Xia Ba and Gou Jie were clearly targeting me at this moment.
They wanted to embarrass me and also to undermine me professionally.
Perhaps it was to satisfy their vanity, or to highlight their sense of superiority.
Since they were asking for trouble, I decided not to be polite.
Seeing Xia Ba agree, he directly pulled out a hair.
Gou Jie also pulled out a hair and handed them both to me:
"Brother Qin, let's be clear from the start.
Don't make any excuses later.
If you can't summon a ghost, then get lost.
Don't deceive Chu Yue with your trickery and pose as some kind of charlatan.
Talking about being a Taoist priest and catching ghosts.
You must have a screw loose..."
The other party's words were blunt and unapologetic.
The surrounding guests were all spectators, wearing expressions of curious onlookers.
As if the scene wasn't dramatic enough, they watched the commotion with great interest.
Seeing how arrogant the other party was.
If I didn't give him a scare today, he wouldn't know who he was messing with.
"Heh heh, you'll be crying later."
With that, I casually took out a piece of yellow paper.
I rolled their hairs inside it.
Then, I dipped my finger in the soup on the table.
And drew a soul-summoning charm directly on the tabletop.
This was just a basic "soul-summoning technique," one I had recently taught myself.
The advanced version of this technique was the soul-calling mantra, where with a person's birth date and time, their specific soul could be summoned.
Although I didn't have a master's guidance, my cultivation had been improving.
Charms and talismans, no matter how varied, all followed the same fundamental principles.
As long as one grasped the core essentials.
And possessed sufficient cultivation, knowing how to draw the charm and the incantation was generally enough to perform the ritual.
The entire group watched with wide eyes as I drew on the table.
It looked quite authentic.
One of the guests even spoke up:
"Brother Ba, Brother Jie, have you gone too far?
It's best to show respect for ghosts and spirits!"
Upon hearing this, Xia Ba and Gou Jie were instantly displeased.
"Is your brain fried?
There are no ghosts in this world!"
"Exactly, only people who pretend to be supernatural."
The two spoke dismissively.
Meanwhile, I had finished drawing the soul-summoning charm.
I looked back at Xia Ba and Gou Jie:
"It's not too late for you to regret it now."
But the two still didn't believe it, fueled by the alcohol, they continued:
"Regret? I think it's you who will regret it?"
"Exactly! I don't believe you can actually summon a ghost for me."
"Fine, I'll satisfy you two!"
With that said, I took out the eye-opening potion:
"You two, close your eyes first! I'll grant you the Heavenly Eyes of the Netherworld."
"Heh heh, always coming up with something new!"
"Come on, I want to see what a ghost looks like today."
The two were atheists and had had a bit to drink.
Coupled with Chu Yue giving me food and chatting with me before the meal,
It stirred up a deep-seated resentment within them.
Now, they were directly confronting me, wanting to suppress me through my profession.
To make me lose face.
At this point, I couldn't be bothered to say anything more.
Some people simply wouldn't believe it until they saw the truth.
After spraying them with the Seven-Star Grass eye-opening liquid,
The two repeatedly complained, saying it smelled foul and fishy.
They also complained that their eyes felt cold, and whether it would harm their vision.
I ignored them.
I picked up the yellow paper with their hairs wrapped inside and lit it with a lighter.
And threw it onto the table.
"From this moment on, consider this table of raw vegetables as offerings for the ghosts."
After speaking, in front of more than ten people,
I brought my hands together.
My hand seals began to shift.
In front of everyone, it looked quite impressive.
Li Shiyao, standing beside me, also watched with wide eyes.
Finally, I formed the sword finger seal with my hands and let out a low growl:
"Heaven above, Earth below.
Wandering spirits, heed my command.
Xia Ba and Gou Jie, the esteemed gentlemen.
A feast is laid, for you to partake.
Imperial Hotel, ninth floor, Peony Pavilion, await your presence.
Hurry, as the law dictates,敕!"
As soon as the words left my mouth, the sword finger in my hand pointed directly at the soul-summoning charm on the table.
The next second, something strange happened.
The soul-summoning charm, originally drawn with soup, began to emit wisps of white smoke.
It was as if it were evaporating.
Making a "sizzling" sound.
Seeing this, everyone present was stunned.
They were all gaping, looking remarkably surprised.
After a while, someone exclaimed in astonishment:
"Holy cow, is this that amazing?"
"Oh my god! Is this Qin Ze actually a genuine Taoist priest with real abilities?"
"Do you think Xia Ba and Gou Jie have picked a fight with the wrong person?"
"He said just now that he was setting a feast here for wandering spirits.
Could it be that ghosts will actually arrive soon?"
"Who turned down the air conditioning? Why do I feel like it's getting colder around here?"
"..."
More than ten people began to whisper amongst themselves.
And everyone clearly felt.
The atmosphere in the room had become oppressive.
At this moment, I smiled at Xia Ba and Gou Jie, who were still stubbornly denying the truth:
"At most three minutes, just watch!"
After speaking, I took two steps back.
I pulled Li Shiyao, who was standing beside me:
"Move back a bit, someone will be dining here shortly."
I smiled gently.
But to the eyes of everyone else in the room, my smile appeared uncanny, even carrying a hint of malevolence.
Li Shiyao, following my instructions, retreated a few steps with me.
She also whispered to me:
"Really, are there... are there really ghosts coming?"
I didn't reply, merely nodded.
Seeing my nod, Li Shiyao's expression changed noticeably, and she let out a gasp.
At the same time, the closed door was suddenly pushed open by a gust of cold wind.
It made a "clang" sound.
The next second, the lights in the room flickered.
With a "crack crack" sound, the room was plunged into instant darkness.
The eerie atmosphere caused several female guests to let out screams and stumble backward.
But I, in the first instant, reached out and shielded Li Shiyao.
And softly said:
"They're here..."