Novels online

Chapter 1229: Possessing Some Ability

Yang Haoran was still privy to the situation within the Underworld Office, for he could glean detailed information through the Underworld Iron Tome.

Even amidst his busy schedule, Yang Haoran would still make time to peruse the Underworld Iron Tome, not merely for research, but to stay abreast of the Underworld Office's current state of affairs.

In these chaotic times of global unrest, countless lives were lost daily to conflict, and just as frequently, agents of the Underworld Office, the Underworld Officials, met their demise.

As for the Night Watchers, their casualties were immeasurable; no one could even begin to count their numbers. Yet, because Night Watchers were not considered true Underworld Officials and lacked genuine recognition from the Underworld Office, the exact death toll remained unknown to this day. The Underworld Office wouldn't bother to tally them, nor would they even inquire.

Yang Haoran was quite well-versed in the Underworld Office's affairs, particularly those of the Jingling Continent Yin Division. Aside from secrets not divulged in the Underworld Iron Tome, he possessed knowledge of most other information, if not all.

However, Yang Haoran was unaware of the Talisman Order's situation. Although he was a Talisman Master himself, he had never joined the Talisman Order, and thus had no grasp of its affairs.

Precisely because of this lack of understanding, hearing Gao Xinxing's words now left him not only surprised but even somewhat startled. It turned out that, imperceptibly, the Talisman Order of Jingling Continent was also on the decline.

"With the world in chaos, all factions have been affected to varying degrees, and our Talisman Order is no exception," Gao Xinxing stated, speaking once more. "It's just that, comparatively, the situation of our Jingling Continent Talisman Order is far better than that of your Underworld Office."

Yang Haoran understood the meaning behind those words. After the world plunged into chaos, Spiritual Masters emerged from the shadows into the open, unleashing a ferocious retaliation against the Underworld Office. This led to countless Underworld Officials and Night Watchers suffering tragic deaths at the hands of Spiritual Masters; even their Jingling Great Emperor of Jingling Continent had been overthrown, and two of their nine Guardians had perished.

What Yang Haoran didn't realize, however, was that while the Jingling Continent Talisman Order hadn't suffered losses as catastrophic as the Underworld Office, this didn't mean their losses were negligible; merely, they were somewhat better off in comparison to the Jingling Continent Yin Division.

Following the world's descent into chaos, the entire New Beginning Realm was plagued by rampant demons and monsters. These creatures, once confined to the shadows and afraid to show themselves, now emerged in droves, forming numerous factions, large and small. All sought to leverage the chaotic climate, hoping to make their mark and satisfy their desires and ambitions.

Their emergence brought significant disruption to the overt factions of the New Beginning Realm, even sparking numerous conflicts. The root of these conflicts, naturally, was inextricably linked to interests.

As one of the few formidable super-factions in the entire New Beginning Realm, targeting the Talisman Order would not only create immense buzz and elevate an individual or faction's renown but also allow for the plunder of resources. Thus, the Talisman Order naturally became a prime target for these burgeoning forces and ambitious individuals.

Consequently, the Talisman Order also found little peace after the world descended into chaos, and countless Talisman Masters perished.

"It seems I need to understand more than just our Underworld Office's situation," he mused. "I should also gain some insight into other major powers. That way, when I encounter certain problems, I won't be so passive, and I can devise solutions more quickly."

Yang Haoran silently resolved to pay attention to the dynamics of all major factions going forward. Even if time constraints prevented him from focusing on trivial matters, he absolutely had to be clear on major events. For, as the saying went, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated."

"Heh heh, from the perspective of an Emissary of Death of the Gu Mo City Underworld Division, there's something I probably shouldn't say," Yang Haoran began with a smile. "But from the standpoint of a friend, I believe I ought to."

He then raised his wine glass and clinked it against Gao Xinxing's. After both drained their cups, Gao Xinxing, before even setting his glass down, asked Yang Haoran with a chuckle.

"Heh heh, please speak, Emissary Yang. There's no need for secrets between us, is there?"

Yang Haoran smiled and nodded, not playing coy with Gao Xinxing.

