Chapter 59: Chapter Fifty-Nine: Mirror Demon

He stepped onto the third floor.

Having just left the steps, the flashlight in his hand had not yet illuminated the surroundings.

In the darkness, a black shadow flew out, heading for Tang Luo's head.

Its speed was as fast as lightning.

It left people no time to react, not even able to see clearly what it was before being struck.

Hmm, it was an ordinary person, not Tang Luo.

Tang Luo reached out and grabbed.

The attacking black shadow seemed to fly into a net of its own accord, and he easily caught it in his hand.

It began to struggle wildly.

The force it emitted was like holding a vibrating pump.

"Bat?"

Tang Luo looked at the "black shadow's true form" in his hand.

It was not some strange monster, but an ordinary bat.

Apart from its eyes glowing with blood-red light, there was nothing special about it.

With a casual flick, the bat in his hand flew out faster than before, striking the wall and turning into a puddle of flesh.

The renovation of the third floor was basically complete.

Not only were rooms added, but doors were also installed.

However, trash was everywhere.

There was leftover renovation debris, construction waste, and also a lot of household trash.

It's likely that vagrants once lived here.

Tang Luo saw several people lying on the ground, motionless.

He walked over and took a look.

They were several desiccated corpses, skin and bones, though their clothes were quite new.

"Drained dry."

Tang Luo crouched down to examine.

On these corpses, the neck, arms, and similar spots bore two obvious blood holes.

It was likely that the bat just now had drained all their blood.

Their identities need no explanation; they were naturally members of the Paranormal Group, companions of Wang Shuishui.

"Not really a bat demon."

Tang Luo looked at the pool of blood on the wall.

Such a small bat doesn't even count as a mountain wild spirit.

"Ah—"

Before Tang Luo could discover more, a scream that went from strong to weak came from downstairs.

Tang Luo stepped back two steps, then stamped with his right foot.

The solid floor was punched through by him, creating a large hole; accompanied by stone fragments, it fell to the second floor.

Upon landing, Tang Luo saw Wang Shuishui embracing a certain man.

The two were in the midst of a "deep affectionate kiss".

Looking at the man's forceful posture, it seemed as if he wanted to knead Wang Shuishui entirely into his body.

On the half of Wang Shuishui's face that was visible, there was only distortion and terror.

Her eyes involuntarily rolled upward.

Tang Luo stepped forward, a hand reaching out to grab the man's head.

It was like grabbing a chick and pulling him over.

Bringing it close to his eyes, Tang Luo said, "This one's dead, beyond saving."

He applied force with his hand, and the man's head shattered.

No blood flowed out, just like an empty shell.

A wisp of black aura rose up and quickly vanished.

The corpse that fell to the ground also withered at a visible speed, even to the point of "weathering".

Within just a few seconds, it turned into a pile of white bones.

Wang Shuishui collapsed on the ground, her eyes tightly shut.

Tang Luo helped her up, shook her vigorously, and forcibly "woke" her.

Wang Shuishui opened her eyes; they were cloudy, then she showed a foolish, vacant smile, with drool trickling from the corner of her mouth.

"Yin qi has entered her brain; she's addled, beyond saving." Tang Luo reached out and pinched her neck, knocking Wang Shuishui unconscious.

He then went back upstairs to look around again.

Apart from those corpses, there were no further discoveries.

"Not enough people; who else is missing?" Tang Luo thought to himself.

According to those who initially said in the group they would definitely come, the people Tang Luo now sees are still a few short.

We don't know where they are.

Or perhaps only this many came, and they're all here?

Wang Shuishui had become an idiot, naturally unable to answer Tang Luo's question.

Having expended a bit of merit power, he had earlier awakened the woman who was acting as a moving corpse.

A few minutes later.

Tang Luo walked toward another villa nearby.

According to the woman dressed as a ghost, they were "splitting up into two groups."

Some people were setting things up in this villa.

The rest were in another villa.

That villa over there was actually the main dish that had required a lot of effort.

This place was just an appetizer.

The other villa's completion level was a bit lower than this one's.

The courtyard walls were only half-built.

It was a bare-shell structure with the overall framework intact.

The doors and windows, however, were all present.

Tang Luo pushed open the villa's main gate and suddenly saw a figure standing before him, a faint smile on its face.

At the same time, a wailing, lamenting cry came from the corner.

That figure was none other than Tang Luo himself!

Not far from the entrance, directly opposite, stood a full-length mirror tall enough to reflect one's entire body.

Before him burned a red candle that had already burned down considerably.

It felt as if some sort of terrifying ritual were being conducted.

Tang Luo ignored the mirror and candle, walked to the corner, where a black speaker no larger than a palm sat.

It was also covered with miscellaneous items.

Obviously, it was one of the so-called "main course" arrangements.

It's a pity they ran into Tang Luo, who was there to earn merit by exorcising demons—like casting a glance at a blind person.

"Anyone there?"

Tang Luo shouted.

All was silent; no one answered him.

He casually glanced around, saw no one on the first floor, and headed for the second floor.

Just as he reached the landing of the stairwell, he turned and saw another figure.

Sure enough, it was another full-length mirror.

In the darkness, it faintly reflected Tang Luo's blurry silhouette.

