Mysterious Revival-Chapter 879 - 846: Wang Family’s Third Generation
In front of the spacious solid wood tea table, a handsome man dressed in a suit and wearing glasses is currently smiling gently as he leisurely pours a cup of black tea for Yang Jian sitting opposite him. The steaming tea gives off a unique fragrance of tea leaves, slightly dispersing some of the odd smells in the air.
"Team Leader Yang, Dadong City is a city with a long history. During the Republic of China Era, many significant events occurred in this city. Its unique historical heritage always gives rise to some unique people and incidents."
"The Republic Era Ancient House where the pendulum clock is kept is one of them."
As Wang Chaling brewed the tea, he slowly narrated some information: "Before I took charge, I had also investigated that ancient house from the Republic Era and heard the sounds of the clock echoing from the old house late at night. Of course, it wasn't just me; nearby residents, even pedestrians passing by at night, have all heard it."
"However, as far as I know, to this day, no one has found that pendulum clock in the ancient house."
At this point, he shook his head with a smile: "Embarrassingly enough, I asked my father to find that clock, but he has yet to return. If you, Team Leader Yang, could successfully deal with that ancient house today, and should you encounter my father, I hope you could do me the honor of rescuing him from that house."
"Of course, don't force it if it's not feasible. After all, time will give me an answer."
"You sent your father into that ancient house?"
Yang Jian's face turned pale as he reached out for the cup of black tea.
The steaming tea quickly turned cold, and then he gently sipped it.
As expected.
He wasn't used to this stuff.
"There aren't many people in this world whom I admire, and you are one of them, Team Leader Yang. You've survived the Door Knocking Ghost incident as a high school senior and have grown all the way to resolving the S-level Hungry Ghost case, securing the position of team leader, even defeating Fang Shiming in your circle of friends, and overcoming Ye Zhen, the self-proclaimed best in Asia... Honestly, your experiences over the past year can truly be called legendary," Wang Chaling said without directly responding to Yang Jian's question, deftly changing the subject.
"You're very well-informed about my file, but you're not trying to flatter me, are you?" Yang Jian said.
Wang Chaling shook his head with a smile: "No, I did not mean to flatter you; I'm speaking honestly. Compared to you, I fall far short. Although to others I may seem a role model for a successful life, with high education and a wealthy background, in reality, I am nothing more than a good-for-nothing."
"The pre-appointed team leader position bothers you?" Yang Jian said with a calm expression.
"Team leader? That's just a trivial matter, and even if I don't become the team leader, my say is still final in Dadong City. You should be very clear, Team Leader Yang, the true power of a team leader is not authority, but strength. As long as I, Wang Chaling, am alive, Dadong City will always be under my Wang Family's control."
Wang Chaling slightly lifted his head to look at Yang Jian.
Underneath the glasses, his clear eyes twinkled with a hint of light.
"I am willing to take on the role of team leader simply because I want to have a public identity; I don't want to be a rat skulking in sewers, hiding here and there. Supernatural power should not be feared but respected, even revered."
Wang Chaling took a sip of tea and the gleam in his eyes faded.
"It seems the topic has strayed a bit. How much do you know about the curse of the Pendulum Clock Curse in the Republic Era Ancient House? If that's all we have to go on, I should get moving. Various powers in the supernatural circle are probably waiting to enjoy the show, and I have to show everyone what kind of fate befalls those who offend me, Yang Jian."
Although Yang Jian spoke coldly, his aura was strong, imposing and sharp.
Wang Chaling chuckled, "Although Dadong City is not small, it can't withstand your turmoil. After all, this is a densely populated metropolis. If it gets too intense, the headquarters won't approve. Li Jun should still be on his way here. His purpose in coming here is not only to assist you but also to restrain you."
"So what about that?" Yang Jian retorted.
Wang Chaling set down his teacup and spoke, "I understand your attitude, Team Leader Yang. Since that's the case, let me be frank—to avoid any misunderstanding later that might lead to unnecessary conflict."
"That Republic Era Ancient House actually belongs to my Wang Family. My family has been rooted in Dadong City since the Republic of China Era. Even before supernatural events began to occur on a large scale, I have been dealing with those filthy things since childhood—my father, mother, grandfather, and grandmother have all been dealing with ghosts."
"If we count, I, Wang Chaling, am the third generation of the Wang Family, and also the last generation."
"Bang!"
Yang Jian suddenly slapped the wooden table and stood up, his eyes gleaming with a red light as he death-gazed at him.
The thick solid wood table instantly cracked, and all the lights nearby extinguished at this moment.
An icy cold aura eroded the entire building.
"Are you playing me, Wang Chaling?"
Yang Jian's voice was still cold, but it gave off a chilling, dangerous feeling that made one's hairs stand on end.
Wang Chaling looked up slightly at him. Behind him, the silhouette of an old man dressed in black cloth with a vague figure emerged, like a vast memorial portrait, gray-white and cold—an actual fierce ghost.
And this fierce ghost had been following Wang Chaling all along, accompanying him, unable to be dispelled.
"Team Leader Yang, no one starts out by telling all their secrets to a stranger. I know that revealing this now may make you feel deceived, but had I spoken afterward, it would not have been simply about making you angry; rather, it would have led to a real conflict between us."
"I don't want to see that, so I ask you to keep calm."
After Wang Chaling finished speaking, another terrifying fierce ghost silhouette emerged beside the black-clothed old man. Its outline was slightly shorter than the old man's, but just as horrifying and strange.
Two ghosts.
Remarkably, there were two ghosts accompanying Wang Chaling.
