Chapter 261 — Exorcism Lessons
For the first time in many days, Chris heard an answer that was different from what everyone else had told her.
But then her tone suddenly changed, and she stared intently into the eyes of the two priests in front of her.
"Did Father Burke tell you anything about my daughter?"
Father Burke was Carlos's friend at the church.
Carlos shook his head.
"No. He only said you needed help."
Gideon nodded as well.
Hearing this, Chris could no longer suppress her emotions.
She instinctively grabbed Gideon's arm and asked anxiously,
"The things you just mentioned… have you seen them before?"
"The reason I came today is because of my daughter, Regan…"
Chris began recounting everything that had happened recently.
"…When the bed started shaking, I was there too. But the doctors insist it was something wrong with Regan's brain…"
Gideon rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Ms. Chris, if both you and Regan experienced something unusual, then it's very likely not an illusion."
Carlos frowned in confusion.
"But a bed… suddenly shaking? Could it be that you two were moving around a lot on it—"
"Most likely not."
Gideon waved his hand and continued analyzing.
"Ms. Chris just said that neither she nor Regan has any bad habits, and there are no special pieces of furniture in the room."
"In that situation, the intensity of the bed's movement must have exceeded the normal range, which is why it caught your attention so strongly."
Chris stared at Gideon in a daze.
For the first time in days, she felt something warm in her heart—
someone actually believed her.
"But we still need to visit the scene before drawing a final conclusion," Gideon said.
"Oh, and I have a few more questions."
Chris nodded immediately.
"Please ask!"
Gideon asked,
"Father Burke mentioned that your home is located in a villa district. When you bought it, did you perhaps purchase it at a very low price?"
"This isn't meant to question your financial ability. If it's inconvenient to answer, that's fine."
"It's not a problem at all!" Chris quickly waved her hand.
Right now, she had finally met someone willing to listen to her—how could she possibly mind such questions?
"Yes, I did purchase the house below market price."
A nostalgic expression appeared on her face.
"You know how bad the economy has been these past few years. The film industry prefers older actors now, which is partly why I've been able to maintain my reputation…"
"Three years ago, an investor approached me to collaborate on a film. But he lacked funds, so he used that house as collateral for part of my payment."
Gideon nodded.
"I see."
"Large houses usually have a long history. Sometimes people have died in them, and their souls may linger…"
He briefly explained the reasoning and even warned them not to be tempted by bargains in the future.
Carlos listened as if hearing a completely foreign language.
Father Gideon speaks as if he's actually experienced these things before… he thought in astonishment.
Then Gideon asked another question—
Whether Regan had recently played any unusual games.
For example…
spirit summoning games.
The moment he finished speaking, shock flashed across Chris's eyes.
"A week ago, Regan invited me to play something called a Ouija board game…"
According to Chris, she had divorced her husband long ago, and Regan had always lived with her.
Because of her busy filming schedule, Regan often stayed home alone.
In order to make her daughter happy, Chris had provided generous material support and encouraged all of Regan's hobbies.
"Regan once mentioned someone called Captain Howdy. She said he answered a lot of her questions…"
"I thought she was just playing pretend. After all, actors need imagination and belief to perform well…"
Gideon immediately understood.
It seemed that in this world, the supernatural events surrounding Chris had not changed.
After resolving his doubts, Gideon suggested visiting Chris's house.
At that moment, Carlos suddenly spoke.
"Father Gideon… the Church has strict regulations regarding demonic possession."
"Unless a professional psychiatric hospital certifies that Regan has no illness—"
"And unless the Vatican grants authorization…"
"…an exorcism cannot be performed."
He spoke solemnly.
"Otherwise, the Church may pursue charges for violating doctrine."
Chris immediately asked,
"How long would it take to obtain such authorization?"
"The preliminary review alone takes at least one week. And waiting for the Vatican's reply might take a month."
"A month…" Chris staggered slightly.
"Regan can't wait that long."
Carlos fell silent.
In truth, there was something he hadn't said.
In all his years in the Church, he had never once seen anyone actually perform an exorcism.
Although Father Gideon clearly possessed unusual abilities…
The idea that demons and evil spirits might truly exist still frightened him.
"Let's go take a look first," Gideon said calmly.
---
Manhattan Suburbs — Luxury Residence
Chris parked the car in the neatly landscaped garden.