He pressed on, Tang Luo searched the entire villa.

Many corners and similar spots had mirrors placed in them.

It seemed they were aiming to make a mirror-themed haunted house?

Besides the mirrors, Tang Luo found nothing else.

He saw no one, nor any backpack—oh, except for that "small speaker."

"Where did it go?"

On the roof, Tang Luo shone his flashlight at the mirror before him and stared.

In such a setting, even his own face in the mirror looked extremely terrifying.

It was spine-chilling.

Tales of the terror and supernatural occurrences of gazing into a mirror at midnight are widespread.

After looking for a while, Tang Luo turned, walked to the window, pushed open the stuck window, and looked outside.

In the distance were the city lights; nearby were black, sparse trees.

Behind him…

In the mirror that had lost its illumination, Tang Luo's reflection did not turn with his movement.

It remained facing outward, as if—there were a real person inside the mirror.

The Tang Luo in the mirror's mouth corners rose slightly.

At the same time, his torso leaned forward, wearing a strange smile, pressing his face completely against the "mirror surface."

Ripples like water appeared on the mirror surface.

It was as if someone slowly rose from underwater; the Tang Luo in the mirror, without a sound, stepped out of the mirror.

He raised his hand, aiming at the Tang Luo who was "viewing the scenery on the roof."

His palm, ten centimeters behind Tang Luo's back, suddenly accelerated and struck hard at Tang Luo's back.

Not a budge!

No falling incident occurred.

Tang Luo's body didn't even lean forward.

The mirror person's motion halted.

Tang Luo slowly turned his head, caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye, and slapped it.

"Whoosh!"

With a crisp sound, the mirror person flew out in response.

It fell to the ground, cracks appearing all over its body, then shattered like a mirror.

It then turned into a black mist and vanished.

"It really is a mirror demon."

Tang Luo muttered a line.

Mirror demons, simply put, are monsters formed when resentful spirits, ghosts, and the like fuse with a mirror.

Strictly speaking, they are not actually "yao".

They count as ghosts.

Some bronze mirrors, portrait paintings, and the like are relatively easy for resentful spirits and ghosts to possess and fuse with.

Immortal in the painting, demon in the mirror.

This is a folk name for such ghosts.

Most such ghosts have the ability to absorb a person's vital essence and blood, to possess and control a person, and so on.

For example, the bat encountered in another villa, and that unsalvageable person.

As for mirror demons, they also have some special abilities.

Some powerful mirror demons can even create a "mirror realm" to drag people into it.

This mirror demon at present is probably not capable of that.

The "Tang Luo" in the mirror is merely a superficial reflection.

Having determined what is causing the trouble.

Dealing with it is then quite simple.

He kicked it, and the floor mirror before him toppled over, shattering to pieces.

"Not this one." Tang Luo walked to another mirror.

He reached out and pushed.

The person in the mirror likewise reached out—extending beyond the mirror.

Colliding with Tang Luo's palm.

Starting from the palm, the mirror shattered together with it.

"Two sides."

Not quite sure which mirror is the main body, Tang Luo chose to smash all the mirrors in the villa.

All in all, just seven or eight mirrors, not much effort.

For ordinary people facing such mirror persons, if lucky they might not die but would be crippled.

But for Tang Luo, it's just a wave of the hand.

Even another hundred mirror people could not stop him from destroying all the mirrors.

The sound of mirrors shattering kept echoing inside the villa.

In just a few minutes, all the mirrors were smashed by Tang Luo.

Only the mirror seen when opening the door remained; standing behind it, Tang Luo likewise kicked it out.

As the mirror fell, it also extinguished the candle.

"Alright, it's over……"

Tang Luo laughed, "You thought I'd say that?"

The mirrors were all smashed by him, yet the mirror demon did not die.

These mirrors are not the mirror demon's true body.

The mirrors were brought by Wang Shuishui and his group.

If the mirror demon's true body were hidden among them, Wang Shuishui and company wouldn't even have a chance to film.

Therefore, the mirror demon's true body should be a mirror in the villa.

Moreover, even if the mirror demon is weak, its true body is not something that would shatter from a casual push or a fall to the ground.

Most importantly, no merit power was obtained.

This proves the mirror demon is not dead.

How the mirror demon inside the villa came to be, Tang Luo is not sure.

He suspects these guys set up so many mirrors, and the "activation" might be the mirror demon itself.

Thus causing the night's incident.

"Let me look……"

Tang Luo looked up at the ceiling.

During the search just now, he basically searched everywhere.

The only place missed was the top of his head.

Sure enough, an ancient bronze mirror a bit larger than a palm hung suspended above Tang Luo's head.

It was about ten centimeters from the "ceiling".

If one does not deliberately look up, and just happens to shine a flashlight over it, it is extremely hard to notice.

Tang Luo leapt up and reached out to grab the mirror.

At that very moment, four human figures were squeezed out of the mirror.

Their faces were deathly pale, their eyes crimson, their original appearances twisted.

Tang Luo neither knows who they are now nor what they originally looked like.

However, one can judge from their number.

They are precisely the few missing persons left.

Changing from a grab to a palm, Tang Luo thrust out his bent fingers, which suddenly straightened, fingers splayed, and he unleashed a straight palm strike!