Chapter 1239: Preparations for Battle (Part One)
Xu Meijing was not foolish; Yang Haoran's words immediately gave her a clue as to what he was implying. However, she did not voice her conjecture, instead addressing Yang Haoran.
"I'm not you. How should I know why you'd pick such a name?"
Yang Haoran knew Xu Meijing was feigning ignorance, but he didn't expose her. Instead, he smiled and explained.
"Because this pharmacy, from the day it opened, belonged not just to me, Yang Haoran, but to both of us. That is why I chose to name it Jingran Pharmacy."
Xu Meijing's face didn't betray any strong surprise at Yang Haoran's words, for she had more or less guessed he would say something like that. Apart from a slight hint of surprise, her expression was mostly one of disbelief.
"Heh, you're not trying to say this just because you feel you can't get rid of me now, are you?"
Xu Meijing scoffed, then asked Yang Haoran.
Yang Haoran's face bore a smile, yet this smile was entirely devoid of flattery. It was just as it always was, but to Xu Meijing, it felt not false, but truly heartfelt.
Pausing slightly, Yang Haoran continued with a smile.
"As for why I didn't tell you initially, it's because I wanted to give you a surprise once Jingran Pharmacy was on the right track. If Jingran Pharmacy's business didn't take off, and I told you about this beforehand, then not only would the pharmacy fail to make money but also lose a large sum, and you'd know about it — wouldn't I be slapping myself in the face then?"
This time, Xu Meijing didn't retort. She listened quietly. Yang Haoran glanced at Xu Meijing, then continued to speak.
"The two characters 'Jingran' are taken from the last characters of our names. The reason I put 'Jing' first and 'Ran' second is because, in my heart, you are far more important than myself."
"Mhm!"
Xu Meijing still said nothing, merely letting out a heavy "Mhm. " Though it was just a sound, her voice clearly conveyed the intense emotional turmoil within her. There was joy, but even more so, profound emotion. She buried her head in Yang Haoran's chest, actively embracing him with both hands, holding him very tightly.
Yang Haoran gently stroked Xu Meijing's long hair, his smile radiating pure happiness.
"Don't mind me; continue with your thoughts. I'm listening."
Xu Meijing's voice came from Yang Haoran's chest, clearly choked with emotion. Yang Haoran understood Xu Meijing's proud heart and knew her current state, so he wasn't foolish enough to ask her, "What's wrong? Why are you suddenly crying?"
For an ordinary girl, comforting her in such a moment might yield unexpectedly good results, but Yang Haoran understood Xu Meijing's personality. If he were to ask such a question now, it would only embarrass her.
So, he pretended not to hear the catch in her voice and did four things.
First, the arm he had around Xu Meijing noticeably tightened, holding her even closer.
Second, he lowered his head and kissed her fragrant long hair.
Third, looking up, he used his other hand to gently caress her beautiful hair.
Fourth, he continued with the thoughts he had not finished, as Xu Meijing had requested.
"Since the pharmacy belongs to both of us, combined with the Supreme Yin Qi within your body, and the Soul Pills we both obtained by submitting souls—these three factors combined, even if we unleash our full strength, it can be somewhat justified."
Before coming to Ancheng, Yang Haoran had indeed been worried about whether or not to participate in the martial arts competition. His main concern was not daring to unleash his full power, because once he did, he couldn't explain how his strength had increased so rapidly. Relying solely on Soul Pills obtained from submitting souls and the profits of Jingran Pharmacy would be hard to make others believe.
However, if they added Xu Meijing's Supreme Yin Qi as an explanation, then the rapid increase in his strength could be somewhat justified. Not only him, but Xu Meijing's swift power increase could also be explained.
After Yang Haoran finished speaking, Xu Meijing was silent for a moment before lifting her head from his embrace. Although she had a smile on her face, her long eyelashes were damp.
"Tell me, did you actually have a counter-strategy in mind all along?"
Xu Meijing pointed at Yang Haoran with a finger, asking with a smile. Seeing this, Yang Haoran quickly shook his head in denial.
"No, no, absolutely not. If I had thought of a counter-strategy earlier, wouldn't I have told you? Don't you agree?"
Xu Meijing's smile brightened at Yang Haoran's words. She knew very well that Yang Haoran was lying, but she didn't expose him, because she understood why he was lying.
She said nothing, merely giving Yang Haoran's cheek a deeply affectionate kiss.
This time, Yang Haoran was in no hurry to leave Ancheng. After all, it wasn't easy to come here, and he was reluctant to leave Xu Meijing, so he stayed in Ancheng for several more days.
During these days, the young couple, whose relationship was now confirmed, spent their time not only in constant intimacy but also in formulating a detailed plan for the martial arts competition one month later.
With a way to explain the source of their power, creating the plan became much simpler.
Yang Haoran first assessed Xu Meijing's current strength. To his surprise, Xu Meijing's strength had also broken through to the late-stage Earth Soul realm, which was something he hadn't expected.
