Chapter 31: Stubbornness
Jiang Dashi was a truly capable person. Yang Haoran hadn't been entirely sure of this before, but after witnessing the power of his consecrated Death God Pendant, he became convinced that Jiang Dashi was a genuine master, fundamentally different from a charlatan like himself.
And now, as Jiang Dashi produced the transparent Soul-Gathering Bead and Yang Haoran witnessed the scene within, his heart reeled with shock, further cementing his belief that Jiang Dashi was a truly capable and highly skilled individual.
Those hair-thin black Soul Threads, sometimes morphing into human figures, sometimes into terrifying ghostly faces, had left an extremely profound impression on him, even though he had only witnessed them once before.
He couldn't be mistaken about this bead; it was precisely the treasure the pointy-faced, monkey-chinned youth had used to collect the rotting old woman ghost. And now, Jiang Dashi possessed an identical bead. Didn't this clearly indicate something?
It was highly probable that Jiang Dashi and that pointy-faced, monkey-chinned youth were part of the same system.
Facing Jiang Dashi's inquiry, Yang Haoran calmed his excited emotions before nodding heavily at him. "That's right," he said. "The bead in that youth's hand was exactly like yours."
Yang Haoran didn't deny it; he gave Jiang Dashi a very definite answer. He had come tonight precisely for this matter; how could he possibly lie out of inner shock? Furthermore, he had absolutely no reason to lie about this point.
Jiang Dashi nodded, then opened his mouth to ask, "I know that youth you're referring to, but what do you want with him?"
After the initial shock, only excitement and fervor remained in Yang Haoran's heart. He had originally just been trying his luck. The miraculous nature of the Death God Pendant had made him suspect Jiang Dashi was a skilled expert, someone who might know who that pointy-faced, monkey-chinned youth was, which was why he had rushed over so late at night.
However, Yang Haoran was, after all, thirty years old. While he hadn't necessarily weathered countless storms, he had certainly gone through a good deal, so he quickly adjusted his emotions and sat back down on the stool.
"Jiang Dashi," Yang Haoran said with a smile, "actually, I also wish to possess abilities like his. I just don't know if he's still taking disciples. " He didn't beat around the bush, directly stating what was truly on his mind to Jiang Dashi.
He had considered being a bit more subtle, but in this situation, he worried that too much chatter would only overdo it and spoil things. So, he simply expressed his true intentions directly, wanting to first see Jiang Dashi's reaction, and then adapt to the situation accordingly.
Upon hearing Yang Haoran's words, Jiang Dashi's expression froze for a moment, then a peculiar look appeared on his face. He asked, "You want to become his disciple? You're not joking with me, are you?"
Yang Haoran naturally noticed the peculiar expression on Jiang Dashi's face. He felt a little confused, but still nodded heavily and said, "How could I possibly joke with you, Master? I'm quite serious."
Hearing this, Jiang Dashi shook his head and smiled faintly. "Whether he has any intention of taking disciples, I don't know. But since you encountered him and he didn't show the slightest interest in you, in my opinion, even if he were to take a disciple, that opportunity probably wouldn't fall to you."
Jiang Dashi's words were equally blunt, causing the smile on Yang Haoran's face to become forced.
He knew Jiang Dashi wasn't wrong. He had also considered this point before coming. However, he wouldn't give up so easily just because of a single sentence from Jiang Dashi. If he were one to give up that easily, he wouldn't have rushed over in such a hurry late at night.
With a strained smile, Yang Haoran continued speaking to Jiang Dashi, "Master, you're clearly acquainted with him. I wonder if I could trouble you—"
He hadn't even finished his sentence when Jiang Dashi directly interrupted him with a raised hand.
"He and I do indeed know each other, but he won't change his opinion of you because of me. Besides, after all these years, I've never seen him take a single disciple. That man is a big shot, a truly major figure, someone you and I can only look up to. You want to become his disciple? I wish I could too, but it also depends on whether he's willing."
Seeing Jiang Dashi speak with such certainty, Yang Haoran felt as if a basin of ice water had been poured over him, extinguishing half the flame in his heart. From Jiang Dashi's words, he discerned something: that pointy-faced, monkey-chinned youth, both in terms of ability and identity, was far, far above Jiang Dashi standing before him!
Yang Haoran was a rather stubborn person. Once he decided he wanted to do something or obtain something, he would continuously strive and work towards that goal. No matter how much time or effort it took, or even how many grievances he had to endure, he would not stop until he achieved his objective.
At this moment, Jiang Dashi's words indeed caused him a certain degree of disappointment, but he was not desperate. He did not bring up the youth again.
Jiang Dashi's words had been made very clear. If he continued to persistently pester him on this issue, it would only cause resentment.
