Chapter 1200: Xiang Chuan's Costly Endeavor
As Yang Haoran's words faded, he slowly rose to his feet, then snapped his fingers. A dense cloud of Yin Qi materialized from thin air, enveloping Wan Wu Yi's soul.
The expression on Wan Wu Yi's face suddenly stiffened violently, followed by an intense look of agony.
A closer inspection would reveal that the Yin Qi currently enveloping Wan Wu Yi's Spirit Body was composed of thousands upon thousands of ants, each relentlessly gnawing at his Spirit Body, which was why Wan Wu Yi felt such excruciating pain.
Without a physical body, Wan Wu Yi would be completely unharmed by real ants, even if countless swarmed him. But the ants now tearing at his Spirit Body were no ordinary insects; they were conjured from Yang Haoran's Spirit Power, specifically designed to target ghostly Spirit Bodies.
The torment Wan Wu Yi endured in that moment was, in fact, far more agonizing than any mortal being subjected to ten thousand ant bites, for this pain stemmed not from the flesh, but from the very soul. Each minuscule ant, with every bite, inflicted a fresh torment upon his soul. With thousands upon thousands ceaselessly gnawing, the depth of this suffering was simply ineffable.
"Heh heh, not bad. I just wonder how long you can last. Hopefully, by the time I return, you'll have a change of heart."
Yang Haoran spoke with a smile, then, wasting no further words, he departed.
From the moment he extracted Wan Wu Yi's soul to his departure, Yang Haoran had not asked Wan Wu Yi a single question. It wasn't for lack of desire to interrogate him, but Wan Wu Yi's demeanor had already made it clear: he would likely struggle to extract anything he desired from Wan Wu Yi's lips today.
Of course, this was merely a possibility; it didn't guarantee Wan Wu Yi would necessarily yield and cooperate after his suffering. However, from Yang Haoran's perspective, he had no choice but to proceed.
Through his Ghost Eye, Yang Haoran had already extracted a great deal from Wan Wu Yi. Yet, that alone wasn't enough. He still yearned to wring out more valuable intelligence from Wan Wu Yi, which was why he aimed to pry open his mouth.
The method he employed on Wan Wu Yi would only inflict agonizing torment. Those ants, conjured from Spirit Power, wouldn't actually devour Wan Wu Yi's soul completely.
However, should anyone forcibly break in during his absence, intent on rescuing Wan Wu Yi's soul, those ants would instantly devour it. Not only would Wan Wu Yi's soul be beyond rescue, but he would instead meet the fate of Soul Transformation. This was a contingency he had prepared for safety's sake, after all; Wan Wu Yi knew a significant amount about his power, and he absolutely would not permit Wan Wu Yi's soul to fall into anyone else's hands.
No sooner had Yang Haoran exited the room than Wan Wu Yi's pained cries echoed from within. Yet, these weren't soul-rending shrieks, but rather guttural roars, attempts to suppress the agony that ultimately failed.
Yang Haoran did not halt his steps in response to Wan Wu Yi's tormented cries. He didn't even glance back at the room behind him. As if deaf to Wan Wu Yi's suffering, he waved his hand, casting down a forbidden barrier. The low, pained roars abruptly ceased, and at that very moment, his figure flickered and vanished.
Though Yang Haoran had left his own courtyard, he hadn't departed from the cluster of residences. When he reappeared, he stood at the entrance of another courtyard.
This was indeed his domain, yet he didn't presume to freely enter and exit other people's courtyards. In his opinion, such behavior was deeply disrespectful.
Standing silently at the courtyard entrance, he neither fussed nor shouted. In mere moments, the grand courtyard gate swung open on its own, and a voice drifted out from within.
"Heh heh, Big Brother, come on in now that you're here. Why stand outside the door? I'm currently refining medicine and can't step away, so I won't come out to greet you."
Xiang Chuan's voice, still with that same irreverent tone, rang out.
Yang Haoran, a smile playing on his lips, stepped into the courtyard. Xiang Chuan's residence was also protected by a forbidden barrier, for the process of refining medicine demanded absolute silence; without such a barrier, any disturbance could compromise the success rate. Yet, upon Yang Haoran's entry, the barrier instantly vanished. This, of course, wasn't Yang Haoran's doing, but Xiang Chuan's conscious act of dispelling the enchantment.
