Chapter 1270: Time for Another Farewell
Jiang Dashi's appearance, and his brief wait at the entrance of the restaurant, went unnoticed by anyone during that time. After all, there were countless Ghost Officials like him in the Underworld; no one would pay him any mind. Unless he was on his own street, where people might actively greet him due to his status, but this street was not within his jurisdiction, so practically no one recognized him.
However, when Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing appeared with Gu Yi and the other three, everyone, whether entering or exiting the restaurant, or pedestrians coming and going on the street, halted in their tracks.
Because the six had directly teleported through a spatial rift, the commotion when space tore open immediately drew everyone's gaze. When the six emerged from the spatial rift, some people present didn't recognize Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing, but quite a few still did, and they all bowed in salute to the two of them.
Gu Yi and the other three had never experienced anything like this. As everyone's gazes converged upon them, and they bowed towards the area where the four stood, Gu Yi and her companions felt a surge of excitement. Even though they knew these salutes were not meant for the four of them, but rather for Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing, they were all Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing's people, and a strong sense of pride couldn't help but well up in their hearts.
After Yang Haoran stepped out of the spatial rift, he immediately spotted Jiang Dashi waiting at the restaurant entrance. A wide smile on his face, he walked towards Jiang Dashi and greeted him warmly.
Initially, no one present had paid any attention to Jiang Dashi, the Ghost Official. However, because of Yang Haoran, Jiang Dashi immediately drew everyone's gaze. People began speculating about Jiang Dashi's identity and the exact nature of his relationship with Yang Haoran.
Jiang Dashi offered his sincere congratulations, to which Yang Haoran responded with a beaming smile. Before they could exchange more than a few words, the restaurant manager abruptly rushed out from inside, a fawning expression on his face, and approached Yang Haoran and his companions, spewing an unending stream of flattering compliments.
Yang Haoran hadn't reserved a table in advance, nor did the restaurant manager know that Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing would be coming. However, when the two tore open space earlier, the manager immediately sensed it clearly.
Before rushing out of the restaurant, the man wasn't entirely clear who these important figures were, nor if they were there to dine. However, from his perspective, whether they were there for a meal or something else entirely, he would still come out to greet them.
This wasn't compulsory; rather, it was the demeanor of a smooth operator. Such important figures represented wealth to him. If he could forge good relations with them, all the better. Even if he couldn't establish strong ties quickly, simply becoming a familiar face was still beneficial.
He knew many of the Underworld's important figures, some even quite intimately. But there were also those he wasn't familiar with. Regardless of whether the arrivals were the former or the latter, he dared not, and would not, treat them with anything less than utmost respect.
Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing didn't recognize the restaurant manager, as this was their first time visiting this establishment. However, the manager did recognize Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing. On the very day they became Guardians, their information had been sent to him. Although he wasn't a member of the Jingling Continent's Underworld Office, there were only forty-five Guardians in the entire Underworld Office. From his perspective, Guardians could afford not to know him, but he *had* to recognize all Guardians. Only then could he minimize the risk of offending someone he shouldn't.
Facing the restaurant manager's enthusiasm, Yang Haoran also acted very kindly, not putting on any airs in front of him. Given Yang Haoran's character, he wouldn't do such a thing anyway; but even if he were someone who liked to put on airs, he would still show this man some deference. It was true that this man was just a Ghost Official, but the boss behind him was certainly no simple individual. Otherwise, how could this restaurant have become the most luxurious in the Underworld? That was not something just anyone could achieve.
Therefore, even if one didn't give face to the man himself, one had to give face to the boss behind him. Moreover, the man's attitude had been consistently respectful, leaving no room for fault-finding. Even someone who enjoyed putting on airs would likely find it hard to feel any aversion towards him.
The restaurant manager, seeing that the arrivals were Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing, the two newly appointed Guardians, was equally surprised. Upon learning that Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing were here today with friends and subordinates to celebrate, his surprise immediately turned into delight.
Meeting such important figures as Guardians, he dared not let other service staff in the restaurant attend to them. Should any mistake occur, his troubles would be immense. Thus, he decisively put aside the important matters he hadn't yet finished handling and personally attended to the two of them. Only after ensuring Yang Haoran's banquet was perfectly arranged did he respectfully withdraw.
