Chapter 1303 - 1270: Questions and Answers

Soon.

The mature woman named Xiao Ru brought a pot of hot tea and poured a cup each for Yang Jian and the elderly man from the nearby herbal medicine shop. Although she had some prejudice against Yang Jian, she still performed the necessary courtesies and couldn’t possibly ignore hospitality altogether.

After pouring the tea, Xiao Ru did not leave but stood by and listened quietly.

Her gaze remained fixed on Yang Jian, seemingly studying him carefully.

“I have met a few ghost practitioners from the Republic of China Period, the first manager of the Ghost Post Office, the tall male corpse at the Caesar Hotel, the embalming old man in the ancient house, the old lady carrying a vegetable basket in Dachuan City… But most of them are already dead, and a few others have just recently passed away. The only one still alive is Sister Hong, who died and was resurrected. She replaced a ghost practitioner named Leuk Qingqing and has regained consciousness.”

“And you, strictly speaking, are the only person who has lived from that era to now.”

Yang Jian looked at the steaming cup of tea, then slowly began to speak.

The elderly man with sunglasses, who looked lifeless, slightly moved his aged face and squeezed out a smile: “It seems you have experienced quite a lot, encountering things you shouldn’t have. Surviving is indeed not easy. I know those people you mentioned. The manager of the Ghost Post Office was Luo Wensong, the male corpse at the Caesar Hotel was named Li Qingzhi in life, the one in the ancient house was called Zhang Dong, the one in Dachuan City was Meng Xiaodong, and the Sister Hong you refer to was originally Zhang Youhong. But you missed one; there should be another, a gravekeeper named Luo Qian.”

“That era belonged to them, but time is unforgiving. Even the most elite figures are eventually consumed by terrifying supernatural events, falling one by one like autumn leaves.”

“Six people? But that ghostly place has seven graves. Is the remaining one you?” Yang Jian asked.

The blind old man continued: “You could say that, but in reality, everyone has their own aspirations. They have things they needed to do, just as I have mine. So, I left the supernatural realm and came here to run a herbal medicine shop. I care more about cultivating the next generation than dealing with supernatural events.”

“Supernatural incidents are endless and unsolvable. Every previous path was wrong, only addressing symptoms and not the root cause. Perhaps the next generation can carve out a different path, so I’ve been waiting, hoping to see a glimmer of hope in my lifetime, which would make it all worthwhile.”

He sighed as he spoke, but inside him was a strong determination.

This determination sustained the almost decaying body of the old man.

Yet, even so, his limit is nearing, and such a body cannot continue to survive.

“If we could find the source of the supernatural events, maybe some things could change,” Yang Jian said, staring at him.

“The source of the supernatural events? Young man, if you’re here seeking answers to that question, I’m afraid you’ll leave empty-handed. I also want to know that answer, but unfortunately, no one could provide it. Answers can only be found within the supernatural realm, and while some have found theirs, they each have different conclusions.”

The elderly man’s face once again showed a slight smile, a bit self-deprecating.

“Different answers? Can you tell me about them?” Yang Jian continued to ask.

“Some people think that our world inherently has ghosts, and the real supernatural events are hidden in various folk tales. Just as you young people thought there were no ghosts before you encountered supernatural events, you viewed them merely as stories.”

The elderly man spoke slowly.

“Others feel there is something wrong with the place we live.”

Yang Jian’s expression shifted slightly: “There’s something wrong with the place we live? What do you mean?”

The elderly man continued: “You should have taken that ghost bus.”

“Yes, I’ve ridden that supernatural bus twice,” Yang Jian said.

“That bus can take you to various unknown supernatural places. Those places cannot be found in the real world, yet they exist. So some speculate that maybe it’s our own world that’s the supernatural realm, and the vengeful spirits are simply returning to their rightful place. Their supernatural realm may be the real world of the living.”

The elderly man articulated a hypothesis that was utterly astonishing.

His words left Yang Jian momentarily stunned.

Our reality is an eerie realm?

“But aside from these two, there is a third hypothesis.”

The elderly man, seeing Yang Jian’s pondering, continued speaking.

Yang Jian immediately set aside his thoughts, listening attentively.

Compared to Sister Hong, this elderly man was more willing to share the truths and experiences he knew without any intention of withholding information.

“The third hypothesis is that perhaps our world is not a normal one. There are issues with it, like in stories where there is a human realm and a hell. We always believed we live in the human realm when in fact, perhaps we are in hell itself, where vengeful spirits naturally exist. It’s not that there are ghosts in the world, but perhaps there shouldn’t have been living people in this world at all,” the elderly man remarked.

“A human realm like prison?” Yang Jian’s eyes shifted, showing signs of disbelief.

Such thoughts on the source of the supernatural from the previous generation of ghost practitioners were indeed unexpected.

The blind old man shook his head again and said, “Actually, it doesn’t matter which speculation is correct. What matters is how to survive in this supernatural world, how to blaze a never-before-traveled path on the road of taming ghosts. Even if only one person succeeds on this path, it will signify the end of supernatural events.”

