Chapter 1023: They Came So Fast
Shui Ling explained in great detail, and Yang Haoran listened very carefully. After Shui Ling relayed everything she knew to Yang Haoran, she said nothing further, standing respectfully before him, awaiting his instructions.
Yang Haoran, meanwhile, smoked a cigarette, his face etched in thought, digesting the information he had received from Shui Ling.
Previously, he had gained some understanding of Gu Mo City from Huang Sha, but Huang Sha didn't know much about the Gu Mo City Underworld Office or the Spirit Mediums, so he hadn't obtained any useful information on that front from him.
Now, listening to Shui Ling's account, he felt both shock and excitement. Though his face was impassive at the moment, his inner emotions were swirling intensely.
His shock stemmed from the unexpected realization of how powerful Gu Mo City's Spirit Mediums truly were, having far outstripped the Underworld Office. Although they weren't initially this formidable, their current strength was indeed astonishing. What surprised him even more was the sheer number of Spirit Mediums in Gu Mo City; it was staggering!
His excitement, on the other hand, arose from the fact that these Spirit Mediums represented a terrifying resource for him. It was well known that the souls of Spirit Mediums could fetch astonishing rewards in the Underworld; even ordinary Spirit Mediums' souls could be exchanged for incredible bounties. Such a vast number of Spirit Mediums, if all were slain by him and their souls sent to the Underworld, would yield a truly frightening profit.
He wasn't sure exactly how many Soul Pills he could obtain, but he knew the quantity would be absolutely astounding. Even for him, who possessed the Soul-Refining Cauldron, it would be a substantial figure, so how could he not be excited?
"Guardian Luo Yao has truly assigned me a good task this time. If I were truly just an Emissary of Death who had only opened my Heaven Soul, as he believes, then this journey would indeed be high risk, high reward for me. Heh, but ultimately, he still underestimated my strength."
However, he didn't let his guard down because of this. Who knew if there were hidden masters among these Spirit Mediums? If he acted too ostentatiously, he might not gain any benefits and instead lose himself in the process, which was not the outcome he desired.
Even if there were no hidden masters among Gu Mo City's Spirit Mediums and their strength was exactly as Shui Ling described, he wouldn't use thunderous means to eradicate them. That would expose his true power, and if Luo Yao became suspicious of his strength, it would undoubtedly lead to more trouble.
Furthermore, the Spirit Mediums weren't the only power in Gu Mo City. This place was a chaotic mix of all sorts, and there were definitely strong individuals around. As a newcomer, a low profile wouldn't hurt. Once he had gotten the lay of the land, what would be the harm in being a little more ostentatious? Whoever dared to step out would be slaughtered!
Shui Ling and Lu Wu saw Yang Haoran's pensive expression and knew he was deep in thought, so they didn't speak to disturb him.
Xiang Chuan, sitting alone in the corner, had heard every word Shui Ling said. Seeing Yang Haoran lost in thought, he chuckled, and while meticulously dissecting the Quicksand Four-Leaf Flower before him, he spoke.
"The number of Spirit Mediums in Gu Mo City is indeed quite large, but their strength is nothing special. Big Brother, if you just go yourself, you can take care of them in a few moves. Why bother racking your brain here?"
At Xiang Chuan's words, everyone's expressions changed except for Yang Haoran and Huang Sha. Lu Wu and the three other Night Watchers all showed looks of shock.
Previously, Xiang Chuan had been quietly dissecting the Quicksand Four-Leaf Flower in the corner, not speaking. Moreover, he had reined in most of his power, so the energy fluctuations emanating from him weren't strong, giving him little presence. Lu Wu and the other three had their attention almost entirely on Yang Haoran, so they hadn't paid much heed to him.
However, the moment he spoke now, he immediately drew the gaze of all four.
Lu Wu had exchanged blows with Xiang Chuan before and knew how formidable he was; in front of Xiang Chuan, he couldn't even retaliate. But Shui Ling and the other two had never witnessed Xiang Chuan in action, so they didn't understand his strength.
