On the road leading to Xihe City, a speeding car was driving smoothly.
With Hu Jiu willing to intervene, the safety factor instantly skyrocketed.
According to his observations, those strange grasses outside seemed to be particularly sensitive to Supernatural auras and would prioritize attacking ghosts or Ghost Tamers.
He just tested it out, summoning a white ribbon and activating the Ghost Domain. As a result, the grass immediately rushed towards the more terrifying Mirage Ghost Domain, and after the Ghost Domain closed, it pounced on the white ribbon. Finally, it was He Ming's turn, an ordinary person, but it was slow and not very intense.
Perhaps the Supernatural Bus driven by Shi Chang is a huge prize for these grass-like creatures, and secondly, there's Zhao Duohui, whose Supernatural power is concentrated in his feet...
He Ming sat timidly in the passenger seat. He had been suddenly pulled out of the car by Hu Jiu and then pulled back in. The process was very brief, and he didn't understand what had happened, but he felt a strong sense of malice. He had a lot of curses stuck in his throat, but he didn't dare to say a word.
Reality isn't a TV drama; the idea of a newbie following a veteran and getting easy wins simply doesn't exist. A newbie's role in a team is to be a scout and cannon fodder.
Hu Jiu had saved He Ming earlier so that he could be of use in situations like this.
Shortly after entering Xihe City, Hu Jiu received a call from Xiao Mei. The signal was a bit weak. The latest intelligence indicated that the strength of the mysterious Ghost Domain was increasing, and even Ghost Tamer came to provide support, despite possessing their own Ghost Domains, were finding it difficult to enter.
Hu Jiu remained very calm. There's a saying, "You don't know the pain until you're stabbed yourself." This Supernatural disaster had no effect on him, so he naturally appeared quite relaxed.
At this moment, he was considering what path he should take next. The appearance of the Ghost Grass reminded him that as he climbed higher, the levels he would encounter, the opportunities and risks he would face would also increase, no longer the small-scale ventures of the past.
He already has many suspicious points about him. If he does everything himself and gets involved in every big and small matter, he will probably be targeted before long. Moreover... he hasn't forgotten about the mysterious origin of the Mirage Ghost.
We need to find a way to shift the focus of the conflict.
Perhaps... he could artificially create another "Mirage Ghost"!
While thinking about things, Hu Jiu told Xiao Mei all the details about the "Ghost Grass." Xiao Mei immediately compiled it into a document and handed it to Fu Youhua.
Shen Jiliang also received the information quickly, and his pupils immediately contracted. "Those plants actually feed on the Supernatural of Fierce Ghosts, no wonder..."
This is a great thing. If used properly, it will definitely make dealing with Supernatural events much easier in the future!
Thinking of this, he sighed deeply again. He recognized these weeds; they were the kind that could be found everywhere in the Peng Family Mansion in Longevity Village. He never expected that they would become so ferocious once they left the environment of Longevity Village. He had reason to suspect that every brick, tile, blade of grass, and tree in that mansion was a terrifying and vengeful Fierce Ghost!
Shen Jiliang immediately contacted Xu Bo, relaying all the known information about Ghost Grass, and asked, "How's the situation on your end?"
"Yuzhou City has been completely surrounded by the Ghost Domain. No trace of the person in charge, Yue, has been found. The surroundings are getting darker and darker, and the strange grass is growing more and more." Xu Bo looked up at the sky. The sky was pitch black and exuded an eerie aura.
"Continue to investigate the detailed information about the mysterious Ghost Domain. I have a clue about the solution to those strange grasses, but we need to find the real Fierce Ghost first," Shen Jiliang instructed. Given the large area of grass, he deduced that most of the grass was just a Supernatural phenomenon, and there should only be one real ghost.
After hanging up the phone, Xu Bo headed towards the exit of Yuzhou City. He could vaguely see the road outside, but an invisible force was preventing him from moving forward.
He chose a spot where the Ghost Grass was sparse, and directly activated the Ghost Domain. A bright white light swept across the area, then quickly contracted, turning into a needle-like shape, and pierced forward.
The surrounding scenery remained unchanged, except for the addition of a layer of white light.
Seeing this, his companion quickly asked, "What are you doing?"
"Investigating intelligence within the Mysterious Ghost Domain." Xu Bo's expression was indifferent. His actions and words were only marginally related; how could testing the strength of the Mysterious Ghost Domain not be considered intelligence gathering?
The companions fell silent, each "diligently" carrying out Shen Jiliang's orders.
