Vin had long thought about raising a little ghost to help with tasks. It would make things much easier—at least he wouldn't need to set up a small altar and open his third eye every time he needed to perform a serious ritual.
Now that his part was done, and with the sun almost rising, he began instructing his disciples to pack up. Before the crowds came, they needed to clear out quickly.
The ceremonial tools, altar, and incense burners were packed into the car, and the precious items carefully placed into boxes for safekeeping.
As they were about to finish up, his senior disciple leaned over and whispered, "Master, did you really just give that jade away? Didn't you say it's been nurtured for years? It could easily sell for a few hundred thousand. Why didn't you mention that...?"
"What would you say? What do you know, huh? Who boasts about the value of their own things? That's not about money. It's about the time, effort, and sincerity put into it. Can you even put a price on sincerity? The audacity..."
Vin scolded his disciple, feeling irritated. He wasn't from some prestigious lineage with deep-rooted teachings. How had he gotten this far? Through sheer luck? Of course not.
Did he have the power to compete with those real masters, the ones in ceremonial robes who could summon lightning without even setting up an altar? No, he couldn't even compare to the middle-tier practitioners.
Vin thought to himself that it was about time to have a good talk with his disciples. They'd been doing small rituals for so long that they had become obsessed with making a quick buck. Their vision was too narrow. They needed to think bigger.
And by bigger, he meant big money.
———
Harry didn't think too deeply about any of this. He couldn't tell the value of the jade, anyway.
To him, Old V seemed like a decent guy. If he came across any potential clients in need, he'd be sure to pass them along. Serene City probably had plenty of people who could use Old V's services.
For now, his mind was on something else—Jenny had helped him out a lot. If he could return the favor, he would.
Clutching the jade pendant, Harry went back upstairs.
He held out the jade toward Jenny, the Nurse, and extended his hand.
"Touch it and Let's go."
With a mix of anticipation and nervousness, Jenny reached out. The moment she touched the jade, her body transformed into a stream of light and was absorbed into it. The once white jade turned an icy shade of pale blue.
The cool sensation wasn't unfamiliar—it felt like the presence of a ghost. However, this time, it wasn't invasive or painful. Instead, it felt like holding a cold soda fresh from the fridge.
Harry pocketed the jade and descended the stairs.
The hospital's equipment had been cleared out, and everything was back to normal. Most of the Blazing Sun Sect members had left, leaving only Victor and Vin, now dressed in casual clothes.
Harry pulled out his temporary Blazing Sun Sect credentials and handed them to Victor.
He had asked for the credentials just in case, to give him the legal right to act. With this in hand, Harry's actions against Diana Mayfield were fully justified, compliant with all rules and regulations. If she resisted, he could have killed her on the spot without needing to file a report.
Having the arrest warrant and relevant penalty documents was just standard procedure, ensuring compliance with the domain's rules.
Victor glanced at the ID and shook his head, refusing to take it.
"You should keep it. It's not just temporary. This document says 'Special Task Force,' but it's valid long-term. It doesn't apply to just one case; it's for a specific type of case. You're officially listed as a special external agent, and since you're also on the Mortuary's payroll, everything is in order."
Victor explained matter-of-factly.
He wasn't dumb.
Regardless of what he had initially thought, there was no way he'd let Harry return the ID now.
Anyone who could enter a domain and remain unaffected while others were immediately incapacitated deserved to keep the ID.
Victor and the rest of the regular agents had fallen asleep the moment they entered the hospital domain, despite all their precautions and equipment. They either fell asleep or were forcibly ejected.
But Harry could remain conscious, unharmed, and, most importantly, stay within the domain. That alone made him far more valuable than any ordinary external agent.
Without Harry's help, they would've likely followed the original plan: evacuating the hospital, then blowing up the building. The hospital's domain would've been marked as destroyed in the records, with Diana Mayfield classified as a deceased person.
In a hospital where deaths occurred daily, it would've been impossible to detect that one of those deaths wasn't normal. The sheer number of deaths annually in just a small city like Serene City was staggering, and on a county-wide scale, it would've been even worse.
By the time Victor and his team realized what had happened, it would've been too late. Diana, a dangerous and rapidly evolving dead person, would've become even more powerful, and when she eventually revealed herself again, it would've been catastrophic.
For the Blazing Sun Sect, there was only one way to handle ghosts that grew stronger by killing: kill them on sight, or suppress them until they perished.
Harry was about to argue, but Victor immediately pushed the ID back into his hands.
"There'll be a reward for this case. Plus, even though you're technically with the Mortuary and not on our payroll, this part will be handled as a bonus and subsidy."
Victor continued, "Also, your health insurance covers everything at 100%, including that Four Yang Revitalizing Soup. And your uniform that got damaged, that's covered too."
Harry hesitated before asking, "How much do I get a month? And what about a year-end bonus?"
"When you're not on active duty, the monthly subsidy starts at five thousand. You'll also get the full five insurances and two funds, directly credited to you. Bonuses are on top of that, and there's a year-end bonus too."
Victor grinned. "For example, since you made the biggest contribution this time, I'd estimate your bonus will be at least eighty thousand, maybe more. If it's less, I'll personally double it for you! Last year, the highest-earning external agent in our Southern County branch was Ironclad Martial God from Jade Prefecture. His year-end bonus? A five-story luxury villa in Jade Prefecture—fully furnished with an elevator and all. Just move right in."
Harry was stunned. The property prices in Jade Prefecture were the highest in the entire county. Even a modest five-story villa would easily cost eight figures.
As he fiddled with the ID, he unknowingly slipped it back into his pocket.
"Year-end bonuses can include that?"
"He got to choose between cash or property."
Harry had to admit, the offer was more than just an empty promise. He could actually catch the scent of a real reward this time. It wasn't just a mirage.
And judging by his recent experiences, he might actually have a shot at getting a big piece of that pie. He glanced inwardly at the information that had surfaced in his mind earlier.
[First innate ability: 'I Am Your Dad' (2%)
Temporary skills: None.]
After using his taunt ability to help take down Diana, his ability had finally seen some growth—though it was only a 1% increase.
'How many more supernatural beings will I need to deal with to level this up further?'
Harry figured that his ability to taunt wouldn't be enough to trigger any major advancement on its own. The Blazing Sun Sect's equipment had proven incredibly useful, and their logistical support was top-notch.
'If there is a chance to level up and get paid for it, why not?'
He hadn't forgotten what happened at the bus stop last time. If his run-ins with the supernatural were just a matter of his weakened life force attracting them, then maybe it could be brushed off. But two minutes after he encountered the ghostly figure, a truck crashed into the area, causing a fire. That was far too coincidental to be natural.
Something was definitely going on behind the scenes, and Harry wasn't buying the idea that it was just a random accident.
The Funeral Home Director hadn't said anything, and the Blazing Sun Sect hadn't provided any further details.
But Harry was sure that someone—someone who didn't care if people figured out something was wrong—had orchestrated the incident, so long as it didn't reveal too much.
Victor, watching Harry mull over everything, felt relieved that his persuasion had worked. Shortly after, someone handed him a bag. Victor passed it to Harry.
"Inside is a new uniform—jacket and pants—tailored to your size. It's part of your reimbursement."
He continued, "It's made from old, discontinued banknotes—each one has circulated in normal markets over a hundred times without being tainted by blood or anything like that. They're imbued with strong yang energy and carry a trace of divine power from Divine Land itself. They can easily block most malevolent entities."
Victor paused for a moment before adding, "The pure cost of this set is around thirty thousand."