"Dudu~!" The phone rang.
"Hello, who is this?"
Zhao Kaiming's voice came through from the other end of the phone.
"Zhao Kaiming, it's me, Yang Jian." Yang Jian stood in the station with Zhou Zheng's satellite positioning mobile phone and dialed the number,
"Yang Jian?" Zhao Kaiming cracked a smile, "You're actually calling me? That's rare. What's up, had a change of heart? Ready to be my assistant and help me manage Dachang City?"
Yang Jian said, "Did you kill Yan Li and his family of four?"
He got straight to the point without any pretense or beating around the bush.
There was a pause on Zhao Kaiming's end before he replied, "You... why do you ask?"
"Before Yan Li died, he told me that someone from the club was going to kill him and to be careful. However, Wang Xiaoqiang from the club said he didn't touch Yan Li and he also wanted to eliminate me."
Yang Jian said, "Clearly, someone is deliberately using the Xiaoqiang Entertainment Club to try and take me down, while Yan Li was kept in the dark, unable to discern whether it was the club or someone else who wanted him dead."
"If I were to clash with the Xiaoqiang Entertainment Club, who in Dachang City would be happiest to see that? I believe Zhao Kaiming, you would definitely be one of them."
"Knowing that I have a history of cooperation with Yan Li, his Ghost Blood ability is of great assistance to any international ghost master. Hence, his death indirectly means I lose a future helper. Moreover, it would provoke me to suspect Wang Xiaoqiang, and if a conflict were to arise, it would be killing three birds with one stone."
"And the real instigator could just sit back, watch the outcome, and wait to clean up the mess at the end."
"Based on this reasoning, I wonder if I'm correct?"
Yang Jian's tone was very serious, laced with a cold indifference and hostility.
"Hahaha." Laughter from Zhao Kaiming came through the phone.
"What are you laughing at?"
After laughing for a while, Zhao Kaiming's tone suddenly changed, turning somewhat savage, "Yang Jian, you have some brain, but you're not smart enough. Yes, I killed Yan Li and his family of three. I intentionally used the deaths of the four of them to infuriate you, to set you against the Xiaoqiang Entertainment Club.
Remember what you said before in the city center, that you would go to the end with me."
"Don't tell me you thought I was just talking. When words are spoken, one must act on them. Today you acted very well; I've already received the news. The Xiaoqiang Entertainment Club has suffered a lot, with over a dozen dead, most of the shareholders killed by your hand."
"You really went for the jugular, too bad you didn't kill Wang Xiaoqiang, but of course, you can't kill him. His ghost is handpicked by Professor Wang, his brother."
"Though it isn't of the highest Terror Level, it's quite unique and well-suited for keeping Wang Xiaoqiang alive. Now think about it, if Wang Xiaoqiang hasn't died, how might he react when he sees what you've done to the club? Might he kill your entire family in a fit of rage? Hehe, I would be very pleased to see that happen."
Yang Jian furrowed his brows, "I thought you would deny it, didn't expect you to admit it so readily."
"Why would I deny it? Your call proves you've already guessed the truth, and it would be pointless for me to hide it now. Also, now that Wang Xiaoqiang and you have fallen out, even if he knows I instigated it, it's too late; he won't let you off. He often says 'a smile can dissipate deep grudges,' but I'm afraid you don't know just how vengeful he can be," Zhao Kaiming said with a sneer.
"Besides, although the Xiaoqiang Entertainment Club suffered heavy losses in Huanggang Village, it's not just Wang Xiaoqiang left as a ghost master. You just got lucky today, running into a situation where certain people were not in the club. Give Wang Xiaoqiang some time, once he makes some arrangements, you'll regret it, even if you control two ghosts yourself."
Yang Jian said, "You've told me so much, aren't you afraid that I would kill you right now?"
His face grew somber.
This Zhao Kaiming was truly like a viper, lurking so deep. If Yang Jian hadn't picked up on some clues through these events, he would likely have remained in the dark until the end.
"I will disappear for a while. Rest assured, you won't be able to find me. Until the battle between you and Wang Xiaoqiang is settled, I won't show my face. I'm not that foolish. If I were to make a move at this time, I would have to endure the pressure from both sides. As long as I stay hidden, the fight between you and Wang Xiaoqiang will continue.
I believe the chances of you dying will be a bit higher then,"
Zhao Kaiming said with a mocking smile.
"Young man, this society is treacherous. You still have much to learn. Don't think that just because you've studied for a few years and have become a ghost manipulator, you're something special. In my eyes, you're still too naïve. You can't even begin to play in the league of adults, just like you foolishly walked into Huanggang Village.
To be honest, from the day you entered the village, I thought you were as good as dead. I never expected you to come back alive."
"But in the end, you did make it out alive from Huanggang Village and even resolved the paranormal incident there."
"Luck or strength, whichever it is, I see you as a potential threat now. In Dachang City, there can be only one international ghost manipulator, and that's going to be me."
"Thump, thump-thump."
As Zhao Kaiming spoke, Yang Jian gave no reply, but from the handset there came a dull knocking sound.
One knock after another, as if striking right on the heart, nearly suffocating.
Zhao Kaiming's tone changed as he quickly asked.
It was only then that Yang Jian's voice came through, "There's a saying that rings true, the villain dies because of his babbling. How much do you know about the Ghost Door Knocker incident? If you don't, maybe you should look into it later. Since Yan Li's death and the Xiaoqiang Entertainment Club incident were both your doing, I can rest easy. At least now I know who the enemy is.
So here's a challenge letter for you, to see if you can handle it. Then we can have a proper showdown."
With that, he hung up the phone.
Once the communication broke off, Zhao Kaiming's immediate realization that something was amiss prompted him to call his own dedicated operator to pull up the archives on the paranormal event at The Seventh High School in Dachang City.
"The Ghost Door Knocker incident at The Seventh High School of Dachang City."
After Zhao Kaiming had a rough look through it, his expression turned exceedingly ugly.
"Anyone who hears the knocking sound will be sought out by that ghost... and that's a ghost that has already created a Ghost Domain. That damned Yang Jian, playing dirty with me? Wants me to get entangled in that paranormal event and die? Very well, I'll give him credit for catching on quickly.
I just taught him a lesson, and now he's using the same trick to 'borrow a knife to kill someone,' even involving a ghost."
Surviving from the hands of a Catastrophe Level ghost was no easy feat, especially when that ghost had a Ghost Domain.
Yang Jian's move could be called a masterstroke.
Even if Zhao Kaiming managed to kill Yang Jian, the curse would still remain with him, and he'd still have to face a Terror Level event.
What bothered him the most was not knowing when exactly that ghost would appear.
At this moment, Zhao Kaiming wanted to slap himself. He shouldn't have tried to flaunt his superiority and mock Yang Jian. Now, he had landed himself in trouble as well.