Cao Yang, at this moment, was carrying a body bag and walking towards the eerie figure, intending to deliver the not entirely intact ghost inside. He was unsure whether this strange person in front of him would accept the goods.

“If something unexpected happens, I’ll have to team up with Yang Jian to confront this thing,” he thought, glancing slightly behind him.

Not far away, Yang Jian was already poised to act.

There was no need for Cao Yang to remind him; Yang Jian would strike when the opportunity was right, and with ruthless precision.

“Lucky that Yang Jian came this time, otherwise I wouldn’t have the confidence to engage in this false trade with the ghost,” Cao Yang thought to himself, taking a deep breath and stopping in his tracks.

He was only three meters away from the eerie figure carrying the wooden crate.

The strange person also came to a halt.

It didn’t attack Cao Yang.

This situation wasn’t new. Each time this strange person appeared, it would engage in such transactions with Cao Yang. With repeated encounters, Cao Yang’s fear had diminished.

Yet to this day, Cao Yang couldn’t ascertain if the entity before him was a person or a genuine fierce ghost.

Or perhaps it was a ghost wielder who’s become an anomaly.

Staring at the head wrapped in black cloth, Cao Yang attempted to peer through with Ghost Domain but failed.

At this moment, the eerie figure slowly lowered the shoulder pole from its bony shoulders, placing two crates on the ground, then stood there motionless.

The front crate usually had a list on it, which Cao Yang had taken; perhaps because of this, the person kept seeking him to acquire fierce ghosts.

Cao Yang remained silent, having previously attempted communication but failed.

Thus, he didn’t waste time.

He opened the body bag in his hand and tossed it at the eerie figure’s feet.

Under normal circumstances, a ghost inside a body bag, unrestrained, would immediately revive upon being opened, and possibly attack those nearby.

But now, things were unusual.

Beside this strange person, the ghost seemed to fall asleep, with no movement. As if in front of this person, ghosts were no longer ghosts but mere merchandise, utterly incapable of rebellion.

“Will the transaction succeed?” Cao Yang’s heart was uneasy.

He stared intently at the person before him, ready to act.

Yang Jian also watched the scene.

The next moment.

The peculiar receiver moved, extending a shriveled skeletal hand into the opened body bag.

As the hand was withdrawn, a peculiar, limp girl’s corpse was pulled out.

This was the ghost held by Yang Jian.

But it wasn’t the true Source Ghost, merely a part of the fierce ghost, similar to a split form, just like countless ghost paintings derived from one.

The receiver of the goods held the ghost’s body and slightly rotated the head wrapped in black cloth, seemingly examining and inspecting the goods.

Cao Yang didn’t move, his face solemn, awaiting any changes.

The person acquiring fierce ghosts didn’t inspect for long. Previously, a cursory glance was enough before stuffing the ghost into the front crate and, as part of the trade, paying Cao Yang with some peculiar and even inexplicable items that benefitted him greatly.

Because of this, he managed to become a captain and survived various supernatural incidents.

As the receiver scrutinized, the surrounding light dimmed. The town was already in nighttime with dim light, but now, even the remaining light seemed to vanish, as if all nearby light sources were gradually obscured.

“Hmm?”

Yang Jian’s expression subtly shifted, his corpse oil lamp flickering, and peculiar figures began faintly appearing around him, each different, but all dead and cold, clearly not living humans, but definitely fierce ghosts.

Moreover, as the surroundings grew dimmer, the figures of the fierce ghosts became more abundant and clearer.

Yang Jian seemed to realize something, glancing at the sky.

The sky disappeared…

The entire town seemed to be drawn into a supernatural realm.

“Something’s not right.”

Cao Yang’s face changed slightly; the person before him kept scrutinizing the corpse without receiving the goods, just standing motionless.

Despite no movement, Cao Yang sensed the surrounding anomalies.

“Whoosh!”

A sudden explosive sound burst beside his ear as a golden cracked long spear was hurled over, nearly grazing Cao Yang’s ear, piercing the eerie figure’s body and pinning it to the ground.

“Yang Jian…” Cao Yang jolted awake, glancing slightly back.

But Yang Jian’s figure was gone, he only saw a crimson light emerging.

“Your trade has failed; this ghost intends to pull the entire town, along with us, into a supernatural realm. It’s already begun; haven’t you realized? Look above you, where do you think we are now?” Yang Jian’s voice echoed, appearing next to the eerie figure.

The Coffin Nail’s suppression was absolute.

However, Yang Jian wasn’t certain what kind of existence this thing was, opting to strike first.

Cao Yang suddenly looked up at the sky, his eyes narrowing urgently.

Instead of the town’s sky, there was an utterly dark expanse, not infinitely vast, but edged and cornered, like a square cover, closing and sealing.

Cao Yang swiftly looked at the crate under the eerie figure’s feet.

The back crate, at some point, had opened partially and was slowly sealing.

“So that’s it…” An inexplicable dread filled his heart.