Xu Bo continued to unleash Supernatural from the side, the intensity of the shimmering white Ghost Domain constantly increasing, but it was completely unable to break through the surrounding dark sky, and instead attracted Ghost Grass.
Xu Bo frowned as he reclaimed the Ghost Domain. There was truly no way out; it seemed he had no choice but to stay inside and resolve this Supernatural event.
Xu Bo immediately decided to go to Xihe City, where the abnormal phenomena first broke out, and where the Source Ghost's true form was likely located.
He also received news that Ghost Tamer from several nearby cities had gathered in Xihe City. More people might not necessarily mean more power, but it would mean more cannon fodder.
No one objected to Xu Bo's suggestion, and the group set off, investigating and researching detailed information about the Ghost Grass as they slowly headed towards Xihe City.
Having learned some of the characteristics of the Ghost Grass, none of them were injured, but their speed was rather slow. If Shen Jiliang were here, he would definitely have noticed something was wrong, but unfortunately, he wasn't.
Meanwhile, Hu Jiu had already driven into Xihe City and met up with the local authorities. The police chief in charge of handling special cases was overjoyed. "You've finally arrived. We ordinary people are really helpless in the current situation and can't think of any solutions. By the way, where is Mr. Shi Chang?"
"He sacrificed himself." Without giving everyone time to gasp in shock, Hu Jiu continued, "Currently, this ghost is in a hopeless situation, and I have no ideas either. But Headquarters is aware of the situation here; let's await orders from above."
Hu Jiu then repeatedly emphasized not to touch the grass outside directly. Although the Ghost Grass would prioritize attacking Ghost Tamers, it did not mean that it would not kill ordinary people.
In fact, most of Xihe City has been turned into wasteland, with steel buildings covered by grass. Staying quietly at home and not wandering around might increase your survival rate.
The officer wiped the sweat from his brow. "I'll go inform the citizens now. As long as they stay home, they're pretty safe, right? But after something like this happened, should we reveal the existence of ghosts?"
"If we don't disclose it, there's no way to explain the unusual phenomena, and the public probably won't realize the seriousness of the problem. But once it's disclosed, too many people will know, and it won't be able to be kept secret any longer. It will definitely cause social unrest!"
Hu Jiu looked at the police officer and sneered, "I can't make decisions about things in Xihe City. You should contact Headquarters directly and listen to what the higher-ups say."
The situation is extremely urgent, concerning the life and death of a large number of people. At this critical juncture, there is no need to conceal the truth; the public should be informed of the seriousness of the problem.
However, what if such a last-minute decision leads to accountability later? Concealing the existence of Supernatural is national policy; revealing Fierce Ghost to the public could have negative consequences for the future—who will bear the responsibility?
The local special police passed the buck to Hu Jiu, Hu Jiu then passed it on to Headquarters. The report went up the chain of Headquarters, but unfortunately, Fu Youhua was very busy and might not handle it personally. He thought that his subordinates could decide such a "minor matter" on their own.
This is no small matter; it involves lives in four cities and the country's main policies regarding the Supernatural. Who would dare to cross the line?
One wrong move and it could jeopardize your career!
"Shi Chang has already heroically sacrificed his life, and I can't interfere in the affairs of Xihe City. You guys handle it. I'm going outside for a walk to look for traces of the Source Ghost and maybe rescue some stray people." Hu Jiu gave a few simple instructions and turned to leave.
"I'll go with you!" He Ming followed Hu Jiu without hesitation. Zhao Ruying, however, did not come along. Instead, she asked the police about the location of the safe house.
"Mr. Shi did indeed build a safe house. After the Supernatural events occurred, his wife and children moved in, followed by city leaders and several entrepreneurs who had close ties with Mr. Shi. Now, there probably isn't any extra space."
Upon hearing the police officer's words, Zhao Ruying quickly stated that she was also Ghost Tamer.
The police officer was surprised; he had thought Zhao Ruying was an ordinary person whom Hu Jiu had rescued along the way. Her appearance was too deceptive!
Since they are Ghost Tamers, their treatment is naturally different, and the police officers immediately contacted the person in charge of the safe house.
He Ming, who followed Hu Jiu out, vaguely heard the words "safe house." He gritted his teeth and didn't slow down at all. He was just a student; if there really was a "safe house," he would never get a chance to kneel down and kowtow until his head broke.
For him, it was safer to be with Hu Jiu.
Hu Jiu claimed he was out searching for the Source Ghost, but he only pretended to gather a lot of grass and stored it in Golden Container. It was even more impossible for him to save anyone. He deliberately chose to walk on secluded paths and didn't encounter anyone at all.
