He was a young man in his mid-twenties, with a handsome face and skin so pale that you could see the blue veins underneath. He exuded a dangerous and sinister charm.
It was Hu Jiu.
He was dressed in a well-fitting black windbreaker, with a tree branch-shaped metal ornament pinned to his collar, which gleamed faintly in the dim room.
Tian Guanglu: "Who are you?"
"So much gold," Hu Jiu said coldly, his gaze piercing through the ground to the Golden Containers buried underground.
Tian Guanglu was completely ignored. Over the years, although he had always kept a low profile, he had also developed a certain pride and arrogance. Being ignored by Hu Jiu like this, he couldn't help but feel angry.
Just then, Tian Guanglu suddenly felt a dull pain in his chest, and he staggered, only managing to avoid falling by grabbing the wall for support.
He could feel that the "thing" inside him was throbbing wildly, as if it had been subjected to some kind of intense stimulation.
Clenching his teeth, Tian Guanglu forced himself to remain calm, cold sweat beading on his forehead, and demanded sharply, "Who exactly are you?!"
As he spoke, the stench emanating from him suddenly intensified. He activated his ability, attempting to establish some kind of "bet" with Hu Jiu, this uninvited guest.
This should have been his forte; as long as the other party made even the slightest response, he could win everything from them.
However, at this moment, Tian Guanglu's abilities seemed to have vanished without a trace, leaving no response.
"Save your breath, Lao Deng." Hu Jiu finally turned his gaze to him, a small smile playing on his lips. "A mere trick, and you dare to show it off to someone like an expert?"
"You..." Tian Guanglu was both shocked and furious. For the first time in twenty years, since he gained that special ability to win every bet, he felt so uneasy.
Hu Jiu casually reached down to the ground and pulled an antique-looking Golden Container straight out of the ground.
"You've collected so many Fierce Ghost, how come you've only managed to control one?" He looked up, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes. "Do you know any other Ghost Tamer?"
Tian Guanglu was completely dumbfounded by the question. Fierce Ghost? Ghost Tamer? What are these things?
After a few seconds of thought, he immediately realized. "You mean, these Golden Containers are filled with ghosts?"
Hu Jiu looked at him in astonishment. "You don't even know this?"
Tian Guanglu did not answer. He had not known what "Fierce Ghost" and "Ghost Tamer" were before, but when these two terms appeared, he suddenly understood.
The Golden Container contained a ghost. He himself was inadvertently possessed and parasitized by the ghost, and could use the ghost's power, but at a price.
Only the power of ghosts could appear so sinister.
Seeing Tian Guanglu's expression, Hu Jiu knew that he couldn't get any useful information out of him.
Previously, Du Zhong sent word that he had discovered the native Fierce Ghost of this world abroad. The two of them personally orchestrated the Supernatural Revival. As the Fierce Ghost released by Hu Jiu continued to roam this world, it seemed to ignite a true supernatural Supernatural Revival, and the native Fierce Ghost of this world began to surface one after another.
Later, with Hu Jiu's deliberate attention, he discovered that there were indeed several unfamiliar Supernatural fluctuations in the country.
This includes an ancient tomb, a Ghost Village, a Haunted House... and Tian Guanglu, a living, breathing person.
He followed Tian Guanglu all the way to Tian Guanglu's hometown, where he unexpectedly made a discovery.
"These Fierce Ghosts are dangerous, so let me keep them safe for you," Hu Jiu announced with a smile.
Tian Guanglu's face instantly darkened. Although he hadn't figured out the situation or Hu Jiu's identity, he knew that the other party's purpose was to target these Fierce Ghosts.
He used to be afraid of these ghostly things and ignored them, but now he has vaguely realized the value of these Fierce Ghosts. As the saying goes, what people fight over is probably good stuff, and these are his father's heirlooms. How could he let someone else "keep them safe" for him!
Tian Guanglu sternly refused, but Hu Jiu acted as if he hadn't heard him, and with a wave of his hand, he moved all the Golden Containers buried underground.
"Truly arrogant!" Tian Guanglu rebuked, then unleashed the full power of the vengeful Fierce Ghost within him.
In a daze, a semi-transparent die appeared above his head, each side of which was engraved with a different number. This was Tian Guanglu's most powerful attack method— Forced Gambling Game; whoever won could strip the loser of everything.
And he always wins when he gambles!
"You dare steal my things? I'll take your life!" Tian Guanglu grinned maliciously.
