Chapter 34: Fearless When Drunk! (Patreon)

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Under Master Jiang's watchful gaze, Yang Haoran crossed the courtyard, entered the old building, and disappeared beneath the chilly moonlight.

Despite the nighttime setting, Master Jiang's eyes were unaffected, keenly observing as Yang Haoran entered the old structure, his body visibly trembling.

Retracting his gaze, Master Jiang returned to his car. Instead of leaving, he rolled down the window, keeping a vigilant eye on the situation inside the old building.

No sooner had he gotten into the car than a burst of singing erupted from the old building. Not the eerie, spine-chilling tunes of horror movies, but rather a cheerful, contemporary song.

Singing in the dead of night was, of course, Yang Haoran who had entered the old building. His voice was loud, seemingly an attempt to bolster his courage. However, what should have been a cheerful song turned morose under his rendition.

The wailing song echoed not only within the old building but also outside, adding a peculiar feeling to the already spooky atmosphere, perhaps due to shattered nerves or his innate lack of musical talent.

Inside the car, Master Jiang's lips twitched involuntarily. He then wore a wry smile. The song had a penetrating quality, shaking even him. But soon after, his expression stiffened as a terrified scream emanated from the old building, not from Yang Haoran but from someone else.

The scream was heart-wrenching. With a solemn expression, under Master Jiang's gaze, the once eerie and terrifying old building seemed to distort, as if coming to life, appearing extremely surreal.

"Has it begun? I hope you can endure. If you fail to pass this test, you may not even have the chance for reincarnation. You'll be forever trapped in this old building, unless... unless she chooses to release you," Master Jiang murmured softly. He sighed, shaking his head. "In this world, countless aspire to possess special abilities, but how many succeed? You are stronger than them, at least you have this opportunity. Many don't even have that. But the chance you've painstakingly fought for may lead to your ultimate downfall. The path is yours to tread; whether you can walk it depends on you."

As his words trailed off, Master Jiang's expression froze again.

Inside the old building, the terrified screams of Yang Haoran ceased abruptly, leaving the once haunted building eerily quiet, with only the sound of nearby insects.

"So soon, it's over?" Master Jiang blinked, then shook his head, sighing. "It seems, as the divine envoy said, he's too cowardly, utterly unsuitable to be one of us."

In Master Jiang's view, Yang Haoran must have met an unfortunate fate. Though he had already concluded this in his mind, he had no intention of leaving. Since he had promised to wait until dawn, he would keep his word. Besides, it was a matter of principle.

Just as Master Jiang thought Yang Haoran was dead, suddenly, sounds emerged from the haunted building again. Not the ghostly singing or terrified screams this time, but angry curses and the clattering of objects being thrown around.

"Come on! I'm not afraid of you! What ghostly things! Come and get me if you dare!"

"I fear neither heaven nor earth! I'm not scared of you ghosts! Trying to scare me, huh? I, Yang Haoran, am a man of real ability!"

"You better stay away! Don't blame me for not showing mercy! I'll take all of you down! Don't think I'm joking! Go find out! I, Yang Haoran, fear no one when I'm drunk! The whole damn Lecheng is mine! Who do I fear!"

Master Jiang's lips twitched again as he glanced at the broken bottle near the iron gate, knowing that Yang Haoran was now having a drunken fit inside.

"Heh, it seems this guy isn't as unbearable as the divine envoy claimed. At least, his courage remains intact after getting drunk," Master Jiang chuckled to himself.

As time trickled by, two hours later, Yang Haoran inside the haunted building continued his tirade. However, compared to before, his voice had grown hoarse, and his vigor noticeably diminished. Master Jiang outside the haunted building couldn't make out what Yang Haoran was ranting about anymore.

For over two hours, he had been raging, shouting until his voice became raw. Even a golden throat couldn't withstand such strain, let alone he, who wasn't blessed with one. It was normal for his voice to grow hoarse.

Master Jiang checked the time; it was nearing three o'clock. Yang Haoran had entered the haunted building around one o'clock. Two hours had passed, leaving just over ten minutes until three.

At four o'clock, there was no sound emanating from the haunted building, just like when they had arrived. Whether Yang Haoran was alive or dead, Master Jiang in the car didn't know, but he remained waiting.

Five o'clock!

Six o'clock!

Seven o'clock!

It was winter, and in Lecheng, daylight began around seven o'clock. Inside the car, Master Jiang glanced at the sky, then fixed his gaze on the entrance of the haunted building, yet no one emerged.

Yang Haoran's final test was to remain inside the haunted building until dawn. If he emerged alive when the sun rose, then he would have passed the test. It was now gradually getting light, but Yang Haoran hadn't left the building.

Master Jiang didn't leave because Yang Haoran hadn't appeared. He continued waiting silently in the car.

Of course, if Yang Haoran didn't come out, he couldn't keep waiting indefinitely. He would wait until eight o'clock. If Yang Haoran hadn't come out of the haunted building by then, according to the rules, he would have to leave, and the test would be deemed a failure.

Master Jiang hadn't informed Yang Haoran of this, not out of deliberate deception, but because he had momentarily forgotten.

As daylight grew brighter and eight o'clock approached, Yang Haoran still hadn't emerged from the haunted building.

"Could something have happened?" Master Jiang couldn't help but think.

It was a reasonable concern; there had been no sound from the haunted building for a long time. If Yang Haoran was alive, there should have been some movement, especially now that it was daylight. Who would want to linger in such a haunted place!

In Master Jiang's view, if Yang Haoran hadn't come out, there were only two possibilities. First, Yang Haoran might have died, hence why he hadn't left the haunted building. As for the second possibility, Yang Haoran might have fallen asleep inside.

While this second possibility existed - given that Yang Haoran had downed a bottle of strong liquor before entering the old building, passing out from intoxication was possible - it wasn't very likely.

The reason Master Jiang thought this possibility was unlikely was that the haunted building indeed had ghosts, and quite a few of them, as he knew well.

Once inside the haunted building, regardless of how peculiar or insane one might be, they would become targets for the ghosts. Even if they were dead drunk, the ghosts had many ways to sober them up and subject them to various torments.

Under such circumstances, except for the dead, it was unlikely that anyone could fall asleep.

With only ten minutes left until eight o'clock, Master Jiang hesitated as he watched Yang Haoran still not emerging from the old building.

To be honest, he truly didn't know whether Yang Haoran was alive or dead at this point. If Yang Haoran didn't come out in another ten minutes, regardless of his status, he could leave according to the rules, and his task would be considered complete.

However, for the remaining ten minutes, he felt somewhat uneasy about doing nothing.

His impression of Yang Haoran was quite good. He genuinely wanted to do something for him. If Yang Haoran had indeed died in the haunted building, so be it. But what if he hadn't?

If Yang Haoran was still alive, then with just a little assistance, perhaps Master Jiang could become the key to Yang Haoran passing the test.

Recalling that he hadn't fully explained the rules to Yang Haoran before he entered the haunted building, after some hesitation, he decided to use these last ten minutes to help Yang Haoran.

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Next Chapter ->Chapter 35 Passing the Test