Realm of the Night God

Chapter 74: Worries

Ma Ling's peculiar expression arose from Yang Haoran's lack of belongings.

Both she and Wang Yiming had their own things. While these items might not be particularly useful in the hands of others, they held significant power in their possession. Without these items, they couldn't fully unleash their abilities.

For people like them, these possessions were crucial. Normally, they kept these items close, even in special situations when it wasn't convenient to carry them. They would ensure they were always within reach.

However, Yang Haoran had nothing on him, neither a bag nor any other belongings nearby. It naturally struck Ma Ling as odd.

"You didn't really bring anything with you?" Ma Ling couldn't help but ask.

"Of course, I brought the essentials for dining," Yang Haoran responded with a smile.

His response only piqued Ma Ling's curiosity further. She thought Yang Haoran had dining essentials on him, but she didn't see any bulges in his pockets, leaving her puzzled about what exactly he meant by dining essentials and where he kept them.

"Weird. Anyway, I'm not expecting you to contribute much. I'll just wait to split the money with my sister," Ma Ling said, then resumed drinking. Master Wu, seeing this, lifted his glass and joined Ma Ling in drinking, while offering compliments.

After lunch, Ma Ling wandered around the villa with a drunken expression, while Yang Haoran lounged in a chair in the courtyard, smoking and basking in the sun. Guanhai lay beside Yang Haoran, puffing away as well.

"You should head back soon. It's dangerous here, and I might not be able to look after you," Yang Haoran said to Guanhai.

Guanhai chuckled, saying, "Is it really that dangerous? Although Wu Xiaoxiao and the others make it sound scary, Wang Yiming and Ma Ling seem confident. Besides, you're here too. How dangerous could it be?"

Yang Haoran shook his head at Guanhai's nonchalance. "Things aren't as simple as you think. The Yin Qi in this villa is heavy. Trust me, leaving as soon as possible is the wisest choice."

"Oh, come on, I'm an adult. If it gets really dangerous, I know how to escape. You don't need to worry about me. We've known each other for so long, done plenty of business together. I've never seen a ghost before. This might be a chance to broaden my horizons," Guanhai said.

"Aren't you afraid?" Yang Haoran asked.

With Yang Haoran's question, Guanhai's smile turned awkward. "Of course, I'm somewhat afraid, but it's also thrilling, isn't it?"

"Thrilling? Wu Xiaoxiao is a living example. Ask her if she still finds it thrilling after that. See how she responds," Yang Haoran said with a smile.

"Whether she finds it thrilling is her business. Whether I find it thrilling is mine. They're unrelated," Guanhai engaged in a bit of a debate.

Yang Haoran chuckled and felt the urge to retort, but just as the two were about to spar again, Master Wu approached where Yang Haoran sat.

Yang Haoran closed his mouth, and Guanhai tactfully remained silent.

Walking ahead was Master Wu, followed by Eldest son Wu and Wu Xiaoxiao. From their appearance, it seemed they were specifically looking for Yang Haoran.

Seeing them approach, Yang Haoran stood up, his signature smile returning to his face.

Seeing Yang Haoran's harmless smile once again, Guanhai couldn't help but feel puzzled.

In Lecheng, their relationship was the closest, so Guanhai was most familiar with Yang Haoran's personality. However, over the past month, Yang Haoran had become somewhat unfamiliar to him.

In the past, Yang Haoran would engage in banter like this with him, which was fine. But when dealing with clients, he used to be all about sweet talk. He wouldn't argue with them but would never remain silent like he did now.

Although Guanhai didn't know what had changed in Yang Haoran over the past month, he could sense the change. His friend was becoming increasingly inscrutable.

Little did Guanhai know, the old Yang Haoran had no real skills; he relied on sweet talk to earn clients' trust. Being silent wasn't his forte.

But now, as a Night Watch, Yang Haoran had real skills. He didn't need to talk much to fool others. He only needed to show his skills when necessary. So, when facing others, he spoke less and relied on a smile to handle things. This approach also added an air of mystery to his persona, elevating his image unintentionally.