"Though Gu Mo City is chaotic, it's rich in various resources. Setting aside other things, just the materials your Talisman Order needs for drawing talismans can almost all be sourced here. Do you truly intend to abandon this place, and abandon these resources?"

Hearing this, a hint of helplessness flickered in Gao Xinxing's smile.

"I just told Emissary Yang," he replied. "Our Talisman Order is currently short on Talisman Masters, with no spare personnel to send to Gu Mo City. If we only sent some Yellow Talisman Masters, there naturally wouldn't be any issue, as Yellow Talisman Masters are a dime a dozen in our Jingling Continent Talisman Order. But can a Yellow Talisman Master hold down the fort?"

Yang Haoran remained silent, merely shaking his head gently. Gao Xinxing, meanwhile, set down his wine glass and continued to chuckle.

"The answer is no, and Emissary Yang knows this. Let alone Gu Mo City, a Yellow Talisman Master lacks the ability to hold down the fort in any city; at the very least, a Black Talisman Master is always needed. Our Talisman Order doesn't lack Black Talisman Masters, but our Jingling Continent Talisman Order does! If we were to transfer Black Talisman Masters from other continents to assist, wouldn't that be openly admitting to them that our Jingling Continent Talisman Order is failing? Our temple wouldn't do something like that unless it was a critical juncture, because we can't afford to lose face."

At this point, Gao Xinxing directed his gaze at Yang Haoran, then chuckled slyly.

"Gu Mo City is chaotic, but it's rich in resources. Emissary Yang doesn't need to tell us that; the elders in our temple are well aware," he continued. "That's why the Gu Mo City Talisman Order used to have more Black Talisman Masters than some other cities. But that was in the past. To be frank, Gu Mo City has very few resources left now. Aside from renewable resources, most of the non-renewable ones have already been exploited. Do you think our Talisman Order still needs to send more personnel to Gu Mo City?"

Yang Haoran was actually quite aware of this point Gao Xinxing was making. After he took over the territories of the various major factions in Gu Mo City, Yao Guozhi had already sorted and categorized the resources within those territories, thus calculating how many renewable and non-renewable resources there were.

For Yang Haoran, Gu Mo City possessed a wealth of renewable resources, and its non-renewable resources were also quite substantial.

Of course, "quite substantial" was only from his perspective. For the Jingling Continent Talisman Order, what he considered considerable, though not pitifully scarce in their eyes, could at best only be described as "not much."

"Gu Mo City was once rich in resources, which is why our Jingling Continent Talisman Order was willing to invest heavily and send many Black Talisman Masters here," he explained. "But now, the Jingling Continent Talisman Order no longer values the meager resources remaining in Gu Mo City. Coupled with our desire to consolidate our strength and prevent it from being overly dispersed, we naturally won't be sending anyone to Gu Mo City again."

Yang Haoran listened to Gao Xinxing's explanation, then nodded gently, indicating his understanding.

"Actually, if Gu Mo City hadn't undergone such a cataclysmic change, and our Gu Mo City Talisman Order hadn't been so tragically decimated, the higher-ups might not have given up on Gu Mo City," he continued. "After all, extracting more resources is always a good thing. But after the cataclysmic change in Gu Mo City, the Black Talisman Masters were all wiped out, and even few Yellow Talisman Masters remained. The elders up top naturally wouldn't waste any more time on Gu Mo City."

At this juncture, Gao Xinxing suddenly realized his words might have been misconstrued, so he hastily offered a smiling explanation to Yang Haoran.

"Heh heh, Emissary Yang, my words weren't aimed at you," he said. "Although quite a few of our Talisman Order's Talisman Masters died by your hand, that ultimately had nothing to do with you. On that point, I've always stood by your side."

Yang Haoran waved his hand with a smile, signaling to Gao Xinxing not to worry, then refilled Gao Xinxing's wine glass.

"Heh heh, Emissary Gao, you're too polite," Yang Haoran said. "Even if your words were intentional, let alone unintentional, I wouldn't be angry. After all, what you said is simply the truth. On that day, I indeed killed many Talisman Masters from the Talisman Order. Even if it wasn't my intention, facts are facts, and no one can change them. All I can do is accept the truth. If I meet the right person, it's certainly necessary to offer a suitable explanation to avoid misunderstanding. But if I don't meet the right person, I'd probably be too lazy to even bother explaining."

