Chapter 163: You're a Good Disciple
Deng Feng sat in his chair, a cold smile playing on his lips, toying with a Soul-Gathering Bead in his hand. This particular Soul-Gathering Bead was precisely the one Yang Haoran had submitted.
Previously, this Soul-Gathering Bead had belonged to Yang Haoran, but now, it belonged to Deng Feng.
Kneeling before Deng Feng was a Wánglíng, none other than the Spirit Medium Du Xiao.
Du Xiao no longer possessed his previous arrogance and belligerence, nor did he incessantly hurl insults at Deng Feng like a shrew. His Spirit Body trembled as he knelt before Deng Feng, his face etched with terror.
Compared to before, Du Xiao's Spirit Body was now exceedingly weak, as if a mere gust of wind could scatter it. This wretched state was, naturally, entirely thanks to Deng Feng's 'hospitality'.
Though Yang Haoran had only left the hall a short while ago, in that brief time, Du Xiao had changed drastically. Whether it was the strength of his Spirit Body or his attitude towards Deng Feng, a profound transformation had occurred.
What Du Xiao had endured, no outsider could know besides himself and Deng Feng. Yet, it was clear that to reduce Du Xiao to such a state in so short a time, the methods employed were likely far from ordinary.
Under Du Xiao's terrified gaze, Deng Feng waved a hand, gathering Du Xiao's rapidly dissipating soul into the Soul-Gathering Bead.
He still needed Du Xiao's soul to exchange for rewards, so he naturally wouldn't allow it to simply dissipate. Moreover, since he had already extracted all the information he desired from Du Xiao, he decisively sealed Du Xiao's soul within the Soul-Gathering Bead to aid its recovery.
Deng Feng gazed at the Soul-Gathering Bead in his hand, his eyes resting on the Soul Thread that Du Xiao's soul had become, a look of unmistakable mockery surfacing on his face.
This Du Xiao seemed tough, but he was merely a spineless coward who bullied the weak and feared the strong. Deng Feng had only tormented him for a short while before he spilled everything, even betraying his own master.
"Rest assured, it won't be long before your master joins you. I wouldn't want you to feel lonely, haha!"
Deng Feng burst into laughter, an excited glint in his eyes. With a sweep of his hand, he collected all the Soul-Gathering Beads, then tore through space and vanished from the hall.
Deep within a great mountain in Lecheng, space rippled violently, then a fissure appeared. The crack slowly widened, and a short figure stepped out from within.
This person was none other than Deng Feng.
"Quite the hideout," Deng Feng said with a cold smile, "but I still found it."
Before him lay a small courtyard with two thatched cottages. They appeared utterly unremarkable, like the humble hermitage of a reclusive master deep within these mountains.
However, in Deng Feng's eyes, these two thatched cottages were far from ordinary. Not only were they enveloped in a dense shroud of Yin Qi, but they also pulsed with intense resentment—
Deng Feng's brow furrowed, his expression turning sour. It wasn't the Yin Qi or resentment of the place that bothered him; it was the fact that he sensed no other presences.
From the information gleaned from Du Xiao, he knew that Du Xiao and his master were hiding here. He had torn through space several times to reach this mountain, then spent more time locating the precise spot. He had assumed his sudden arrival would catch Du Xiao's master off guard, but instead, he found the nest empty—
Deng Feng's face was dark. With a sweep of his hand, unwilling to give up, his immense Spirit Power instantly ripped apart the two thatched cottages, exposing everything within to his sight.
Aside from a few simple pieces of furniture, there was nothing but piles of human and animal bones.
Deng Feng was furious. To have rushed here so eagerly only for this outcome was truly unacceptable. He paid no mind to Du Xiao's still-weakened soul, directly pulling him out of the Soul-Gathering Bead.
Pulled from the Soul-Gathering Bead by Deng Feng, Du Xiao's face reflexively twisted into an expression of terror. He now feared Deng Feng, this Emissary of Death, to his very bones.
"Open your dog-eyes and look, is this the place? " Deng Feng ignored the fear in Du Xiao's eyes and cut straight to the point.
