American variety show world begins with subduing Jason

However, in a corner of the suburbs, one light still shines.

Although it falls short of the standard of a large house that some people dream of, the three-story house with white walls and red tiles is considered a respectable family property among the local middle class.

However, its condition is really poor... The paint on the door frame is dull, the wall is damp and black, and the bottom of the steps is covered with yellow and green weeds, obviously having gone through several cycles of growth and decay, and still no one takes care of it.

This is to be expected. Ever since the homeowner suddenly went insane more than a decade ago, murdered his wife, seriously injured his two children, and then committed suicide by shooting himself, this place has become a notorious haunted house. No matter how hard the real estate agents tried, they were unable to sell it.

Since the mansion has not changed hands, the only other person appearing here besides the original owner is undoubtedly the original owner.

What prompted them to overcome their inner conflicts and return to this place of sorrow was the very origin of all their misfortune...

The spacious room had been mostly cleared out, and was now filled with five or six cameras and a bunch of strange objects.

Two figures, a man and a woman, were hurriedly setting something up inside.

"Kelly, are you sure this is okay?" The brown-haired youth unfurled a bundle of gleaming silver wire, carefully wound it around the groove of the pulley, and then turned nervously to ask his older sister beside him.

Seemingly feeling the weight wasn't enough, the woman added two more iron plates to either side of the enormous metal dumbbell, activated the mechanism to suspend it in mid-air, and then freed her hands to tie up her long, golden-red hair.

Her face was resolute as she encouraged her brother and herself: "It can definitely be done, Tim. I've spent three whole months devising this plan."

The woman gritted her teeth and said, "Once the mechanism is ready, we'll retreat outside. When the time is up, the dumbbell will automatically smash this damn thing to pieces and avenge Father and Mother."

As they spoke, they all looked toward where the camera was focused.

It was a full-length mirror leaning against the wall, the glass mirror, more than half a person's height, was dim and deep. The rectangular wooden frame had blurred patterns and was covered with a thick layer of oxidized patina. It looked like an antique from at least one or two hundred years ago.

Suddenly, the mirror seemed to light up for a moment, and the siblings felt a numbness in their feet. A cold, slippery sensation mixed with sharp pain came over them. They quickly looked down and saw a series of brightly colored venomous snakes biting them frantically.

Tim was so frightened that he kicked wildly, dropped the parts, and tried to turn and run away, but was firmly grabbed by a hand.

"Don't be afraid, it's just a hallucination in your mind!"

Kelly gripped her electronic camera tightly and calmly peered through the lens. The so-called snakes were nothing more than coiled rubber-insulated electrical wires.

She stared at the ancient mirror and sneered, "You're scared, aren't you? Trying to scare us to death with illusions, just like you did with Mom and Dad back then!"

The woman spoke softly and quickly, a hint of excitement in her expression: "It's for revenge that I majored in psychology in college. You can't fool me!"

Having seen through their tricks, the two were no longer afraid. Then, a blood-soaked female ghost, exploding flames, and terrifying demonic shadows appeared one after another, but they could no longer stop their actions.

After setting the timer, the siblings left their old home, letting the cold rain lash their faces. Through the clear window, they suddenly pressed the remote control button from afar.

The nearly 100-pound steel object slid down with a crash, swinging in a wide arc along the steel cable before smashing violently into the ancient mirror.

...two figures in front!

The siblings were startled and looked up in disbelief. They realized they were outside, still standing in front of the mirror. Everything that had just happened was just an illusion!

"Pfft."

Crimson blood and grayish-white brain matter were scattered everywhere, adding new color to the faded mirror surface.

The light flickered a few times and then went out, as if mourning the tragedy of the entire family's extermination.

However, in the eyes of the perpetrators, the lives of ordinary people are merely a small condiment.

A hazy light and shadow emerged from the mirror, remarking with disdain and sneer, "Modern people are really good at being clever; their tricks are even funnier than those of the court clowns of the past."

The light and shadow, like a misty fog, form a vague, indistinct female silhouette, which gently beckons with a raised hand.

Even the smallest mosquito is still meat; the souls that die under the mirror are under her control, and collecting them little by little will eventually be useful.

However, as expected, the soul fire did not rise. Instead, a sharp blade of light appeared, seemingly capable of splitting mountains!

"Fuck! I finally caught you!"

The boy's "corpse" suddenly shattered, and from among countless pieces of paper, a bald, muscular black man leaped up, his ancient, silver-gray longsword slicing through space. In an instant, man and weapon seemed to merge into one, transforming into a bright rainbow!

The misty figures instantly shattered, scattering into specks of light and dust.