Yang Haoran uttered these words without a blush or a racing heart. If one listened closely, they might even detect a faint hint of grievance and helplessness in his tone.

Let alone the fact that Gao Xinxing was under Yang Haoran's Enchantment Art; even if he weren't, he would surely believe that everything Yang Haoran said was true, was fact.

After Yang Haoran finished speaking, the two drank another glass of wine, and then Gao Xinxing spoke to Yang Haoran again.

"Emissary Yang," he said, "don't get angry if I speak from the heart. If you get angry, I won't say it. You have to promise me you won't get angry, then I'll tell you."

Yang Haoran's expression remained unchanged, though a trace of doubt lingered in his heart. After all, Gao Xinxing's expression was quite serious as he spoke, devoid of any hint of jest.

"Heh heh, Emissary Gao, speak your mind," Yang Haoran replied. "I might get angry at anyone, but never at you. So I promise you, no matter what you say, I won't get angry."

Having received Yang Haoran's assurance, Gao Xinxing's heart settled considerably, and he seemed to gather the courage to speak, so he addressed Yang Haoran.

"If you weren't part of the Underworld Office, your trouble this time would be immense!"

Yang Haoran raised an eyebrow slightly, then asked Gao Xinxing.

"Oh? How do you mean?"

Although only Gao Xinxing and Yang Haoran were present, and the reception hall had been equipped with a sound-proofing enchantment by Gao Xinxing, he still instinctively glanced around before lowering his voice to speak to Yang Haoran.

"Just as Emissary Yang, you said yourself," Gao Xinxing began, "you killed many of our Talisman Order's people this time. Even if you were under Wan Wu Yi's control at the time, it's undeniable that you caused numerous deaths among our Talisman Order. This incident brought about not just a loss of Talisman Masters for our Jingling Continent Talisman Order, but more importantly, a matter of face. If you didn't have the Underworld Office backing you, and merely hailed from a small faction, then as soon as this matter was reported, the elders in our temple would surely be enraged. At that point, even if you and I were friends, and I tried to help you, it would be futile; I might even end up implicating myself!"

Gao Xinxing paused slightly in his speech, glancing around once more before continuing to speak to Yang Haoran.

"I can assure you," he said, "that as long as I report this matter and inform the elders above that you are the Emissary of Death of the Gu Mo City Underworld Division, they will still be very angry, because this matter is truly a slap in the face. However, with the Underworld Office backing you, they won't dare to go too far, as they also don't want to fall out with the Underworld Office. Moreover, you still hold the moral high ground. In such circumstances, with me stepping forward to handle it for you, the matter will be much simpler, though I can't guarantee a hundred percent that it will be handled perfectly. But, if I successfully retrieve a portion of the Gu Mo City Talisman Order's collection from you and bring it back to our temple, then I'll have absolute confidence in resolving this matter completely. This is also why I asked you for some of the Talisman Order's collection."

Although Gao Xinxing hadn't elaborated on why bringing back a portion of the Gu Mo City Talisman Order's collection would resolve the matter, Yang Haoran could largely surmise it.

Yang Haoran had completely looted the Gu Mo City Talisman Order's collection, which was undoubtedly a great loss of face for the Talisman Order. However, if he were to "spit out" a portion of the swallowed collection, even a small one, it would provide the Jingling Continent Talisman Order with a graceful retreat. While this approach wouldn't fully restore the face the Jingling Continent Talisman Order had lost, it would at least make things considerably better.

"Heh heh, Emissary Gao, you've gone to a great deal of trouble with this," Yang Haoran said with a smile. "Without your connection, I doubt your temple would be appeased even if I handed over every single item from the Gu Mo City Talisman Order's collection."

"Not at all, not at all, Emissary Yang, you're too polite," Gao Xinxing chuckled, reassuring Yang Haoran. "What's the point of having connections if you don't use them? They'd just go to waste. Rest assured, since I've promised you this, I will absolutely not go back on my word. I will handle this matter perfectly for you, ensuring that no Talisman Masters from our Jingling Continent come seeking trouble with you, Emissary Yang, regarding this in the future."

