Chapter 33: A Deadly Trial
Upon seeing Yang Haoran nod in agreement, Jiang Dashi nodded in return. He then led Yang Haoran out of the small wooden hut. It was almost midnight by then. The two waited until exactly twelve o'clock, performed their respects to the Death God, and then departed from the Death God Temple.
"There's one more trial. I hope you can pass it. As long as you succeed, you'll gain the power you desire."
Jiang Dashi led a somewhat excited, yet also anxious, Yang Haoran out of the Death God Temple and directly to the parking lot outside the temple.
The night was deep, and few vehicles remained in the parking lot. Jiang Dashi stopped with Yang Haoran in front of a black sedan.
"Get in, I'm taking you somewhere," Jiang Dashi said, opening the car door and getting into the sedan.
This black sedan was quite ordinary; a brand new one could be bought for just a few tens of thousands of New Beginning Coins. Yang Haoran was not unfamiliar with this black sedan; it was not only Jiang Dashi's personal vehicle but also served as transportation for the other temple keepers. Whenever they needed to purchase items or run errands, they would use this inexpensive sedan.
Yang Haoran didn't know where Jiang Dashi intended to take him, but he obediently got into the car. After all, where they were going wasn't his decision to make.
Jiang Dashi wasted no words, stepping on the gas and speeding down the mountain with Yang Haoran.
Neither of them spoke in the car. Jiang Dashi focused on driving, while Yang Haoran was lost in thought, pondering other matters.
What would his next trial be?
As he thought, a hint of worry couldn't help but rise in Yang Haoran's heart. Combining this with Jiang Dashi's words in the small wooden hut earlier, he felt that this trial might be even more difficult than he imagined, perhaps even. . . or even might involve his very life.
Of course, this was merely his speculation; whether the truth aligned with his guess, he had no way of knowing.
The black sedan stopped, pulling Yang Haoran from his thoughts. He tried his best to force a smile, attempting to ease his inner tension. As he looked out the window, he smiled and asked Jiang Dashi, "Jiang Dashi, where are we?"
Before he could finish speaking, the strained smile on Yang Haoran's face completely froze, his expression becoming quite a sight.
"Oh no, why are we here? " Yang Haoran swallowed hard and mumbled. He seemed to have thought of something terrifying, and he sharply turned to Jiang Dashi, asking, "J-Jiang Dashi, my next trial. . . it's not going to be here, is it?"
His eyes wide with horror, even his voice trembled slightly, but Jiang Dashi simply nodded at him, his expression one of certainty.
Receiving such a definite answer from Jiang Dashi, Yang Haoran felt his entire body go limp, as if the answer had instantly drained all strength from him.
The sedan had stopped on a small road. On one side of the car was an iron gate, and beyond the gate stood a dilapidated old building with a courtyard.
This was one of Lecheng's notorious haunted spots. Every local in Lecheng knew of this rundown old building, and deep down, their hearts were filled with fear for it. Even the bravest individuals would never dare to step foot inside after dark.
That's right, this was the same dilapidated old building that had scared Yang Haoran into a mad dash last time. His extreme reaction now was precisely because he had seen the terrifying and eerie Ghost Building outside the car window.
Jiang Dashi paid no heed to Yang Haoran's reaction. He opened his car door and stepped out, simultaneously calling out to Yang Haoran.
"Come on out. Your trial is right here."
Yang Haoran remained motionless in the passenger seat. Although he didn't know what trial Jiang Dashi was referring to, the car stopping here meant it was undoubtedly connected to the Ghost Building.
"If you regret it now, it's not too late. I'll send you back immediately, and the trial won't have to continue," Jiang Dashi said gravely, without a hint of a joke in his tone.
Yang Haoran's body trembled. Clearly, Jiang Dashi's words had greatly affected him. He gritted his teeth, eventually opening the car door and getting out, though the hand that opened the door was visibly trembling.
Stepping out of the car, the chilling cold made Yang Haoran shiver involuntarily. He pulled his clothes tighter and walked to Jiang Dashi's side.
"This is a trial, and your final one. As long as you pass this trial, you will obtain what you desire," Jiang Dashi said.
Looking at the eerie old building before him, Yang Haoran felt his entire body turn ice-cold, as if every breath he took made him feel as if his body was freezing.
At this moment, Yang Haoran's heart was filled with terror. If not for the presence of a master like Jiang Dashi by his side, truthfully, he wouldn't even have the courage to stand there and look directly at the old building. He would surely have turned and fled like last time.
Though his heart was filled with fear, Yang Haoran still managed to ask, "Jiang Dashi, what's my next trial?"
"It's very simple. You just need to enter the old building alone, and if you can walk out of it after dawn, your trial will be considered passed."
The moment Jiang Dashi said this, Yang Haoran was so frightened that his legs went weak, and he almost lost his footing and fell to the ground.
It wasn't that he was cowardly; it was because this old building was genuinely sinister. Coupled with the various eerie stories surrounding it, these tales only added to the Ghost Building's terrifying aura. Not to mention distant history, in recent years alone, several people had died in this old building for various reasons.
This old building was, without a doubt, an ominous house. As for how ominous, perhaps only those who had dared to enter and try would know. And how many of those who tried were still alive, that remained unknown.
And now, his trial required him to enter this deadly old building and endure inside until dawn. He felt creepy just standing outside it. Forcing him to enter and last until dawn—the psychological impact on him was unimaginable.
