Chapter 168: The Malicious Heart of Man
Yang Haoran had long suspected whether the old man Du Da before him was Du Xiao’s master. And at this moment, Old Man Du Da’s words merely confirmed that his suspicion was correct.
Du Xiao had indeed died by his hand. For Du Da to know of this, it was clearly impossible for Yang Haoran to feel no surprise at all. However, this surprise merely flashed through his mind, not lingering for too long, nor did it affect him in any way.
If Old Man Du Da would suddenly seek him out tonight, then what was so strange about him knowing that Du Xiao had died by Yang Haoran’s hand?
Moreover, as a man on the brink of death, his mind was entirely consumed with how to splatter Old Man Du Da with his blood before he died. He had no time for surprise; he wouldn’t be so naive as to think Old Man Du Da would let him go.
“Old man, what are you talking about? Du Xiao, Du Da, I don’t quite understand. It’s certainly not a happy thing that your apprentice died, but what does that have to do with me? ”
Yang Haoran responded with a smile. He had no intention of admitting to the matter. So far, he hadn’t figured out what Old Man Du Da was thinking, so anything that couldn’t be admitted, he absolutely would not admit.
Not admitting might not bring any benefits, but once admitted, the situation would likely only worsen.
Du Da showed no hint of anger at Yang Haoran’s reply. His expression remained calm, as if he hadn’t heard Yang Haoran’s words at all, or as if whatever answer Yang Haoran gave was irrelevant to him.
“Du Xiao’s parents were killed all those years ago, and after that, I adopted him. I put a lot of effort and sweat into him,” Du Da said.
But Du Da shook his head and said, “No, not a pity at all, because his mission has been accomplished. ”
Du Da finally answered Yang Haoran’s question directly, but this answer left Yang Haoran somewhat bewildered.
His mission was accomplished? What did that mean?
Yang Haoran didn’t quite grasp the meaning of Du Da’s words, but then Du Da’s subsequent explanation made him understand what Du Xiao’s mission truly was.
“From the moment I obtained Du Xiao, his fate and his mission were already sealed. Although he was my apprentice, he was more of a pawn, a bait—a bait for me to deal with Lecheng’s Underworld Office, to deal with Deng Feng. ”
“I began cultivating him from a young age, but what I cultivated was not his strength, but his personality. I didn’t want him to be a cautious person. What I hoped for was that he would become arrogant, unreasonable, and boorish, because such a person would be easier for me to control. To my relief, he did not disappoint me; he succeeded. ”
“I know his personality too well. I knew he wanted to prove himself, he longed to finish his apprenticeship, longed to have his own Guardian Yin Spirit, so I gave him an opportunity. I casually found an excuse to deliberately leave, and he, as expected, secretly ran down the mountain, searching for what he deemed a suitable Guardian Yin Spirit. From the moment he descended the mountain, my bait, which I had nurtured for over a decade, was finally released. ”
Upon hearing this, Yang Haoran couldn't help but frown. From Old Man Du Da’s words, he gleaned many meanings, all of which he had never considered before.
He had thought that Du Xiao’s personality was due to his master being overly indulgent, but he never expected that it was all intentional on Du Da’s part. He deliberately guided Du Xiao towards arrogance and boorishness, precisely to cultivate such a personality in him!
And the primary purpose of cultivating such a personality was actually to better control Du Xiao, to control this so-called bait!
Even more terrifying was that Du Da, as Du Xiao’s master, had always treated his own apprentice as bait. After more than ten years, even a dog would develop feelings, let alone a person!
He had originally thought that the deaths of the three Night Watchers during the day were an act of revenge by Du Xiao’s master, a retaliation for his beloved apprentice’s murder. But now, it seemed that was not the case at all. Du Da might be seeking revenge, but it absolutely had nothing to do with Du Xiao’s death.
Of course, all of this was predicated on everything Du Da was saying being true. If it was just a lie, then that would be another matter entirely.
However, from the current situation, Yang Haoran didn't believe Du Da’s words were false, because in his opinion, Du Da had no need to deceive him in this regard.
Du Da must have deeply resented the Underworld Office, which was why he had been planning how to deal with Lecheng’s Underworld Office and Deng Feng for over ten years!
