Mysterious Revival

Yang Jian looked on helplessly as his cousin Xiao Yuan and the girl named Lin Xiaoxi disappeared into the crowd at the market, so sudden that he didn't even have time to stop them. The reason he couldn't stop them was not that he was slow to react but because of his wariness.

He dreaded that one of the two people was a ghost, which is why no one dared to get close, leading to that situation.

The ghost seemed to know its own situation very well.

The more rational one is, the easier it is to fall into a trap.

On the contrary, someone like Xiao Yuan, with her naturally airheaded and intermittently forgetful nature, would be less likely to be targeted. Perhaps her decision to rush out just now was the correct one.

Yang Jian couldn't be sure.

His unease intensified as the rain in the sky grew heavier; what had started as a light drizzle had now turned into a steady downpour, making the surroundings increasingly gloomy and oppressive.

Because he wasn't wearing a raincoat, Yang Jian was completely soaked, yet he didn't feel cold or at risk of catching a cold or fever. It seemed that quite a bit of time had already passed.

The ghost had appeared, but had yet to be found.

If he couldn't manage to kill the ghost once in the dream before daybreak, he might indeed be finished.

Due to the heavy rain, the number of people at the market had started to dwindle.

But there were still many, just not as crowded as before.

"I must find my cousin," Yang Jian took a deep breath, the moist air filled his lungs, refreshing him somewhat.

This was no dream, but a world as real as any, even to the touch.

After spotting the direction his cousin had disappeared in just moments before, Yang Jian quickly followed suit. He avoided the passersby around him while searching for Xiao Yuan's whereabouts, and if he happened to find Lin Xiaoxi along the way, that would be even better.

He delved deeper into the market, which was lined with many stalls.

Yang Jian glanced at one and saw various old-fashioned knives on display, including firewood knives, sickles, and scissors. He thought for a moment and, without hesitation, picked up a knife for self-defense.

"You haven't paid yet," said the merchant, wearing a conical hat and sitting there, slightly bowed, his voice barely above a murmur.

Hm?

Yang Jian's eyes narrowed; he hadn't expected the vendors in this dream to actually speak. Weren't they supposed to be illusions conjured by the ghost?

"If you have no money, I can't give you the goods," the merchant said, seeing that Yang Jian wasn't keen on paying. He reached out and grabbed Yang Jian's wrist firmly.

Yang Jian resisted, feeling that he should probably be more violent, to stab and kill the ghostly figure in this dream, to be fierce for once.

Of course, attacking was secondary; what he really wanted was to force the sale.

But when he saw the hand that had grabbed his wrist, his whole body shuddered with a chill. It was the wrinkled palm of an old man, covered with terrifying livor mortis spots that extended densely into the sleeve.

And that sleeve was of an old-fashioned long gown.

Before the merchant could even lift his head, Yang Jian already knew what sort of ghostly entity was selling knives here.

Door Knocking Ghost.

He had just contained that entity in Kobe City not too long ago, so he was already all too familiar with it. He didn't expect it to appear in his dream as well.

His gaze shifted slightly.

Yang Jian didn't know if he should take up the knife and stab the old man, but if this Door Knocking Ghost were to undergo some bizarre transformation, then wouldn't he die here?

"I can't worry about that, if it dares to chase after me, I'll stab it to death."

Apprehensions aside,

Yang Jian resolutely picked up the blade and hacked at the merchant who he suspected was the Door Knocking Ghost.

An old man's hand riddled with livor mortis was chopped off.

There was no blood, no surprises; the knife in his hand worked exceptionally well as if it naturally accomplished the deed.

And that vendor didn't cry out or scream in pain, but instead, he suddenly lifted his face to look at Yang Jian, his pallor under the straw hat ghostly and ashen, his gaze hollow, numb, yet still that all too familiar, and yet startling, visage of an old man.

Without a word, Yang Jian picked up the knife and turned to leave.

After all, it was just a dream, and in dreams, he could kill anyone.

No sooner had he taken a few steps,

than the old man he had slashed, silent and undisturbed, calmly took off his straw hat and followed with a somewhat sluggish pace, as if trying to chase down Yang Jian for some debt, or perhaps to reclaim the knife. Whether the old man would seek revenge was unknown.

However, Yang Jian didn't care, striding through the market like an ancient tyrant, unaccountable for injuring someone, moving on without a second thought.

As he passed by a meat stall, he faintly thought he heard a familiar voice, like that of Zhang Wei, buying meat there.

"Boss, I want ten pounds of lean meat, cut for mince, with not a bit of fat on it..."

Yang Jian paused in his step, looking over out of instinct, but then there was no one at the meat stall anymore.

Damn.

Could he really dream about Zhang Wei too?

What the hell.

Wasn't he off doing live streams? Why would he be buying meat in my hometown?

Yang Jian felt his subconscious had been completely deciphered by ghosts, so much so that the ghosts seemed to know all his memories in the dream, otherwise, why would so many bizarre things appear, each related to him, unknown to anyone else? Otherwise, why would Xiao Yuan feel so strange and puzzled?

But as soon as he moved away from the meat stall, he heard Zhang Wei's voice again, "Add another ten pounds, all fat, and no lean parts, chop it for mince too..."

"He's going to get beaten up buying meat like that," Yang Jian muttered, suppressing the urge to look back.

This had to be the mischief of his own subconscious, influenced by Zhang Wei too much in the past, so much so that his figure appeared even in nightmares.

"Add another ten pounds of tenderloin cartilage, also finely chopped for mince, with no lean parts on top..."

By the time he left the market area, that voice still faintly drifted to him.

Definitely going to get beaten up.

Yang Jian was sure, the Zhang Wei in his dream would be severely beaten up by the butcher, whether or not he would be beaten to death depended on his luck.

But the deeper he ventured into the market, the more fearful he became.

Because he noticed many nightmare-like presences, this market seemed to gather all the past nightmares, presenting items so bizarre one had to take a closer look.

At one stall, he saw a Dead Man's Head on display.

In the arms of a woman, he saw a greenish-black dead baby.

Inside a shop, there was a heavy coffin, in front of which was set a spirit tablet that lacked only the deceased's portrait.

Finally,

when he encountered a person, he couldn't help stopping in his tracks, even feeling an urge to turn back and leave.

It was a woman dressed in red, with a veil over her head.

She stood silently and straight by the side of the road, face covered, but he could sense she was probably looking in his direction.

But before Yang Jian could turn to take another path, he discovered the old man who had bought the knife far behind him was following, the woman carrying the dead baby was approaching, and the coffin from the shop was being carried out by the owner...

"What a joke, playing with me, right?" Yang Jian's heart went cold.

The way was blocked by ghosts.

From all sides, ghosts drew near.