Fang Shiming

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Before the Dajing Crisis

Fang Shiming established the company that preceded the Circle of Friends before becoming a ghost rider. A later battle with Ye Zhen, who insisted on determining who was strongest, severely worsened his condition. Fang regarded the confrontation as unnecessary and blamed Ye Zhen for disrupting his efforts to resolve ghost revival 4 11.

Ghost Painting Containment

During the crisis involving the Hungry Ghost, Ghost Messenger, and Ghost Painting, Fang negotiated with Wang Xiaoming for an unspecified item that he expected would immediately restore his condition. In exchange, he agreed to help resolve the incident 2.

Fang and Ye Zhen briefly breached the Ghost Painting’s domain using the Ghost Scissors, but the opening closed before they could evacuate Li Jun, A Hong, and Su Fan. When Ye Zhen was attacked and nearly transformed into an oil painting, Fang cut the painting and freed him. He then urged the group to stay together, recognizing that the Ghost Painting had acquired some of the Ghost Messenger’s suppressive power 4.

Following Wang Xiaoming’s instructions, Fang severed the Hungry Ghost’s connection to A Hong’s makeup case. This allowed her to paint a door through which the separated teams regrouped. He later helped restrain a red-clad manifestation of the Ghost Painting and identified his scissors and Li Jun’s Ghost Fire as effective counters 7 9.

In the final containment effort, Fang cut apart one manifestation with Li Leping’s assistance, forcing it to restart inside its frame. He and Ye Zhen then placed the two Ghost Paintings around the Ghost Coffin, enclosing it within a double-sided painting 10.

Hurricane and Ghost Lake Incident

After the Dajing crisis, Fang’s outward injuries had recovered, but his internal condition remained critical. He estimated that he might not survive another week, and the Circle of Friends’ researchers had found no solution. Wang Xiaoming offered help with revival in exchange for investigating a supernatural hurricane; Fang declined the agreement but independently entered the disaster because its wind was highly compatible with his own ghost 11.

He agreed to cooperate with Liu San after learning that Yang Jian was also investigating. When an unknown ghost targeted Liu San’s paper man, Fang immediately withdrew rather than become entangled in its attack 12.

While searching for Yang Jian, Fang became trapped in Ghost Quicksand. He Yin’er deliberately entered its central corpse to investigate and, before sinking, directed his attention to her gold watch. Its movement helped him identify both the quicksand’s delaying effect and a route through its ghost domain. By exploiting those properties, Fang gained control of the quicksand and escaped immediate ghost revival 14 15.

Using his new power, he located Yang Jian and Liu San and joined their confrontation with the Reform Society. He subdued an elderly woman with the Person-Pressing Ghost and later coordinated with Yang Jian against a corpse that altered events a few seconds into the past. Although the hurricane operation ended in failure, Fang survived and departed for Taiping Ancient Town carrying a female corpse, following his promise to He Yin’er 16 17 18.

Appearance

• Usually handles the Ghost Scissors while wearing gloves; he removes them when working on A Hong’s makeup case 7 11.
• His eyes become bloodshot during the prolonged Ghost Painting confrontation 7 9.
• After controlling Ghost Quicksand, his body becomes extremely stiff and radiates a cold aura, making him resemble a moving corpse 15.

Personality

Fang is calculating, cautious, and focused on survival. He initially enters the Ghost Painting to fulfill his agreement with Wang Xiaoming rather than out of concern for those trapped inside. Nevertheless, he recognizes when cooperation is essential: he saves Ye Zhen despite their hostility and commits his full effort when the group’s situation deteriorates 4 7.

He values clear judgment over anger or hatred. When Jiang Shangbai proposes abducting Wang Xiaoming, Fang rejects the emotional response and instead sends him to assist headquarters, reasoning that the Circle of Friends would also be endangered by its collapse 11.

His composure persists even while he is close to revival or sinking into supernatural quicksand. He is willing to reconsider his assumptions, eventually recognizing that a ghost rider’s habitual fear of overusing powers had prevented him from understanding the quicksand. He also openly admires ingenuity, particularly Li Leping’s solution to the Hungry Ghost’s memory attack 8 12 14 15.

Abilities & Skills

Ghost Wind

A supernatural gale associated with decay, used for movement and combat 9 10.

