Chapter 215: I Have a Way
With Xue Li before and Deng Feng after, the Black-Clothed Man's mood was quite grim.
Because of Xue Li's affair, his superiors already held some reservations, and certain rivals among his peers frequently used it to suppress him, leaving him at a considerable disadvantage.
Now, another Deng Feng had appeared, and his actions were even more deplorable. He had actually dared to tamper with the Death God Seal and harm his own people.
Once this matter was reported, it would undoubtedly have a considerable impact on him.
If he had a choice, he wouldn't want to report this. After all, it would directly affect him.
However, an Emissary of Death was different from a Night Watcher. No matter how many Night Watchers died, whether it was reported or not wasn't an issue. But an Emissary of Death was different; an Emissary of Death was a true Underworld Official, and every death had to be reported—that was the rule.
The Underworld Office didn't place much importance on Night Watchers; if they died, they died. However, this only applied to normal fatalities during various missions, and such matters couldn't be explicitly stated—everyone simply understood it tacitly.
However, the Underworld Office could not accept actions like Deng Feng deliberately harming Night Watchers, as the repercussions were too severe. Not only would it damage the Underworld Office's image, but it would also dishearten countless Night Watchers.
Yang Haoran observed the Black-Clothed Man's grim expression. He had some suspicions, but he remained silent, standing dutifully in place, awaiting the man's instructions.
"If this matter gets out, it will have a certain impact on our Underworld Office," he said. "I don't want it to become public knowledge. What do you think is a reasonable way to handle it?"
When the Black-Clothed Man suddenly posed this question to Yang Haoran, Jiang Dashi remained unresponsive. The other two Night Watchers, still immersed in grief over their ruined Death God Seal, failed to perceive the hidden danger in the Black-Clothed Man's words. Old Master Wu, however, was different; his expression instantly shifted.
Having spent so many years navigating the business world, his ability to read people and situations was remarkably keen. Although they weren't the main players tonight, they had been listening in the background and knew too much.
Now that the Black-Clothed Man had suddenly posed such a question to Yang Haoran, Old Master Wu instantly sensed that something was amiss.
This mysterious and powerful being wouldn't possibly clean up all the witnesses to preserve the secret, would he?
As long as everyone who knew about this matter was dead, the secret would naturally be preserved.
It was precisely because Old Master Wu had considered this point that his expression suddenly turned grim.
His concern was not unfounded. Forget the Black-Clothed Man; if it were Old Master Wu himself, and there truly were no better alternatives, he would absolutely choose this course of action.
At that moment, Old Master Wu's heart churned with unease. He hadn't anticipated encountering such a predicament so soon after becoming a Night Watcher. He hadn't even fully grasped what it meant to live as a Night Watcher, and now his life was already on the verge of ending.
He couldn't help but recall Yang Haoran's words to him before he became a Night Watcher: that becoming a Night Watcher wasn't necessarily a good thing, and even a slight misstep could cost one their life.
Although he had mentally prepared himself for this, when truly confronted with death, a sliver of unease still crept into his heart at that moment. Yet, more than unease, it was a profound sense of unwillingness.
Having reached this critical juncture, he subconsciously turned his gaze to Yang Haoran. To his surprise, Yang Haoran showed no significant reaction, appearing remarkably calm, as if—like the other two Night Watchers—he hadn't detected the latent danger in the Black-Clothed Man's words.
Of course, Old Master Wu would never believe that Yang Haoran lacked even such a basic ability to read a room. He had interacted with Yang Haoran for more than just a day or two and knew this young man possessed profound cunning. If Yang Haoran truly couldn't discern the subtle implications of such an obvious statement, Old Master Wu wouldn't believe it even if he were beaten to death.
Yang Haoran's composure, in Old Master Wu's estimation, meant that he most likely already had a plan to deal with the situation.
Yet, he found no solace in this thought. Even if Yang Haoran truly had a solution, it didn't guarantee any benefit for Old Master Wu himself. He could only pray silently in his heart, hoping that Yang Haoran, recalling their decent relationship, would lend him a hand.
