Chapter 1238: The Solution
At this moment, Yang Haoran was utterly speechless, debated into silence by Xu Meijing. He even felt a pang of regret in his heart for what he had done last night.
A woman's intuition is sometimes incredibly sharp. It's rarely accurate for good things, but freakishly precise for bad things. No sooner had Yang Haoran entertained such a thought than Xu Meijing frowned, the displeasure on her face intensifying.
"What's wrong? Do you think I'm being unreasonable? Do you think I'm suddenly so difficult to please? Has regret already taken root in your heart? Heh, it's not too late to regret it now, or you'll be in for a rough time later!"
Yang Haoran's heart jolted, and the corner of his mouth couldn't help but twitch slightly, but then a brilliant smile immediately bloomed on his face.
"Heh heh, what are you talking about? Firstly, I don't think you're being unreasonable; everything you said makes perfect sense. Secondly, I certainly don't find you difficult to please; it's my blessing to be able to serve you. Lastly, I don't have a single thought of regret; I'm too busy being happy, so how could I possibly regret anything? If I'm lying, may I be struck by five bolts of lightning from heaven!"
To prove his sincerity, Yang Haoran even made a venomous oath against his conscience.
"Tsk!"
Xu Meijing merely scoffed, remaining silent, her expression as if she saw right through everything.
Seeing this, Yang Haoran's heart thumped. He hurriedly and carefully asked,
"Me, beautiful, a femme fatale!"
Xu Meijing responded, word by word, with a serious expression.
"Ah, yes, yes, yes! I absolutely agree with both points you made, because what you said is simply the truth! Let alone those with eyes who can see it, even a blind person could confirm it by touch."
Yang Haoran's words, coupled with his expression and tone, finally succeeded in making Xu Meijing laugh.
"Heh heh, not bad. You're getting more capable now, much better than that dense block of wood you used to be, and you've made me much more interested. Men, indeed, are only interesting once they've been trained."
With that, Xu Meijing finally turned her head back, then comfortably leaned her upper body against the sofa, crossing her legs as she spoke.
"You may continue."
"Right away!"
Yang Haoran wiped a bead of cold sweat from his forehead, responding with a laugh. His voice sounded cheerful, but only Yang Haoran himself knew that at this moment, he only had two words in his heart: "Tragedy."
In truth, Yang Haoran had not only listened to Xu Meijing's words just now, but he had listened very carefully. It was precisely because of this that he gained a much clearer understanding of the matter, and at the same time, he realized something else.
"Heh heh, no wonder Little Jing dared to be so disrespectful to that Smiling Tiger today. Turns out she had long discovered that the Smiling Tiger was interested in her. Besides Little Jing's personality, I reckon this played a part to some extent."
Just as he thought this, Yang Haoran felt something wasn't right again. He had happened to witness the moment Huo Laoban's expression suddenly changed drastically, and even though Huo Laoban quickly recovered, Yang Haoran had seen it clearly.
"Little Jing, when Huo Laoban saw you today, his expression changed right after he said one sentence. Did you notice?"
Yang Haoran asked, gently massaging Xu Meijing's delicate shoulders.
"He only came back to his senses and his expression returned to normal when I spoke to him. I'm not blind, so what do you think? Did I see it?"
Xu Meijing replied indifferently, closing her eyes and enjoying Yang Haoran's shoulder massage.
"Then tell me, why did his expression change at that moment?"
Yang Haoran continued to ask with a smile, his tone gentle, even a hint of fawning, because he really didn't want this tigress to catch him making another mistake and debate him speechless again.
"What else could it be for? He must have sensed that the Supreme Yin Qi in my body was gone."
Xu Meijing replied indifferently. Yang Haoran actually quite agreed with her statement.
As for why Huo Laoban knew Xu Meijing possessed a Supreme Yin Body and could sense whether the Supreme Yin Qi in her body still existed, in Yang Haoran's view, it might be because Huo Laoban cultivated some Ghost Art, or perhaps he possessed some special treasure that allowed him to do so.
The Underworld Office has countless Ghost Arts; it wouldn't be strange for such a Ghost Art to exist. Deng Feng also knew Xu Meijing was a Supreme Yin Body back then, so perhaps he cultivated the same Ghost Art as Huo Laoban.
Leaving aside Ghost Arts, there are also countless strange and wondrous treasures in this world, far more in number than the Ghost Arts of the Underworld Office. It would similarly not be strange for such a treasure to exist.
However, what Yang Haoran was concerned about at this moment was not that.
"Since Huo Laoban has discovered that the Supreme Yin Qi in your body is gone, why didn't he directly break off relations with you? He even wanted to transfer you out of Ancheng. After all, he came for the Supreme Yin Qi in your body. If the Supreme Yin Qi in your body is gone, why would he still do this?"
As soon as Yang Haoran spoke, Xu Meijing didn't answer immediately. Instead, she slowly opened her eyes. After about ten seconds of silence, she slowly began to speak.
"Two possibilities. The first possibility is that his purpose in pursuing me isn't just the Supreme Yin Qi in my body; he has other goals. This goal might be me as a person, or perhaps other things I don't know about. The second possibility is that he wants revenge."
