Chapter 123

Chapter 123: Extra Five: The Iron Hook

The reputation of the Bai family in the nearby area is largely attributed to the White House.

The reason it's called the White House is, first and foremost, because of its white color. Initially, the walls were coated with white plaster, and the owner intended to add some colorful decorations. Everything went smoothly elsewhere until it came to the west courtyard's room, where strange occurrences began to happen frequently, forcing them to leave it as is. To this day, the White House remains starkly different from the rest of the Bai family's ornate buildings, its stark whiteness chilling.

"A single room, locked with three large locks and three bolts. Even in the hottest summer, the area around it feels chilly, as if one were in an ice cellar. According to the Bai family's owner, when his father was a child, he was playing with a ball, and it rolled to the door of the room. When he went to pick it up, his curiosity got the better of him, and he couldn't resist peeking through the door crack."

Jin Ling spoke with a stern face, only to see Wei Wuxian beside him reach into the coffin, seemingly flipping the corpse's eyelids, which made him choke on his words.

Wei Wuxian turned to look at him, hearing him falter: "Peeked through the door crack?"

Behind him, a group of younger generation members from the Lan family also shifted their gazes over. Jin Ling paused, then said, "...Peeked through the door crack, and just stood frozen for a long time. When his family found him and dragged him away, he fainted, suffered a severe fever, and became delirious, remembering nothing. Since then, he never dared to go near it again.

"After midnight, no one is allowed to leave their rooms or move around, especially not near the White House. This is their family's strict rule. But after a certain hour in the middle of the night, even though there's no one inside, you can hear the old wooden boards creaking as if being stepped on. And this."

Jin Ling clenched his fists, making a menacing gesture:

"Like the sound of a rope slowly tightening, trying to strangle something."

A few days ago, a Bai family household servant, while cleaning in the morning, passed by the White House and noticed a finger-sized hole had been poked in the thin paper window of the wooden door. On the ground in front of the door lay a man.

It was a man no one in the Bai family had ever seen before, around forty years old, his face ashen, veins bulging, his fingers digging deeply into his chest, already lifeless.

The household servant was terrified, and so was the owner. After much commotion, the family guards made a final decision: This was an unlucky night thief who, by sheer misfortune, had trespassed into the Bai family's forbidden zone, saw something, triggered a heart attack, and died from fright. As for what that "something" was, they removed all the seals and locks from the White House, searched thoroughly, but were left completely baffled.

However, since a life had been lost, the Bai family owner knew they could no longer pretend that nothing was wrong in the White House.

This menace must be eliminated to avoid endless trouble. With great courage, he went to the Golden Scale Terrace, offering a hefty sum to request the Jin family of Lanling to come for night hunting.

This was the background.

Lan Jingyi, holding the coffin lid, said in despair, "Senior Wei, are you done yet... How many days has this person been dead... The stench of walking corpses isn't even this foul..."

Lan Sizhui helped him hold it, both amused and exasperated, "The coffin is rudimentary, and this funeral parlor is exposed to the elements and neglected, left unattended for days. It's inevitable. Hold on, we still need to take notes."

Jin Ling snorted, "A thief who stole things, giving him a coffin to bury him is already generous. Do you expect us to worship him like a Buddha?"

Wei Wuxian, after poking at the corpse for a while, finally lifted his face from the coffin, took off his gloves, and threw them away, "Have you all seen enough?"

"Enough!"

Wei Wuxian asked, "Good, now that you've seen enough, what do you think we should do next?"

Lan Jingyi said, "Summon the spirit!"

Jin Ling scoffed, "No need to say it, I've already tried that."

Wei Wuxian asked, "How did it go?"

Jin Ling replied, "This person's obsession wasn't strong, his soul was too weak, and he died from fright. The seventh day after death has passed, and his soul has completely dissipated. It's impossible to summon him back."

Lan Jingyi: "Your attempt is no different from not trying at all..."

Lan Sizhui quickly said, "Then let's go take a look at the White House. Let's go, let's go. Young Master Jin, please lead the way." As he spoke, he pushed Lan Jingyi out the door, effectively cutting off their next round of pointless chatter. A group of youths stepped over the threshold, several of them jumping over it, all walking with brisk steps. Jin Ling, though leading the way, ended up lagging behind them.

Lan Sizhui asked Jin Ling, "Has anyone in the Bai family ever died an unnatural death, or are there any long-standing secrets?"

