Chen Tianhua and the others were the first to try the Steamed Buns, and made no effort to hide their expressions.
Song Yu noticed their unusual reactions.
He was surprised. Did the Steamed Buns have a special effect in addition to increasing Yin Power?
But then again, soy milk had a special effect too. The Ingredients used for the Steamed Buns were somewhat better than those for the soy milk, and they were more complicated to prepare.
So it didn’t seem all that surprising that the Steamed Buns had a special effect.
“Boss Song, how many of these Steamed Buns do you have?”
Song Yu replied, “Not many. Just eight.”
Chen Tianhua sighed. “If only the Steamed Buns’ effects were a little stronger. As they are, they might only be useful for protecting ourselves.”
Old Sun said, “They taste great, too. Much better than the food in our cafeteria.”
Song Yu said nothing. For the moment, he couldn’t figure out what Chen Tianhua meant, so he simply pretended not to hear.
Of course, Steamed Buns with stronger effects would require better Ingredients.
Ingredients from ordinary Wraith-rank ghosts certainly wouldn’t have very powerful effects.
“Uncle Chen, what are you talking about?”
Xia Ling came over.
Chen Tianhua shook his head and looked at the soy milk in front of him.
“Xiao Ling, try one of Boss Song’s Steamed Buns too.”
Xia Ling was taken aback, then quickly said, “Uncle Chen, I’m out of points.”
Chen Tianhua turned to see her smiling sheepishly. It was obvious she wanted to mooch off him.
“I only have these two left.”
He handed her a jade bottle containing two Vengeful Souls.
Xia Ling happily topped up her points and ordered a Steamed Bun.
As she ate it, she didn’t feel much of anything, aside from her Yin Power increasing.
But when she finished, she suddenly shuddered, her expression astonished.
“These Steamed Buns improve your eyesight and keep your mind clear?”
She looked at Chen Tianhua and the other man.
The two nodded, confirming her guess.
Xia Ling stared blankly for a moment, then said, “Uncle Chen, do you mean that if the Steamed Buns’ effect were stronger, we wouldn’t be fooled when we entered the small Ghost Domain formed by this supernatural incident?”
Chen Tianhua sighed. “What a pity. This level of mind-clearing effect is only a drop in the bucket.”
The three sighed together, feeling helpless.
There were plenty of things with effects like this. Several Daoist Sects had highly accomplished alchemists, and making pills like these wasn’t difficult for them.
The young man nearby had been listening for a while and seemed to have finally figured out what was going on.
“The food the Boss makes has special effects?”
The young man asked in surprise.
Chen Tianhua and the other man didn’t react. Xia Ling hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded to confirm his guess.
The young man’s eyes lit up, and he looked at Song Yu.
“Boss, what do you think of me?”
Song Yu looked baffled. “What do you mean?”
“Boss, I want to become a Ghost Tamer. What would I have to do?”
Song Yu said, “Oh,” and grew serious.
“If you want to become a Ghost Tamer, you need to meet two requirements.”
At that, the three members of the Special Affairs Bureau showed a subtle change in expression.
As far as they knew, becoming a Ghost Tamer depended on fate.
Most people had their souls devoured by ghost creatures; some were even left without a trace of their bodies.
Only a few exceptions managed to become Ghost Tamers.
The few hundred Ghost Tamers in each city were the exceptions among tens or even hundreds of thousands of people who had encountered ghost creatures.
According to statistics, a terrifying twelve percent of humanity had encountered supernatural incidents, and fewer than half had survived.
Of that small surviving portion, a few became Ghost Tamers, while most had been rescued.
For the past five years, the Special Affairs Bureau had been constantly on the move, suppressing supernatural incidents everywhere. Every employee was on edge, afraid of missing some vital information and causing heavy casualties.
So when Song Yu mentioned two requirements, they were intrigued. Was there really a way for ordinary people to become Ghost Tamers?
Xia Ling and the young man were the most excited, thinking they’d encountered a master.
Song Yu continued, “First, you need to encounter a ghost.”
The young man nodded excitedly. “Boss, I know that. What’s next?”
“Second, figure out how to merge with it and control it. Then you’ll become a Ghost Tamer.”
