He Ming turned around calmly, without even dodging. The snarling little Ghost Slave passed right through his body, as if it hadn't touched anything.
Ghost Slaves don't experience any emotions, but Ghost Tamers do. Many Ghost Tamers only know He Ming by his code name [Mirage], and this is the first time they've directly faced his abilities. They are shocked, amazed, envious, and jealous.
"As expected of someone who's ruthless at solving S-class Supernatural cases, they really have some skills."
"It seems to be immune to both physical and Supernatural attacks."
"It was just luck. If I had that kind of bug-like ability, I could take on an S-class in one-on-one."
A few people gathered together whispered among themselves, but they soon lost interest in talking as the Ghost Slaves surged in from all directions, their figures moving too fast to be seen.
Gunshots rang out, but unfortunately, they had little effect. The group of Ghost Tamers, who had not received much professional training and were mostly just masters of drawing outlines of human bodies, found the Ghost Slaves to be fast, unlike the usual slow ones. The firearms had virtually no effect on them.
There was no other way; the Ghost Tamers could only resort to Supernatural means one after another.
Fang Qingjiao shielded Zheng Ling behind him, his moves were wide and powerful, and he quickly cleared a space in front of him. He looked very powerful, and many people slowly approached him.
The group was gradually forced to huddle together. Some tried to sneak inside and reap the benefits, while others were pushed to the perimeter and had to hastily engage the enemy.
"Who the hell pushed me!" Su Jingtang roared angrily, kicking away the Ghost Slave was about to pounce on her. She subconsciously glanced down and caught a glimpse of the Ghost Slave's terrifying face. In that instant of stunned silence, another Ghost Slave grabbed her clothes and tore a hole in them.
Su Jingtang thought to herself that things were going badly, but unexpectedly another Ghost Slave came and reached out to her face. She was stunned on the spot and before she could react, as if by magic, a whip came flying through the air, grazing her eyes and accurately striking the Ghost Slave's head, sending the Ghost Slave flying.
Su Jingtang deftly shook off the Ghost Slave was grabbing her clothes, turned her head to look in the direction of the whip, and a pale and indifferent face immediately came into view. The gratitude on her face disappeared in an instant, replaced by some kind of complicated emotion.
Hu Jiu used the Hanging Rope he had just acquired yesterday as a whip, lashing the Ghost Slave while searching for the Source Ghost. His movements were clean and efficient, managing to create a small, airtight safe space. Some people had probably already recognized that the "whip" was Gao Qiuhai's Hanging Rope, but at this point, no one would be foolish enough to criticize it.
A group of people gradually gathered behind him, and Hu Jiu didn't mind acting as their protector for the time being, since they would pay back sooner or later anyway.
He Ming used his Insubstantiality to search for traces of the Source Ghost, and also secretly noted down those Ghost Tamers in the team who refused to put in any effort and only hid behind others.
To be honest, none of the Ghost Tamers are good people, and it's pointless to force them to do their work. But those few people, He Ming thinks they're stupid. Even if they don't want to waste their own energy and want to take advantage of others, can't they at least not be so obvious about it!
At least pretend!
Their petty schemes, so easily seen through, are essentially a facade of cleverness masking utter stupidity. After successfully resolving the Supernatural event, how will the other Ghost Tamer view those lazy individuals?
The group of Ghost Tamers will not swallow their pride for the sake of the so-called big picture or the collective good. Don't expect Ghost Tamers to do things like "taking a step back leads to a brighter future" or "the capable should do more." If they can achieve mutual benefit, they are already considered to have high moral character.
More and more dark clouds gathered in the sky, churning and swirling like a pot of boiling black water, making it seem as if night had fallen prematurely, even though it was broad daylight.
Thousands of Ghost Slaves surged in from afar, and upon seeing this scene, most of them paled.
"Where did all these Ghost Slaves come from? They deserve to die! How many people has the Source Ghost harmed?" someone muttered under their breath.
Those who were lazy and trying to take advantage were also forced to take action, and the team's overall condition was rapidly declining. The crisis brought by the Ghost Slaves was not significant; the real issue was the constant laughter echoing around them, which continuously disrupted the mental state of the Ghost Tamers.
"Haven't you found the Source Ghost yet?" Fang Qingjiao shouted at He Ming.
He Ming nodded heavily. The laughter had no source, and the Ghost Slave appeared out of thin air.
"I possess Ghost Domain; why don't we lead everyone to retreat first?" Fang Qingjiao said.
