NOVPUBYang Jian was startled by Sun Rui's information—could the Ghost Post Office be spiraling out of control?
Although he had theorized this possibility before, the Post Office had operated for at least several decades. For it to suddenly lose control seemed implausible.
No.
Perhaps the loss of control had already begun, not now, but over six months ago when that elderly man from the Republic of China Period fell from the Ghost Post Office and died.
"What makes you so certain the Ghost Post Office has lost control?" Yang Jian looked at Sun Rui, hoping to glean some critical details.
Sun Rui explained, "During the time you were away, two major incidents occurred inside the Ghost Post Office. The first incident is that the fourth floor seems to have already been infiltrated by ghosts. During one of the letter delivery tasks, a small team of fourth-floor messengers was entirely wiped out. The second incident is that we've completely lost contact with the fifth-floor messengers. A fourth-floor messenger told me he found the corpse of a fifth-floor messenger inside the Post Office."
"Additionally, all communication between the fourth and fifth floors has been severed."
"What's more, the level of danger in the Post Office has drastically intensified at night. More than one malevolent ghost now roams within. I was attacked by a ghost; if not for this oil lamp, I wouldn't have survived until now."
Yang Jian's expression darkened upon hearing this.
Messengers are only supposed to die during the process of letter delivery or when cursed for destroying a letter.
It was almost impossible for messengers to die without cause inside the Ghost Post Office.
In a sense, the Post Office serves as a form of protection for messengers.
It allows them to escape from other supernatural realms, cut off the pursuit of other malevolent ghosts, and as long as they don't violate certain rules within the Ghost Post Office, each floor's messenger rooms are very secure.
However, if this balance were to break, as Sun Rui suggested, the Post Office would become horrifying beyond imagination.
"So, does that mean the letter delivery tasks are no longer meaningful?" Yang Jian asked.
Sun Rui replied, "Although the Ghost Post Office is losing control, certain rules are still functioning. This place is far scarier than it appears. Instead of risking everything to destroy it, it would be wiser to find a way to restore the Post Office to its original functioning state. You know it has existed without incident in the past, and problems only started cropping up recently."
"What does that tell you? It suggests that the Ghost Post Office used to be under someone's control—until that person ran into trouble, possibly died, and the situation has since deteriorated into this chaos."
"I propose we find the means to regain control over the Ghost Post Office as quickly as possible. Otherwise, the ghosts here will eventually spill into Dahan City. And at that point, this will not just be one isolated supernatural incident."
"Without a thorough understanding of the situation inside the Ghost Post Office, trying to control it seems impossible," Li Yang said, shaking his head in disbelief.
Yang Jian remained quiet in thought. He recalled the Door Knocking Ghost.
If the Door Knocking Ghost had, in life, controlled the Ghost Post Office, then finding where it once stayed might hold the key.
"Controlling the Ghost Post Office is the ideal solution. We can't even begin to comprehend just how many supernatural entities are interconnected in this building. Restoring balance is far easier than outright destruction," Sun Rui said, adding grimly, "Besides, I can't hold on much longer. If new people enter the Post Office, the situation will become even more dangerous than before."
"The ghosts inside the Post Office could very well be brought outside by the newcomers."
"To learn more," Yang Jian said, "we must reach the fifth floor. Only by meeting the fifth-floor messengers can we uncover more secrets. Whether to eliminate the Ghost Post Office or take control of it, everything is inseparably tied to the final level. However, after what you've just told me, I don't have much confidence in heading directly to the fifth floor."
"Exactly. If this place has truly lost control, then even stepping onto the fourth floor means the next letter delivery task could be exceedingly difficult—perhaps even one guaranteed to result in death," Sun Rui said.
He had gathered considerable intelligence during this time.
"Just destroy the letters outright?" Yang Jian suggested.
Sun Rui immediately responded, "Yang Captain, you'd better not do that. If a fourth-floor letter is destroyed, it could provoke all the ghosts in the Ghost Post Office to come out and kill you. At that point, the Post Office will serve no purpose, as it will have fully spiraled out of control."