Jin Ling replied, "The family head insists there's absolutely none. The few elderly who died all passed away naturally, and there's no discord among the household members."

Lan Jingyi said, "Uh-oh, I've got a bad feeling about this. Usually when someone says that, it means there's definitely some hidden tension, but they're just keeping it tightly sealed and unwilling to reveal it."

Jin Ling said, "Anyway, I've confirmed it multiple times, couldn't get any info out of them, and what I found didn't raise any red flags. You can try again."

Since he had already done all the prep work he could, and had visited the White House several times, this time he didn't enter the Bai family's residence, but instead sat down at a random tea stall outside. Not long after, a shadowy figure approached.

Wei Wuxian sat down opposite him and said, "Jin Ling."

The small tea stall suddenly had two striking figures sitting there, which was quite eye-catching, causing the tea girl to keep glancing over despite being busy.

This was their first face-to-face meeting since parting at the Guanyin Temple, and it was only now that they were speaking alone. Jin Ling paused, his expression unreadable, and said, "What is it?"

Wei Wuxian asked, "How are things at Jinlin Tower now?"

Jin Ling replied, "Same old, same old."

Speaking of which, the Bai family head's trip to Jinlin Tower to request a night hunt was also full of ups and downs.

If it had been a few years earlier, when the Jin family of Lanling was at the height of its power, even if he had offered ten times the reward, he might not have been able to get a direct disciple of the Jin family to come. In fact, forget about requesting a night hunt, a wealthy but politically insignificant and low-profile merchant family like the Bai family wouldn't even dream of visiting. But now, the situation in the cultivation world is vastly different. Although ordinary people don't understand the details of the dramatic changes, they have vaguely heard some things. It was because of this that the Bai family head took a shot in the dark with a "just in case" mindset.

He nervously approached the gate and presented his calling card, explaining his purpose. The guard took his bribe and reluctantly went to report, but when he returned, he did a complete about-face and said the family head refused, and started to drive him away. He was ready to leave, not really expecting success, but he was annoyed that the guard had taken the bribe and still treated him so poorly, so he demanded his bribe back. After some back and forth, just as they were arguing, a handsome young man in a golden robe adorned with snowflake patterns came out of the vermilion gate with a bow, saw the situation, and immediately frowned and asked what was going on.

At this point, the guard started to stammer. The Bai family head saw that although this young man was still a child, his status was probably not low, so he hurriedly explained the situation. Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, the young man flew off the handle, slapped the guard off Jinlin Tower, and scolded, "The family head said to drive him away? I didn't know about that!"

Then he turned to him and said, "Your family is the Bai family twenty miles west of the city? I'll remember it, you go back first, and in a few days someone will come to you!"

The Bai family head went home in a daze, and after a few days, a group of young nobles actually showed up at his door, but he didn't know that it was actually the family head of the Jin family of Lanling.

Of course, he wouldn't know that the Jin family of Lanling was now in utter disarray.

The guard hadn't reported to the real family head, Jin Ling, but to another elder of the Jin family of Lanling. Upon hearing that even a merchant dared to step on the golden steps of the Jin family of Lanling, the elder flew into a rage and ordered him to drive the man away. But coincidentally, Jin Ling, who was preparing to go hunting, happened to witness this.

Jin Ling knew very well that these family elders put on airs, considering themselves as a century-old noble family, and would never lower their status, refusing to meet anyone below their station. He had always loathed such behavior, and was also angry that the guard had bypassed him and reported to someone else, treating him as if he didn't exist. Moreover, he thought about how, when Jin Guangyao was alive, no disciple or guest would dare to accept bribes privately. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Coincidentally, he had already planned to go night hunting with Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi, and others this month, so he decided to visit the Bai family.

To be honest, he couldn't say he hadn't expected Wei Wuxian to come along.

Although Jin Ling hadn't told anyone about the twists and turns, countless eyes were on Jinlin Tower, and countless mouths were idle, so it had already reached Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji. Wei Wuxian knew he wouldn't show weakness and said, "If there's anything, ask your uncle more."

Jin Ling coldly said, "He's not surnamed Jin."

Hearing this, Wei Wuxian was startled, then understood, and couldn't help but laugh, slapping him on the back of the head, "Speak properly!"

Jin Ling let out an "ow," and his forcibly maintained expression finally cracked.

