Chapter 24: Ghost Master
"This website was established by the research institute headquarters. It contains a lot of valuable information about the paranormal circle and also serves as an internal networking site for us."
"Ordinary visitors cannot browse this website. They must have the corresponding permissions."
"Just registered accounts have the 4th level permission, which is like an external staff or temporary worker."
"Temporary workers don't receive wages or benefits, but they can take on tasks from us formal leaders to earn some special rewards."
"At the same time, temporary workers can also access some basic materials and information from the website, such as a newcomer's handbook. I recommend you read this handbook, as it should answer many of your questions."
"The levels 3, 2, 1, and 0 are related to positions within the research institute, but I'm sorry, I can't tell you more about it."
Chu Jiang nodded, it made sense, and there was nothing wrong with registering for a temporary worker account.
Even though there was no fixed salary or anything, at least there was no responsibility.
"I understand, you shared those secrets with me earlier because you wanted to find a way to solve your own problems."
"But to be honest, there's currently no fundamental solution in the whole world. You can find the specifics in the manual."
"All I can say is, I recommend you join the research institute. After becoming an official employee, there are some benefits."
Chu Jiang nodded again, it was similar to what he thought. You had to put in effort to get something in return, after all, the research institute wasn't a charity.
Li Buhuo pondered for a moment, "There's not much else to say, since you haven't joined yet, I can't reveal any more secrets."
"I can only advise you to be more discreet and not to abuse your own abilities."
"On one hand, the more you use it, the faster you die; on the other hand, being too high-profile will attract attention from all sides, and even dark organizations that specifically hunt down Ghost Masters exist within the folk."
"Ghost Master?" Chu Jiang looked puzzled.
"Yes, Ghost Master, that's what we are. It's the official term given by the research institute."
"There are records about Ghost Masters in ancient times in our country. For example, in the Tang Dynasty's 'Chao Ye Qian Zai', it is said: Tang Wei, a commoner, buried his father Wei Zhen and he was called the King of Feng. After the burial, the official bribed the Ghost Master Yong Wen Zhi."
"This is talking about a low-ranking official who manages funerals, bribed a Ghost Master named Yong Wen Zhi."
"Of course, I don't know if the ancient and modern Ghost Masters are the same thing. I'm just talking nonsense. If you are interested, you can talk to professors at the research institute in the future."
When it came to this, Li Buhuo smiled. "Of course, besides the official term, the folk has also come up with a bunch of names, such as ghost expellers, ghost controllers, demon hunters, spirit wardens, in short, all kinds of messy titles."
"Oh, by the way, in foreign countries, they don't call them Ghost Masters. They usually use terms like Ghost Hunters, which means the same thing, or Ghost Slayers."
"To be honest, I find it quite ridiculous. We are all poor people who are possessed and tortured by evil spirits, with short lifespans, yet we have the audacity to call ourselves ghost hunters."
His tone was filled with self-mockery.
These words made Chu Jiang's sense of unease grow stronger. "Uncle, in a situation like mine, how long can I live?"
Li Buhuo looked at Chu Jiang's expression. "If you don't use ghostly powers anymore, I think you should be fine for two to three years, considering you were just possessed by a ghost yesterday."
"Of course, it's hard to say for sure. I can only estimate. After all, I don't know how powerful the ghost inside you is. The stronger the ghost, the faster you'll die."
Chu Jiang's face darkened. The Blood Hand Ghost didn't seem to be a weak ghost...
"Alright, do you have anything else you want to say?" While Li Buhuo was speaking, he had nearly finished eating his breakfast.
"I still have many questions..."
Before Chu Jiang could finish his sentence, Li Buhuo waved his hand. "Check the manual. If it's not in the manual, I usually won't answer."
As he spoke, Li Buhuo manipulated his phone. "I transferred fifty thousand into your bank account, consider it a loan. Use it first, and if it's not enough, let me know."
Chu Jiang was confused for a moment and asked, "Why?"
Li Buhuo finished his last sip of soy milk and said, "Didn't I say it already? I admire you."
"People like us, once we officially enter this circle, usually don't lack money."
"But many newcomers are different. They may even rob banks for a small amount of money and end up being dealt with by the responsible person."
"There are also some newcomers who are recruited by underground Ghost Master organizations and work for them for just a few hundred thousand or a few million."
"It's not worth it, really not worth it. We don't have many good years left. I don't want you to go down that path."
Chu Jiang remained silent for a moment and simply said, "Thank you."
He didn't like borrowing money from others, but the reality was that as a high school student, he didn't have much money on him. It was all saved from before.
"By the way, where are you planning to go?" Li Buhuo changed the subject.
"Luozhou City," Chu Jiang replied without thinking.
Li Buhuo smiled bitterly, "I was just about to ask you not to go there. There have been several strange incidents happening recently, and I heard that the people in charge there are very worried."
Luozhou City was not too far from Luoxi City, but it was much bigger and busier than Luoxi City.
One of the reasons Chu Jiang wanted to go there was because he didn't want to be too far from home. Another reason was that he thought it would be good to take a break and explore, since he didn't have anywhere else to go for the time being.
"It's okay, I won't go looking for trouble."
After hearing Li Buhuo's words, Chu Jiang still hadn't changed his mind.
With more strange incidents happening, it would be easier for Chu Jiang to meet people in that area who were involved in the same thing. After all, he couldn't rely solely on information from Research Institute No. 21; it would be good to have more sources.
Seeing this, Li Buhuo didn't try to persuade him anymore. He stood up and said, "I'll leave now. Don't worry about your family. Both the police station and Xu Bing have a responsibility to protect the safety of ordinary people."
"Wait," Chu Jiang stood up as well. "Can I ask a question that is definitely not mentioned in the new recruit manual?"
Li Buhuo hesitated for a moment, "Please tell me what the problem is."
"Have you heard of the organization called 'Holy Word Religion'?"
Actually, Chu Jiang was unsure. The newcomer's manual definitely didn't mention anything about the Holy Word Religion.
But if it wasn't mentioned, then it was even more necessary for him to ask this question, after all, he had already been approached by the other party.
Li Buhuo was a bit confused, "I haven't heard of it, where did you hear about it?"
"I found it while searching for information online," Chu Jiang said without showing any signs of lying.
"The doctrine of their church mentions that the end of the world is coming, and that ghosts and monsters will harm humans. Only those who believe in their god can be saved."