The atmosphere between the two remained excellent. After Gao Xinxing finished speaking, they both raised their glasses and clinked them together once more.

"Heh heh, with Emissary Gao's help, the Talisman Order's issue is resolved," Yang Haoran said, setting down his glass. "However, it wasn't just your Talisman Order's Talisman Masters who died by my hand that day; there were many people from other factions as well. Although they haven't come to trouble me yet, I believe they will sooner or later."

After setting down his glass, Yang Haoran spoke with a faint smile still on his face, though his tone was tinged with a hint of vexation.

Hearing this, Gao Xinxing immediately burst into laughter, patting Yang Haoran on the shoulder.

"Hahahaha, Emissary Yang, there's no need to worry about this," Gao Xinxing roared. "It's not just your Underworld Office and our Talisman Order that are struggling in Jingling Continent right now; other factions are also having a hard time. Some even have internal issues. I imagine their circumstances and thoughts are similar to our Talisman Order's. Since they haven't sent anyone to trouble you by now, I estimate they won't be coming. They might even, like our Talisman Order, simply choose to abandon Gu Mo City. After all, Gu Mo City isn't the only place being abandoned by major factions these days. Even your Underworld Office has, for various reasons, given up on many cities."

While Yang Haoran didn't entirely agree with Gao Xinxing's words, he didn't entirely dismiss them either.

The reason he didn't dare to affirm it was, at its root, his insufficient knowledge of the current state of the various major factions. If he had been sufficiently informed about them, he could have made an accurate judgment on his own, without Gao Xinxing's input.

"Heh heh, it seems I definitely need to gain a deeper understanding of the major factions from now on," he mused. "If I want to grow stronger and larger, I must grasp the overall situation of the entire New Beginning Realm. Only then can I seize the initiative."

Yang Haoran thought this to himself, and after Gao Xinxing finished expressing his views, he then added another point.

"However, Emissary Yang, you still need to pay extra attention to the Spiritual Masters," Gao Xinxing warned. "They are different from other factions. No matter what, other factions harbor some apprehension towards your Underworld Office, so they always try to leave a path open and dare not completely offend your Underworld Office. But Spiritual Masters don't care about any of that; they'd rather see all your Underworld Office personnel wiped out. They also suffered heavy losses during Gu Mo City's cataclysmic change, so whether they'll come back to trouble you is truly hard to say."

Yang Haoran nodded. He didn't deny this point Gao Xinxing made; rather, he expressed his agreement. After all, the top and second-in-command Spiritual Masters of Gu Mo City had both escaped that day, and it was indeed possible for them to return to Gu Mo City to seek trouble with him, or with the Underworld Office.

Although he agreed with Gao Xinxing's assessment, no feeling of worry arose in Yang Haoran's heart.

The reason was simple: "The more skilled one is, the bolder one becomes."

That day, Big Sister had successfully broken through to the Great Spirit Caller realm. Coupled with the massive power boost from the Soul Fusion spiritual art, her strength had become terrifying in an instant.

Yet, this so-called terror was merely relative. For Yang Haoran, although Big Sister's strength at the time was indeed formidable, it still hadn't reached a level that would instill fear in him.

Now, Yang Haoran's strength had seen another significant leap compared to that day. Conversely, whether Big Sister had even survived the backlash of her cultivation technique was a question. Even if she had, and managed to stabilize her power at the Great Spirit Caller realm, Yang Haoran wouldn't believe Big Sister's strength surpassed his.

Thus, he felt no fear whatsoever.

Yang Haoran, of course, wouldn't reveal this to Gao Xinxing. His true strength was his secret, one of his trump cards; he certainly wouldn't flaunt it to just anyone.

"Heh heh, Emissary Gao is right," Yang Haoran said with a faint smile. "I should indeed be more wary of a Spiritual Master counterattack, otherwise I might suffer a great loss when the time comes. If that were to happen, it would be too late for regrets."

