Chapter 124: The Yellow Cloth
From the corner of his eye, Yang Haoran seemed to catch sight of something. He abruptly twisted his head, looking towards the clothes he had just torn apart.
Xue Li's clothes were actually of decent quality. Even after several decades, though they showed some signs of damage, the wear and tear wasn't too severe.
However, Yang Haoran's recent violent tear instantly rendered the already damaged garment even more ragged. It was precisely because of this that something seemed to be revealed within the clothes.
Sure enough, as Yang Haoran looked towards the tattered clothes discarded beside him, he saw a corner of a distinctive piece of fabric peeking out from within the ruined garment.
This fabric was completely different from the material used for the clothes. The clothes were made of a dark red fabric, but the exposed fabric was yellow.
Although only a corner was visible, Yang Haoran still managed to catch sight of it.
He didn't immediately conclude that the Yellow Cloth was definitely peculiar just based on this. What if Xue Li simply had a different taste, preferring a touch of yellow amidst the dark red?
Though he hadn't jumped to conclusions, Yang Haoran didn't hesitate for a moment. He grabbed the tattered clothes and began inspecting them directly from where the corner of the Yellow Cloth was exposed.
The next instant, Yang Haoran's expression changed. Xue Li's clothes actually had a hidden compartment! And this Yellow Cloth, whose corner had been revealed, was tucked away inside that compartment. If he hadn't violently torn the clothes open moments ago, this Yellow Cloth would never have been exposed.
Yang Haoran thought this to himself, but he also knew that this possibility was slim. The presence of this Yellow Cloth most likely concealed some secret.
With a gentle tug, the opening of the hidden compartment widened slightly. Yang Haoran didn't dare use too much force. His movements were very careful; slowly, gently, little by little, he extracted the entire Yellow Cloth from the clothes' hidden compartment.
The reason for his extreme caution was to prevent the tragedy that had befallen Xu Meijing earlier from repeating itself.
That three-legged azure cauldron clearly had a significant origin, otherwise Xu Meijing wouldn't have been so emotionally agitated. And this Yellow Cloth before him, hidden so carefully by Xue Li, its value was undoubtedly no less than that of the three-legged azure cauldron, without even needing to think about it. Perhaps its value even far surpassed it. If he accidentally damaged it, he estimated Xu Meijing would be driven mad with rage, and he, of course, would also find it a great pity.
This Yellow Cloth was only palm-sized, thin to the touch, and quite textured. As his gaze fell upon the Yellow Cloth in his hand, the first thing that caught his eye were three large characters: Soul-Refining Cauldron.
Beneath these three large characters was a dense array of characters, as tiny as grains of rice, filling the entire Yellow Cloth completely, leaving not the slightest bit of empty space.
"Xu Meijing, quickly! I've found something!"
Xu Meijing was feeling frustrated. Why wasn't there much commotion behind her? Wasn't Yang Haoran going to dismantle Xue Li's mummified corpse?
Just then, she heard Yang Haoran's shout from behind her. From the sound of his voice, it seemed to carry a hint of excitement.
Xu Meijing's heart trembled. Upon hearing Yang Haoran's words, she didn't even think twice. She immediately turned to face Yang Haoran. At that moment, she no longer cared that Xue Li's mummified corpse was completely naked.
Looking at the Yellow Cloth in Yang Haoran's hand, Xu Meijing's eyes lit up. She quickly leaned closer.
"Take a look at this, is this what you've been looking for? " Yang Haoran didn't hide anything. He readily handed the Yellow Cloth in his hand to Xu Meijing.
Although he hadn't examined the rice-grain-sized content on the Yellow Cloth in detail, Yang Haoran wasn't foolish. He naturally knew that these contents must record something extraordinary. However, no matter how precious this item was, how could it compare to his own life? Xu Meijing had saved his life, and this favor would definitely have to be repaid gradually. Thus, he didn't hesitate at all and directly handed the Yellow Cloth in his hand to Xu Meijing.
Taking the Yellow Cloth, Xu Meijing merely glanced at it casually. Her expression, however, abruptly changed. Her emotions were even more agitated than when she had discovered the three-legged azure cauldron earlier.
"That's right, this is what I was looking for!"
Xu Meijing smiled, and she smiled very happily. Since Yang Haoran had met her, he had never seen her smile so joyfully before.
"What's written on this? And what is a Soul-Refining Cauldron? " Yang Haoran voiced the questions in his heart.
"What is a Soul-Refining Cauldron? Heh heh, a Soul-Refining Cauldron is something that can change the destiny of both you and me for our entire lives. And what is recorded on this Yellow Cloth is the function of the Soul-Refining Cauldron, as well as its forging method."
Xu Meijing's face was brimming with joy. At this moment, she was completely different from her usual self, clearly showing how strong the impact this Yellow Cloth had on her spirit.
"Before, I was also wondering what exactly Xue Li's actions were for. But when this Wánglíng mentioned he was refining souls, I immediately had some suspicions. However, these suspicions were merely what I hoped to be true, but I hoped my suspicions were correct, I yearned for them to be correct."
"When the three-legged azure cauldron was found on Xue Li, I was emotional, because I knew my suspicion was very likely to be the truth. That three-legged azure cauldron was, in all likelihood, the Soul-Refining Cauldron."