Although the slap didn't hurt at all, Jin Ling felt as if he had suffered a great humiliation, especially when he heard the tea girl's delicate giggles, the humiliation was even greater. He covered his head and roared, "Why did you hit me!"

Wei Wuxian said, "I hit you to make you think about your uncle. He's someone who doesn't like to meddle in others' affairs, but for you, he went to someone else's house to show off and be tough, how many times has he been pointed at and talked about. Now you say he's not surnamed Jin, if he heard that, wouldn't he be heartbroken?"

Jin Ling was stunned, then angrily said, "That's not what I meant! I..."

Wei Wuxian retorted, "Then what did you mean?"

Jin Ling said, "I! I..."

The first "I" was full of confidence, the second "I" was full of guilt. Wei Wuxian said, "I, I, I, I'll say it for you, you mean this: Jiang Cheng is your uncle, but to the Jin family of Lanling, he's still an outsider. He's already intervened a few times to help you, but if he meddles too much in someone else's territory, it will inevitably become an excuse for others to attack him in the future, causing him trouble, right?"

Jin Ling was furious, "Nonsense! You already know! Then why did you hit me!"

Wei Wuxian slapped him again, "I hit you because you can't speak properly! Such good words, why do they sound so bad coming from your mouth!"

Jin Ling covered his head and shouted, "Lan Wangji isn't here, so you're hitting me like this!"

Wei Wuxian said, "If he were here, I’d just say the word, and he’d help me beat you up too. Believe it or not."

Jin Ling said incredulously, "I’m a family head!!!"

Wei Wuxian sneered, "I’ve beaten up at least eighty family heads."

Jin Ling jumped up, ready to dash out of the tea stall, saying, "If you hit me again, I’m out of here!"

"Come back!" Wei Wuxian yanked him back by the collar like a kitten, plopping him back onto the stool. "I won’t hit you anymore. Sit still."

Jin Ling was wary, but seeing that Wei Wuxian really had no intention of hitting him again, he reluctantly sat down. The women at the tea stall, seeing the commotion finally settle, came over with a smile to refill the tea. Wei Wuxian took a sip from his tea bowl and suddenly said, "A Ling."

Jin Ling glared at him, "What?"

Wei Wuxian smiled and said, "You’ve really grown up since I last saw you."

Jin Ling was taken aback.

Wei Wuxian stroked his chin and said, "You seem a lot more dependable now. I’m happy, but also a little... I mean, you were kind of cute when you were clueless before."

Jin Ling started to feel uneasy again.

Wei Wuxian suddenly reached out and hugged his shoulders tightly, ruffling his hair wildly, and said, "But no matter what, seeing you, you little brat, makes me really happy, haha!"

Jin Ling, not caring about his messy hair, bolted from the bench, but Wei Wuxian yanked him back. "Where do you think you’re going?"

Jin Ling’s neck flushed red as he growled, "I’m going to check out the White House!"

Wei Wuxian said, "Haven’t you seen it enough already?"

Jin Ling said, "I’m! Going! To! Check! It! Out! Again!"

Wei Wuxian said, "You’ve already checked it out a bunch of times. What’s the point of going again? Why not help me check something else."

Jin Ling, fearing that Wei Wuxian would say something embarrassing again—he would rather be slapped hard than be used to being patted on the head and shoulders with kind words—thought about how this person could even shout about wanting to sleep with Hanguang Jun in public, and there was no telling what might come out of his mouth, so he quickly said, "Alright! What do you want to check?"

Wei Wuxian said, "See if there’s some weirdo around here with dozens of slashes on his face and no eyelids or lips."

Jin Ling, hearing that he wasn’t just making things up, said, "I can do that, but why are you looking for such a..."

Suddenly, the tea girl who was refilling water said, "You mean Hook Hand?"

Wei Wuxian turned around, "Hook Hand?"

"Yes," the tea girl, who had probably been listening in for fun, seized the opportunity to chime in, "No mouth, no eyelids—sounds like him. I’m surprised you know about him, sir. You don’t sound like you’re from around here."

Jin Ling said, "I’m also a local, and I’ve never heard of this person."

The tea girl said, "You’re young, so it’s no surprise you haven’t heard of him. But this person was quite famous before."

Wei Wuxian said, "Famous? How so?"

