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Chapter 167: Prepared

At this moment, Yang Haoran's thoughts were simple: whether the other party wanted something from him or intended to torture him, it didn't matter. He had already prepared himself for death.

His only desire now was to meet the other party before he died. Only then, perhaps, could he unleash the suppressed ferocity within him.

Even if he died, he would make sure to splatter blood all over his opponent.

As his words fell, the blood-red world remained as it was: quiet, eerie, bloodthirsty, and permeated with a strong sense of resentment. Yet, Yang Haoran's words seemed to vanish into the sea, met with no response.

Yang Haoran wasn't flustered by this. Having already prepared himself for death, he truly couldn't find anything left to panic about.

He still wore that harmless smile. Seeing that the other party offered no response, he didn't press further, but simply plopped down where he was.

Yang Haoran actually hoped the other party would keep dragging things out. This way, he could not only recover his expended Spirit Power, but perhaps even wait for reinforcements to arrive.

No sooner had his backside touched the ground than the illusory blood-red space suddenly began to tremble. Then, like a mirror struck with a heavy blow, it shattered bit by bit.

This scene appeared incredibly unreal, yet it was genuinely unfolding before his eyes.

After all, Yang Haoran was no longer an ordinary person. He had gained a greater understanding of the world's wondrous aspects, so the sight before him didn't cause him any surprise. He simply watched, a smile on his face, as the blood-red space shattered, then transformed into specks of crimson light and completely vanished.

With the disappearance of the blood-red space, the world before him finally returned to normal. Yang Haoran sat on the ground, and on the chair opposite him sat an old man.

This old man was precisely the one he had seen earlier in that illusory world.

The old man sat on the chair by the bed—the only chair in Yang Haoran's humble bedroom. He leaned on a walking stick, staring intently at Yang Haoran, his gaze profound, his face devoid of expression, giving off an inscrutable aura.

Behind the old man, a female ghost floated in mid-air. Her ears had been violently severed, and a large gash had been cut across the corners of her mouth with a sharp implement, making her appearance hideous and terrifying. This was the very Evil Spirit that had previously entangled Yang Haoran.

At this moment, the Evil Spirit's gaze was also fixed on Yang Haoran. She grinned, extending her spectral tongue to lick her lips, her expression as greedy as before.

From the current situation, Yang Haoran felt that what he was experiencing was likely no longer an illusion, as he couldn't discern any flaws.

Of course, he couldn't be entirely certain. He had already experienced the formidable power of the Evil Spirit's illusions; had the other party not voluntarily released him, he would still be trapped in the blood-red world. Thus, whether everything he was currently experiencing was real or merely another illusion, he truly couldn't say for sure.

However, he thought the other party probably wouldn't bother creating another illusion for him, as there was simply no need.

Having finally met the true mastermind, Yang Haoran's smile deepened a few shades. He didn't stand up from the ground, remaining seated as he watched the old man, a smile on his face, while inwardly contemplating how to cause this old geezer a world of trouble before he died.

The two met each other's gaze, neither speaking first. Suddenly, a buzzing sound emanated from Yang Haoran's bed, breaking their staredown.

Buzz.

The sudden appearance of the buzzing sound not only drew Yang Haoran's attention but also captivated the old man opposite him.

On Yang Haoran's bed lay three items: the Death God Pendant, his mobile phone, and a box filled with talismans.

These three items were extremely important to Yang Haoran at the moment, as any one of them could bring him a sliver of hope, however faint.

He had just searched for these three items and found them inexplicably missing. Now, they had all appeared on the bed beside the old man. Without needing to think, it was clear that these items must have been taken by the old man using some unknown method after Yang Haoran had fallen into the illusion.

The buzzing sound at this moment didn't come from Yang Haoran's mobile phone, but from the Death God Pendant bestowed by Deng Feng.

The Death God Pendant was flashing with a black glow, and visible Yin Qi was rising from it.

Yang Haoran's smile stiffened slightly. How could he not know what the scene before him meant? It signified that other Night Watchers had been attacked, and a distress signal was being sent via the Death God Pendant.

After glancing at the Death God Pendant, which still emanated Yin Qi, and then at the old man seated on the chair, the rigid smile on Yang Haoran's face returned to normal.

"This old geezer really does have accomplices," Yang Haoran mused. "He's attacking me while simultaneously dealing with other Night Watchers. It seems he came for me tonight, fully prepared."

For Yang Haoran, this was not good news. The other party's strength already far surpassed his own, and to come prepared in such a situation meant he was certainly facing certain death.

However, it was fortunate that he had already braced himself for death, so he wasn't particularly shocked by this realization.

If he wasn't afraid of death, what else was there to fear?

Seeing Yang Haoran merely glance at the Death God Pendant before withdrawing his gaze, the old man's brow furrowed slightly, a hint of curiosity in his expression.

"I can understand why you didn't try to snatch the Death God Pendant," the old man finally spoke. "You know perfectly well that you couldn't possibly succeed in taking it from my hands. But what truly piques my curiosity is why you remain so calm, even after clearly noticing the pendant's reaction."

The old man had finally spoken. Yang Haoran's series of reactions had, in the end, stirred some curiosity within him.

It wasn't just Yang Haoran's reaction upon seeing the Death God Pendant now; it was also his response within the illusion earlier. At that time, Yang Haoran had clearly been deeply trapped in the illusion, utterly disoriented, yet not long after, he had managed to recover, even attempting to communicate with him as if nothing had happened.

"What good would my reaction do? Could it change the outcome? " Yang Haoran asked the old man, a smile on his face.

The old man shook his head, answering with certainty, "No, it wouldn't."

"Since it can't change the final outcome, why should I trouble myself? " Yang Haoran said.

The old man's brows furrowed, his face thoughtful, as if lost in contemplation.

Seeing the old man's expression, Yang Haoran chuckled, then continued, "I was just fooling you. Honestly, I'm scared as hell."

The old man looked at Yang Haoran, and only after a few breaths did he speak. "Though I'm old, my eyesight is still sharp enough. Whether you're truly scared or not, this old man can tell."

"Heh heh, is that so? " Yang Haoran chuckled, asking, his expression unchanged by the old man's words.

"You believe you can't escape this calamity tonight, so you've simply let go, is that it? " the old man asked, his expression calm and unperturbed.

To the old man's question, Yang Haoran originally wanted to retort, 'You old geezer, with one foot already in the grave, I didn't expect you to still have sharp eyes and ears. '

However, he didn't voice those words. Although he had prepared himself for death, he didn't want to die a meaningless death. He needed to find an opportunity to counterattack, so for now, he had no intention of provoking the old man.

As the saying goes, "A biting dog doesn't bark. " While Yang Haoran felt this idiom wasn't entirely appropriate to describe himself, it was generally the idea.

So, in response to the old man's question, he merely smiled and offered no reply.

The old man didn't return to silence because of Yang Haoran's reaction. He continued, his face placid, "What you said in the illusion earlier was correct. If I wanted to kill you, I could do it with extreme ease. Since I haven't killed you, it means you still hold some value, and I don't wish for you to die so quickly."

Yang Haoran's eyebrows twitched, and he chuckled. "Looks like I guessed right. I just wonder, old sir, what exactly do you want from me?"

The old man, instead of answering Yang Haoran's question, looked at him and said indifferently, "My name is Du Da, and I have an unruly apprentice named Du Xiao. You were the one who killed him, weren't you?"