"I found it, I found it, I found an important clue, there really are ghosts in this world."
He Feng, who just returned from a business trip to Dadong City, couldn't contain his excitent as soon as he got ho and shared this important news with his wife, Zhou i.
Zhou i, He Feng's wife, is also a journalist. Of course, she knew her husband had been researching ghost stories and pursuing so-called paranormal events, so she was not surprised, only asking, "What did you find out? You're so excited."
"This ti I interviewed an old man nad Zhang Zhidong in a nursing ho in Dadong City. The old man told he had seen a real ghost. And that's not all; I had an unexpected gain. It turns out that besides ghosts, there is a group of people fighting against fierce ghosts. These people were called ghost tars sixty years ago."
"Look, this is my interview record."
He Feng took out a voice recorder, photos, and an old dical record from his bag.
Initially, Zhou i didn't take it seriously, but when she saw these pieces of evidence, her expression beca much more solemn. She turned on the voice recorder, listening while looking at the photos.
"These are photos of Zhang Zhidong's legs. He said his legs went necrotic because they were contaminated with the supernatural. Here is a dical case. I checked it; it's not fake. He really had a brain tumor before, but the next day's examination report showed that the tumor mysteriously disappeared... Listen to his description."
He Feng said while taking out a notebook, then eagerly began to investigate: "Additionally, I found another clue, a na. According to Zhang Zhidong's description, that person is likely a special person fighting against fierce ghosts, known as a ghost tar."
"What's that person's na? I'll help you investigate." After reading the materials, Zhou i beca interested too.
This could be major news that might cause a huge sensation if reported.
It turns out there are indeed such hidden truths in this world.
"The person's na is Yang Jian," He Feng said.
"Yang Jian? Let check it out."
Zhou i imdiately took out her computer and started investigating.
The two of them buried themselves in searching for all kinds of information online.
About half an hour passed.
"Found it, found a bit of a clue." Suddenly, Zhou i exclaid.
He Feng imdiately leaned over.
Zhou i pointed to the computer and said, "The na Yang Jian appears in a book by a foreign author. The book tells a bizarre story. The general content is about a city that suddenly mysteriously disappears in this world, enters hell, and then people in the city are gradually killed by evil spirits. Eventually, the survivors are successfully rescued by a mysterious person."
"A vanished city? Evil spirits? A mysterious savior, Yang Jian... This story is similar to what that old man nad Zhang Zhidong told." He Feng's eyes lit up.
"Look, at the end of this book, there's a hand-drawn illustration by the author himself," Zhou i added.
He Feng looked at the illustration. Although sowhat chaotic, it was extraordinarily realistic.
A dead, silent city, unmanned streets, with so bizarre figures wandering in dim areas.
"Is this picture also from the book?" Suddenly, He Feng pointed to the last page, a color painting.
The color painting was an oil painting with the background of a dim city, yet in the center of the illustration, a woman stood. The woman wore red clothes, her face obscured, but her exposed hands were exceptionally pale.
The painting style was peculiar, sowhat a blend of Western and Eastern styles, appearing incongruous.
But upon closer examination, the woman in the painting seed particularly eerie, as if staring at him.
"This author definitely knows sothing; perhaps he encountered paranormal events when he was younger. Can we find him? I'd like to interview him," He Feng said.
"No, this foreign author died in his forties, the cause of death being suicide."
"Suicide?" He Feng was greatly disappointed: "Looks like this author's clue has ended; let's keep looking. I believe there are surely other leads."
Zhou i nodded.
The two continued to search for clues.
The na Yang Jian isn't particularly common, so a lot of irrelevant information can be filtered out.
But the matter they were searching for is too distant in ti; older news wouldn't be preserved online, making it very challenging.
Until online.
Zhou i finally found a clue again: "Honey, co quickly, I found an important clue."
"Coming." He Feng hurriedly walked in with the freshly prepared dishes.
Zhou i took a bowl of rice and imdiately started eating, then pointed to the screen and said: "This is an interview program. The interviewee is a professor from a prestigious university. This professor was a talented woman in her youth. Listen carefully."
In the video, the host was interviewing a female professor with the surna Miao. Despite her age, she looked very elegant and kind-hearted, leaving a very warm impression.
"As we all know, Professor Miao has written many books and created a lot of beautiful poems and essays throughout her life. I'm curious to know which work is her favorite? Can she speak about it?" the host asked.
Professor Miao smiled gently and, with a touch of reminiscence, said: "My favorite is my first published book. If everyone is interested, you can have a look. I believe that book will be very beneficial to you."
"The first experience is always the most impactful for everyone — the first trip, the first movie, the first love. It seems Professor Miao is no exception, as her first book publication had a profound impact on her. Speaking of love, we know that Professor Miao was a famous talented young woman, and she was quite beautiful too. Let's focus on the screen; here is how Professor Miao looked in her youth."
At this point, the host gestured slightly, and then a photo appeared on the screen.
