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The Ins and Outs of the Matter

Back at the bar, High Liang's entire focus had been on Wang Qing, so at that time, he hadn't sensed any danger from Yang Haoran.

It wasn't until Yang Haoran contained him within the Soul-Gathering Bead that he realized Yang Haoran was a dangerous individual—not only could he see him, but he could also collect him.

Thus, when he successfully burst out from inside the Soul-Gathering Bead, his first thought wasn't to seek revenge on Yang Haoran, but to escape.

However, a single sentence from Yang Haoran made him freeze in his tracks, abandoning his escape attempt.

It was clear that High Liang harbored an extremely deep obsession with Wang Qing; even after dying and becoming a wánglíng, he remained utterly fixated on her.

Despite knowing Yang Haoran was dangerous, he immediately abandoned his escape at the mere sound of Yang Haoran's words. This showed just how profoundly deep his obsession with Wang Qing ran.

Yin Qi coalesced before Yang Haoran, revealing High Liang's form. It was no longer the horrific state he was in before death, but his normal appearance from when he was alive.

Yang Haoran didn't actually see High Liang before him, but he knew High Liang hadn't left, because he could sense High Liang's potent Yin Qi.

He was pleased, yet he didn't lower his guard. Instead, he remained secretly vigilant, ready to instantly contain High Liang back within the Soul-Gathering Bead the moment he showed any inclination to flee.

With a low shout, Yang Haoran activated his Ghost Eye. The world before him shifted, and High Liang's Spirit Body came into view.

Seeing Yang Haoran watching him with a smile, High Liang first glanced fearfully at the Soul-Gathering Bead, then fearfully at Yang Haoran's Ghost Eye, before weakly asking Yang Haoran in an uncertain tone, "You. . . can help me?"

Yang Haoran didn't immediately answer High Liang's question. Instead, he said with a smile, "I don't really like your current appearance. I still prefer the terrifying way you looked back at the bar."

High Liang froze, not quite grasping Yang Haoran's meaning.

The reason he hadn't manifested his Spirit Body in his horrific pre-death state this time was precisely because he feared enraging Yang Haoran and being re-contained within the bead.

But to his surprise, Yang Haoran was actually asking him to revert to his terrifying pre-death appearance.

Little did he know, Yang Haoran's request was driven by a desire to acclimate himself more quickly to his identity as a Night Watcher. Only by witnessing more terrifying ghostly forms could he bolster his courage and avoid the trembling legs he used to get whenever he encountered ghosts.

Though High Liang didn't understand Yang Haoran's purpose, after a moment of stunned silence, he still followed Yang Haoran's instruction and transformed back into his horrifying pre-death appearance.

Though he had braced himself, his mouth still couldn't help but twitch when he saw High Liang's terrifying pre-death appearance once more.

Nevertheless, compared to before, his reaction this time was significantly better than when he first saw High Liang in the bar, and several notches stronger than before he became a Night Watcher!

With a deep breath, Yang Haoran returned to normal. He was growing increasingly accustomed to his current identity as a Night Watcher.

"First, to answer your question from earlier: Yes, I can help you. I can make it so you can be with Wang Qing," Yang Haoran said with a sly smile.

High Liang's heart soared with joy. Though his rotting face couldn't convey much expression, his eyes brimmed with delight.

"Really? " High Liang asked, his face a mixture of shock and delight.

"Why would I lie to you? What do you have that's worth lying for? " Yang Haoran countered with a smile.

"Right, right, right! Master, you are a profound expert! Not only can you see me, but you can also hear me speak. You can definitely help me, and you wouldn't lie to me, because in my current state, there's truly nothing worth deceiving me for! " High Liang exclaimed, agitated.

High Liang wasn't a clever person, and having lived his life freeloading off his parents with no real-world experience, he had no idea whether Yang Haoran's words were true or false.

Moreover, his obsession with Wang Qing ran too deep; his every thought revolved around her. Now, hearing that Yang Haoran could help him, his emotions surged, and he had no desire to think further—he just wanted to be with Wang Qing as quickly as possible.

Yang Haoran's smile was enigmatic. He put his usual con-man skills to use and asked High Liang, "Do you know what an Underworld Official is?"

"Yes, yes, I know. I often heard people talk about them when I was alive, and I've seen them in movies. It's just that after I died, I never saw an Underworld Official, nor did anyone take me to the Underworld to reincarnate."

At this, High Liang paused, as if a thought had struck him. "Could it be. . . could it be that Master is an Underworld Official? " he asked.

Yang Haoran nodded and said, "That's right, I am an Underworld Official. Not only can I guide you to reincarnation, but I can also fulfill your wishes from when you were alive. The precondition, however, is that you must obey me."

Yang Haoran was indeed an Underworld Official, but his primary duties were to guide wánglíng and subdue malevolent spirits. Fulfilling the wishes of the deceased was something he had completely fabricated.

High Liang, however, wasn't thinking that far ahead. Upon hearing Yang Haoran's words, he became so agitated that his Spirit Body twisted and contorted. Already terrifying, his form became even more monstrous with this distortion!

His parents had toiled for him their entire lives, only to be driven to their deaths by him. Yet, he never once had a moment of realization, not even a trace of guilt. In stark contrast, he constantly yearned for Wang Qing, remaining fixated on her even after becoming a ghost.

"Master, no, Underworld Official Brother! " High Liang exclaimed, his emotions surging. "If you can truly help me, you'll be like my reborn parents. I will honor you with the same filial piety as I would my own elders! " He actually made such a promise to Yang Haoran.

