Realm of the Night God

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The last words from Duda truly caught Yang Haoran off guard. He hadn't expected to underestimate Duda's treachery. This frail-looking old man, leaning on a crutch, could actually be so malicious in his actions. No words could fully describe the sinister nature of his heart, not even comparing it to a venomous snake or scorpion.

But what truly shocked Yang Haoran the most was Duda's demand!

To lure Deng Feng into the Ghost Tower and instigate a fight between the two sides—what was he planning?

It was clearly a ploy to reap the benefits without getting directly involved!

Yang Haoran knew what the Ghost Tower referred to. It was the very place he had to spend a night in before joining the Night Watch. Among the notorious places in Lecheng, the Ghost Tower stood out as the most sinister. Many capable individuals knew of the existence of ghosts inside but dared not step foot in it—not because they didn't want to capture the spirits inside but because they feared becoming one of them.

What happened on the night Yang Haoran entered the Ghost Tower was something he never mentioned to anyone outside. Neither Master Jiang nor Deng Feng had ever inquired about it. Yet, the experience he had that night was something he would never forget in his lifetime.

"I know about the Ghost Tower you mentioned. The reason it still exists to this day is that the figure inside has been cooperating with our Yin Division in Lecheng. Given this situation, even if it were possible to lure Deng Feng into the Ghost Tower, there's no way they would engage in a fight. Sir, are you joking with me by proposing such terms?" Yang Haoran asked with a smile.

Despite the amicable smile on Yang Haoran's face, he was cursing Duda and his ancestors in his heart. To him, Duda's request was nothing short of a death sentence.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Duda asked calmly, observing Yang Haoran.

Yang Haoran's smile became somewhat forced, and he replied, "Sir, aren't you putting me in a difficult position? If I had such capability, would I have let myself be oppressed by you like this? Why don't you change the terms?"

Duda shook his head lightly. "Your value in my eyes lies solely in this. This is your only chance to stay alive. Seize it, and at the very least, you'll live for another month. If you don't, you won't even have the chance for reincarnation."

Yang Haoran's smile froze for a moment. Duda's threat was crude, but he couldn't find any words to refute it. He fell silent.

Duda continued, "There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world. If you want something, you must be willing to pay for it. If you want to preserve your life, you must be prepared to take risks. Only then can the transaction be fair and trustworthy."

"Trustworthy? Trust your ass! If I believe your nonsense, I'd be a fool!" Yang Haoran cursed inwardly. He would never take Duda's words seriously, given his cunning nature.

Putting aside whether he could fulfill Duda's demands, even if he could, he couldn't guarantee that Duda would spare him. The evil spirit behind him had been greedily eyeing him all night. After the deed was done, there was a high chance Duda would feed him to that evil spirit.

Although he didn't believe Duda's words, there was one reality he couldn't ignore: he had no choice at the moment.

If he agreed, the worst-case scenario would be death in a month.

If he didn't, he would die immediately, without a doubt.

The weight of the decision was clear in Yang Haoran's mind.

"Regardless, I need to keep this old man in check. A month's time is enough for me to do many things. Maybe I'll come up with another solution!"

Even if he had a minute to think of as many solutions as possible, it wouldn't be as reliable as a month of careful consideration.

Yang Haoran had already made his decision on what to choose.

"Very well, I'll do my best to fulfill this task. Whether it succeeds or not, it's up to fate. If you have any other tricks up your sleeve, feel free to use them. I have no objections," Yang Haoran said with a smile.

Having made his decision, Yang Haoran wouldn't hesitate any longer. As for why he reminded Duda about keeping some tricks, it wasn't because Yang Haoran was being insolent, but because he deliberately did so to appear indifferent, giving the impression that whether Duda kept some tricks or not was inconsequential.

Unfortunately, Duda completely saw through his act.

"You don't have to pretend to be indifferent. I know you'll agree to my terms. So, I've already prepared a gift for you."

With these words, Duda ignored Yang Haoran's awkward smile and spat out a black needle from his mouth, suspending it in the air before him.

The needle was entirely black, similar in thickness to a regular sewing needle but much longer, about the length of an adult's middle finger. It emitted a strong aura of chilliness and an unpleasant odor.