"Agreed." Fang Qingjiao's female companion Zheng Ling, was the first to respond enthusiastically. If she delayed any longer, she was afraid she would burst out laughing.
A flash of red light disappeared in an instant, and the Ghost Domain swept everyone away, escaping to a distant open space.
Ghost Domain dissipated, Fang Qingjiao's previously relaxed expression instantly turned frighteningly ugly. Although the laughter had subsided while he was inside the Ghost Domain, it could still be heard!
That eerie laughter could penetrate and invade his Ghost Domain!
"Hehehe..." Someone in the crowd laughed.
"Who's laughing?" Hong Ying looked around furiously, then turned and saw a slightly overweight Ghost Tamer with several bloody marks on his face, mixed with sweat, looking quite disheveled.
At this moment, the corners of his mouth turned up, and a laugh escaped his throat; he had clearly fallen for it.
Fang Qingjiao moved swiftly, pulling out a Golden Corpse Bag without a word and stuffing him inside, attempting to stop the laughter from spreading.
Unfortunately, it was too late. The slightly overweight Ghost Tamer's laughter seemed to be some kind of location, and the Ghost Slave quickly followed in that direction. At the same time, laughter began to echo from all directions, rising and falling, as if turning the mountain into an ocean of vengeful spirits. Suddenly, a strong wind arose, mixed with eerie laughter, making one feel as if they were in the apocalypse.
Fang Qingjiao had no choice but to activate the Ghost Domain again and lead everyone to another open space.
"Don't waste your energy. We've already fallen into a higher-level Ghost Domain. You can't escape an ordinary Ghost Domain," the white-haired old man suddenly said, his face full of certainty.
"Uncle, don't talk nonsense!" Before Fang Qingjiao could respond, Hong Ying jumped out first. He didn't want to be so rude, but what the old man said was really frightening.
"No, he's telling the truth." Fang Qingjiao said with a serious expression, "My Ghost Domain really can't be broken out."
Hong Ying's expression changed drastically, and he immediately changed his attitude to look at the white-haired old man. "Uncle, I was too nervous just now, my apologies. May I ask how I should address you, sir?"
The old man chuckled, "My surname is Tian, and my given name is Shan."
"Hey sir, stop wasting time introducing yourself. Can't you figure out how to deal with this Supernatural situation first?" one of the Ghost Tamers said impatiently. He was already about to explode with anxiety, and he had to listen to this guy's nonsense. It was so annoying!
Tian Shan didn't take the slightly offensive tone to heart; there was no need to be too concerned about idiots.
Is the current situation critical?
Yes, for some people.
In reality, a closer look reveals that a significant number of Ghost Tamers are unhurried, calm, and even nonchalant.
To hide their abilities, to play dumb to outsmart others, or to distrust the motley crew around them and not want to give their all, or perhaps to use this Supernatural event to weed out some stupid and malicious individuals.
When a person possesses both the attributes of "stupidity" and "malice," they are prone to doing unexpected, harmful, and self-defeating things.
After gathering his thoughts, Tian Shan calmly said, "From my observation, wherever laughter is heard, that's the ghost's Ghost Domain. And the Source Ghost most likely doesn't have a physical form; the laughter itself is the ghost!"
"Grandpa, you're not kidding, are you?!" Hong Ying exclaimed in shock. Ghosts without physical form are the most difficult to deal with. Could it be that their Ghost Tamer team is going to be blocked by a ghost before they even reach their destination?
"I'm not joking. Ghostly Ancient Tombs are really that dangerous. The little ghosts wandering outside the tomb are terrifying. We haven't gone into the tomb yet, so it's not too late to back out," Tian Shan advised.
Fang Qingjiao glanced at the old man, then looked around and realized that several people were missing, including the nominal captain He Ming.
"Senior Tian, if you have a solution, why not resolve this matter as soon as possible, and then we can discuss other issues later?" Fang Qingjiao said, his words carrying a hint of urgency.
Tian Shan nodded. "Let me make this clear from the start. I can help you this time for free, but don't expect me to save you if you encounter other dangers in the tomb in the future. If you dare to venture deep into the Ghostly Ancient Tomb, you should at least have the ability to protect yourself. Like Captain He, you can't even protect yourself. Do you expect to follow behind others and pick up the profits?"
