American variety show world begins with subduing Jason

"Another possibility is that there is indeed a ghost in a broad sense causing trouble. However, it is mostly just a memory with strong obsession. Apart from making some noise, it is basically impossible for it to cause any harm to healthy humans. Ask a real medium to communicate with it and resolve the obsession, and it will automatically dissipate."

"The most serious type is a special soul that, through a series of coincidences, retains a relatively complete sense of self, but due to its resentment towards death or the taint of evil forces, it degenerates into a twisted evil creature filled with hatred for the living."

This kind of being possesses an intelligence that rivals that of ordinary humans. They cultivate their habitats as nests, relentlessly killing and absorbing the life force and souls of the living over long periods in order to evolve to a higher level. In such cases, it requires the intervention of one or more highly skilled professionals to resolve the situation.

"Of course, it's more likely that there's nothing to it, just rumors that locals are scaring themselves."

In short, generalizations cannot be made; each case must be analyzed individually.

Maro nodded slightly. Although this man looked a bit young, his words and actions seemed reliable. His explanation of the haunted house, whether true or false, at least sounded quite convincing.

He seized the opportunity to continue the conversation. "Please don't laugh at me, everyone, but after Mr. Milhaw said that, I'm actually starting to worry about this upcoming experiment. I wonder if there will really be any danger..."

"Oh! Look how confused I am." He exaggeratedly slapped his forehead.

"Isn't there a ready-made expert sitting right here beside me? Mr. Milhaud, I sincerely invite you to participate in a psychology experiment that will be held at Corin Manor in a week."

Of course, I'll be an observer, not a participant. I wonder if you'll be able to spare some time to go?

"Although more than a hundred years have passed, the original owner, textile tycoon Hugh Corrian, has long since died out."

However, the local town government has been sending people to maintain this mountain manor, allowing people today to have a glimpse into the luxurious life of the upper class at the end of the 19th century.

You can think of it as a short vacation, and we'll even offer a reasonable compensation as a small token of our appreciation for taking up a few days of your time.

New author, new book! Please add to your favorites and read on! If all else fails, feel free to leave a comment to liven things up! (▽)

Chapter 65 The Intrusion of the Demon

Zhu Mingyao, who was picking up a colorful Turkish delight wrapped with dried nuts and about to put it in his mouth, paused slightly before gently biting down.

After he finished eating slowly and deliberately, he asked, seemingly casually:

"Hugh Correan? Is there such a wealthy man in Golden State who is known for his textile business? I don't seem to recall him?"

"Hehe, Mr. Milton, you are unlikely to have heard of him, because Hugh Corrian has been dead for over 110 years and left no descendants. Apart from the residents of the local town, I'm afraid only scholars who specialize in the history of West Coast industrial development would remember this name."

"Taking advantage of the Western Development at the time, coupled with the human resources brought about by the emancipation of slaves after the Civil War, he seized the business opportunity and established several textile factories, from which he made a lot of money."

The manor, intended as the site of his experiments, was built by him in the 1870s, taking nearly ten years to complete.

Professor Marlowe explained carefully:

"At that time, he was ambitious and wanted to build the Corinne family into a new generation of federal elites, so he named the manor after himself, intending it to serve as the ancestral home for the family's legacy."

Unfortunately, his wife was in poor health and never bore him any children. She passed away at a young age, and not long after, he, likely overwhelmed with grief, also died. His dream of continuing the family fortune ended before it even began.

"Hugh Crane himself was an immigrant who came to the Federation alone. Although his wife's family was local, they were small in number. So after the two of them passed away, they couldn't find a proper heir to their huge family business."

Within a few years, those lands and factories were completely divided up by unscrupulous individuals. Only this manor survived because of its remote location. Later, it was nationalized by the local town government and became public property.

"Then what's the deal with the rumors about the haunted house?" Zhu Mingyao licked his lips, savoring the fruity sweetness of the gummy candy, and tried hard to recall the few terms he had just heard.

"A large estate with a vast area and exquisite materials, it would be extremely valuable not only back then but even now. After the local town government renovated it, it was originally put up for sale."

As a result, several buyers claimed that strange things kept happening inside, suggesting the presence of ghosts. They were willing to pay penalties to return the estate, and the reputation of the haunted house gradually spread, eventually leading to its decline in popularity.

The boy chuckled. "Then won't this be a liability? The local town government will have a headache; the annual maintenance costs for a large estate are considerable."

Professor Marlow laughed along, “Indeed, even if they let the perimeter of the manor fall into disrepair and only carry out limited repairs and maintenance on the main buildings, it would still be a considerable expense.”

