LABMY CH43

“Actually…”

Jian Yuanbai half-embraced the person in his arms, wanting to say something but hesitating. Before he could speak, Jiang Tang’s eyes suddenly widened, and he quickly buried his face in Jian Yuanbai’s shoulder, speaking at lightning speed, “Behind you, brother-in-law, behind you.”

At some point, the ghost’s head had crept up from behind, its neck twisting like a long snake, stretching towards the person in Jian Yuanbai’s embrace.

The wandering soul had been wary ever since Jian Yuanbai struck it earlier. But now, seeing the man standing with his back to it, motionless, a sinister smile of success appeared in its eyes.

At such a short distance, it would be difficult for anyone to react in time. This time, it was certain that it could bite off a chunk of flesh from the living person.

Closer, closer.

Yet, at this moment, Jian Yuanbai still didn’t turn around. From his shoulder, Jiang Tang peeked out with a terrified expression, wanting to struggle free from Jian Yuanbai’s embrace.

Suddenly, the grinning head froze, stopping less than ten centimeters away from Jian Yuanbai. Its eyes filled with fear, and its mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out.

In the next moment, the wandering soul was shattered into ash and disappeared before Jiang Tang’s eyes.

One hand firmly held Jiang Tang in his embrace, while the other, cool to the touch, gently patted Jiang Tang’s back. The owner of the hand comforted him softly, “Don’t be afraid, it’s over.”

Only then did Jiang Tang realize that, in his desperation to escape, he had clung tightly to the man. He loosened his grip, wanting to back away from the man’s embrace, but couldn’t.

The man’s strong arm firmly encircled his lower back, trapping Jiang Tang in his embrace. Embarrassed, Jiang Tang looked up at Jian Yuanbai with red, tear-filled eyes from the earlier scare and awkwardly said, “Brother-in-law, your hand.”

Jian Yuanbai suppressed the dissatisfaction in his heart and let him go. “You can call me by my name. I’m—”

He suddenly paused and asked the system in his mind, “Does Jiang Tang know what his never-before-seen brother-in-law’s name is in the plot?”

The system confirmed, “No, you can say it without worry.”

The brief conversation with the system lasted only a few seconds. Jian Yuanbai naturally continued, “Jian Yuanbai.”

Jiang Tang stepped back, putting some distance between them, but still spoke warmly, “That won’t do. Out of respect, I should still call you brother-in-law. Let’s go back, okay?”

One “brother-in-law” after another, spoken so affectionately, made Jian Yuanbai wish he could go back in time and seal his own mouth shut for calling himself that in the first place.

He watched Jiang Tang subtly step back and sighed inwardly. This little liar, calling me so warmly while keeping his distance.

A few days ago, he had sworn that he only cared about Jiang Tang’s ghost-taming talent and revenge. Now, with those words coming out of his mouth, he felt a sting of embarrassment.

With no other choice, Jian Yuanbai went along with Jiang Tang’s words and said, “Let’s go back.”

This time, Jian Yuanbai didn’t return to the jade pendant but instead walked beside Jiang Tang, drawing curious glances from him.

“What’s wrong?” Jian Yuanbai asked.

Startled, Jiang Tang stammered, “N-Nothing.”

Jian Yuanbai said, “If you have something to say, just say it. You don’t need to hold back with me.”

Four days ago, he had told Jiang Tang to stay away from him and only talk about ghost-taming and revenge. Now, saying these words, Jian Yuanbai could feel the embarrassment burning his face.

Fortunately, Jiang Tang didn’t overthink it. After what happened tonight, he felt a bit more comfortable around Jian Yuanbai. He asked, “You’re a ghost too, right?”

“Aren’t ghosts supposed to float?”

Jian Yuanbai glanced at his feet and found Jiang Tang’s innocent question unexpectedly cute. “I can float if you want to see.”

“But I’ve spent more time as a human, so I’m more used to walking.”

Jiang Tang shook his head, “No need. I was just curious.”

