Mysterious Resurrection: What If

Chapter 49 The Butterfly Dream of Zhuangzi (Part 4)

The man continued, "A vengeful ghost with the memories of a living person, though of course, it's not complete."

A hint of surprise flashed in Yang Jian's eyes.

Ghosts with memories of the living
If a ghost possesses the thoughts of a living person, no longer fears the resurrection of vengeful spirits, and freely uses supernatural tools, one day, this being could bring an end to the entire supernatural era.

This made Yang Jian think of another possibility: could he also achieve this level?
But there were more urgent matters to attend to, so Yang Jian continued, "Then, are you my father?"

The person remained silent for a moment, seemingly unsure of the answer.

"I can't be sure if a person's memory can define that person's existence. I've been dead for a long time. Perhaps you can understand me as an alternative person who has your father's memories."

He continued, "But none of that matters now. Someone once told me that the supernatural is always full of uncertainty. Just think of me as an uncertain factor in this nightmare."

The uncertainty of the supernatural is very similar to Wang Xiaoming's theory, which states that unexpected situations always occur in supernatural events.

"Time is running out. You can ask me any questions now. The ghost will be back soon."

Yang Jian suddenly thought of the "father" who always covered his face with a newspaper.

"You mean, the Yang Xiao I met before was a ghost?"

The man nodded and said, "That's right, the body is mine, but the head is the ghost's. I kept the dog next to it, so it never dared to put the newspaper down, which created my biggest loophole."

Yang Jian asked in confusion, "A dog?"

"Yes, you should have seen it too. The big black dog that was always with it possessed some of the supernatural properties of this dream. I entered this dream through it."

Upon hearing this, Yang Jian's eyes flashed with disbelief. A dog had actually gotten involved in a supernatural event and even managed to control this almost unsolvable supernatural phenomenon. Although it was only a part of it, the method was undeniably incredible.

Yang Jian immediately realized: "The ghost didn't dare to take down the newspaper because it was afraid of being discovered that it wasn't the dog's owner. If two identical puzzle pieces collide, one of them will always win. But that ghost wants to kill me, and this is a killing rule that it cannot violate, so it instinctively wants to avoid the collision between the puzzle pieces."

A stiff smile appeared on the man's face.

"It's intelligent and also possesses some supernatural qualities related to dreams. The first command I gave it was to bite the ghost that was the source of this nightmare to death."

At this point, the man took out a shard of mirror.

"But because of your friend's involvement, Onimus started to get out of control, but at the same time this gave us an opportunity."

"Lin Bei? That bald guy?"

The man nodded and continued, "The nightmare has begun to invade reality, but because of that Buddha statue, it has lost its way. That's why it didn't kill you directly. It can't confirm whether the person in front of it is real. If it makes a move, it will expose itself. So it can only trap you in this nightmare, stuck in the killing rules that it cannot break."

The sky was already beginning to lighten; they didn't have much time left. Yang Jian looked at the man.

"You just said you gave that dog a command. Can I interpret that as it being a different species with self-awareness, just like you?"

The man nodded: "That's right, that dog's state is much more complete than mine. I am merely existing through its medium. You could say that it is the real, self-aware ghost."

He continued, “What you need to do now is tear the newspaper down so the dog can see the ghost’s face and attack it. This dream will overshadow reality in the clash of the supernatural, but in the same way, reality can also influence the dream.”

Yang Jian pondered quietly, combining the information from the man with his own, trying to investigate this almost unsolvable supernatural phenomenon.

Yang Jian asked, "And then, what are you going to do?"

The man said, "In reality, this ghost has a physical form. I've dismembered it into three parts and placed them in Meishan Village. You just need to stay here quietly, and I'll take care of the rest."

"Wait!" Yang Jian suddenly interrupted the man.

"Dreams can invade reality, and reality can also affect dreams. You mean if I successfully take that newspaper and have the dog attack it, you can briefly appear in reality?"