Therefore, the local government has changed its strategy in recent years. Since they can't sell them, they've opted to rent them out. If long-term rentals aren't feasible, they'll try short-term rentals. This time, a friend specifically recommended this place because he knew my experiment needed a similar space.

As he spoke, a sincere expression appeared on his face.

"Although it is an old house, most of the area, including a few guest rooms, has been equipped with water, electricity, and lighting. I have also ordered supplies in advance to ensure that there will be no inconvenience in daily life during the experiment. What do you think?"

Look at him, no wonder he's a psychology professor. His invitation was so kind and sincere, it really touched people's hearts. If he were in HR, he could probably easily charm all those employees.

Zhu Mingyao gave the other party a perfect score for their job offer skills.

At this moment, he also found what he wanted from his distant memories of his past life, so he no longer held back and nodded directly, saying:

"Since you've asked so sincerely... cough cough, since you've invited me so sincerely, then I'll take advantage of your blessing and enjoy a short paid vacation."

Upon hearing this, Professor Marlowe's face lit up with joy. He picked up the bottle and poured the boy a glass of champagne, raising his glass in a slight gesture. The two exchanged a smile, both feeling that the trip had been worthwhile and that they had each gained something.

……

After a pleasant dinner party where everyone enjoyed themselves and had eaten their fill, Zhu Mingyao declined Clay Dalton's offer to drive him to Corinne Manor after agreeing on a time with Professor Marlowe to depart together. Instead, he took the bus.

Back home, sitting at his desk, the boy opened his notebook used for collecting information and wrote down the words "The Haunting," "Corinne Manor," and "The Evil Spirit of Hugh Corinne" on a blank page.

After thinking for a moment, he added a parenthesis after "[Hugh Corrian's Evil Spirit]" and wrote "Suspected of being able to animate objects" in the middle.

Zhu Mingyao stared at the words, his fingers unconsciously twirling the pen. After a short while, he wrote down the words "[Gates of Hell Sculpture]" below, hesitated for a moment, and then added a question mark after it.

This should be it. Although it's been a long time, the special effects were quite impressive for that era, and this movie left a deep impression on my past self. I still remember the gist of the story.

According to the original story, the manor that Professor Marlowe and his friends were going to seemed to have some strange aspects besides the evil spirit of the original owner, Hugh Corrain, the heartless boss who exploited and murdered child laborers.

When a spirit becomes powerful enough, it does indeed possess abilities similar to telekinesis. However, the ability to activate sculptures and decorations in a house to attack people, as depicted in the original film, is somewhat beyond Zhu Mingyao's comprehension.

It's not that supernatural powers can't enlighten inanimate objects, but if that evil spirit were capable of doing so, it could have simply killed Professor Marlow and his group—it would have been a simple matter. Why go through all that trouble and go through all that trouble?

Another important prop in the movie, the two black stone doors carved with hellish spirits that ultimately sucked Corian's evil spirit into them, is also quite intriguing.

If my guess is correct, this thing could help the protagonist group, who are all ordinary people, seal away the evil spirit. It's a pretty good thing.

Thinking of this, Zhu Mingyao couldn't help but feel a little excited. He even thought about sneaking over to look for treasure in advance. However, after recalling the size of the two black stone doors, he rationally gave up the idea.

The specifics are still unclear. Besides, given its size and weight, I can't move it even if I go now, and I can't put it at home. It would be better to go with Professor Maro's experimental team, deal with that evil spirit, and then carefully examine the stone door along the way. If it's really a good thing, I'll try to get Hualian to buy it for me.

Now that we know the enemy's situation in advance, we can make some targeted preparations.

Although the evil spirit's performance in the movie was just so-so, this is the real world, and we can't completely believe the so-called plot. It's better to be prepared for anything.

Some readers mentioned that my book has been featured on the recommendation list, but I haven't received any notification from the author's backend. Could someone please point me in the right direction? What recommendation list? ⊙_⊙

Chapter 66 Corin Manor

A week passed in the blink of an eye.

"That should be all," Professor Marlow said, clapping his hands as he helped his two assistants stuff several suitcases into a white Ford van.

"That's all. By the way, Clay is your assistant, right? Isn't he coming with us?" Zhu Mingyao checked the shop and made sure the door was locked before asking casually.

“Yes, Clay is already a qualified assistant professor. During the time we are conducting our experimental project, he will stay at the university to teach the students in my place, which is also his own request.”

The boy thought indifferently that he must have been quite frightened by what happened last time, so he kept his distance from supernatural events.

