Exorcist's Self-Cultivation

North Brook District.

In the afternoon, the doors of an Aston Martin One77 opened after it parked outside the church.

Du Wei carried a black umbrella in his left hand, and with his right hand, he adjusted his collar to cover the kiss mark on his neck, feeling an inexplicable sense of unease.

When they were in the car, he actually wanted to resist, but strapped by the seatbelt and pinned down by Alex, he had no strength to fight back.

Moreover, having been tense for a long time, as well as the draining of his humanity, he had always been suppressing himself.

So when Alex gave him a gentle yet passionate kiss, Du Wei's long-suppressed emotions exploded.

Emotion overpowered reason.

Although he hated such lack of control, he was not someone who shirked his responsibilities.

Therefore, their relationship was settled—yes, he had also shared some details about his family, but he did not mention a word about The Nun's curse or the hunter's affairs.

The former was purely a concept of idealistic terror, while the latter concerned his own safety.

What remained was to solve all problems, deal with the threat of Evil Spirit Transformation, and have the power to enable both of them to live safely in this world.

...

Behind him, Alex, who was sitting in the driver's seat, fixed her lipstick and then, tilting her head, said to him with a smile, "Baby, I'll go pick a car for you, so I won't come to pick you up later."

Du Wei turned and grunted at her with a complex tone, "Don't spend too much… or you could just pick any from your garage."

"Baby?" Alex playfully squinted her dazzling eyes and teased, "Are you sure you want me to pick from the garage?"

Du Wei massaged his forehead, saying, "Never mind, just choose one. I will try to prepare a nice return gift for you."
Continue reading stories on empire

With that, he grunted again and added, "I don't like one-sided efforts, whether it's me or you who's making them."

Hearing this, Alex's azure eyes softened further, but with a coquettish tone, she said, "Why make such distinctions? What's mine is yours, and you are mine."

"That's robber logic,"

Du Wei muttered softly, then waved his hand and walked towards the church.

"You should head back early. Remember there's an Evil Spirit at my place, don't visit at night, and call me before you come during the day."

"Alright, I got it. You be careful too. I'll also keep an eye out for antiques like that clock for you on my way back."

"Yes, okay…"

...

He entered the church.

The sounds he heard were those of reciting the Bible.

Father Tony, mop in hand, was cleaning the floor. Seeing Du Wei come in, he said with some surprise, "Mr. Du Wei, how come you are back so soon? Is the issue with Goliath Winery resolved?"

Du Wei approached and said indifferently, "Sort of half-resolved. There shouldn't be any more anomalies at Goliath Winery."

Father Tony turned off the radio beside him, his face colored with confusion as he asked, "Why do you say that? Half-resolved?"

Du Wei nodded, "How should I put it, Ms. Victor didn't die but was disfigured, and the winery has returned to normal. However, that thing escaped halfway."

Father Tony realized that something was amiss and said with a serious tone, "It seems this matter is troublesome. Let's talk inside."

Without any objection, Du Wei followed Father Tony into the reception room.

After they had both taken their seats, Father Tony began to inquire, "Please tell me the details carefully."

Du Wei nodded and explained, "It's like this, the matter at Goliath Winery was not an Evil Spirit incident, but rather an incident involving an Evil Spirit."

"An Evil Spirit incident? Wait... are you talking about an Evil Spirit?"

"Wait until I finish speaking, because actually, I'm also very puzzled right now."

"Alright, Mr. Du Wei, please don't mind me having disrupted your train of thought."

"It's okay. That Evil Spirit is quite peculiar, its medium is two Joker Cards, to put it simply, each card is a part of the Evil Spirit, one exists in the form of a gambling game, with loss resulting in losing everything, and the odds of winning are practically nonexistent."

"Therefore, I used the Black Umbrella and some other methods to turn the game on its head, and in the end, I became the winner. I obtained that card, and it seems I've formed some kind of connection with the Evil Spirit. A part of it is now in the card I obtained, while another part is in another Joker Card, and I can feel that it has left New York."

"During the exorcism process, I uncovered the secret of the Victor family. Howard Victor once obtained these two cards, and it seems that every other generation, they would initiate a gathering, sacrificing to the Evil Spirit through the game."

"The card I obtained was intended for the sacrifice... well, that's my understanding anyway. Perhaps this 'sacrifice' is just a mechanism for murder."

"Besides, I suspect that these two cards were deliberately allowed to fall into the hands of the Victor family by a mysterious organization, like... well, I don't know how to put it exactly, do you understand what 'raising gu' means?"

Du Wei used a term that was more Oriental in origin, but it was clear that Father Tony did not understand the meaning, shaking his head in confusion.

"I don't know what 'raising gu' is, but listening to your description, it does remind me of an organization with a similar modus operandi."

"Please continue?"

"The Dusk Bell Church..."

There was a complex tone in Father Tony's voice as he uttered that name, after which he took a deep breath, his expression becoming rather odd.

It looked as if he was quite reluctant to mention it.

Du Wei did not urge him; he just waited, taking out the Joker Card and placing it on the table in front of Father Tony.

"Take a look at this first. It's strange. After I won the gambling game, it created a bond with me, but as of now, I don't know what abilities it possesses, nor if it can counteract an Evil Spirit."

Father Tony didn't speak, but examined it carefully.

Seeing that the person on the card, dressed in a tailcoat, looked exactly like Du Wei, his expression turned remarkably vivid.

"Mr. Du Wei, forgive my bluntness, but you may have gotten yourself into serious trouble."

"What do you mean?"

Without daring to look at the card again, or even touching it, Father Tony spoke in an indescribable tone, "Evil Spirits, those things are much more malevolent than ordinary spirits. Sometimes they don't kill, but they progressively become part of it."

"Maybe because you won the gambling game, this card has bonded with you, while the other part of the Evil Spirit has left with the other card, outside of New York, but just like the illustration on this card, one day you will gradually be assimilated."

Du Wei frowned and said, "That sounds a lot like a hunter... so what if I throw this card away, or destroy it?"

Father Tony replied, "It's just an analogy. In actuality, you can think of it as a process of corruption. There have been people before who've come across similar artifacts, but they all met terrible ends."

Seeming to find this explanation a bit awkward, Father Tony made an analogy, "Hunters gradually turn into Evil Spirits on their own, but this thing makes you a part of the Evil Spirit, as if it's devouring you."

"As for disposing of or destroying it, it's basically impossible since it has already formed a connection with you. You won the item in a gambling game, so even if you were to throw it into the deep sea, it would return to your hand."

"However, you needn't worry too much. As long as you don't use it, it won't have any effect on you."

"And based on past experience, such things can be used to kill Evil Spirits, and even some hunters who've undergone Evil Spirit Transformation seek these items... well, you probably understand what I mean. Hunters are a desperate lot, they don't care whether they become Evil Spirits or are devoured by an Evil Spirit."

"Of course, I don't know how to use it. It might have something to do with the gambling game, the next time you encounter an Evil Spirit, maybe you could try gambling with it?"