The young man’s excitement faded. He asked blankly, “How do I figure that out?”
Song Yu spread his hands. “I’m not a Ghost Tamer. How would I know if you ask me?”
The young man seemed to have been paused, standing there in a daze without saying a word for a long time.
Chen Tianhua and the others could only silently shake their heads.
This Boss wasn’t being very decent, misleading such a good young man with his honest face.
Everyone’s circumstances were different when they encountered a ghost creature that could merge with them. Aside from a few similar cases, most people had to rely on their luck.
Only after a ghost creature’s traits had been completely understood could someone be allowed to try to make contact with it and then merge with and control it.
But completely understanding a ghost creature’s traits required great ability—or human lives to test them.
Anyone with enough ability wouldn’t have time to bother with this.
And no one without enough ability wanted to be Cannon Fodder.
“Boss, you’re so amazing. Does your shop have any food that can make me a Ghost Tamer?”
The young man came back to his senses and asked with one last glimmer of hope.
“No,” Song Yu replied at once.
The young man slumped into his chair, staring blankly, lost in thought.
Song Yu felt a little embarrassed when he saw this.
He’d only been joking. Surely the guy wasn’t really that discouraged?
So he reminded him, “Well, I’m not a Ghost Tamer, and I don’t have any food that can make you one. But the three people beside you are all Ghost Tamers. You might as well ask them instead of me.”
The young man shook his head. “Actually, I follow the news about Ghost Tamers every day, so I know the basics. Becoming a Ghost Tamer is too difficult, and it definitely puts your life at risk. When I think about it carefully, being an ordinary person might be better. Though you do spend every day worrying, feeling miserable.”
He seemed to have made peace with it.
But Song Yu felt he hadn’t, and still needed a little guidance.
After all, he kept looking at Chen Tianhua and the others with envy.
“You’re right about that. But don’t forget, you could become a buddhist monk or a daoist priest. You could still exorcise demons and drive out evil.”
The young man was stunned, then grew excited again.
He slapped his thigh. “That’s right! How could I forget?”
“Boss, thanks for reminding me. Once this supernatural incident is over, I’ll find a way to become someone’s disciple and learn their skills.”
Song Yu smiled. “No rush. If you have the talent, you’re bound to reach the pinnacle of success someday.”
“Right, I can bring Dahei along too.”
“Dahei?” Song Yu asked curiously.
“Dahei is the Husky I raised. He’s very lively.”
Song Yu fell silent for two seconds, then said, “Hus…ky… Why is he called Dahei?”
“He likes that name.”
The young man seemed ready to launch into a long story about his Dahei, so Song Yu quickly said, “Everyone, sit tight. I’ve suddenly had a burst of inspiration, so I’m going to the kitchen to work on some new dishes. Make yourselves at home. You can call or text; I’m not strict about the rules here.”
He slipped away, but Xia Ling and the others had nowhere else to hide, so the young man kept them there and started telling them stories about his past with Dahei.
But as they listened, their expressions began to change.
Xia Ling quickly interrupted him. “Wait, you said your Dahei can read and even text you?”
The young man replied, “What, you don’t believe me? I’ve told other people, and they didn’t believe me either. They think Huskies aren’t that smart and even call me crazy. I can’t be bothered arguing with them. My Dahei really is clever. Look, these are messages he sent me before.”
Xia Ling and the others couldn’t help looking at the chat history on his phone.
Dahei: 『Boss, hurry home. I heard from the dogs outside that it’s dangerous today.』
Qinglong: 『It’s fine, it’s fine. Your boss is blessed with great fortune; nothing will happen to me. Besides, it’s broad daylight. What could be dangerous? I’ll be back soon.』
Dahei: 『Boss, if you’re not home in three minutes, I’m tearing up the sofa（dog sticking out its tongue emoji）』
Qinglong: 『Don’t… I’m on the next street over. I’ll be right back.』
Dahei: 『Okay. If you don’t come back, I’ll tear up the sofa and then come find you.』
The chat history ended there.
Chen Tianhua and the others exchanged glances.
Xia Ling asked hesitantly, “Was it really your Husky texting you?”