"Haha, it's certainly for the best that Emissary Yang has such thoughts," Gao Xinxing laughed heartily. "That way, I don't have to worry about you. Come, come, let's drink! They say that when friends meet, a thousand cups are too few. I didn't quite believe that before, but today, having met Emissary Yang, I find that saying perfectly apt."

It's often said that when women gather, they chatter endlessly, but men who drink can talk even more than women; conversing for several hours from start to finish is common.

Just like Yang Haoran and Gao Xinxing's drinking session today: they drank for a full seven hours and conversed for just as long. Under normal circumstances, even the most talkative woman would never chat with someone for such an extended period, but men who've had a few drinks can achieve this.

The drinking session finally concluded when Gao Xinxing genuinely couldn't drink any more and had passed out drunk, slumped over the table.

Yang Haoran arranged guest rooms for them to rest. The Yellow Talisman Master who had been guarding outside the reception hall then carried Gao Xinxing to a guest room.

Although the Yellow Talisman Master's strength was quite limited, he was not an ordinary person; he possessed powers that ordinary people did not. Thus, getting a drunkard back to the Talisman Ancestor Temple was not a difficult task for him.

However, Yang Haoran invited them to rest in the guest rooms first, and informed the Yellow Talisman Master that he needed some time to organize the collection he was preparing to return to their Gu Mo City Talisman Order.

Hearing this, the Yellow Talisman Master was naturally overjoyed and immediately agreed with a smile, carrying Gao Xinxing towards the guest room for rest.

Watching Gao Xinxing being carried out of the reception hall by the Yellow Talisman Master, Yang Haoran, his face flushed with heavy intoxication, chuckled to himself.

"Heh heh, I truly wonder if he's foolish or clever."

During their drinking session, neither Yang Haoran nor Gao Xinxing used their inner power to expel the alcohol from their bodies; instead, they chose to tough it out. Gao Xinxing had set this rule before they began drinking, and he stuck to it, not forcing out the alcohol even when he couldn't handle it anymore.

And Yang Haoran, having agreed to Gao Xinxing's rule from the start, likewise did not expel the alcohol from his body. Even though Gao Xinxing was already passed out drunk and had been carried away by the Yellow Talisman Master, Yang Haoran still didn't use his inner power to sober himself up.

"Indeed, I'm quite tired," Yang Haoran muttered to himself. "It's not bad to seize this opportunity for a good rest. I'll just consider it a vacation."

He then swayed as he rose to his feet.

"Emissary, please be careful!"

The Night Watcher in charge of the reception hall, seeing Yang Haoran in such a state of inebriation, quickly stepped forward to support him.

"Heh heh, I'm fine. You tend to your duties."

Yang Haoran declined the Night Watcher's assistance, stumbling out of the reception hall and heading in the direction of his own courtyard.

Comparatively, Yang Haoran's alcohol tolerance was somewhat better than Gao Xinxing's. Gao Xinxing had already been carried away, yet Yang Haoran could still walk and knew the direction of his courtyard. This alone showed the difference in their drinking capacities.

However, Yang Haoran was only marginally better than Gao Xinxing. If he had continued drinking, just a few more small cups, he would likely have ended up in the same state as Gao Xinxing.

Although Yang Haoran declined the Night Watcher's support and told him to tend to his own duties, the Night Watcher wasn't so foolish as to actually do so. Instead, he stayed close by Yang Haoran's side, his eyes never leaving Yang Haoran for a second, not daring to be careless in the slightest. Every time Yang Haoran swayed, he would instinctively reach out, doing his best to prevent him from falling.

Along the way, naturally, many people, both devotees and Night Watchers, noticed the stumbling Yang Haoran. This sight left them both shocked and perplexed.

Yang Haoran naturally noticed the shocked and perplexed gazes of these devotees and Night Watchers. He paid them no mind, or rather, at this particular moment, he didn't care. In response to their salutes, he returned a faint smile as usual.

These devotees and Night Watchers, of course, all wanted to understand what was going on, but they dared not directly question Yang Haoran. They could only temporarily suppress their shock and bewilderment, watching as Yang Haoran stumbled and disappeared from their sight.

