I and countless versions of myself simultaneously travel through time.

Ye Yan has been confirming the timeline these past two days. According to the information he has gathered, Yang Jian has already survived the knocking ghost incident at the Seventh Middle School. What awaits him next is the newspaper ghost, a vengeful spirit that can only alter memories and perceptions.

Ye Yan definitely needs to control this ghost. The newspaper ghost's abilities are a huge help to any ghost tamer, especially in this world where information is power.

But despite all his calculations, he never expected that the wishing ghost had been observing him for two days.

He's a ghost, so he doesn't need to sleep. He's barely closed his eyes these past two days, constantly gathering information from the ghost-tamer community.

After getting off the ghost bus, he knew his situation was not stable and he had to figure out the rules of this world and the trump cards of all the forces involved as soon as possible.

But he overlooked one thing: when you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.

Moreover, the mysterious resurgence of most ghost tamers is synonymous with utter despair.

Actually, the wishing ghost comes on its own.

It just came to see Ye Yan.

For the past two days, it has been like a hunter lurking in the shadows, carefully observing this peculiar being who got off the ghost bus. In its long supernatural life, it has seen countless humans and countless vengeful ghosts, but someone like Ye Yan is a first for it.

"They're much better than the babies in this city who are born after ten months of pregnancy," was the wishing ghost's most honest opinion.

It originally had a plan: to kill the city's inhabitants to feed the rapidly growing ghost baby.

It estimated that the supernatural power of a million people would be enough to allow a ghost baby to grow to a terrifying size.

A million people is not a number; it's just a number.

But now, it has seen Ye Yan.

Ye Yan is a more suitable target than the ghost baby.

The moment the ghost got off the ghost bus, the wishing ghost became very interested in Ye Yan, as if a hunter had suddenly discovered a prey that was far more perfect than expected.

It originally wanted to let the ghost baby continue to grow, but now, there's a ready-made vengeful ghost right in front of it, and with even greater potential.

These past two days, the wishing ghost made its first wish to prevent Ye Yan from discovering its existence.

It was well hidden, and Ye Yan did not sense it. It wasn't that Ye Yan was too weak, but rather that the wishing ghost's level was too high.

According to the wishing ghost's observation, Ye Yan not only controlled the vengeful spirit of the ghost bus, but also, like a human, could go online, learn various skills, research information, think about problems, and even create supernatural weapons. The wishing ghost had long wanted such a perfect vengeful spirit.

But after observing for a while, it also noticed something: Ye Yan was in a state of being half-human and half-ghost.

But his ghostly aura was that of a genuine ghost, not some otherworldly being. This contradictory existence made the wishing ghost even more fascinated.

Ye Yan looked down and saw a note on the floor.

He didn't move, because he knew that even coffin nails couldn't hold back the wishing ghost. This vengeful spirit didn't exist in reality at all; even in the fifth level of the ghost realm, its outline could only be barely seen.

From Ye Yan's perspective, there was only a chilling aura here, like the cold air seeping from the cracks in the ground in winter.

This is only the early stages of the story, right?

Why did the big boss come up so quickly?

Ye Yan looked at the paper on the ground, on which a line of text was written:

I've been observing you for a long time. You're a ghost with the mindset of a living person, but your behavior is human. Interested in making a deal? Your body is quite nice; I really want it.

The wishing ghost directly expressed its intention to possess Ye Yan's body, which amused Ye Yan.

He understood; the wishing ghost was envious of him.

The wishing ghost is ultimately a vengeful spirit. Even the Ghost Cabinet, which controlled the dead machine in the original work, was essentially a ghost that acted according to the rules. Ye Yan, however, is different. He has the mindset of a living person but possesses the power of a vengeful spirit.

This perfect combination was irresistible to the wishing ghost.

However, the wishing ghost looked down on Ye Yan's two killing patterns, considering them nothing more than low-level methods.

In the original storyline, Yang Jian, Liu Qi, Wang Shanshan, and two others had their second class reunion. The rule was that whoever attacked Yang Jian before midnight would win.

