LABMY CH41

Jiang Tang felt a strange emotion toward the voice that suddenly appeared in his mind, claiming to be his brother-in-law.  

Logically, he knew this unfamiliar man couldn’t be trusted. Yet, upon hearing his voice, a strange sense of security rose from within.  

It was as if some strange intuition told him that this man wouldn’t harm him.  

Moreover, when the man claimed to be the fiancé of his sister, who had died in an accident long ago, Jiang Tang couldn’t help but feel an ironic helplessness from the depths of his heart.  

This man claimed to be someone who had already died and could speak directly in Jiang Tang’s mind. At this moment, all kinds of eerie legends from folklore flooded into Jiang Tang’s mind. Could it be that… he had been cursed by this ghost?  

Jiang Tang asked in his mind, “Why should I believe you?”  

Although Jian Yuanbai couldn’t see what was happening outside the jade pendant, he could understand certain things that Jiang Tang didn’t know through the storyline provided by the system.  

“All three of your family members had their hearts dug out. The wounds on their chests were circular, smooth, and clean. That was caused by a ghost’s arm piercing through the chest to extract the heart.”  

“Apart from that, there were no other injuries. Such smooth and circular wounds can’t be made by a knife, nor can they be easily caused by humans. Plus, the time of death for all three of them was within one minute.”  

“Do you think… such a thing could be done by a human?”  

Hearing the words from the man in his mind, Jiang Tang didn’t respond immediately.  

Before leaving the police station, he asked the officer temporarily in charge of the case, “Did my parents and sister… lose their hearts?”  

The officer glanced at him in surprise, assuming that Jiang Tang had seen the bodies before reporting the crime and noticed the bloody holes on their chests. He didn’t think much and replied, “Yes.”  

“Don’t worry, we will catch the culprit as soon as possible.”  

The officer looked outside at the dark and foggy sky and asked with concern, “Do you need me to send you home?”  

Jiang Tang shook his head. “No need.”  

“If you remember any clues, such as recent grudges with anyone, let us know. Go home and think about it.”  

Although the officer had already asked this once, he reminded him again before sending him off.  

Jiang Tang responded and left the police station.  

He didn’t want to go home, nor did he know where to go. At 3 AM, he wandered the streets aimlessly.  

Unknowingly, he arrived at the seaside.  

In the chilly September night, the waves surged endlessly, crashing against the rocks beneath his feet. The cold wind lifted the corner of his coat as the silent sea quietly watched the sorrowful figure.  

—

Jian Yuanbai couldn’t see the outside world, but the system could.  

Seeing Jiang Tang standing by the vast and deep sea, helpless and small, the system hesitated but still spoke to Jian Yuanbai, “Aren’t you going to meet Jiang Tang?”  

“If you accompany him after his tragic loss, it’ll be easier to break down his emotional defenses.”  

Jian Yuanbai lay lazily in the narrow, empty, and monotonous space within the jade pendant.  

He wore an ancient white robe, with the collar slightly open, exuding elegance and nobility. He hadn’t bothered to change into modern clothes, clearly having no intention of meeting Jiang Tang.  

As expected, Jian Yuanbai didn’t even move. “I’m here to complete the mission, not to comfort Long Aotian.”  

The system was stunned by this unexpected answer and subconsciously said, “You’ve changed.”  

Back when he was with Wei Zhenge, even when they first met, Jian Yuanbai would punch the classmates who bullied Wei Zhenge, buy him breakfast, and stay by his side when he had a fever in the hospital.  

Compared to Jiang Tang, who had just lost three family members, what Wei Zhenge had suffered seemed trivial.  

Yet, back then, Jian Yuanbai was unusually kind-hearted, doing things he now calls “irrelevant to the mission.”  

Jian Yuanbai replied indifferently, “Isn’t this my first time doing a mission? Have you met me before?”  

The system fell silent for two seconds. “…No, I haven’t.”  

It didn’t regret erasing Jian Yuanbai’s memories. After this mission was over, it would still try to send him away from this world.  

The system had some guesses about Jian Yuanbai’s true identity.  

Even if he wasn’t who the system suspected, it couldn’t let Jian Yuanbai die here.  

The true owner of this body, who had lost all memories and entered this world, would probably want Jian Yuanbai to leave here safely too.  

Neither spoke again. In the silence, the narrow space inside the jade pendant became even colder and lonelier.  

At that moment, Jiang Tang’s voice echoed in Jian Yuanbai’s mind.  

“You said you’re my brother-in-law… Then why didn’t you protect my sister when the accident happened?”  

Jian Yuanbai replied, “My power was too weak to manifest.”  

“I sought you out because I want to take revenge with you. You’re a natural-born genius in ghost-controlling techniques, which is why you can hear my voice.”  

Jiang Tang fell silent for a moment and asked in a low voice, “Can you really help me find the ghost that killed my family?”  

“Why should I trust that you’re reliable?”  

“And… where exactly are you speaking from?”  

Jian Yuanbai answered one by one:  

“It’s not me helping you. You’re the one who can do it. By finding you, I finally understood why your family was targeted.”  

“I’m attached to the jade pendant you’re wearing. Inside, there’s a ghost-controlling technique manual that can help you practice. It’s said that once you master it, you can turn an evil spirit into a human. That must be why the ghost targeted your family.”  

“Once you’ve learned the technique, you can sign a contract with me and command me as your ghost servant. I won’t harm you. With the contract in place, I can’t harm you even if I wanted to.”  

