Chapter 19: Invoking a Deity
The area behind the green curtain wasn't large. In the past half-hour, Yang Haoran had managed to carve out another small space within this already cramped area to arrange other items.
At the very back of this small space, a new table had appeared. This foldable wooden table, once used for his meals, had now been repurposed as an altar.
Yes, it had become an altar, for upon it now rested a divine statue—a Death God statue.
Yang Haoran's visit to the Death God Temple today was precisely to invite a Death God statue into his home for worship. His current profession involved dealing with all manner of gods and ghosts; continuing in this line of work, he was bound to attract entities best left undisturbed. For the sake of safety, he decided to visit the Death God Temple and bring a Death God statue home to worship day and night, hoping to receive the Death God's protection.
In Yang Haoran's view, even if the Death God were too busy to bother with a small fry like him, the presence of the Death God statue would likely deter ordinary malevolent spirits from approaching.
He hadn't invited any deities home for worship before simply because the thought hadn't occurred to him. Jiang Zhenzhen's incident had served as a stark reminder; he had no desire to relive what Jiang Zhenzhen had gone through, let alone something even more terrifying. Thus, he decided to visit a temple, invite a divine statue home, and offer daily worship.
Beyond the Death God statue, the altar was naturally adorned with offerings of fruit and an incense burner. Three sticks of incense now burned slowly within the censer, and some paper money had clearly been burned on the floor, indicating that Yang Haoran had already performed one ritual of worship.
When he acquired the Death God statue, the temple keeper had instructed Yang Haoran to worship the statue twice daily: once in the early morning, and again precisely at midnight.
In the New Beginning Realm, people worshipped a multitude of deities, and each had distinct methods and times for worship. Some deities even had taboos that absolutely could not be violated during rituals, as doing so would be considered a great disrespect to the divine.
It was already nearing noon, past the ideal time for worshipping the Death God. However, since he had just brought the statue home, a preliminary worship was necessary—this was what the temple keeper had specifically instructed Yang Haoran upon his departure from the Death God Temple.
With a Death God statue now in his home, Yang Haoran was instantly filled with a profound sense of security. It felt as though he, who had always fought alone, had suddenly found a formidable patron.
As a cigarette burned down to its end, Yang Haoran respectfully pressed his palms together and bowed once more to the Death God statue, then began preparing lunch. After a busy morning, his stomach was utterly empty; he needed to eat something to replenish his energy.
Lunch was simple, quickly prepared by Yang Haoran. Without a dining table, he simply carried his meal to the counter, allowing him to eat while keeping an eye on the business.
After lunch, Yang Haoran waited for customers while browsing various supernatural resources on his phone for reference and study. An entire afternoon passed this way, and apart from selling a few packs of cigarettes, he had no other income.
But Yang Haoran didn't mind; he continued to devour the information with great interest, and before he knew it, evening had arrived.
At this hour, it was time to prepare dinner again. Yang Haoran put away his phone, stepped back behind the green curtain, and began readying his evening meal.
At noon, his hunger had been too great to prepare anything elaborate, so he'd settled for something simple.
Tonight, however, he planned to cook something delicious to treat himself. As for the ingredients, he'd called a friend from the neighboring market that afternoon to have them delivered, and they were quite fresh.
A duck, some potatoes, and a few spices—he was going to make his signature dish: Braised Duck with Potatoes.
Although his temporary living conditions were quite rudimentary, Yang Haoran was still very confident in preparing this dish. It was a dish he'd been making since childhood; no amount of humble conditions could prevent him from achieving its proper flavor. A good chef, no matter when or where, could always create excellent food with the available resources. While Yang Haoran wasn't a chef, he deeply admired that spirit.
Alright, at the end of the day, it was still because he was too poor. He didn't have the luxury of ideal conditions, so he just had to make do.
Under the crisp moonlight, Yang Haoran leaned back in his chair, a cigarette dangling from his lips, sipping a small glass of liquor. On the counter before him rested a small steel basin, naturally containing the Braised Duck with Potatoes—though it had already gone cold.
The Braised Duck with Potatoes looked rather forlorn at this point. Apart from the duck head and feet, all the substantial meat had found its way into Yang Haoran's stomach. As for why he hadn't touched the head or feet, well, there wasn't much meat on them, and a sated Yang Haoran naturally couldn't be bothered to gnaw on them.
The lone duck head and a pair of webbed feet, along with a few potato chunks, appeared somewhat desolate and meager under the cool moonlight. Their presence seemed to make the winter even colder.
Yang Haoran was lost in thought when suddenly a figure appeared, and a pleasantly fragrant aroma wafted over, interrupting his musings. He snapped back to attention and instinctively asked, "What can I get for you?"
"Hehe, Master Yang, what are you thinking about, so lost in thought? " The voice was clear, pleasant, and somewhat familiar.
