Capítulo 32: Speaking To Ghosts
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"Deal?"
Upon hearing Christian's words, Charlize couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the complexity of the situation.
Although the blonde girl didn't understand most of Christian and Ghost's conversations due to her lack of Chinese language skills, she did grasp the fact that the enigmatic, yellow-eyed monster in front of her was a powerful Chinese ghost who had been alive for centuries. It seemed to feed on humans and could enslave the souls of those it devoured. To such a creature, common currency and human desires seemed utterly inconsequential.
Could it be...
Charlize anxiously looked at Christian, hoping that her dear friend wouldn't utter the words, "at the cost of this woman's soul beside me."
To his surprise, Christian's hesitation seemed to spark Ghost's suspicion. After the initial silence following his request for a trade, Christian decided to continue.
"I understand that in your current predicament, wealth and power hold little appeal. However, I possess something that will undoubtedly pique your interest."
"Tell me more," Ghost Tiger responded, his voice tinged with curiosity.
"Do you wish to restore your former status as a mountain god? I can make it happen" Christian revealed his trump card.
As mentioned earlier, the Ghost tiger, a type of mandrill, had once been a mountain deity that had lost its power due to a lack of belief and offerings from humans. Although this particular Ghost tiger had been artificially created during the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom era, its core nature was no different from other ordinary mandrills. Thus, it yearned to reclaim its position as a true mountain god.
In reality, for any being practicing the magical arts, the pursuit of greater power and deeper arcane knowledge was an unceasing journey. Ghost tigers were no exception, and Christian himself shared this aspiration.
"I must admit, you've proposed a deal I didn't anticipate, kid," Ghost responded, his yellow eyes glowing with interest. "I'm genuinely intrigued by the prospect of regaining my mountain god's power. However, I have my doubts. Can you truly make it happen? Do you think I've spent all these years devouring people and turning their souls into ghosts just to satisfy my hunger? Despite amassing so much over the years, I've never experienced any enhancement. Why do you dare to suggest this?"
"That's because your approach has been fundamentally flawed," Christian refuted The Ghost Tiger's claims.
"The disparity between a mandrill and a mountain god isn't determined by the lives and souls of humans, but by their beliefs and offerings. There's a saying, 'Suspicion breeds dark spirits.' The darkness, fear, and reverence in the human heart are the sources of power for both Ghosts and Gods. Yet, you have been ruthlessly consuming humans who could potentially revere you, thereby perpetuating a cycle of violence."
"Is that so?" Tiger appeared somewhat convinced by Christian's argument.
"However, I devour those who venture into my territory. Shouldn't they, once others hear of it, feel fear and reverence towards me? Yet, I've never sensed any increase in power," Guihu mused.
"That's because they remain oblivious," Christian explained.
"This era differs greatly from your time. Publicly, people no longer believe in the existence of Ghosts and Gods. If you directly consume individuals nearby and others don't witness it firsthand, they won't experience fear due to the unknown. Instead, they'll consider it a missing person case or even find it intriguing."
"Really?" The Ghost was taken aback.
Now he grasped it. Despite his considerable power, in an age where disbelief in Ghosts and Gods prevailed, his actions had gone unnoticed and consequently failed to generate fear and reverence, the very source of his strength.
"So, do you have a solution to this problem?" The Ghost inquired.
"Indeed," Christian confirmed. Seizing the opportunity after Ghost's revelation, he continued, "As I mentioned earlier, while it may seem on the surface that people no longer believe in the existence of Ghosts and Gods, deep down, their belief in these entities still lingers in their hearts. It's human nature. The distinction lies in the darkness of the past. In ancient times, people feared the power of Ghosts and Gods, envisioning salvation through heroes. Nowadays, people fantasize about the power of ghosts and gods while enjoying tales of heroes."
"Are you suggesting a positive and negative polarity?" He questioned.
"You could understand it that way," Christian conceded.
'It's a concept that even puzzled me when interacting with ancient ghosts before my crossing. I couldn't fathom why these individuals from bygone eras were so fond of using yin and yang to encapsulate various high-level theories.
While it may sound reasonable, the more abstract the generalization, the more room for ambiguity. They tend to talk in circles, and I doubt anyone could comprehend much aside from the basics.'
"But this isn't the time to critique their linguistic habits," Christian continued. "If you genuinely wish to harness the power of fear and reverence from people, it's best to employ the influence of modern media. The media can swiftly disseminate news, and with the right approach, we can amass power from a large number of people."
"How many people are we talking about?" He asked.
Christian drew an analogy to elucidate his point. "Back in your time, when you went to war, the number of troops deployed typically ranged from thousands to tens of thousands, with hundreds of thousands considered a significant force. However, with contemporary movies, the number of viewers often exceeds that many times over."
"You mean hundreds of thousands or even millions of people?" The Ghost inquired.
"Even hundreds of millions are not out of the question," Christian affirmed, especially considering the burgeoning market across the Pacific in the future.
Ghost was now beginning to see the potential. "So, to regain my mountain god's power, I only need to participate in a movie performance that allows people to see me and revere me, right? And you're offering to be the director of this movie."
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