The chilling aura was one thing, and Yang Haoran dealt with Yin Qi every day, so he naturally didn't mind it. However, the nauseating stench that assaulted his senses made him feel sick.

Whether the foul smell emanated from the black needle itself or from Duda, Yang Haoran couldn't be sure.

But Yang Haoran was somewhat surprised. How did Duda manage to fit such a long black needle into his mouth?

While Yang Haoran was still in awe, he saw Duda blow a breath towards the black needle. The needle, suspended in the air, seemed to...

Respond to some sort of command, turning into a black light and heading straight for Yang Haoran's forehead.

Instinctively, Yang Haoran tried to dodge, but the needle was too fast. Before he could react, it had already pierced his forehead.

The Death Mark Seal on his forehead showed no reaction, nor did the power seed of the talisman master. He felt no pain. The black needle seemed to merge into his forehead like air.

Yang Haoran's heart skipped a beat. He hurriedly tried to sense the presence of the black needle with his Yin spirit power, but it seemed to vanish within his body, leaving no trace.

Encountering such a situation suddenly, Yang Haoran's smile became strained.

Being able to maintain any smile at all was quite bold of him. At this moment, Yang Haoran could guess that whatever method Duda used was definitely not ordinary; otherwise, how could he use it as a trump card?

But what could Yang Haoran do?

Apart from accepting, what else could he do?

They say resistance is futile, so he might as well try to enjoy it. Although Yang Haoran couldn't resist the current situation, trying to enjoy it... well, that was another puzzle he couldn't solve.

"Sir, you're quite straightforward. Now that you've kept your trump card, could you tell me what exactly this black needle is?" Yang Haoran asked with a smile that was barely polite but somewhat embarrassed.

"This needle is called the soul scattering needle. Once implanted in your body, I can activate it at any time to disperse your soul within a short period. Once your soul disperses but your spirit remains, you won't be a member of the Night Watch anymore; you'll be a vegetable. Of course, if you're lucky, your spirit and body may completely fuse and turn into a corpse fiend," Duda explained.

The strained smile on Yang Haoran's face froze. He hadn't expected the soul scattering needle to be so formidable. However, Duda's next words completely wiped the smile off his face.

"I've planted this soul scattering needle in you, so besides me, no one else has the ability to remove it. If you don't believe me, you can ask Deng Feng; he should be able to confirm it for you."

"But if you do tell him about this, the difficulty of luring him into the Ghost Tower will increase. Whether you ask him or not, it's up to you."

Duda's meaning was simple: if you don't trust me, you can ask your superior, Deng Feng. However, if Deng Feng can't be lured into the Ghost Tower because of this, then your only path will be death.

Therefore, it's best for you to keep quiet and cooperate with me. If I manage to lure Deng Feng into the Ghost Tower, at least you'll still have a chance.

Although Duda didn't explicitly state it, how could Yang Haoran fail to grasp the implication in his words?

In a nicer sense, Duda was reminding him; in a harsher sense, well... he was threatening him. Faced with such a threat, even someone as bold as Yang Haoran would find it difficult to maintain a smile.

At this moment, Duda, who had been sitting all along, struggled to stand up with the help of his crutch. He truly looked like a feeble old man with no strength. However, seeing him pretending like this, Yang Haoran couldn't help but wish to slap him across the face!

"Sigh!" Duda sighed and patted his back, then said, "I've said what needs to be said, and I've done what needs to be done. As for what you choose to do, it's up to you."

With that, Duda prepared to leave. But before he left, it seemed he remembered something and added, "Oh, I forgot to remind you. I've specially treated the soul scattering needle in your body. Even if I don't activate it, its power will erupt after a month. If you really manage to lure Deng Feng into the Ghost Tower and make him fight the figure inside, I'll naturally show up. However, you better pray that victory is on my side; otherwise, if something happens to me, you'll still end up as a vegetable."

After saying these words, Duda, accompanied by his guardian yin spirit, disappeared into thin air like he had arrived, leaving only the green curtains swaying violently and Yang Haoran in disarray amidst the Yin wind.

[Heartfelt thankyou for the support! BokuBoku]