The situation before their eyes was indeed beyond belief.
Big Cousin hadn't died, but instead, his entire person had entered the mirror, while conversely, the invisible ghost had taken Big Cousin's place before everyone.
If Yang Jian hadn't been so observant and noticed the details in which the ghost was masquerading, it could very well have deceived them, taking Miao Xiaoshan away with it.
Once they had left, Yang Jian couldn't even begin to imagine what chain reaction might have been triggered.
But from this incident, Yang Jian deduced that the ghost's Terror Level was not very high, not one of those vengeful spirits that would kill indiscriminately at the first sign of conflict.
Otherwise, by now Big Cousin probably would have been dead.
"Yang, Yang Jian, what do we do now?" Zhao Lei started to panic.
Before, when it was uncertain whether there was a supernatural event happening around them, it wasn't so alarming, but now that it was confirmed that there was indeed a ghost following them, they couldn't stay calm anymore.
Yang Jian looked at the glass mirror in front of him and said slowly, "First, don't panic. Since the ghost was present back at the restaurant and hasn't killed anyone over the course of several hours, it indicates that this ghost has certain restrictions or unique characteristics, so for the time being we are safe."
"Right now, I just want to know how this ghost managed to get a person into the mirror."
"You think, could the ghost itself be this mirror?"
Wang Shanshan spoke with a hint of coldness in her voice.
Yang Jian immediately said, "No way, the mirror is fine. It's just an ordinary mirror. The issue is with the ghost, but right after it showed itself a moment ago, it disappeared again. I haven't quite figured out some characteristics of that ghost. To understand it, we'll need to ask Shangguan Yun."
"Given what happened, he must have encountered the unseen ghost while he was using the bathroom earlier."
"So some things must be clarified with him. Only by understanding that ghost can we resolve this situation."
Because ghosts can't be killed.
So, upon seeing a ghost, the first thought isn't to engage in a head-on fight, but rather, while ensuring one's own survival, to avoid direct contact with the malevolent spirit.
Ghosts can't die, but people can.
Even someone like Yang Jian, who controlled two ghosts, couldn't afford to be careless when facing a ghost.
"However, his phone is broken, communication is cut off, and it's very inconvenient to talk; we can only communicate in writing now. Does anyone have a pen and paper? If not, we'll need to buy some nearby," Yang Jian asked.
"I don't study, why would I carry that stuff?" said Zhang Wei.
Wang Shanshan also shook her head.
"Then who will go and buy some? Or we can borrow from the bar downstairs," Yang Jian said.
"Brother Tui, we're in the middle of a horror movie right now. If we split up, it could end badly. It's better to stay together; that's the right move," Zhang Wei said, shaking his head frantically.
Yang Jian looked around; "Then I'll go, you guys wait here."
"No, no, if you leave, wouldn't we still be left alone? Tied together fish are still fish, facing a ghost we are still done for," Zhang Wei immediately shook his head again.
"Then let's go together," Yang Jian said.
At this moment, Wang Shanshan suggested, "We don't need to go, we can just write on the mirror with water. He should be able to understand that."
"That's a great idea," Zhao Lei immediately nodded in agreement.
Nobody dared to leave, gathering together, and especially when they were by Yang Jian's side they could feel a bit safer.
"Zhang Wei, you go write, I'll dictate," Yang Jian said.
"Why me? Brother Tui, I can't do it, look at my fingers. I over-clicked the mouse while gaming yesterday, and they've been cramping up ever since—now they're numb, can't move at all, ouch, it hurts so much. See, my finger is cramping again, I can't, I need to go to the hospital, I can't be disabled at such a young age," Zhang Wei said, cradling his hand as if in immense pain.
"Zhao Lei?" Yang Jian turned to him.
All of a sudden, Zhao Lei clutched his chest and said, "Brother Tui, my chest feels so tight, suddenly I can't breathe, it's over, I'm going to pass out, I feel like I'm running out of oxygen, it's so uncomfortable, is it alcohol poisoning? It must be, that beer earlier was dodgy."
As he spoke, he even slumped down against the wall.
"Damn it, just die already, don't come to me for help when you meet a ghost later, just pretend I don't know you," Yang Jian said.
As soon as he spoke, Zhang Wei suddenly laughed and said, "Yang Jian, I just remembered, although my right hand is cramped, my left hand is fine! I can write with my left hand, not a problem at all. See, the left hand is so flexible, writing is no issue."
If Brother Tui isn't covering for them, what's the point in playing along?
"Suddenly realized my dizziness is also getting a bit better, looks like my alcohol poisoning wasn't so severe after all, I should be able to hold on."
Zhao Lei then struggled back to his feet, looking utterly feeble.
"Since your hand isn't cramping, you write," Yang Jian said to Zhang Wei.