In the end, Yang Jian's six ghost eyes crashed, and the man and the ghost fought to restart the machine. However, Ye Yan did not have a ghost domain, so he could only use fate points as a substitute. The wishing ghost was turned into a wooden stick by the wish.

But if the wishing ghost wins, it can do whatever it wants, and then it can no longer be described by the word "vengeful ghost".

With a city's population of one million, the consequences of the wishing ghost's power and potential for growth are unimaginable.

Breaking through the behavioral norms of vengeful spirits, the current wishing ghost possesses terrifying abilities, but it is constrained by the rules governing vengeful spirits and thus seeks to break through them.

"I have no interest in doing business with you."

Ye Yan's voice was as calm as a stagnant pool, without any emotional fluctuation.

He stood in the shadows of the old house, his gaze fixed on the note that had appeared out of nowhere.

He knew the wishing ghost's methods; that kind of supernatural power, which was almost like words becoming law, was indeed terrifying. But he was not an ordinary person who could be swayed by words. He was a ghost, an existence that walked on the edge of the supernatural.

Another note arrived, as if a response had been prepared in advance.

In Dachang City, ten thousand people die every second. You have humanity, unlike a vengeful ghost. If you lose, your loved ones will die.

Ye Yan looked at the words on the note, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.

"Are you threatening me?" His voice remained calm, even carrying a hint of cold laughter. "I have no family. Don't forget, I'm a ghost. What kind of language do you use to say I'll lose my loved ones?"

The wishing ghost: "..."

Even the wishing ghost was dumbfounded.

Right, where would a vengeful ghost get relatives?

No new messages arrived on the note for a short while.

Ye Yan could almost picture the wishing ghost's brief moment of dazedness. This terrifying ghost, possessing consciousness and thought, was at this moment limited by its own ghostly mindset, or rather, its rules were in conflict. The wishing ghost's rule required the death of a loved one, and it seemed to enjoy a game of "Nine Clans Elimination," like the one with Zhao Kaiming.

It is accustomed to threatening humans by exploiting their weaknesses—family, lovers, and friends—these are the most fatal vulnerabilities of ordinary people.

But Ye Yan is different; he doesn't have these things.

His existence transcends the realm of ordinary humans. Those human ties have long been left behind. It's impossible for him to have tens of thousands of people die and then be controlled by a wishing ghost; that would be utterly ridiculous.

The wishing ghost seemed to be stuck for a moment by some kind of rule conflict. Its way of thinking was ultimately that of a vengeful ghost. Even though it had consciousness and thoughts, some deep-rooted logical blind spots still existed.

It could never break the behavioral norms of the vengeful ghost.

A "ghost" without relatives or attachments is indeed outside the framework of threat and rules.

Ye Yan immediately started modifying the Fate Points.

[Would you like to use 1 Destiny Point to retrieve Zhao Kaiming's phone number? Automatic retrieval complete.]

[Would you like to consume 30 Destiny Points to dial this number? This will automatically stack the ghostly attack of the Door-Knocking Ghost, with a very high probability of summoning the ghost.]

[Consume 50 Fate Points to infinitely stack ghostly screams and cries of agony? Effect lasts 10 hours. The medium can be set on Zhao Kaiming.]

Ye Yan glanced at the screen and didn't hesitate for long.

He chose to make the call, and Fate Points were automatically deducted. An unfamiliar number popped up on his phone screen—the verified number of some unlucky passerby, which he had obtained using Fate Points.

This is where he is more cunning than the wishing ghost; the uses of fate points are ever-changing, and he can always find the most suitable one.

The call went through.

the other side.

Zhao Kaiming was sitting in the dimly lit room, gently wiping the dust off the photo frame with his fingers.

The photos show his former relatives; their faces have gradually blurred with time, but he remembers every detail.

He felt the familiar eerie aura around him fading away; the vengeful ghost that had been haunting him seemed to be slowly leaving.

No.

They've already left.

A smile appeared on Zhao Kaiming's lips. He was excited, even somewhat thrilled.

Does the ghost's departure mean he can finally escape all of this?

He thought of his former relatives and those ordinary yet warm days, and a long-lost sense of anticipation welled up in his heart.

