Chapter 132 Two Broken Books
Yang Haoran's chain attack evoked another horrific shriek from Zhou, a cry more agonizing than any before.
His Spirit Body was already unstable, like a candle flame flickering in the wind, threatening to extinguish at any moment.
A cold expression settled on Yang Haoran's face. He had originally intended to lash Zhou a few more times with his chain to vent his inner fury, but seeing Zhou's Spirit Body on the verge of dissipation, he held himself back.
He didn't want Zhou to suffer Soul Transformation so easily. Thus, despite his intense desire to strike Zhou a few more times with the chain, he ultimately had to forcefully restrain himself.
Zhou's rage intensified at that moment, as did his fear. He simply couldn't comprehend what had gotten into Yang Haoran, what madness he was caught in, constantly whipping him at the slightest provocation. This behavior left him utterly furious.
What he feared, however, was Yang Haoran delivering another one of those blows. Even without increasing the force, just another strike like the last one would be enough to make him suffer Soul Transformation.
The reason Yang Haoran had instantly revealed his killing intent was the content recorded on the paper before him.
The characters used on this paper were not demonic script, but ones Yang Haoran could understand, yet the content recorded was related to corpse refining.
The Corpse-Controlling Gate, a mysterious sect dedicated solely to corpse refining, utilized various zombies as their primary means of attack.
The current state of Yangjiawan, the tragic deaths of his parents—all of it was Zhou's doing, and the method Zhou used involved zombies.
That's why, upon reading the contents recorded on the paper, Yang Haoran became so enraged, unable to control his urge to viciously lash Zhou.
In his estimation, Zhou had most likely learned the art of corpse refining from this very paper. Had he not studied the corpse refining techniques detailed on it, the tragedy of Yangjiawan might never have occurred.
That was why his reaction was so strong upon seeing this paper.
Now, he harbored not a shred of fondness for zombies or the corpse refiners who controlled them.
However, this was merely a lack of fondness, not outright hatred, for he hated Zhou, not all corpse refiners or zombies.
Someone like Zhou, even if he hadn't obtained this paper or understood the path of corpse refining, would still commit inhumane acts for his own benefit.
Every wrong has its perpetrator, every debt its debtor. Yang Haoran wouldn't hate an entire group because of one individual.
Gazing at the yellowed paper, Yang Haoran felt an impulse to tear it to shreds. But he hesitated, and instead of destroying it, he gritted his teeth and meticulously read through the contents.
He wasn't doing this to learn corpse refining. While he wouldn't hate the entire group of corpse refiners, he also had no fondness for them, so he would never, ever learn the art of corpse refining.
The reason he meticulously read the information on the paper was simply to gain a greater understanding of zombies. That way, if he encountered such opponents in the future, he wouldn't be too disadvantaged simply because he knew nothing.
Suppressing the discomfort in his heart, Yang Haoran spent some time committing most of the information on the paper to memory. Then, without any hesitation, he burned the paper to ashes.
He didn't immediately touch the other two dilapidated books. Instead, he lay back in his chair, rubbed his somewhat dizzy head, rested for a moment, and only then sat upright to pick up one of the two tattered volumes.
This was a book on exorcising evil and catching ghosts, detailing many folk methods and even featuring illustrations.
This book wasn't of much use to Yang Haoran, but he wasn't entirely uninterested either; some of the folk methods within it still piqued his curiosity.
He didn't destroy the book, but placed it aside. He could look through it and study it more when he had nothing to do; perhaps he might even gain some insights.
Immediately after, Yang Haoran picked up the other book. This one was as tattered as the last, and also lacked a cover, but merely flipping open a single page sparked considerable interest in him.
The content recorded in this book seemed to be related to talismans.
A hint of anticipation appeared on his face as Yang Haoran skimmed through the entire book. Sure enough, it was indeed a book about talismans. It not only detailed how to become a Talisman Master but also recorded many talismans and their corresponding incantations.
A hint of joy arose in Yang Haoran's heart. Among all of Zhou's possessions, he had finally found something he considered valuable. At least for now, he felt this book was the most valuable item for him.
He didn't immediately delve into researching how to become a Talisman Master. What he did first was search for the Lock Yin Talisman in this book.
According to Yang Haoran's guess, Zhou had most likely learned his talisman arts from this book. If his guess was correct, then this book surely contained the lost art of the Lock Yin Talisman.
This Lock Yin Talisman was what he cared about most at the moment. Whether for his future development or his own safety, he believed this talisman could play a crucial role.
