Ghost Exorciser: Is Loved By All
Chapter 618: Holy Water

Chapter 618: Chapter 618: Holy Water

Her eyes widened in shock as the figure standing in the doorway came into view.

It was Qiao Jun.

The real Qiao Jun.

He leaned casually against the frame, his expression a mix of mockery and indifference.

His voice carried the same tone that once brought her joy but now filled her with dread.

"You went to all this trouble for me," he continued, stepping into the chamber with a slow, deliberate gait. "I’m touched, really."

Vivian gasped, her eyes darting between the figure in the doorway and the one lying on the ground.

"How—how is this possible?" she stammered, her voice rising in hysteria.

"You... you’re here, but..." She pointed at the jelly-like body with trembling hands. "What is that?"

Celestial Master Huo’s eyes narrowed, her sharp mind quickly assessing the situation.

"An illusion," she muttered, her voice dripping with venom. "A decoy designed to waste my time."

The real Qiao Jun chuckled, his laughter cold and devoid of warmth. "Not just an illusion. A carefully laid trap.

And you all fell for it perfectly." His gaze shifted to Aunt Mila, his eyes hard and unforgiving. "Especially you, Aunt Mila."

Mila’s knees buckled as the weight of his words hit her.

"You...you...you are here so who is..."

"He?" Qiao Jun pointed at his own replica.

He raised his hand, and with a sharp snap of his fingers, the jelly-like forms of his replica and the fake Yu Holea shimmered and vanished into thin air, leaving only faint ripples of energy in their wake.

Aunt Mila’s breath hitched as her eyes darted from the empty spaces where the bodies had been to the real Qiao Jun, standing tall and composed.

Her voice trembled with disbelief as she spoke.

"You... You switched bodies? You swapped your real self and Yu Holea’s on the way here?"

Qiao Jun chuckled, his laughter cold and filled with derision.

"Oh, Aunt Mila, you’re still trying to rationalize it, aren’t you? Trying to make sense of the mess you’ve created."

He tilted his head slightly, a mocking smirk playing on his lips.

"No, there was no ’switch.’ I never fainted. As for Yu Holea, she’s sleeping peacefully back at her villa."

"What?" Aunt Mila’s voice rose, her composure fracturing. "That’s impossible! She was in my grasp! How could she—"

"How could she escape your clutches?" Qiao Jun finished for her, his voice calm yet sharp as a blade.

"Do you really think you’re that clever? Do you truly believe I wouldn’t notice you planting a hypnosis trigger in her fan?"

The words hit Mila like a slap. Her face paled, her mind scrambling for an explanation, for a denial.

"You... you knew?" she whispered, her voice almost inaudible.

"Of course, I knew," Qiao Jun said, his tone dripping with disdain.

"You thought you were so discreet. Subtly ensuring that Yu Holea heard the rhythmic hum of her hotel fan every night, conditioning her to respond to your commands.

But you underestimated her—and me. You didn’t account for the fact that I’d notice when her behavior began to shift.

And you certainly didn’t expect me to track her movements so closely."

Aunt Mila’s fists clenched, her desperation boiling over into anger.

"You’re lying," she snapped, though the crack in her voice betrayed her doubt.

"How could you possibly know all of that?"

"Oh, Mila," Qiao Jun said with a soft chuckle, shaking his head as though disappointed in a child.

"I know many things. Like how you created that fake accident in Yu Holea’s doorway so that the cleaner could take away Yu Holea’s phone, but she wouldn’t be able to call for help.

Oh! I also know that it was you who asked the cleaner to send message from Yu Holea’s phone to Director Ou’s phone so that when Yu Holea reaches in Director Ou’s room it will become easier for you to kidnap her."

Mila’s eyes widened in shock, her carefully constructed plans unraveling before her eyes.

"How—how do you know all this?" she demanded, her voice rising as panic set in.

"Who told you? Who’s been spying on me?"

Qiao Jun’s smirk widened, his gaze cool and unbothered by her fury.

"Now, now," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"Let’s not focus on irrelevant details. Suffice it to say, I had eyes and ears where they needed to be."

Aunt Mila’s frustration boiled over, and she shouted,

"Who? Who was it? Who betrayed me?"

But Qiao Jun ignored her outburst, turning instead to Bruno, who stood just beyond the shimmering barrier.