The reason their four faces changed simultaneously at that moment wasn't because of Xiang Chuan himself, but because of his words.
Shui Ling had just made it clear how formidable Gu Mo City's Spirit Mediums were; both their numbers and their strength were terrifying. In such a situation, an ordinary Emissary of Death coming to Gu Mo City would simply be courting death. Only an Emissary of Death who had reached the mid-to-late stage of Heaven Soul cultivation would even qualify to contend. And even then, one Emissary of Death alone would be far from enough; if they didn't have a sufficient number of capable Night Watchers at their disposal, the likely outcome would still be defeat.
But Xiang Chuan's words to Yang Haoran, spoken at that moment, not only revealed his disdain for Gu Mo City's Spirit Mediums but also subtly hinted that Yang Haoran's strength was terrifyingly immense, capable of dealing with all of Gu Mo City's Spirit Mediums alone. How could this not shock Shui Ling and the other three?
Huang Sha's expression remained unchanged because he had witnessed merely the tip of the iceberg of Yang Haoran's power, unlike Shui Ling and the other three.
"Heh heh, I'm not as formidable as you say. Since I'm racking my brain here, it means I'm not as fierce as you claim."
Yang Haoran looked at Xiang Chuan in the corner and chuckled faintly.
Xiang Chuan wasn't foolish; he knew Yang Haoran's words weren't true. Although he wasn't entirely sure why Yang Haoran deliberately concealed his strength, since Yang Haoran had said it, he certainly couldn't be so tactless as to expose him.
Rather than "couldn't," "dared not" would be a more fitting description.
"Haha, Big Brother, in my heart, you've always been the strongest! Besides yourself, I don't think anyone in this world can defeat you!"
Xiang Chuan playfully laughed it off. As soon as he said this, the expressions on Shui Ling and the other three's faces changed once more. But this time, their faces no longer showed shock, but rather a look of "so that's how it is."
As his words fell, Xiang Chuan saw Yang Haoran withdraw his gaze. He chuckled, said nothing further, and continued dissecting the Quicksand Four-Leaf Flower before him.
Dissecting the Quicksand Four-Leaf Flower was not simple. He needed to first remove the woman's ghost face, then the petals and leaves, and finally the root system of the Quicksand Four-Leaf Flower itself. The entire process had to be carried out meticulously, without any errors, otherwise, it would cause damage and affect the medicinal efficacy.
The only reason Xiang Chuan could talk while processing the Quicksand Four-Leaf Flower was that he was already extremely skilled at it; otherwise, he wouldn't have dared. If it were a novice, they certainly wouldn't have the leisure to concern themselves with other matters.
For him, every part of the Quicksand Four-Leaf Flower was a treasure, each with different uses, so he wouldn't waste any part. Therefore, its dissection took some time.
After Yang Haoran withdrew his gaze from Xiang Chuan, he looked at Lu Wu and the other three. He already had a preliminary plan in mind, a strategy targeting the Spirit Mediums, so he needed to give the four of them their assignments.
Yet, precisely at that moment, his eyebrow twitched slightly, and then he cast his gaze towards the dilapidated entrance of the temple.
This restrictive barrier could prevent outsiders from peering into its interior, but it didn't hinder those inside from looking out. While within the barrier, the scenes observed appeared real; however, from outside the barrier, without the appropriate abilities, one couldn't perceive the true situation within. Everything seen by the naked eye was merely an illusion conjured by the energy.
Seeing Yang Haoran suddenly look towards the temple entrance, Lu Wu and the other three felt puzzled. They all turned to look at the entrance, but outside the temple, there was only desolation, nothing at all.
The four turned back, still perplexed, and redirected their gaze to Yang Haoran.
"Emissary, did you. . . sense something? " Shui Ling asked, her tone uncertain.
Hearing this, Yang Haoran nodded with a smile.
"Heh heh, we have guests, and they're Spirit Mediums at that. I never expected it; I've only just arrived in Gu Mo City, and despite being so careful and discreet, they've already come knocking so quickly. It truly surprises me; they certainly have some skill."
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