If he and Jiang Dashi shared a deep friendship, he might have stubbornly pushed for a solution. But his relationship with Jiang Dashi hadn't reached that level yet. Pestering him would not only fail to yield the desired result but might also leave a bad impression in Jiang Dashi's mind, making the gains not outweigh the losses.
Since he couldn't approach the youth directly, he would have to seek his goal from other avenues. What he desired was extraordinary power. As for whom he would take as a master, if he couldn't find an ideal one, settling for the next best option was also acceptable. And Jiang Dashi, standing before him, had become his new avenue.
Jiang Dashi was clearly a capable person. As he said, he couldn't compare to the youth, but in Yang Haoran's eyes, he was still a genuine expert. If he could become his disciple, even with a lower starting point, it would be better than having no starting point at all.
Moreover, a lower starting point didn't necessarily mean he wouldn't achieve anything significant in the future, nor did a high starting point guarantee great achievements either.
Thinking of this, a glimmer of hope appeared in Yang Haoran's heart. He smiled and said to Jiang Dashi, "Master, I truly want to integrate into your world, and I truly want to learn some skills. I wonder if you're looking to—"
Yang Haoran had intended to ask if he had any intention of taking disciples, but he hadn't finished his sentence when Jiang Dashi interrupted him again.
"My abilities are limited; taking on a disciple would only hinder them," Jiang Dashi refused very decisively. Whether he was truly limited in his abilities or simply unwilling to take Yang Haoran as a disciple, only he knew.
The glimmer of hope that had just arisen in Yang Haoran's heart was extinguished again by Jiang Dashi's words. It was impossible to say he wasn't disappointed; at this moment, he was not only disappointed but extremely so. For him, this was absolutely the worst possible outcome.
At this point, Yang Haoran naturally wouldn't continue the topic. He concealed his inner disappointment very well and chatted about other things with Jiang Dashi.
It had to be said, Yang Haoran was very good at conversation. The initially awkward atmosphere unconsciously dissipated during their chat. By the end, the two even developed a feeling of having met too late, and only stopped talking and left the small wooden house when the midnight bells for worshipping the Death God rang out.
Although he had already worshipped the Death God once at home earlier, Yang Haoran still joined Jiang Dashi in worshipping him again at the Death God Temple. Only after that did he leave the Death God Temple.
The next day, Yang Haoran woke up early as usual, then washed up, worshipped the Death God, exercised, and cooked breakfast.
After breakfast, he didn't stay to mind his convenience store as usual. Instead, he closed the door, went to the market to buy a wide variety of fruits, and then hailed a taxi to hurry to the South Lake Death God Temple.
After entering the Death God Temple, Yang Haoran didn't emerge until late at night. His expression was a little weary, but a faint smile played on his lips, a smile that seemed to hold a trace of anticipation.
The next day, Yang Haoran appeared at the market bright and early again, just like the day before. This time, however, he didn't buy fruit but instead purchased a good deal of daily necessities. He then hailed another taxi and rushed to the South Lake Death God Temple in a hurry. By the time he emerged from the temple, it was late at night once more.
The third day. . .
The fourth day. . .
For nine consecutive days, rain or shine, Yang Haoran repeated the same routine. The only difference was that the items he purchased in bulk from the market were different each day. Without exception, he personally delivered them all to the South Lake Death God Temple.
Although he spent a considerable amount of money, Yang Haoran showed none of his usual stinginess and even worried he hadn't bought enough.
It was now the late night of the ninth day. Yang Haoran was preparing to leave the Death God Temple as usual, his face etched with weariness, clearly quite exhausted from the day. However, just as he was about to depart, a voice called out to him.
"Little Yang, don't be in a hurry to leave yet. Let's talk."
Yang Haoran turned. The one who spoke was none other than Jiang Dashi.
He had always thought Jiang Dashi was merely one of the temple keepers of the South Lake Death God Temple, but through these nine days of interaction, he realized that Jiang Dashi was not only a temple keeper but also the temple master of this Death God Temple.
Seeing Jiang Dashi suddenly call out to him, Yang Haoran's expression remained unchanged, though he felt a little nervous inside. Beyond that, there was also a hint of anticipation.
"Is there going to be a result soon?"
Yang Haoran thought this to himself, then walked towards Jiang Dashi with a smile on his face.
They were both intelligent men. What Yang Haoran's actions these past few days were for, others might not know, but Jiang Dashi couldn't possibly be unaware. Now that Jiang Dashi had called out to him and wanted to talk, Yang Haoran figured there was an eighty or ninety percent chance a result would emerge.
He hadn't expected this day to come so quickly, but he was already mentally prepared. If the outcome was to his satisfaction, then nothing could be better!
But if the outcome was unsatisfactory, he naturally still had a backup plan. Since he had already identified Jiang Dashi as his ideal breakthrough point, he wouldn't give up easily, even if he encountered greater setbacks. He was prepared for a prolonged battle.
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