He Ming held back for a long time, but finally couldn't help but ask, "Big brother, what are those 'ghosts' you guys were talking about? Do you all have superpowers? Or are you cultivators?"
"You're quite curious." Hu Jiu said calmly.
He Ming lowered his eyes. "Anyone would be curious if they encountered something like this. I don't want to die a confused ghost if I'm unlucky enough to die."
Hu Jiu glanced at him. "I'm afraid it's more than that. You also want to obtain such extraordinary power?"
He Ming awkwardly touched the bridge of his nose and readily admitted, "I really am envious." What boy hasn't had wild fantasies while watching martial arts movies or reading cultivation novels?
Hu Jiu raised an eyebrow. "The truth is terrifying. Are you sure you want to know?"
Seeing that Hu Jiu was relatively kind and easy to communicate with, He Ming gradually grew bolder and nodded firmly.
--He is indeed daring. Having just experienced such a thrilling and exciting journey, he still has the energy to think about all sorts of random things. Not only is he daring, but he is also in good physical condition. He doesn't seem like a sub-healthy high school student who has been ravaged by heavy academic studies at all.
Hu Jiu used a storytelling tone to explain some Supernatural phenomena to He Ming. He spoke terribly, like reading from a textbook without any emotion, but it was full of useful information, and He Ming listened in a daze.
"So becoming Ghost Tamer comes at such a high price?" He Ming's eyes glazed over, his beautiful fantasy shattered mercilessly. There was no cultivation, no magic, no spiritual energy revival, only terrifying vengeful Fierce Ghosts.
"What I just said is all classified information. Don't tell anyone else, or you'll be held accountable," Hu Jiu warned.
He Ming's eyes flickered. "State secrets? You're just telling me all this without any reservations?"
"I was just casually mentioning some basic common sense, and besides, I think you're a decent person, which is why I'm willing to reveal some confidential information. This world is far more complex than it appears on the surface, just like this city—no one knows whether an accident or tomorrow will come first." Hu Jiu curled the corners of his lips into a smile.
He Ming smiled sheepishly, looking down thoughtfully, completely unaware of Hu Jiu's subtle manipulation.
' Those Ghost Tamer die young, but they are incredibly powerful and prestigious. What if I'm the Lucky One who can avoid the side effects of controlling ghosts?' -- It's a dangerous yet tempting thing. Many people think they are the chosen ones, the chosen ones, the protagonists, who can reap the benefits without paying the price before they even try it. That's normal.
He Ming had already begun to have such thoughts, and then he happened to run into Hu Jiu, who had ill intentions. He really didn't know whether he was lucky or unlucky today.
Unsurprisingly, He Ming inquired about how to control the Fierce Ghost.
Hu Jiu said, "Find a ghost, risk your life to try it. If you win, you become Ghost Tamer; if you die, you become a corpse."
"Isn't this just complete randomness?" He Ming frowned, as if he had eaten a bitter melon. "Isn't there a safer way?"
"Perhaps there are, but I don't know. There should be other Fierce Ghosts in this city, but I don't recommend you try it; it's too dangerous. Being an ordinary person is actually quite good." Hu Jiu casually pulled out a pen and paper from his pocket, as if he were seriously recording data.
He Ming stopped talking, seemingly pondering his choice, like a child making a difficult decision between Tsinghua and Peking University, unaware that he had no choice at all.
The two wandered around aimlessly for a long time. It has to be said that it was really safe with Hu Jiu around. If Neglect the pitch-black sky and trembling legs, He Ming felt like he was on a picnic in the grass.
The faint sound of a loudspeaker could be heard in the distance. Ordinary communication devices were malfunctioning, and the police were using simple broadcasting methods to remind citizens not to go out unnecessarily, Xihe City was haunted.
"A ghost? Are you kidding me?"
"No wonder, the city is under lockdown, and there's no cell phone signal."
"Impossible, right? Ghosts in movies only kill two or three people at most. What kind of ghost would dare to cause such a commotion?"
"Every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt its debtor. Even if it's haunted, let the ghost seek revenge on its enemies. Why drag innocent people into this? Isn't it afraid of Heaven’s Retribution?"
The citizens who heard the broadcast reacted in all sorts of ways. Regardless of the circumstances, the unusual phenomenon was undeniable. Some believed it was a ghost story; others thought it was a biochemical lab leak being used as an excuse to cover up the truth; still others thought it was a prank by criminals impersonating officials; and some even went so far as to believe it was the end of the world, engaging in bizarre behaviors such as free shopping, declaring they would join forces with Fierce Ghosts, and dragging everyone down with them to their deaths...