“Many years ago, I learned an ocular technique called Soul Eye. When this technique is used, it doesn’t affect the target’s life or cultivation in any way, nor can they sense it. However, once they die and their soul coalesces into a spirit, I can see everything their soul sees through the Soul Eye. Although I can’t hear sounds, I can learn many things. ”
At this point, Old Man Du Da paused, then continued, “I knew the moment my good-for-nothing apprentice died. However, at that time, I couldn't discern the full situation, so I didn't dare to act rashly. But as his soul awakened, I learned that he had been taken into a Soul-Gathering Bead. Although the Soul-Gathering Bead containing him had a seal that prevented me from clearly seeing the outside world, I was already satisfied at the time. As long as Du Xiao’s soul was collected into a Soul-Gathering Bead, it meant his soul had fallen into the hands of an Underworld Office agent, and then my plan could proceed as normal. ”
“Due to the hostile relationship between us Spirit Mediums and the Underworld Office, the soul of a Spirit Medium can often fetch a considerable reward. Thus, the Underworld Office values the souls of Spirit Mediums highly and desires to obtain more of them. ”
“When Du Xiao was released from the Soul-Gathering Bead, I saw Deng Feng, and I also saw you, through the Soul Eye. At that time, I felt no anger, only gratification—gratification that my good apprentice had successfully completed his mission, because he had finally fallen into Deng Feng’s hands. ”
“Since Deng Feng had obtained Du Xiao’s soul, he would surely extract all valuable information from Du Xiao. And my apprentice would certainly not keep silent; he would tell Deng Feng everything. It was certain he would betray me, but this was precisely what I wanted to see, because it was also a part of my plan. ”
“Du Xiao’s mission was to successfully fall into Deng Feng’s hands, and then I could gain a deeper understanding of Deng Feng through the Soul Eye. This way, I could better carry out a series of actions. Now that his mission is complete, it’s only natural for me to proceed with my next step. ”
“The reason I decided to act today is that I felt the time was right. Although only three people were killed during the day, that was just an appetizer. The real main course is tonight. ”
Even though Yang Haoran had already prepared himself for death, and thus paid little attention to other matters, focusing solely on trying to trick Old Man Du Da, hearing Du Da’s words at this moment still sent a chill down his spine.
This Old Man Du Da was terrifying. This terror wasn’t just about his strength, but also his sinister and vicious heart!
Yang Haoran certainly didn't think it was a good thing for Du Da to tell him so much at this moment. For Du Da to have meticulously planned for over ten years to deal with Lecheng’s Underworld Office, even using his own apprentice, whom he raised from childhood, as a mere tool—every word spoken by such a person required extreme caution!
Though his heart was filled with wariness towards this old man, Yang Haoran’s smile didn’t diminish, still appearing very amiable and kind.
“Old man, I’m very curious why you’re telling me all of this? ” Yang Haoran asked with a smile.
“I’m telling you all this simply to let you know one thing: to achieve my goals, I can do anything, even abandon my own family. If you can help me achieve my objective, saving your life would be no difficult task,” Du Da said.
“Me help you achieve your objective? Haha, are you joking with me? You can’t even accomplish your own matters; do you actually think I can? ” Yang Haoran retorted with a laugh.
Du Da maintained his unperturbed expression. Regarding Yang Haoran’s reply, he shook his head and said calmly, “I can’t be certain if you can do it, but among all the Night Watchers in Lecheng, you are the most likely. That’s why you’re still alive tonight. If it were any other Night Watcher, they would already be a cold corpse. ”
“Why am I the most likely? ” Yang Haoran asked with a smile.
“I’ve already learned from the three deceased Night Watchers. Currently, among your Lecheng Night Watchers, Deng Feng values you the most. All three of them unanimously believe this, so besides you, I couldn’t find a more suitable candidate. ”
Upon hearing this, Yang Haoran’s smile deepened a few shades. The three killed Night Watchers must have thought he was Deng Feng’s most valued subordinate because Deng Feng had kept him behind alone late last month. In their eyes, Deng Feng did so because of his outstanding performance, to give him special tutoring. But how could they have known that on that day, he had almost been eliminated by Deng Feng himself?
Perhaps this was fate. The misunderstanding the three had about Yang Haoran led Du Da to believe Yang Haoran still had value, and thus he didn't immediately kill Yang Haoran, allowing him to live until now.
Yang Haoran, who had originally resigned himself to death, couldn't help but feel a flicker of hope now. If there was still a chance to live, he certainly didn't want to die. Even if it was just a sliver of hope, he would fight for it with all his might.
“What do you want me to do? ” Yang Haoran asked with a smile. He didn’t let his inner excitement show on his face; even his smile remained unchanged.
“I’ll give you one month. Within that month, if you can lure Deng Feng into the Ghost Building and make them fight each other, I will spare your life. However, if you fail, then I will certainly kill you to avenge my good-for-nothing apprentice. After all, his life was too pitiful; as his master, I should do something for him. ”
When Du Da spoke of avenging Du Xiao, his words were both hypocritical and disgusting, yet he delivered them with extreme naturalness, almost as if he truly meant them.
“Oh, right, I forgot to tell you just now. Du Xiao’s parents were actually killed by me. It was necessary for raising ghosts; I had no other choice. ”
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