A newbie followed a group of veterans to gain points, but the veterans were inexplicably wiped out, leaving the newbie to inherit all the spoils with tears in his eyes. From then on, he soared to great heights and roamed the world. Even novels wouldn't dare to write such an exaggerated plot!
The moment the words fell, Supernatural aura emanated from Tian Shan, silencing all sounds. The laughter was instantly dispelled, and even the dancing Ghost Slave collapsed in droves, falling silent once more.
Hong Ying, his face full of admiration, wanted to say something, but his mouth moved without making a sound. He then realized that the surroundings had been silenced; the old man's abilities seemed to be the natural counter to this comical guy.
"No wonder this old man took the initiative to make a move; perhaps this ghost is very useful to him!" some Ghost Tamers thought maliciously.
As the sound disappeared, Tian Shan gradually forced out the Source Ghost. This amusing ghost was not entirely without substance; a sound wave could be seen vibrating in the space like a wave. Tian Shan easily put it into the Golden Container.
The crisis is over.
Fang Qingjiao activated the Ghost Domain again, bringing everyone back to their original location. When he used the Ghost Domain to escape before, several people were not taken with him, including He Ming, Hu Jiu, and the Ghost Tamer looked like a terracotta figurine.
Fang Qingjiao's expression was solemn, but someone spoke first, "Why are you all still here? Weren't you taken away by the Ghost Domain?"
"His Ghost Domain is limited in strength; it can't take me away," the terracotta Ghost Tamer said calmly.
That was quite blunt. Fang Qingjiao choked for a moment, He Ming quickly asked, "The laughter disappeared. Did you deal with the Source Ghost?"
Tian Shan nodded. Surrounded by the crowd in the center, he had clearly surpassed He Ming and become the new leader of the group.
He Ming had no objections, but Fang Qingjiao's expression was strange. His hard work probably indicated he wanted to be the leader of the team, but he hadn't expected so many hidden talents. He thought he had grown a lot recently and could overpower everyone, but he was proven wrong...
After this minor incident, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. But suddenly, a masked man walked up to Tian Shan and righteously accused him. "You clearly had the ability to easily contain that ghost and quickly resolve the Supernatural event, so why did you delay and watch everyone being driven to the brink of death? If you had acted sooner, my friend wouldn't have died!"
The team had suffered a loss, and the deceased was a friend of the masked man, so he couldn't help but feel grief and indignation. But as soon as he spoke, Hong Ying retorted sharply, "No one owes you anything. Who do you think you are? What value does your friend have that he deserves Mr. Tian's help? Everyone here is Ghost Tamer. Usually, you make excuses when going on missions. If Headquarters doesn't give you any benefits, you won't even lift a finger. What are you pretending to be now?"
Whether it's a saintly figure or a hypocrite, it requires the cooperation of a conscientious and principled crowd. Unfortunately, everyone present was Ghost Tamer, lacking conscience and morality.
The masked man's words failed to sway others. They might resent Tian Shan for acting too late, but they would never voice it.
The crowd remained indifferent, but the masked man persisted, saying, "But we're a team! That's a teammate's life. My friend died because of this. If you were the ones who died because of this in the future, how would you feel? There shouldn't be such cold-blooded people in our team..."
No one spoke, so Tian Shan chuckled and said, "Alright, since this young friend thinks I've made a mistake, then I should do something..."
He paused for a moment.
The masked man was delighted and about to gloat when he was suddenly struck by a bolt from the blue.
"There really shouldn't be a cold-blooded old guy like me in the team, so I've decided to leave. We'll go our separate ways. This old man will act on his own and won't get involved in your young people's affairs anymore. Goodbye." After saying that, Tian Shan turned and left.
"Old sir, don't listen to that bastard's nonsense..." Hong Ying shouted immediately, but it was too late.
Tian Shan wasn't just putting on an act or being pretentious; when he said he was leaving, he really didn't intend to stay. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared without giving anyone a chance to stop him.
"Damn it, are you out of your mind?!" Hong Ying pointed at the masked man and cursed, "Are you satisfied now that you've driven him away?"
"I... I..." The masked man's eyes darted around, at a loss. He didn't want to force Tian Shan away, after all, having such a powerful old man in the team would greatly improve the safety factor. Who would have thought that the old man would directly undermine them!
"Alright, things have come to this, let's move on." He Ming said calmly, lifting his leg and walking towards the entrance of the ancient tomb.
The group followed suit, and during this time everyone silently moved away from the masked man, as if they wanted to freeze him to death on their moral high ground.