By his estimation, it would have been good enough for Xu Meijing's strength to reach the mid-stage Earth Soul realm. After all, he had reached the late-stage Earth Soul realm. Leaving aside the Supreme Yin Qi, he had refined a large quantity of Soul Pills. These Soul Pills included those refined from the Soul-Refining Cauldron, as well as those obtained from the profits of Jingran Pharmacy.
It was only with so many Soul Pills that he was able to raise his strength to the mid-stage Earth Soul realm, and only after obtaining the Supreme Yin Qi from Xu Meijing's body did he break through to the late-stage Earth Soul realm.
Yang Haoran had not monopolized the profits from Jingran Pharmacy; he had always saved a portion for Xu Meijing. However, before this trip to Ancheng, he hadn't had the opportunity to give these Soul Pills to Xu Meijing. Therefore, in his opinion, Xu Meijing, lacking these Soul Pills, should have been weaker than him.
But the result was completely different from what he had imagined, which greatly surprised him.
After a thorough inquiry, he finally understood what had happened.
Although Xu Meijing lacked the portion of Soul Pills from Jingran Pharmacy, she had refined far more Soul Pills using her Soul-Refining Cauldron than Yang Haoran had. This was only one reason. Another reason was that Xu Meijing possessed the Supreme Yin Body; the Supreme Yin Qi within her was inherently hers. Although Yang Haoran ultimately absorbed the Supreme Yin Qi from her body, the benefits she gained were considerably more than his.
Comparatively, the second reason was the most crucial; it was precisely because of this that Xu Meijing's strength could match Yang Haoran's.
Yang Haoran gained a clear understanding of Xu Meijing's strength, and Xu Meijing likewise gained a clear understanding of Yang Haoran's strength. With both parties aware of each other's capabilities, they formulated detailed plans based on their respective strengths, specifically designed to cope with various potential contingencies.
When Yang Haoran left Ancheng, he left a considerable number of Soul Pills for Xu Meijing. These Soul Pills were ones Yang Haoran had prepared for Xu Meijing in advance. Even if he hadn't confirmed their romantic relationship on this trip to Ancheng, he would still have given these Soul Pills to Xu Meijing.
With everything handled appropriately, despite his many regrets, Yang Haoran had no choice but to depart in preparation for the upcoming competition and to secure those two Guardian positions.
The morning of their departure, the atmosphere was somewhat heavy. The two walked silently to the villa's main gate before stopping.
"Heh heh, let's stop here, Xiao Jing. There isn't much time left. Try to refine as many Soul Pills as possible to increase your strength."
Yang Haoran looked at Xu Meijing, a faint smile on his face. After giving her a big hug, he spoke to her.
"Heh, I know what I'm doing. I don't need you to remind me. You, on the other hand, if you don't quickly improve your strength, just wait and see how I deal with you if you lose the competition."
Xu Meijing rolled her eyes at Yang Haoran, speaking with utter arrogance, not forgetting to threaten him in the process.
"Heh heh, good times always pass too quickly."
Yang Haoran sighed with a smile. Though his face bore a smile, it conveyed not joy, but intense reluctance to part.
"Alright, alright, can you act more like a man? I, a woman, am not as sentimental as you, making such a fuss. It's not like we're saying our last goodbyes."
Xu Meijing frowned slightly. Not only did she not try to make Yang Haoran stay, but she even feigned impatience.
Yang Haoran chuckled, unbothered by Xu Meijing's attitude. He waved his hand, tearing open a rift in space, then bade Xu Meijing farewell.
"Xiao Jing, see you in a while!"
"Go on, honestly, you're acting like an old woman."
Yang Haoran stepped into the spatial rift. From within, he didn't forget to smile and wave at Xu Meijing.
Xu Meijing's reaction was completely different from Yang Haoran's. She neither waved goodbye nor bid him farewell, instead folding her arms, her face a picture of aloof coolness that was simply unparalleled.
It wasn't until the spatial rift completely healed and Yang Haoran vanished from sight that Xu Meijing let out a sentimental sigh, her eyes full of reluctance. She stood rooted to the spot for a long time, gazing fixedly at where the spatial rift had disappeared.
...
After bidding farewell to Xu Meijing, Yang Haoran directly left Ancheng. However, he didn't rush back to Lecheng, because he and Xu Meijing had already formulated a plan, and there were some preparations he needed to make in advance. As time was limited and some things might not be successfully prepared, he had to temporarily give up on returning to Lecheng.
After the competition was over, regardless of whether he successfully secured the Guardian position, he would return to Lecheng for a period. After all, he still wanted to hold a celebratory banquet for Old Master Wu.
If he and Xu Meijing failed to win the Guardian positions this time, then he could use Old Master Wu's banquet as an excuse to drown his sorrows.
If he and Xu Meijing successfully secured the Guardian positions this time, that would naturally be even better—double the joy, and they could celebrate with a grand feast.
Instead of heading to Lecheng, he continuously tore open spatial rifts, rushing back towards Gu Mo City.
During this trip to Ancheng, his strength had directly increased from the mid-stage Earth Soul realm to the late-stage Earth Soul realm. With such a significant power increase, the distance he could cover with each spatial transfer also grew longer.
