Chapter 197: The Original Bargain
Yang Haoran actually had no idea what the Blood-Red Eyeball was, as it was Zhong Siyu who had given it to him.
Back then, in his fervent desire to become a Night Watcher and gain powers beyond ordinary mortals, Yang Haoran had gone to great lengths, shamelessly pestering Master Jiang until he finally secured an introduction.
However, merely having Master Jiang's assistance wasn't enough to become a Night Watcher. He also had to pass a test: spending a night in the Ghost Building, euphemistically described as a test of the candidate's courage.
Only by enduring a night in the Ghost Building and emerging alive would one be qualified to become a Night Watcher.
Though Yang Haoran was terrified at the time, he still entered, fortified by swigs of baijiu for courage.
What he experienced that night in the Ghost Building was unknown to outsiders, but for him, the firsthand participant, the memory was etched deep, something he would never forget for as long as he lived.
No sooner had he entered the Ghost Building than he was subjected to frights and taunts from the Spirits. Despite having downed a considerable amount of baijiu before going in, the alcohol hadn't kicked in at all in such a short time. Moreover, he had a high alcohol tolerance to begin with, so he wasn't fearless of ghosts despite his consumption.
Undoubtedly, he was thoroughly terrified at the time, even letting out a series of heart-wrenching screams. The intensity of those screams was such that even Master Jiang, who was outside the Ghost Building, heard them clearly.
Initially, Yang Haoran was indeed scared stiff, trying to embolden himself by singing and cursing, but it didn't have much effect.
Of course, this so-called reduction was merely relative; he was still quite afraid at the time, just not to the point of fainting from fear.
He had only one thought then: he had to somehow hold out until dawn and then walk out of the Ghost Building. As long as he didn't look or think about it, his internal fear might find some relief.
That's what he thought, and that's what he did, but Zhong Siyu's appearance and a subsequent illusion nearly cost him his life in the Ghost Building.
Yet, Zhong Siyu not only refrained from killing him but even leniently allowed him to pass the test. This wasn't because he was handsome – after all, he was far from "handsome" – but because they struck a bargain.
It was precisely because Yang Haoran agreed to this deal that he was able to walk out of the Ghost Building alive.
This deal required Yang Haoran to do something for Zhong Siyu. If he agreed, he would pass the test; if not, he would die in the Ghost Building.
For such a choice, as long as one didn't wish to die, the answer would likely be the same. Yang Haoran was no exception; he immediately made his choice without a second thought.
Of course, he chose to agree. Regardless of what it entailed, the priority was to agree and save his life first. As for whether he could fulfill the other party's request, how could he know without hearing it?
Only after Yang Haoran agreed did Zhong Siyu reveal what she wanted him to do for her.
Coincidentally, Zhong Siyu's request was remarkably similar to the demand Du Da would later make of him.
Du Da had demanded that Yang Haoran find a way to lure Deng Feng into the Ghost Building within a month and incite a fight between Deng Feng and Zhong Siyu in the building, so that Du Da could reap the benefits of their conflict.
Zhong Siyu's demand of Yang Haoran was relatively simpler: she merely needed him to find a way to bring Deng Feng into the Ghost Building, with no time limit.
To save his own hide, Yang Haoran had no choice but to accept.
It was precisely because he agreed to Zhong Siyu's request that Yang Haoran managed to walk out of the Ghost Building alive, and that night, no other ghost dared to bother him again.
After becoming a Night Watcher, Yang Haoran did not follow Zhong Siyu's instructions. The reason was simple: Zhong Siyu had asked him to lure Deng Feng into the Ghost Building, clearly intending to deal with him.
He was a Night Watcher, a member of the Underworld Office, while Zhong Siyu was a ghost. Their identities and allegiances were different, so how could he help a ghost harm his own people?
Furthermore, Deng Feng had no quarrel with him and had bestowed upon him powers that ordinary people lacked. He truly couldn't bring himself to harm Deng Feng.
He had originally intended to inform Deng Feng of the matter, so Deng Feng would be aware and avoid being ambushed by Zhong Siyu.
However, after careful consideration, he abandoned that idea.
Zhong Siyu, after all, had a cooperative relationship with Deng Feng, and even if he told Deng Feng, he might not believe him.
If he didn't believe him, that would be fine. But if he did believe him, it could create a negative impression on Yang Haoran. Compromising with a ghost was not a glorious act, and would Deng Feng be pleased if he found out Yang Haoran had agreed to collude with a ghost to deal with his own superior?
The answer, of course, was no. With Yang Haoran's personality, he certainly wouldn't do something so foolish.
Beyond that, there was another crucial reason: he worried that Zhong Siyu's request was a deliberate trap, truly aimed at provoking him to tell Deng Feng, thereby prompting Deng Feng to seek her out. This would align perfectly with her intentions. Although it was just a guess, such a possibility couldn't be ruled out.
So, due to various considerations, Yang Haoran did not follow Zhong Siyu's instructions, and over time, the matter slipped from his mind.
