’The previous Managers probably never did anything this outrageous, did they?’
I did, because my philosophy is different from theirs.
The previous Managers only had three tasks.
First, to trade Soul Power.
As long as they had enough Soul Power, the Managers could rest easy.
Second, to retrieve lost Taboo Items.
This was something they were completely forced to do.
After all, if they failed to retrieve a lost Taboo Item, the Manager would suffer a Curse.
Third, to contain new Taboo Items.
This one was even more of a chore.
Every "wild" Taboo Item was exceedingly dangerous, something even the immortal Managers found difficult to handle.
Furthermore, a "wild" Taboo Item could appear in any corner of the world.
Spending months on the road to obtain a "wild" Taboo Item was a complete waste of time that could have been spent trading Soul Power.
Unless they had no other choice, the Managers would never opt to contain a Taboo Item.
In Jiang Chaosheng’s view, the previous Managers were the type to quietly amass a fortune.
They were most inclined to trade Soul Power, enjoying the pleasure of being unbound by the Three Realms.
That was why they rarely caused trouble, and why incidents like the "Bizarre Deaths on Han Dafu Street" seldom occurred.
But Jiang Chaosheng was different. He wanted to build the Taboo Association.
His way of thinking was unlike that of an ordinary person.
He would never be like some reclusive monk, worn down by endless ages until he begged for death.
All other Managers served the Taboo Items, but Jiang Chaosheng wanted to completely master them.
Whether it was the pressure of the Curse from Antique Shop Zero or his own ambition, he would actively contain Taboo Items.
The Taboo Association was the most useful "Taboo Item" in Jiang Chaosheng’s hands—a well-suited weapon.
However, every time this weapon unsheathed its blade, it would cause "collateral damage" to the mundane world.
Jiang Chaosheng murmured,
"Causing one or two anomalous incidents is one thing.
But if it happens too often, I’m afraid it will attract a lot of unnecessary trouble."
Ordinary buyers used Taboo Items to change their own destinies.
Whether due to the rules of the trade or a selfish desire to keep their treasures hidden, buyers would do everything in their power to avoid causing anomalous incidents.
But the Taboo Association was different. Their fates were held firmly in Jiang Chaosheng’s grasp.
Their Supernatural Power was to be used for Jiang Chaosheng’s purposes, and with frequent use, anomalous incidents would be unavoidable.
If these anomalous incidents were allowed to happen unchecked, ordinary people would become terrified, and the authorities would grow wary.
If the whole world turned against them, the Taboo Association would be in danger.
After all, the members of the Taboo Association were still part of this world.
’If only I had a broom,’ he thought, ’a broom that could sweep away these anomalous incidents.’
Jiang Chaosheng’s fingers gently brushed the rim of his teacup, his gaze growing deeper.
’The Taboo Association can have a broom.’
The Taboo Association was in its early stages of development, its structure still incomplete.
Jin Meiting was meticulous, and as a Succubus, she possessed abilities like Charm and Hypnosis.
She was well-suited to be his emissary, a spokesperson to communicate with other members of the Taboo Association.
Xia Li possessed immense wealth, and her power as a Vampire would allow her to build an even larger business empire.
She was the perfect choice to be the Taboo Association’s steward, responsible for overseeing the Taboo Association’s finances.
Jiang Chaosheng took out his pocket notebook and wrote:
"Jin Meiting—Succubus Apostle.
Xia Li—Vampire Steward."
Jiang Chaosheng paused his pen, then wrote two words in the notebook:
"Cleaner Fish."
Jiang Chaosheng continued to write in his notebook:
Cleaner Fish was not the name of a single person, but of a group.
The name meant they were responsible for cleaning the sludge from the Taboo Association’s path.
Their duties were threefold.
First, to handle and mitigate the impact of anomalous incidents on the world.
Second, to perform clean-up, such as disposing of bodies left behind by the Taboo Association and repairing buildings damaged by them.
Third...
Jiang Chaosheng’s eyes sharpened.
’Eliminate anyone who has a negative effect on the Taboo Association.’
For example, if a member of the Taboo Association were to inadvertently leak information about the organization to their family.
The Cleaner Fish would have to act, eliminating everyone who knew.
Of course, the Cleaner Fish wouldn’t need to deal with the member themselves; Jiang Chaosheng could easily crush their soul.
The Cleaner Fish would only need to retrieve the Taboo Item left behind.
Another example was Bai Shasha’s father.
Although he didn’t seem to pose much of a threat to Jiang Chaosheng or the Taboo Association...
...he was, after all, an underworld boss, which presented a potential risk.
The Cleaner Fish should take action.
Jiang Chaosheng set down his pen, his mind turning slowly.
’Who would be a good leader for this group of Cleaner Fish?’
The Taboo Association didn’t lack power, only people who knew how to use it well.
In any group or organization, talent was of the utmost importance.
The image of Yang Xiao surfaced in Jiang Chaosheng’s mind.
There was something hidden in that kid’s eyes, and Jiang Chaosheng could see it.
It was a fearless, unrestrained... madness!
’The so-called Master Ghost was once famous. I wonder which of his methods his son has learned?’
Jiang Chaosheng was quite satisfied with Yang Xiao. After all, he had roots in "Master Ghost."
Many businessmen and high-ranking officials had a few "simple and crude blades" at their disposal, more or less.
Most of those blades came from the underworld.
The leader of the Cleaner Fish should ideally be someone familiar with the ways of the underworld.
’Counting the days, Yang Xiao should be looking for me in a couple of days, right?’
Jiang Chaosheng muttered to himself.
He was willing to give Yang Xiao a chance.
When the time came, he would have him use Bai Shasha’s father as a warm-up.
Hmm... as for who Bai Shasha’s father was, he still didn’t even know the man’s name.
He only knew from the records in the Manager’s journal that Zheng Xiuhua’s husband was an underworld boss.
Whether he knew the name or not was unimportant.
A big-shot thug from the underworld wasn’t worthy of his attention.
He would serve perfectly as a whetstone to test Yang Xiao’s abilities.
JINGLE...
The wind chime at the door rang.
Jiang Chaosheng looked up.
It was Jin Meiting, with her bombshell figure.
A look of pleasant surprise appeared on Jin Meiting’s face. She walked briskly over to Jiang Chaosheng and leaned forward slightly, allowing her master a convenient view of her snow-white cleavage.
"Sir, Xia Li just called.
She said there might be an uncontained Taboo Item in the South Sea!"
Jiang Chaosheng stared at Jin Meiting’s sexy and beautiful face, waiting for her to continue.
Jin Meiting continued,
"After Xia Li regained her position as CEO, she ordered the shareholders to secretly investigate supernatural incidents.
One of the shareholders with deep connections within the police department said that there has been a string of disappearances in the South Sea recently.
The last place the missing people were seen was in the West City Suburb.
Forensic analysis of biological traces revealed that all the missing people vanished from a dilapidated temple."
Jin Meiting said with a grin,
"Rumors are already circulating within the police department that there’s a man-eating monster in the temple in the West City Suburb.
Others say the temple is a cosmic black hole that transports intruders to unknown corners of the universe.
But, well, I think there’s just a Taboo Item there."
Jiang Chaosheng’s gaze shifted.
’It sounds a lot like a Taboo Item awakening.’
There was a high probability of a Taboo Item being there.
It was just... there was no rain in the forecast for the next few days.
He did have a Taboo Item that could make it rain.
However, that thing was a bit dangerous.