"Surely it wouldn't be that extreme," Li Yang said, shocked.
Sun Rui shot him a look. "It would get far worse. Destroying a letter triggers the Post Office's elimination protocol against messengers. But Yang Captain is too powerful. To eliminate someone of Yang Captain's caliber, the Post Office would inevitably break its balance and undergo a complete breakdown. The supernatural phenomena wouldn't just be targeting Yang Captain anymore—it might sweep through the entire Post Office."
"Under such circumstances, survival would be nearly impossible."
Sun Rui paused, glancing at Yang Jian.
Yang Jian gave a faint shake of his head as well.
Defaulting on the task and destroying the letter was no longer an option. If every single ghost inside the Post Office emerged to hunt him down, even an anomaly like himself wouldn't be able to withstand it.
And even if he somehow managed to survive, he wouldn't have the strength left to ascend to the fifth floor.
That's why the letter on the fourth floor had to be delivered. Even if cheating was necessary, he would have to do so on the fifth floor instead.
"The fourth-floor letter still needs to be delivered. But earlier, you mentioned a team was wiped out on the fourth floor. Are there any messengers left on that floor?" Yang Jian asked.
Sun Rui answered confidently, "There are still messengers on the fourth floor, but not many. Moreover, a ghost has infiltrated the fourth floor. According to a fourth-floor messenger's analysis, during a past letter-delivery task, someone was possessed by a ghost. That person disguised themselves as a messenger and ended up in the Post Office. Because of this, the fourth floor became problematic."
"The Ghost Post Office seemed to want to eliminate that ghost as well. But since ghosts cannot be killed, it... "
Yang Jian finished for him, "So, it can only escalate the difficulty of letter delivery, until all the fourth-floor messengers are eradicated."
"That's about it. That's the current state of the fourth floor. But the deadliest part is still the fifth floor. Messengers have already died mysteriously on the fifth floor, and the exact cause is unknown," Sun Rui said.
"How much longer can you hold out on the first floor?" Yang Jian gave him a glance and asked.
Sun Rui replied, "My situation is unique. I entered the Ghost Post Office but stopped short while ascending to the second floor. Right now, I am neither a first-floor messenger nor a second-floor messenger but stuck in between. This is a loophole in the Post Office. So, I don't need to deliver letters, can maintain my identity as a messenger, and avoid being affected by the supernatural entities in the Post Office."
"All I need to do is survive the twelve hours of darkness past six o'clock each night. However, the oil in my lamp is running low. Fortunately, I don't face danger every night—just more frequently recently, as the sound of footsteps around me has been increasing."
"It's a gradual process, but conservatively speaking, I have about ten days left."
Yang Jian frowned slightly.
He could see that Sun Rui's situation was dire. He had tamed two ghosts and was relying on this special oil lamp to survive for ten more days.
"What if I add this?" After some thought, Yang Jian handed him a red Ghost Candle.
"A Ghost Candle?"
Sun Rui was a little taken aback before saying, "A single red Ghost Candle, if used sparingly, can give me two more days. The danger always seems to peak around midnight, so I can extinguish the light during the less hazardous hours."
"Then take this Ghost Candle. Once I reach the fifth floor, you should leave the Ghost Post Office. Don't get yourself killed here. Once I'm on the fifth floor, there will only be two outcomes—either the Post Office is destroyed, or I take control of it. There won't be a third option," Yang Jian said seriously.
"Alright. When you return, I'll leave this place." Sun Rui forced a faint smile, ugly but loaded with relief.
Although he was prepared to die here, he wouldn't squander an opportunity to survive if one presented itself.
"It's settled then," Yang Jian said.
Sun Rui nodded and accepted the red Ghost Candle.
At that moment, the doors of the Ghost Post Office swung open once more, and two figures entered.
A young man and a somewhat petite woman who looked to be in her twenties.
Wang Shan and Yang Xiaohua.
These were the only two survivors from the last letter delivery task.
