Chapter 576: Night Owl
Night fell, and the city's lights flickered on. Yet, the illuminated areas were severely limited; they could only bring light to a fraction of the city, unable to dispel the entire shroud of night.
Within Cloud River City, ordinary people continued their lives as usual: those who had work went to work, those who sought entertainment found it, and those who needed sleep slept. Everything seemed no different from before.
But how could these ordinary folk know of the dangers lurking beneath the veil of night? Even less could they know that in countless deserted corners, invisible eyes were watching them, like beasts prowling for their prey.
Cloud River City, which had been peaceful throughout the day, became unsettled with the arrival of night. The emergence of the first wave of Yin Qi was like a stone tossed into calm waters, sending ripples outward. As the tranquility shattered, one surge of Yin Qi followed another, varying in strength.
At that moment, Yang Haoran was in the eastern part of Cloud River City. Sensing the successive surges of Yin Qi throughout the city, a smile appeared on his face.
According to Huo Laoban's arrangements, he and Shi Kai were responsible for the ghosts within the city, while Huo Laoban himself would deal with the hidden Spirit Masters. The three of them had their specific duties, each overseeing their own assigned areas.
To increase efficiency, Yang Haoran and Shi Kai did not stay together. Yang Haoran was in charge of the city's east and south, while Shi Kai handled the west and north.
According to Huo Laoban's initial idea, he had planned for Yang Haoran and Shi Kai to each bring along a few Night Watchers. Although these Night Watchers had limited strength and couldn't offer significant help, they could assist with minor tasks and run errands.
Shi Kai, on the other hand, was indifferent to the idea. With a few Night Watchers around, minor matters could be completely delegated to them, so he didn't refuse.
Yang Haoran's refusal stemmed from several reasons. Firstly, he felt that having Night Watchers would be troublesome; if he genuinely encountered danger, he wouldn't be able to look after them. m. i． c
Furthermore, he harbored some secrets he didn't want the Night Watchers to see, such as his true strength.
Another crucial point was that his trip to Cloud River City was primarily to gain benefits. Having the local Cloud River City Night Watchers by his side would be somewhat inconvenient, especially since he couldn't very well snatch ghosts away from them.
Thus, considering these factors, Yang Haoran rejected Huo Laoban's proposal.
Huo Laoban was an intelligent man. He could more or less guess why Yang Haoran had refused him, so he didn't press the issue and allowed Yang Haoran to act alone.
Yang Haoran was not his subordinate; rather, he was an Emissary of Death, just like Huo Laoban. Although Huo Laoban was currently in charge of their trio's operation, he couldn't use forceful methods on Yang Haoran.
Moreover, in his eyes, this wasn't a major issue. Coupled with their existing shortage of personnel, he didn't insist. If Yang Haoran didn't need Night Watchers to run errands, he could simply reassign those initially designated for Yang Haoran to other tasks.
Feeling the waves of Yin Qi appearing sequentially throughout the city, Yang Haoran's smile deepened. He didn't head for the nearest surge of Yin Qi; instead, he made his way towards the strongest one within his assigned area.
The stronger the emitted Yin Qi, the more formidable the ghost. Powerful ghosts undoubtedly caused greater destruction and wielded more influence than weaker ones, which was why Yang Haoran decided to tackle the stronger entities first, to prevent further escalation.
Of course, besides that reason, there was an even more crucial one: the more powerful the ghost, the greater its value. If such a ghost wasn't secured immediately, and was instead snatched away by other well-meaning exorcists or simply annihilated into Soul Transformation, it would be an immense waste.
It wasn't just malevolent spirits who enjoyed nocturnal activities; there were also lecherous ghosts, drunkards, and gamblers. Er Lengzi was a jack-of-all-trades.
When sober, Er Lengzi was no different from an ordinary person, appearing quite refined and gentle. Yet, beneath that civilized exterior lurked an untamed beast.
Once night fell, he would shed his facade and unleash the beast from the depths of his heart: drinking, feasting, smoking, card-playing, clubbing, chasing women—he indulged in all manner of entertainment. However, he wasn't skilled at any of them, instead giving off an impression of being clueless and daft. Over time, he earned the nickname Er Lengzi.