Jiang Tang listened quietly and immediately refuted, “If that ghost came for the jade pendant, it should’ve targeted me.”  

Jian Yuanbai replied indifferently, “Haven’t you only been wearing the jade pendant for a few months? It stayed in your house for years, absorbing the energy of your home. Naturally, it attracted the ghost there first.”  

Jiang Tang fell silent and removed a small jade pendant from his neck.  

His father had given it to him when he turned eighteen, and he had only worn it for a few months.  

“Then why did nothing happen for so many years? Why did the ghost suddenly appear now?”  

Jian Yuanbai patiently explained, “Because the seal on the jade pendant weakened over time, just like a lock that’s about to break.”  

Jiang Tang asked his final question, “What should I do next?”  

Before performing the blood recognition ritual with the jade pendant as the voice instructed, Jiang Tang added, “By the way, what should I call you? I still don’t know your name.”  

Jian Yuanbai replied, “You don’t need to know my name. Just call me ‘Brother-in-law.’”

He had no interest in having too much contact with the “Long AoTian” of this small world. His entire mood was gloomy, and he lacked interest in doing anything. If it weren’t for the fact that he still had duties to fulfill, he would have long since left this small world.

Jiang Tang’s expression changed oddly, but Jian Yuanbai, who had never left the jade pendant space to even glance at Jiang Tang since arriving in this small world, naturally didn’t notice his strange expression.

Following his advice, Jiang Tang directly tore off the bandage on his hand that had been wrapped at the police station. The wound, which hadn’t healed yet, immediately began to bleed again.

Drop by drop, the blood flowed into the so-called jade pendant, which was actually just a small piece of jade that resembled a jade plaque. The green jade instantly became tainted with a sinister crimson hue.

As the jade pendant absorbed the blood, a mysterious book suddenly appeared in Jiang Tang’s mind. However, the book looked faint, as if it could disappear at any moment, like mist, hazy and indistinct.

Jiang Tang tried hard to make out the appearance of the book, but a sharp pain shot through his brain. At that moment, Jian Yuanbai’s belated warning came:
“Your connection with the jade pendant is shallow right now. The Ghost Taming Technique will only appear as a faint shadow in your mind. Don’t try to see it clearly; your brain won’t be able to handle it.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Tang asked, “Then how can I deepen my connection with it?”

Jian Yuanbai replied, “Drop your blood on it once a day.”

Jiang Tang clenched the jade pendant tightly in his palm, but then, fearing that the fragile jade pendant would shatter under his grip, he let go as if he had been burned.

He shifted from standing to sitting, allowing the surging seawater to soak the hem of his pants. Silently, he stared at the dark, cold sea under the night sky.

As he watched, tears silently fell from his eyes. The sea breeze brushed past his pale face. In the darkness of the night, the distant lighthouse cast faint light on his tear-streaked face. All around him was darkness, with only his tear-stained face clearly visible, like a broken, homeless, wandering boy.

Jiang Tang had always been a child pampered by his family, which made him somewhat reliant and fond of acting spoiled. Now, having suddenly experienced a great upheaval, his personality had matured somewhat, but it was impossible to change completely overnight.

On this deserted seaside, he felt colder and colder, not just from the sea breeze but from the loneliness that seeped from his bones. From now on, he was all alone. This bloody reality made the tears that had just stopped fall once again.

Slowly, he cried until his eyes were red and swollen. Finally, the tears stopped. The warm jade pendant in his hand reminded him that there was still someone he could talk to.

The Ghost Taming Technique had appeared as that person described, which made Jiang Tang trust him a little more. After thinking for a moment, he tentatively called out, “Brother-in-law.”

After calling out, Jiang Tang felt a strange sense of awkwardness in his heart. He didn’t dwell on it and attributed it to another reason. After a pause, he asked, “After you died, did you stay by my sister’s side the whole time?”

Jian Yuanbai, already annoyed by Jiang Tang’s endless questions, especially those unrelated to the mission, replied coldly, “Yes.”

Jiang Tang didn’t notice the impatience in his tone and continued, “Then… did you watch my sister throughout her entire dating and relationship process?”

Jian Yuanbai suddenly thought of a way to make Jiang Tang shut up. Before speaking, he lit a few incense sticks in his heart and apologized to Jiang Tang’s sister.

Then, he replied with certainty, “Yes.”

With a sorrowful tone, Jian Yuanbai added, “To avoid turning into a vengeful ghost due to resentment, I tried my best to accept it. In the end, I even managed to love the man she chose.”

“Because I loved her, I made myself fall in love with a man.” When he said this, Jian Yuanbai was thinking of the little pillow.

Jiang Tang: “…”

He struggled to understand what kind of “love” this person was talking about. In the end, with a complicated expression, he said, “You really loved her.”

Jian Yuanbai replied, “Love me, love my dog.”

“And you’d better avoid interacting with me too much outside of avenging her. If I end up corrupting you, making you fall for men or turning you bisexual, I won’t be able to face your sister’s spirit in heaven.”

Jiang Tang: “…”

He had just redefined the phrase “love me, love my dog.”

With great difficulty, he said, “It’s okay. I don’t like men.”

Jian Yuanbai, in a calm tone, dropped a bombshell:
“Oh, I’m afraid that because of ‘love me, love my dog,’ I might ignore ethics and fall for you.”

The world went silent.