Ghost Tamer

Biodata

Becoming a Ghost Tamer

A small fraction of people who encounter a Fierce Ghost survive possession and become Ghost Tamers. They use their bodies as cages for the ghosts and gain access to part of their supernatural power 1.

• First ghost: For most Ghost Tamers, the first ghost they tame strongly influences their future development and potential. More complete ghosts can be more powerful, but also revive faster 2.
• Additional ghosts: Some Ghost Tamers control more than one ghost. At an early stage of the resurgence, two-ghost Tamers were rare and considered powerful 13.
• Compatibility: Ghosts are not necessarily easy to combine. The Ghost-Drawing Talisman, for example, is relatively safe for an ordinary person to tame but repels other Fierce Ghosts, making it much harder for an existing Ghost Tamer to control 166.
• Experimentation: The Investigation Bureau tried creating Ghost Tamers through direct contact with Fierce Ghosts. The process caused repeated deaths; Li Ming later survived fusion with the Blood Handprint 424 435.

Powers and Risks

Supernatural abilities

A Ghost Tamer’s abilities depend on the ghost they control. Their powers can be used against ordinary people, other Ghost Tamers, or Fierce Ghosts 1 3 48.

• Ghost Domains: Some Tamers can use a Ghost Domain to affect an area or move through it. Xu Bo used his domain to breach a barrier and teleport a group into Yuzhou City 56.
• Specialized powers: The Ghost Hand kills by touch, while the Ghost-Drawing Talisman suppresses corporeal Fierce Ghosts and gives its user knowledge of how to draw talismans 7 157.
• Supernatural items: Some Ghost Tamers can make items by methods such as sewing Fierce Ghosts into clothing or turning them into tattoos 131.

Erosion and revival

Using a ghost’s power comes at a heavy cost. Each use stimulates the ghost and accelerates its erosion of the Tamer’s body and mind. When the Tamer dies, the ghost can revive in the corpse and threaten others 1 397 413.

• Physical changes: Some Tamers develop corpse-like features, decay, or other visible mutations; the effects vary with the ghost 5 50 166.
• Mental changes: Supernatural erosion can diminish emotions and humanity. After a desperate encounter, Liu Mingguang briefly felt neither hatred nor grief over his mother’s death 17.
• Conflict: Because using powers shortens their lives, Tamers often hesitate to fight one another to the bitter end. Some nevertheless unleash their ghosts at the risk of revival when cornered 3 91.
• Suppression: Certain powers can delay revival. Liu Mingguang’s Ghost Perfume had a suppressive effect on Fierce Ghosts, a capability he kept secret 12.

Organizations and Status

Headquarters

The National Paranormal Phenomena Control Headquarters recruits Ghost Tamers to handle supernatural incidents. A Tamer appointed as a city’s person in charge can mobilize its security forces for such incidents and may receive Headquarters support if trapped 6.

• Headquarters personnel choose operational codenames and receive assigned operators 7 68.
• Headquarters planned a Law Enforcement Group of powerful Ghost Tamers, offering resources and authority to manage other Tamers 167.
• Hu Jiu argued that a Tamer’s strength could shield them from serious punishment because Headquarters prioritized stability over justice 142.

Civilian groups and local authorities

• Beifeng Commune included Ghost Tamers and wealthy ordinary people who funded and supported them 8.
• Some Tamers acted independently and faced pressure from officials. Langzhou City officials discussed using police and ordinary people to wear down Hu Jiu and He Ming before attempting to kill them 34 140.
• The Investigation Bureau recruited Ghost Tamers from the public, including Chen Zhanji, who controlled Ghost Shadow 435.

Notable Ghost Tamers