Chapter 7: The Practice of Summoning Spirits

Peng Gang was almost scared to the point of losing control, slowly retreating while trying to make as little noise as possible. He could sense that his father was sitting there, motionless and silent, like a corpse

Do you think I can still speak the truth to such a person who is neither human nor ghost

I slammed the table and shouted, "Nonsense. Not to mention whether there is an underworld, if such a ghostly place truly exists, it is not somewhere you can just go whenever you want"

Mr. Li has made a conjecture about this issue. Peng Gang said, "He mentioned that once people see through life and death, they naturally will not care about worldly possessions"

Upon hearing this, I raised my eyebrows and asked, "What did Li Damin say?"

My heart sinks; that rascal Li Damin is just looking for trouble after having nothing better to do

Oh? What did he say

"What you mean is, the soul that returned from the underworld is not your father's, but something else... a wandering spirit or ghost?" My teeth chattered

Yes

He chuckled bitterly: "Old Liu, I understand what you mean. If it were me at that time, my first reaction would definitely be to shout 'Who is it?'"

I swallowed, feeling every hair on my body stand on end

How to resolve this

Are you saying that my father is doing this intentionally

First, on the ritual instrument, Ma Danlong performed the spell to summon souls, not only using an incense burner and long incense, but also one most important item, which was a black Buddha statue

That's not right. "I scratch my head: According to https://m.hetushu.com, someone with such great abilities must surely be a distinguished guest of high-ranking officials and wealthy individuals. Nowadays, those with money and power all believe in this. How could he be so poor? So ordinary? I just remembered, he once asked for half of your company's shares. This can't be the first time he's done something like this. Could he really be without money?"

Peng Gang said lightly: "It is too late for you to say anything; Mr. Li has already gone to find Ma Danlong."

Old Liu, will you go to find Mr. Li

Peng Gang rubbed his brow, his expression very melancholic: "Old Liu, do you know what I felt at the moment the light went out?"

I took a sharp breath, as this matter has completely exceeded my understanding and imagination. All I can do is smile wryly

Peng Gang mentioned that during the summer vacation after graduating from high school, he joined a tour group to travel to Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. In a village near the Thai border, he saw a very simple shrine, and the Buddha statue enshrined there resembled somewhat the one that Ma Danlong had taken out. Although they were not exactly the same, the styles were quite similar

Peng Gang told me that the process of summoning souls described by Dad is quite similar to the actual situation, but there are a few details that were not mentioned

Ma Danlong. The one who summoned my father’s soul

When Ma Danlong summoned the spirits, he placed the black Buddha statue behind the incense burner, lit the long incense, and the blue smoke rose gently. In the thick haze, its form appeared vivid, as if it had come to life.

Ma Danlong is a person with a very ordinary appearance, a chubby face that looks quite simple-minded. Someone like him would easily blend into a crowd, leaving no deep impression on others

Upon hearing this, I nearly burned my mouth on the cigarette butt. Are these people all insane? How could such a crazy idea even come to mind? Going to the underworld, isn't that just death?

That is good

This issue is actually quite easy to explain. He said: "I think he doesn't want others to discover his secret. I accidentally knocked over a jar, which made a sound, and my father couldn't determine the source of the noise. If there were indeed outsiders in the basement, he wouldn't be able to tell if they were coming for him. If he shouted 'Who is it?', that would completely expose him."

Mr. Li said not to worry, he would investigate the matter thoroughly. He mentioned that such matters are not something students like me can be involved in, as they are quite complex. He also said that if he found out the truth, he would come back to inform me. However, since that day, I have been unable to contact him. I suspect he has gone to find Ma Danlong

There should be none. Peng Gang let out a long sigh: "He has never mentioned this matter at home, nor has he sought me out alone. That secretary girl is quite clever; she probably wouldn't go out of her way to bring it up with him."

"How old are you?" I asked

Hearing Peng Gang say that about his father, I found it particularly unpleasant and frowned as I said, "Don't say that. Regardless of anything, he is still your father and Tu Shu's dad." I then recounted the words of praise that Peng Dage had expressed without reservation when I interviewed him about his son.

