Realm of the Night God - Chapter 125: Returning Home to Retrieve Things

Cluster had a total of five huge stone gates, aside from the one that trapped Xue Li, there were four others.

When they arrived at Cluster, only the stone chamber gate where Xue Li was located remained tightly shut, while the other four stone gates had already been opened.

As for when and by whom these four stone gates were opened, and whether it was Master Zhou’s doing, Yang Haoran had no idea.

Of course, he was also clueless about what lay behind these four stone gates.

When Xu Meijing brought up the matter, Yang Haoran didn’t dwell on it and just nodded.

Leaving the stone chamber, they took the yellow cloth and the soul gathering bead filled with souls. As for Xue Li’s naked corpse, neither of them bothered with it and simply left it where it lay without a second glance.

In the following time, they meticulously inspected the stone chambers behind the other four stone gates, but found nothing of significance.

The reason Xu Meijing suggested checking behind the other four stone gates was that they had tasted success in Xue Li’s stone chamber and wanted to try their luck behind the other four stone gates.

In fact, before entering the other four stone gates, both of them understood that there was most likely nothing behind them. It was simple logic; Master Zhou seemed familiar with this place, and if there were any valuable items behind the other four stone gates, he would have surely taken them already, leaving nothing for them to find.

Though they understood this, they still decided to take a look, purely holding onto a glimmer of hope.

After much effort and no gain, they decided to leave the cave.

Before leaving, Yang Haoran gazed deeply at the place where his parents and clan members had turned into grey liquid, feeling a heavy heart.

Obtaining the mysterious yellow cloth from Xue Li’s place should have been a matter of great joy for him, but with the tragic deaths of his parents and clan members, he couldn’t find any joy. It was evident from Xu Meijing’s reaction that the cloth was indeed a valuable treasure.

However, enveloped in profound sorrow from the deaths of his parents and clan members, he couldn’t bring himself to feel any happiness.

Xu Meijing wanted to leave immediately, but seeing Yang Haoran’s state, she held back and remained silent.

After standing motionless for who knows how long, Xu Meijing couldn’t help but want to urge him, but it was only when he withdrew his gaze that she refrained.

“Let’s go,” he said, his voice low and heavy, as if suppressing something.

Xu Meijing noticed everything but chose not to say anything. At this moment, she felt it was best to let Yang Haoran have some peace.

However, before leaving, Yang Haoran specifically went to Master Zhou’s corpse and took his satchel.

Outside the cave, both of them halted, gazing at the cave entrance.

Though their eyes were fixed on the entrance, their thoughts couldn’t have been more different.

“To avoid unnecessary trouble, I’m planning to seal this place. Do you have any objections?” Xu Meijing looked at Yang Haoran and asked.

“Sealing it is fine. This way, no one will disturb them anymore,” Yang Haoran replied.

Both of them had the idea to seal the cave, but their purposes were different. Xu Meijing didn’t want Cluster’s secrets exposed, while Yang Haoran didn’t want anyone coming here to disturb his parents and clan members.

Though he knew his parents and clan members were already gone, scattered like soul dust, and there was no question of disturbance, he still hoped this place would remain quiet forever.

With a wave of Xu Meijing’s hand, a strong Yin spirit power rushed into the cave entrance like a black dragon. Then, under their watchful eyes, the cave entrance shook violently, followed by a deafening rumble as the entire cave collapsed from top to bottom.

Sealing the entrance wasn’t enough; causing the entire cave to collapse, ensuring it no longer existed, that was true closure!

After doing all this, Xu Meijing felt a sense of relief and turned her gaze to Yang Haoran.

“Where do you plan to go next?” she asked.

Where to go next?

Yang Haoran’s gaze showed a hint of confusion. He had intended to return home, but did he still have a home?

Ever since his parents became corpse puppets, his concept of home had vanished.

After a moment of silence, he said, “I plan to go back to the village.”

Even though his parents were gone, it was still the place he once called home, so he decided to return to Yangjia Bay.

Xu Meijing furrowed her brows slightly and asked, “Why go back?”

Yangjia Bay had become a dead zone, devoid not only of living beings but even of livestock. Returning at this time would only deepen his inner sorrow, in Xu Meijing’s view.

“I left something there. I need to go back and retrieve it,” Yang Haoran replied.