It was a photo of a young woman, whose appearance was sweet; she seed gentle and pure, indeed a beauty.
"Well, we want to know why such an outstanding Professor Miao remained single — surely she was pursued by many in her youth. Did she not have anyone she liked?" the host asked.
Professor Miao paused, then smiled: "I was quite ordinary in my youth, not considered a beauty, and no one really pursued . Like most young girls, I had soone who moved my heart. He was my middle school classmate, and then we attended the sa high school, almost childhood friends... Unfortunately, as the college entrance exam approached, sothing happened to him, which forced him to drop out. After that, we rarely t."
"Allow to gossip a bit. We are curious to know what kind of boy could captivate young Professor Miao. Can you tell us more about this childhood friend? So our broad audience can learn how to charm a pretty and talented young woman, and maybe still hold a place in her mory today," the host continued.
"He was an incredibly kind person, willing to risk his life to save others. He had great capabilities, capable of doing things others couldn't, and he was generous, treating money as sothing worthless. The house I currently live in was a gift from him..."
As Professor Miao spoke, her words were full of praise, and her eyes seed to shine brightly.
"Such an outstanding young man; no wonder Professor Miao can't forget him. Can you tell his na?" the host asked again.
"His na is quite special; he is called... Yang Jian."
He Feng beca excited again: "Fantastic, this Professor Miao knows Yang Jian. If we can interview her, I believe many doubts will be resolved. Check Professor Miao's information online; a renowned professor like her must have her details available."
Soon.
Zhou i found Professor Miao's information: "Professor Miao, real na Miao Xiaoshan, born... now seventy-nine years old... once studied at No. 7 Middle School in Dachang City."
"Dachang City? It seems this Yang Jian was a student in Dachang City. If we go there, we'll surely uncover so matters. But first, I need to make a trip to the capital to interview Professor Miao. After that, I'll fly to Dachang City. I'm confident this ti we'll find a big news story."
"No ti to waste, let's book our flight and depart today."
The next day.
He Feng and Zhou i boarded a plane heading to the capital.
After landing, they imdiately began networking and inquiring about Professor Miao. It took a few days, but they finally harvested so information — learning where Professor Miao lived. Then, they brought gifts and prepared to pay her a visit.
"This residential area has a history of seventy to eighty years, right?"
He Feng and Zhou i walked within the complex.
The area was lush with greenery, chirping birds, and fragrant flowers. The old buildings exuded a sense of historical weight.
"I must say, Professor Miao is indeed wealthy. Although this isn't in the central urban area, possessing such a standalone villa in the capital sixty years ago signifies considerable wealth and status, even more so today. An ordinary person couldn't afford it even if they started working from prehistoric tis." He Feng remarked.
"Stop sighing; I found out that Professor Miao lives in the eighth villa here, we're getting close." Zhou i said from the side.
They walked a short distance and soon arrived at Professor Miao's residence.
It was a European-style building with a sense of history, well-maintained over seventy to eighty years, showing no sign of dilapidation. The golden gate, still shiny as new, hadn't faded or aged. How it was kept up remains unknown.
He Feng stepped forward and rang the doorbell.
With the crisp sound of the doorbell, footsteps soon echoed from within.
When the door opened, it was a middle-aged woman, around fifty or so, dressed simply and appropriately in a long skirt. Her gentle deanor instantly evoked a sense of goodwill.
"Who are you looking for?" the middle-aged woman asked.
"Sorry for dropping by unannounced. We are journalists and heard this is where Professor Miao lives. We ca here to see if we could interview her. Is Professor Miao ho?" Zhou i said.
The middle-aged woman replied, "I see. Unfortunately, you've co at a bad ti. Professor Miao isn't ho; she's gone out recently and probably won't be back for a few days."
"What bad luck! That's really a sha," He Feng said, feeling sowhat disappointed.
"What kind of interview are you looking to conduct? I'm Professor Miao's niece, and I know a bit about her matters. Maybe I can help you out," the middle-aged woman suggested.
Zhou i said, "We're looking to consult Professor Miao about a person nad Yang Jian. Do you know anything about Yang Jian?"
"Yang Jian?"
Upon hearing this na, the middle-aged woman imdiately looked serious. "You are investigating matters related to Yang Jian?"
"Yes," He Feng nodded.
"Please co in," the middle-aged woman did not refuse the interview.
"Sorry to bother you,"
The two walked into the villa.
Imdiately, they were stunned by the villa's interior decor.
The lights were dazzling and bright, and the walls and floors were golden, making the entire house appear magnificently splendid.
An overwhelming sense of luxury enveloped them.
He Feng looked around, extrely curious.
"Hey,"
At this mont, Zhou i carefully tugged at him, "Look at those gold-like tals up there. They seem like gold."
She finished speaking and extended her wrist, showing a gold bracelet.
Comparing it with the surrounding color, it looked exactly the sa.
"Are you kidding ? Gold? How could that be? You must be mistaken," He Feng was shocked by his wife's thought and imdiately deed it impossible.
