The male supporting character was actually myself.

Later I heard that the guy managed to rise through the ranks by relying on the female ghost king (no way), and now he's probably working at the headquarters of the underworld.

There's also the story of a weak little ghost who has incredible luck and forms a contract with a super-powerful exorcist. It's like a domineering CEO meeting a naive and sweet little ghost. The little ghost doesn't have to do anything; all he has to do all day is sweetly chat and talk about love, dragging the other person down, and he gets carried to victory without even lifting a finger.

Luck is such a frivolous thing...

After listening to the explanation from the senior ghost, Jiang Chen roughly understood that the contract between a spirit ghost and a celestial master was similar to a high-level player helping a low-level player in an online game.

One hit and the opponent instantly leveled up!

Their last stop on this trip was Wangxiangtai (Viewing Hometown Terrace)...

After leaving the Underworld Office, Jiang Chen bought some things and headed straight for the Wangxiangtai headquarters.

"What? What did you say?" The little devil captain almost popped his eyes out after hearing his plan. He slammed his fist on the table and said anxiously, "Brother, are you tired of this peaceful life? You want to become a spirit ghost for the Celestial Master? What kind of crazy idea is that!"

"Brother, do you know what it means to be a spirit ghost for the Celestial Master? You're online 24/7, 365 days a year, and you can't go west if the Celestial Master says to go east. You're always the first to charge into battle, but when there are benefits, you're last in line. It's like being a slave to someone!"

"In the past, powerful ghosts didn't have many ways to accumulate merit and do good deeds. Becoming a spirit ghost for a celestial master was one of the few options. Things are different now. With your status, position, and strength, Brother Jiang Chen, wouldn't you accumulate more merit by doing anything else than by becoming a spirit ghost? Why bother suffering that?"

"Although the contract is automatically dissolved when the Celestial Master dies, it still takes several decades. It's not worth it!"

The little devils at Wangxiangtai chattered and advised him to think it over, but Jiang Chen kept seeing Bai Ling and the figure in the large bronze mirror whose face he couldn't see clearly. The two didn't look too alike, but the feeling of being moved was exactly the same.

He was determined to take Bai Ling to see the bug, hoping to get more guidance information!

Moreover, Murong Liangchen is still eyeing us covetously in the mortal realm, so we must take action.

"I appreciate your kind intentions, but my mind is made up and I don't need to say more. I just want to ask if you brothers can do me a favor and let the Celestial Master I've chosen be alone?" He looked sincerely at the little devils he had been calling brothers for several days.

The little devils had different expressions. The captain of the little devils frowned and looked at him tentatively, asking, "You chose the Celestial Master yourself? Could it be... that you chose a pretty little girl?"

I bet Brother Jiang Chen died young and never even had a romantic relationship in the mortal realm, right?

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Contracts and Ghosts

Qu Wenqing coldly observed him and knew it was just an excuse.

But after all, he was the Celestial Master of Tingfeng Valley, and I, a mere local official, couldn't possibly interfere with such matters. So I sighed and said, "It's understandable that Celestial Master Wang is forgetful, but please don't make such a mistake again in the future."

If Murong Jiangchen hadn't been lucky enough to enter the Ghost Market and break the seal, he would probably still be wandering the wilderness, his soul possibly annihilated at any moment. Humans and ghosts alike are subject to fate; there can be no favoritism or neglect!

“Yes, yes, yes, you are right, sir,” Wang Baoyi hurriedly replied.

It took about two hours to emerge from the underworld office; Wang Baoyi's back was soaked with sweat.

He obtained a lot of verification from the steward. Murong Jiangchen had done good deeds all his life, but was killed and impersonated by his twin brother Murong Liangchen. If he could investigate the matter after receiving the commission, he would naturally handle the aftermath properly according to the procedure. He did not expect that he would encounter a ghost after walking on the dark road too many times. He just happened to run into a tough guy!

Fortunately, Murong Jiangchen did not file a complaint or pursue the matter further. As long as the steward kept quiet about it, the matter would be over.