• Carries Fang rapidly through hostile environments and allows him to transport Ye Zhen during the final containment maneuver 10 12.
• Can be stacked through Ghost Quicksand’s delaying effect, producing a burst stronger than his previous individual uses 15.
• Fuses with the quicksand into a black-and-yellow wind that appears to move in slow motion 15.

Person-Pressing Ghost

Manifests a cold, pale corpse on a target’s shoulders, pinning it with extraordinary weight 9 16.

• Helps immobilize a red-clad Ghost Painting manifestation so the Ghost Scissors can pierce it 9.
• Pins a Reform Society woman before she can extract the ghosts Fang controls 16.
• Restrains the corpse targeted during his coordinated attack with Yang Jian 17.

Ghost Quicksand

Also called Ghost Sand, this ghost originates from the silt at the bottom of Ghost Lake. Its apparent suppression is actually the indefinite delay of supernatural actions at the moment they occur 14 15.

• Delays killing rules, explaining how it helped Ghost Lake restrain dangerous ghosts at the lake bottom 15.
• Delays revival of Fang’s other ghosts, allowing him to maintain their combined powers without immediate revival 15.
• Forms a complete ghost domain when fused with Ghost Wind 15.
• Has a finite capacity: against the power surrounding the hurricane’s source, Fang can provide only five seconds of delay 16.
• Does not prevent supernatural erosion; controlling it leaves him more corpse-like and progressively less emotional 15.

Supernatural Stacking

Fang’s name for repeatedly initiating supernatural actions while the quicksand delays their release, then combining the accumulated effects 15.

• Enables him to overpower and control the quicksand that initially trapped him 15.
• Depends on correctly judging the upper limit of the quicksand’s power 15.

Supernatural Analysis

Fang identifies ghost rules through observation, comparison, and controlled use of his abilities.

• Recognizes the Ghost Painting’s acquisition of Ghost Messenger suppression 4.
• Deduces that the quicksand is itself a ghost rather than an independent mechanism intelligently assisting Ghost Lake 14.
• Interprets He Yin’er’s watch as evidence of delayed time and a repeating route through the quicksand’s domain 15.
• Coordinates with Yang Jian through a glance once they understand the attacking corpse’s interference with the recent past 17.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Ghost Scissors — Old scissors tangled with black hair. They can cut supernatural manifestations and connections, freeing Ye Zhen from an oil painting and severing the Hungry Ghost’s link to A Hong’s makeup case. They cannot resolve every obstruction: a cut in Ghost Quicksand closes again, and a Ghost Painting manifestation initially resists penetration until other powers restrain it 4 7 9 14.
• Specially made phone — Used to contact Wang Xiaoming and receive the location of the item requested in their agreement 2.

Relationships

• Ye Zhen — Rival and reluctant ally. Fang blames their earlier fight for his worsening condition and frequently mocks Ye Zhen’s theatrical behavior, but saves him and later coordinates the decisive containment maneuver with him 2 4 10.
• Wang Xiaoming — Transactional collaborator. Fang fulfills their first agreement but rejects a second bargain, choosing to investigate the hurricane on his own terms 2 11.
• Yang Jian — Trusted operational ally. Their cooperation in Dajing makes Fang regard him as relatively trustworthy; they later coordinate attacks against the Reform Society 12 16 17.
• Jiang Shangbai — Subordinate whom Fang counsels against anger and hatred, then assigns to help headquarters contain the remaining ghosts in Dajing 11.
• He Yin’er — Provides the clues that enable Fang to control Ghost Quicksand. He agrees to take her body to Taiping Ancient Town 14 15 18.
• Li Leping — Earns Fang’s explicit admiration for sharing his methods and helping trap the Hungry Ghost in memories. He also assists Fang in forcing a Ghost Painting manifestation back into its frame 8 10.
• Tong Qian — Fang studies her three-faced method of controlling ghosts and invites her to visit the Circle of Friends, considering whether her condition might offer another path for his own plans 7.
• Liu San — Wary collaborator. Fang distrusts his paper man until he can meet Yang Jian, but accepts cooperation in investigating the hurricane 12.

Notable Quotes

“In a supernatural incident, any unexpected situation can arise. Keeping a clear head is the key to survival.” 11

“Li Leping, you're a man people can't remember, yet don't want to forget. I, Fang Shiming, rarely admire anyone. You're one of the few.” 8