"Unfortunately, before I even had a chance to confirm it, the three-legged azure cauldron shattered in my hands. At that moment, the joy in my heart vanished instantly. I had thought there wasn't much hope left, but I never expected you to find this treasure on Xue Li. This is truly a turning point!"
Xu Meijing's inner excitement was completely written on her face. Yang Haoran naturally saw this. However, Xu Meijing's explanation still left him a little unclear on one thing: what exactly was the function of the Soul-Refining Cauldron?
Before he could even ask, Xu Meijing smiled and said to him: "You must really want to know what the Soul-Refining Cauldron does, right?"
It was like delivering a pillow to someone who was sleepy. Yang Haoran didn't play coy either; he simply and directly nodded.
"Heh heh, I won't tell you," Xu Meijing chuckled.
Yang Haoran truly hadn't expected Xu Meijing's answer to him would be like this. He was stunned on the spot.
Seeing Yang Haoran's expression freeze on his face, Xu Meijing seemed very satisfied with Yang Haoran's reaction and smiled even more happily.
"Don't worry, take out your phone now and photograph all the information on the Yellow Cloth. After we leave here, you can study it at your leisure. Then you'll know the true value of this Yellow Cloth, and you'll understand what the Soul-Refining Cauldron truly does."
Since Xu Meijing was unwilling to explain clearly, Yang Haoran didn't press her. However, taking pictures of the information on the Yellow Cloth with his phone was indeed a good idea.
He nodded, without saying anything further. He took out his phone from his pocket, and then meticulously photographed all the information on the Yellow Cloth, not missing a single character.
Seeing Yang Haoran put his phone back into his pocket, Xu Meijing's smile faded from her face, and her expression suddenly turned serious.
"What happened in this stone chamber today, only you and I should know. You absolutely must not let a third person know, especially anyone from our Underworld Office. You must remember, don't reveal a single word to anyone, otherwise, both you and I will be in big trouble. We might even lose our lives because of it."
Xu Meijing's words caused Yang Haoran's expression to subtly change. He hadn't expected this Yellow Cloth to be involved in something so significant, even threatening both their lives.
"Once you've finished studying the information on the Yellow Cloth, you'll discover that my words right now are not exaggerated in the slightest, and I've even understated the consequences," Xu Meijing added, as if afraid Yang Haoran wouldn't believe her.
Yang Haoran nodded with a serious expression. He could tell that Xu Meijing wasn't trying to scare him, nor was she joking. After all, Xu Meijing wasn't the type of person who enjoyed joking around.
The fact that the Yellow Cloth could be hidden in a compartment of Xue Li's clothes, by a master who had opened his Heaven Soul, already indicated that this palm-sized Yellow Cloth was extremely important, or rather, extremely precious. However, judging from Xu Meijing's reaction at this moment, he seemed to have still underestimated the Yellow Cloth's true value.
After speaking with a serious expression, and seeing Yang Haoran nod very seriously, a smile reappeared on Xu Meijing's face. Her mood was excellent, and all of it stemmed from the Yellow Cloth in her hand.
She didn't try to wipe the Yellow Cloth clean, as she had done with the three-legged azure cauldron before, nor did she mind that it was dirty. She simply and carefully folded the Yellow Cloth, and then tucked it into her pocket.
After completing all of this, she took a deep breath, gradually allowing her inner excitement to subside. Only then did she slowly regain her usual arrogant demeanor, and turned her gaze towards the Wánglíng beside her.
Seeing Xu Meijing look at him, the Wánglíng's emotions immediately grew agitated. He knew that Xu Meijing was in a very good mood right now, and perhaps he could be saved. Thinking this, a look of excitement couldn't help but appear on his face.
"You've helped me a great deal this time, but you've also learned things you shouldn't have. This gives me quite a headache."
Xu Meijing's voice was a bit cold. This made the Wánglíng's expression stiffen, and the excitement in his heart vanished instantly like smoke.
"Under. . . Underworld Official, I. . ."
The Wánglíng appeared very nervous. His gaze towards Xu Meijing was filled with terror. He had already died a tragic death at Xue Li's hands. He both hated and feared Underworld Officials. Now, Xu Meijing's reaction reminded him of Xue Li, which made him instinctively feel that he might be about to die once more.
And if he truly died this time, it would be a complete death. He wouldn't even have a soul left; he would completely vanish from both the Yin and Yang realms.
Seeing the Wánglíng's terrified expression, Xu Meijing coldly chuckled and said: "Don't be so agitated. I'm not Xue Li; I have my own principles for doing things."
Xu Meijing's words made the Wánglíng breathe a slight sigh of relief, but it was only slight. He was still very uneasy, fearing that Xu Meijing would silence him while he wasn't paying attention.
Xu Meijing saw the Wánglíng's apprehension. She scoffed with a smile and continued: "If I truly wanted to eliminate you, a wave of my hand would be enough. Why would I need to waste words with you here? Since I haven't made a move, it means I have no intention of killing you, at least for now."
The Wánglíng thought about it, and indeed, it was true. Yet, he didn't feel at ease because of it; instead, he was filled with dread about his future fate.
"Return to the Soul-Gathering Bead for now. As for how to deal with you, we'll discuss it later."
The Wánglíng naturally didn't dare utter a single word of dissent. He was once again taken back into the Soul-Gathering Bead by Xu Meijing, who then turned her gaze to Yang Haoran.
"Do you want to go check the other stone doors?"
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