Realm of the Night God

Chapter 77: Illusions

As Steward aimed the gun at Master Wu, Master Wu seemed to sense something. He turned around, just in time to see the dark barrel of the gun.

Steward had been with him for many years, loyal and dedicated. Master Wu was sure of that. And he held Steward in high regard, seeing him as a brother, as part of the Wu Family.

He couldn't believe Steward would do anything harmful to him. He knew this was all manipulated by the male ghost; Steward had no part in it.

"Steward! Stay calm! Don't act rashly!"

Master Wu yelled, hoping to snap Steward out of it.

But his shouts had no effect; instead, they seemed to make Steward even more frantic. His expression turned more ferocious, his hand gripping the gun trembling, on the verge of firing at any moment!

Master Wu was undoubtedly capable. He faced unknown fears and conquered them, allowing him to stay lucid. But he overlooked one thing: just because he could face and conquer his inner fears didn't mean others present could do the same.

"They're all trapped in their own illusions. This ghost wants to use them as pawns. We must stop him!"

Wang Yiming roared, but before he could finish, Steward, completely lost in his own illusion, pulled the trigger!

Bang!!!

The bullet missed Master Wu, who immediately dove to the side!

Despite Master Wu's age, his reflexes were quick, as if he had experienced such situations many times before. Upon hearing the gunshot, his body reacted instinctively.

As the first shot missed, Steward aimed for Master Wu again. But at that moment, Yang Haoran suddenly appeared in front of Steward. With his right hand emitting black smoke, he reached into the void!

Though the bullet didn't hit Master Wu, Yang Haoran seemed to have caught something. With a flick of his hand, dispersing the Yin spirit power, a smoking bullet dropped to the ground.

Then, Yang Haoran swiftly disarmed Steward. Without the gun in his hand, Steward's threat diminished significantly.

However, at that moment, Wu Xiaoxiao, Guanhai, and others began to self-harm. They seemed possessed, attacking themselves as if they were their own enemies, using whatever they could find to harm themselves.

Wang Yiming had intended to seize the opportunity to deal with the male ghost. But witnessing the chaos, he abandoned that plan and rushed towards Eldest Son Wu.

Ma Ling dashed towards Wu Xiaoxiao, while Yang Haoran charged at Guanhai.

"Hehehehe..." A sinister and terrifying laughter emanated from the hovering male ghost. He looked down at the chaotic scene below, appearing very satisfied.

"You can rescue them slowly. We'll meet again later. Hahaha!"

As his words echoed, the maniacal laughter of the male ghost filled the entire villa. His ethereal form gradually faded away.

Yang Haoran subdued the frenzied Guanhai and then turned his gaze towards the male ghost, his eyes chillingly cold.

As if sensing Yang Haoran's stare, in the split second before disappearing, the male ghost glanced at Yang Haoran, grinning greedily and licking his lips, a look of longing in his eyes.

That expression... Yang Haoran had seen it before on the face of the female ghost!

They were coveting the Yin Qi within him, or rather, the Yin spirit power inside him.

In the past, they had encountered undead creatures, most of them relatively weak, with a few slightly stronger ones. But none could compare to the ghosts they faced today, both in terms of strength and courage.

As the male ghost vanished, just like the female ghost before, the illusions that had ensnared Guanhai and the others also disappeared.

Without the influence of the illusions, Guanhai and the others gradually began to regain their senses. However, their emotions were still highly volatile, even without the effects of the illusions.

After about a dozen minutes, their emotions gradually calmed down, but traces of fear still lingered on their faces.

"Master Wu, I'm truly sorry for putting you all in harm's way," Wang Yiming said with a hint of guilt, addressing Master Wu. Although his words were directed at Master Wu, they were meant for everyone from the Wu Family present.

At that moment, Master Wu was being supported by Wu Xiaoxiao. His expression was grave, while Wu Xiaoxiao appeared pale, obviously shaken.

Meanwhile, the butler stood by Master Wu's side, his demeanor filled with guilt and self-blame. He now realized he had nearly shot Master Wu with the gun. Although Master Wu didn't blame him, he couldn't shake off the feeling of remorse.

In response to Wang Yiming's apology, Master Wu managed to force a smile and said, "You warned us about the dangers within this house, yet I insisted on staying. The fault lies with me, not you, so you need not blame yourself."

The more Master Wu tried to alleviate the guilt, the more Wang Yiming felt responsible. He sighed and said, "I never expected there to be two ghosts in this mansion, both powerful. It was my oversight."

"It's still daytime, so the power of the ghosts is suppressed. But at night, when the Yin Qi intensifies, their strength will increase, making it even more difficult to deal with them!" Ma Ling added at this moment.

Ma Ling had been silent until now. But with this statement, Wang Yiming's focus immediately shifted to her and Yang Haoran.

"I'm not the only one Master Wu hired, yet you two," Wang Yiming pointedly addressed Ma Ling and Yang Haoran, "have not shown any value to me."

Wang Yiming's words were direct, leaving no room for courtesy in front of everyone.

"I told you before, if you couldn't handle it, I would take charge. But you insisted on acting as if you could control the situation, and your abilities disappointed me," he continued, showing no mercy to himself nor to Ma Ling.

"All right! If you think you're capable, go ahead! I'll stay here to protect them. Show me you can subdue those two ghosts!" Wang Yiming's anger was evident in his words.

"I'll do it! I have the ability to do so. Just wait and see!" Ma Ling retorted confidently, refusing to back down, her face filled with determination.

Seeing the two argue, Master Wu wanted to intervene, but before he could speak, Yang Haoran, who had remained silent, suddenly spoke up.

"Excellent timing!"

His voice was low and icy, leaving everyone puzzled and looking at him strangely.

Yang Haoran, who had previously maintained a smile, now wore a grim expression. Ignoring the curious gazes, he extended his left hand!

For a moment, Master Wu and the others couldn't understand what Yang Haoran intended to do. His actions were baffling. However, Wang Yiming and Ma Ling seemed to sense something, their eyes fixated on the ring worn on Yang Haoran's left pinky finger!

Under their scrutiny, strands of Yin Qi swiftly coiled around the ring. Then, the gem embedded in the ring suddenly detached and, under everyone's gaze, rapidly enlarged, transforming into a fist-sized bead.

This bead was none other than the soul gathering bead!

It turned out that the gem embedded in the ring was not an ordinary stone but a soul gathering bead.

The soul gathering bead could shrink in size. Yang Haoran had learned this when he exchanged souls with other Night Watch members. To make it convenient for him to use at any time, he embedded the soul gathering bead into the ring.

As the soul gathering bead appeared, Master Wu and the others saw it as something miraculous and unbelievable. However, Wang Yiming and Ma Ling saw something else, their expressions changing!

"This seems to be..." Wang Yiming murmured, his expression a mix of astonishment and uncertainty. But Yang Haoran offered no explanation. He seemed to have discovered something. With a stern face, he waved his left hand, and the suspended soul gathering bead flew like a tennis ball, smashing towards a direction!