"Gentlemen, please follow me."
She led the way toward the house.
But after walking a few steps, Chris and Carlos realized Gideon had remained where he was.
"Father Gideon, what's wrong?"
Both looked at him curiously.
Gideon had somehow produced a monocular telescope and was observing the house carefully.
That familiar evil aura… the demon Pazuzu is indeed here, he thought.
But the demonic energy has already enveloped the entire house. The demon isn't even trying to hide.
So why has the Church done nothing about it…?
Gideon remained cautious internally, though he answered calmly on the surface.
"Before approaching a place occupied by evil spirits, it's best to confirm the surrounding safety first."
"These creatures are extremely good at manipulating human minds."
Chris immediately turned to look nervously toward the second-floor window.
Carlos examined the house again, but he couldn't see anything unusual.
"Father Carlos, please place these items around the outside of the house."
Gideon handed him several exorcism tools.
Carlos accepted a cross, but confusion appeared in his eyes.
It looked no different from the crosses he normally used.
Yet when he held it, he felt an unexpected sense of holiness and tranquility, as though the surrounding world had become calm.
Could this really drive away demons?
Carlos had a faint feeling that today he might witness something that would completely shatter his worldview.
Meanwhile—
Gideon walked around the exterior of the house, carefully inspecting every possible danger.
When he had exorcised the two girls earlier, the demon Pazuzu had already displayed power far beyond ordinary spirits.
This time, Gideon would not give it the same opportunity.
The items he handed to Carlos were thirty-year holy relics.
In addition, Gideon secretly set up nine layers of magical formations outside the house—
combining isolation arrays and reversal arrays.
This time, he intended to trap the demon completely.
The formations were arranged in alternating layers, prepared to respond to different situations.
Gideon also placed sacred statues within a two-hundred-meter radius around the house, temporarily drawing the entire area into the domain of holy light.
Seeing the two priests moving back and forth so seriously, Chris couldn't help but grow nervous.
"Father… Gideon… is this situation very dangerous? Regan is inside alone. Could she be in danger?"
Hearing that, Gideon's mouth twitched.
"Ms. Chris, right now Regan is the greatest danger inside that house. Also, no matter what happens later, you must not come close."
Carlos wiped the sweat from his forehead.
He leaned closer to Gideon and whispered,
"Father Gideon… could it really be… inside?"
Gideon stared at him.
"Father Carlos, do you want to see what this world really looks like?"
The words seemed to carry a strange power, instantly tightening Carlos's nerves.
Seeing that he didn't reply, Gideon raised his telescope and pointed toward the second-floor window.
Chris and Carlos followed his gaze.
Regan was suddenly standing there.
The girl's face was pale, covered with crimson wounds.
Most disturbing were her eyes—large patches of white surrounding amber irises, with the pupils shrunk into tiny black dots.
She looked less like a child and more like some kind of animal.
"Regan! Don't stand by the window!" Chris shouted.
But Regan seemed not to hear her. She continued staring straight past Chris.
Gideon smiled faintly and raised a middle finger into the air.
Carlos froze for a moment, then quickly looked away.
Such behavior, if discovered by the Church, would lead to severe punishment.
"Such nice weather today…" he muttered awkwardly.
Between religious doctrine and the man who had saved his life, Carlos decisively chose the latter.
---
By the Window
Seeing Gideon's provocation, "Regan" revealed a ferocious grin.
She beckoned him with one finger.
Gideon calmly stepped forward to a particular spot.
"Are you one of my mommy's friends? We don't welcome you here."
Regan spoke with a deep, rough voice.
"Mommy? Heh…"
Gideon sneered.
"If you're going to deceive people, at least try to hide it a little. Since when can a little girl speak with the voice of a grown man?"
"…!"
Regan gritted her teeth.
Seeing the wounds splitting across her daughter's face, Chris covered her mouth tightly.
Carlos stared in shock—the girl's appearance was clearly abnormal.
"Your priest identification card hasn't been returned yet, right?" Gideon suddenly asked Carlos.
Carlos nodded.
"Watch carefully what I'm about to do. You might have to rely on this someday."
Carlos didn't understand what he meant.
But trusting Gideon completely, he focused intently.
"Trying to be a savior, huh? You filthy bitch."
Regan suddenly spat the words.