If every piece of yellow tal in this house were gold, how much gold would it take to fill such a large area?
Using gold for decor, no matter how wealthy, seems quite wasteful.
"I'm not mistaken. I even touched it just now—it feels exactly like gold," Zhou i whispered.
He Feng's heart skipped a beat, suppressing his inner shock.
At the sa ti, he imdiately recalled yesterday's interview video.
This house was given to Miao Xiaoshan by soone nad Yang Jian. If indeed all the decor is made of gold, then to gift such a valuable house so easily, just how wealthy is Yang Jian?
Perhaps it's not just about money; perhaps it requires so special status.
If Yang Jian is really a ghost handler with so special abilities, then it wouldn't be surprising for him to possess corresponding power and wealth.
It seems he's getting very close to a certain truth.
He Feng couldn't help but grow excited inside.
"Please have a seat," the middle-aged woman invited them to sit.
The two of them smiled awkwardly, feeling so unexplainable pressure, because they realized this Professor Miao might not be as simple as they had imagined.
The middle-aged woman poured them tea and then slowly said, "I don't know why you are investigating Yang Jian, but in our family, this na is taboo. It must not be spoken casually; even when said, it must be with great reverence and respect."
"Why is that? Yang Jian should be just a normal na; why is it taboo here? Could you tell us?" He Feng took out a recording pen and asked.
The middle-aged woman replied, "This is a rule set by my aunt, and all the elders in our family strictly adhere to it. However, I don't know the specific reason. I only know that if the heart isn't sincere, you can't call this na, or it will bring disaster."
"I see," He Feng's expression changed slightly.
He grew even more curious about this person nad Yang Jian. It was rather bewildering that even those who had been in contact with him treated saying his na as a taboo.
"By the way, where did you hear this na? Can you tell ?" the middle-aged woman asked.
"I previously interviewed an old man nad Zhang Zhidong in Dadong City..." He Feng recounted the previous events in detail.
After listening, the middle-aged woman said, "I see. So you are investigating supernatural events, which led you to this na. Please wait a mont, I'll get sothing."
Saying this, she rembered sothing, stood up, and headed toward a large bookshelf in the living room.
Soon, she brought back a book.
"This is the first book my aunt wrote. You might find its contents interesting."
"Thank you," He Feng took the book, and upon glancing at its cover, saw the words "Human World Like a Prison" written in large characters.
Flipping through it casually,
He found a passage that read:
"People only know that one must light red candles on joyous occasions, but they don't know the origin of this tradition. Candles are ghost flas; red candles repel evil spirits, ensuring safety."
"In contrast, during ancestor worship, one must light white candles. White candles are ominous, attracting ghosts. People believe it calls upon the spirits of the deceased to partake in offerings and visit descendants, yet this act is absurd; ghosts are sinister, and white candles lure them, akin to inviting disaster."
He Feng flipped through several pages before understanding that this was a mythological novel heavy with a supernatural atmosphere, about a mortal who severed all emotions and desires, endured nurous hardships, and ultimately beca a deity.
It appeared to be an inspirational novel, but in truth, it was a tragic tale.
For the protagonist's friends represented his emotions, and with each friend's death, he lost another emotion. Afterward, he experienced a series of bizarre events, each of which took away a different desire—the six desires in the book: affection, money, power, greed, lust, fa.
He then endured nurous hardships, ultimately saving humanity, but found himself with nothing upon looking back.
It was precisely having nothing that forged a divinity beyond the mortal realm.
He Feng found himself sowhat engrossed, quickly scanning to the book's final page.
On the last page, there was a line that read,
"To , this is an Endless Hell."
"This is the author's concluding remark."
He Feng, gazing at the words, sensed Professor Miao's intense longing for soone from her younger years and understood why the book was titled "Human World Like a Prison." It was not just the protagonist who lived in a hellish world; Professor Miao did too.
"If you like reading it, you can keep the book," the middle-aged woman said with a smile.
"Is that alright?" Zhou i was slightly taken aback.
The middle-aged woman replied, "It's just a book, nothing valuable. Professor Miao self-published it in the past, but people back then didn't favor this genre, leaving many copies unsold. Over the years, although many were given away, I still have a lot left."
"In that case, I will gladly accept it," Zhou i responded with a smile.
The three continued to chat on the sofa for a while.
After they finished the tea, the middle-aged woman said, "Today's interview ends here. I only know this much. If you want to learn more about that person's story, I suggest you go to Dachang City. In Dachang City, there's a residential complex nad Guanjiang Residential Complex. Maybe you'll unearth new stories there."
The two had already planned to go to Dachang City, but upon hearing the words Guanjiang Residential Complex, they secretly noted it down.
After so courteous exchanges, the interview concluded.
Though, on the way back, He Feng was engrossed with the book, unable to pull himself away, constantly reading.
Subsequently, he discovered that Professor Miao's published work and this book, though the sa, had significant deletions, while this one seed to be a draft... containing a lot of unknown information.
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