Chapter 179
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Chapter 179: The Resurrection of the Dead
"What is the current state of the Lin family? Are they dead or alive, human or ghost?"
This question was one of the biggest mysteries for Chu Jiang after entering the Ghost Domain.
"The dead are in a similar state as me," said the old man in a more subdued voice.
"Then why did they…"
Before Chu Jiang could finish his sentence, the old man waved his hand and said, "I know what you want to ask."
"In the extremely dangerous supernatural event we experienced together years ago, everyone in the Lin family, including all the people you previously met, died. Only I survived."
Though the old man spoke without showing obvious emotional fluctuations, Chu Jiang could imagine how devastated he must have been. The entire family, more than ten members in total, perished.
"After their death, I wanted to go against the heavens and bring them back to life."
"And in our Luohe Lin family, the ghosts accumulated over the past few hundred years have reached a limit, and the previous sealing measures have become less and less secure."
"So I thought, why not take advantage of this opportunity to carry out a long-standing plan."
"This plan starts with the method of using incense power to maintain humanity."
"I believe you also know that all living Ghost Masters face the hidden danger of being invaded by ghosts and the possibility of fierce ghosts slowly reviving within them."
"This is an eternal problem, troubling the Ghost Master community with every supernatural revival."
"From ancient times to the present, there have been many talented Ghost Masters who have paved the way, attempting to solve this hidden danger. For example, the method you are currently using, which balances multiple ghosts within your body."
"However, from ancient times to the present, no path has been a fundamental solution; they only vary in their pros and cons."
"I won’t mention the method I used during my lifetime, as it is not significantly different from the methods of your era. I don’t want to mislead you."
"What I want to talk about is the method I used after death."
When talking about this, the old gentleman fell into a reminiscent state.
"In the early years, I traveled around and caught ghosts. In the process, I also saved many people."
"Once, there was a scholar who had no money. In order to show his gratitude, he insisted on gifting me an ancient book that had been passed down in his family."
"In this ancient book, there are explanations of theories related to the power of incense and prayers. It also mentions that this power can help maintain one’s humanity."
"But there’s a big condition: only the dead can benefit from the power of incense and prayers. The living don’t possess this qualification."
"After obtaining the ancient book, I pondered over it and finally decided to try the methods mentioned inside, although I wasn’t sure if I would succeed."
"The first step: there must be a ancestral hall for the family, with a history of at least ten years, and the incense must be continuously burned every year."
"The second step: establish a shrine for the living, where relatives of the same bloodline and ancestry can worship, for a duration of at least ten years, the longer the better."
"The third step: death. After death, transport the deceased’s body back to the ancestral hall and perform a special ceremony to transform the deceased into a ghost, a true ghost."
"At this point, without further measures, it will just create a disaster."
"This requires the final and most important step: calling back the soul."
"Calling back the soul is when a loved one brings back the humanity of the deceased."
"As long as the humanity is brought back, it is like a temporary resurrection. And due to the support of ancestral worship, this temporary revival of humanity can be maintained as long as there is continuous worship in future generations."
After hearing this method, Chu Jiang could only feel amazed. He thought that words like genius, prodigy, or even miracle worker were not enough to describe this person. Could a human really come up with such a method? And it seemed like it could actually work.
The old man continued, "A long time ago, we knew that only the power of a ghost could stand against a ghost."
"Have you ever wondered why the power of ancestral worship can sustain humanity and prevent its extinction?"
Without waiting for Chu Jiang’s answer, the old man continued, "I speculate that every living person has the potential to become a ghost, and the power of a ghost comes from their thoughts during their lifetime."
"Of course, this speculation cannot solve a dilemma: some ghosts clearly have no concept of ‘life before death’. Let’s assume, for now, that before becoming a ghost, they were entrusted with the thoughts of others."
"Just like the seal containers we use, there are many parts that are old objects from before."
"Wait," Chu Jiang heard this and didn’t quite understand, "What does ‘old objects’ mean?"
In Chu Jiang’s understanding, seal containers are almost the same as seal jars.
But upon careful consideration, whether it’s a jar or a Protective Talisman, they are all mass-produced items developed by Research Institute No. 21.
So, what containers did the previous Ghost Masters use to seal ghosts?
The old man smiled rarely, "I almost forgot, it seems like you all are using some kind of jar to contain ghosts now. That kind of jar should have been created by your research institute with the help of a certain ghost’s power."
"During our time, all the old objects were natural seal containers, and the older they were, the better the effect, like various antiques."
"If it’s a bit less ancient, it would be items that hold deep human emotions. For example, personal belongings of loved ones, or protective charms worn since childhood, and so on. In short, the emotions must be profound and not easily dissipated."
"Finally, various items created using the power of ghosts would come into play."
"Of course, for big organizations, it’s definitely best to choose the most convenient and suitable way to produce a large quantity."
Chu Jiang nodded repeatedly as he heard this, realizing that there was such a viewpoint. Speaking of Research Institute No. 21, they should know about this knowledge.
However, the research institute was very sly. They didn’t mention it at all, and even mentioned in the new recruits’ handbook: ordinary Ghost Masters and ordinary forces cannot create sealing props, so it is recommended to join the research institute to obtain them.
This doesn’t really count as lying, but it’s playing a word game.
Its fundamental purpose is probably to control civilian Ghost Masters.
The old man went back to the main topic, "So essentially, the power of incense and ghost’s power come from the same source, they are just manifested differently."
"Of course, this is just my speculation. I don’t dare to claim it as the truth."
"Our Lin family is also considered a big family in Luohe, so naturally we have ancestral halls."
"Moreover, at the time of obtaining the ancient books, I already had quite a reputation there, and my words held great authority in the family. So the process of establishing the ancestral hall went very smoothly."
"Not only did I make a memorial tablet for myself, but also for my son, my son’s daughters-in-law; even when my grandchildren were born and just named, I would place the memorial tablet in the ancestral hall."