Though Xiang Chuan's courtyard was somewhat smaller than Yang Haoran's, it was still remarkably spacious, boasting numerous rooms. Yang Haoran, sensing Xiang Chuan's presence, headed directly for his room.
As Xiang Chuan had said, he was indeed refining Dānyào at that moment. Yang Haoran did not disturb him, instead finding a spot to sit down, quietly waiting for Xiang Chuan to conclude his alchemical work.
How long Xiang Chuan's current batch of Dānyào had been brewing, Yang Haoran couldn't say. He wasn't a Pharmacist himself and understood little of the art, so he naturally couldn't discern the stage of the refinement. However, Xiang Chuan didn't keep him waiting long before coming to sit beside him.
After plopping down, Xiang Chuan casually picked up his teacup and took a sip. Yang Haoran, meanwhile, first glanced at the Dānyào still undergoing refinement, then at Xiang Chuan beside him, and spoke with a faint smile.
"It seems your Dānyào refining isn't finished yet. Are you just going to leave it be?"
Xiang Chuan set down his teacup, then chuckled at Yang Haoran.
"Of course, I need to tend to it. It'll still be quite a while before this batch of Dānyào is ready. It's just that at this precise moment, it doesn't need my direct attention; I merely need to control the heat."
As he spoke, Xiang Chuan suddenly remembered something, slapping his forehead with a heavy thud. He then smiled apologetically at Yang Haoran.
"Heh heh, Big Brother, my apologies. Look at me, completely lost in my own work, I actually forgot about you! Please wait a moment, I'll go make you some tea."
Yang Haoran smiled, waving a hand to stop him, then chuckled.
"No need. I'm not as idle as you. You just focus on refining Dānyào and concocting medicines; you don't need to trouble yourself with anything else. I, however, am different; I still have a mountain of tasks awaiting me. Quickly, hand over the items, I'm in a hurry."
Upon hearing this, Xiang Chuan deliberately put on a skeptical expression.
"Heh heh, really that busy?"
Yang Haoran nodded with a smile, remaining silent.
Seeing that Yang Haoran wasn't in the least bit inclined to jest, Xiang Chuan reluctantly set aside his playful intentions.
"Alright, alright. To be honest, even if you hadn't come to find me today, I would have sent the items over to you once I finished refining this batch of Dānyào. But since you're already here, that works out perfectly; I'm too lazy to make another trip."
As he spoke, Xiang Chuan gave a gentle flick of his wrist. A dazzling flash of light before Yang Haoran revealed dozens of tightly packed porcelain bottles. These bottles varied in size, each adorned with a label, and floated suspended in front of Yang Haoran, forming a wall-like display of porcelain.
"The Dānyào and medicinal liquids you requested are all here. As for their names and specific effects, it's all on the labels."
Here, Xiang Chuan paused for a brief moment, then continued to chuckle at Yang Haoran.
"Heh heh, Big Brother, this time I truly pulled out all the stops. These medicines aren't just what I've refined in the past few days; many more are treasures I've hoarded over time—good stuff I could never bring myself to use. Now I've handed them all over to you. Don't let your little brother lose his entire investment!"
Yang Haoran smiled faintly, offering Xiang Chuan a guarantee.
"Heh heh, rest assured. You won't regret making this decision. Even if there's a loss, it will only be my loss, never yours."
Upon hearing this, the smile on Xiang Chuan's face deepened even further.
"Heh heh, I was just joking with Big Brother. You've given me such immense benefits this time; a few Dānyào are nothing in comparison. It wouldn't even matter if I lost them all. After all, for your little brother here, all sorts of medicines are renewable resources. As long as I have the right herbs, I can refine as many of these 'broken things' as I desire. Big Brother, go ahead and use them freely; don't feel the slightest bit of psychological pressure."
Yang Haoran rose to his feet with a faint smile, then, with a wave of his hand, swept all the porcelain bottles into his independent space. Finally, he spoke with a smile to Xiang Chuan.
"Whether your words are true or false, at least they were comforting to hear. You attend to your work; I'll take my leave."
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