The man didn't know what Yang Jian wanted to do, but he still replied, "That's right, the supernatural connection of the same puzzle pieces, I can do that."

Yang Jian lowered his head and continued, "In other words, at this time, the three parts of the ghost you dismembered can also be pulled into the dream." Clues and details were slowly pieced together in Yang Jian's mind like jigsaw puzzle pieces, and a whimsical plan was slowly taking shape in his mind.

Looking up at the man, Yang Jian said, "You said before that because of Lin Bei and that dog, ghosts can't distinguish between reality and illusion, so even if they completely invade reality, they won't be able to detect it..."

At this point, Yang Jian fell silent, his mind frantically analyzing this chaotic and tangled dream.

The man waited quietly to the side, without interrupting Yang Jian's train of thought.

After a moment, Yang Jian spoke:

"In this dream, ghosts can be killed. Bringing the ghost's real-world body into the dream means that physical attacks can be effective, and that dog happens to be an anomaly with self-awareness..."

Yang Jian paused for a moment, seemingly pondering his next step, before continuing, "Pull the ghost into the dream. You're responsible for ordering the dog to eat the three parts of the ghost that were dismembered in reality, so that it can perfectly control this dream."

Yang Jian rattled off his plan in one breath.

The man's eyes were filled with shock after hearing this. This was a plan he had never imagined before, and it was unheard of even in the paranormal community at that time.

Yang Jian planned to use the inherent laws of dreams to 'kill' itself—an astonishing plan that perfectly utilized the killing patterns inherent in ghosts.

Of course, ghosts cannot be killed. Even if Yang Jian's plan works and completely destroys the ghost's body here, it will not end this dream.

But the dog itself is a vengeful ghost with its own consciousness. It will not be able to revive as a vengeful ghost. If the dog is allowed to control this dream, it is equivalent to 'killing' the ghost in a roundabout way. The dog will obey Yang Xiao's commands, and the nightmare will end.

The man's shock lingered for a long time. He looked at Yang Jian and said, "You are really smart, much smarter than anyone I've ever known."

The man calmed himself and said, "While your plan is indeed astounding, my approach, which I've been planning for over a decade, is far more prudent in dealing with Ghost Dream. I believe..."

"Shut up."

Yang Jian interrupted the man coldly, and continued, "You know it was a plan from over a decade ago. Dead people should be properly buried in the ground, not come out here to cause me trouble."

Staring into the man's eyes, Yang Jian said in a deep voice:
“I remember you just said that the supernatural is always full of uncertainty. Even if you are just a ghost with my father’s memories, and even if my father were really standing in front of me, I would not carry out a plan from more than ten years ago. To put it more clearly, when it comes to the supernatural, I don’t trust anyone but myself.”

The man paused for a moment, then a look of relief appeared on his face:

"Old Qin used to wish me dead, and I even laid a hand on him several times. Now I understand his intentions. Someone like you should be solving more paranormal cases. There are still many things waiting for you to do. Your potential is far greater than this."

The man sighed, as if lamenting a past ideal he once held.

"After this is over, I will help you get used to that dog. When a person dies, they always have to leave something behind. That dog is my greatest achievement in this life."

"Yang Jian, a name that was chosen a long time ago."

The man suddenly said something completely unrelated, then stood up and walked towards the door.

"Wait a minute," Yang Jian called out to him.

"Who is Zhang Xianguang? Why have I heard this name at headquarters?"

Yang Jian had seen the name Zhang Xianguang several times in the follow-up investigation files of the out-of-control incident in Dajing City, but he was busy dealing with the hurricane incident at the time and had put the matter out of his mind.

"He is an old friend, both an enemy and a friend of mine. He used to be a teacher. As for why I used this name, it's just one of my quirky interests."

After saying that, the man gently closed the door, leaving Yang Jian alone on the edge of the bed, lost in thought.

Yang Jian still had many questions he hadn't had a chance to ask, but when faced with the supernatural, he had no choice, as always.

For Yang Jian, getting to this point is already enough.

(End of this chapter)