Hearing this, Yang Haoran looked up and clearly saw who the visitor was.
The woman who had suddenly appeared before Yang Haoran was none other than Jiang Zhenzhen.
Jiang Zhenzhen was carrying a small bag and still wearing her jewelry store uniform. Although she wasn't tall, the uniform added a certain elegance to her demeanor.
Her prominent panda eyes were gone, her face no longer haggard, and her complexion was excellent. Combined with her already delicate features, she now appeared vibrant and full of youthful energy, a truly refreshing sight.
Jiang Zhenzhen looked at Yang Haoran with a sweet smile, revealing two small dimples. As for Yang Haoran, a smile likewise spread across his face once he realized the visitor was Jiang Zhenzhen.
"Why are you here? " Yang Haoran asked, then glanced behind Jiang Zhenzhen. Besides Jiang Zhenzhen herself, there was another person.
This person was a woman. From her attire, she appeared to be Jiang Zhenzhen's colleague. However, her appearance was quite ordinary; not ugly, but certainly not beautiful, no different from Yang Haoran himself—the kind of person you'd need a microscope to find in a crowd.
Although the woman's looks couldn't compare to Jiang Zhenzhen's, she was taller than Jiang Zhenzhen, appearing to be at least 1.6 meters, a full ten centimeters taller than the 1.5-meter-tall Jiang Zhenzhen. That's why Yang Haoran had immediately noticed someone else behind Jiang Zhenzhen.
Seeing Yang Haoran look at the woman behind her, Jiang Zhenzhen, still smiling sweetly, quickly spoke to him: "Master Yang, this is my colleague, Sister Li. This time, with my rental apartment, I really owe Sister Li for recommending you. Otherwise, I would have been scared to death."
"Hello, Master Yang. Do you remember me? I invited you to inspect my house last time," said the woman, whom Jiang Zhenzhen called Sister Li, smiling as she extended her hand to Yang Haoran.
Seeing this, Yang Haoran quickly stood up and politely shook her hand, then immediately withdrew his own, making no attempt to take advantage of the opportunity.
At the woman's words, Yang Haoran slapped his forehead, let out a chuckle, then smiled apologetically. "No wonder you look so familiar, but I just couldn't place it for a moment. Seems I've had a bit too much to drink tonight."
The woman's smile remained unfazed as she chuckled, "My face is just too ordinary, Master Yang, so it's perfectly normal you couldn't recall me. It's because of this ordinary face that my sales figures are always so low, and now I'm practically on the verge of unemployment, haha."
Yang Haoran chuckled again, not taking the bait on her topic, and instead turned to Jiang Zhenzhen, asking, "It's quite late. Is there something you two need by coming here?"
"We just got off work, so we came a bit late," Jiang Zhenzhen replied. "As for why we're here, hehe, to thank you and Sister Li, I'd like to treat you both to some late-night supper."
Upon hearing this, a troubled expression appeared on Yang Haoran's face. He glanced at the thoroughly cold Braised Duck with Potatoes on the counter, then looked at Jiang Zhenzhen and chuckled, "I'm still eating right now, and besides, I need to keep the shop open for business. I can't get away. Why don't you two go by yourselves?"
"It's freezing cold in the depths of winter, and at this hour, business is already scarce," Sister Li cajoled. "Even if you stay here, Master Yang, you're unlikely to get any customers. Why not come out with us for some late-night supper and a few drinks to warm yourselves up?"
Hearing this, Yang Haoran seemed to hesitate; he didn't agree immediately, but he didn't refuse either.
Seeing his reaction, Jiang Zhenzhen felt a little unsure, wondering whether to press the invitation further or simply give up.
Sister Li's reaction, however, was quite the opposite. Her eyes lit up; far from finding it difficult, her smile only deepened.
Though she wasn't particularly attractive, she had been a salesperson for a long time. The reason she, with her ordinary looks, could continue to thrive in this industry was because she had long since honed her skill in reading people. Otherwise, she would have likely been fired long ago due to poor performance.
Now, seeing that Yang Haoran hadn't agreed but hadn't refused either, she knew there was still a chance. So she smiled and said, "Come on, Master Yang, we'll just go for a bit and then come back. What's a big man like you afraid of? Are you worried that us two women will eat you alive?"
Sister Li deliberately emphasized the word "eat," and Yang Haoran chuckled, feigning ignorance.
Seeing that Yang Haoran still hadn't agreed, Sister Li seemed to recall something and asked, "Master Yang, are you married?"
Yang Haoran shook his head.
"Then, do you have a girlfriend?"
Yang Haoran shook his head again.
Sister Li laughed heartily at this. "Not married, no girlfriend, what are you afraid of? Besides, don't you want a girlfriend? Our store is full of beautiful women; want me to introduce you to one?"
Saying this, Sister Li glanced at Jiang Zhenzhen, then winked at Yang Haoran.
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