Realm of the Night God

The house built by Song Laoyao was constructed with red bricks and cement, displaying a rough craftsmanship. Cement overflowed in many places, and after drying, it became exceptionally sturdy. Some areas even had sharp edges.

The back of the young boy's head collided with the wall behind him, hitting the sharp cement precisely. A small cut opened on the back of his head, and fresh blood oozed out, wetting his messy and dirty hair, streaming down his neck.

His neck itched, and the young boy wiped away tears with one hand while the other tried to clean the blood on his neck. He looked at his hand stained with blood, crying, and wiped it on his tattered clothes.

Although his face still showed fear, it wasn't intensified by the bleeding. He seemed accustomed to such scenes of bloodshed; wiping blood on his clothes was just a habitual motion.

His fear wasn't due to the head injury but rather the manic man in front of him, his father, Song Laoyao.

"You're wiping blood on your clothes again! Look at your attire! Tattered, dirty—I feel embarrassed as your father!"

Song Laoyao didn't care about his son's head injury; what bothered him was the blood on the clothes.

The neighbors had kindly given this set of clothes to the pitiable boy. It wasn't a specially bought outfit but discarded because it no longer fit their own child. When Song Laoyao learned about it, instead of gratitude, he felt insulted and disrespected. He scolded the neighbor mercilessly.

After that incident, no one dared to give any clothes to the young boy. The goodwill turned into a scolding, and people were reluctant to repeat such thankless gestures.

Ironically, the boy liked the set of clothes because he had never seen anything better. Unfortunately, without replacements, he wore it for a year, becoming increasingly worn and ill-fitting.

Song Laoyao didn't let the boy take off the clothes not because the boy liked them, but because there were no other clothes at home, regardless of whether they fit or not.

So, he wore this set until now. The reason for Song Laoyao's outburst wasn't concern for the tattered clothes; even if his son had no clothes, he wouldn't care. He just wanted to vent his inner anger.

The young boy, with a fearful expression, bit his lip. His frail body trembled against the wall. He didn't dare wipe the fresh blood flowing down his neck, letting it soak his shirt.

Seeing his son like this, Song Laoyao's anger flared up even more. Already in a bad mood, he found fault with everything he saw, creating excuses to unleash his fury.

At this moment, Song Laoyao, in this state, was ready to give the boy another slap. However, just then, a cold wind swept through the room.

"Mom... Mom... Are you here to take me away?"

The young boy, looking at Song Laoyao's back, suddenly spoke with a trembling voice, a mix of joy and grievance in his tone. Each quivering word carried indescribable bitterness.

"Mom?" Song Laoyao was momentarily stunned. Recalling the misfortunes of the day and the eerie events on his way home, he was instantly consumed by rage.

"Your mother has been dead for seven days! Where's your mother? You brat, at such a young age, you dare to lie! Scaring your old man! I'll beat you to death right now, you little turtle..."

Before he could finish his scolding, Song Laoyao's voice abruptly stopped. The room's light suddenly flickered, and he noticed a new figure standing in front of the young boy.

"Ah!!!"

The appearance of this person first stunned Song Laoyao, and then he let out a horrifying scream. Unprecedented fear was written all over his face.

Ignoring the boy, he abandoned any thought of scolding and turned to escape the room. But just as he turned, the person who was supposed to be in front of the young boy mysteriously appeared in front of him, blocking his path.

This is a pale woman—or more accurately, not a person but a ghost, a female ghost with a face as white as paper, devoid of any expression!

The female ghost is dressed in tattered clothes, with visible bruises on her body and face. Even though she doesn't have a physical form at the moment, even as a soul body, the severe bruises and some old scars are still evident.

Her attire and the injuries on her body preserve the appearance she had before death. The reason for choosing to manifest in this way is undoubtedly intentional.

This female ghost is none other than Song Laoyao's deceased wife.

The scene unfolding before Song Laoyao left him dumbfounded. When he regained his senses, another horrified scream escaped his lips, and instinctively, he retreated backward, colliding with the young boy behind him.

The moment his body touched the young boy, Song Laoyao seized this lifeline, pulling the child towards him. He used the child as a shield, shouting frantically at the female ghost.

"Whether you're a person or a ghost, if you come any closer, I'll kill him!"

Facing Song Laoyao's furious roar, the female ghost still showed no emotion. However, the boy, now used as a hostage, shed even more tears. Unlike Song Laoyao's terrified expression, the boy's face revealed deep affection and longing.

Though only four years old, ever since he could remember, this woman had protected and loved him. However, this woman left him seven days ago.

He knew his mother had died because he witnessed her being buried. However, his understanding of death was not profound. Seeing his departed mother once again, he instinctively thought that she had returned.

Encountering his mother again triggered an eruption of longing and dependence. Only by her side could he feel a hint of peace. His eyes revealed not only longing but also the hope that his mother would take him away from this hell, far away, never to see the man before him again.

Before her death, the female ghost endured most of Song Laoyao's abuse and violence. Even after her death, the unchanged Song Laoyao continued his brutality on their son, making the boy's yearning and dependence on his mother even stronger. So, seeing his mother again, tears gushed out like a bursting flood, uncontrollable.

Seeing that the female ghost remained unresponsive, Song Laoyao felt both fear and urgency. He grabbed the boy's neck, yelling angrily at the female ghost.

"Leave! Go as far as you can! If you don't leave, I'll choke him to death! Try me!!!"

To demonstrate his determination, Song Laoyao squeezed the boy's hand forcefully. The boy's face contorted in pain, and tears the size of beans dropped onto Song Laoyao's hand. However, these glistening tears didn't awaken Song Laoyao's conscience. Instead, they fueled his ferocity.

Seeing that the female ghost still showed no intention of leaving, Song Laoyao roared again, increasing the force, ready to strangle his own son right in front of the female ghost, his biological son!

However, at this moment, Song Laoyao's world underwent a drastic change. The boy disappeared from his embrace, transported to an unfamiliar place.

In reality, Song Laoyao released the child from his embrace. Initially perplexed, he then appeared to witness an extremely terrifying scene. His face filled with terror, he rushed to a corner, cursing and violently beating the air.

The female ghost withdrew her gaze from Song Laoyao, looking at the child covered in blood and injuries. Finally, her emotionless face showed a change, revealing pain and guilt.

Two tears rolled down the female ghost's face, but before they could touch the ground, they transformed into black Yin Qi, dissipating into nothingness.

"Xiaokang..."

The female ghost had just spoken when a cold drink echoed from outside.

"I knew the Yin Qi in the slums was unusually heavy tonight. It turns out there's some ghost causing trouble!"

It was a man's voice, but it wasn't Yang Haoran's.