Jian Yuanbai looked at him and suddenly said, “Do you want to try it?”

“Try what?” Jiang Tang was confused.

As soon as Jiang Tang finished speaking, he was suddenly lifted into the air by Jian Yuanbai. The tall man held him effortlessly, and with Jian Yuanbai’s height of 193 cm, Jiang Tang, who was 175 cm, seemed rather petite in comparison.

Jiang Tang, cradled in the man’s arms, experienced the strange sensation of floating while walking. Although he was being carried, it felt entirely different from being carried by someone walking. Walking involved the slight bumps and sways of each step, but being carried forward by Jian Yuanbai felt smooth and fluid.

Above his head came the man’s low, amused voice, “Try the feeling of floating while walking.”

Jiang Tang was carried all the way back to the hotel. Even though he insisted twice that he could walk on his own, Jian Yuanbai refused both times, saying, “Since you’re curious, you might as well experience it fully.”

It was only after arriving at the hotel that Jian Yuanbai reluctantly put him down. When Jiang Tang asked about the ghost-taming technique in his mind, Jian Yuanbai replied calmly, “Now, calm your mind and focus on learning the ghost-taming technique in your head.”

“The ghost-taming technique is different from any other sect in the mystic arts. It doesn’t require drawing complex talismans, forming hand seals, or chanting spells. You don’t need to learn anything like that. All you need is to repeatedly circulate the mental technique of ghost-taming, allowing it to refine your body and deepen your yin energy.”

“Once you practice the ghost-taming technique, your body will gradually be filled with yin energy. You’ll no longer carry the natural yang energy of ordinary people. This will make you more likely to attract ghosts. The deeper your yin energy, the stronger the ghosts you’ll attract.”

Jian Yuanbai paused for a moment before adding, “However, before you can fully control your yin energy, you’ll need to stay away from ordinary people. Otherwise, your yin energy will bring them misfortune.”

The ghost-taming technique was Jiang Tang’s only chance for revenge. He listened attentively and asked, “Should I start now?”

Jian Yuanbai hesitated at that moment. For a normal person, drawing yin energy into their body was an extremely painful process. With Jian Yuanbai around, his little pillow wouldn’t have to suffer this pain.

The only question was… would Jiang Tang be willing?

“Allowing yin energy to enter your body is a painful process. If you practice the ghost-taming technique and form a contract with me, I will grow stronger through the nourishment of the technique. I can find that ghost and kill it for you,” Jian Yuanbai said. “You don’t need to go too deep into learning it. Just focus on your studies.”

“I can handle everything else.”

Jiang Tang was stunned, standing there silently as he looked at Jian Yuanbai. In those few minutes, countless thoughts ran through his mind before he slowly but firmly shook his head.

“I want to do it myself,” he said.

“I want to find that ghost with my own hands and grind its bones to dust.” Jiang Tang smiled gratefully at Jian Yuanbai. “Besides, you can’t always be by my side. I need the ability to protect myself and those around me.”

He spoke softly in the end, “I never want to see that kind of tragedy happen again.”

Jian Yuanbai wasn’t surprised by his answer. He always knew that his little pillow wasn’t as fragile and harmless as he appeared on the surface.

“Then, let’s begin,” Jian Yuanbai said softly.

Jiang Tang closed his eyes, and in his “mind,” an ancient book slowly unfolded. Strange and ancient words appeared before him. Strangely enough, even though he had never seen these characters before, he could naturally read them aloud.

Jiang Tang couldn’t see it, but Jian Yuanbai could. Countless strands of black yin energy surged from all directions, madly pouring into Jiang Tang’s body.

Without a sound, Jian Yuanbai set up a barrier around them to hide the situation from outsiders.

Cold sweat appeared on Jiang Tang’s forehead as his body began to tremble uncontrollably. He felt a sharp pain, as if countless sharp knives were piercing into his veins, slicing through every inch of his skin as they flowed through his blood.

