The relationship between Ghost Controllers and ghosts was not fixed. It could be divided into many different types.
Most were similar to master-servant relationships, like Yu Jing's... Of course, aside from their master-servant relationship, Yu Jing and Axuan also had a certain romantic relationship.
There were also absolute master-servant relationships, in which the master strictly controlled the ghost and demanded absolute obedience.
Next came contractual relationships. Ghost Controllers had to fulfill certain wishes or demands for the ghosts within a set period, and the ghosts would then be willing to cooperate... For example, sacrificing a designated living person every week, or providing a matching attribute crystal stone filled with energy.
Then there were family ghosts. Some large families would actively cultivate ghosts who shared their bloodline, providing them for their direct descendants to use.
The benefit of doing so was that, because they shared the same bloodline, the divide between the Ghost Controller and the ghost was smaller. The possibility of the two merging and reaching the "ghost state" was also much higher than that of ordinary Ghost Controllers. Generally speaking, a Soul Entry Stage expert who could maintain the "ghost state" for a long time was enough to protect an ordinary family, and could even be considered an elder-level figure in a large family.
However, situations like that of the General Administrator and Yu Teng—where a human and a ghost became sworn brothers, trusted each other, lived as equals, and helped one another—were exceedingly rare.
After all, ghosts were formed from the dead, and in life, they must have carried unresolved obsessions and resentments.
For a human and a ghost to share the same values and acknowledge each other was truly rare... It was precisely because of this that the General Administrator had followed this elder brother for thousands