The tea girl said, "Not for good reasons. I heard this from my great-grandmother when I was a kid, so you can guess how old this story is. This Hook Hand—no one knows his real name—was a poor but skilled blacksmith, handsome, honest, and hardworking. He had a stunningly beautiful wife, and he treated her like a queen. But his wife wasn’t as loyal. She found another man and decided she didn’t want her husband anymore, so... she killed him!"

Clearly, the tea girl had been influenced by this legend since childhood, and now she was passing it on with vivid expressions and tones, making Jin Ling jump in shock, thinking, "Truly, a woman’s heart can be the most vicious!" But Wei Wuxian, used to dealing with corpses and evil spirits, had heard similar tales a thousand times over. He just listened blankly, chin resting on his hand. The tea girl continued, "Afraid people would recognize her husband’s body, she cut off his eyelids and slashed his face dozens of times. Worried he’d accuse her in the underworld, she grabbed a freshly made iron hook from the blacksmith’s table and used it to rip out his tongue..."

Suddenly, someone said, "How could his wife do something so horrible? Using such twisted methods to hurt her own husband!"

Jin Ling was engrossed in the story when the sudden voice startled him, making his hair stand on end. He turned around to find Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi, and others had already come out of the Bai family and were crowded behind him, all listening intently. The exclamation had come from Lan Jingyi, who couldn't help but exclaim. The tea lady said, "Well, the stories of men and women always boil down to the same old reasons—whether it's despising the poor and loving the rich or preferring the new over the old—outsiders can't really say for sure. Anyway, the blacksmith ended up in that horrific condition, barely alive, and that wicked woman secretly dumped him in the graveyard west of the city. Crows, which love to feast on the dead and rotting flesh, took one look at his face and didn't dare to touch him..."

Lan Jingyi, who was the type to easily get swept up in any story, was the perfect audience. He exclaimed, "...That's too much... too much! Didn't the person who killed him get their comeuppance?"

The tea lady replied, "Yes! Of course, there was. Although the blacksmith was terribly wronged, he miraculously survived. One night, he crawled out of the graveyard, returned home, and with a 'crack,' he hooked his wife's throat open while she was pretending to sleep peacefully." She made a gesture to illustrate. "He tore it apart."

The juniors' expressions were a mix of horror and relief. The tea lady continued, "After killing his wife, he also slashed her face and ripped out her tongue. But his resentment didn't fade. From then on, he started killing any beautiful woman he saw!"

Lan Jingyi was stunned and deeply disturbed. "That's not right. Revenge is one thing, but what did those other beautiful women do to him?"

The tea lady said, "Exactly, but he didn't care about that. His face had turned into that monstrous state, and every time he saw a beautiful woman, he was reminded of his wife and the hatred he felt. What else could he do? Anyway, for a long time after that, young women didn't dare to walk alone even when it was slightly dark. Even if they stayed home, they couldn't rest easy without their fathers, brothers, or husbands present. Because from time to time, the bodies of women with their tongues torn out would be found dumped by the roadside..."

Jin Ling asked, "Wasn't anyone able to catch him?"

The tea lady replied, "No one could catch him. After killing his wife, the blacksmith vanished. He no longer lived in his old house and seemed to move like a ghost, appearing and disappearing without warning. His methods were extraordinary, and ordinary people couldn't catch him. I heard it took several years before he was finally subdued. Only after this incident was completely resolved did people dare to sleep peacefully again! Thank heavens, Amitabha."

After leaving the tea stall and returning to the funeral parlor, Lan Sizhui said, "Senior Wei, the Hook-handed killer you suddenly thought to investigate—is he related to the evil spirits at the Bai family residence?"

Wei Wuxian replied, "Naturally."

Jin Ling had already guessed as much, but he still had to ask, "How are they related?"

Wei Wuxian reopened the coffin lid and said, "It's in this thief's body."

Everyone covered their noses again. Jin Ling said, "I've examined this thief's body several times."

Wei Wuxian grabbed him and said, "It seems you haven't looked closely enough."

He patted Jin Ling's shoulder and suddenly pushed down, forcing Jin Ling to face the pale, wide-eyed corpse of the thief in the coffin. A foul stench hit him. Wei Wuxian said, "Look at his eyes."

Jin Ling squinted and stared at the corpse's dull, lifeless eyes. After just one glance, a chill ran from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. Lan Sizhui, sensing something unusual, immediately leaned in to look as well.

In the corpse's black pupils, what they saw reflected was not their own images.

