Chapter 17: There's a Temple on the Mountain
It was already afternoon when Yang Haoran returned home. He opened the rolling shutter door; even though it was late afternoon, he still planned to open for business. No matter how good or bad the trade, earning a little something was never a bad thing.
Sitting at the counter, waiting for customers, he called Guan Hai, specifically reminding the guy not to associate with that university student, Wang Qing. Guan Hai just chuckled, repeatedly saying things like, "Got it, got it."
Wang Qing gave him a very bad feeling, and he certainly didn't want his good friend to get into trouble for a moment of fleeting pleasure. With night approaching, Guan Hai, that notorious 'Love Saint', was bound to go out "hunting" again, so a timely reminder was for the best.
As night fell, Yang Haoran quickly ate dinner, then settled back in his convenience store to continue business. He had drunk too much last night and wasn't planning on gallivanting about tonight.
Furthermore, he wasn't in the mood. He was still somewhat worried about Jiang Zhenzhen's situation. Though he was a charlatan, he wasn't scum. He was waiting for Jiang Zhenzhen's call; if anything happened, he'd be ready to help her.
To take people's money and eliminate disaster for them – since he had taken her money, he naturally had to do his best to resolve the matter. Usually, his method of dealing with problems relied primarily on bluffing, but that was only on the premise that there was nothing actually wrong in the client's home. Although it was a bluff, the customer was satisfied, effectively paying for peace of mind, so he didn't feel much guilt.
However, what happened to Jiang Zhenzhen was completely different. He couldn't just fool Jiang Zhenzhen into believing everything was fine. This matter wouldn't simply pass due to Jiang Zhenzhen's unilateral wishes, so he was still a little worried.
If he hadn't accepted Jiang Zhenzhen's red envelope, that would be one thing. But since he did, the matter now concerned him.
He pulled out the red envelope Jiang Zhenzhen had given him. Inside were five hundred New Beginning Coins. Yang Haoran didn't immediately take out the cash; instead, he furrowed his brows, lost in thought, pondering something deeply.
After habitually playing on his phone for a bit, Yang Haoran drifted off to sleep.
The next day, before dawn, Yang Haoran was jolted awake by his alarm. Groggily, he turned it off, then dragged himself out of bed.
It was only six o'clock, and being winter, it was still pitch black outside. Pedestrians were scarce on the road; only those busy with business had already risen early to begin their hectic day.
In a way, Yang Haoran was also a businessman, after all, he ran a convenience store selling various odds and ends. His early rising was naturally to open for business sooner.
The early bird catches the worm. Since he didn't have a good head start, he could only rely on his own hard work. He had to put in more effort than others.
A person shouldn't be lazy. Once they become lazy, their whole self becomes useless. Even if being diligent doesn't make one rich, it at least prevents one from being poor. Often, truly impoverished people, with the exception of a very small number due to special circumstances, are poor precisely because they are too lazy.
After getting out of bed, Yang Haoran first opened the rolling shutter door, turned on the lights for business, and then began his morning routine. While waiting for customers, he also did some physical exercises. Besides sit-ups, which were limited by conditions, he enthusiastically performed push-ups, squats, and dumbbell exercises until he worked up a sweat. Only then did he start making breakfast.
Under normal circumstances, unless he'd had too much to drink, Yang Haoran would wake up at six every day and repeat these tasks. By the time he finished, the sky would gradually begin to lighten.
After breakfast, Yang Haoran, while running his business, puffed on a cigarette and browsed various resources on his phone, studying. Suddenly, he received a text message.
"Master Yang, thank you! You're truly amazing. That old woman didn't bother me again last night. I'm so grateful to you, and to my colleague too. I wanted to call you to thank you, but I was afraid of disturbing your sleep, so I couldn't resist sending this text. Sleep well, I'm off to work."
The message was, of course, from Jiang Zhenzhen. From her text, it seemed she hadn't encountered any trouble last night. She sounded in good spirits; even her way of addressing the "old hag" had changed to "old woman."
Whether it was "old hag" or "old woman," as long as Jiang Zhenzhen was fine, Yang Haoran wouldn't care even if she called the old woman "Mom."
The huge stone weighing on his heart vanished with Jiang Zhenzhen's text. Yang Haoran immediately felt refreshed and much lighter.
"A minor matter. The result was well within my expectations," Yang Haoran shamelessly replied with such a message.
