Realm of the Night God

Chapter 23: The Human Path, Ghostly Road

As Yang Haoran stepped back into the room, Decaying Corpse Granny's eyes betrayed a hint of confusion. Then, she sinisterly chuckled, "Hehehe, young man, are you reluctant to leave Granny?"

Hearing the eerie tone, Yang Haoran trembled even more violently. Consumed by fear, every step he took seemed to drain him of all his strength. He had no energy left to respond to Decaying Corpse Granny.

Even if he had the strength, he lacked the courage to answer. When he usually played tricks, he was always on edge. But now, facing a real ghost, where was the bravery to engage in banter?

He was good at acting and talking big when facing humans, but now it was an entirely different story. He wasn't facing a human; he was facing a ghost. The two couldn't be more distinct.

The unknown often instills fear, and the existence of ghosts strikes deep into the human psyche. Before encountering them, many people wouldn't take them seriously. Even if mentioned occasionally, it was with disdain. However, when faced with a real ghost, even the bravest would be greatly frightened.

Under immense pressure, Yang Haoran unconsciously bit his lip until it bled. But he paid no attention, slowly moving towards Jiang Zhenzhen lying on the ground.

Seeing Yang Haoran's silence, Decaying Corpse Granny's face twisted into a grimace. A horrifying ghostly sound emanated from her mouth, seemingly threatening.

Yang Haoran pretended not to hear or see, increasing his pace towards Jiang Zhenzhen.

As Yang Haoran approached, Decaying Corpse Granny retreated to the side, maintaining a certain distance, neither daring to get too close nor too far.

After what felt like an eternity to Yang Haoran, he finally reached the unconscious Jiang Zhenzhen. Without hesitation, he mustered all his remaining strength and courage, scooping up Jiang Zhenzhen and rushing towards the door!

As he dashed, he yelled loudly, seemingly trying to encourage himself.

Luckily, Jiang Zhenzhen was petite and light, and coupled with Yang Haoran's regular exercise, carrying her didn't burden him much.

The house was small to begin with. With Yang Haoran's swift sprint, the door was within reach. But just then, Decaying Corpse Granny, who had been silent for a while, suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking his path. Her face, riddled with holes, wore a terrifying grin as she looked at him.

Yang Haoran screamed in terror, his body jerking reflexively. Before he could react, Decaying Corpse Granny, amidst a strange chuckle, sprayed something from her mouth!

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A crimson tongue, resembling a poisonous snake, shot out from Decaying Corpse Granny's mouth, aiming straight for his forehead. It was covered in inch-long barbs, clearly sharp enough to tear out his brain if it struck.

Faced with such a horrifying and repulsive tongue, Yang Haoran instinctively recoiled backward!

His retreat landed squarely on the chubby face of the middle-aged man. This single step distorted the man's face, causing Yang Haoran to lose his balance.

With a stumble, Yang Haoran fell to the ground, still clutching Jiang Zhenzhen. The Death God pendant, gripped tightly in his hand all along, was flung away due to the fall. There were a few crisp sounds as it hit the floor, but its exact landing spot was unknown.

In that moment, as the pendant flew away, Yang Haoran's heart sank. Facing the old lady had already made him feel like he was in an ice cellar, but now it was worse. Not only was he still in that cellar, but now there was also a gigantic fan blowing at full force, adding to his misery.

Decaying Corpse Granny's reaction indicated her fear of the Death God pendant in his hand. Though she instilled great fear in him, having the pendant gave him some sense of security.

But now, with the pendant gone, along with any hope or sense of security it provided, his dread deepened. Without the pendant's protection, he could only imagine what awaited him next—it certainly wouldn't be a friendly chat over drinks. If his heart wasn't cold before, it definitely was now.

"Young man, using a broken pendant to scare Granny, you're truly malicious. Three living people bullying one dead person, using chainsaws and kitchen knives. Doesn't your conscience ache? Do you still have any morals? Do you know what it means to respect the elderly and cherish the young?"

As Decaying Corpse Granny shamelessly spoke, she floated slowly towards Yang Haoran. As she drew nearer, Yang Haoran felt suffocated.