These were true fierce ghosts, not mere Ghost Slaves or any incomplete ghost puzzles.
"Are we going to have a fight?"
At this moment, Feng Quan, Huang Ziya, Tong Qian, Li Yang, and others all stood up from their seats.
Yang Jian eyed his teammates and gestured for them to stay calm and not be hasty.
"So that Republic Era Ancient House is the ancestral home of your Wang Family?"
"Not the ancestral home, but a Cursed House—it's a building stricken with a curse. I don't live there; it's simply part of my family's property, which I've now inherited."
Wang Chaling tidied the tea table unhurriedly, speaking methodically.
"But inheriting does not mean owning, I myself am not willing to set foot in that place lightly, so strictly speaking, the Pendulum Clock Curse has little to do with me. When I realized the curse was out of control, I tried to solve it, but clearly, I was not successful, and my father remained in that ancient house."
After speaking, he sighed, appearing somewhat helpless.
Yang Jian asked directly, "You are the heir to the Republic Era Ancient House, so how much do you know about the supernatural events of the Republic of China Era?"
Wang Chaling looked at him with a slightly surprised expression, then shook his head and smiled, "I indeed encountered quite a few supernatural events as a child, but I have always loathed dealing with those filthy things. However, my father told me from an early age that it was the Wang Family's destiny, and when I asked him where this destiny came from, he said it was what his father told him."
"Yet, grandfather is dead, and I feel that my father is a pitiful person, trapped in a false destiny after all. It's the 21st century, who still believes in that?"
"So I abandoned the so-called destiny of the Wang Family and chose to study abroad."
"Perhaps the supernatural events had disappeared for too long, or maybe my father respected my decision and did not interfere with me... so I had a very happy life abroad, finally having a normal life."
"But fate always likes to play tricks on people. Later on, the supernatural events erupted, and I had no choice but to return to Dadong City, inheriting the Wang Family's destiny. However, because of the years I spent studying abroad, there are many things I didn't have time to ask my father about, so I don't know much about the affairs of the Republic period."
At this point, he seemed to show a hint of apology.
"Perhaps there are some clues you're looking for in that ancient house."
"Your story is very fascinating," Yang Jian said coldly.
Wang Chaling said, "It seems that Captain Yang doesn't believe it?"
"The heir to the Republic Era Ancient House has all secrets cut off just because he went abroad? Do you think I would believe that?" Yang Jian said.
Each Republic Era Ancient House has a bizarre and terrifying story behind it.
The ancient house in Dachang City is no different. There should have been an heir. Yang Jian had investigated before, and it turned out that ten or twenty years ago, the old watchman of that dilapidated house died of illness, and with him, all the secrets were buried.
Unexpectedly, this Wang Chaling is the living heir to that ancient house.
"If Captain Yang doesn't believe me, there's nothing I can do, but this is the truth. I did not fully inherit the Wang Family's destiny, only their ghost. I am now paying for my youthful impulsiveness," Wang Chaling said, his handsome face showing a trace of regret.
"Since you won't talk, then I'll have to investigate on my own. I just hope you won't interfere when the time comes. My visit to you today was a courtesy to give you advance notice," Yang Jian said, no longer conversing, and prepared to stand up and leave.
Although this Wang Chaling said a lot, in reality, he didn't reveal any key information.
Only two things were known.
That Republic Era Ancient House is his family's ancestral home.
His father was left behind in that Republic Era Ancient House.
"Captain Yang, please wait."
Wang Chaling suddenly called out to him, then took out an old pocket watch from his bosom. Upon opening it, the hands were still ticking steadily.
"The time on this pocket watch is synchronized with the time inside the ancient house. There's a lot I cannot do, after all, I am useless, but Captain Yang, you might be able to. So if you go to the ancient house, please pay attention to the time on the pocket watch; it may offer you some help."
Yang Jian looked at him without saying a word.
"Do you think I would harm you?"
Wang Chaling said, "Actually, our goals are the same. You want to eliminate those ghost manipulators, and I want to reclaim the family house and find my father to make up for regrets."
"I'll trust you this once, but only this once. So do not betray my trust, or else, if we meet again, it will be a fight to the death," Yang Jian said directly. He took the pocket watch and then turned to glance at everyone present.
The red light enveloped the room.
Everyone disappeared in an instant.
The lingering cold presence here also vanished along with them, and the flickering lights around them all returned to brightness,
"Have they gone?"
Wang Chaling sighed and took out an old photograph to look at.
It was a black-and-white family portrait, featuring a stooped old man and an old woman—his grandparents—and a woman in her thirties, his mother; however, the space next to the mother was empty.
That was originally his father's place.
But his father disappeared, left behind in that ancient house.
In one corner remained an image of Wang Chaling.
However, the Wang Chaling in the photo was in color, not black and white.
Yet the photo, with time passing by, was fading slowly.
Besides, the background of the photo was a Republic Era ancient house.
"Mom, do you think that Yang Jian will succeed?" Wang Chaling murmered.
The woman in her thirties inside the photograph now subtly turned her head halfway, eerily looking at him as if she heard him speaking.
"Mom, go and take a look for me, please. If you see father, bring him back. Don't let him conflict with Yang Jian. Yang Jian has a Coffin Nail which can destroy father," Wang Chaling spoke again in a low voice.
The woman in the photo became lifelessly shifted, her figure gradually receding as if walking into the oppressive and gloomy Republic Era Ancient House in the background of the photograph.
The weird family photo of three generations with five people now had another empty space.
Only the grandparents and Wang Chaling remained.