It hurt so much, like blades stirring in his flesh. Jiang Tang was drenched in sweat, and from beside him came Jian Yuanbai’s voice, “Don’t stop. Keep reciting until you reach the second page of the ghost-taming technique.”

Jiang Tang couldn’t respond or make any extra movements. He clenched his fists tightly, his neatly trimmed nails digging deep into his palms, bringing waves of dull pain. However, compared to the agony inside his body, this pain was nothing.

He began to feel cold. His body trembled as if he had been thrown into a snowy mountain without any clothes, the chill seeping into his bones, freezing his blood solid.

Jiang Tang’s lips turned pale, and a thin layer of frost formed on his body. His lips trembled as he silently chanted the mental technique.

It was too cold. So cold that he felt like he would faint from the freezing temperature, yet the unbearable pain kept him awake. The alternating sensations of freezing and pain pushed him to the brink of madness.

Jian Yuanbai reached out, wanting to touch his pale face, but stopped just before doing so.

In the next instant, the tall and handsome man disappeared, replaced by a large creature that resembled a black cat. Covered in pitch-black fur, the massive creature squeezed into the room and guarded the meditating Jiang Tang like a precious treasure.

The giant, furry black cat gently pulled the trembling Jiang Tang into its warm, fluffy belly, almost entirely engulfing him. Even though Jiang Tang couldn’t see, he could feel himself sinking into a warm and soft environment.

In the midst of the freezing cold and excruciating pain, the warmth surrounding him felt like a lifeline.

It felt so comfortable, so comfortable that he wanted to sigh in relief.

But soon, the cold and pain surged from deep within his bones once again. However, this time, it didn’t feel as unbearable.

By the time Jiang Tang managed to reach the second page of the Ghost-Taming Technique, he was already on the verge of collapse, unable to utter a single word. He could only force a weak smile at Jian Yuanbai.

The moment Jiang Tang opened his eyes, Jian Yuanbai had already returned to his original form, looking at him with concern. “Are you alright?”

Jiang Tang shook his head. He wanted nothing more than to collapse and sleep endlessly, but his body was soaked as if he had been pulled out of water. Forcing himself to get up, he quickly took a shower.

As Jian Yuanbai watched Jiang Tang lying on the bed with water still dripping from his hair, he reached out and waved his hand over Jiang Tang’s head. Instantly, the once-wet hair became dry and clean.

The system couldn’t help but speak up, “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t do anything outside of the mission? Why did you say those things just now?”

It began to suspect that something had gone wrong with the memory-clearing process.

Jian Yuanbai replied, “If you’d told me earlier that he was this good-looking, I wouldn’t have stayed trapped in that empty jade pendant for so long, staring blankly at you.”

“After four days of watching a fat cat and white walls, now I find Jiang Tang especially pleasing to the eye.”

System: …

“Oh, how wronged you must have felt watching me for four days.”

Jian Yuanbai: “A small grievance. I can handle it.”

The biggest grievance was actually this brother-in-law. If possible, he’d rather delete his account and start over.

The system fell silent, unwilling to respond. It soon noticed that Jian Yuanbai, who had just dried Jiang Tang’s hair, had vanished from the spot. However, the system didn’t think much of it. After all, due to the unique nature of this world, a ghost like Jian Yuanbai could easily go anywhere he pleased.

Yet, Jian Yuanbai remained in the room and never took a single step away.

It was only when no one could see him that Jian Yuanbai stopped hiding the emotions in his eyes. He stared at the sleeping Jiang Tang, his gaze dark and deep, like a bottomless pool of water.

Slowly, he leaned closer to the unaware, sleeping boy. His thin lips pressed heavily against Jiang Tang’s lips.

The sleeping Jiang Tang couldn’t respond, nor could he open his mouth. Jian Yuanbai, left with no other choice, could only repeatedly and relentlessly grind against those pale lips.

In the dead of night, the evil ghost clung greedily to the beautiful, slumbering boy, whispering softly:

“I’ve finally found you, my wife.”

“This time… I won’t let you disappear from my sight ever again.”