In a critical moment, he recalled the methods he had learned online about dealing with ghosts. However, these methods required props, and the reliability of online information was dubious. Even if he had all the necessary props, they might not be effective.

There were also some methods that didn't require props, such as drawing talismans with blood from a bitten finger. But he wasn't sure if they would work, and even if they did, he didn't have time to perform them.

Biting his finger was actually quite difficult; it wasn't as simple as depicted in movies. It's not easy to break the skin with a gentle bite. Besides, he had thick skin, making it even harder to break. Moreover, even if he managed to draw blood, he didn't know how to draw the talisman. If random scribbles worked, everyone would be a master!

As Decaying Corpse Granny drew closer, Yang Haoran, in desperation, thought of using urine to fend her off. According to online sources, child's urine had a significant restraining effect on ghosts, although it was hyped up. Nevertheless, this was the idea that came to Yang Haoran's mind.

Of course, at thirty years old, Yang Haoran was no longer a child. But with no other effective methods in mind, he had to resort to using his own urine. He had to try, even if it might not work. He had to resist.

With courage he didn't know where it came from, he suddenly rose from the ground, intending to untie his belt and implement his plan against the approaching Decaying Corpse Granny!

Without needing to think, one could imagine how awkward this scene must be. But he had no choice; he had to do something. This had nothing to do with morality or manners; he just wanted to survive, not die here.

Just as Yang Haoran was about to untie his belt, before he could make any further move, a voice suddenly echoed, causing him to freeze in place. Simultaneously, it caught Decaying Corpse Granny's attention.

"Human beings have their paths, and ghosts have theirs. If humans choose the wrong path, they will tread it step by step, eventually losing their lives. Similarly, if spirits take the wrong path, they will dissipate and vanish forever in this world, losing the chance for reincarnation."

Footsteps echoed in the hallway, slow and deliberate, as if someone were taking a stroll.

When this voice, tinged with strong sarcasm, fell, a figure appeared at the doorway, capturing the attention of both Yang Haoran and Decaying Corpse Granny.

In the moonlight, the figure's features were indistinguishable, but it was evident that he was somewhat short, comparable in stature to the unconscious Jiang Zhenzhen lying on the ground.

"The hallway is pitch black; how many bulbs does it take to light it up?" the man grumbled discontentedly. Then, with his hands behind his back, he swaggered into the room.

Barely two steps into the room, his foot landed on something soft. Indeed, that soft thing was the middle-aged man's face.

However, unlike Yang Haoran's stumble, the man stepped on the middle-aged man's face as if on solid ground, with no impact on his body. He left a footprint on the man's face.

Without bothering to look at Yang Haoran and Decaying Corpse Granny, the short man rummaged at the doorway and then flicked a switch.

Click!

The room lit up. Previously bathed in moonlight, the living room suddenly became bright. The features of the short man came into view for Yang Haoran and Decaying Corpse Granny.

He appeared to be a seventeen-year-old youth, judging by his looks. However, whether he truly looked seventeen or just appeared so was uncertain.

The youth looked quite young, but his appearance left much to be desired. His sharp features were far from commendable; if judged by appearance, he was inferior to Yang Haoran. However, he had a distinctive appearance that stood out. Yang Haoran was an ordinary presence that would blend into a crowd, but this youth would stand out even in a sea of people.

Judging from the youth's demeanor, he was either an adept or a lunatic. Before seeing the youth's appearance, Yang Haoran was certain he had encountered an adept. A surge of hope swelled within his despairing heart.

However, when the youth turned on the light, Yang Haoran couldn't help but lean towards the latter possibility. The hope that had just arisen within him vanished instantly, replaced once again by despair.

It wasn't a case of Yang Haoran judging by appearances; it was just that this fellow with his sharp features didn't look like an adept at all. He seemed more like a swindler from the martial world. If Yang Haoran and he stood together, no one would suspect Yang Haoran's identity as a "master"; instead, they would curse the youth as a charlatan!

Well, at this moment, Yang Haoran indeed judged by appearances. Blame it on this sudden appearance of a fellow who looked utterly unconvincing.

However, what Yang Haoran didn't know was that the appearance of this youth, who looked like a swindler, would completely change his life. It was because of this youth's appearance that his life underwent a radical transformation. From then on, he would be exposed to a different world.