"A minor matter," "the result was well within his expectations"—at times like these, he truly had no shame. As long as it elevated his image as a "master" in the other person's eyes, he'd say anything, no matter how audacious.
"I didn't realize Master Yang was up so early today. I should have called you just now. I have to go to work immediately, so I can't call you to thank you right now."
"Master Yang, you truly are a divine person. Your abilities are beyond words. From now on, whenever there's business of this nature, I will wholeheartedly recommend you, Master Yang! " Jiang Zhenzhen replied instantly, and she sent two messages.
"Exorcising demons, eliminating evil, and acting on behalf of heaven are all things I should do. If such matters arise, I will not shirk my responsibility. " Yang Haoran's reply was even more shameless than before.
However, after he sent that message, Jiang Zhenzhen didn't reply again. It seemed she must have gone to work.
Yang Haoran happily put away his phone, then took out the red envelope Jiang Zhenzhen had given him. Without a word, he took out the banknotes from the envelope and, as a matter of course, placed them in his wallet.
As for the now empty red envelope, he didn't throw it away. The red envelope was still brand new, so he kept it.
Yang Haoran couldn't tell if the old woman stopped bothering Jiang Zhenzhen because his "ritual" had worked, or if the Death God Pendant had. However, since the client's problem was solved, his business deal was successfully completed. This was the result he most desired.
However, Yang Haoran didn't know that this matter was far from as simple as he imagined. What seemed to be the end was only the beginning; greater troubles awaited him. And because of this trouble, his entire life would change. He would no longer play the role of a charlatan and would embark on a path to godhood—a path that was long, difficult, and perilous. . .
In Yang Haoran's opinion, Jiang Zhenzhen was quite generous with her money. Five hundred New Beginning Coins might not be much to the wealthy, but for an ordinary office worker in Lecheng, it was several days' wages.
After gleefully putting away the cash, a thought suddenly struck Yang Haoran. After pondering it, he seemed to make up his mind.
He rushed excitedly behind the green curtain, then emerged with his yellow Ghost-Hunting Bag slung over his shoulder. He closed the rolling shutter door and left his shop.
Normally, if he didn't have other business, Yang Haoran would stay in his convenience store all day and not go anywhere. Since he was leaving now, he definitely had something important to do.
Outside Lecheng's south gate, there was a sizable park locally known as South Lake Park. Behind the park was a small mountain, and on that mountain stood a temple—a Death God Temple.
This Death God Temple was quite large, with only one deity enshrined within: the Death God. There were many temple keepers serving the Death God, all devout believers who had abandoned worldly affairs and dedicated their lives to their faith.
On ordinary days, the Death God Temple wasn't necessarily swarming with people, but many came to worship, so it could be considered prosperous.
The Death God Pendant Yang Haoran lent to Jiang Zhenzhen was acquired from this very Death God Temple. At that time, the temple keeper had specially consecrated it for him.
At this moment, Yang Haoran was in South Lake Park. The park was bustling with people: those exercising, dancing, dating, reading—all sorts of people. However, he didn't waste any time in the park and walked directly towards the Death God Temple.
To reach the Death God Temple from South Lake Park, one had to ascend a long stretch of stairs. The stairs were not only numerous but also very steep. Looking up, all one could see were stairs, which put considerable psychological pressure on those climbing. Completing such a climb tested not only the believers' physical stamina, but also their endurance, and the depth of their faith in the Death God.
However, besides believers, some tourists who didn't necessarily worship the Death God also visited the temple. Their main purpose in ascending to the Death God Temple was not to worship the Death God, but rather to enjoy the scenery and clear their minds. Although they weren't followers of the Death God, their presence increased the temple's popularity, attracting more visitors, which in turn boosted the Death God Temple's income.
The Death God Temple welcomed these tourists just the same, as such a large temple also relied on money to sustain itself. Without money, the Death God Temple couldn't expand, nor could it attract more people. And if no one came, how could it recruit more believers?
Thus, several years ago, the Death God Temple invested a sum of money to construct a concrete road leading up the mountain from South Lake Park, and also built a parking lot on the mountain for tourists.
Of course, believers and ordinary people could also use this concrete road to go directly up the mountain, as there were no mandatory regulations. Some believers with limited mobility would also choose to drive up the mountain.
Yang Haoran didn't choose the concrete road; he chose to take the stairs. It wasn't because his faith in the Death God was exceptionally deep, but simply because he didn't own a car.
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