Free Web NovelChapter 99: Chapter 17: The Conditions Offered
Gao Tian’s hands didn’t stop moving. He continued working on Ghost Cave’s cocoon, gestating a third Ghost Infant. At the same time, phone in hand, he began to complain to Xu Yuan about the vile behavior of these two "bratty kids":
"Old Xu, it’s not that I want to criticize you, but these two ghosts are just too much.
"I don’t know what got into them today, but they went crazy, followed me through the internet, and insisted I was a living person, not a ghost. They wanted to kill me to ’clean up’ the chat group.
"As an elder, I didn’t want to stoop to their level, so I let them kill me once to prove I’m not human. My temper is pretty good, right? I just treated it as kids messing around and didn’t blow it out of proportion.
"But who would have thought, after killing me once, they wanted to kill me a second time, and after the second time, they wanted to kill me a hundred times. They wouldn’t take a hint and chose the hard way. I said to myself, this is getting ridiculous. If it wants to kill me for ten thousand years, does that mean I have to stay here for ten thousand years and just let it happen?
"After being killed for the fifty-seventh time, I couldn’t take it anymore. I activated my killing rule and prepared to leave. But unexpectedly, this one called Ghost Cave suddenly lost its mind, opened its Ghost Realm, and sealed the entire space, refusing to let me go.
"No matter who I was, before I died, I was a person of some standing. I never suffered such a humiliation when I was alive.
"Left with no choice, I had to imprison the female ghost first. But that male ghost still wanted to fight me. I’d already warned it many times. Now I’m preparing to dismantle all of its killing rules and confiscate its Ghost Realm. As for its body, it’s not much use, so I’ll just let my little ghosts eat it.
"Bratty kids need to be taught a good lesson. If their family doesn’t teach them, someone out in the world eventually will."
Gao Tian stuck firmly to three points.
First, he was not a living person. No living person in this world was powerful enough to be killed fifty-seven times and still revive.
Second, Gao Tian was not unwilling to prove he was a ghost. On the contrary, after the two ghosts arrived, Gao Tian had been actively cooperating with them.
It was Ghost Cave who kept pushing its luck, forcing Gao Tian to step in and discipline it. It was absolutely not because he had a guilty conscience and didn’t dare continue proving himself.
Third, he possessed his own killing rules and was extremely powerful. In the Ghost Realm, he was considered an elder who had been dead for a long time. This further proved that he was not a living person.
Furthermore, Gao Tian had a faint realization.
’In the chat group, there are very few true core members of the Jialan Society—only Xu Yuan, Infinite Floors, and a few other active ones.’
’There are some other ghosts in the group, like the Burned Ghost. The other members of the Jialan Society don’t actually know them; they’re just wandering spirits that Xu Yuan pulled into the group for some unknown reason.’
’Because it isn’t the usual small circle, some unfamiliar ghosts have been forcibly brought together by Xu Yuan. This is also what led to Ghost Cave’s paranoia flaring up, making it hunt for living people everywhere in the group.’
’Presumably, Xu Yuan had warned it before not to just fly around through the internet willy-nilly. There are some heavy hitters in the chat group whose limits even he doesn’t fully grasp.’
’But if bratty kids actually listened, they wouldn’t be called bratty kids.’
’Now, I’ve suppressed two powerful ghosts single-handedly. In the chat group, I can be considered one of the unfathomable "ghostly heavy hitters."’
’It seems Xu Yuan is treating me as an equal for negotiations. Concepts like compensation can only be discussed between those of equal status.’
’I have the moral high ground here. Facing a great terror like Xu Yuan, even if it’s an act, I have to put on a tough, uncompromising front.’
To his slight surprise, Xu Yuan didn’t actually seem to care that much about whether Gao Tian was human or ghost. His focus now was on discussing the terms for Gao Tian to release the ghosts.
The man on the phone said calmly:
"Yes, there are many heavy hitters in the group. The two wild kids still thought it was like when they were alive, back when the Jialan Society was just founded, and the office was surrounded by familiar neighbors. They thought they could offend someone, apologize, take a beating, and get away with it.
"How about this, Mr. Memory Ghost.
"Our time is precious. I don’t like to waste words, so let’s get straight to the point. For all the damage and trouble their unauthorized actions have caused today, I will definitely give you a satisfactory resolution. But I will also take these two ghosts back, at any cost, no matter the means or the price.
"When they were alive, I failed to protect them. I can’t fail to protect them now that they’re ghosts.
"I am a reasonable person. The test on you should have ended after they killed you twice. Everything after that was unnecessary. Whatever compensation you require, you can name it. However, if normal compensation isn’t enough to satisfy you, I will also consider using some unconventional methods to take them back.
"After all, for me, aside from my long-cherished wish to end the Era of the Supernatural, the children of the Jialan Society are the only family I have left in this world. No matter what they’ve done, I can’t just stand by and watch them be imprisoned.
"Do you understand what I mean?"
Xu Yuan had rarely said so much, and the amount of information contained within his words was explosive.
Gao Tian understood. First, he had made his main point clear: he had to take the two ghosts, Ghost Cave and Ghost Infant.