The book contained many talismans, and although he didn't recognize any of them, each one had text annotations beneath it. These characters were not demon script but ones he had learned, so he recognized them all, making his search quite convenient.
It didn't take him too long. A moment later, his hand paused in its turning, and his eyes lit up.
"Lock Yin Talisman: A type of talisman targeting ghostly entities and Underworld agents. It can seal a ghost's qi, and an agent's Spirit Power."
Looking at the book's annotation for the Lock Yin Talisman, Yang Haoran knew he had found his objective. Without hesitation, he took all the talismans laid out beside him and began comparing them one by one.
As the number of talismans in his hand diminished one by one, the smile on Yang Haoran's face slowly faded, for he was almost finished comparing them, yet still hadn't found any Lock Yin Talismans.
When he finally set down the last talisman, Yang Haoran had to accept a fact: among Zhou's remaining talismans, there was no Lock Yin Talisman.
He felt a mix of disappointment and frustration. As soon as his mood soured, Yang Haoran wanted to lash Zhou with his chain again, but seeing Zhou was almost done for, he held back once more.
There was no Lock Yin Talisman among Zhou's remaining talismans, yet Yang Haoran still desired to possess such a wondrous talisman.
It wasn't just the Lock Yin Talisman; he also wanted to possess the miraculous Ground-Escaping Talisman. Earlier, when searching for the Lock Yin Talisman, he had discovered the existence of the Ground-Escaping Talisman in the book. This talisman was an excellent item for self-preservation; if he had one, he would have some means of escape when faced with danger.
However, Yang Haoran also didn't find the Ground-Escaping Talisman among Zhou's remaining talismans.
After a moment of thought, Yang Haoran's gaze suddenly sharpened, as if he had made a certain decision.
"Since there are no ready-made ones, I'll try to become a Talisman Master myself! Once I become one, I can have as many as I want, and I'll never have to worry about this kind of thing again!"
Without systematic study or a master's guidance, becoming a Talisman Master was quite difficult, completely unlike becoming a Night Watcher.
To become a Night Watcher, one simply needed an Emissary of Death to nod in agreement and be willing to implant the Death God Seal within your body. Then, you could become a Night Watcher and possess extraordinary power.
But a Talisman Master was different. To become one, you first had to cultivate the Talisman Master's unique Talisman Spirit Power within your body, as Talisman Spirit Power was one of the essential conditions for drawing talismans.
Only after cultivating Talisman Spirit Power could one draw talismans, but drawing talismans also required skill. It wasn't simply a matter of drawing them haphazardly and expecting them to work. To draw a talisman quickly and accurately required a very solid foundation.
To lay a solid foundation, there was only one method: continuously drawing talismans, continuously practicing, and continuously seeking experience from failures. If there was a master guiding and imparting their experience, then this foundational process would allow one to avoid many detours.
Conversely, without a master's guidance, the entire process would rely solely on individual exploration, which would not only lead to many detours but might also not even succeed in the end.
Yang Haoran had considered asking Wang Yiming to guide him. Although Wang Yiming's strength was limited, he was, after all, a genuine Talisman Master of the Talisman Order, and certainly had his own experience in drawing talismans. If Wang Yiming were willing to share his experience and guide him, it would be of considerable help.
However, he quickly dismissed this idea.
Every trade had its rules, and while Night Watchers were no exception, neither were Talisman Masters. The Talisman Order strictly forbade disciples from privately transmitting what they had learned. If discovered, the consequences would be unimaginable, not only harming Wang Yiming but also causing trouble for himself.
Furthermore, the Talisman Order worshipped the Talisman Ancestor, while the Underworld Office worshipped the Death God. Their differing deities meant they viewed each other as heretics. If word got out that he, an Underworld Office Night Watcher, was studying talisman arts, who knew what kind of trouble he'd stir up for himself.
Therefore, asking Wang Yiming for guidance was out of the question. Not to mention whether Wang Yiming would even be willing; even if he were, Yang Haoran wouldn't do it.
Thinking this, Yang Haoran's gaze turned to Zhou. A cold smile appeared on his face as he asked, "Zhou, where did you learn your talisman arts from?"
Feeling the coldness in Yang Haoran's words, Zhou's Spirit Body couldn't help but tremble slightly. He quickly stammered, "S-self-taught. . ."
His voice revealed extreme weakness, speaking listlessly, as if he could croak at any moment.
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