Mysterious Revival

Chapter 902 - 869: The Most Troublesome Person

The chime of the clock rang out!

At the same time, outside the ancient mansion, Yang Jian finally heard the sound he had been waiting for.

This chime came much later than the previous one, which indicated that it wasn't marking the passage of time but rather a forced restart initiated under duress.

This meant that Wang Chaling and Li Jun, who were inside the mansion, had managed to back an adversary into a corner, forcing them to restart as a desperate move to save themselves. Because if the enemy had already killed Li Jun or Wang Chaling, there would have been no need for a restart—it simply wouldn't have happened.

Thus, this chime wasn't bad news; it was good news.

Yang Jian, clutching a splintered long spear, stood resolutely atop the building.

The fierce winds buffeted him, his body as frigid as ice, devoid of any semblance of human warmth. Yet, he remained as still as a statue, his ghostly eye scanning the interior and exterior of the mansion, silently anticipating the enemy's emergence.

Because if they were forced to restart, their next move would undoubtedly be to escape the mansion and flee into Dadong City.

And that would be the moment to strike.

Beside him, Xiong Wenwen seemed bored and was toying with the Ghost Child. He had somehow procured a tree branch and was poking at the Ghost Child with it, as if studying this dangerous little creature.

The Ghost Child, too, remained motionless, its head slightly tilted as it stared at Xiong Wenwen.

Its red eyes, devoid of pupils, carried an expression that appeared almost childlike and innocent. Yet behind that innocence lay a subtle, concealed ferocity that was suppressed and restrained.

"Something's happening."

Suddenly.

Just then, Yang Jian noticed a shadow abruptly appear within the darkness of the mansion's doorway.

"Stop fooling around; it's time to act," Yang Jian remarked, his gaze instantly becoming sharp and focused.

The supernatural forces within the mansion were still present, and even his ghostly eye couldn't fully penetrate their mysteries—he could only just make out someone emerging. After all, the mansion itself was part of the Ghost Domain.

The ghostly eye being able to see this much was already remarkable.

Yang Jian didn't attempt to use multiple layers of Ghost Domain to forcibly invade the mansion either; there was no need.

With two captain-level figures already inside, the issue should be manageable.

"Lost two errand runners and now forced to abandon the clock adjustment and leave the mansion—what bad luck. Young people these days are so reckless, completely unaware of caution and danger. They dare to carry such terrifying things and yet aren't afraid of losing control and causing havoc?"

Chen Qiaoyang sighed, shaking his head with a look of resignation as he slowly stepped out of the mansion.

He surveyed his surroundings.

The courtyard of the ancient mansion was filled with coffins—some old, some new. It didn't differ much from how it used to look, except that the number of coffins seemed to have increased a bit.

"What year is it now? Just how long have I been trapped here? I need to venture outside to find out. For now, I'd better keep a low profile until I figure out the situation. If all the captains at Headquarters are like this, I'm going to have a headache."

Perhaps Li Jun's earlier display had shaken him.

Chen Qiaoyang came to terms with reality, recognizing that even in this era, there were top experts adept at dealing with vengeful spirits. If he underestimated them, he could suffer serious consequences.

So, he altered his approach and decided to lay low in Dadong City for some time, waiting to grasp the situation before resuming his old trade.

But no sooner had he stepped outside the mansion...

...than he was stopped by a handsome young man dressed in a suit and glasses, looking the part of a successful businessman, who smiled warmly and blocked his path: "You seem unfamiliar. Would you mind stopping for a chat? I'm Wang Chaling, the person in charge of Dadong City and a captain-level figure. Oh, by the way, how's my friend Li Jun doing inside?"

"Wang Chaling?"

Chen Qiaoyang paused his steps, smirked, and brushed his graying hair with one hand. "The third generation of the Wang Family? Looks like the Wang Family's been living pretty comfortably—it's only the third generation. I'd thought you'd be on the fourth or fifth by now. After Wang Lu and his wife died, your family rarely dealt with those ghostly things anymore. Otherwise, you'd be the right age to just drop dead at this point, wouldn't you?"

Wang Lu and his wife.

They were the second generation of the Wang Family, and they were currently lost within the ancient mansion.

Wang Chaling was no fool. The moment he heard Chen Qiaoyang's words and looked at his attire, his heart sank.

Someone from the same era as his parents?

How could such a figure have been hiding in the ancient mansion all this time without him ever hearing about it?

"You knew my parents? May I ask... who you are?" Wang Chaling probed.

"Had some dealings with your family's second generation before. Regret not going hard enough back then—I should've killed your parents. But thanks to them, I've survived until now," Chen Qiaoyang replied. "As for that young man you mentioned, Li Jun, he's probably dead by now. Who knows? Why don't you, as the third generation of the Wang Family, go inside and reunite with your parents?"

Wang Chaling's expression froze slightly.

It was clear now—the man before him was an enemy, and not just any enemy, but one from his parents' era. On top of that, Li Jun had evidently encountered grave danger.

It made sense.

Otherwise, with Li Jun's temperament and personality, there was no way he would've allowed this man to leave the mansion unscathed.

Without hesitation.

Two terrifying figures emerged behind Wang Chaling.

Elderly and specter-like, they wore old-fashioned attire from the Republic of China Period. Their faces were lined with wrinkles, and their entire beings were monochromatic—almost like portraits from memorial photos.