Gideon gestured for patience and explained calmly to Carlos,
"Normally you shouldn't engage demons in direct conversation. They can glimpse people's secrets and use lies to manipulate them."
"However, this one is an exception. It mostly just throws out vulgar insults to provoke people."
The moment he finished speaking—
Regan shouted back angrily.
"Shut up, idiot! You think I can't see your secrets?!"
She stared intensely at Gideon, clearly preparing to expose something.
But a full minute passed.
Then suddenly she turned toward Carlos.
"You abandoned your mother in the hospital! You let her suffer alone! You're not a good son!"
Carlos's brows knitted tightly.
Its ability to peek into secrets—seems weaker than before it possessed the two girls, Gideon thought.
Then he said calmly,
"Relax, Carlos. That's one of a demon's typical tactics."
"They mix fragments of truth with fabricated lies to destroy your confidence."
Regan glared fiercely at Gideon.
"I'm still waiting for you to peek into my secrets," Gideon said with a smile.
"RAAAH!"
Regan suddenly screamed.
The entire house began to shake violently.
Cracks appeared in the walls.
At the same time, the temperature dropped sharply, and their breath turned into white mist.
Chris and Carlos stared in disbelief.
They had only ever seen scenes like this in movies.
Can a demon like this really be defeated?
But Gideon had already anticipated this.
He immediately activated three isolation arrays, sealing the demon's power inside the house.
Within seconds, the surroundings returned to complete silence.
Not only Chris and Carlos were stunned—
Even Regan at the window stared as if looking at a monster.
"Who the hell are you?!" the demon roared.
"I have no interest in chatting with someone who failed their advancement," Gideon replied coldly, striking directly at its weakness.
"If you have any other tricks, you'd better use them quickly. This is the first time I've seen such a weak demon."
Regan's chest heaved violently.
Confusion in her eyes grew stronger.
Then suddenly—
She spewed a large stream of green slime directly at Gideon.
"Father Gideon!" Chris and Carlos shouted.
But Gideon didn't even move.
The slime splattered harmlessly on the ground a short distance in front of him.
"Weak and pathetic," Gideon said, shaking his head.
"If demons had romantic relationships, your partner would surely be disappointed."
"Oh—my mistake. Demons don't really have genders. I suppose that comment won't offend you."
Crack.
The wooden edge of the window frame snapped in two.
Chris and Carlos exchanged glances.
This was their first time witnessing an exorcism.
It was nothing like what they had imagined.
"Shouldn't he be shouting scriptures while holding a Bible…?" Carlos swallowed nervously.
Meanwhile, "Regan" clearly hadn't expected things to unfold like this.
The human before her knew her secrets—
and her powers seemed ineffective against him.
For the first time, she felt something resembling frustration.
Then Gideon spoke again.
"Oh, and about your attack just now—I have a suggestion for improvement."
"Regan" tilted her head in confusion.
Gideon took a small glass bottle from his pocket.
"A spraying attack works well at short range."
He gestured at the distance between them.
"But in situations like this…"
"A throwing attack would be much more convenient."
The moment he finished speaking—
He hurled the bottle toward her.
"Regan" lifted one hand, slightly altering the bottle's trajectory.
It smashed against the wall beside the window.
She grinned viciously, clearly mocking Gideon's poor aim.
But the next moment—
A powerful wave of holy energy erupted into the air.
Shock flashed through her eyes.
When she turned, she realized the bottle's contents were incredibly powerful.
"Holy power! Damn holy power!" she shrieked.
Gideon smiled faintly.
Everything he had done before was deliberate—he had been provoking the demon, encouraging it to develop a competitive instinct.
That way, when he attacked, the demon might choose not to dodge.
Although the result wasn't exactly what he expected, he had still achieved his goal.
Under the influence of thirty-year holy water, the demon's power began dissolving rapidly.
Forced to resist the purification, it had to draw upon more of its own energy.
Gideon naturally didn't stop there.
He threw several more bottles of holy water—aged ten to twenty years—
precisely draining the demon's remaining strength.
---
Fifteen Minutes Later
The demon had grown extremely weak.
Clinging to the window frame, half of Regan's body began to change.
The black veins and corpse-like pale skin slowly faded.
It was a clear sign that the possession was weakening.
Gideon's eyes lit up, and he stopped attacking.
He wasn't about to miss such a perfect opportunity—
to practice sacred theology techniques.