The next day, Gao Xinxing and the Yellow Talisman Master departed from the Death God Temple, taking with them a small portion of the collection Yang Haoran had acquired from the Gu Mo City Talisman Ancestor Temple.

In addition to the collection, Yang Haoran had also specially prepared some gifts for Gao Xinxing. These gifts included not only some specialties from Gu Mo City but also some Dānyào.

Gao Xinxing was very pleased with these gifts. After some polite exchanges, he happily accepted them and once again promised Yang Haoran that he would properly handle any subsequent troublesome matters for him.

In response, Yang Haoran naturally smiled, nodded his thanks, and invited Gao Xinxing to visit him often when he had time. Gao Xinxing, of course, agreed very readily.

Before leaving, Gao Xinxing also presented Yang Haoran with some gifts—specifically, a collection of talismans. Apart from one Gold Talisman, all the other talismans were top-tier Black Talismans.

To Yang Haoran, top-tier Black Talismans were naturally not considered exceptional treasures, with the exception of certain special talismans.

However, in the eyes of a Black Talisman Master, or an Emissary of Death who had only opened their Earth Soul, top-tier Black Talismans were indeed valuable treasures.

To outsiders, Yang Haoran was merely an Emissary of Death who had opened his Earth Soul, so the top-tier Black Talismans Gao Xinxing gifted him were naturally considered quite valuable.

As for the Gold Talisman Gao Xinxing gave Yang Haoran, it was neither an offensive nor a defensive type, but a Communication Talisman.

A Gold Talisman-grade Communication Talisman could transmit messages over vast distances, covering every corner of the New Beginning Realm, and its number of uses far surpassed that of Yellow Talismans and Black Talismans.

Although it was a Gold Talisman, its value was naturally diminished because it was a Communication Talisman. However, Yang Haoran showed no disdain for it whatsoever, as the other half of this Gold Talisman was in Gao Xinxing's possession, and he would rely on it to communicate with Gao Xinxing.

Naturally, Yang Haoran attempted to persuade Gao Xinxing to stay. However, Gao Xinxing was eager to report back to the temple and couldn't linger in Gu Mo City, so Yang Haoran didn't press the matter too much.

Gao Xinxing's departure was entirely opposite to his arrival. When he arrived, Yang Haoran not only didn't greet him but even used a strong statement to put Gao Xinxing in an awkward position.

But when Gao Xinxing left, the Night Watchers within the temple lined up to see him off, and Yang Haoran was also present, personally escorting Gao Xinxing out of the Death God Temple. Only after the spatial rift Gao Xinxing tore had completely healed did Yang Haoran depart and dismiss the Night Watchers.

Apart from the Night Watchers responsible for the reception hall, the others were unaware of why Yang Haoran's attitude towards Gao Xinxing had shifted so dramatically. However, this didn't prevent them from lining up to bid Gao Xinxing farewell, for it was Yang Haoran's command.

On the very day Gao Xinxing left the Death God Temple, Yang Haoran received news: the last few Talisman Masters from Gu Mo City's Talisman Order had departed with Gao Xinxing. Gu Mo City's Talisman Order was now completely empty.

This meant that the Talisman Order, once one of Gu Mo City's super-powers, had now, like other factions, become a part of Gu Mo City's history. As for when the Talisman Order might reappear in Gu Mo City, that remained unknown.

However, Yang Haoran, for his part, felt that as long as he remained in Gu Mo City for even a single day, he would not allow the shadow of the Talisman Order to appear there again.

It was easy to invite a god but difficult to send one away. Once the Talisman Order re-entered Gu Mo City, getting them to leave again would be a challenge. As the current head of Gu Mo City's leading force, Yang Haoran certainly didn't want to see another power, especially a major one, emerge within the city.

Of course, given the current situation, the Talisman Order certainly wouldn't send Talisman Masters to Gu Mo City to preach anytime soon. As Gao Xinxing had said, their Jingling Continent Talisman Order currently lacked the resources.

The Talisman Order would abandon Gu Mo City – Gao Xinxing had told Yang Haoran this, and from the facts, Gao Xinxing had not lied to him.

