Chapter 70: Summoning

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When Christian mentioned "coming," Charlize couldn't help but feel uneasy.

"I shouldn't have followed him, let alone asked him to open my yin and yang eyes." Charlize blamed herself.

Ever since returning from that strange world of wall paintings the previous night, Charlize had sensed that something was amiss. She couldn't control her temper and acted childishly around Christian, even initiating a kiss, and eventually sharing an intimate moment. Well, it should have been on the carpet, not the sheets.

"This isn't like me at all" the blonde girl muttered to herself.

"Alexis, did you secretly manipulate my emotions again?" Charlize secretly questioned the female ghost hidden in her subconscious mind as they drove to Vinales Valley. Alexis replied with a faint sigh, "If you truly want to avoid facing reality, you can think that I interfered with your emotions. But, Sally, why are you doing this, deep down?"

"Yes, I know," Charlize admitted, even though she didn't want to. She knew that amidst all her complaints, there was a simple truth: she liked him.

"Maybe it's not love at first sight, but it's more than just the suspension bridge effect," she pondered.

However, Charlize was aware that Christian remained a mysterious presence in her life. This mystery didn't always captivate her, but it constantly reminded her that she didn't truly know him. This fear stemming from her lack of understanding shattered her mental barriers during their enigmatic journey the previous night.

"Ultimately, the rational mind can't resist the combined power of hormones and adrenaline," Charlize chuckled at herself.

"But is that a bad thing?"

She couldn't discern whether it was Alexis in her subconscious or her inner question, but contemplating it revealed her underlying fear.

"What am I afraid of?" she wondered. "What am I truly afraid of?"

As she looked at Christian walking ahead, Charlize slowly found the answer in her heart.

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Christian was oblivious to the turmoil in Charlize's heart. He believed that safeguarding the girl's life took precedence over his feelings. In front of them, a horde of pale, ghostly figures swarmed like mist in the sky, dark clouds veiling the sun.

"What is this?" Charlize, now fully aware, asked in a panic, her hair standing on end due to fear, as she threw the bag behind her.

"Did you forget?" Christian grinned coldly. "They are Wei Changhui or the ghosts of the people killed by him"

The mention jogged Charlize's memory, and she recognized the former director of "Wrong Turn" Alan McElroy, and the former heroine, Eliza Kunis, among the ghostly throng. Though Charlize had little connection with them, the extensive coverage of the recent case through interviews and publicity helped her identify these two who now "behaved like ghosts."

"But I thought you sealed the Ghost tiger. How are they still here?" she inquired.

"It's precisely because the Ghost tiger is sealed that they can break free," Christian explained. "Like all organizational systems, if they lose their leader, they fall into a certain degree of chaos. At that point, they act on instinct."

Christian lit another stack of yellow money paper and waved it over the burning incense. "As I mentioned earlier when used correctly, this can attract nearby undead spirits."

As the yellow money paper spontaneously ignited in her hand, Christian paused before continuing. "Chinese people typically burn yellow money paper for their deceased loved ones. Naturally, it attracts their spirits. But here in sparsely populated Vinales Valley, what kind of undead is most likely to be attracted?"

"These ghosts" Charlize finally understood. "You brought them intentionally?"

"Yes," Christian laughed heartily and once more flung the partially burnt yellow money paper into the air.

"Without the control of Ghost tiger, they act purely on instinct. Naturally, they can't resist the allure of this thing, just as cats can't resist catnip."

In mid-air, the flaming stack of yellow money paper scattered again, but this time, just before the ghosts could snatch and burn it, a horde of specters rushed towards it, greedily jostling for position.

During their chaotic scramble, the burning yellow money paper swiftly consumed itself, leaving no ashes behind. But this time, Charlize could faintly discern a peculiar smoke arising near the burnt yellow money paper. That smoke was what the ghosts were so fervently vying for.

Whenever a ghost successfully seized and inhaled a puff of that smoke, they would wear an intoxicated expression. Charlize recognized that look from someone she knew well.

"It's almost like they're taking a drug"

"That's right, Sally" Christian overheard her whispering, all the while mockingly continuing to toss the burning yellow money paper.

"For these solitary spirits, they've lost all their emotions and will forever remain in cold, desolation. But the smoke generated by burning the yellow money paper in this manner gives them a taste of life—a touch of warmth. What's the difference between this and the allure of drugs that stimulate the human brain to release dopamine?"

"How is this even possible? Ghosts can take drugs!?" Charlize felt like her worldview had been shattered yet again.

"But why are you doing this? Are you conducting charity for ghosts?" The blonde girl couldn't imagine Christian as a sympathetic person. Based on Alexis's recent incident, it was evident that this man could turn unyielding at any moment once he made up his mind. Charlize didn't think he would undertake so much just out of sympathy.

"Of course, I'm not that boring" Christian swiftly dismissed Charlize's assumption. "For me, the burning yellow paper serves as bait to lure these ghosts. And they," he gestured toward the group of ghosts still competing for the smoky yellow money paper with a cruel smile curling at his lips, "are also bait"

"They are my bait to draw out the remaining power of the Ghost tiger"