It was still early this evening; those who truly enjoyed nightlife were just getting into the swing of things, but Er Lengzi was already utterly plastered.
He loved to drink, but unfortunately, he couldn't hold his liquor. A few cups would leave him completely wasted, yet he never admitted defeat, always insisting on toughing it out even when dead drunk.
He’d heard an old drunkard say: if you're drunk, keep drinking; if you vomit, drink more; if you can still open your mouth, keep pouring it down. Don't be afraid, don't be timid, and over years, your alcohol tolerance will naturally increase.
Er Lengzi firmly believed this advice. To improve his drinking capacity, he cast his health aside, increasing his alcohol tolerance through what could only be called self-destructive methods.
The friends he had dined with had already departed; their "departure" was merely a change of venue to continue drinking, only they hadn't bothered to bring Er Lengzi along.
Everyone else knew he was already drunk, so they weren't willing to take him.
Of course, these so-called friends weren't concerned about his health. It was simply that when drunk, he was prone to causing trouble and being extremely restless. His friends didn't want to invite problems upon themselves or find him an eyesore, so they parted ways with him.
Having just received his salary today, Er Lengzi had some money on hand. He had organized the dinner party that evening, and naturally, he was the one who paid the bill. The irony was, after dinner, he was left all alone, while the "friends" he had shared a meal with had already moved on to another spot to continue their revelry.
Er Lengzi rested his head on the table for a moment, but the more he rested, the dizzier he became. Remembering his mission to improve his alcohol tolerance and unleash his wild side, he couldn't just sleep it off. So, he forced his body to stand, paid the bill, and left, intent on finding another place to drink.
Er Lengzi's monthly salary wasn't high, and a single dinner had consumed a third of it. Yet, he never gave it a second thought. According to him, only one day a month brought him such joy, so spending money was justified—not for anything else, but simply to pay for happiness.
However, he had never deeply considered one question: was the "happiness" he spoke of truly happy?
With a third of his month's salary gone for one dinner, Er Lengzi felt no pain at all; instead, he believed he still had the capacity to splurge on another round of entertainment tonight.
Dragging his heavy body, Er Lengzi stumbled into a bar. In his mind, bars were full of beautiful women, and being perpetually single, he often tried his luck there. He had done this many times, and though he had never succeeded, he had never given up.
Tonight, he wasn't planning to give up either. He had a feeling that he would definitely find something in the bar tonight, and as he stepped through the bar's entrance, that feeling became extraordinarily strong.
Entering the bar, a waiter immediately approached him. However, upon seeing that it was Er Lengzi, the waiter's smile stiffened, then vanished completely. They acted as if they hadn't seen Er Lengzi, directly ignoring him.
Er Lengzi, however, didn't notice the waiter's attitude towards him at all. All his attention was currently fixed on the interior of the bar; he had no mind to concern himself with the waiter.
As usual, Er Lengzi, still swaying with drunkenness, began to wander aimlessly through the bar. His gaze incessantly scrutinized the female patrons, as if he were shopping for merchandise. He paid no heed to whether these women had male companions, his lecherous eyes and idiotic grin making his expression look utterly abnormal.
It was still early, so the bar wasn't very crowded, and there were even fewer women. Er Lengzi circled around, taking in every single female patron. Finally, with a silly grin plastered on his face, he approached the woman he deemed most beautiful.
However, he had barely sat down for two minutes before the woman chased him away. She had a male companion, and his behavior was excessively lewd, nearly leading to a brawl. If the waiter hadn't intervened in time, he would have already come to blows with the woman's companion.
The waiter clearly recognized Er Lengzi and felt utterly helpless towards him. To prevent Er Lengzi from causing any trouble in the bar, the waiter could only offer a forced smile and try to coax him into leaving.
Er Lengzi hadn't achieved his goal, so he wasn't willing to simply leave. Suddenly, his eyes lit up fiercely, and with a drunken grin, he pointed towards a booth in the corner of the bar.
“I'm going there! Don't you dare stop me! ”
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