“Hope is sometimes really important. Although my eyes are blind, my mind is clear, and I can still see things clearly.”

This old man appeared lifeless, yet when he mentioned the word “hope,” a burst of vitality surged through him.

He was desperate to see that glimmer of hope appear, so much so that he could die peacefully afterward.

“There are just a few paths to taming ghosts: balance, shutdown, curse, anomaly… but each path has its flaws.”

Yang Jian stared at the old man and said, “If someone like you from the Republic of China Period, who tames ghosts, is not considered successful, then the modern young ghost tamers who haven’t even solved the problem of ghost resurrection have even less chance of success.”

“No, you’re wrong. The road for our generation has come to an end, and there’s no possibility of moving forward. Even if you succeed by learning from us, you’ll only be like the top batch of people who barely drag on for a century. For ghosts that can’t be killed, this time is too short, only enough to barely maintain peace, unable to go further.”

The old man said this as he picked up the steaming teacup beside him and took a sip: “So, what we need isn’t successors; we need pioneers. In the collision of each supernatural event, we seek some unforeseeable special transformation, nurturing the strongest and most unique ghost tamer of an era. One who doesn’t need to worry about ghost resurrection or be constrained by the lifespan of their body, and is even less worried about their mind being eroded by the supernatural.”

“That’s why you don’t interfere with later ghost tamers and don’t leave methods for taming ghosts but hope this generation explores instead, thereby creating some exceptions.”

Yang Jian said, with fewer doubts in his heart.

It now seems that Wang Xiaoming’s idea was correct.

Dwelling on the past has no meaning; instead, it keeps you trapped in it, unable to forge a new path forward.

“If your generation doesn’t produce an exception, then when you age and are close to death, I believe you’ll do the same as us. Even if you solve the supernatural events, the supernatural will still resurrect in a few decades,” the old man said.

“Like a cycle, continuously repeating the same tragic events, causing the deaths of batch after batch of innocent people.”

Upon hearing this, Yang Jian also fell silent.

The old man wasn’t wrong; if a special ghost tamer can’t appear, then the captains of the headquarters are merely makeshift fixes, no different from the previous generation. The final result is still failure.

“Young man, there are some things you know too early, which isn’t necessarily good for you. Learning about this world’s despair in advance can easily destroy a person’s will,” the old man sighed again.

Yang Jian turned and said, “I’m not that fragile, and knowing some things early is, after all, beneficial. But what I’d like to know is why your traditional medicine shop helps those ghost tamers solve the problem of ghost resurrection. You must be aware that because of you, many ghost tamers have wreaked havoc outside, causing great destruction.”

“Ghost resurrection is a disease, and diseases need treatment. I only care about saving people; the rest is not my concern. Whatever they do outside, no matter how big the disturbance they cause, has nothing to do with me. I only hope they can live a little longer, and only by living long enough can there be a greater probability of nurturing that hope.”

The old man expressed his stance, stating that saving people wasn’t out of any other intention, merely helping ghost tamers indiscriminately.

“I don’t solve ghost resurrection; I only delay it. Their ability to survive is more an outcome of their own efforts,” the old man added.

“I roughly understand what you mean. You want ghost tamers to live a bit longer when faced with ghost resurrection so that they can burst out with all their energy within that limited time, thus giving birth to that hope you mentioned,” Yang Jian nodded.

“Unfortunately, I haven’t seen this hope appear in my whole life,” the old man shook his head, looking very disappointed.

Seeing this, Yang Jian asked a few other questions.

This old man truly held nothing back, sincerely sharing all he knew, resolving many of Yang Jian’s doubts.

“What kind of method can extend the time of ghost resurrection? If you don’t mind, could you share a little?” Yang Jian then asked.

“Yang Jian, you’ve asked too many questions today; there are some questions we don’t want to answer.” At this time, the mature woman named Xiao Ru beside interrupted, trying to stop him.

However, the old man waved his hand, indicating he didn’t mind: “To others, perhaps I wouldn’t say so much, but to you, I’m willing to honestly tell you everything I know, because you are the future.”

He gestured to Xiao Ru as he spoke.

Xiao Ru’s eyes shifted; she glanced at Yang Jian and finally turned to a nearby box of medicinal herbs, taking out a small yellow paper packet, which looked like a packet of herbs at first glance.

Yet Yang Jian felt a strong supernatural aura emanating from it.

“This is a special traditional medicine.”

The old man said, “Currently, in the supernatural circle, I am the only one who can make it. If you want to know how to delay the problem of ghost resurrection, you can personally try drinking a dose of the medicine. Only by experiencing it yourself will you truly understand.”

Looking at that small packet of special medicine, Yang Jian didn’t have the confidence to consume it since who knows what might be inside.

“Coward, this is good stuff that can save lives, and yet you disdain it. In the past, ghost tamers would fight at the door for a packet like this,” Xiao Ru sneered sarcastically, then put the packet away again.

Yang Jian gave her a cold glare: “I have my way to solve the problem of ghost resurrection. Honestly, I don’t trust your packet of medicine.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by novlove.com

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