Wang Shan was a first-floor messenger who had ridden Yang Jian's coattails this far. Yang Xiaohua was a second-floor messenger and had survived the 301 Incident.
Additionally, there was a woman named Leuk Qingqing.
This woman appeared to have become a ghost tamer and was now the third-floor messenger.
In other words, apart from Yang Jian and Li Yang, only one person survived from each of the first, second, and third floors.
Now, they were all here, likely because the Post Office path had revealed itself, ready to follow Yang Jian to the fourth floor.
"Yang Jian," Wang Shan greeted warmly.
He was the lucky one, having survived the 301 City supernatural incident while sipping beer and snacking at home.
"Yang Jian, Li Yang," Yang Xiaohua also greeted them, tying her hair back. Lightly made-up, she looked pale, clearly having had a rough time recently.
Yang Jian nodded back in acknowledgment.
"Let's not waste time and check out the fourth floor."
"I'll follow your lead," Wang Shan smiled, determined to continue clutching onto his lifeline of safety.
Yang Xiaohua took the initiative to approach, but there was a hint of suspicion in her gaze as she faced Yang Jian. "I visited Dachang City recently. But why couldn't I find any information about you? It's as if you're not even from Dachang City. All I could find was someone named Ah Wei."
Before Yang Jian could answer, Li Yang sneered from the side, "A mere lawyer trying to dig up our captain's information in another city? Do you think you're some kind of secret agent? Our records are classified. If you could access them, the entire Information Department would deserve to be executed."
"The process doesn't matter; it's the result that counts. Are you looking for my information to join me?" Yang Jian asked as he walked.
Yang Xiaohua's eyes flickered. "Staying alive is the most important thing. If you can help me escape the Post Office, I'll do anything you ask."
"Same here," Wang Shan quickly added.
Yang Jian said calmly, "I doubt you'll survive the fourth-floor letter delivery task. If the Post Office's rules are as comprehensive as they used to be, there will undoubtedly be sanctions for people like you sneaking onto higher floors."
"And in the realm of supernatural incidents, human life is worth the least."
Yang Xiaohua said, "I've already written my will, but I still want to fight. Having reached the fourth floor, I'm not willing to die just like this. You also promised to help me escape the Ghost Post Office alive."
"From last time? That promise does sound familiar. But do you remember the cost I mentioned?" Yang Jian asked as he looked at her.
Biting her lip slightly, Yang Xiaohua replied, "The cost is me. You can treat me as your employee or as your woman—whatever you prefer."
"Me too..." Wang Shan attempted to interject but quickly shut his mouth.
That's definitely a no-go.
Yang Jian said, "Well said, but your actions don't seem to match."
"I went to Dachang City but couldn't find any of your information. I think you're lying to me—only using me temporarily as cannon fodder and ready to discard me once I've served my purpose. I got lucky last time, but you clearly had no intention of keeping your promise. Otherwise, you wouldn't have fed me false information."
"Don't play the victim. As Li Yang said, you couldn't find my information. That doesn't mean I lied to you. And don't overvalue yourself."
Yang Jian spoke coldly, "Nobody remembers where they tossed a random weed after pulling it out."
Weed?
Wang Shan glanced at Yang Xiaohua.
So that's how Yang Jian sees her. No wonder...
"The fourth floor is just ahead," Li Yang reminded the group at that moment.
The wooden staircase climbed upward, shrouded in an eerie mist. A thick gloom obscured the path ahead and blotted out the way back.
An indescribable sinister atmosphere polluted the air.
The destination at the end of the path faintly emerged—a floor distinctly visible through the haze.
The style of the structure was an old rectangular layout with multiple rooms. As they approached, its outlines became clearer.
Finally, after climbing the last wooden step, they reached the fourth floor of the Ghost Post Office.
But as soon as they arrived...
Yang Jian noticed an unusual sight.
A male corpse hung from a dim yellow ceiling lamp in the middle of the corridor.
The body swayed slightly, and the faint light flickered as though the figure had been hanging there for quite some time.
The corpse's skin was shriveled and wrinkled, its dark, yellowish texture giving it a waxy, mummified appearance.