“What is it?” Xu Meijing asked, puzzled.

“Memories.”

Yang Haoran’s answer was earnest. Though only two words, they conveyed more than a thousand words could.

Xu Meijing didn’t say much. Since Yang Haoran had made his decision, she respected it.

“Then let’s part ways here. If you need anything, you can come to my grandmother’s house to find me. I’ll be staying there for the next few days,” Xu Meijing said.

Yang Haoran nodded. “Thank you for today. I’ll repay this favor someday.”

“No need. But I’ve taken Xue Li’s soul gathering bead. There are a considerable number of souls in it, which could be useful. When the time comes, I’ll share half of it with you.”

With that, Xu Meijing tucked her hands into her pockets and headed towards Liu Family Village without waiting for Yang Haoran’s response.

Just as she took a few steps, she paused, turned back, and looked at Yang Haoran with a serious expression.

“Remember what I’m about to tell you. Everything that happened in the stone chamber must never be disclosed to anyone, not even to your closest friends. It’s best not to even mention the words ‘soul-refining cauldron.'”

“Don’t worry, I’ll remember.”

After getting Yang Haoran’s confirmation again, Xu Meijing finally left with peace of mind.

Meanwhile, Yang Haoran headed towards Yangjia Bay, in the opposite direction chosen by Xu Meijing.

As they walked away from each other, they gradually disappeared into the dense woods.

Returning to Yangjia Bay in a daze, he arrived at his family’s old house. Yang Haoran took out the key, which he rarely used throughout the year, opened the door, stepped inside, and then locked himself in.

This morning, the family sat together, laughing while having breakfast, but now everything had changed.

Without the familiar figures and the comforting chatter, the home now felt so unfamiliar, so strange that it frightened him.

After spending a short while at home, there came a knocking at the door, accompanied by three faint but distinct fluctuations of power.

Yang Haoran seemed oblivious to it all, lying on the bed like a lifeless corpse, expressionless and vacant.

The knocking persisted, and along with it, a familiar voice entered the house.

“Brother Yang, it’s me, Wang Yiming. Can you open the door?”

The owner of the voice turned out to be Wang Yiming from the Fu Sect.

Upon hearing Wang Yiming’s voice, Yang Haoran, lying motionless on the bed, finally showed a slight change in expression.

He frowned slightly, hesitated for a moment, but decided to get out of bed and open the door.

Wang Yiming, standing outside with two others, spoke first, “Brother Yang, are you alright?”

Wang Yiming maintained his usual serious expression, but upon seeing Yang Haoran, he couldn’t help but show a hint of concern in his eyes.

“I’m fine. How did you find this place?” Yang Haoran’s tone was colder than usual when facing a friend, but Wang Yiming didn’t take offense. Instead, his concern for Yang Haoran grew stronger.

“After Chen Ying escaped from here, she contacted the higher-ups for support and then contacted me. She told me everything that happened in Yangjia Bay, so I knew you were here.”

“We arrived here not long ago. I went to Chen Ying’s yard first, but I didn’t find you or any zombies. Just as we were about to search elsewhere, we saw you, dispirited, walking into this old house. I called out to you, but you didn’t seem to hear, so we hurried over.”

Wang Yiming was cautious not to upset Yang Haoran with his words, so he watched Yang Haoran’s expressions closely throughout. However, from beginning to end, Yang Haoran’s expression remained unchanged, just as it was when he opened the door.

Yang Haoran’s reaction didn’t ease Wang Yiming’s worries; instead, it deepened them.

“Brother Yang, please accept my condolences.” Wang Yiming gently patted Yang Haoran’s shoulder, offering his condolences before continuing, “Take some rest first. We’ll deal with the zombies in the village, and then come back to find you.”

In truth, Wang Yiming had many doubts in his mind. Why did Yangjia Bay suddenly become infested with zombies, and where did these zombies disappear to now? Moreover, with someone like Yang Haoran, an Underworld Envoy, here, why did such a tragedy occur?

He wanted to get answers from Yang Haoran, but considering his current state, Wang Yiming felt it was better not to disturb him.

“All the zombies in Yangjia Bay have been dealt with,” Yang Haoran said, surprising not only Wang Yiming but also the two people behind him.

[Heartfelt thankyou for the support! BokuBoku]