Instead, it was the face of a stranger, almost filling the entire pupil. The face was disfigured, covered in knife scars, with no eyelids or lips.

Lan Jingyi, who was fidgeting behind them, eager to see but too afraid to come closer, asked, "Sizhui, what... what do you see?"

Lan Sizhui waved his hand behind him and said, "Don't come over."

Lan Jingyi quickly replied, "Oh!" and took several steps back.

Lan Sizhui raised his head and said, "Now that I think about it, I have heard some folklore like this. Sometimes, the eyes can 'record' what a person sees before they die. I didn't expect it to be true."

Wei Wuxian said, "It only happens occasionally. This thief was scared to death, so whatever he saw must have left an extremely deep and lasting impression, which is why it worked. In other situations, it might not be recorded, and in a few more days, when the corpse completely decays, it might not be visible anymore."

Jin Ling still had doubts. "Since it's so unreliable and just folklore, is it really credible?"

Wei Wuxian replied, "Whether it's credible or not, we should investigate further. It's better than being at a standstill and making no progress."

At any rate, they had made some progress. Lan Sizhui decided to go search the graveyard west of the city, and Wei Wuxian offered to accompany him. The rest of the group would investigate the Hook-handed killer. After all, hearsay couldn't be relied upon, and the more information they could gather, the better.

Jin Ling, on one hand, disliked Lan Jingyi, and on the other, felt that the place Wei Wuxian was going to would offer better training. But considering that the Lanling area was unfamiliar to others and that his leadership might be necessary, he agreed without further discussion. The group agreed to meet at the Bai family residence that evening. After some investigation, the information they gathered was largely the same as what the tea lady had said during the day, suggesting that the circulating version of the story was consistent. Thus, Jin Ling and the others returned to the Bai family residence first.

As dusk fell, Jin Ling paced back and forth in the main hall of the Bai family residence, exchanging a few verbal jabs with Lan Jingyi. When Wei Wuxian and Lan Sizhui still hadn't returned, he was about to head to the west of the city to look for them when suddenly, the door was slammed open.

The first to burst in was Lan Sizhui, who seemed to be holding something hot. As soon as he entered, he dropped it to the ground.

The object was about the size of a palm, wrapped in layers of yellow paper, with a damp, bloody stain seeping through. The talisman paper on the surface was splattered with blood. Wei Wuxian followed behind him, leisurely stepping over the threshold. Seeing everyone rush forward, he quickly waved them off, saying, "Step back! Be careful, it's dangerous!"

The crowd scattered once more. The object seemed to be corrosive, slowly eroding the layers of talisman paper wrapped around it, revealing what was inside.

It was a rusty iron hook!

Not only was it rusty, but it was also smeared with fresh blood, as if it had just been yanked from someone's flesh. Jin Ling asked, "Is this the hook of the Hook-Handed Man?"

Lan Sizhui, his uniform singed and bloodied, panted slightly, his face flushed. "Yes! Something's attached to it. Don’t touch it!"

Suddenly, the iron hook started shaking violently. Lan Sizhui shouted, "Shut the door! Don’t let it get away! If it escapes again, I’m not sure we can catch it!"

Lan Jingyi bolted forward, slamming the door shut with a bang and leaning against it. "Talismans! Everyone, throw talismans at it!"

In an instant, hundreds of talismans flew at it, lighting up the room with flashes and sparks. If not for Jin Ling warning the Bai family to retreat to the east courtyard, the fiery chaos would have been terrifying. Soon, the talismans ran out, and just as everyone relaxed, the hook started bleeding again.

No time to catch their breath!

Out of talismans, Lan Sizhui froze as Lan Jingyi yelled, "The kitchen! Grab the salt!"

At his shout, several boys dashed to the kitchen, snatched the salt jar, and flung salt onto the hook. The hook hissed and foamed like oil in a hot pan, steam rising from it. The stench of burning rot filled the air as the salt grains soaked up the blood. One boy cried, "We’re almost out of salt! What now?"

As the hook threatened to bleed again, Lan Jingyi blurted, "Let’s melt it!"

Jin Ling snapped, "You can’t melt that!"

Lan Sizhui, however, insisted, "No, let’s melt it."

He stripped off his robe, bundled the hook, and sprinted to the kitchen, tossing it into the furnace. Jin Ling glared, "Lan Sizhui! Lan Jingyi’s an idiot, but you? This fire’s too weak to melt it!"