He was a law-abiding and good ghost who had always stayed in the underworld and had never left.

As for the female ghost that Murong Liangchen mentioned, it has been investigated and found out that she was the one who fell down the stairs and died when he tried to kill her to cover it up. She is currently in hell to atone for her sins of being a mistress and harming others. She did not stay in the human world and could not possibly go up there to haunt Murong Liangchen.

Therefore, the ghost story Murong Liangchen mentioned is most likely a hallucination he's having because he feels guilty about his past misdeeds and is scaring himself.

What Wang Baoyi cared about most was something else—devouring ghosts!

He learned what had happened through casual conversation and began to feel uneasy.

Taking away the appropriate ghost energy from a person's birth date and time and transferring it to a sickly living person—this taboo method is truly vicious. Even with the combined efforts of the Yin and Yang realms to investigate, the outcome remains unknown…

"Grandmaster Uncle, have you finished your business?"

"What exactly is going on between Murong Liangchen and Murong Jiangchen?"

"Where should we go next? The underworld is so vast, it feels like we could explore it in a few days!"

Upon seeing him emerge, the four junior Taoist priests quickly surrounded him, chattering and asking questions.

“According to past practice, when a new Celestial Master first arrives in the Underworld, he will first go to the local Underworld government office to report and receive a spirit contract. That thing is useless. What ghost is so stupid that it would be willing to be a slave to someone these days?” Jiang Chen sat in the small house of the old ghost guarding the corner gate of the Underworld government office and poured him a full glass of wine.

Old Ghost finished his drink in one gulp, smacked his lips, and continued explaining: "Next, we'll go to the Naihe Bridge and the Wangchuan River to broaden their horizons. If there's a chance, the disciples of Tingfeng Valley will also visit Meng Po. Then we'll go to see the Yellow Springs Road, the Gate of Hell, and the Gate between Yin and Yang, and also explore the wilderness. These are just a few famous scenic spots. Finally, we'll go to Wangxiang Terrace to get a close look at the real-time dynamics of the human world."

"Celestial Masters, well, they don't cause trouble in the underworld, and no ghost dares to provoke them. They just need to become familiar with their faces, get a general idea of ​​their surroundings, and then they can find their way around."

"What's the story behind contracting with spirits?" Jiang Chen asked curiously. "I heard them say that nowadays, even Taoist priests can't contract with spirits anymore?"

Old Ghost tossed a few peanuts into his mouth and grinned, his face crinkling with wrinkles. "Of course, we can't get a contract!"

Before the reforms, the underworld was strictly governed, making it difficult to atone for sins. Therefore, a method called "contract ghosts" was created, where humans and ghosts could benefit from each other.

Ghosts do good deeds and accumulate merit for people; with the help of ghosts, people can achieve twice the results with half the effort.

Mutual contracts and mutual reliance can be considered mutually beneficial.

Moreover, all celestial masters are of pure yang righteousness, while ghosts are of extreme yin. Cultivating together to harmonize yin and yang is beneficial to the growth of both human and ghost abilities.

However, times have changed, and the principle of offsetting merits and demerits has become simpler and more convenient.

The exorcists might dream of contracting a spirit to be their slave, but where are there any ghosts that'd be so foolish these days? Isn't it better to earn your own money and spend it yourself than to risk your life for them?

Upon hearing this, Jiang Chen's heart stirred. "If the contract is successful, the abilities of the spirit ghost and the celestial master will complement each other?"

"Of course!" The old ghost took another sip of wine and said, his tongue a little stammering, "Don't underestimate that contract. It's recognized by the Heavenly Dao! You young ghosts haven't heard of it before, but in the past, there were often lucky celestial masters or ghosts who, by chance, successfully formed a contract."

Wow, that's like rising to the top in one step!