As Xu Meijing spoke, there was no pride or fear on her face, only the aloofness ingrained in her bones. Her words merely expressed her inner speculation about the matter, completely devoid of any other emotion.
Yang Haoran thought about it and felt that Xu Meijing's analysis made perfect sense, because besides these two possibilities, he couldn't think of anything else.
As Xu Meijing said, if Huo Laoban's purpose in pursuing her was not solely for the Supreme Yin Qi but also for other reasons, then Huo Laoban certainly wouldn't break off relations with her just because he missed out on the Supreme Yin Qi. Even if missing the Supreme Yin Qi made Huo Laoban very angry, he wouldn't do that.
The second possibility Xu Meijing mentioned also existed: if Huo Laoban had no other purpose in pursuing her besides the Supreme Yin Qi, then without the Supreme Yin Qi, she would be of no further use to Huo Laoban. If Huo Laoban didn't break off relations with her and even wanted to transfer her out of Ancheng, what else could it be for if not revenge?
"Heh heh, I completely agree with these two possibilities you mentioned. The truth should be one of them. But, which possibility do you think is more likely?"
Yang Haoran asked Xu Meijing with a faint smile on his face. This time, Xu Meijing didn't think for long and gave a direct answer.
"For me, neither of these possibilities is good, so it doesn't matter which one is the truth."
Xu Meijing said slowly. When Yang Haoran heard her words, he immediately felt a bit displeased, but he didn't show it on his face, nor did he stop massaging her shoulders.
"Heh heh, Little Jing, you didn't quite get that right."
Yang Haoran's words caused a hint of confusion to appear in Xu Meijing's eyes; she obviously didn't immediately realize what was wrong with her statement. But then she realized, and not only did the confusion in her eyes vanish, but a smile also appeared on her face. She even turned her head to look at Yang Haoran behind her again.
"You're right, I didn't get that right. It's not just 'for me,' but 'for both of us,' how about that, you jealous pot? " Xu Meijing asked with a smile.
"No, because you haven't apologized. " Yang Haoran said with a grin.
"Alright, alright, I'm sorry, is that good enough now? " Xu Meijing asked.
"That's more like it."
Yang Haoran smiled contentedly, not only speaking word by word but even intentionally putting on a bashful expression.
As Yang Haoran's bashful expression entered Xu Meijing's eyes, her smile instantly froze, and the corner of her mouth couldn't help but twitch. It took her a good while to recover.
"Your smile is very pretty, but don't smile like that again next time. My heart isn't great, and I can't stand such offensive sights. If there's a next time, I'll cut off your 'lower part' directly at the root, so you can perform in your true colors, without any need to pretend. Why didn't I notice you were so shameless before?"
Xu Meijing said with a serious expression. Seeing that Xu Meijing showed no sign of joking, Yang Haoran quickly returned his smile to normal.
"I never noticed you were so unreasonable and fierce before!"
Yang Haoran only dared to say this in his heart; how could he possibly say it directly? If he said it directly, it would be a completely different matter from what he thought in his heart.
"Heh heh, I just wanted to lighten the mood, so neither of us would be so tense and wary."
"Hmph!"
Xu Meijing didn't speak; she just snorted, then turned her head back again and closed her eyes once more.
"Little Jing, you just said that neither of these two possibilities is good for either of us. Have you thought of a solution?"
Yang Haoran asked softly with a smile, gently massaging Xu Meijing's shoulders.
Don't let Yang Haoran's recent antics fool you. His behavior was just to amuse Xu Meijing. In fact, his mind was actively working; on the contrary, he had already thought of a viable solution to the matter.
He had thought of a solution in his mind, but instead of saying it directly, he asked Xu Meijing. This wasn't because he wanted to see her make a fool of herself, but to accommodate Xu Meijing's proud heart.
"Can't you see I'm thinking? What's the rush? Even if the sky falls, I'll stand in front of you and bear the brunt."
"Yes, yes, yes!"
Yang Haoran hurriedly responded with a fawning smile. At this moment, a warm current surged in his heart.
He hadn't felt this feeling in a long time, and the source of this warm current was Xu Meijing's declaration: "Even if the sky falls, I'll stand in front of you and bear the brunt."
However, if such a day truly came, with Yang Haoran's personality, he would absolutely never allow his woman to take the blade for him. Even if the sky truly fell, it would be him, the man, standing in front to bear the brunt!
Yang Haoran didn't speak, but dutifully massaged Xu Meijing's shoulders. After about a few minutes, Xu Meijing suddenly opened her eyes.
"I've thought of a solution!"
Xu Meijing said, but her emotions didn't become agitated. Instead, her expression was serious.
"Oh? You thought of a solution so quickly? Little Jing, you're really amazing! Hurry and tell me, what is it?"
Yang Haoran's reaction was different from Xu Meijing's. His face showed excitement, and his tone contained both surprise and admiration.
"The main reason why you and I are wary of Huo Laoban is because he has now become a Guardian. As long as one of us becomes a Guardian, or both of us do, then the threat from Huo Laoban will naturally disappear."
Xu Meijing said slowly. Yang Haoran nodded gently after listening.