"Big bro, why is it still me?"
"Because I suspect the ghost followed you here."
Yang Jian said seriously, "Didn't you say you spent an entire night playing rock-paper-scissors with a reflection in the mirror and winning?"
"Now that Shangguan Yun has run into trouble inside the mirror, this is too much of a coincidence. That's why you are the prime suspect. If you don't go, who will? We can't expect others to clean up your mess. Besides, I can't do it. I need to stay on guard and not get too distracted."
Zhang Wei replied with a dismal face, "Will it be dangerous?"
"I don't know, it might be dangerous or it might not be. Why don't you try getting some paper and a pen?" suggested Yang Jian.
"Let's go together, I think it's the safest method. It won't take much time if we go together," Zhang Wei said earnestly.
The corner of Yang Jian's mouth twitched. "If you guys keep this up, I'm going to start hitting people. You're dithering so much, if that ghost really were out to kill us, you'd all be dead at least three times over."
"I'll do the writing. I can't leave Cousin alone here," Miao Xiaoshan said, her voice tinged with fear she couldn't hide, as she wiped her tears away.
"Think it through. Although the mirror isn't a problem, the ghost definitely has some connection to it, which poses certain risks," Yang Jian warned, somewhat surprised.
He hadn't expected Miao Xiaoshan to be so courageous at this moment.
"It's okay, it's all my fault Cousin is . If I hadn't asked him to come to the gathering, he wouldn't have experienced this. And by the time you go and come back, I'm not sure if Cousin will still be in the mirror.
What if something happens when we're all supposed to leave together?" Miao Xiaoshan said urgently; she and Shangguan Yun were relatives, and despite her fear, she was very concerned about him.
Yang Jian calmly said, "Since you've decided, then let's begin. I'll ensure your safety if anything happens."
He could open his Ghost Domain in an instant, and once it was opened, he could get everyone out of there within a second. That's why he had to be constantly vigilant, ensuring there were no accidents.
"Okay," Miao Xiaoshan nodded.
"Ask Shangguan Yun if he saw anything unusual in the restroom," Yang Jian instructed.
Miao Xiaoshan quickly dipped her finger in water and wrote on the mirror, "Cousin, don't be scared. Yang Jian will find a way to resolve this. He wants to ask you some questions. Since you've dropped your phone, this is the only way we can communicate."
On the other side of the mirror, Shangguan Yun's expression was collapsing. Standing in front of the mirror, he was immensely alarmed, desperately pounding on the mirror, trying to get out.
He was trapped as if in a cage, unable to escape.
Miao Xiaoshan's words sparked a glimmer of hope in him. He hurriedly wrote on the other end of the mirror, "Please help me~!"
"Yang Jian is asking if you saw anything unusual in the restroom," Miao Xiaoshan wrote messily but quickly, without impairing readability.
"No, I was just washing my face at the time."
"Yang Jian, what do you see?" Miao Xiaoshan turned and asked him.
Yang Jian continued, "Ask him how he got into the mirror."
Miao Xiaoshan immediately wrote, "Cousin, how did you get inside the mirror?"
Shangguan Yun replied anxiously, "I don't know, what am I supposed to do now? I want to get out, I want to leave this place. Can I not get out?"
His expression was full of fear and urgency,
"Tell him to calm down," Yang Jian said, frowning.
Shangguan Yun was in a terrible mental state, probably on the brink of collapse. It was difficult to ask him questions effectively.
"Cousin, please calm down. Yang Jian will have a hard time helping you if you're . Think about it, did anything unusual happen to you in the restroom?" Miao Xiaoshan wrote again.
"I don't know, I really don't know. I was just washing my face, I have no idea when I got into the mirror," he shouted and wrote, "Tell Yang Jian to save me, I don't want to die. I don't want to die here..."
"He's in no state to recall details or provide clues. Unless he calms down, it will be hard to get anything useful out of him," Yang Jian said with a frown. "Miao Xiaoshan, console your cousin for now. Let's hold off on questions."
Unable to recall specifics or give clues, asking him was pointless.
Miao Xiaoshan had no choice but to continue writing and comforting him.
But at that moment, Shangguan Yun, on the other side of the mirror, suddenly wrote, "It sounds like someone is coming to the restroom, is rescue on the way? You must have called the police by now, right? Please have them save me..."
Seeing this message, Miao Xiaoshan's hand froze up instantly. Instinctively, she moved away from the mirror, the fear in her eyes magnified in an instant.
The others also felt a chill down their spines, falling silent.
Even Yang Jian deeply furrowed his brow, sensing something was amiss.
Because, from where they stood, there were no sounds of anyone approaching the restroom.
Even if there were, Shangguan Yun inside the mirror should not have been able to hear it.
The sound he heard had only one possible source.
It was coming from inside the mirror.