I remember a useless little Taoist priest who somehow managed to form a contract with a powerful female ghost king. Tsk tsk, the female ghost king really carried him to new heights! Not only did he win missions effortlessly, but he also didn't have to suffer through cultivation. His cultivation level skyrocketed as he cultivated with the female ghost king.

Later I heard that the guy managed to rise through the ranks by relying on the female ghost king (no way), and now he's probably working at the headquarters of the underworld.

There's also the story of a weak little ghost who has incredible luck and forms a contract with a super-powerful exorcist. It's like a domineering CEO meeting a naive and sweet little ghost. The little ghost doesn't have to do anything; all he has to do all day is sweetly chat and talk about love, dragging the other person down, and he gets carried to victory without even lifting a finger.

Luck is such a frivolous thing...

After listening to the explanation from the senior ghost, Jiang Chen roughly understood that the contract between a spirit ghost and a celestial master was similar to a high-level player helping a low-level player in an online game.

One hit and the opponent instantly leveled up!

Their last stop on this trip was Wangxiangtai (Viewing Hometown Terrace)...

After leaving the Underworld Office, Jiang Chen bought some things and headed straight for the Wangxiangtai headquarters.

"What? What did you say?" The little devil captain almost popped his eyes out after hearing his plan. He slammed his fist on the table and said anxiously, "Brother, are you tired of this peaceful life? You want to become a spirit ghost for the Celestial Master? What kind of crazy idea is that!"

"Brother, do you know what it means to be a spirit ghost for the Celestial Master? You're online 24/7, 365 days a year, and you can't go west if the Celestial Master says to go east. You're always the first to charge into battle, but when there are benefits, you're last in line. It's like being a slave to someone!"

"In the past, powerful ghosts didn't have many ways to accumulate merit and do good deeds. Becoming a spirit ghost for a celestial master was one of the few options. Things are different now. With your status, position, and strength, Brother Jiang Chen, wouldn't you accumulate more merit by doing anything else than by becoming a spirit ghost? Why bother suffering that?"

"Although the contract is automatically dissolved when the Celestial Master dies, it still takes several decades. It's not worth it!"

The little devils at Wangxiangtai chattered and advised him to think it over, but Jiang Chen kept seeing Bai Ling and the figure in the large bronze mirror whose face he couldn't see clearly. The two didn't look too alike, but the feeling of being moved was exactly the same.

He was determined to take Bai Ling to see the bug, hoping to get more guidance information!

Moreover, Murong Liangchen is still eyeing us covetously in the mortal realm, so we must take action.

"I appreciate your kind intentions, but my mind is made up and I don't need to say more. I just want to ask if you brothers can do me a favor and let the Celestial Master I've chosen be alone?" He looked sincerely at the little devils he had been calling brothers for several days.

The little devils had different expressions. The captain of the little devils frowned and looked at him tentatively, asking, "You chose the Celestial Master yourself? Could it be... that you chose a pretty little girl?"

I bet Brother Jiang Chen died young and never even had a romantic relationship in the mortal realm, right?

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Go inside!

All the other kids turned to look at him, and Jiang Chen could only nod with a faint smile.

Upon hearing his admission, the little ghost captain slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Oh my! I used to take those stories as mere tales, like the useless little exorcist and the beautiful female ghost king; or the naive little ghost meeting the domineering exorcist. I really thought they were just made up by ghosts to amuse people."

In reality, shouldn't it always be a perfect match where two strong forces join together?

Bro, you've completely shattered my worldview! Is there really such a thing as love at first sight, a moth drawn to a flame?

"How is this love?" Jiang Chen twitched his lips and explained, "It's about chemistry. I still have a lot of things to take care of and need to be able to travel freely between the Yin and Yang realms. Didn't you all say that even if I entered the Underworld, I wouldn't be able to run around so freely? What other choice do I have?"

We can't possibly escape the underworld and risk being wanted by the authorities to go to the human world, can we?

So, the only way to legally and freely interact with someone is to contract with a Taoist priest you feel a connection with, agree on the terms, and become their spirit.

The young captain looked bewildered. "It's not love? So I got all excited for nothing..."

