Realm of the Night God

As the burly man's voice changed, the smile on Yang Haoran's face vanished. His eyes narrowed, a hint of coldness flickering at the corners, but quickly returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.

He swiftly locked the door again, then followed the old man into the space behind the green curtain.

Under Yang Haoran's gaze, with each step the burly man took, his body underwent changes. By the time he sat down on the chair by the bed, he was no longer burly, but had transformed into a stooped old man leaning on a cane.

This old man was none other than the spirit master Duda. It was unclear what method he had employed, but he had somehow thinned the Yin Qi enveloping his body so much that if Yang Haoran hadn't possessed strong Night Watchperceive yin abilities himself, he might have struggled to sense the Yin Qi around him.

Yang Haoran harbored deep hatred towards this old man in front of him. However, at this moment, he didn't let his animosity show on his face. Instead, he greeted Duda with a smile.

"Elder, what brings you here?" Yang Haoran asked with a smile.

"Not feeling too good, so I came to see you," Duda said with a grim face, his eyes flashing with coldness as he looked at Yang Haoran.

Observing Duda's demeanor, Yang Haoran understood what was going on with just a slight thought.

A few days ago, there had been a battle between Deng Feng and Duda. It was said that although Deng Feng was injured, Duda had suffered even worse. Not only was he seriously injured, but he also lost two powerful evil spirits, suffering heavy losses.

However, at this sensitive time, Yang Haoran found it strange that Duda would risk being discovered by Deng Feng to come see him.

"Why would this old man with a grudge come to see me when he's feeling bad? Could it be that he thinks Deng Feng's ability to find him has something to do with me?"

Yang Haoran thought so in his heart, but he didn't say it out loud. Instead, he wore a smile and said, "Elder, I'm really honored that you've come to see me."

Duda frowned at Yang Haoran's reaction, feeling quite uncomfortable, especially with that smile on his face. He couldn't shake off the feeling that this kid exuded a strong sense of cunning.

"I've come all the way here, and you still want to play dumb with me?" Duda's face turned colder as he spoke in a frosty tone.

Yang Haoran's expression changed, showing a puzzled look on his face.

"Elder, I'm a bit confused by what you're saying. What exactly happened?"

Seeing Yang Haoran pretending not to know, Duda snorted, a hint of killing intent flashing in his eyes.

"A few days ago, I was intercepted by Deng Feng, and I lost two evil spirits. Dare you say this has nothing to do with you?"

"So, it's true!" Yang Haoran looked surprised. Seeing Duda's unpleasant expression, he quickly explained, "Elder, please don't misunderstand. This matter truly has nothing to do with me. I've heard about what you mentioned, but I thought it was exaggerated. I didn't take it seriously at all. If you hadn't told me now, I would have completely forgotten about it."

Duda's expression didn't soften because of Yang Haoran's words. He still wore a grim face, looking extremely displeased. Obviously, he didn't believe Yang Haoran's words for a second.

"I swear to the heavens, I have nothing to do with this. If you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do. But think about it, I still have the soul scattering needle you planted inside me. Why would I do something like this? Wouldn't that be seeking death? How could angering you benefit me?"

Yang Haoran's words were quite emotional, albeit feigned. Nevertheless, they were true. The incident of Deng Feng intercepting Duda had nothing to do with him.

"Have you mentioned the soul scattering needle inside you to Deng Feng?" Duda asked in a low voice.

Yang Haoran's expression stiffened, then he looked hesitant.

Duda's expression turned even uglier. From Yang Haoran's reaction, he could already guess something.

"Speak!" he snapped, a fierce killing intent suddenly erupting from him.

Yang Haoran trembled slightly, his expression revealing a hint of fear as he stuttered, "I did indeed tell him about it. Not only about the soul scattering needle but also about the day I saw you, including the incident where you asked me to lure him into the ghost building."

"What!"

Duda's expression changed drastically. His face, lined with wrinkles, was now filled with fury and murderous intent. In an instant, he vanished from the chair, and Yang Haoran felt a gust of cold wind rushing towards him. His neck tightened, as if a pair of iron pincers had suddenly clamped around it, making it difficult to breathe.

Duda's eyes were blazing with fury as his hunched body hovered in the air, his palm tightly gripping Yang Haoran's neck. Despite his seemingly frail physique, he lifted Yang Haoran effortlessly!

Yang Haoran's face turned red from the struggle to breathe. He managed to explain with difficulty, "It's not what you think... let me... explain!"

Duda flung Yang Haoran's body away, crashing into the wall. He clenched his teeth, glaring at Yang Haoran as he struggled to rise from the ground. Through gritted teeth, Duda spoke with a venomous tone.

"If you can't give me a reasonable explanation, today I'll send your soul flying. I mean what I say!"

Yang Haoran coughed violently several times before helplessly saying, "Though I am Deng Feng's confidant, and he treats me as his right-hand man, Deng Feng is cunning and treacherous. Even though I hold some status in his eyes, getting him to enter the ghost building is an extremely difficult task."

Duda didn't interrupt Yang Haoran. He waited with a face full of fury for Yang Haoran to continue.

"Successfully luring Deng Feng into the ghost building and inciting him to fight with the figure inside is even more challenging. Even if his own mother came, she might not be able to accomplish it. So, after much thought, I decided that the best course of action was to let him enter the ghost building willingly!"

At this point, Duda's brow furrowed slightly. Although the anger on his face hadn't dissipated because of Yang Haoran's words, it was evident that Yang Haoran's explanation had caught his attention.

"After careful consideration, I came up with a plan. I decided to tell him everything about the day I met you and even about your intentions. I did this to gain more of his trust!"

"The situation unfolded as I expected. I told him everything about our encounter, and he was delighted. Not only did he trust me more, but he also rewarded me generously with pure yin qi on the spot. I believe you've noticed this, Elder. Compared to the last time we met, my strength has increased at least twice!"

Had Yang Haoran not mentioned it, Duda wouldn't have noticed this detail. His mind had been filled with rage, leaving no room to sense the changes in Yang Haoran's Yin spirit power. But now, as Yang Haoran brought it up, Duda sensed it. Indeed, Yang Haoran's Yin spirit power had increased by at least twice since their first encounter!

"What does this prove? It only proves that you sold me out! Then went to Deng Feng for a reward!" Duda thundered.

"No, seeking rewards wasn't my main goal. How could those rewards compare to my life? My main goal was to get him willingly into the ghost building and voluntarily fight with the figure inside!"

A sneer appeared on Duda's aged face. He snorted and said angrily, "You sold me out, and he would willingly enter the ghost building and fight with the figure inside? Are you that naive? Do you think Deng Feng is a fool?"

"Of course, it's not that simple. I told him that to successfully lure you out, we needed to stage a play, a play specifically for you. To execute this play well and deceive you successfully, he needed to cooperate well with the figure inside the ghost building. Therefore, he had to communicate with the figure in the ghost building in advance. Only then would you fall into the trap and be captured."

As Yang Haoran spoke, Duda's body trembled with rage. His gaze towards Yang Haoran became even more intense, filled with more killing intent than before!

Seeing this, Yang Haoran hastily continued, "Wait before you act, let me finish. If the figure inside the ghost building plays along with him sincerely! Who will benefit in the end?"

With this last sentence, Duda was stunned!

[Heartfelt thankyou for the support! BokuBoku]