Chapter 211: The Anxious Old Master Wu
Old Master Wu had been extremely excited lately; everyone around him could tell. However, they had no idea why he was so thrilled, or what exactly had put him in such high spirits.
Old Master Wu's excitement, naturally, stemmed from his successful transformation into a Night Watcher—what ordinary folk called an Underworld agent.
Given his advanced age, he didn't have many years left to live, a fact he was keenly aware of. Thus, after encountering Yang Haoran, the idea of changing his fate began to sprout.
In his view, if he could also become an Underworld agent like Yang Haoran, he might gain a few more years of life—perhaps even fundamentally alter his destiny, going beyond simply extending his lifespan.
After becoming a Night Watcher, Deng Feng had implanted the Death God Seal into his body, instantly bestowing upon him powers ordinary people lacked. This felt incredibly novel, and naturally, he was filled with excitement and thrill.
During this period, he often found himself unable to sleep due to excessive excitement. Having already resigned himself to awaiting death, he now brimmed with renewed hope and ambition for the future.
Tonight, he was once again awake with excitement, drafting various plans for the future, utterly oblivious to the passage of time.
The sudden ring of his phone abruptly broke his train of thought, causing him to frown with displeasure.
Many years ago, he had developed the habit of never turning off his phone before bed. Back then, countless matters required his personal oversight; nothing could proceed without his decisive input.
No calls before nine in the morning or after nine at night—this had become an unwritten rule. Almost everyone with Old Master Wu's phone number was aware of this unspoken protocol.
But tonight, that rule was broken, immediately irking Old Master Wu. He couldn't help but inwardly wonder which thoughtless individual had chosen to call him at such an hour.
Upon picking up his phone, Old Master Wu froze for a moment. The screen displayed the two characters, "Haoran"—a name that radiated such warmth, anyone unaware would surely assume this Haoran was a junior family member, and one he held in extremely high regard.
Seeing that the call was from Yang Haoran, Old Master Wu's expression shifted. He even forgot to check the time, hastily answering the phone.
He held Yang Haoran in extremely high esteem. This wasn't due to any personal relationship between them, but primarily because Yang Haoran's identity compelled his respect.
Yang Haoran had become a Night Watcher earlier than he had, and was also stronger. Now that Old Master Wu had only recently become a Night Watcher himself, he still required Yang Haoran's guidance in many aspects, thus he dared not neglect the call in the slightest.
His displeasure vanished instantly, replaced by a genial smile on Old Master Wu's face.
“Haoran, what brings you to call me at this hour? ”
There was no hint of irritation in his voice, only a sense of pleasant surprise.
“Old Master, are you free right now? ”
Yang Haoran's voice came from the other end of the line, devoid of excitement or urgency, simply calm.
Old Master Wu felt a flicker of strangeness but didn't press for details. Instead, he gave a definite and affirmative reply: “I’m free. ”
“Since you’re free, I’ll trouble you to come to the Ghost Building. Bring a few more people and a few more cars,” Yang Haoran said.
“The Ghost Building? ” Old Master Wu frowned, a note of confusion entering his voice.
“Yes, Lecheng’s most famous Ghost Building, the Zhong Family Haunted House. ” Yang Haoran, discerning the confusion in Old Master Wu’s voice, explained.
At the mention of the Zhong Family Haunted House, Old Master Wu’s face showed a sudden understanding. He quickly replied, “Alright, I’ll be right there. ”
After hanging up, Old Master Wu couldn't help but frown. He checked the time; it was already past four o’clock. Yang Haoran being at the Ghost Building at this hour, and asking him to bring people, genuinely struck him as odd.
“Could the organization have made a move on the Ghost Building? ” Old Master Wu’s brows knitted tightly as this speculation formed in his mind.
After he became a Night Watcher, he had heard about the Ghost Building from other Night Watchers, learning that a powerful entity resided within. They were warned never to take their business there. Yet now, Yang Haoran was present at the Ghost Building, which inevitably led him to this conjecture.