This is what I thought. However, at that time, Mr. Li provided a different explanation

This statue of the Buddha is approximately the size of an adult's palm, entirely black, seated on a lotus throne with its knees crossed, and appears quite plump, seemingly lacking arms, with an indistinct face. At that time, this statue was being handled by Ma Danlong, and Peng Gang also glanced at it a few times without examining it closely. However, he felt that this statue exuded a very strange and sinister aura, looking unlike the revered figures of Buddhism found in temples, but rather resembling a style typical of Southeast Asia. At that time, this statue was being handled by Ma Danlong, and Peng Gang also glanced at it a few times without examining it closely. However, he felt that this statue exuded a very strange and sinister aura, looking unlike the revered figures of Buddhism found in temples, but rather resembling a style typical of Southeast Asia

I scoffed, "You are still a child and have no idea how complex and treacherous this society is."

"It could be anywhere from twenty-eight to forty-five years old, but it is impossible to determine; there is simply no way to judge," said Peng Gang

Peng Gang looked at me and said, "You have forgotten the most crucial person."

I sighed: "So after running into your dad in the basement, you managed to escape safely?"

At that time, when he uttered these words, I pondered for a long time. If my father truly lost his soul in the underworld, as his son, I had the responsibility to retrieve it. To be honest, I was very scared, but I still made the determination to face death. I told Mr. Li that I wanted to go to the underworld. He waved his hand and said, "You don't need to go; I will go."

That is to go to the underworld once, to get to the bottom of it

I nodded: "This is also true for books. Now, tell me about that time you summoned spirits."

He said that person is still my father, but a person has three souls and seven spirits. After being resurrected, my father did not summon all his souls and spirits back, resulting in a lack of souls and spirits, which is why he has become this strange appearance

Peng Gang gazed at me intently and suddenly laughed: "Old Liu, you should write fantasy YY novels; your imagination is far more powerful than both Mr. Li and mine."

He didn't suspect you

What?

Peng Gang felt extremely distressed, his eyes red: "Lao Liu, I really don't know what to do. How could such a bizarre and terrifying thing happen to our family? My mother is suffering day by day, living in misery, her hair has turned white. I am so distressed. Fortunately, there is Mr. Li..."

"Anyway, your father's reaction is quite strange," I said. "Even if your analysis makes sense, I find it very unusual that he could remain so calm as his first instinct in the face of sudden change."

I am a bit anxious: "You don't need to worry about that. Why don't you talk about Ma Danlong instead? What kind of person is he? What details have you concealed?"

I just remembered that there is such a person, and couldn't help but say: "Can he help you? Nonsense! With your father looking like that, I suspect he is the one causing the trouble! Such underhanded tactics, even the charlatans from the founding era could be executed!"

I felt that the person in the darkness was definitely not my father! There is a blood relationship between father and son; after all, I lived and grew up with my father for twenty years, and that feeling is very familiar to me. Yet at that moment, I felt that in the darkness, it was a stranger. A... monster occupying my father's body.

Peng Gang gazed at the distant streetlights, his expression somewhat ethereal: "It was at the moment he uttered those words that I felt he was a true man, someone absolutely worthy of trust"

Very, very ordinary, black jacket and jeans, clearly just street market goods

What about putting it on?

I suddenly remembered something as I looked at him: "You honestly tell me, on the day when Ma Danlong summoned spirits, you were on site. Did you lie to your father about those details of the spirit summoning?"

Hey. What do you think? I suspect that guy has summoned quite a few souls for others. He might have organized these resurrected individuals into an association or something, using the souls of others as leverage. He could be the president, leading an entire ghost alliance with an army of spirits, engaging in some money-making and destructive activities. This is certainly not impossible

"Yes, I would shout as well; it is a natural human reaction. However, your father quickly turned off the light source, remained silent, and hid in the darkness. No matter how I listened, something felt off; this reaction should not be like this"

Here is a question that I cannot understand: "Peng Gang, if you were your father and suddenly an outsider intruded into your territory, what would you do?"

I felt my hands and feet turn cold, almost holding my breath

Mr. Li said, "It is also very simple to completely resolve this matter," Peng Gang remarked

Who