"Yang, my boy, the old man here wants to have a chat with you. Hope we're not disturbing you," Master Wu said with a genial smile, addressing Yang Haoran.

"What does Master Wu want to talk about?" Yang Haoran asked with a smile.

"Come, come, let's sit down and talk," Master Wu gestured politely, urging Yang Haoran and Guanhai to sit.

Once seated, Wu Xiaoxiao dutifully brought a chair for Master Wu to sit on.

As for Eldest son Wu and Wu Xiaoxiao, they stood obediently behind Master Wu.

Guanhai felt uncomfortable, sitting while Eldest son Wu and Wu Xiaoxiao stood. In Lecheng, these two were absolute big shots, and he felt completely inadequate in their presence. Sitting here made him feel truly awkward.

But Guanhai was clever. He knew he didn't have the authority to ask Eldest son Wu and Wu Xiaoxiao to sit down. So, he chose to excuse himself, thinking it would be best for both parties if he left.

"Master Wu, you two go ahead. I need to use the restroom," Guanhai spoke up.

Master Wu nodded with a smile, showing appreciation for Guanhai's departure. He had hoped Guanhai would leave, but he didn't want to ask him directly.

Yang Haoran remained seated, completely at ease. He smiled at Master Wu, waiting for him to continue.

"Yang, are you from Lecheng?" Master Wu asked casually.

Yang Haoran smiled and nodded, remaining silent.

Seeing Yang Haoran's lack of response, Master Wu felt a bit awkward. He wished Yang Haoran would say something, as that would give him an opening to continue their conversation. Once he set the stage, he could ask the questions he wanted to.

However, Yang Haoran remained silent, leaving Master Wu feeling like he was punching cotton.

Time was short, so Master Wu decided to cut to the chase and directly asked the question on his mind.

"Yang, that little game with the pen spirit, can it really summon spirits?" Master Wu asked.

This time, Yang Haoran didn't stay silent. He replied, "Yes, it can. There are many folk methods for summoning spirits. As long as you understand the methods and steps and there are spirits nearby, it's possible to summon them."

Master Wu listened carefully, not missing a word. When Yang Haoran finished speaking, he seized on the key point.

"Spirits? Does that mean...?" Master Wu asked tentatively.

"Usually, when the method for summoning spirits is employed, all spirits within the range of the method will sense it. Whether they come or not depends on their willingness and the abilities of the practitioner," Yang Haoran explained.

Upon hearing this, Master Wu's expression turned somewhat grim. He asked, "And my home now..."

Yang Haoran was about to reply when Wang Yiming suddenly appeared. Seeing Wang Yiming approaching, Yang Haoran stopped speaking and closed his mouth with a smile.

"You're really leisurely," Wang Yiming said with a displeased expression, his face looking a bit pale, as if he had expended a lot of energy on something significant.

Master Wu and the others didn't understand why Wang Yiming's face was pale, but Yang Haoran did. Wang Yiming must have expended a considerable amount of energy drawing talismans.

The main method of Fu Sect's talisman masters was using talismans against enemies. However, not just any talisman would suffice. Even if a non-master drew an identical talisman, it wouldn't possess any special abilities.

Drawing talismans required the expenditure of the talisman master's spiritual energy. The more powerful the talisman, the more energy it required. If a large amount of spiritual energy was expended in a short time, physical exhaustion was inevitable, as evidenced by Wang Yiming's pale complexion.

Seeing Yang Haoran leisurely basking in the sun, Wang Yiming couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. His tone turned unfriendly as he spoke.

Yang Haoran chuckled but didn't offer any explanation, further aggravating Wang Yiming's displeasure.

However, Wang Yiming didn't continue the confrontation. He turned his gaze to Master Wu and said, "I'm ready now. We can start. Once we're done here, I need to leave quickly, so please don't waste my time."

With that said, Wang Yiming turned and left. Master Wu smiled apologetically at Yang Haoran and then gestured for him to follow.

Yang Haoran nodded with a smile, then got up and followed Wang Yiming. Watching Wang Yiming's retreating figure, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Dealing with this matter today wasn't going to be easy. If it were as easy as Wang Yiming claimed, he wouldn't have suggested Guanhai leave first.