Realm of the Night God

Chapter 45: Gain and Loss

Back in Guanhai's hospital room, Guanhai had indeed woken up.

"You little punk, fainting at the drop of a hat," Yang Haoran teased, looking at Guanhai's weak appearance.

Knowing that Guanhai was just overwhelmed by Yin Qi and as long as he avoided heavy exposure to it, he would recover after some rest, Yang Haoran wasn't worried about Guanhai's life. Hence, he was in the mood to tease the guy.

Guanhai grinned and cursed, "I'm practically half dead, and yet you still have the heart to mock me. You won't have a good end!"

"I don't know if I'll have a good end or not, but I do know you're almost at death's door now," Yang Haoran chuckled.

Not one to be outdone, Guanhai retorted, "Don't worry, if I really kick the bucket, I won't leave you behind. I'll drag you, this charlatan, down to hell with me."

Xiao Mo, on the side, poured hot water for Guanhai while smiling silently. These two always bickered whenever they met, and she had long grown used to it, so she let them exchange jests and barbs without interfering.

After a while, the banter ceased, and Xiao Mo handed the water to Guanhai. Despite its perfect temperature, Xiao Mo still reminded him with concern, "Guanhai, be careful not to scald yourself."

Watching Xiao Mo's gentle demeanor, Yang Haoran couldn't help but sigh inwardly. People were so different. Recalling the fierce look on that black-haired woman who wanted to punch him earlier and contrasting it with Xiao Mo's tender behavior towards Guanhai now, his heart felt shattered.

"Be careful not to choke on the water," Yang Haoran retorted sarcastically.

"Don't worry, Xiao Mo personally poured me this hot water. Even if it chokes me, I'd feel blissful," Guanhai joked, addressing Yang Haoran but aimed at Xiao Mo. Yang Haoran sneered at the remark, while Xiao Mo beamed with happiness.

Even though Xiao Mo could tell Guanhai was joking, she couldn't help but feel joy hearing him say those words directly to her. She couldn't contain her happiness, and it reflected on her face.

"You shameless guy should be thrown into a pigsty and left to suffocate in the filth!" Yang Haoran scorned.

"Tsk tsk, so sour! These grapes are really sour enough to make my teeth ache," Guanhai leisurely took a sip of warm water, then handed the cup to Xiao Mo before exaggeratedly addressing Yang Haoran with both facial expression and body language.

Unable to find words to retort, Yang Haoran could only laugh and concede, "Alright, alright, you win. Is winning not enough for you?"

Guanhai chuckled but refrained from further teasing Yang Haoran.

As they bantered, Guanhai's complexion visibly improved. Though still weak compared to a normal person, he seemed to regain some vitality.

Yang Haoran wanted to inquire about Guanhai's recent activities - why he hadn't contacted him and ended up engulfed in Yin Qi - but seeing Guanhai still weak, he decided to postpone his questions until morning.

"I see you still have the energy to banter with me. Seems like you won't die anytime soon. I'm too sleepy; I'll take a nap. As for you, do as you please," Yang Haoran said before settling into a chair, closing his eyes.

Seeing Yang Haoran sleep so peacefully, Guanhai protested, "You just woke up, and now you're sleeping again. Aren't you going to keep me company a little longer?"

Ignoring Guanhai completely, Yang Haoran soon started to snore lightly after a few minutes, much to Guanhai and Xiao Mo's surprise.

Exhausted from the ordeal, he had hoped for a good night's sleep, only to be interrupted by Guanhai's situation. It didn't take long for him to doze off in the uncomfortable chair.

At this point, Xiao Mo was also too tired to stay awake. Seeing Yang Haoran sleep so soundly, she found herself a chair, laid her head on the bed, and drifted off to sleep.

With nobody to banter with, Guanhai closed his eyes too. Despite feeling somewhat better, he was still very weak and needed rest.

Yang Haoran didn't sleep comfortably. Sleeping on the chair was far from ideal, and he was soon awakened by a commotion. He groggily opened his eyes to find several women gathered around Guanhai's bed, fussing over him.