Qiao Jun’s voice was calm but carried an undeniable authority as he addressed him.

"Well, Captain Bruno? Do you have enough proof now to act? Or do you need more?"

Bruno stepped forward, his gaze shifting from Qiao Jun to Aunt Mila. His voice was steady, though tinged with regret.

"We have more than enough," he said.

"The evidence is overwhelming. Mila, you’ve committed treason, endangered innocent lives, and collaborated with a dangerous criminal. There’s no escaping this."

Aunt Mila’s face twisted in disbelief and rage.

"Treason?" she spat. "You think I did all this for myself? It was for my son! For his future!"

Qiao Jun’s expression hardened, his earlier mockery replaced with cold disdain.

"Him? Oh, I am sorry to give you bad news." He uttered words as if he were broadcasting some huge announcement.

"Oh, Aunt Mila," he said, feigning a tone of regret.

"You’ve really outdone yourself this time. But there’s just one small problem with your little summoning ritual."

Aunt Mila’s eyes flashed with a mixture of anger and fear. She straightened her back, her voice sharp as a blade.

"What do you mean by that, Qiao Jun? My ritual succeeded. My son’s soul was summoned."

Qiao Jun shook his head slowly, clicking his tongue as though scolding a disobedient child.

"Ah, Aunt Mila, that’s where you’re wrong. Your ritual didn’t succeed. At least, not in the way you think it did."

Her fists clenched, her voice rising.

"You’re lying! I know it worked. I felt his presence. I saw him. It was my son!"

"No, Mila." Qiao Jun’s smirk faded, replaced by a grim expression.

"What you summoned wasn’t your son. It was a twisted, malevolent spirit. An evil soul that saw your desperation and waited for you to make a mistake.

And when you did—oh, and you did—it seized the opportunity. It replaced your son’s soul and played along, letting you believe it was him."

"No!" Mila screamed, her face contorted with disbelief.

"You’re lying! You’re just trying to undermine everything I’ve done! I will kill you if you dare to speak such nonsense!"

Her threat echoed through the chamber, but Qiao Jun remained unfazed, his expression almost pitying.

"Kill me, if you like," he said, shrugging.

"But it won’t change the truth. The soul you’ve been so lovingly protecting is nothing but a parasite.

And deep down, Mila, you know it. Think back—hasn’t he acted differently? Colder? More volatile? Less like the son you remember?"

Mila staggered back, shaking her head violently.

"No! No, that’s not true! He’s just... he’s been adjusting! It’s natural! He’s my son, Qiao Jun! He is my son!"

Her voice cracked, the hysteria creeping into her tone. Qiao Jun tilted his head, his eyes narrowing.

"You can deny it all you want, but I can prove it. And I will."

Before Aunt Mila could respond, Qiao Jun reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small vial filled with shimmering, golden liquid.

Its glow was faint but unmistakable, and it seemed to hum with an otherworldly energy.

"What is that?" Aunt Mila demanded, her voice trembling.

"Holy water," Qiao Jun said simply, holding the vial up for all to see.

"It’s a potent purifier. If the soul you summoned is truly your son’s, this will have no effect. But if it’s what I think it is... well, let’s find out, shall we?"

Vivian, who had been watching the confrontation with growing confusion suddenly was sprinkled with holy water.

Her skin instantly burned and she shouted,

"Ah! What is this! Acid? Get it away from me! Ah!"

Aunt Mila was stunned and instantly stepped between Qiao Jun and Vivian.

"Wait—what are you doing?" she cried.

"I’m proving a point," Qiao Jun said, his tone cold and unyielding. He continued to sprinkle water on Vivian.

Vivian’s panic escalated. "No! I’m not involved in this! Leave me out of it!"

But Qiao Jun was already in motion.

With a flick of his wrist, he uncorked the vial and hurled its contents toward her.

The golden liquid arced through the air, catching the light as it splashed across Vivian’s skin.

For a moment, there was silence. Vivian froze, her eyes wide with fear and confusion.

Then, a horrific, guttural scream erupted from her lips.

Her body convulsed violently, and a dark, smoky aura began to seep from her pores, writhing like a living thing.

Aunt Mila’s breath caught as the room filled with a chilling, unnatural energy.