Du Xiao merely glanced around before hastily nodding at Deng Feng. "Yes, this is it," he said. "My master and I lived here almost all the time, only leaving periodically to search for prey."
"Searching for prey? Living people? " Deng Feng asked coldly.
Du Xiao's Spirit Body trembled as he replied fearfully, "Yes, living people, and animals too. Master raises ghosts; he needs. . . he needs their souls."
Du Xiao had expected his words to enrage Deng Feng, but reality diverged from his expectations. Although Deng Feng's expression remained grim, he did not fly into a rage.
"Your master isn't here. Do you know where he went? " Deng Feng asked Du Xiao, his voice chilling.
Du Xiao's Spirit Body recoiled. He understood now why his recent revelation hadn't caused Deng Feng to erupt; Deng Feng had merely asked casually. Deng Feng's true focus remained his master's whereabouts.
"I don't know what's going on either. According to the date my master told me, he should have returned long ago. He couldn't possibly not be here. Maybe. . . maybe—"
Du Xiao stammered, his gaze filled with terror as he looked at Deng Feng, as if he had something to say but dared not speak it.
"Maybe what? Speak quickly, don't waste my time! " Deng Feng commanded in a low voice.
"He might have noticed I wasn't here and went down the mountain to look for me," Du Xiao said hastily.
Hearing this, Deng Feng's face darkened, his thoughts unknown. Du Xiao, meanwhile, hovered trembling to the side, terrified of disturbing Deng Feng, not daring to utter a single sound.
After a long silence, Deng Feng finally spoke: "Are there any other ways to find your master?"
Du Xiao shook his head frantically. "I don't know."
Deng Feng's expression chilled, making Du Xiao jump. He quickly continued to explain, "I truly don't know! If I did, I would definitely tell you. Please, I beg you, don't torment me anymore."
Seeing that Du Xiao didn't appear to be lying, Deng Feng let out a cold snort before continuing, "Do you and your master have any regular spots you visit whenever you descend the mountain?"
Du Xiao seemed to grasp at a lifeline, nodding frantically. "Yes, yes, there truly are! There are a few places Master always goes whenever he descends the mountain. Emissary, do you wish to see them? I can guide you."
Upon hearing this, Deng Feng looked at Du Xiao with a cold sneer. After sizing him up, he couldn't help but nod. "Your master is truly blessed to have a disciple like you," he said. "He should be proud."
In the days that followed, Deng Feng dedicated himself to tracking down Du Xiao's master. He was absolutely determined to ferret out Du Xiao's master, and as for the reason, it was, of course, entirely driven by profit.
Meanwhile, Yang Haoran continued his routine of drawing talismans by day and venturing out at night to guide Wánglíng, casually trying his luck at finding a Place of Extreme Yin.
However, he also did something else: he troubled Wang Yiming to procure more books for him. These, of course, were no ordinary books, but rather texts detailing the wondrous supernatural aspects of this world.
Xu Meijing's reminder had made him realize a problem: Jiang Dashi's few books had merely opened the door to the supernatural side of this world for him, and there was still much he needed to learn and understand.
Wang Yiming did not refuse Yang Haoran's request. As a disciple of the Talisman Order and with his identity as a Spirit Police officer, it was well within his means to acquire such books for Yang Haoran.
A few days later, Wang Yiming delivered a considerable number of books to Yang Haoran. These books varied in thickness, some new, some old, but all met Yang Haoran's requirements.
Yang Haoran accepted them all without ceremony after expressing his gratitude, promising to return them to Wang Yiming immediately once he had finished reading.
With the books Wang Yiming had provided, Yang Haoran now had an additional task during the day: reading. When he grew tired of drawing talismans, he would read to divert his attention, and once he felt enough time had passed, he would resume drawing talismans.
In the blink of an eye, the end of the month was approaching. During this period, aside from accompanying Wang Yiming on two police calls and subduing two stronger Wánglíng, Yang Haoran's daily life remained unchanged and uneventful. It was remarkably peaceful.
However, a phone call from Jiang Dashi shattered this tranquility.
"Haoran, something has happened! Old Zhao is dead. He died in the Death God Temple he was responsible for. Not only is he dead, but his very soul has been devoured!"
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