Chapter 595: Helpers
Drawing talismans required Talisman Spirit Power, so Yang Haoran converted his own power.
As his power transformed, the Yin Qi emanating from Yang Haoran vanished, replaced by the Talisman Spirit Power unique to a Talisman Master.
If one were to use a Ghost Eye to look at his brow at that moment, they would find that the Death God Seal on his brow had been replaced by a crooked talismanic symbol.
This talismanic symbol, invisible to the naked eye, was a mark of a Talisman Master's identity and the source of their power.
However, Yang Haoran's Talisman Spirit Power wasn't strong. Although he had successfully become a Talisman Master through his own efforts, he hadn't expended much energy in that area afterwards, so among Yellow Talisman Masters, he still belonged to the weaker category.
He couldn't be considered a formidable Yellow Talisman Master, yet the talisman he was about to draw was undoubtedly a genuine high-grade item, and one of the Talisman Order's lost high-grade treasures!
But whether he could successfully draw this high-grade item, he had no confidence. He could only do his best and leave the rest to fate.
While Yang Haoran was drawing talismans, Huo Laoban also took the Old Crone and left the Death God Temple. According to the plan they had formulated earlier, Huo Laoban was going out to recruit helpers.
As for the other Night Watchers, they all remained in the Death God Temple, awaiting orders. With Yang Haoran holding the fort, and it being broad daylight, Huo Laoban and the Old Crone weren't overly worried.
At noon, Huo Laoban and the Old Crone returned to the Death God Temple. Neither of them had brought anyone back. Huo Laoban appeared calm, but a hint of joy lingered in the Old Crone's eyes.
In the afternoon, a rift suddenly appeared in a space within the Death God Temple, and a stout middle-aged man stepped out of it.
His appearance caused all the Night Watchers in the Death God Temple to grow tense.
The remaining Night Watchers in Yunzhou City were few, and those who survived were fortunate. However, they had become frightened birds, and upon seeing a spatial rift suddenly appear in the Death God Temple, their first thought was an enemy invasion. How could they not be nervous?
After the middle-aged man appeared, he did not resort to violence. Instead, he smiled and showed goodwill, which eased their tension and filled them with more questions.
When Huo Laoban appeared, their tension completely vanished. Unbeknownst to them, Huo Laoban had already become their pillar of strength. With Huo Laoban present, they felt entirely at ease.
After the middle-aged man arrived, Huo Laoban arranged for him to rest temporarily in the Death God Temple, while Huo Laoban himself prepared for the evening's operation.
Throughout the afternoon, the Death God Temple remained calm and quiet, with no spatial rifts appearing and no external enemies attacking. Everything seemed peaceful, but the Night Watchers present knew that this was merely the calm before the storm.
Huo Laoban had not revealed the details of tonight's operation to the Night Watchers, so they remained unaware of it. However, they could sense an unusual aura, knowing that a major action was definitely planned for tonight.
In the evening, spatial rifts appeared three more times in quick succession at the Death God Temple, adding three more people to its interior. When night completely fell, another person arrived at the Death God Temple, though this person did not tear space, but instead walked step by step into the temple.
Inside the Death God Temple, all the Night Watchers stood in neat formation. They wore black robes, their heads covered by hoods, with only a small part of their faces exposed, making it impossible to discern their expressions.
In front of them stood Huo Laoban and the Old Crone. Huo Laoban occupied the main position, while the Old Crone respectfully stood beside him.
There were five other individuals present, but the power emanating from them was not Spirit Power, indicating that none of the five were from the Underworld Office.
Even though they weren't from the Underworld Office, Huo Laoban treated them with great importance. All the Underworld Office personnel present were standing, including himself, but these five were seated.
These five were the individuals who had arrived at the Death God Temple throughout the day. They were the helpers Huo Laoban had invited, which was why he treated them so courteously.
"What is Emissary Yang doing? Why hasn't he come over yet? " Huo Laoban looked at the Old Crone beside him and asked.
His tone was calm, devoid of anger or impatience, as if he were merely asking the Old Crone about a trivial matter.