However, how to resurrect a loved one is also a problem.

Then, the phone rang.

An unfamiliar number.

Zhao Kaiming frowned, hesitated for a moment, and after thinking that he hadn't offended anyone, he pressed the answer button.

"Zhao Kaiming".

A voice came from the other end of the phone, calm and indifferent, as if calling the name of a dead person.

Zhao Kaiming's pupils suddenly contracted.

The next second, a knocking sound came from the phone.

The sound was deep and rhythmic, each strike feeling like it was hitting his heart.

Immediately afterwards, cries rang out, not from one person, but from countless people, layer upon layer, endlessly overlapping, like wails surging up from the depths of hell.

The sound of ghosts calling out to people also rang out, those voices calling his name, over and over again, each syllable carrying an eerie weight.

"Which bastard betrayed me?"

Zhao Kaiming slammed his phone to the ground.

The sound of plastic and metal shattering exploded in the room, but the sound didn't stop. The crying continued, the knocking continued, and the voices calling his name continued, as if nailed to his mind, impossible to shake off.

"Get out! Get out of here!"

Zhao Kaiming roared hoarsely, covering his ears with his hands, but the sounds pierced through his flesh and bones, echoing directly in the depths of his consciousness.

The wishing ghost sensed his fear.

A strange fluctuation rippled through the space, and the wishing ghost instantly made a wish, taking Zhao Kaiming away from the room surrounded by supernatural attacks.

The surrounding environment was distorted, time was flowing backward, and those sounds were temporarily left behind.

Ye Yan sensed that the Wishing Ghost's aura had disappeared.

He breathed a slight sigh of relief, turned around and left the place, needing to strengthen his supernatural powers as soon as possible.

The consumption of Fate Points was within expectations, and the desired effect was achieved, at least temporarily repelling that terrifying ghost.

The wishing ghost has learned its lesson this time. Maybe next time it will wish for the death of a relative. It has also learned Ye Yan's rules of behavior, making wishes to itself to break some restrictions. Because its rules include the death of a relative, it can keep wishing to break free from the restriction of that relative, and its words will become law.

But for Zhao Kaiming, the nightmare was far from over.

He was taken by the wishing ghost to a strange place, surrounded by a silent night and empty streets.

Those sounds... those sounds are still there.

In his mind, that cold voice was still playing on repeat, "Zhao Kaiming, Zhao Kaiming," and the sounds of knocking on the door and crying still echoed in his ears, as if they were engraved into his soul.

Zhao Kaiming knelt on the ground, panting heavily.

The wishing ghost saved his life, bringing him back from the brink of death, but his consciousness was still tormented by those voices.

His mind felt like it was filled with an entire hell, and every second was torture.

"I can't make any more wishes... I can't make any more wishes..." Zhao Kaiming murmured to himself, his voice hoarse and desperate.

Every wish the wishing ghost makes comes at a price, and he doesn't have much left to pay for it.

His hand trembled as he reached for a gun at his waist.

The cold metallic touch brought him to his senses slightly, but what followed was an even deeper despair.

He did not provoke anyone for any reason.

He was just an ordinary person plagued by a curse, who only wanted to live a quiet life. Why did he turn out like this?

Who made that call?

Where do those patterns of murder come from?

Zhao Kaiming suddenly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot. He raised his gun, the dark muzzle pointed at the air in front of him.

"It was you...it must have been you!" His voice was hoarse and crazed. "You're the one who left me! Did you find a better body than the ghost baby? It must have been you! It must have been you! Fuck you, you won't let me die, but I'll die anyway, hahahaha!"

His finger was on the trigger, veins bulging.

Then he saw a note on the ground.

He didn't know when it appeared, but it just lay there quietly, as if it had been waiting for him to see it.

Zhao Kaiming was stunned.

He slowly lowered his gun and picked up the note.

There was only one line of text written on it:

[So what if it's me?]

Zhao Kaiming's phone rang, and he answered desperately, "Zhao Kaiming, your dad, your uncle, and you..."

Zhao Kaiming: "..."