Hu Jiu didn't even lift his eyelids, and suddenly dozens of mirrors appeared around him, completely surrounding Tian Guanglu.
The reflection of the dice spun wildly in the mirror, as if gambling with its own reflection. The real dice gradually froze in mid-air, then shattered and disappeared with a "crack".
"How is this possible...?!" Tian Guanglu's eyes widened.
"Heh~" Hu Jiu chuckled softly.
In an instant, Tian Guanglu felt dizzy. When his vision returned to normal, he found himself standing in a Mirror Space formed by countless layers of mirrors, with countless "selves" staring at him from various angles.
"Where is this?" Tian Guanglu cried out in terror, his voice echoing eerily in the mirrored maze.
No one answered his question.
Tian Guanglu turned to run away, but bumped into another "self".
The person in the mirror reached out and grabbed his neck. The excruciating pain and suffocation felt incredibly real. Tian Guanglu struggled desperately, only to find his body slowly becoming illusory.
"No!" he screamed, Fierce Ghost trying to rouse the vengeful spirit within him to reverse the outcome.
His eyes turned bloodshot, and the stench emanating from his body was so strong it was nauseating; he looked more and more like a corpse.
However, the person in the mirror continued to choke him tightly, the sound of his neck breaking was crisp and terrifying, and blood gushed from his seven orifices.
The next second, the mirror image disappeared.
Tian Guanglu crashed heavily to the ground, his body contorted in a bizarre way. He struggled to turn his eyes and saw Hu Jiu collecting all the Golden Containers in the old house, as if retrieving something he had deposited there.
Tian Guanglu wanted to say something, but only spat out a mouthful of black blood. He felt the Fierce Ghost inside his body was raging wildly, but Hu Jiu only glanced at him, and the Fierce Ghost quieted down, like a small animal intimidated by a more powerful being.
"Thank you for the 'gift' you gave me." Hu Jiu looked down at the dying Tian Guanglu. "In return, I will end your suffering."
As soon as he finished speaking, Tian Guanglu vanished into thin air, like a painting being erased, without bleeding or screaming.
In his final moments, Tian Guanglu seemed to see Hu Jiu pull the gambler-winning ghost out of his body.
Then, everything returned to darkness.
Hu Jiu did not leave immediately, but continued to wander around the old house. He had just invaded Tian Guanglu's memories. This guy really didn't know anything and was a good-for-nothing. He had controlled a very powerful ghost, but had accomplished nothing in twenty years.
The wealth, power, and status that Tian Guanglu acquired during his lifetime were worthless in Hu Jiu's eyes.
"To think they never thought about immortality or becoming a god... that's hard to judge."
However... Tian Guanglu's personality could be described as timid or cautious. He controlled a Fierce Ghost, and coincidentally, this ghost's abilities were special, allowing him to live for over twenty years.
It should be noted that many Ghost Tamers only live for a year or two, so Tian Guanglu has far surpassed the record.
Hu Jiu suspected that Tian Guanglu's father was quite a figure; he likely left Tian Guanglu more than just gold, Fierce Ghost, and wealth—perhaps there were other things as well.
For example, information about the Ghost Tamers of this world in the past.
Having finally encountered a local Supernatural in this world, Hu Jiu dug up the old house thoroughly, not wanting to miss any useful clues.
Finally, he found a yellowed piece of paper hidden in the crevices of the roof beam.
To an ordinary person, this piece of paper appears blank, because its contents are recorded in a Supernatural manner.
Hu Jiu's fingertips traced the yellowed pages, and scrawled words appeared one after another.
However, these words seem to have been hastily left by Tian Guanglu's father, only briefly explaining the existence of the Fierce Ghost and its Ghost Tamer, as well as a major event—
This world has also experienced an era where Fierce Ghost roamed freely. Humans using Fierce Ghost to fight against Fierce Ghost was merely a choice made out of desperation.
However, even in such a terrible environment, countless strong individuals were still born, and Tian was one of them.
It can't completely solve the problem of rampant Fierce Ghost, but it can at least protect the family and prevent relatives and friends from being harmed by Fierce Ghost.
But that era also produced many madmen and mentally ill people.
There once was a Ghost Tamer dreamed of eliminating all Supernatural from the world.
At first, no one took it seriously, until he took action and personally sealed away countless Fierce Ghost.
Although Tian glossed over his actions, Hu Jiu could still feel the shock.
This madman cleansed away the Fierce Ghost, saving countless ordinary people from being killed by it.
Unfortunately, not everyone agrees with his philosophy, especially stable Ghost Tamers who rely on demon taming to gain power, wealth, and status.
