Chapter 160: As Long as One Survives, There Will Be a Day to Succeed
Because Yang Haoran had submitted a large number of souls, coupled with the presence of a Half-step Evil Spirit, his situation was much better compared to other Night Watchers.
Even so, the Pure Yin Qi he received from Deng Feng this time was significantly less than the last.
According to his initial expectations, even if the amount of Pure Yin Qi gained from this Soul Qi infusion wasn't more than last time, it certainly shouldn't have been less; however, the reality was vastly different from what he had envisioned.
Seeing the bewildered expressions of the Night Watchers, Deng Feng's face darkened as he spoke: "This month, the Pure Yin Qi from the Soul Qi infusion will be halved. It will return to normal next month."
There was no further explanation, just that single sentence.
All the Night Watchers were stunned, some even wondering if they had misheard. When they finally reacted, their expressions varied wildly.
What was this supposed to be?
This was clearly a blatant deduction of their wages, and done with such self-righteousness!
To say that the Night Watchers present had no complaints would be impossible. Including Yang Haoran, all of them were furious but dared not speak.
"Go do what you're supposed to do. Don't waste time here."
Deng Feng waved his hand, indicating that all the Night Watchers present could withdraw. The Night Watchers exchanged glances, but ultimately, no one stepped forward, choosing instead to quietly exit the hall.
When they had entered the hall, their moods had been quite good; after all, today was payday. But now, they couldn't be happy.
Still, it made sense. No one would be happy if their wages were mysteriously halved without even the slightest explanation.
Ever since Deng Feng appeared, his face had been dark, and he hadn't mentioned a single word about Xu Meijing, leaving the Night Watchers greatly perplexed.
And now, with half of their Pure Yin Qi inexplicably deducted, their emotions had shifted from perplexity to outright anger.
Yang Haoran was equally displeased, but like the other Night Watchers, he remained silent regarding Deng Feng's actions.
It wasn't that he didn't want to vent the anger in his heart; it was that he currently lacked the ability, and indeed the qualification, to express his indignation in front of Deng Feng.
The power within his body currently stemmed entirely from the Spirit Power Seed planted by Deng Feng. If he angered Deng Feng, not only could the Spirit Power Seed be reclaimed, leaving him powerless, but it was also possible he could lose his life.
Was a moment's indignation worth it?
Of course not. Yang Haoran was no hot-blooded youth. He knew clearly what he wanted and what he needed to do. To achieve his goals, what was a little hardship or injustice?
Let alone half the Pure Yin Qi being reduced; even if Deng Feng hadn't given him any Pure Yin Qi at all, he absolutely wouldn't have shown the slightest dissatisfaction.
Naturally, he harbored anger towards Deng Feng in his heart. Although his face betrayed no dissatisfaction, he had certainly made a mental note of the incident.
The other Night Watchers didn't cause a scene, their thoughts likely similar to Yang Haoran's. After all, they weren't ordinary people; not everyone got the chance to become a Night Watcher. They didn't want to lose this extraordinary power, so they naturally had no choice but to endure.
"Yang Haoran, stay."
Just as Yang Haoran was about to leave the hall, Deng Feng's deep voice sounded from behind him.
Suddenly called out by Deng Feng, the other Night Watchers looked at Yang Haoran with confused expressions, some even showing envy in their eyes.
Those Night Watchers who showed envy likely believed that Yang Haoran was about to receive special treatment, that Emissary of Death Deng Feng was going to give this impressively performing newcomer some private tutoring.
However, Yang Haoran's thoughts were precisely the opposite of these Night Watchers'.
The moment Deng Feng called out to him, his heart couldn't help but tremble, and a bad premonition welled up within him.
However, Yang Haoran didn't show his inner apprehension on his face. With a smile, he turned to face Deng Feng.
The other Night Watchers had left, and now only Deng Feng and Yang Haoran remained in the hall.
The atmosphere remained oppressive and heavy, not alleviated in the slightest by the smile on Yang Haoran's face.
"You should know Wang Qing and High Liang, shouldn't you? " Deng Feng asked, his face dark, his voice low as he looked at Yang Haoran.
Yang Haoran's heart sank with a thud. His worst fear had still come to pass.
At this very moment, his heart was filled with regret—not regret for killing Wang Qing, but regret for his own carelessness. Not only had he failed to deal with the matter cleanly, but he had also submitted the souls of Wang Qing and High Liang to Deng Feng.
Wang Qing had harbored murderous intent towards him back then. For such a person, Yang Haoran would absolutely not leave such a menace alive, regardless of whether they were male or female. She was like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, ready to strike him at any unforeseen moment, so she had to be eliminated to prevent future trouble.
If he were to do it again, Wang Qing would still die, and perhaps even more tragically. Thus, he felt no regret for killing Wang Qing; it had been true then, and it remained true now.
However, at this moment, he had to pay the price for his carelessness.
Yang Haoran showed no trace of his inner thoughts. His smile remained as he nodded decisively and said, "Yes, I know them. Truth be told, Wang Qing's death has some connection to me."
