Chapter 103: The Old Photograph
Chapter 103: The Old Photograph
At this moment, Chen Chuan remained remarkably calm as he glanced at his "second self," and as expected, the phenomenon of dematerialization appeared, even more pronounced than the day before.
He recalled the warning from the information: never look directly at the figure's front. So, he averted his gaze from the screen, keeping his focus there.
However, the stimulation from the altered tissue couldn't be ignored. To prevent its unchecked growth, he had to continue using the breath technique to guide it.
Disregarding the unpredictable additional harm, the impact of this phenomenon was far more significant than the effects of drug infiltration.
He completely ignored external distractions, concentrating solely on his task, just as he would during training. With his second self as a protective barrier, as long as it existed, he need not worry about anything else.
Time passed slowly, and in a fleeting moment, he suddenly realized that the signs of dematerialization had vanished. He took a deep breath, waited a little longer, and then slowly turned his head to look sideways. The seat next to him was empty, with nothing there.
He slightly adjusted his breathing, stood up, and left the auditorium. After exiting the corridor, he asked his assistant, who was waiting, to inform Manager Huang that he would be back the next day. Then, he left the place.
Outside, it was still early morning, and the sky was dark. As he waited for the cinema's car to take him back, he suddenly felt something was amiss.
He reached out and touched his clothes, noticing that some threads had come loose. He wasn't sure if it was just an illusion, but under the light, the fabric seemed to have faded slightly, leaving him pensive.
The information provided by Cheng Zitong made no mention of the figure's position changing, nor did it offer any explanations or solutions for this situation.
Now, he considered the cause of this phenomenon. Could it be related to his guidance of the altered tissue? This wasn't impossible. The only thing he had done was guide the tissue, and perhaps no one before him had attempted this. But it was something he had to do; he couldn't let the altered tissue grow unchecked; he had to control it.
He thought further. It would take three days to eliminate this urban legend, and on the second day, it had moved closer to him. He wondered what would happen on the third day—would it merge with him, or move elsewhere?
If it merged with him, what should he do?
He decided to seek advice from Cheng Zitong after returning. After all, this teacher had delved deeply into this field.
Upon returning to school, Chen Chuan took a short nap and woke up around 8 a.m. He freshened up and prepared to go out. He had intended to wear the same outerwear as the day before, but after picking it up, he noticed it had indeed become slightly worn. However, it was just the outer layer; the inner clothing and the watch he wore seemed unaffected.
After some thought, he changed into a fresh set of clothes and headed to a public telephone to make a call.
When the call connected, Cheng Zitong's voice came through: "Xiao Chuan, why are you calling me at this hour? Is there a problem?"
Chen Chuan replied, "Teacher, I do have a question. This is what happened a few hours ago." He briefly recounted the events of the past few hours.
After listening, Cheng Zitong pondered for a moment and said, "It's not convenient to discuss this over the phone. Don't worry; I'll come to see you at noon and think of a solution."
Chen Chuan agreed and hung up the phone.
Unperturbed, he continued with his daily training routine. When noon arrived, Cheng Zitong came to find him and said, "Let's go; we'll talk while we eat."
Chen Chuan knew that Cheng Zitong had a busy schedule, so he followed his lead. They headed to the teacher's private room in the cafeteria, sat down, and ordered some dishes. Cheng Zitong asked about some details, thought for a moment, and then said,
"I haven't heard of a case where the position of the figure changed before. Your situation is quite unique, but it may indeed be related to your guidance of the altered tissue.
From ancient texts of the old era to modern records, the most common encounters with urban legends are among us fighters. There seems to be a natural attraction between these two.
Of course, ordinary people who encounter these legends either don't survive or, if they're lucky, remain nameless. So, we can't make assumptions based on that. Considering your situation, you're probably thinking that the figure might move again, perhaps even to your exact location?"
"I have indeed considered that outcome," Chen Chuan admitted.
Cheng Zitong continued, "There's a simple solution: just abandon the assignment. These urban legends, like the Midnight Phantom in the Orchid Fragrance Cinema, tend to be confined to specific areas. Once you leave that area, the danger is mostly gone. At most, some people might get sick or experience a period of mental instability."
"Teacher, if I choose to leave, will the legend persist in that area?"
"Yes, and it might even become more dangerous."
Chen Chuan raised his head and asked, "Teacher, is there any other way besides abandoning the assignment?"
Cheng Zitong smiled and said, "I knew you wouldn't give up. The simplest method is to close your eyes. The most crucial thing to avoid is seeing the face of the legend. By avoiding that, you can sidestep most of the danger. However, in special cases, there's a more reliable solution—an item that can help you."
He reached for his briefcase, took out an ancient mirror with a rusty surface that was almost unrecognizable, and said, "This item is also a remnant from dealing with a legend. Take it with you tonight and place it in the row behind you, facing directly towards your back.
Chen Chuan took the package and asked, "Teacher, is this all I need?"