Yang Haoran felt speechless, closed his eyes again, and pretended not to hear the commotion. Since these women were here for Guanhai, let Guanhai deal with it.

However, pretending not to hear and truly not hearing were two different things, and the difference between them was significant. Yang Haoran tried his best to ignore the noise, but it was like flies buzzing incessantly in his ears, making it impossible for him to sleep.

Feeling helpless, he groggily stood up from the chair, his whole body aching. It took him a while to catch his breath.

Then, with a dazed expression, he turned to look outside the window. It was already bright outside, and he checked the time on his mobile phone: nine in the morning.

Yang Haoran sighed inwardly. He felt like he had just closed his eyes, but apparently, a lot of time had passed. Glancing at Guanhai, surrounded by several women, Yang Haoran greeted him before leaving the room with a weary expression, ignoring Guanhai's calls.

Once outside the room, Yang Haoran left the hospital, hailed a taxi, and went back to the grocery store first. After freshening up, he paid homage to the Death God, had a quick meal, and hurried back to the hospital.

Although he missed the timing for paying homage to the Death God today, Yang Haoran rushed back as soon as possible, showing sincere devotion. As for whether the Death God would blame him for the delay, he had no idea.

On the way to the hospital, Yang Haoran called Master Jiang and briefed him on Guanhai's situation, asking if it was possible to use his Yin spirit power to help. Master Jiang confirmed it was possible but unnecessary.

According to Master Jiang, Guanhai only needed to spend more time in the sun and avoid heavy exposure to Yin Qi. Eventually, the Yin Qi entwining Guanhai would dissipate, and he would recover.

Furthermore, Master Jiang reminded Yang Haoran that as a Night Watch, he possessed Yin spirit power. Therefore, the intensity of Yin Qi on him was comparable to that of a ghost, if not greater.

With the increase of Yin spirit power, the Yin Qi emanating from him would become more severe. While the Death Mark Seal prevented adverse effects on him, those around him would still be affected over time.

Master Jiang's warning added considerable psychological pressure on Yang Haoran. He now understood why Master Jiang had once said that not having special abilities was also a good thing. It seemed this was what he meant.

Arriving at the hospital again, Yang Haoran's mood was heavy. Master Jiang's warning implied many things, and he was well aware of them.

Sometimes in life, when you seek something, you inevitably lose something else. You might not feel it at the time, but you'll realize it later.

This path was his choice, and Yang Haoran had no regrets. However, he wouldn't allow this situation to continue indefinitely. He believed that with his growing abilities, he would find a solution to this problem in the future.

For now, he would try to control the time he spent with his friends, no longer indulging in gatherings as he used to.

Walking through the hospital, Yang Haoran activated the Yin spirit power within him. After circulating it through his body, he felt much better and more energized. The fatigue from lack of rest had diminished significantly.

This method, too, was taught by Master Jiang. Activating it could reduce fatigue and restore mental clarity.

Outside the hospital building, instead of immediately going in, Yang Haoran hesitated. He made a phone call outside, not to Guanhai but to Jiang Zhenzhen.

To his surprise, Jiang Zhenzhen's phone was turned off.

He was puzzled. It was already noon; Jiang Zhenzhen couldn't possibly still be asleep. Could it be because of the new regulations in their jewelry store, requiring employees to turn off their phones during work hours?

With this thought in mind, he tried calling Jiang Zhenzhen's number several times, but it was still switched off.

Helpless, Yang Haoran put away his phone, feeling anxious. He decided to try again in the evening; after all, Jiang Zhenzhen would have finished work by then, and no one would care if her phone was off.

With a decision made, Yang Haoran entered the elevator and returned to Guanhai's ward.

Before even stepping into the room, Yang Haoran furrowed his brow slightly.

Inside the room, many women chattered incessantly, more than when he left in the morning. Yang Haoran wasn't surprised; Xiao Mo had warned him last night.

What made him frown was that he sensed Yin Qi in Guanhai's room. He hadn't even entered yet but could already feel it, and upon entering, the Yin Qi became stronger.

His gaze passed through the youthful and beautiful bodies until it settled on one woman!

Seeing her, Yang Haoran's brow furrowed even tighter!

"It's her after all!"