Chapter 121: The Mirror

A graceful figure emerged, revealed to be a woman wearing a bronze mask. Though draped in a black cloak, it could not conceal her curvaceous silhouette. The masked woman looked at the corpse on the ground and pulled out a red cloth.

The red cloth, no larger than a palm, expanded rapidly in the air after she flicked it, covering the body of Qian Qiuyue. Then, a magical scene unfolded. The red cloth began to shrink, eventually condensing into a small, peanut-sized ball.

The masked woman retrieved the ball and looked in the direction Fang Mu had departed. "This man is ruthless and decisive; he is certainly no simple character. I must not travel the same path as him," she whispered to herself. With that thought, she chose a different route, heading in the opposite direction of Fang Mu.

...

Fang Mu was unaware of what had transpired behind him, for after walking for a while, he encountered something unusual. Not far ahead, an object appeared on the otherwise empty street. Approaching it, Fang Mu discovered it was a bronze mirror. It lay face-down on the ground, with no one else in sight.

Fang Mu looked around before picking up the mirror. The front of the mirror was blank and empty, reflecting nothing at all. He frowned slightly. Why would a bronze mirror be left on the street, and why was it nothing more than a hollow shell without a reflective surface?

As he held the mirror, the surroundings remained eerily empty, devoid of sound or people. With no clues to guide him, Fang Mu continued along the street, though he was now burdened with the mirror.

After walking a bit further, a voice drifted toward him. "Mirror, mirror... do you see if the person in the mirror is beautiful..."

The voice seemed both near and far, making it impossible to pinpoint its source. Instinctively, Fang Mu raised the mirror in his hand. When he looked at the surface, his heart skipped a beat. A human head had appeared on the mirror—a face identical to his own. Even though the mirror lacked a reflective sheen, the head was clearly visible, smiling at him with a sinister expression.

Suddenly seeing a head that looked exactly like his own, smiling at him, created a profound sense of uncanny dread. Fang Mu felt this keenly. Of course, dread aside, Fang Mu raised his fist and struck the mirror.

The face on the mirror vanished, and the strange voice resonated once more. "Do you enjoy looking in the mirror? Have you ever wondered if the image in the mirror is you, or if the mirror itself is something else?"

The voice remained elusive, its origin untraceable. "Look at the mirror; it is smiling at you. Do you know the legend of the mirror?"

After a brief pause, the voice returned. Fang Mu picked up the mirror again and found the head had reappeared. It still wore that eerie smile, only this time, the expression seemed more realistic than before.

Fang Mu recalled the voice and thought, "The legend of the mirror..."

There were many legends about mirrors in the Ancient Yue Kingdom, and one remained clearest in Fang Mu's memory. Legend had it that there is a ghost behind every person, but how can one see it? Men possess a stronger masculine energy, so it is usually women who are more likely to see them, though not every woman has the chance. Only those who truly love mirrors, enjoy communicating with them, and prefer to keep their entire body within the mirror's frame are most likely to encounter it.

In quiet moments, standing near a window with a full-length mirror placed before you, you must stare at your reflection until you suddenly feel that the person in the mirror is more beautiful than you are in reality. That is when you can see it. Two "yous" will appear in the mirror; the second "you" is the vengeful ghost seeking to replace you. You must speak to it. If you remain silent, it will assume you have not seen it and will summon more of its kind until they fill your vision, until you are forced to speak.

The first sentence you must say is, "Who are you?" It will then laugh scornfully and say, "Ha! Turn around and look!"

At this moment, you must never, ever turn around. Because everyone has two "Ghost Yin Lamps" on their shoulders; if you turn, it will immediately blow them out. Then, you will meet a miserable end. You must keep talking to it—any topic will do—but every two sentences, it will remind you to turn around and look. Do not answer that; keep talking. It will continue this cycle until daybreak.

Fang Mu looked at the head in the mirror and decided to test it. After all, the identical version of himself in the mirror seemed only capable of silly grins. He stared at the head, and it stared back. After a while, Fang Mu felt that the head in the mirror looked even more handsome. This was not narcissism, but the brain’s tendency to embellish and idealize faces seen in reflections.

Suddenly, Fang Mu felt a chill, and a pair of hands landed on his shoulders.

"Do you think I am beautiful?" A voice came from behind him.

Fang Mu’s gaze did not waver; he stared straight ahead at the mirror. Although the voice came from behind, the head in the mirror opened its mouth. Judging by the lip movements, the reflection was echoing the exact words.

Fang Mu replied sternly, "Elegant, dashing, and remarkably handsome." Looking at the reflection that mirrored his own appearance, Fang Mu spoke his honest assessment.

The head in the mirror opened its mouth again: "Then would you turn around and look at me?"

As these words were spoken, they seemed to carry a magical pull, and Fang Mu instinctively prepared to turn his head. However, he checked the impulse. Based on the previous two encounters, these were rule-based anomalies; therefore, it was not impossible that this entity was one as well. Rule-based anomalies required breaking the rules, and Fang Mu did not want to turn around recklessly. The preceding steps matched the legends of the Ancient Yue Kingdom, and according to those, turning around would surely lead to trouble.

Fang Mu decisively said, "No, it is fine looking at you like this."

The head laughed. "Turn around. Isn't it better to see the real person? Look at me, then look at yourself. We are identical, but have you ever truly understood yourself?"

Fang Mu laughed in return. "I don't know you. I can only see your head. How about you show me your full form, and then I might consider turning around."

The head in the mirror froze, then its face turned dark and sullen. The scene fell silent. A moment later, the image in the mirror pulled back, revealing the full form of the head. Fang Mu realized that there was a person in the mirror performing the exact same movements as him. Apart from the expression on its face, every action was identical.

"Now... can you turn around?" the figure in the mirror spoke once more.

Fang Mu nodded and said, "Of course. How about this: let's play a game. If I lose, I will turn around. How does that sound?"