Nevertheless, even with his strength having reached the late-stage Earth Soul realm, it still took him a considerable amount of time to travel from Ancheng back to Gu Mo City.
Although Yang Haoran had only been away for a few days, upon returning to Gu Mo City, he noticed a clear change in the city. This change wasn't in the Death God Temple, but rather in the territory managed by their Underworld Division.
The most obvious change was that more damaged buildings had been repaired, and the ordinary people under the Underworld Division's management seemed to be in better spirits. These ordinary people's lives were once no different from those in Ancheng, but now their small lives were far better than those in Ancheng, arguably on a completely different level.
The reason Ancheng had become so chaotic was due to its numerous factions, a chaotic mix of various forces, and the ineffective Administrative Courtyard, which led to the local populace living in considerable hardship.
Conversely, Gu Mo City now only had two major forces remaining: the Underworld Division and the Holy Mother Cult. Yang Haoran had no intention of provoking the Holy Mother Cult, and Xia Xinger would certainly not proactively seek trouble with the Underworld Division, as their Holy Mother Cult fundamentally did not advocate for killing. With both forces coexisting peacefully and developing their respective territories, the pace of their development naturally accelerated.
Although Yang Haoran didn't usually concern himself much with the affairs of ordinary people, seeing the smiles on their faces brightened his mood.
If this were before the world plunged into chaos, few would have thought the ordinary people under Gu Mo City's Underworld Division lived particularly well. But in this era of turmoil, countless ordinary folk would gaze upon such a life with envy. For the common people under Gu Mo City's Underworld Division, not only was their safety guaranteed, but they had enough to eat, warm clothes to wear, and even meat on their tables—such good fortune was something some people wouldn't even dare to dream of, so how could others not be envious?
Upon returning to the Death God Temple, it was as bustling as it had been days earlier. Amidst respectful salutations, Yang Haoran arrived at the courtyards reserved for higher-ups.
He didn't return to his own courtyard but went directly to Xiang Chuan's. Just as he reached the entrance of Xiang Chuan's courtyard, he heard two whooshing sounds pierce the air, and two blood-red figures appeared before him.
It was none other than the siblings, Jing Qi and Jing Miao.
"Greetings, Boss!"
As soon as the siblings landed, they immediately bowed respectfully to Yang Haoran.
Yang Haoran hadn't seen the siblings in a while, so he asked with a smile.
"Heh heh, how has your cultivation been lately, you two?"
Jing Miao remained silent, just as she always was, while Jing Qi respectfully replied upon hearing the question.
"Reporting to Boss, our cultivation has been very smooth. The power within our bodies increases at a noticeable rate every day."
As Jing Qi spoke, his tone carried unconcealed excitement, which indicated that his words were likely truthful; otherwise, he wouldn't be so utterly thrilled.
Yang Haoran nodded with a faint smile, showing no surprise whatsoever, as this was entirely within his expectations.
After the battle at the Ancient Demon Palace that day, he had thoroughly looted the strongholds of various factions, including several Demon Cult leaders' lairs. From their hideouts, Yang Haoran had acquired a considerable amount of resources used by Demon Cult practitioners for cultivation. While these resources wouldn't amount to much for an entire organization, nor could they sustain one, they were more than enough to support Jing Qi and Jing Miao. At least for a long time, he wouldn't have to worry about this matter.
"Heh heh, excellent. I said I would wholeheartedly nurture you two siblings, and I will absolutely not go back on my word. If you need anything, or wish for anything, you can tell me. I will do my best to satisfy you, so don't disappoint me."
Yang Haoran said with a faint smile, an expression of anticipation on his face.
"Rest assured, Lord Emissary, we two siblings will absolutely not disappoint you, but. . ."
Jing Qi responded respectfully, but then he seemed to think of something and hesitated.
"Heh heh, it's alright. Just say whatever's on your mind. There's no need to hold back in front of me."
Yang Haoran's words gave Jing Qi great courage.
"This subordinate merely wishes to ask, when will Lord Emissary assign tasks to us siblings? Now that we are no longer ordinary people, I believe with our skills and the power within us, we should be able to handle some trivial matters for Lord Emissary."
Jing Qi said respectfully. Hearing Jing Qi's words, Yang Haoran's smile deepened.
"Heh heh, you two are really eager to go on missions?"
Both siblings nodded respectfully, without a shred of hesitation.
Yang Haoran observed their reactions. With his keen eye, he could naturally tell that the siblings were serious and sincere in their desire.
"Heh heh, why?"
Yang Haoran didn't immediately agree to their request, instead asking them for the reason.
"Everyone else is alleviating your burdens, Boss, while we siblings, apart from cultivating, haven't done anything for you. That's why we earnestly request that you assign us some tasks too."
This time, it wasn't Jing Qi who spoke, but Jing Miao. Before Jing Qi could open his mouth, Jing Miao quickly interjected.
However, as Jing Miao spoke these words to Yang Haoran, her face held a little less coldness and a little more earnestness and seriousness.
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