Cheng Zitong replied, "This is all you need. Although I haven't encountered a situation like yours, I've been studying urban legends for many years, and I do have a few tricks up my sleeve. Otherwise, I wouldn't have sent you to take on this commission."
"But you should know that it's hard to say there won't be any problems at all, and it's not that there aren't other solutions. You can pay attention yourself. Urban legends can be extremely harmful to ordinary people, often resulting in fatal consequences. As fighters, we have relatively better endurance, and the one you're dealing with isn't even the most dangerous. So, I believe you can handle it."
Chen Chuan nodded, "Thank you, Teacher."
Cheng Zitong smiled and said, "Let's eat first."
After the meal, Chen Chuan returned to his dormitory and resumed his training.
At six o'clock in the evening, he prepared himself, slung his bag over his shoulder, and left with his sword in hand.
The school's vehicle arrived on time and took him directly to the Orchid Fragrance Cinema. Now familiar with the route, he greeted the assistant manager Huang, and then proceeded directly to his assigned seat.
Upon arrival, he first removed his bag and hung it outside the door. Then, he took out the antique mirror and walked to the center of the theater, opening the wooden support behind the mirror and placing it upright on the backrest of the seat behind him.
After completing these tasks, he sat down in front and began watching the movie.
Indeed, as the largest cinema in the southern part of the city, it had an extensive collection of films. Today, they were screening many movies he hadn't seen before, including foreign films that offered a glimpse into the lifestyles of other parts of the world.
As the movie played, time gradually approached midnight.
This time, he didn't wear his watch, so he couldn't accurately observe the time. He could only wait silently.
After what seemed like a long time, the large screen suddenly flickered, and he felt a chill. Almost simultaneously, the dematerialization symptoms on his second self abruptly appeared.
However, he didn't see the figure, and it didn't seem to be sitting in the adjacent seat either. If the antique mirror was working, the urban legend should be sitting right behind him.
Chen Chuan observed his second self, and the dematerialization symptoms had already exceeded the range of the drug's effectiveness. Even without using the breath control method, he could feel the abnormal activity in the mutated tissue. Under this intense stimulation, the mutated tissue continued to grow and spread, even more vigorously than the last time.
He was mentally prepared for this, so he closed his eyes and used the breathing technique taught by Professor He Xiaoxing to guide the energy, preventing it from spreading uncontrollably.
During this process, he discovered that not only did the dematerialization symptoms not weaken, but they were also gradually intensifying. This indicated that the urban legend was getting closer and closer to him, and by the end, it might even merge with him. However, he remained unmoved, immersing himself entirely in guiding the energy.
This continued for a long time until the moment when the time reached four in the morning. Suddenly, both the dematerialization symptoms on his body and the chill vanished abruptly, as if by coincidence or malfunction. The movie playing on the large screen also abruptly stopped.
Chen Chuan waited for a while before slowly opening his eyes. He stood up, turned on the flashlight he had placed on the seat next to him, and walked out to the back row to retrieve the antique mirror.
Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly felt something. He shone the flashlight again and reached into the gap between the backrest and the cushion, pulling out an old, dusty photograph covered in dust.
He shone the flashlight on the photo, which was about two inches in size. It seemed to be a woman, but due to the age and yellowing of the photo, her facial features were unclear. He could only vaguely make out her slender figure, with her long hair reaching down to her ankles. She appeared to be wearing an old-fashioned costume.
After some thought, Chen Chuan put the photo away and walked out. He informed Manager Huang's assistant, who immediately ran out. Soon, Manager Huang himself rushed back, panting heavily. Wiping his sweat with a handkerchief, he said expectantly, "Mr. Chen?"
Chen Chuan said to him, "Manager Huang, the issue has been resolved."
Manager Huang was overjoyed. He grabbed Chen Chuan's hand and shook it repeatedly, "Thank you so much, Mr. Chen! You've done us a huge favor."
Chen Chuan said, "Manager Huang, you're too kind. I came here specifically to handle this matter."
"But we must express our gratitude. We've sought help from many people before, but they either made excuses or couldn't find a solution. It's all thanks to you, Mr. Chen. You truly live up to your reputation, solving a significant problem with your expertise."
Manager Huang's face was filled with gratitude. "From now on, Mr. Chen, you are a VIP guest at the Orchid Fragrance Cinema. Whenever you come, we will do our best to accommodate you."
Chen Chuan thought for a moment and took out the old photograph he had found. He showed it to Manager Huang and asked, "Manager Huang, do you recognize the person in this photo?"
Manager Huang leaned in for a closer look but shook his head. However, he seemed to remember something and said, "Mr. Chen, wait a moment. Perhaps someone else might recognize her. May I borrow this photo?"
"Sure."
Chen Chuan handed over the photograph.
Manager Huang instructed his assistant to take care of Chen Chuan while he rushed out with the photo. After about ten minutes, he returned, panting heavily. Once he caught his breath, he said, "Mr. Chen, I've found out that the person in the photo is wearing an old costume from our theater. She should be a former opera troupe member."
...
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(End of Chapter)
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