Chapter 50: Technological Progress and Ghost Evolution

In this world, ghosts and demons constantly seek to harm humans, yet people are unaware of their existence, relying only on folk remedies passed down from elders for prevention.

Once targeted, there is almost no escape.
When I was attacked by the Painted Skin Ghost, if my grandmother hadn’t left me the jade pendant before she died, and if I hadn’t happened to be wearing it, I would have been almost certainly dead.
And it was also because the Painted Skin Ghost was careless, swallowing me whole, that the jade pendant could severely wound it from within.

Otherwise, if it had probed a few times and discovered I had a Dharma artifact for protection, then directly choked me to death, I still wouldn’t have escaped.
And other people, how many would have my kind of luck?
Even if some did, they would be a minority.
Wouldn’t most people, ignorant of ghosts, simply be waiting to die?

Unexpectedly, Mo Qingyan directly replied, “Yes, that’s exactly what you’re thinking.”

“Eh?” I was stunned, not expecting her to be so direct.

“If it were ordinary people, even telling them about demons and ghosts would be useless.
They don’t have Yin-Yang Eyes, can’t see ghosts, and can’t effectively fight back.
It’s no different from simply adhering to folk customs for prevention,” Mo Qingyan said.
“So, not everyone in our Supernatural Events Department can access the true supernatural world.
Only people like you, who can see ghosts, or people like Xiao Qing, who have the potential to control spiritual energy, can join the true Supernatural Events Department.
Others can, at most, be considered supernatural enthusiasts.”

So that’s how she selects real club members.
Without the potential to see ghosts, even knowing the methods, it’s difficult to truly enter the field.
Looking at it this way, I didn’t know whether I was lucky or unlucky.

“But in that case, wouldn’t ordinary people just be waiting to be killed by evil ghosts?” I thought of my murdered parents, and Xia Yubing’s parents.
Just one Painted Skin Ghost could easily kill so many people, and there were many other ghosts on the streets.

“Luo Xiao, do you know how many people die each year from attacks by demons and ghosts?” Mo Qingyan asked.

“Ah?
How would I know that?” I countered.

“Actually, we don’t know either, because that data is top secret and cannot be found by the public.
But according to some industry insiders, it’s probably around two to four million,” Ou Zhiqin said.

“Hiss!” Hearing that number, my scalp tingled.
Millions of lives lost each year due to demons and ghosts; even wars rarely claim so many.

“Sounds like a lot, doesn’t it?
But averaged across each country, it’s only about one to two hundred thousand people, possibly even fewer than those who die from illness,” Mo Qingyan said indifferently.

“This…” I was speechless for a moment.
I felt like what she said made some sense, but also that something wasn’t quite right.
Can life be measured so simply with numbers?

“You don’t need to worry so much, because humanity has always gotten by this way since ancient times.
Demons and ghosts rarely carry out large-scale massacres; most only target a few individuals or a limited area.
As long as the number of newborns exceeds the number of people who die from ghosts, humanity will not be exterminated by ghosts,” Mo Qingyan said.

“Then what about those exorcists?
And the police?
Don’t they try to get rid of those demons and ghosts beforehand?” I remembered Yi Zhiqiu again.

Given his strength in easily eliminating the Painted Skin Ghost, if he actively worked to exterminate demons and protect the Dao, many tragedies could probably be prevented.

“Them?Of course, they are trying their best to eliminate demons and ghosts, but it’s just a drop in the bucket.
Very few people can truly become exorcists; they are one in ten thousand.
These people are extremely precious, and each death is a huge loss,” Mo Qingyan said.

“Brother Xiao, the highest mortality rate in missions belongs to the police in the Supernatural Events Department.
Supernatural police officers entering this department even have to write their wills beforehand; it’s a truly high-risk job with a certainty of death,” Ou Zhiqin said with some sympathy.

“But I saw that their equipment is very advanced, with silver bullets and bright flashlights, and various protective Dharma artifacts.
As long as they continue to research methods to eliminate ghosts, sooner or later they’ll find an easier way to eliminate all demons and ghosts, right?” I still held a sliver of hope, thinking that even if it wasn’t possible now, perhaps it could be solved in the future.

“Ah, yes, with the increase in modern communication, methods for exorcising ghosts and slaying demons have indeed grown.
Different schools no longer hoard their secrets; more mutual learning and borrowing have led to the development of many new things.”

Mo Qingyan’s words initially gave me a glimmer of hope.
However, her tone then shifted as she said, “But this pace cannot keep up with the rate at which demons and ghosts grow stronger and more numerous.
With technological development, ghosts have become increasingly powerful, and in recent years, the number of victims has actually been on a gradual upward trend.”

“Huh?” This statement completely shattered my worldview.
“You’re saying that with technological development, demons and ghosts are actually getting stronger?”

“It’s easy to understand, isn’t it?
Before televisions existed, Sadako wouldn’t crawl out of the TV.
Before mobile phones, there wouldn’t be cursed text messages.
A cursed gun would certainly kill faster than a demon blade.
The concept of kaidan (urban legends/supernatural tales) was also only defined in modern times, born from the proliferation of kaidan stories in chat groups and forums, and collective fear.”

Mo Qingyan casually cited a few examples that left me speechless and made me fully understand why ghosts would become stronger with technological development.
This almost completely shattered my worldview.

Not long ago, I was a materialist, always believing that even with these supernatural occurrences, science was the best way to combat them.

The various advanced exorcism equipment used by the police also reinforced this view.
I never expected that technological development would instead become a breeding ground for new ghosts.

“The ghosts we have to deal with now are far more troublesome than before.
In ancient times, the most common were nothing more than zombies and resentful spirits, and at most some mountain sprites and wild monsters.
Now, there are many supernatural phenomena that are even unsolvable,” Ou Zhiqin also sighed.

I sat in the chair, silent.

The cruel reality plunged me into despair, and for a moment, I couldn’t even think.
Mo Qingyan simply said, “Let her be quiet and think for herself.
Many people experience a collapse of belief when they learn the truth about the inner world, and some who find it unbearable even commit suicide.
Let her calm down.”

“Brother Xiao, have some tea.”Xiao Qing brought me hot tea and advised, “It’s meaningless for Brother Xiao to worry about these things.These are for the important people to consider.Brother Xiao, what you should be thinking about now is how to survive Xia Yubing’s parents, right?”

“That’s right!”

I suddenly woke up with a start.
A strong sense of crisis immediately pulled me back to reality.
If I couldn’t deal with Xia Yubing’s parents, I might not even live for a few more days.
What good would it be to talk about the future of humanity then?

“Senior Sister Mo, do you have a way to solve the problem of Xia Yubing’s parents?” I looked at Mo Qingyan and asked.