Yang Haoran remained oblivious to Old Master Wu's internal turmoil. Facing the Black-Clothed Man's abrupt question, he first offered a slight smile before responding, "If the Divine Emissary is only worried about this particular matter, then I do have a method. I'm just not sure if it's feasible or not."
The Black-Clothed Man's brows didn't relax at Yang Haoran's words; they remained tightly furrowed, and his expression was still grim.
"What method? " the Black-Clothed Man asked in a low voice.
Yang Haoran didn't answer immediately. Instead, he glanced at Old Master Wu and the other two. The Black-Clothed Man seemed to grasp his unspoken meaning and casually deployed a soundproof barrier using Spirit Power.
This soundproof barrier not only isolated Old Master Wu and the other two but also cut off Jiang Dashi. Within the barrier, only Yang Haoran and the Black-Clothed Man remained.
Outside the barrier, Old Master Wu could see Yang Haoran speaking to the Black-Clothed Man, who listened without uttering a word. As for what Yang Haoran specifically said, Old Master Wu couldn't discern it due to the barrier, which only intensified the anxiety in his heart.
This feeling of his life being controlled by another truly evoked an inexpressible sense of helplessness within him. He even began to question if the decision he had made earlier was truly the right one.
However, this doubt only lingered in his mind for a brief moment before vanishing a short while later.
His initial choice to become a Night Watcher had been a result of careful deliberation. Although he had so swiftly encountered a threat to his life, he held no regrets.
Moreover, he knew that regret would serve no purpose. Faced with such a situation, he didn't even have the right to speak, and naturally, there was nothing he could do to change it. His only recourse was to trust Yang Haoran and place his final hope on him.
Old Master Wu continuously observed every movement of Yang Haoran and the Black-Clothed Man inside the barrier. Although he couldn't hear their voices, he didn't want to miss a single detail of their body language.
Ten minutes later, the Black-Clothed Man removed the barrier. A smile graced Yang Haoran's face. While the Black-Clothed Man still didn't smile, his tightly furrowed brows had relaxed, and his expression had softened considerably.
The Black-Clothed Man didn't look at Old Master Wu and the other two, nor did he concern himself with Jiang Dashi. After removing the barrier, he waved his hand towards Yang Haoran, and three items instantly appeared before him.
Two Iron Books, one thick and one thin, and a square wooden box, about the size of a fist. It was unknown what lay inside the box.
The three items, emanating visible Yin Qi, floated suspended before him. Yang Haoran didn't immediately put them away; he merely swept his gaze over them before looking back and respectfully bowing to the Black-Clothed Man.
"Many thanks, Divine Emissary!"
The Black-Clothed Man nodded. With a grim expression, he swept his gaze over Old Master Wu and the other two, then refocused on Yang Haoran and said, "They are yours to handle. Make sure it's clean. If one more person learns of this matter, I will hold you accountable."
"Divine Emissary, rest assured," Yang Haoran replied with a smile. "Since I dared to make this guarantee to you, I will certainly handle this matter properly."
"I hope you can keep your word. " With that, the Black-Clothed Man tore open space. Without another glance at Yang Haoran, he stepped into the spatial rift. However, before vanishing into the rift, he took Jiang Dashi along with him.
Jiang Dashi's face was filled with confusion, clearly unaware of what his fate would be. However, just before his Spirit Body was sucked into the spatial rift, he noticed Yang Haoran smiling and looking at him, even winking. This couldn't help but fill him with a strange, inexplicable feeling.
Respectfully seeing the Black-Clothed Man off, Yang Haoran didn't straighten his body until the spatial rift had completely closed and the area returned to normal. The smile on his face couldn't help but deepen a few shades.
He first waved his hand, sending the three items before him to the main seat that had once belonged to Deng Feng, where they settled steadily on a small side table. Only then did he turn his gaze towards Old Master Wu and the other two.
Comments