At this point, I couldn't think of any good way, so I could only try an untested method. I walked over quickly, asked Du Xiaolan to stand aside, and crouched down to pick up the pot.
I gestured to her and had Du Xiaolan open the iron door for me. As long as there was an opening, I would definitely run outside like a crazy person.
With Du Xiaolan's actions, the iron door slowly opened. When there was enough space for one person to go out, I ran forward with the pot like a madman. Just as I was about to reach the iron ladder, I heard Du Xiaolan's voice from above, "Mingyang, did you die inside? Why haven't you come up yet?"
It was undoubtedly Du Xiaolan's voice, and the one who had been with me all along was also Du Xiaolan.
Two Du Xiaolans?
My brain instantly short-circuited. There had been a Du Xiaolan in the illusion before, but now there was another. There must be one of them that was fake.
Thinking of this possibility, unease once again surged in my heart. Nervously, I turned my head and saw that Du Xiaolan had already come to my side.
Hastily placing the pot on the ground from my embrace, I asked vigilantly, "Wait here for a moment."
"What's wrong?" Du Xiaolan asked in confusion.
I gave her a once-over and whispered, "There are some things I must clear up."
Du Xiaolan disdainfully asked, "What's the matter? We are escaping right now, can't you feel any urgency?"
I thought for a moment and asked in a deep voice, "Do you remember the woman who came to the shop a few days ago, the one who looked very much like a cat?"
"Of course I remember, I'm not an amnesiac." Du Xiaolan shot me a look, her gaze somewhat avoiding.
I asked, "Do you know her name?"
Du Xiaolan suddenly fell silent, her gaze wandering before finally settling on a pottery jar.
Anduer hurried over to me and asked in a low voice, "Brother, what's going on?"
"Don't speak," I said in a low voice, then asked again, "If you really are Du Xiaolan, you must know that woman's name. But since you don't, it means you are not Du Xiaolan."
As soon as I made this conclusion, Du Xiaolan's face suddenly turned pale and she collapsed to the ground. Before I could react, her clothes rapidly lost their color and in the blink of an eye, turned into a paper figure several feet tall.
"Paper figure, a ghost!" Anduer screamed and quickly hugged me.
Ignoring Anduer's somewhat mentally disabled spirit, it turned out that the situation was just as I suspected. The pottery jar couldn't actually safely take us out, it was just a ploy, as taking the jar out was equivalent to taking the female ghost out.
With a clearer picture in my mind, but not daring to confront her directly, I quickly climbed up the iron ladder.
Outside, Du Xiaolan was standing there, looking very anxious. She was about to speak, but I quickly stopped her and asked in a deep voice, "Du Xiaolan, why do you always make me wait for you outside your building for so long every day?"
Du Xiaolan's expression changed and she pointed at me, shouting, "Is it any of your business? If you don't like waiting for me, you can go by yourself, I never asked you to wait for me!"
I didn't say anything more. The person in front of me was indeed Du Xiaolan, her angry expression and physical movements had proved that point.
Finding a favorable position, I had Du Xiaolan hide behind me. After the female ghost Zhang Roujin appeared, I squinted and asked, "Stop pretending, I already know."
Zhang Roujin hesitated for a moment and asked, "What do you mean?"
I took a deep breath and said, "From start to finish, you were the only spirit here. I've been wondering why I kept having hallucinations, because we never left that room in the basement, we've always been circling around that pottery jar."
Zhang Roujin didn't say anything, stood straight at the entrance and looked at me.
Du Xiaolan couldn't see Zhang Roujin and asked me why I was talking to myself here. I ignored her and continued to speak to Zhang Roujin, "Your purpose in creating this series of events was to make me carry out the jar containing your remains. Although I don't know your motive, I do know that once I take it out, things will never be peaceful again."
Zhang Roujin laughed, "If I really wanted you to take the jar out, why make such a big scene, why not just ask you directly?"
"Because you knew that doing so would make me suspicious, so you created this series of events, making it seem natural to take the jar out." I paused and continued, "But you forgot a crucial factor, the outside noise will break the illusions you've created!"
Zhang Roujin didn't hide it either, and chuckled, "You're not as simple as I imagined!"
"I've exposed your conspiracy, so we'll take our leave now," I said and then pulled Du Xiaolan to leave. But just as we reached the villa's entrance, I suddenly heard a gasp from Anduer. My head spun, how could I forget about this almost mentally handicapped female ghost.
I quickly turned around and saw that Zhang Roujin had already grabbed Anduer in her hand.
I nervously called out, "What do you want to do?"
Zhang Roujin coldly said, "Yin Mingyang, you are powerful, but have you ever considered a question?"
Instinctively, I asked, "What question?"
Zhang Roujin looked at Anduor and said, "This girl didn't actually die!"
"What?" I was very surprised. I had clearly seen Anduor's body in the morgue, but she wasn't dead. I wouldn't believe it even if I were beaten to death.
Zhang Roujin said, "There is still a trace of yang energy in her body. If her soul can be placed inside her body before the seventh day, there might be a glimmer of hope. But if her soul dies, even reincarnation won't have a chance!"
"Let her go!" I shouted. If Anduor was just a pure spirit, I would definitely give it a try. But she still had a chance to survive. If I let her go, it would be like watching her die a miserable death in front of me.
"Brother, save me..." Anduor struggled, but to no avail.
Zhang Roujin grabbed her and retreated into the cave entrance, saying, "I've changed my mind. I don't want you to leave here with my corpse. I want you to bring the person who harmed me back here. I want to kill him with my own hands!"
I hurriedly asked, "Where is he now?"
Zhang Roujin shook her head, "I don't know. I'll give you two days. If the person I want doesn't appear before me in two days, then you can wait to attend this little girl's funeral."
As her voice fell, she dragged the screaming Anduor into the cave.
Finally, it was quiet, and cold sweat had already seeped out of my forehead. I turned my head to look and saw Du Xiaolan, pale-faced, looking at me and asking, "Mingyang, you really have a mental illness."