"A man hanged himself?" Li Yang's eyes widened. "That doesn't make sense. Corpses like this should disappear the next day in the Post Office. It shouldn't still be here."
"Normally, the Post Office removes corpses. But what if it cannot remove this one?" Yang Jian narrowed his eyes, his ghostly vision focusing as he prepared to step closer to investigate.
Yet, a bizarre phenomenon occurred.
As Yang Jian moved, the corpse also slightly turned, presenting only its curved back to him. Its face remained hidden.
Li Yang noticed the same thing. He tried observing from another angle but, like Yang Jian, still only saw the corpse's back. The body subtly rotated in his view as well.
"Captain, I can't see its face either," Li Yang said.
"Then it's not a matter of angles," Yang Jian concluded. "This is a paranormal phenomenon. Even if four people stood on all four sides, they'd all only see its back. Interesting. Has the fourth floor of the Ghost Post Office become this deadly? Paranormal events have already normalized."
Scanning the surroundings...
Yang Jian realized something was deeply wrong. One of the rooms had its door plastered with layers of black letters, sealing the frame tightly, as though to prevent something from entering.
Other rooms were missing doors altogether, leaving hollow, pitch-black entrances that revealed nothing within.
The corridor floor was muddled with random dirt footprints. The prints seemed to have appeared out of thin air, starting and ending without any discernible path, cluttered in one area.
Finally, Yang Jian spotted a door that had turned a ghostly white, as if coated in lime powder.
But on closer inspection, he realized it wasn't lime—it was ash. Bone ash.
A supernatural kind of bone ash, laden with mysterious power.
The silence was suffocating. Not a trace of sound could be heard except for the occasional faint crackling of flickering light bulbs.
The flickering came from the bulb beneath the corpse.
"This floor is way too terrifying," Wang Shan muttered, his heart pounding with dread. It felt as though they had stepped into a domain of ultimate supernatural horror and certain death.
Looking around, it was evident that something terrifying had unfolded at each door.
The eerie markings weren't random. They were grim signs of people desperately battling against supernatural forces.
Whether those battles succeeded or failed was unclear.
But judging by the corpse swaying under the light bulb, the odds didn't look good.
"This letter delivery task is going to be crucial. Since the Post Office path is now visible, it must be directly tied to the task. But we're probably early. Under normal circumstances, the letters should appear tomorrow morning after the lights go out tonight. What time is it now?"
Yang Jian was calm, unwavering.
"It's already 5:40," Yang Xiaohua said, her voice trembling slightly.
At 6:00, the lights would go out, and malevolent ghosts would emerge inside the Post Office—something everyone was well aware of.
"We need to find a room within the next twenty minutes, or it'll be dangerous once the lights go out," Li Yang said, scanning the room numbers.
401, 402, 403... Choosing the right room seemed crucial.
No.
It was imperative to select a room that appeared relatively safe.
"Captain, what about that room?" Li Yang pointed to the door plastered with layers of black envelopes.
Wang Shan immediately nodded, "The envelopes sealing the door suggest someone stayed there before. It might be safe."
Yang Jian narrowed his eyes at the door for a moment. "The envelopes are stuck to the door's exterior. If someone were staying inside, the envelopes should be on the backside of the door, not outside."
"Are you saying the envelopes aren't protecting the room but are keeping something from leaving it?" Wang Shan's face went pale as a spine-chilling assumption struck him.
Yes.
He had nearly overlooked that possibility.
That room might be keeping a ghost contained, sealed behind its door by the messengers on this floor.
"What about that room? While the muddy footprints are all around the hallway, it looks like there aren't any inside that room," Li Yang offered another suggestion.
Yang Jian frowned. "The muddy footprints prove that a ghost lingered in that area for a while. Whether the room is inherently safe doesn't matter. What matters is why the ghost kept patrolling there. Even if it's safe inside now, a ghost might still target it."
"Let's head to Room 402—the one with the white door covered in bone ash."
He seemed to recall something and sounded more resolute in his choice.