The demon hunter elder, renowned as the "Blade Warrior," sensed something was amiss despite the swift and decisive strike:

The surrounding light and shadows refracted and changed, and he found himself trapped in a kaleidoscope-like space.

If a third party were to observe this from the outside, they would be astonished to find that the image of the black man floats on the surface of the ancient mirror, making sword-wielding and fighting motions, while the misty woman stands motionless beside him.

"Damn hound, its nose is really sensitive." Knowing she couldn't hold it for more than a few seconds, she cursed angrily, her figure becoming ethereal and about to disappear.

Just then, the room was suddenly illuminated by a bright light from all eight directions. The eight trigrams of Qian, Dui, Li, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Gen, and Kun were displayed, and a vast spiritual energy circulated and sealed off the void, cutting off any possibility of her escape.

Kelly's "corpse" turned into a paper figure, and a clear and refined voice accompanied the handsome old man in gray as he turned and jumped up.

“This esteemed…madam? We have been searching for you for a long time. Please take some time to have a proper talk.”

Before the words were even finished, the hazy mist suddenly collapsed, revealing a glass lens, which then resolutely shattered into dust, silently destroying itself.

His decisive actions and ruthless will rendered all of Henry Lai's carefully prepared arguments useless, leaving the usually easygoing man speechless and unable to help but swear:

"Damn it, these are truly ancient demons who have lived through the Dharma-ending Age for thousands of years. They're all slippery as eels soaked in oil. Where is your dignity and propriety? Where is your pride as powerful beings?"

No wonder he lost his composure. Ever since exploring Skull Island, they learned that a group of mysterious beings, suspected to be powerful figures from the past, were hiding in the shadows, and they joined forces with the authorities to investigate.

After expending countless resources, we finally caught a glimpse of the truth today, only to have it vanish in an instant. All our hard work over the past few months has been for nothing. Who wouldn't be frustrated?

A silver-white portal woven from countless runes opened, and someone continued his words:

“I have some objections to this… Beings that can survive the long periods of elemental low tide have probably long since abandoned their sacred glory and tasted the flavors of human souls and flesh. Emotions like pride are probably no different from air in front of them.”

A gentle-faced elderly white man stood steadily behind the portal. Dressed in a modified priest's black robe, he stood tall with neatly combed hair. In one hand he held a jeweled cross short sword, and in the other a platinum holy water cup, exuding an air of piety and holiness.

However, the occasional shrewdness and cunning in his eyes, along with his shifty gaze, really ruined his overall demeanor.

Seeing his resolute refusal to move, Eric, who had just stepped out of the mirror, was furious.

"Warren, you coward! The people have run away, and you still don't dare to come over?"

"Caution is a precious virtue. I'm not as capable as you. My peaceful retirement is entirely due to my years of diligence."

The cross-shaped short sword drew a circle, first applying multiple layers of defense. The Federation's most famous exorcist looked down and cautiously stepped out.

“Now that we’ve lost our leads, let’s rest and regroup until we have more resources before continuing.” Ed Warren’s eyes darted around after examining the remaining traces.

The exorcist, who was forcibly brought along, actually had no desire to participate in this dangerous tracking game. With his extensive experience, he had already sensed the terrifying shadows looming behind the enemy.

“You know the situation in Centria; everyone is short-handed.” Henry Lai and Eric exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with complex emotions.

His words were actually somewhat reserved. Even close brothers keep clear accounts, let alone government and non-governmental organizations. Before the federal government shows any further willingness to cooperate, even if they are personally willing to continue taking risks, they must consider the interests of the organization.

After a moment's thought, Lai Hengli said, "Let's discuss this first..."

He suddenly stopped talking, took out his phone to answer the call, and his eyes suddenly became bright and alert.

"When you think you've reached the end of the road, a new path opens up before you. Good lad, this intelligence of yours is a great asset!"

Chapter 380 Speculation

"Just as described in folk legends, the Olympian pantheon has always been known for its unrestrained and licentious lifestyle..."

The reception room was bright and clean, with several people of all ages sitting in a circle around the tea table, listening to a voice talking eloquently.

The half-foot-long blue stone box was passed back and forth between them, the Tai Chi symbol carved on it smoothing out all energy fluctuations and firmly confining the aura of the collection within the room.

"Fengdu, the capital of Mount Tai, is the Department for Examining Sinful Souls. The dark prisons are found throughout the various jails, and the mighty spirits of the underworld reside there..."