His words nearly made Yang Haoran contain him back in the Soul-Gathering Bead. Yang Haoran was perfectly aware of how he had treated his parents. This wasn't a promise; it was a curse!

However, Yang Haoran didn't dwell on the matter. With a smile still gracing his face, he said to High Liang, "I have some questions for you, and you must answer honestly. If you conceal even one thing from me, hehe, I won't threaten you. You can just imagine the consequences yourself."

Yang Haoran's smile was benevolent, but to High Liang, that benevolent smile sent shivers down his spine. He felt as if his entire Spirit Body was about to freeze under Yang Haoran's grin.

"I definitely won't hide anything from Underworld Official Brother. Whatever you need to ask, just ask. I'll tell you everything I know! " High Liang quickly assured him.

Yang Haoran scoffed inwardly. If his Ghost Eye could see what happened after death, instead of only the deceased's past before their demise, he wouldn't have to go through all this trouble.

"The Yin Qi on Wang Qing and my friend—was it all transferred from you? " Yang Haoran asked his first question.

High Liang didn't deny it; he nodded in direct admission.

"The first time I saw Wang Qing, I noticed a very heavy Yin Qi on her. Why is it that now, seeing her again, the Yin Qi on her has significantly weakened? What's going on? " Yang Haoran inquired.

"After I died, I stayed with Qingqing. It's just that she couldn't see me. No matter how much I called out, she couldn't hear my voice. So I just stayed by her side, watching her eat with different men, watching her shower with different men, watching her sleep with different men. It was precisely because of this that a layer of Yin Qi gradually enveloped her, growing denser and denser. I discovered that this Yin Qi could affect living people, so I tried to keep my distance from her, watching her from afar, loving her from afar."

What a touching love story! Yet, Yang Haoran felt a wave of nausea ripple through him as he listened. He didn't show it, however, continuing to listen with a smiling face, making High Liang feel as though Yang Haoran had truly immersed himself in his story.

"I didn't dare get too close to her; I was afraid of harming her. Though doing this caused me suffering, it made the Yin Qi on her gradually weaken, and for that, I felt very comforted."

At this point, a smile actually appeared on High Liang's terrifying ghostly face—a smile that seemed to convey happiness.

"Why was the Yin Qi on Guan Hai so incredibly dense? " Yang Haoran asked with another smile.

At the mention of Guan Hai, the terrifying, blissful smile on High Liang's face vanished, replaced by a ferocious expression born of rage.

"That scumbag Guan Hai! I knew the moment I saw him that he was just toying with Qingqing; he didn't truly like her at all! I wanted to protect Qingqing, so of course, I wouldn't let him off the hook! " High Liang erupted in anger.

"How did you do that? " Yang Haoran asked with a smile.

"I initially tried to scare him through dreams, hoping to frighten him to death. But that punk drank late into the night every evening, getting completely blackout drunk, not even knowing who he was. My attempts to scare him in his dreams had no effect whatsoever. He'd wake up every day as if nothing had happened, seemingly not remembering that I'd haunted him in his sleep," High Liang said, his face seething with indignation.

"So, you thought of using Yin Qi to infest him, using your Yin Qi to affect him, making his health steadily decline? " Yang Haoran counter-questioned with a smile.

High Liang nodded, enunciating each word with venom: "That's right. Every night, I would entwine my Spirit Body around him. That way, I could maximize his exposure to Yin Qi. If it weren't for the powerful lethality of sunlight against us, preventing me from coming out during the day, I would truly want to cling to him twenty-four hours a day and torture him to death!"

Yang Haoran's expression remained unchanged as he continued to ask, "I find it strange. Why are you fixated solely on Guan Hai? Besides Guan Hai, didn't Wang Qing have other men?"

"Yes, there were many," High Liang said, his face full of helplessness.

"Then why didn't you deal with them? " Yang Haoran asked, somewhat curious. Could it be that even ghosts couldn't stand handsome men?

"Qingqing was just too outstanding—beautiful and kind-hearted. That's why so many men pursued her, from young boys to old men, all captivated by Qingqing. Although I hated those men just as much, I had only recently died then and didn't know how to handle such matters. I could only watch them harass Qingqing, fretting uselessly. Plus, there were just too many of them; I couldn't handle them all by myself. It wasn't until I discovered I could scare people in their dreams and harm them with my Yin Qi that Guan Hai appeared!"

High Liang's words made Yang Haoran want to slap him. "Beautiful and kind-hearted"? "Too outstanding"? This was truly a case of "beauty is in the eye of the beholder"—he saw cake in what was clearly dog shit.

"So, you decided to make Guan Hai your first target? " Yang Haoran continued to ask with a smile.

"That's right! Every night, witnessing Guan Hai mistreat Qingqing caused me such a pang in my heart, so I vowed Guan Hai would be the first to die! " High Liang declared, his voice filled with murderous intent.

Yang Haoran found it rather amusing. High Liang was thoroughly dead, with only his Spirit Body remaining, yet he spoke of a "pang in his heart. " He probably hadn't even considered that contradiction when he said it.

High Liang's explanation, however, resolved the doubts in Yang Haoran's mind. The full story behind Guan Hai's Yin Qi contamination was finally clear.

In other words, as long as he dealt with High Liang, Guan Hai would be safe.

However, Yang Haoran wasn't prepared to take High Liang down just yet, because he still had a more important task that required High Liang's assistance.