However, Yang Haoran couldn't yet conclude whether Gao Xinxing could truly resolve the subsequent issues concerning him after returning to the Talisman Order. He still needed to wait for Gao Xinxing's reply to find out.

In truth, Yang Haoran wasn't overly concerned about this matter. If Gao Xinxing could handle it, then all the better; he would have one less headache.

If Gao Xinxing couldn't resolve it, and the Talisman Order still sought trouble with him, then he would have no choice but to resort to some forceful or underhanded tactics. If he didn't show them what he was truly capable of, he feared they might think he was an easy pushover.

Just a few days later, Gao Xinxing sent good news to Yang Haoran via a Communication Talisman.

In the Communication Talisman, Gao Xinxing first elaborated on how troublesome it was to deal with the follow-up issues, how many connections he had sought, how many gifts he had sent, and so on. Only at the very end did he inform Yang Haoran that he had settled the matter.

Although the higher-ups in the Jingling Continent Talisman Order were still somewhat displeased, they ultimately decided not to dwell on the matter and shifted their focus to other affairs, unwilling to waste any more time on this issue.

In response, Yang Haoran used a Communication Talisman to reply to Gao Xinxing, expressing his heartfelt gratitude.

Yang Haoran couldn't be sure whether the good news Gao Xinxing sent back was true or false. After all, he only knew one person in the largest Ancestral Talisman Temple in Jingling Continent. Besides Gao Xinxing, he didn't know anyone else, so he had no way of immediately verifying the truth of Gao Xinxing's words.

However, since the other party had said it, he should still offer his thanks. As for whether Gao Xinxing was telling the truth, time would surely tell.

In Yang Haoran's opinion, if no one from the Jingling Continent Talisman Order came to trouble him after another ten days to half a month, it would indicate that Gao Xinxing had likely not lied, and he had indeed resolved the matter.

Ten days to half a month passed in the blink of an eye for people like Yang Haoran; time quickly slipped by.

A month flew by. During this month, Gu Mo City, under Yao Guozhi's leadership, steadily improved, and Yang Haoran's strength also increased day by day.

However, the Jingling Continent Talisman Order did not send anyone to Gu Mo City during this period, nor did they come to trouble Yang Haoran.

Originally, Yang Haoran thought that he would know if Gao Xinxing had lied to him within ten days to half a month. After ten days to half a month passed and no one from the Jingling Continent Talisman Order arrived, he felt that Gao Xinxing had probably not lied, but he still hadn't made a definitive conclusion, so he decided to wait another half a month.

Thus, a month passed, and the Jingling Continent Talisman Order still hadn't sent anyone. Only then did Yang Haoran confirm that Gao Xinxing had indeed handled the matter. Whether Gao Xinxing's account of the process was exaggerated or not didn't matter; at least the outcome was good for him, and it was the result he desired.

Not only did the Jingling Continent Talisman Order not send anyone to Gu Mo City to trouble him during this month, but the other factions that had been eliminated in Gu Mo City also did not send anyone to the Death God Temple to seek him out.

Yang Haoran couldn't be certain whether other factions had secretly sent people to Gu Mo City. After all, Gu Mo City was vast, and if other factions had secretly dispatched agents, he would certainly be unaware.

However, whether anyone had come to the Death God Temple to trouble him, he could definitely know. Throughout this period, he had been inside the Death God Temple, so how could he not know if someone came looking for trouble?

Furthermore, even if he weren't in the Death God Temple, he would be immediately notified if anyone came to cause trouble; there would be no situation where he remained oblivious.

This outcome made Yang Haoran believe the analysis Gao Xinxing had provided him earlier.

Regardless, whether it was because Gao Xinxing's analysis was accurate or due to other reasons, for Yang Haoran, it was certainly a good thing that no one came to bother him, and he was happy to enjoy the peace.

During this month, in addition to preventing various factions from sending people to trouble him, Yang Haoran also arranged for more personnel to track down the whereabouts of Big Sister and Shang Yuanqi.

After the two escaped from Gu Mo City, Yang Haoran immediately assigned this task to Shui Ling, instructing her to find a way to locate them. Unfortunately, there had been no progress, so he had no choice but to increase manpower, sending Lu Wu and his men to pursue them as well, to see if they could, like a blind cat, stumble upon a dead mouse.