Between Lü Hetong's palms, the Soul-Refining Azure Flame roared and swirled, gradually evolving into chains as thin as hair, bound by the Ten Kings Yin Laws of the Mysterious Sect. These chains tightly restrained the Rakshasa Ghost, which had been thrashing about but was now compressed to the size of a fist, tormenting it to the point of ecstasy.

He studied the rare creature with great interest, continuing to speak without looking up:

"As one of the twelve Olympian gods, Hermes, the messenger of the gods, also has many offspring, including gods, demigods, and humans. But with this thing as evidence, there is absolutely no other possibility for the target's identity."

Following his words, everyone looked into the blue stone box, where a reed stalk several centimeters long lay inside, exuding a warm, golden hue from the inside out.

"In the Olympian pantheon, there dwells who govern shepherding, nature, mountains, forests, and countryside—the shepherd god Pan!"

"Just as I thought." Zhu Mingyao sat at the lower end of the table, recalling the appearance of the enemy that night, and nodded slightly to himself.

Apart from him, everyone else present was an elite from the extraordinary world, and they were no strangers to this kind of knowledge. They all showed expressions of surprise.

This sacred figure has appeared in various theatrical, sculptural, and painting works of art since ancient times, and is therefore quite well-known; even ordinary people can name a few words about him.

It is said that He has a human head and body, and the legs, horns and ears of a goat. He roams the mountains and valleys year-round, keeping company with the spirits of nature.

In his spare time, he enjoys playing a seven-pipe panpipe made of reeds. The music he produces can hypnotize living beings. He is also the guardian spirit of Capricorn in the 12 zodiac signs.

"Ahem." Ed Warren, who had changed into a fleece-lined casual suit, cleared his throat and, drawing on his religious background, added the following information:

"Although He was demonized by the Church in medieval Europe as the prototype of the devil because of His half-human, half-goat appearance, He was fundamentally an ancient god of the natural realm and had nothing to do with the hell faction."

Zhu Mingyao glanced at the renowned old exorcist, slightly surprised.

Master, you're really something! So openly revealing the dark history of your backer. Could you perhaps belong to the liberation theology school?

Seemingly sensing his gaze, Warren's lips curled slightly, and he sent a subtle communication spell.

"Although I have many acquaintances in Catholic churches, my church affiliation is actually with the Protestant Presbyterian Church."

Leaving aside their flirtatious exchanges, Lü Hetong tossed aside the Rakshasa ghost, whose mouth and eyes were twisted and contorted like the neighbor Wu Lao Er, then casually flicked away the yin fire from his hands and deftly picked up a reed stalk.

"I don't need to say much about the common stuff in historical classics; I'll just talk about something deeper."

Having spent half his life studying the art of summoning spirits and commanding generals, his discussion of obscure secrets about ghosts and gods was perfectly in line with his expertise.

"The true forms and appearances that ghosts and gods reveal to the world often contain their inherent divine virtues, and the various objects they wear and possess also have their corresponding meanings."

Just as Apollo and Artemis's gold and silver bows and arrows, and their gold and silver chariots, were symbols of their control over the sun and moon, then the question arises…

Like all tech geeks, when asked about areas of interest, he asked with great enthusiasm:

"What would it mean if one day the bows and arrows broke and the chariots were shattered?"

Zhu Mingyao honestly replied, "The destruction of the divine artifacts of power means that even if they did not fall from their pedestals and die on the spot, they were only a hair's breadth away from kicking the bucket."

“Yes!” Lü Hetong affirmed briefly, then raised the hollow reed stalk again:

“The reed belongs to the wood element and grows by the water, which corresponds to the domain of the god Pan, namely the ‘mountains, forests and waters.’ The seven-pipe panpipes can be used as a shepherd’s flute, which corresponds to the domain of ‘animal husbandry.’ This is His divine artifact of authority. Now that it has collapsed and scattered, it means that it is just a remnant of a corpse. No wonder it has been targeted by people.”

"Old Lu, can you deduce anything about the identities of the other group?" Lai Hengli leaned back on the sofa, scribbling in a notebook.

Lü Hetong shook his head, then nodded:

"Based on the descriptions of the boys, we can only confirm that the woman is Queenie, the missing rising star of the Voodoo Cult. She has clearly been possessed by one of the water gods of Olympus."

However, the genealogy of the Holy Mountain gods is incredibly complex, with numerous deities possessing elements of rivers and oceans, making it difficult to pinpoint their exact identities. But judging from her speech and demeanor, her ability to address the son of Hermes with relative equality suggests that her status is not lowly.

As for the mysterious figure you've been tracking for so long, based on their modus operandi, they should be collecting the spiritual elements of the concept of the "mirror." The most famous related entity I can think of is "Bloody Mary"..."