Modern Guardians

"I don't understand?"

Hearing Charlize's comment, Christian suddenly realized an issue. He closed his eyes and touched the bedroom wall with his hand.

"Indeed..."

Compared to abilities like Yin and Yang Spirit eyes, touching a real ghost is necessary for the spell to be effective. Door guardians were one of the most skillful spells he could employ. Unlike many other spells, this one doesn't require aura at all. In an era where aura is scarce, this characteristic is a rare advantage.

That's why, before he transitioned to this world, he mastered the spell of Door guardians, even though the test subjects were nothing more than old ghosts. Therefore, he previously had no doubts about its effectiveness. However...

'The magic of the door guardians relies on the homeowner's dedication to protecting their dwelling. Through generations of door guardians, the power of the ancient door guardian whose true identity has been obscured over the ages is channeled out and attached to the portrait of a powerful idol model trusted by the homeowner to create a protective barrier. However, the effect of this display is very weak, and the resulting barrier can almost be shattered with a bomb. Do you understand why? It's because the activated spell is in Chinese. Doesn't Charlize, the homeowner, comprehend this?'

Christian gazed at the blonde girl in front of him and shook his head.

"It's not that simple. This activation spell mainly serves as a psychological suggestion for the spellcaster. I, the caster, understand Chinese. But if the issue lies elsewhere, how is so little power being channeled? Is there a problem with the power inheritance, with the pipeline?"

"Hey, what are you pondering? Is something wrong?"

Seeing Christian staring at her with a puzzled look and muttering to himself, Charlize was somewhat perplexed. She subconsciously tapped the man with the rolled-up poster in her hand.

"Ah, I get it now"

Startled by the girl's reaction, Christian suddenly figured it out. He exclaimed in excitement, but Charlize was once again taken aback.

"The core of this spell is to utilize the idol model that people have revered for generations, believing it can protect their homes, to channel the power of ancient Chinese door guardians to the portrait of the trusted idol model. It's an inheritance of strength. However, for someone like you who does not know these two Chinese door guardians, this power channel isn't complete."

He spoke rapidly and excitedly, his words flowing like machine-gun bullets, and he grabbed Charlize's shoulder so forcefully that the blonde girl winced in pain.

"Sally, do you believe that the two portraits on the wall can protect you?"

"Well..."

Faced with this question, Charlize was caught off guard.

"Though I find them impressive, I have no connection to them whatsoever—"

"That's it"

Before Charlize could finish her sentence, Christian cut her off with a smile. Excitement danced in his eyes, like Einstein after discovering the theory of relativity.

"For the Chinese, Qin Qiong and Yu Chigong are the enduring door guardians. This custom deeply ingrained in their lives is enough to ensure that these two door guardians have the subconscious trust of the homeowner, thus inheriting the power of the ancient door guardians. For you, who don't know them at all, this power channel isn't complete—"

With that, he spoke for a while, releasing Charlize's shoulders but grabbing the rolled-up poster from her hand.

"Sally, do you hang Sylvester and Arnold's posters because you like them and believe they're powerful?"

"I think so"

Charlize looked at the enthusiastic Christian and began to feel a bit overwhelmed.

"Well, I like Rambo and the T-800."

"Bingo"

Christian snapped his fingers.

"Let's use them as your door guardians"

"What?"

As Christian swiftly took the remaining blank paper and began writing on it, Charlize was momentarily at a loss.

"Go and put this on Qin Qiong"

Christian didn't even glance up; he simply handed a blank sheet of paper to Charlize while continuing to write.

"Qin Qiong? Uh, now that I think about it, the one with the yellow face."

Following Christian's instruction, Charlize affixed a white sheet of paper to the portrait of the general named Qin Qiong. It was only then that she realized this time the writing was in English.

"Fan Haixin? What does this mean?"

"It's quite simple. It's to perfect the power transmission channel or the magic."

Christian wrote another blank sheet while placing the portrait of Yu Chigong opposite Qin Qiong. He explained the concept to Charlize.

