Forgotten Photo Studio

Chapter 21: Master Appears
"Tsk, talking about money hurts feelings."

Ah Zhe pursed his lips and raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, but the scanning did not stop.

"Alright, the customer is king."

"But Mr. Xu, don't forget, you're a 'star' in the spotlight right now. The 'Center' gave you a silver badge, but that doesn't mean you can just shut yourself in and live a peaceful life. Not everyone watching you is as easy to talk to as I am."

He left those words with a meaningful tone, finally abandoning his playful demeanor, whistling off-key, calling to his drone, and wobbling away.

The moment the door closed, the store seemed to retain the cold, technical pressure he had brought with it.

Xu Yan stood there, his brows furrowed.

Ah Zhe's last words were both a reminder and a threat. He knew that the Silver status brought not only resources, but also constant scrutiny.

At night, Xu Yan and Chen Zhiwei were in a darkroom.

Xu Yan looked at the peaceful image in the photograph of her grandmother on the plate, trying to draw a sense of calm from it.

The red light shone, and the smell of developer permeated the air.

Chen Zhiwei subconsciously raised her hand, the red mark left by writing "Mingqi" on her fingertip had not yet completely faded.

However, just as Xu Yan's mind relaxed slightly...

It's sizzling!

A very brief, sharp electrical noise seemed to burst from inside the damper under his collarbone.

Immediately afterwards, a weight that was much colder, heavier, and had a distinct physical presence than before pressed down on his right shoulder!
The feeling was incredibly clear, as if there really was an invisible hand, its five fingers tightening, gripping his shoulder blade tightly.

That wasn't just an attack; it was more like a brutal declaration, a cold brand, trying to nail him firmly to the spot and define his existence.

At the same time, a deep, distorted voice, seemingly a mixture of countless noises and malice, no longer a muffled whisper, exploded directly in the depths of his mind:

“Xu...Yan…”

The sound penetrated the damper's filter, carrying a mocking and declarative tone.

Xu Yan suddenly looked up, her breathing stopping abruptly.

The red light in the darkroom flickered, and next to his shadow on the wall, there seemed to be an extremely faint, distorted shadow that draped over his shoulder, appearing only briefly.

Dampers are not a panacea.

It might filter out everyday "noise," but when that thing...

When "it" truly wants to convey something, or when its power increases, this fragile barrier becomes utterly vulnerable.

It felt as if an ice pick had pierced my heart.

The air freezes.

It not only still exists.

It became stronger, and... it was always by his side.

"Uh!"

Xu Yan suddenly arched his body, squeezing out a muffled groan that had been cut off.

The sensation coming from my right shoulder blade was no longer a vague coldness, but a very tangible, tightly clenched grip with all five fingers closed.

The feeling transcended pain, carrying a humiliating sense of confinement, as if to imprison him forever within this physical body, branding him with an inescapable mark of belonging.

A bone-chilling cold instantly spread throughout his arm, bringing a tingling numbness that sent shivers down his spine.

At the same time, the distorted "Xu Yan" in his mind was like a red-hot iron rod, violently churning his nerves.

Chen Zhiwei's face turned deathly pale instantly, but she didn't panic. She immediately grabbed the Soul-Suppressing Bell, ignoring the excruciating pain from the still-healing wound on her hand, and shook it violently!
"Jingle Bell!"

The crisp sound of the bell, carrying a hint of bloodlust, spread out like a pebble thrown into a deep pool.

However, the gripping force only paused slightly, and then tightened abruptly as if it had been provoked.

Xu Yan groaned, veins bulging on his forehead, and one could almost hear the groans of his shoulder bones from the unbearable strain.

The demonic voice in his mind became even sharper and more piercing, almost tearing his consciousness apart.

"It's...it's no use!" Xu Yan squeezed out the words through gritted teeth, the intense pain and mental shock blurring his vision. "This thing...it's different! Let's go! Zhiwei, let's get out of here!"

He realized that this was something they could no longer confront head-on with their current means.

Chen Zhiwei's eyes sharpened, and he didn't hesitate at all.

She ignored the order to "get out" and instead turned around abruptly, lunging towards the ancestral tablet in the innermost shrine of the photo studio.

She didn't even have time to fetch incense; she ran her fingertips across the flame of the eternal lamp, getting a touch of heat and ash, before slamming her hands onto the incense table. Her voice, filled with unprecedented urgency and piety, was almost a scream:

"Master, have mercy! Evil spirits have invaded our sect, shaking our foundation. Please help this junior to temporarily pacify this region!"

Before the words were even finished, the entire photo studio seemed to come alive!

The shadows of the old photos on the wall began to sway violently, not in a chaotic manner, but like soldiers receiving orders.

All the filing cabinets emitted a low hum at the same time, and the old talisman patterns on the cabinet doors instantly lit up with a faint light.

A vast, ancient yet balanced and peaceful force converged from all directions, not targeting the Ghost Hand, but like an invisible shield, suddenly and completely isolating the small space where Xu Yan was located.

At the peak of the convergence of power, the flickering flame of the eternal lamp suddenly dimmed, almost extinguished, leaving only a tiny glimmer of light, and the light in the ancestral hall instantly dimmed.

Chen Zhiwei's body trembled violently, as if she were being swept away by that enormous force. Her face turned ashen, and a thin line of bright red blood slowly seeped from the corner of her tightly pursed lips.

That was the power accumulated by the master throughout his life and by the photography studio itself; it was the faint sense of gratitude left by countless comforted souls, which resonated with the rules left by the patriarch.

In the instant that this space was isolated.

The terrifying grip on Xu Yan's shoulder suddenly loosened, as if it had been forcibly pried open by an invisible force.

The demonic voice in my mind seemed to have its signal cut off, abruptly stopping.

He staggered, grabbed the workbench for support, gasped for breath, his forehead covered in cold sweat, feeling as if his entire right side had been soaked in ice water and then thrown into a cold cellar.

Chen Zhiwei slumped weakly to the side of the incense table, hastily wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth with her sleeve. Her breathing was rapid and shallow, clearly indicating that the previous attempt to connect with the foundation of "home" had not only exhausted her mental energy but also triggered some kind of backlash.

The flame of the ever-burning lamp struggled for a few moments before slowly regaining its brightness, though it seemed slightly weaker than before.

Silence returned, but it was a silence filled with weariness and trepidation.

Xu Yan lowered his arm, the red marks on his shoulder still burning.

Xu Yan slowly pulled open his collar, and a clear, bluish-black, and icy-to-the-touch handprint was slowly emerging on his right shoulder.

It wasn't a mark left by a ghost, but rather like shackles.

It reminded him that his body was being taken away little by little.

He silently removed the damper that A-Zhe had given him from under his collarbone.

The fingertips felt slightly hot to the touch, and several very fine, charred marks, resembling burn-through of internal circuitry, were clearly visible on the metal casing.

But just as the oppressive atmosphere was about to dissipate, the terminal emitted a soft beep.

Ah Zhe's name appeared on the screen, and the encrypted channel was connected. "Boss, what's going on? My system crashed due to data overload!"

(End of this chapter)