Lan Jingyi shot back, "Who’re you calling an idiot?!"

Lan Sizhui countered, "If the fire’s too weak, we’ll make it stronger!"

He formed a hand seal, and the flames roared to life, blazing hotter. The others joined in, and Jin Ling and Lan Jingyi stopped bickering to focus on the seal. The furnace fire blazed red-hot, casting a fiery glow on their faces.

After what felt like forever, the hook began to vanish in the flames. Lan Jingyi asked anxiously, "Is it over? Is it really over?"

Lan Sizhui let out a sigh of relief. After a moment, he stepped forward to check and turned back, saying, "The iron hook is gone."

With the attached object gone, the resentment should naturally be gone as well.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, especially Lan Jingyi, who was the happiest, saying, "I told you we could melt it, right? We could totally do it, hahaha..."

While he was happy, Jin Ling was frustrated. He hadn't played much of a role in this night hunt, and naturally, there was no real experience gained. He secretly regretted not insisting on going with Wei Wuxian and the others to find the iron hook during the day. Next time, he vowed not to stay behind.

Unexpectedly, Wei Wuxian said, "You guys are too careless with the cleanup. How can you conclude that it's resolved just like that? Shouldn't you verify it further?"

Hearing this, Jin Ling perked up and asked, "How do we verify it?"

Wei Wuxian said, "Someone needs to stay inside for a night."

"..."

Wei Wuxian continued, "If someone stays inside for a night and nothing unusual happens, then we can confidently say it's completely resolved, right?"

Lan Jingyi said, "Who do you want to do something like this..."

Jin Ling immediately interjected, "I'll go!"

Wei Wuxian didn't even need to look to know what he was thinking. He patted Jin Ling's head and laughed, "If you get the chance, show them what you've got."

Jin Ling complained, "Don't touch my head. Haven't you heard it's bad luck to touch a man's head?"

Wei Wuxian replied, "That's definitely something your uncle would say. Doesn't matter if you listen or not."

"Hey!" Jin Ling was shocked, "Who was it that told me to ask him for advice before?"

The Bai family took care of everyone's accommodations, so the group spent the night in the East Garden, while Jin Ling went alone to the West Garden.

The Gusu Lan Family still stuck to their strict daily routine, rising early the next morning. Before leaving, Lan Sizhui was reminded by Lan Wangji to make sure Wei Wuxian got up for breakfast. After nearly half an hour of trying everything he could think of, he finally got Wei Wuxian downstairs. When they arrived at the main hall, Lan Jingyi was helping the Bai family's servants serve porridge. Just as Lan Sizhui was about to lend a hand, Jin Ling walked in, looking like he hadn't slept a wink.

Everyone quietly watched him. Jin Ling sat down to Wei Wuxian's left, and Wei Wuxian greeted him, "Morning."

Jin Ling, trying to stay calm, nodded, "Morning."

The others also nodded, "Morning."

After a while, seeing that Jin Ling wasn't saying anything, Wei Wuxian pointed to his own eyes, "Your..."

Making sure he still looked calm, Jin Ling finally spoke.

He said, "As expected, it wasn't completely cleared out."

Everyone tensed up.

Last night, after Jin Ling entered the White House, he looked around.

The room was bare, with almost no furniture except for a bed. The bed was against the wall, covered in dust.

Jin Ling couldn't bear to touch it. No servants dared to come near this place, and he couldn't bring himself to sleep on such a bed. Reluctantly, he had to get water himself and tidy up a bit before he could barely manage to sleep.

Facing the wall, with his back to the room.

He also had a mirror in his hand.

By turning the mirror, he could get a rough idea of what was behind him in the room.

Jin Ling waited for most of the night, but the mirror only reflected pitch-black darkness. Just as he was starting to find some amusement in turning the mirror around, a sudden flash of bright white light crossed the mirror.

His heart sank, and he steadied himself, slowly turning the mirror back.

In the mirror, something finally appeared.

Hearing this, Lan Jingyi asked in a trembling voice, "What did the mirror show? The hook hand...?"

Jin Ling replied, "No. It was a chair."

Lan Jingyi was about to breathe a sigh of relief, but then he thought again and instantly felt a chill run down his spine.

Why should he feel relieved? Jin Ling had clearly said earlier that the room was "bare, with almost no furniture except for a bed." So...

Where did this chair come from!