Of course, Yang Haoran didn't want to find the two of them for a friendly chat over drinks; he wanted to capture them to gain more benefits for himself.

The two were the top and second-in-command among Gu Mo City's Spirit Mediums. If he could capture them, not only might he learn many Spiritual Arts from them, but simply killing them and submitting their souls and their Guardian Spirits to the Underworld would earn him a considerable number of Soul Pills.

To him, the two were walking treasure troves, and he certainly didn't want to miss out.

Regrettably, another month passed after the increase in manpower, yet there was still no progress whatsoever. Big Sister and Shang Yuanqi had vanished into thin air, leaving no trace. This made Yang Haoran wonder if they had already left Gu Mo City territory.

If that were the case, finding them would be incredibly difficult, almost hopeless. Unless they voluntarily reappeared to seek revenge on Yang Haoran, finding them would truly be like finding a needle in a haystack, especially with the New Beginning Realm being so vast.

Yang Haoran wasn't determined to find them at all costs. After searching for such a long time with no progress, he was preparing to give up if no clues emerged after a bit more searching. He couldn't keep expending manpower and time on this matter indefinitely.

Of course, necessary vigilance and precautions were still essential. Even without the matter of Big Sister and Shang Yuanqi, Yang Haoran would still ensure his Night Watchers implemented these measures.

In a dilapidated small village outside Gu Mo City, two figures sat opposite each other in a run-down shack. These two were none other than Big Sister and Shang Yuanqi, whom Yang Haoran had been searching for quite some time.

That day, the two had teleported away through a spatial rift, directly reaching outside Gu Mo City in one go. They were certain that Yang Haoran would send people to hunt them down after their escape, so to avoid falling into his hands, they directly teleported out of Gu Mo City and fled to this desolate, uninhabited village.

Though it was decrepit, it was thankfully free of human presence, fierce beasts, or monsters. There were quite a few ghosts, but their strength was weak, and they were swallowed in a few gulps by the two's Guardian Spirits. Thus, apart from some harmless small animals, only the two of them remained there.

Why they chose this dilapidated small village instead of dense forests was because dense forests were the domain of monsters, and there was even a high possibility of powerful monsters lurking there. Given their state at the time, landing in a dense forest would have posed a great risk, potentially costing them their lives. They certainly didn't want to escape from Yang Haoran only to immediately become food for monsters.

Upon arriving at the small village, Big Sister's physical condition was even worse than Shang Yuanqi's. Due to the extreme danger of the cultivation technique that drastically boosted her strength, she suffered a backlash during her battle with Yang Haoran and ultimately had to flee. Therefore, her physical condition was worse than the heavily injured Shang Yuanqi's.

Shang Yuanqi was heavily injured, but as long as his physical body was not further harmed and he had healing Dānyào at hand, he would not die; recovery was just a matter of time.

However, Big Sister's situation was different. Having suffered a backlash from the cultivation technique, it wasn't a matter of simply having the opportunity to heal. If the backlash within her body couldn't be suppressed, given Big Sister's condition at the time, losing her life was a certainty.

Nevertheless, Big Sister ultimately avoided that fate. She successfully suppressed the backlash within her body, stabilized her strength, and her injuries gradually recovered. However, this process consumed a great deal of time and many resources.

Shang Yuanqi also contributed significantly during this process. After his injuries had somewhat recovered through healing, he fully assisted Big Sister in suppressing the backlash within her body. Without his help, Big Sister alone would likely have struggled to succeed and would still have met a tragic end.

Currently, Shang Yuanqi's injuries had long since fully recovered, and although Big Sister's injuries hadn't completely healed, she was mostly recovered.

"Big Sister, should we return to Gu Mo City and settle accounts with Yang Haoran?"

Inside the dilapidated shack, Shang Yuanqi looked at Big Sister before him and asked in a calm tone.

Upon hearing this, Big Sister didn't immediately reply to Shang Yuanqi. Instead, she wore a thoughtful expression, seemingly weighing the pros and cons.