It is said that great skill begets great courage; those with true ability naturally fear nothing in such situations, and the greater their ability, the bolder they become. But Yang Haoran was just an ordinary person, a charlatan with no real ability in this regard. For him to enter such a deadly haunted place alone and stay for a night—it was already quite bold of him not to simply faint.
"You have no time to deliberate. You now have only two choices: either enter the building and stay until dawn, or get in the car and I'll send you home."
Pausing, Jiang Dashi sighed softly and added, "Alas, as a friend, I'm giving you a friendly reminder: once you go inside, you might very well die in there."
Jiang Dashi's words made Yang Haoran's legs become even weaker.
"How can it be so easy to gain power that ordinary people don't possess? In the eyes of ordinary people, those of us with some miraculous abilities are all masters. They might envy us, or worship us, or feel other things, but how many of them truly know what we've sacrificed to obtain these unique powers?"
At this point, Jiang Dashi looked meaningfully at Yang Haoran and asked, "Is it truly worth losing your life for power that ordinary people don't have? Is this truly what you desire?"
Yang Haoran fell silent. A few seconds later, he licked his dry lips, then lowered his head and said to Jiang Dashi, "Master, please take me back for a moment."
Yang Haoran's voice was low and suppressed. Because his head was bowed, Jiang Dashi couldn't clearly see his expression at that moment, but he knew that Yang Haoran's face must be grim.
"Get in the car, I'll send you back. Actually, sometimes I think, there's nothing wrong with being an ordinary person. Although ordinary people also have many troubles, as long as one behaves oneself, at least safety isn't much of an issue. But once you gain special abilities, your world will change, and the dangers you encounter will naturally increase. A single misstep, and you could be utterly destroyed, consigned to eternal damnation. . . " Jiang Dashi seemed somewhat regretful, but he still spoke these words earnestly.
"Jiang Dashi, you've misunderstood. I just want to go back and get some things. Once I have them, we'll return, and I will enter that Ghost Building. " Yang Haoran had already settled into the passenger seat by then, and he looked up at Jiang Dashi with a smile.
Although he was smiling, Yang Haoran's smile at that moment appeared extremely unnatural, a forced smile uglier than crying.
Jiang Dashi glanced at Yang Haoran with a hint of surprise, his gaze containing many meanings. He said, "By the rules, you only have two choices: either enter the old building and stay until dawn, or go home and sleep until dawn. The choice to go home and fetch something doesn't exist. However, I can make an exception for you, but you must be quick. If 'that person' takes issue with it, not only will you fail the trial, but I will also be implicated."
Yang Haoran nodded and thanked him. Jiang Dashi then confirmed Yang Haoran's address, stepped on the gas, and sped off.
The old building was not far from Yang Haoran's convenience store. In no time at all, the black sedan pulled up in front of the small shop. Yang Haoran rushed into the convenience store, and in less than three minutes, he emerged carrying his yellow shoulder bag, locked the door, and got back into the car.
Actually, Yang Haoran had wanted to stall for some time, so he could spend a few minutes less inside the old building, but he was afraid of messing things up if he did, so he had to set aside that petty trick.
Jiang Dashi didn't ask what Yang Haoran had gone home to retrieve. Seeing Yang Haoran back in the car, he said nothing more, stepped on the gas again, and sped off.
In front of the old building, Yang Haoran stood by the rusty iron gate with his yellow shoulder bag. Under the cold moonlight, his face was ghastly pale.
"Don't make any more requests, or it will be very difficult for me to handle," Jiang Dashi said, looking at Yang Haoran's back.
Yang Haoran turned, a smile uglier than crying on his face. From his bulging yellow shoulder bag, he pulled out two cards and handed them to Jiang Dashi.
"These are. . ."
Jiang Dashi took the cards. Inspecting them by the moonlight, he saw a bank card and an identity card.
"My identity card has my home address on it, and my bank card holds all my savings from over the years. The PIN is on the back of the card. If I go in tonight and don't come out, please, Master, give the card to my parents. " Yang Haoran feigned a carefree demeanor, speaking with a laugh. At this very moment, he was essentially giving his last words.
Jiang Dashi understood Yang Haoran's meaning. He said, "I'll help you with that. You're right; it's absolutely necessary for you to do so."
That chilling "it's absolutely necessary for you to do so" made Yang Haoran's lips twitch involuntarily.
He wasted no more words, turning and walking towards the rusty iron gate before him.
"I'll wait out here for you, but no matter what danger you face inside, I cannot enter. Even if you die in there, it will be the same. So, you must rely on yourself," Jiang Dashi said to Yang Haoran's retreating back.
"Absolutely."
Yang Haoran replied with just two words, then took something else from his shoulder bag: a bottle of high-proof liquor. Judging by the bottle's size, it was a one-jin bottle of high-proof liquor.
He uncapped the bottle, then, like drinking beer, he chugged the entire bottle of high-proof liquor in one go.
Shatter!
The empty liquor bottle smashed on the ground. Yang Haoran kicked open the rusty iron gate, and amidst a sudden gust of chilling wind, he stepped into the courtyard in front of the old building.
As Yang Haoran stepped into the courtyard, the iron gate he had kicked open slammed shut with a clang, as if throwing a tantrum.
The sudden sound made Yang Haoran's body tremble. The liquor hadn't gone to his head yet, so how could his heart not quail?
However, he didn't look back, walking straight through the courtyard and towards the old building.
At that moment, the old building stood like an evil spirit with a sinister grin, waiting for Yang Haoran, a living, breathing human, to walk willingly into its tiger's den.
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