After hearing him out, Chen Miao stood up. "Hang on. I'm going to make a call."
Chen Miao took his phone into the corridor and called Chen Guokun.
"Guokun, there's something I wanted to ask you about. Here's what happened..."
Chen Miao explained what had happened to Li Zi and Xiang Shang, emphasizing the Peachwood Talisman's different reactions on the two occasions and the fact that he had detected no fluctuations of yin energy from Li Zi.
After listening, Chen Guokun gave his answer.
"That does sound like a ghost. Ghosts are complicated. Not every ghost wants to kill people outright on sight."
"Some ghosts harbor intense resentment. They usually don't kill their targets directly. Instead, they implant some of their own resentment in them. That resentment gradually alters the targets' behavior, steering them in the direction the ghosts want. Only once they've achieved the desired result do they kill their targets."
"But a ghost's resentment is ultimately a foreign presence forced into the target's mind. The target's own will hasn't been erased. Apart from a few weak-willed people who are completely controlled and eventually killed by the ghost, most affected targets die in various accidents caused by their confused mental state."
"The car accident you mentioned is one example. Others include falling into a river, jumping from a building, or setting fire to their own homes."
"As for the Peachwood Talisman, here's my guess... The ghost probably approached the target that night but was stopped by the talisman. Then it came back the next day. Without the talisman's protection, the target had the ghost's resentment implanted in them."
"Resentment exists differently from yin energy. Its form is closer to a brain wave that influences consciousness. That's why your Peachwood Talisman didn't react when you brought it near the target."