"What you said makes sense. If both of us become Guardians, then Huo Laoban's threat to us will naturally diminish, and we won't be so passive. However, to become a Guardian, we have to participate in the martial arts competition held by our Jingling Continent Underworld Office a month from now. Leaving aside whether our strength is sufficient, even if it is, do we dare to fully display our strength?"
Yang Haoran asked. Xu Meijing's expression was serious. After thinking for a moment, she replied,
"That point you mentioned is indeed a problem. If we fully display our strength, we will definitely arouse suspicion from other Underworld Officials. After all, the speed of our power increase is too abnormal. At that time, not only might we not secure a Guardian position, but we might also put both of us in jeopardy. But if we don't exert our full strength, then winning this competition will be impossible, in which case it's better not to go, to avoid making a fool of ourselves."
As Xu Meijing said this, her expression was serious and her brows were tightly furrowed, clearly indicating that this problem was giving her a severe headache.
"Indeed, if we can't exert our full strength, it's better not to participate. It would be a waste of time and an embarrassment. If there were a way to make others think that our rapid increase in strength is only natural, then it would be much easier."
Yang Haoran said with a troubled expression, gently massaging Xu Meijing's shoulder.
As soon as he spoke, Xu Meijing's eyes suddenly lit up.
"I've got it!"
Xu Meijing's face showed a hint of excitement, and even her tone changed.
"Oh? What solution have you thought of now?"
Yang Haoran feigned a surprised expression and quickly asked.
"You will participate in this competition; I won't go. At that time, you can confidently use your full strength. Even if someone suspects something, I have a way to resolve it!"
Xu Meijing answered beside the point, and Yang Haoran asked with a surprised look,
"How will you resolve it?"
Xu Meijing's smile deepened. She then turned her head and said to Yang Haoran,
"Alright, alright, you don't need to massage anymore. I'm very comfortable now. Come quickly and sit down, and I'll explain it slowly to you."
Since Xu Meijing said so, Yang Haoran naturally wouldn't refuse. So, with a look of confusion and curiosity, he rolled over and sat beside Xu Meijing. After Yang Haoran had settled down, Xu Meijing continued to smile and say to him,
"Don't you have a pharmacy in the Underworld? You said its business is quite good, so that pharmacy must bring you a considerable income. In the eyes of outsiders, if you convert all those earnings into Soul Pills, then your strength soaring by leaps and bounds, far surpassing ordinary Emissaries of Death, would be the most normal thing."
Looking at Xu Meijing's smiling face, Yang Haoran's smile also deepened involuntarily. This smile was different from his usual faint smile, because at this moment, his smile came from genuine happiness.
After a slight pause, Xu Meijing continued to say to Yang Haoran,
"If at that time someone still suspects, or even investigates the earnings of your Underworld pharmacy and finds that your income doesn't match your strength, then I will voluntarily step forward and bear this for you!"
Xu Meijing said with a smile, and Yang Haoran's face showed a curious expression as he asked with a smile,
"How will you bear it?"
Xu Meijing answered immediately, without even thinking.
"I will tell everyone that I possess a Supreme Yin Body, and that the Supreme Yin Qi in my body was willingly taken by you. It's only natural for your strength to skyrocket after obtaining my Supreme Yin Qi. This way, no one will doubt that the source of your strength is problematic!"
After these words fell, Yang Haoran didn't speak immediately. Instead, he looked at Xu Meijing for several seconds before uttering two words to her.
"Thank you."
Although these two words weren't cried out heartbrokenly, nor were they spoken with tears streaming down, they expressed Yang Haoran's truest emotions.
Xu Meijing was startled for a moment, then her smile vanished, her brows furrowed, and her expression immediately darkened.
"It hasn't even been a day, and your feelings for me have faded? If you thank me again, I'll bury you alive!"
Yang Haoran nodded with a laugh, then wrapped his arm around Xu Meijing, pulling her into an embrace. Xu Meijing didn't resist, allowing Yang Haoran to hold her like that.
"Your method is good, but what do you think about modifying it like this?"
Hearing this, Xu Meijing looked up at Yang Haoran in confusion and asked,
"How will you modify it?"
Yang Haoran didn't play coy and immediately spoke.
"Heh heh, there are two Guardian positions, so I want you to go with me to participate in this competition. We can each contend for one Guardian position. I think these two Guardian positions are reserved for the two of us."
Xu Meijing's expression changed slightly, and then she said,
"Although my strength has also seen an incredible increase since you took the Supreme Yin Qi from my body, relying solely on this, I'm afraid it will be difficult to prevent others from suspecting that the source of my strength is problematic."
Xu Meijing didn't flatly refuse but voiced her inner concern. With her strong personality, how could she not have designs on the Guardian position? It was only because there were no other options that she had to give up. That's why she decided to let Yang Haoran participate in the competition alone, because as long as Yang Haoran became a Guardian, the threat from Huo Laoban could also be resolved.
"Heh heh, you also know I have a pharmacy in the Underworld, and that pharmacy's business is indeed quite good, with considerable profits. This pharmacy is named Jingran Pharmacy. Do you know why I named it Jingran Pharmacy?"
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