full strength. Yang Jian had mobilized most of his supernatural power in an instant.
If this still couldn't resolve the ghost, then it could only mean this would become another S-class supernatural incident. An S-class fierce ghost following the killing pattern of "killing those who make sounds" would be a devastating catastrophe on an ultra-large scale.
The bustling crowd had long dispersed, leaving only a desolate market.
"Captain Yang, thanks. I won't disturb your New Year's celebration with your family anymore. Farewell."
Cao Yang said his goodbyes and prepared to leave.
At this moment, Xiong Wenwen suddenly called out to him, pointing at Cao Yang and saying:
"Hey! Aren't you that guy!"
Cao Yang immediately shook his head frantically.
"No! Nobody is allowed to talk about what happened today!" After saying this, he turned and left, disappearing in no time.
"Yang Jian, who was that?"
Jiang Yan was still somewhat shaken, but after experiencing several supernatural incidents, she was now relatively composed.
"A colleague."
"Tch, took forever to resolve it. If Daddy Xiong had acted, I'd have wrapped it up in minutes!"
After this incident, the originally lively Dachang City fell completely silent within a single night. There weren't even any firecracker sounds. Among the children, terrifying tales circulated about how you couldn't make any noise during New Year, or else the Nian Beast would come and snatch you away.
Guanjiang Community.
Yang Jian stood by the windowsill, looking at the river surface reflecting the moonlight. On a face completely devoid of living human aura, a pair of deathly eyes showed no emotion whatsoever.
"Feeling tired?" Jiang Yan stood quietly behind Yang Jian, wearing a nightgown.
"No."
"You've become so quiet now. You used to joke around a lot."
Yang Jian didn't respond. His backlit figure in the cool moonlight seemed somewhat hazy.
Jiang Yan gently hugged Yang Jian from behind, feeling this cold body devoid of any warmth.
"If you feel tired, then give up. There's no shame in it. This was never your responsibility to begin with. If you feel tired, we can stay here forever. No matter what happens outside, I believe with your abilities you'll live very well. I, and everyone else, will always be with you."
Yang Jian was silent for a long time before slowly turning around. The corner of his mouth stiffly curved into a slight arc. He neither refused nor agreed, but tried his best to use a gentle tone, hoarsely speaking with strange sounds:
"Thank you. Happy New Year."