He and Yang Jian, sometime unbeknownst, had left the town and mysteriously entered this seller’s crate. With the crate closing, it aimed to trap them here forever, turning them into the seller’s cargo.

Is this the price of a failed trade?

Realizing this, Cao Yang acted without any hesitation.

The cold, howling wind swept away everything around.

But before he could take further action, the body of the strange figure before him was being devoured by darkness bit by bit.

It was disappearing.

Even with a Coffin Nail, this change could not be stopped.

“This is not a physical entity, but a paranormal phenomenon. I am now in that cargo container; the real ghost is outside. We must get out quickly. The boundary between reality and the supernatural is being blurred. Once it’s completely broken, we might be stuck here forever.” Yang Jian appeared nearby, his face dark, pulling up the long spear pinned to the ground.

He held a Corpse Oil Lamp in his hand.

Under the light, the terrifying figures around grew in number.

Seeing this, Cao Yang’s heart pounded because among those terrifying figures, he even spotted the familiar specter of a ghost he had once traded with this eerie person.

“Can we get out through the top?” He steadied himself, ready to move.

But Yang Jian grabbed him: “Don’t do anything stupid; follow me.”

Somehow, a large puddle of water appeared at their feet, spreading and connecting to Ghost Lake, unfathomably deep, capable of engulfing everything.

He jumped into the water without hesitation.

Cao Yang followed closely behind.

Just under ten seconds after entering the water, darkness swallowed everything around them, and the county disappeared from sight. In the darkness, countless faint footsteps and ghostly movements could be heard.

This place was like a hell, imprisoning innumerable ghosts.

Yang Jian, submerged in water, did not intend to stray far. He found the nearest exit and resurfaced.

Soon after.

He and Cao Yang returned to the road outside the county.

The puddle on the road was left by that Silent ghost, and any trace left behind allowed the supernatural of Ghost Lake to invade.

Splash!

With the sound of water splashing, he and Cao Yang leaped out of the water.

Yang Jian immediately surveyed his surroundings.

Everything seemed normal, the street lights were bright, only the distant sealed county was shrouded in darkness.

“Luckily, we reacted quickly; it seems we successfully got out.” Yang Jian breathed a sigh of relief.

Cao Yang’s face was grim: “We almost didn’t make it out; fortunately, you helped. Otherwise, I might not have been able to escape.”

In that situation, even Yang Jian dared not use the Ghost Domain to waste time.

Because he wasn’t sure the Ghost Domain could isolate such an influence. If it failed, that would be the end.

Staying in a box with so many ghosts, even the top ghost handlers would die.

“We had a close shave, thanks to your correct judgment. That thing following you is terrifying and unique…” Yang Jian said, but suddenly stopped short.

Cao Yang noticed it too and quickly looked to the end of the road with a mix of suspicion and alarm.

“Ding, ding ding!”

The sound of a bell echoed, clear and melodious, in the empty road.

A bizarre person appeared on the road, carrying a cargo box, dressed in cloth, with its head wrapped in a black cloth, walking step by step toward them.

“It’s coming again.”

Cao Yang’s pupils shrank abruptly, the nightmare descending once more, suffocating them.

Yang Jian said: “Looks like it has its eyes on you. If you fail to complete this transaction, it won’t let you go. Now, you have only two choices: either deal with this thing, or honestly find a way to contain the real Silent and complete this transaction.”

“But it doesn’t seem like either option is achievable.”

The previous attempt had made Yang Jian understand that once this ghost appears, it means you’re already inside its cargo container. People inside the box cannot deal with the ghost outside.

If your transaction fails, the cargo box will merge and swallow you.

Of course, if the transaction succeeds, everything will be fine.

“I’ve encountered failed transactions before, but that was different. Last time, I didn’t have the ghost on the list contained, and I had no goods. But this time, I submitted counterfeit goods…”

“It seems this situation is more severe; there’s no way to avoid it.”

Pausing, Cao Yang glanced around: “This time, I want to try another method.”

“Sizzle!”

The surrounding lights flickered, and the Silent ghost appeared again.

Because Cao Yang deliberately mentioned a ghost, not by mistake, but on purpose.

He aimed to lure the Silent ghost out, toward that bizarre person.

In this way, the goods would be delivered, and it was up to the receiver to take it.

“It’s worth a try. If it doesn’t work, I’ll have to lead you out, but I won’t waste too much time on you. You must seize the opportunity.”

Yang Jian’s gaze shifted slightly, seemingly aware of Cao Yang’s actions.

At the same time, he reminded him that he could help but wouldn’t do so indefinitely. If there was truly no solution, he wouldn’t hesitate to abandon Cao Yang and leave alone.

“I understand.”

Cao Yang nodded, understanding Yang Jian’s actions without feeling wronged.

After all, it was his own mess, and Yang Jian had already helped extensively. If it really came down to it, they would each take care of themselves without complaints.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by novlove.com

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