The price could be negotiated, compensation could be discussed—everything was on the table. But Gao Tian couldn’t even think about keeping the Ghost Infant in the box; the Ghost Infant’s existence was of great significance to the Jialan Society. And that was to say nothing of Ghost Cave.
Right now, Xu Yuan was thousands of miles away, talking to Gao Tian through a phone line. If the negotiations broke down, Xu Yuan himself would probably pay a personal visit to Jin Hai Mansion.
Second, Xu Yuan had unintentionally let slip something very strange.
’His long-cherished wish is to end the Era of the Supernatural?’
’Aren’t the members of the Jialan Society all ghosts who kill without batting an eye?’
’It’s true they were once alive—struggling residents of the Living Person Apartment, or Ghost Hunters. If Xu Yuan had said that his and his teacher’s wish *while they were alive* was to end this Era of the Supernatural, then there would be no problem at all.’
’So why is it that after Xu Yuan died, the vicious ghosts in the chat group are all bloodthirsty killers, monsters that fly through the internet to murder at the drop of a hat and drag entire buildings into their Ghost Realms... After all the horrific destruction they’ve caused in the center of Shanghai, Xu Yuan just comes out and says his dream is to end the Era of the Supernatural. Isn’t that a contradiction?’
’On top of that, ghosts like Xu Yuan and Ghost Cave had repeatedly mentioned in the group that they were working on something that was about to happen soon. It just added another layer to the mystery.’
’Is this ’something’ related to what Xu Yuan called ’ending the Era of the Supernatural’?’
’Is he just spouting nonsense to deceive me, or is Xu Yuan becoming a ghost itself part of some grand plan?’
Before Gao Tian could even process this, Xu Yuan on the other end of the line continued, and a flood of new information rushed into his mind:
"We’re running out of time. The entire Jin Hai Mansion has vanished from the city center. The Spirit Disaster Bureau’s forces are on their way.
"When they get here, forget Ghost Cave and Ghost Infant—even you won’t be able to get away.
"Memory Ghost, I want you to release the imprisoned Ghost Infant immediately. The Ghost Infant will then take Ghost Cave, who is sealed in the ’cocoon.’ You don’t need to worry about anything after that. All you have to do is ignore them as they leave.
"Of course, under my orders, once those two escape their confinement, they will absolutely not dare to attack you again."
Now came the main event.
Gao Tian:
"So, what’s in it for me?"
Xu Yuan:
"Four benefits.
"In front of the Divine Tree, you will be able to get two bottles. I originally prepared these two bottles for myself. Now, I am gifting them to you, free of charge.
"Second, I will gift you another 400 years of the lifespan hidden within the Divine Tree.
"Third, ten times in total. In the future, whenever you @ Ghost Infant or Ghost Cave in the chat group, they must appear before you immediately and do one thing for you. No matter what kind of enemy—be it a living person, a vicious ghost, or even a station in the Inner World. They will obey your command; all their killing rules will be at your disposal.
"Fourth, I can tell you something that is destined to happen in the future. The fate of all humanity."
Before Gao Tian could even weigh whether Xu Yuan’s offer was better than the loss he’d incur by letting the Ghost Infant go, Xu Yuan continued:
"On top of that, there are two bonus conditions. They might not be useful to you right now, but you can save them. One day in the future, they will definitely be useful.
"First, in the future Ghost Country that I will establish, a place will be reserved for you, Memory Ghost. This is a ticket to the new era.
"Second, we can meet and talk about the secrets of the Divine Tree and the Inner World. This is information other ghosts would kill for. As a show of sincerity, I can tell you a part of it."
The amount of information was overwhelming. Gao Tian needed to digest it properly.
It was clear Xu Yuan genuinely wanted to get Ghost Cave and Ghost Infant back. The long list of conditions was so extensive Gao Tian couldn’t even memorize it.
A noteworthy term that came up was the Spirit Disaster Bureau.
Gao Tian had seen this organization mentioned more than once while researching recent supernatural incidents across the country.
The Spirit Disaster Bureau was the official organization responsible for handling all sorts of supernatural incidents. As he recalled, they had disappeared for a while after the "Rainy Woman" incident. But in other cases, the Spirit Disaster Bureau was usually able to handle things.
Xu Yuan was also somewhat wary of this Spirit Disaster Bureau. If they attracted their attention, even Xu Yuan showing up might not do any good.
Then, there was the Divine Tree, the Ghost Country, and the small bottles.
’What on earth were all these things?’
’It sounded like the place where the Jialan Society resided after death was what they called the Divine Tree?’
’Mysterious small bottles hung from this Divine Tree, and the tree itself contained lifespan?’
Gao Tian recalled that the first time he claimed a "black packet" in the chat group, he had to pay a certain amount of his lifespan as the price.
’After learning that the members of the chat group were all ghosts, I once complained to myself: since they’re ghosts, why would they need the lifespan of the living as currency?’
’Now it seemed that the lifespan of the living, mediated by something called the Divine Tree, was actually useful to ghosts?’