Not everyone possesses the intense curiosity of a schoolboy who is willing to risk his life to explore the unknown. No matter where you are, people are always the mainstream.

The two cars started one after the other, carrying the four people towards their destination, Corinne Manor.

……

Tender green and soft fragrance grow stronger with the distance; spring brings lushness everywhere.

In early March, when the spring breeze was gentle and the flowers and grass were just sprouting, two cars left Luoyang under the bright morning light and sped north along the highway.

The Corinne Estate, the site of the experiment, is located in a small town in northern Golden State, bordering Nevada to the west and Oregon to the north.

It flourished for a time in the late 19th century, but with the changing times, it has long since fallen into decline and is now only home to a few hundred permanent residents.

There was probably no other way, so the town government, which was short of funds, managed to save up some money and reluctantly carried out basic maintenance on the estate, hoping to rent it out and earn some money.

"...A week's rent is only 1800 gold coins, including three meals a day for all of us? This price is like a Black Friday clearance sale, isn't it?"

Zhu Mingyao held the thing in his hand, which was hard to tell whether it was a flyer or a postcard, and said jokingly.

"The main building alone occupies no less than 8000 square meters. If the courtyard garden and the surrounding land are not abandoned, the whole thing would probably be worth nearly ten million gold coins."

No wonder the local government would rather squeeze out money from its meager budget each year to maintain it than let it fall into disrepair; I wouldn't want to let it go either.

Professor Marlow, sitting in the passenger seat, flipped through the experimental plan documents and casually replied:

"It's not worth that much. This place is too remote. It's already part of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, sparsely populated and inconvenient to live in."

The value of real estate cannot be judged solely by its size; its location is paramount. This manor would be worthless in Beverly Hills for 20 million federal dollars, but here, even a 50% discount wouldn't attract any buyers.

Moreover, it's already a century-old house; to live there long-term would require a complete renovation, which would be a considerable expense. Simply put, those who can afford it don't like it, and those who like it can't afford it.

That makes sense, but such a large area, including luxury homes, is really enviable.

The desire for large houses among ordinary residents of the Celestial Empire in his previous life, coupled with the Chinese people's love for the land, created a double whammy that even made Zhu Mingyao somewhat tempted.

This place is a bit remote for living, but it's perfect for quiet cultivation. Besides, it's large enough that testing some large-scale spells in the future won't attract attention.

Why did our ancestors in ancient times like to live in seclusion and carve out caves in the mountains? It wasn't because they were bored and wanted to play the role of aloof and detached from the world; it was because they had a real need for it.

Aside from the fact that the mountains and rivers are full of spiritual energy, living in densely populated areas does indeed present many inconveniences for practitioners.

You have to practice all those supernatural powers and techniques yourself; you can't just deduce them in your mind.

When one's cultivation level is low, it's manageable. But once one reaches the True Person level or above, whether it's summoning gods and ghosts, refining treasures and setting up formations, calling on the wind and rain, or summoning thunder and lightning, all kinds of magical performances are often grand and imposing, which can easily disturb the people.

Therefore, such highly accomplished individuals often cultivate in secluded places like blessed grottoes, rarely venturing into the mortal world.

I don't dare to dream of paradises right now, but setting aside a large villa in the mountains is more realistic.

After the experiment is over, you might as well ask the local government. If the price is not too outrageous, it can be considered as one of the alternative locations for buying land and houses in the future.

After a quick lunch at a gas station by the roadside, the group continued their journey and finally arrived at their destination before dusk.

Looking into the distance, a cluster of European classical buildings is partially hidden among the sparse mixed trees and bushes in the rolling low hills.

The golden light of the setting sun spilled onto the mottled stone brick wall, creating a scene reminiscent of an oil painting.

We've arrived at Corinne Manor.

Someone was waiting anxiously in front of the wrought iron gate, which was entwined with a few strands of withered vines.

Before the car even got close, an elderly man with gray hair threw down his large broom, dusted off his denim overalls, pushed open the door forcefully, and shouted:

"Thank goodness you've finally arrived. If you hadn't come, my wife and I would have just left work..."

The car drove into the deserted courtyard and slowly stopped to the side. An elderly woman dressed in a black and white suit with her hair in a bun, who looked like a housekeeper, quickly walked down the steps of the entrance hall.

"I am Sarah, and I will be your housekeeper for the next few days."

Gentlemen, we agreed that we would arrive before 3 o'clock when we contacted each other, but it's almost 5 o'clock now and I have to go back to town after get off work.

"The guest rooms are on the second floor. There's a note on the door with your name on it. Please go up yourself," the old woman complained, her face displeased.