Chapter 137: Starting from Small Things

The Universe Bag was small, only about the size of a palm.

After opening it, Fang Mu discovered that the space inside was unimaginably vast.

This sensation was quite magical, something Fang Mu could hardly describe. He simply found it astonishing that such a tiny opening could contain such a massive space.

Fang Mu emptied the wooden box, taking out its contents one by one.

A blood-stained baby's bib, a rubber ball, tree bark...

These were all items he had acquired recently. Fang Mu possessed the temperament of a packrat and felt it was a waste to throw anything away.

Aside from the essential tools of a coroner, he packed everything else into the Universe Bag, including the twelve Evil-Capping Stones.

The wondrous thing was that despite the small opening of the Universe Bag, when larger objects were pushed in, they shrank in volume the closer they got to the entrance.

Of course, he did not put his weapons inside, as keeping them at his waist made them easier and more convenient to draw.

The man in green asked curiously, "Young Master, weapons aside, do you still intend to use this wooden box?"

This action left the man in green somewhat bewildered, unable to understand why Fang Mu was holding onto such trivial items.

Fang Mu shook his head and said, "Without the box, it just feels like it lacks soul."

In truth, he also had a plan; he couldn't just shove everything into the Universe Bag, and ordinary, mundane things were completely unnecessary to store there.

The man in green stood up. "Since matters are concluded, if there is nothing else, I must return to report. A new person in charge will be assigned here after some time. Take care of yourself, Young Master."

Fang Mu nodded.

Without further ado, the man in green left the reception office directly.

Night had fallen, and Fang Mu remained in the reception office.

In the dim room, only Fang Mu and Ah Bai were present, the flame on the oil lamp flickering gently.

Fang Mu extended his right hand, and a piece of paper materialized in his palm.

This paper was golden in color, covered in rows of tiny characters.

This was the contract scroll, the item he had looted from Ghost One.

Ah Bai curiously leaned over, staring at it for a long time without spotting anything out of the ordinary.

Fang Mu leaned closer. By the light of the oil lamp, the writing was clearly legible.

[Contract Scroll: Capable of contracting anomalies and transforming them into Mystic Masters. This contract scroll is restricted to the target — Ghost One.]

It was a simple line of text, yet Fang Mu felt an exceptional wave of shock in his heart.

To put it bluntly, the purpose of this paper was to resurrect Ghost One.

However, a problem arose—something within the text deeply astonished Fang Mu: transforming an anomaly into a Mystic Master.

Being able to resurrect someone and simultaneously convert an anomaly into a Mystic Master required an unfathomable level of power.

Though Fang Mu was not well-versed in the profession of Mystic Masters, the literal meaning alone felt earth-shattering to him.

This was no longer mere resurrection; it was a fundamental alteration of the target's very nature and attributes.

The Corpse-Looting Skill always managed to bring him surprises, but this surprise was truly on a grand scale.

Fang Mu stroked his chin, growing even more curious about the origins of the Corpse-Looting Skill.

Through slight analysis, Fang Mu deduced the reason why he had managed to loot the contract scroll.

Back when they were clearing the trial, Ghost One had held deep admiration for him, bordering on reverence.

Could that be the exact reason why the contract scroll dropped?

Fang Mu conceived an idea: perhaps in the future, when encountering anomalies with agency like Ghost One, he should first try to make them respect him.

Yet, while this method sounded simple, executing it was exceptionally difficult. First, one needed to find anomalies like Ghost One, which in itself was a rare challenge.

Rather than racking his brains to loot contract scrolls, it was far easier and more practical to simply dispatch the anomaly with a single blade and then loot the corpse.

Gazing at the contract scroll, Fang Mu muttered inwardly, "How does one go about forming the contract?"

His gaze shifted downward, and he spotted a line of exceptionally tiny characters.

"Drop your blood here."

At the end of this minuscule line of text, a thoughtful little arrow had even been drawn.

Fang Mu's mouth twitched into a wry grin. "How remarkably considerate."

He produced the Yin Ghost Sting and carefully pricked his finger to draw a drop of blood.

A single droplet of fresh blood welled up, finally falling right beside the arrow at the bottom.

The golden paper, once saturated with blood, suddenly began to glow brilliantly.

The previously dim room was instantly illuminated by a golden radiance so piercing that it was difficult to keep one's eyes open.

Fang Mu activated the Triple Golden Body Art, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on the golden contract scroll.

Amidst the golden glow, the golden contract scroll gradually began to melt, as if the golden light were a blazing fire and the scroll itself were ice.

Once melted, the golden contract scroll transformed into a pool of golden liquid that trickled down the surface of the desk.

After dripping onto the floor, the golden liquid gathered into a single point and began to twist and churn continuously.

In the blink of an eye, the golden contract scroll twisted itself into a human shape.

Yet the transformation did not end with merely taking on a humanoid form.

The golden figure began to lose its color, its outlines gradually sharpening and defining themselves.

The golden light slowly faded, and a scholar dressed in white robes gradually emerged within the dim room.

This scholar possessed refined and delicate features, looking to be around thirty years of age.

The scholar kept his eyes tightly closed until the golden light completely dissipated, at which point he snapped them wide open.

Fang Mu hoisted his butcher's knife, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Even with the contract scroll in hand, he refused to lower his guard.

"Ghost One pays respects to the Master!" The scholar abruptly dropped to his knees, proclaiming loudly, "This subordinate shall never forget the Master's grace of rebirth! I can only offer my utmost loyalty and expend my last breath to share the Master's burdens and resolve your troubles!"

Fang Mu put away the butcher's knife, dispelled the Triple Golden Body Art, and frowned. "You understand everything now?"

Ghost One nodded. "The contract scroll has imprinted all the processes into my mind. Infinite thanks, Master, for your boundless virtue in granting Ghost One a second life!"

Fang Mu stroked his chin and raised a hand. "Rise first."

"Understood!" Ghost One nodded and immediately scrambled up from the ground.

Fang Mu circled around Ghost One, appraising him from head to toe.

At this moment, Ghost One completely lacked his previous gloomy and ferocious aura; instead, he looked precisely like a refined scholar.

The golden contract scroll was overwhelmingly powerful. The present Ghost One felt akin to a subject, while he, Fang Mu, was the sovereign.

Fang Mu mused aloud, "You've become a Mystic Master. Do you possess any special abilities?"

"I do!" Ghost One extended a hand, and a flash of light swept past.

Four items—a zither, a go board, calligraphy, and a painting—floated suspended in mid-air, emanating a faint halo of light.

"This subordinate is currently at the Fish-Leaping Realm and possesses four divine abilities," Ghost One explained respectfully. "The zither kills using melody and excels at assaulting the mind; the go board kills using formations and excels at overcoming superior numbers with fewer troops; calligraphy kills with the brush and is a method of close combat; painting can replicate heaven and earth to trap and encircle enemies."

With a wave of his hand, Ghost One put the zither, go board, calligraphy, and painting away.

Fang Mu was slightly astonished; he had not expected Ghost One to possess four distinct divine abilities.

Ghost One continued, "This subordinate is also a strategist and can assist the Master in resolving many difficult matters."

Fang Mu nodded, patted Ghost One on the shoulder, and said, "Not bad."

That mere two-word evaluation left Ghost One utterly baffled.

Fang Mu stated casually, "Let's start with household chores. From now on, learn from Ah Bai."

Ah Bai lifted its head proudly, signaling its acceptance of this new lackey.

Ghost One froze completely on the spot. Do... do household chores?