"The first generation of the Wang Family..." An unmistakable glint of fear appeared in Chen Qiaoyang's eyes.

The Wang Family's most formidable forces weren't the mansion, nor its second or third generations, but the very first generation—the initiators of the Wang Family's cursed legacy—the two elderly ghosts standing before him.

Chen Qiaoyang dared not let his guard down.

Those two figures could end his life if he made even a single mistake.

In turn, four ghastly corpses slowly materialized around Chen Qiaoyang's position. Each had died in a horrendous and unique way, their decomposing hands intertwined, encircling him.

This was a safeguard.

A protective barrier created by vengeful spirits.

"Four ghosts?" Wang Chaling's hair stood on end, and his heart sank.

But the sudden shift in Wang Chaling's expression registered keenly in Chen Qiaoyang's eyes.

"The third generation of the Wang Family seems useless; he doesn't understand the horror of his family's first generation of ghosts. He's faltering..."

Having survived decades as a Ghost Shepherd, Chen Qiaoyang's insight was razor-sharp. The moment Wang Chaling's demeanor shifted, he quickly assessed him as a mediocre fighter. His earlier clash with Li Jun had already exposed his shortcomings.

"Wang Family's third generation, I don't intend to kill you—not until the fourth generation of your family is born. The grudges between us were settled with the deaths of Wang Lu and his wife. If I kill you here, your family will end with you. Then, if all of you lose control and turn into vengeful ghosts, it'll be a massive mess to clean up."

"So, let's leave it at that. I have other matters to attend to—I don't have the time to engage in pointless fighting with you youngsters."

Chen Qiaoyang snorted, his tone carrying the undeniable authority of a senior figure that brooked no question.

He then clasped his hands behind his back, strolling leisurely away from the mansion as if the confrontation had been nothing but a minor hiccup.

Wang Chaling's eyes flickered with hesitation. On one hand, he wanted to eliminate this man here and now; on the other hand, he feared the supernatural forces under Chen Qiaoyang's command.

Was Li Jun truly dead?

If so, could Wang Chaling, by himself, stop this man?

If he couldn't, then his own death would mean disaster for the city—a loss of two captains in Dadong City would undoubtedly lead to total chaos.

A fight wouldn't be worth the risk.

So, he continued to step backward.

He retreated beyond the confines of the mansion.

Outside, the world was eerily silent—dark and oppressive, with streetlights extinguished.

The supernatural power had extended to the area outside, and the entire district had already been sealed off.

"It's been so many years—Dadong City has become more and more prosperous. The entire city seems lit up, unlike in my era when power outages were a common occurrence," Chen Qiaoyang remarked with a sense of nostalgia as he stepped out further. He looked up at the skyline, visibly struck by the contrast.

It was his first glimpse of the modern world.

But at the same time, he remained wary of Wang Chaling.

Sure enough.

The third generation of the Wang Family was a disappointment—even failing to hold the mansion. How far the mighty had fallen, considering how the second generation, backed by the first generation's power, used to dominate their circle unchallenged.

"Young man, take care. I'm leaving. Rest assured, the grudges between us have been settled—we likely won't meet again."

With that, Chen Qiaoyang waved his hand farewell, extending a surprising courtesy, as if offering Wang Chaling his blessings.

Wang Chaling's face darkened slightly, his gaze shifting as he mulled something over, but ultimately, he refrained from acting, watching helplessly as Chen Qiaoyang walked away.

He knew this man spelled nothing but trouble. If allowed to roam free outside the mansion, calamity wasn't just possible—it was inevitable.

The best course of action now would be to eliminate him here and now.

But reason told him it would be foolish to challenge this figure alone.

As his mind raced.

Chen Qiaoyang's footsteps drifted farther and farther. Hands still clasped behind his back as he strolled, his posture relaxed and unbothered.

Soon, he was about to leave the street altogether.

"What a troublesome place this is—I need to leave immediately," Chen Qiaoyang muttered silently to himself.

Unlike before, facing captain-level figures without sufficient numbers of ghosts under his command was unwise. These youngsters might not entirely know their limits, but they were capable of unpredictable bursts of power that could take him down.

But then, the unexpected happened.

As he reached the end of the street, Chen Qiaoyang halted abruptly, his expression stiffening, growing increasingly grave.

A golden, fractured long spear stood firmly planted in the ground, buried deep into the concrete as it barred his way.

"Hmm?" Chen Qiaoyang saw the weapon and immediately realized what was happening.

In an instant.

The dim sky began to darken further, turning a blood-red hue. Shadows on the ground swayed unnaturally, as if an enormous, oppressive force were encroaching from all directions.

The entire world transformed once more.

The bustling, vibrant city was gone.

Replaced by something eerie—a sinister, crimson domain infused with supernatural forces.

"Leaving in such a hurry?" A cold, detached voice echoed through the air.

From the entrance of the road appeared a shadow—the figure of a young man materializing out of nowhere. Calmly, he stepped forward, reaching out a charred hand to grasp the golden, fractured spear planted in the ground.

"As expected, dealing with someone named Yang is always the biggest headache."

Chen Qiaoyang's gaze locked onto the youthful, yet all-too-recognizable face before him. His gaunt expression twisted into a look of savage intensity.