Nevertheless, speculation remained just that—speculation. Old Master Wu wasted no time. He immediately got out of bed and made a phone call.
Old Master Wu was a man of considerable depth and cunning. He knew what to do and what not to do. His approach varied depending on the situation and the person involved, always full of calculated strategies.
Yang Haoran held a significant place in his mind, so he wasted no time at all fulfilling Yang Haoran’s request, rushing to the Ghost Building with the utmost speed.
Old Master Wu didn’t keep Yang Haoran waiting long; he soon arrived at the Ghost Building, accompanied by several bodyguards and a few vehicles.
Gazing at the Ghost Building, now reduced to a pile of rubble, Old Master Wu’s face registered profound shock, while the bodyguards beside him remained unfazed.
These bodyguards were mere ordinary people. They had no idea what the Ghost Building truly signified, and thus, naturally, felt no fear.
However, when these bodyguards witnessed the countless corpses strewn across the Ghost Building’s interior, their faces universally paled.
To be chosen as Old Master Wu’s bodyguards meant they were handpicked, accustomed to navigating great storms and upheavals. Yet, they had genuinely never witnessed a scene like this in their lives—the sheer number of corpses scattered everywhere was no laughing matter.
Compared to them, Old Master Wu’s inner shock was far more intense.
For in the eyes of these bodyguards, this scene merely depicted countless dead people. But in the eyes of Old Master Wu, a Night Watcher, it was countless dead Night Watchers.
All the Night Watchers who had come to the Ghost Building tonight wore the black robes exclusive to Death God Temple keepers. These were their unique garments. Although Old Master Wu had only been a Night Watcher for a short time, he could not possibly mistake this.
Furthermore, apart from the unique black robes of the temple keepers, he recognized several familiar faces among the corpses—all veteran Night Watchers, older in seniority than even Yang Haoran. This further confirmed their identities as Night Watchers.
With a multitude of Night Watchers dead, the profound shock weighing on Old Master Wu, himself a Night Watcher, was easily imaginable.
Finally, when Old Master Wu discovered the presence of Deng Feng, the Emissary of Death, among the numerous corpses, he froze on the spot, his facial expression rigid, unable to recover his wits for a long time.
After quite some time, Old Master Wu finally snapped out of his shock. He cast his gaze towards Yang Haoran, the sole living person amidst the piles of corpses.
At that moment, Yang Haoran stood beside Jiang Dashi’s corpse, smoking a cigarette with a troubled expression.
Yang Haoran seemed to have anticipated that Old Master Wu would be severely startled by the sight before him, so he didn’t disturb him, quietly smoking his cigarette alone.
Old Master Wu felt his throat go dry. The intensity of the shock the scene before him had inflicted on his heart was beyond words. He licked his lips, finally unable to resist asking,
“Haoran, w-what exactly happened here? T-they. . . how did they all die? Even the Emissary. . . ? ”
Old Master Wu, a man who had weathered countless storms, was utterly distraught at this moment. Not only was his expression filled with shock, but his words had also become a stammering mess.
Yang Haoran flicked away his cigarette butt, exhaled a puff of smoke, and then addressed Old Master Wu: “It’s too complicated to explain in a few words. First, have them load all the bodies into the cars. I’ll explain everything to you shortly. ”
With such an incident unfolding, Old Master Wu felt deeply uneasy. Unaware of the full causality, his mind couldn’t help but churn with all sorts of conjectures.
At that moment, his greatest dilemma was whether to follow Yang Haoran’s instructions. He worried if doing so, if fulfilling Yang Haoran's request, would have a fatal impact on him.
However, his hesitation lasted only for a fleeting instant. He then immediately nodded in response to Yang Haoran, though his expression had become unprecedentedly solemn.
“Load all these bodies into the cars,” Old Master Wu instructed his bodyguards.
The bodyguards exchanged glances, and not a single one dared to step forward to lift the corpses.
Old Master Wu’s expression darkened. He said coldly, “If anything happens, I’ll take responsibility. What are you afraid of? ! ”
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