But all those who tried to stop this madman were mercilessly killed, because in his eyes, the essence of Ghost Tamer was not much different from that of a Fierce Ghost.
He is not only eliminating Fierce Ghost, but also cleaning up those Ghost Tamer, including himself!
No one knows where this madman threw the sealed-up Fierce Ghost and Ghost Tamers; in short, all the spirits he contained disappeared from this world.
Tian had a premonition that he would probably not escape his fate either. This madman might not care about some minor ghosts, but he would definitely not let go of the well-known Ghost Tamer!
Therefore, Tian began making arrangements for his funeral early on, secretly keeping many powerful ghosts hidden away.
The ghosts sealed in the Golden Container in the Tian family's old house were clearly prepared for Tian Guanglu.
These ghosts share a common characteristic: they are not difficult to control, have unique effects, and those who control them do not die easily.
Just like the Gambling Ghost controlled by Tian Guanglu, who can deprive others of their lifespan and health, greatly delaying their recovery.
There were no warm words on this piece of paper, but it was clear that Tian Guanglu's father had left him plenty of options for the future. Perhaps this is what is meant by fatherly love?
The only thing Mr. Tian miscalculated was that his son, Tian Guanglu's, personality was far different from what he had expected.
After Tian Guanglu controlled a Fierce Ghost, he should have been able to sense the "Supernatural Will" hidden in the crevices of the roof beam.
However, Tian Guanglu was too cautious by nature. He only managed to control one ghost before he was so frightened that he moved away overnight and never dared to return to the old house again.
If Tian Guanglu can master all the ghosts that his father carefully selected and left behind, he will surely become a super strong person in the region.
It's a pity... Tian Guanglu delayed for twenty years, only daring to return to his hometown to find a solution when his body could no longer hold on.
The yellowed pages ignited in Hu Jiu's palm, eventually turning to ashes.
The era in which the Supernatural existed has been completely erased, leaving almost no trace in this world.
Hu Jiu suddenly remembered the primeval forest outside the world barrier where Fierce Ghosts were buried when he invaded this world.
That must be the Fierce Ghost that the "madman" got rid of, right?
They were all banished to the outside of the world, so naturally they cannot be found in this world.
Of course, this is just Hu Jiu's reasonable guess.
Hu Jiu acquired everything from Tian Guanglu and the Tian family's old house, making his trip worthwhile.
The Gambling Ghost that Tian Guanglu was controlling was quite interesting. Hu Jiu released the ghost and was thinking about where to put it when he suddenly discovered something very strange.
This ghost seems to have been tampered with; it possesses fragments of consciousness.
This fragment of consciousness did not originate from Tian Guanglu, but rather...
Hehe.
What a load of bullshit fatherly love!
Hu Jiu opened all the Golden Containers that he had just dug out from under the Tian family's old house and personally inspected them.
Sure enough, each of the Fierce Ghosts contained a fragment of consciousness.
These fragments of consciousness, when brought together, constitute a complete person.
"Using your son's body as a vessel for resurrection, is that it?" Hu Jiu muttered to himself.
It is estimated that Tian realized he could not escape the clutches of that madman, so he left himself a way out. On the surface, he seemed to have arranged every aspect of his son's life, but in reality, it was all for his own benefit.
Tian Guanglu has never returned to the old house in recent years, nor has he taken those Golden Containers with him, nor has he shown any curiosity about what's inside. This is out of genuine caution, not cowardice.
Tian Guanglu didn't know what Fierce Ghosts or Ghost Tamers were, but he knew his father.
His father was not a responsible person; his impression of his father was only that he was selfish and cold-hearted.
Therefore, he never once fantasized that his father would have a change of heart before he died and leave the good things to him or his mother.
Hu Jiu didn't care about the relationship between the father and son; he understood the darker side of human nature better than anyone else.
He gathered these Fierce Ghost, each carrying fragments of Tian's consciousness, together in an attempt to awaken him.
Soon, the Fierce Ghost that had been merged together opened their eyes.
Unfortunately, the other party had completely lost their mind, was in a daze, and their memory and cognition had become a complete mess.
After all... Tian Guanglu dragged it out for a full twenty years!
Consciousness was fragmented, projected onto Fierce Ghost, and then placed in a dark Golden Container. Anyone would lose their mind in that situation.
Hu Jiu wasn't too disappointed. He separated the fused ghosts again and released them into different locations.
"Another new Supernatural event is on the horizon..."