"I just went to check. The isolation barrier still envelops Emissary Yang's quiet room, so I don't know what he's doing or when he'll come out," the Old Crone replied truthfully.
Huo Laoban nodded, indicating his understanding, but his expression remained unchanged, still as calm as before.
After waiting a few more minutes, seeing that Yang Haoran still hadn't appeared, Huo Laoban looked at the Old Crone again.
"It's time the Night Watchers below knew about tonight's mission. Tell them, so they can be prepared."
The Old Crone acknowledged his command and then proceeded to inform the Night Watchers present about tonight's mission.
The reason they hadn't informed the Night Watchers earlier was, naturally, to prevent the leakage of secrets. After all, more mouths meant a greater chance of a leak, so Huo Laoban had not announced tonight's operation during the day.
Now that darkness had fallen and tonight's operation was about to begin, Huo Laoban felt it was time to make the announcement.
As the Old Crone announced tonight's operation, all the Night Watchers present, without exception, had a drastic change in expression. Their faces were only hidden by their hoods, preventing others from noticing their surprise.
They were extremely astonished, and some even felt fear. None of them were foolish; they knew this operation was fraught with danger. They likely wouldn't return from this trip, so how could they not be afraid?
However, apart from their expressions changing, none of them spoke or made any drastic movements. No one even cried out wanting to flee the place.
They all seemed to accept this outcome. Given their status, they had no choice but to accept it, and they understood this very clearly.
After the Old Crone announced tonight's mission, a figure appeared behind the Night Watchers. This person walked towards Huo Laoban's position, and as they passed, the Night Watchers present parted to create a path, bowing in deference.
This person was none other than Yang Haoran.
Seeing Yang Haoran appear, Huo Laoban's face broke into a smile. The five seated individuals also turned their gazes to him, some with indifference, some with calm, and others with curiosity.
"Emissary Yang. " The Old Crone bowed to Yang Haoran, then took a slight step back as a sign of respect.
Yang Haoran smiled and nodded at the Old Crone, then shifted his gaze to Huo Laoban.
"My apologies, something delayed me a bit, so I'm late," Yang Haoran said with an apologetic smile to Huo Laoban.
"Haha, no worries, you've arrived at just the right time," Huo Laoban chuckled, seemingly unconcerned by Yang Haoran's tardiness.
Yang Haoran glanced at the five seated individuals. Noticing this, Huo Laoban immediately smiled and said, "These five gentlemen are the helpers I've invited for tonight. Since time is limited, I'll give you a brief introduction."
As Huo Laoban spoke, all five individuals stood up from their seats. They didn't do so out of any particular respect for Yang Haoran, but purely out of courtesy.
Among these five, there were two Talisman Masters, two Exorcists, and one Demon Hunter.
The two Talisman Masters and two Exorcists were all top-ranked experts in Yunzhou City, but the Demon Hunter was not from Yunzhou City. He hailed from the Demon Hunter Association in Xinyang City, a friend of Huo Laoban's who had specifically come to assist him this time.
Huo Laoban indeed only gave Yang Haoran a simple introduction to the five. As for how he managed to invite them, or what price he paid, he didn't mention it, nor could he in such a setting. Yang Haoran, naturally, wasn't foolish enough to ask such questions.
After briefly introducing the five, Huo Laoban looked at the Night Watchers present and delivered his final rallying call before the battle.
"For tonight's operation, I don't expect you to slay a great number of Spirit Masters, but you must not bring shame upon our Underworld Office. Even if you die, you must die with dignity, not in a pathetic manner. I hope you remember that this battle tonight is for honor, and for the faith in your hearts. Do you still remember what your faith is?"
"We remember!"
The Night Watchers immediately responded, their voices unified and resounding. The Night Watchers, who had initially felt some fear, felt their fear greatly diminish after hearing Huo Laoban's words and shouting with all their might.
"Excellent. After tonight's operation, rewards will be given based on merit; the greater the contribution, the greater the reward. If you want to earn more rewards, then bring forth your true skills. I hope you will not disappoint the Death God."
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