"No, what could you possibly be worried about in the human world? You've been activating VIP, recording videos, and now you're even willing to become a ghost just to get to the human world. I'm much older than you, so let me give you some advice: let go of what you should let go of. Your future is bright and promising in the underworld; don't cause any trouble and ruin yourself!"

Having said all that needed to be said, the ghosts, seeing that he remained unmoved, devised a small plan. When Wang Baoyi brought the young exorcists who were new to the underworld up there, they would create an opportunity to lure Bai Ling to the VIP room alone.

After eating and drinking his fill, Jiang Chen returned to his small room, leaned back in his chair, and started the "Looking-Homeward Platform" program.

Sure enough, a store icon appeared in the bottom right corner.

After recharging, he could unlock various VIP functions in the store. He glanced at them and realized that he didn't need any of the others, but the Time Reversal and video recording/editing/downloading functions were very useful. Since he didn't know when Bai Ling and her group would arrive, Jiang Chen simply locked onto Murong Liangchen's perspective and started reversing time to edit all of his actions into clips, which he then downloaded and stored.

"This is the legendary Wangxiangtai, but it's not the original one. It's just a branch, but the function is the same."

As Wang Baoyi led the four junior Taoist priests up the mountain, he explained in detail: "After a person dies, before being taken across the bridge and categorized by the soul-collecting messengers, they will ascend the most primitive Looking-Home Terrace, where they can look back on their life and take a look at the condition of their departed relatives."

These platforms for seeing home, scattered throughout various ghost markets and wilderness areas, all serve the same function: to allow ghosts to observe real-time events in the human world. When you arrive, be careful not to wander around aimlessly; follow the instructions of the ghost guards watching over the platforms. This last stop is simply to help you understand the basic operating principles of the platforms; just get a general idea.

The young Taoist masters nodded in agreement.

Along the way, the various aspects of the underworld greatly shocked them.

I heard that the view from the Wangxiang Terrace is based on a comprehensive selection of friends and relatives who are selected from each person's experiences. They are all curious about who they can see.

"Hey, isn't this Master Wang?" The little devil captain opened the small window upon hearing the knock and asked with a broad smile, "What brings you to Wangxiangtai at this hour?"

Wang Baoyi stepped forward and introduced, "These four children are new disciples of our Listening Wind Valley. They are new to the underworld and have been brought to Wangxiang Terrace to broaden their horizons and pay their respects to you all. We would be grateful if the ghost messenger could do us a favor."

"No problem, no problem." The young captain ordered his men to open the door to welcome them.

They were just being polite, but in reality, which celestial master with any ability would take a mere ghost messenger seriously?

The two sides were merely being polite to each other and keeping to themselves.

There wasn't much to see from the Viewing Platform. What attracted the young celestial masters most was simply to see how to observe the situation in the human world in real time. Therefore, after exchanging pleasantries, they quickly got to the formalities.

"Master Wang, we just happened to have prepared some food and wine. Would you mind having a couple of drinks with us?" The little devil captain invited him warmly, and the other little devils swarmed forward, begging him to tell them about the interesting things happening outside.

Wang Baoyi knew that these lowly eunuchs, who were stuck in these insignificant government offices, were so bored that they rarely saw anyone. Since they were idle anyway, he decided to befriend them rather than make enemies. Therefore, he instructed his disciples and grand-disciples, "You have thirty minutes of free time. Once you've had your fill, don't wander off to the main hall to look for me."

"Yes, Grandmaster!" the eager young celestial masters replied in unison.

After Wang Baoyi was ushered into the hall, the four junior Taoist priests each found a place to sit down and began to watch the "surveillance".

Calculating the time, a little imp who had been waiting for a moment cut off Bai Ling's "live broadcast signal." When she noticed the abnormality, he quickly made a shushing gesture, handed her a key, pointed to the room where Jiang Chen was, and whispered, "Miss, Master Wang asked you to help him get a pot of wine from that room."