Deng Feng was startled. He clearly hadn't expected Yang Haoran to answer so forthrightly. He had assumed Yang Haoran would look bewildered, feign ignorance, or be panicked and terrified at the revelation of the matter.
But he wasn't.
He had actually admitted it so readily; this was completely unexpected.
After a brief moment of stunned silence, Deng Feng quickly recovered, his face clouding with anger. He felt his authority had been challenged.
"You admitted it readily enough. That's good, saves me the trouble of talking nonsense."
As soon as he spoke, Deng Feng abruptly stood up, a powerful aura suddenly erupting from him. Black Yin Qi billowed around his body; it seemed as if he was preparing to cleanse the ranks.
Yang Haoran's face suddenly changed drastically, his expression a mix of alarm and confusion as he quickly asked, "Emissary, are you—"
"Hmph! You still have the nerve to ask me? As a Night Watcher of the Underworld Office, you actually attacked a mortal. What do you think I'm going to do? What do you think I should do right now?"
Yang Haoran was momentarily stunned, seemingly not comprehending the meaning behind Deng Feng's words.
Immediately after, his expression shifted, as if he had understood the implications of Deng Feng's words.
Finally, his expression turned to panic, and he quickly said, "Emissary, listen to my explanation! Wang Qing's death does have some connection to me, but I was forced into it!"
"Forced into it? Hmph! Should I say you found yourself a good excuse, or should I say you don't even know how to find an excuse? " Deng Feng demanded with a furious expression.
Although he spoke thus, Deng Feng didn't immediately make a move. Yang Haoran noticed this, understanding the implications internally, but his face remained etched with anxiety.
"Emissary, Wang Qing harbored murderous intent towards me. If she lived, I would die. At that time, I had just become a Night Watcher of the Underworld Office and hadn't even experienced a single Soul Qi infusion. If I hadn't acted, it wouldn't have been her who died, but me!"
Yang Haoran's expression was filled with injustice. Deng Feng saw this, and his brow couldn't help but furrow, while Yang Haoran continued to speak.
"Alas, I admit my actions might seem a bit unscrupulous, but I truly had no other option. If there had been another choice, I wouldn't have made this decision. If she dies, there's still you, Emissary, to uphold justice for her. But if I had died, who would uphold justice for me?"
Deng Feng's brows furrowed even tighter. He stared at Yang Haoran with a dark face and asked in a low voice, "Why didn't you report this kind of incident to me?"
"Although Wang Qing's death was related to me, I didn't personally kill her. I always thought it was just a minor matter and didn't take it to heart, which is why I didn't report it to you," Yang Haoran explained."
"Hmph, a minor matter? Even if Wang Qing wasn't killed by your hand, she wouldn't have died if it weren't for you. This matter, if it doesn't reach the Underworld, is naturally a small thing. But if it reaches the Underworld, then it's no small matter at all! They'll definitely send people to investigate, and if Wang Qing's claims are true, not only will you be punished, but I'll also be implicated! " Deng Feng scolded.
Yang Haoran fell silent. He didn't speak again. In the current situation, he had to say what needed to be said, but what shouldn't be said, he absolutely couldn't, not even a single word!
At this moment, he was like an employee who had made a mistake, facing his boss, head bowed, waiting for the continued reprimand.
His face still showed anxiety and panic, but in his heart, Yang Haoran breathed a sigh of relief. Even though Deng Feng was scolding him fiercely and his face was filled with rage, that intense murderous intent from before had vanished.
Based on his experience, Deng Feng would certainly continue to reprimand him to vent his inner fury, but he likely wouldn't take any overly drastic actions.
He felt that Deng Feng's sudden anger was partly due to him, but only a small part. Most of it was likely because of Xu Meijing.
The matter with Xu Meijing must have infuriated Deng Feng greatly, which was why Deng Feng had been scowling and suppressing his anger earlier. The Wang Qing incident simply ignited Deng Feng's rage, causing it all to be vented upon him.
It was a simple truth: if Wang Qing's death had truly sparked Deng Feng's thunderous wrath, he absolutely wouldn't have waited until now to confront him about the issue. He would have likely sought him out personally long ago, so why wait until now?
Yang Haoran had long considered a problem: after Xu Meijing left, Deng Feng would definitely lose his temper. He just didn't know who this fire would burn. He only prayed it wouldn't be him, but to his exasperation, he still ended up as Deng Feng's punching bag.
Of course, he wasn't entirely innocent either. He wasn't the only Night Watcher; for Deng Feng to seek him out instead of someone else, there was naturally a reason.
Yang Haoran remained silent, but Deng Feng didn't stop, still scolding him with a furious expression.
Yang Haoran didn't refute him; not only did he not refute, but he obediently stood his ground, letting Deng Feng vent his anger, seemingly accepting his boss's reprimand.
It wasn't that Yang Haoran was a glutton for punishment; it was Deng Feng's status and power laid bare before him. If he wanted to gain more and go further, then he had to endure.
As long as it wasn't a matter of his life, what was a little indignity? As long as one survives, there will be a day to succeed. If he couldn't even bear this small injustice, how could he achieve great things?
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