Initially, Yang Haoran had no particularly negative impression of Deng Feng because he had too little contact with him and therefore didn't understand his character.
However, after Xu Meijing's warning, Yang Haoran became more wary and guarded against Deng Feng, though even then, he still had no intention of harming him.
Later, with the appearance of the Spirit Medium Du Xiao, followed by his master Du Da, and then Deng Feng's promise to extract the Soul Dispersing Needle from him – all of these events made Yang Haoran feel that Deng Feng harbored malicious intentions.
Afflicted by the Soul Dispersing Needle, he knew he was doomed to die, but he didn't want to perish so easily. If he had to die, he would drag someone down with him.
Coincidentally, Du Da's first demand of him was to lure Deng Feng into the Ghost Building, a point that coincided perfectly with his previous bargain with Zhong Siyu. So, he decided to leverage this, choosing to orchestrate a drama – a drama that would make Du Da, Deng Feng, and Zhong Siyu all willingly walk into his trap!
To avoid arousing suspicion from Deng Feng and Du Da, he hadn't stepped foot in the Ghost Building for the entire month, not even approaching it. He couldn't be sure if his movements were being monitored, and if he gave away his plan, the whole show would collapse.
He didn't enter the Ghost Building during this period, but Deng Feng and Du Da successively went into the Ghost Building to find Zhong Siyu, Deng Feng first, then Du Da.
When Deng Feng entered the Ghost Building, Zhong Siyu was quite excited. In her opinion, this was all Yang Haoran's doing; Yang Haoran hadn't forgotten their bargain.
Indeed, Deng Feng's entry into the Ghost Building was thanks to Yang Haoran, but Yang Haoran hadn't done it purely to fulfill their bargain, but rather out of desperate necessity.
Zhong Siyu didn't know this. For her, since Deng Feng had entered the Ghost Building, her objective had been achieved.
She had originally intended to directly attack Deng Feng, but Deng Feng proposed cooperation, asking her to help stage a drama and promising an Evil Spirit as compensation afterward.
Zhong Siyu had little interest in such a verbal promise. Compared to that, she preferred freedom. If she killed Deng Feng, she would be free!
The reason Zhong Siyu so desperately wanted to kill Deng Feng was that he had placed a seal on her in this Ghost Building. With this seal in place, she couldn't leave the Ghost Building.
The seal Deng Feng had placed on the Ghost Building was very powerful, and every so often, he would appear outside to reinforce it. This caused the seal to not weaken with the passage of time, but to grow even stronger.
As an Evil Spirit, Zhong Siyu's strength was terrifying, but this seal greatly suppressed her power. She simply couldn't forcibly break a perfectly intact seal.
With her strength, there was only one way to break the seal: kill Deng Feng, because Deng Feng had a direct connection to the seal. Killing Deng Feng would weaken the seal's power, making it much easier for her to break it.
It was for this reason that Zhong Siyu was so intent on eliminating Deng Feng!
At the time, Zhong Siyu had no interest in the verbal promise Deng Feng offered. However, when Deng Feng mentioned that Du Da would certainly come to her for cooperation as well, she abandoned the idea of immediately attacking Deng Feng.
Whether she could gain benefits from Deng Feng was uncertain, but from Du Da, she would definitely gain a significant advantage.
Being able to secure a considerable advantage, Zhong Siyu naturally wouldn't refuse.
Furthermore, in her estimation, with Du Da's involvement, dealing with Deng Feng might be much simpler, and she might even be able to take care of both of them.
With such considerations, Zhong Siyu did not attack Deng Feng at the time but agreed to cooperate with him in staging a drama.
Deng Feng did not lie to her; soon after, Du Da indeed sought her out, similarly asking for her cooperation in staging a drama and offering generous compensation.
Zhong Siyu did not refuse. After feigning reluctance, she agreed to Du Da's request and accepted the payment.
Both parties had agreed, but Zhong Siyu had no intention of genuinely cooperating with either of them. She not only wanted to kill Deng Feng but also desired Du Da's Guardian Yin Spirit and all his Communication Power. So, she decided to play both sides, using the "staging of a drama" as a pretext to eliminate them one by one and achieve her own goals.
Tonight, Yang Haoran finally entered the Ghost Building. Zhong Siyu's attitude towards Yang Haoran's arrival was quite good, as she felt that Yang Haoran had greatly helped her this time. Thus, after Yang Haoran entered the Ghost Building, she did not make things difficult for him.
Not only did she not trouble Yang Haoran, but when Master Jiang and the others appeared, and Yang Haoran was about to leave the second floor, she actively approached him.
She felt that Yang Haoran could still be useful in tonight's drama, and for safety's sake, she decided to keep another trick up her sleeve.
She said something to Yang Haoran and gave him a strange, blood-red eyeball.
Her words were simple, direct, and left no room for refusal.
"When I tell you to swallow it, swallow it immediately."
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