"As I mentioned earlier, since you lack an understanding of the two Chinese door guardians, Qin Qiong and Yu Chigong, it's difficult for them to earn your subconscious trust. Consequently, the magic I'm casting to protect you is only affected by your issues and cannot draw enough power from the ancient door god. To address this problem, I changed the original magic model. Qin Qiong and Yu Chigong, originally the door guardians ultimately responsible for bearing the power, now function as relayers similar to Shen Tu and Yu Lei. They serve as the power transmission pipeline. 'Fan Haixin' is the next link in this power transmission."

"Master Exorcist"

Charlize expressed her displeasure with the man's condescension and pouted. This time, she noticed that the white paper Christian had placed on the opposite side of the Yu Chigong portrait read "Heracles."

"Hercules? Speaking of which, Arnold also starred in a movie called 'Hercules in New York'..."

"You've seen that too?"

Christian chuckled.

"That movie was a classic. It was precisely while thinking of that film that I included the note 'Heracles' here. Now"

He unfolded the "Terminator 2" poster and placed it back in its original spot, covering the white paper that said "Heracles" behind it and the portrait of Yu Chigong. Simultaneously, he signaled for Charlize to put up Stallone's poster as well.

"It should work this time"

Looking at the posters of the two muscular men placed once more, Christian clapped his hands.

"Do you feel better, Sally?"

"Well, it looks more comfortable this way."

Charlize nodded; she still preferred Arnold and Sylvester over those two unfamiliar Chinese generals. Aside from anything else, their bulging biceps provided a sense of security...

"So"

Christian furrowed his brow, tapping his temple with his left index finger as if pondering something. The next moment, he recited a new spell:

"You are one and ten thousand. You are the moment and eternity. You are the creator and ruler. You will surely tread your path upon this Earth as if walking in your land."

In an instant, another whirlwind swept through the bedroom. However, compared to the previous one, this cyclone was much stronger, and Charlize's long blonde hair fluttered in the wind, catching the light and looking a bit dazzling.

"Why is this spell different from the last one?"

"Well... I had a feeling that since Rambo and the T-800 have become door guardians, the spell should be adjusted accordingly. Besides, the nature of the spell is a purely psychological suggestion, so it doesn't need to be entirely consistent."

"I see! But this spell is much different from the last one; it feels like a prayer in a church. Is this from the Bible?"

"Just think of it that way"

Christian grumbled somewhat ambiguously, a bit embarrassed to admit he'd picked it up from a Mother Goose. He patted the wall.

"This time, the door guardian's protective effect is much better. It appears that using modern door guardians as the ultimate power carriers requires adaptation to specific circumstances. Originally, the use of door guardians this time was a reverse application, which was more complicated. But it's finally done"

"Reverse application?"

"Yeah, don't you find it strange?"

Looking at the perplexed Charlize, Christian had a wry smile on his face.

"As I mentioned earlier, door guardians are traditionally placed on the door to safeguard a home's security and keep evil entities at bay. In short, this is an outward defense mechanism. So why did I put it in your bedroom?"

"Because... reverse application"

The girl was quite sharp. Upon Christian's cue, she immediately understood.

"Locks protect from outside intrusion and by creating an internal barrier—do you want to isolate the ghost attached to me and prevent it from escaping?"

"That's correct"

Christian nodded and was surprised by Charlize's quick grasp of the concept. The blonde certainly didn't appear to have a low IQ.

"When catching a ghost, it might attempt to escape midway. If we don't take precautions and let it flee, it's game over. Later, it'll return to haunt you"

After explaining all this, Christian's expression grew serious.

"Now, the preparations are complete. Sally, we're about to officially begin. Next, I'll summon 'Alexis' again, but unlike last time, I'll try to keep you conscious. In this state, you'll be in a unique condition—you can see, hear, and feel, but you won't effectively control your body. It will be 'Alexis' who will control your body. You need to try and get Alexis to act according to the script I shared with you earlier in this vulnerable state."

"I have a question"

Looking at Charlize, who raised her hand like an obedient student, Christian couldn't help but laugh.

"What's the question?"

"You mentioned that in this situation, I won't have control over my body. So, how can I make 'Alexis' follow the script you designed?"

"Well..."

Christian chuckled.

"Aren't you an actress?"