Not long after the banquet began, guests from the restaurant continuously approached to offer toasts, congratulating Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing. Their congratulations were feigned; their true intention was to gain familiarity in front of Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing, the two Guardians. Yang Haoran understood this perfectly, but he did not refuse, as these individuals held considerable status and position in the Underworld, otherwise, they wouldn't be dining here.
These people wanted to know him and Xu Meijing, and he equally wanted to know them. For him, this was purely beneficial. After all, if Jingran Pharmacy wanted to grow strong and prosperous in the Underworld, connections were indispensable. Just because he and Xu Meijing had become Guardians didn't mean everything was perfectly secure. Some individuals, sitting in certain positions, could easily cause minor troubles for Jingran Pharmacy. Therefore, for Jingran Pharmacy to truly develop, all kinds of connections were absolutely essential.
Setting aside Jingran Pharmacy, these people were also very useful to Yang Haoran himself. If he encountered any trouble in the future, these individuals might very well be able to help. Although he was now a Guardian, it didn't mean that Guardians didn't need anyone's help, or that all problems could be solved by one person alone. With a wider network, many troubles would cease to be troubles.
Of course, comparatively, these people were even more eager to get closer to Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing. Because Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing were Guardians, neither their connections nor their power could be compared to any single individual among these guests. If they could establish good relations with Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing, having two Guardians behind them, then whenever they encountered any difficult problems in the future, they could ask these two "big shots" to step forward and resolve them. The effect would certainly be much more potent than if they handled it themselves.
Both sides had their own objectives, and both were well aware of them, but no one spoke it aloud. Everyone understood the underlying principles, for this was simply reality, the reciprocity of power.
However, Xu Meijing's personality was completely different from Yang Haoran's. She had no interest in such matters, even feeling a bit disgusted by them. If not for considering Yang Haoran's "face" and the fact that today was their celebration for becoming Guardians, she would certainly have already driven out all these people who kept coming to offer toasts, because she felt they were disturbing her celebration.
Gu Yi's reaction to the situation was rather similar to Yang Haoran's. As the manager of Jingran Pharmacy, she naturally understood what was needed for Jingran Pharmacy to develop. These people who actively came to toast were all highly useful to her, as they all possessed deep backgrounds or significant power in the Underworld. If Jingran Pharmacy had their help, its future development would only be smoother.
Therefore, Gu Yi not only didn't reject these people who came to toast, but her attitude was exceptionally friendly. Leveraging Yang Haoran's identity and status, she made acquaintance with all of them, diligently committing their names, positions, hobbies, and a host of other information to memory.
Without Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing, probably few of these people who came to toast would have taken Gu Yi seriously, or even regarded her as significant at all. However, upon learning that Gu Yi was the manager of Jingran Pharmacy, and that Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing were both its owners, these people's attitudes towards Gu Yi took a complete turn. While it was unlikely they would show reverence to Gu Yi, they certainly displayed full friendliness towards her.
When no one else came forward to toast, Yang Haoran and his companions finally had the chance to properly celebrate. The entire process lasted several hours before concluding.
When it came time to pay the bill, the restaurant manager steadfastly refused to accept Yang Haoran's money. In the end, Yang Haoran could only give up. However, he kept the incident in mind, as the Underworld Currency they had spent on this celebration was no small sum. The fact that the other party adamantly refused payment, he naturally understood the implications.
After returning to Jingran Pharmacy, Gu Yi, emboldened by the alcohol, shared some of her thoughts with Yang Haoran, which included the matter of expanding Jingran Pharmacy.
Of course, Yang Haoran also wanted to expand Jingran Pharmacy. With his current status, position, and financial resources, expanding the pharmacy wouldn't be difficult. But once the pharmacy expanded, what about the supply of medicines?
Currently, Yang Haoran only had two Pharmacists under him: Xiang Chuan and Feng Xiao.
Although Xiang Chuan hadn't initially refined any Dānyào for Yang Haoran, ever since the matter of Ancient Demon City was settled, Xiang Chuan had refined many different medicines for him and even handed over a considerable amount of his own stored remedies.
As for Feng Xiao, she was a true alchemy fanatic. Her sole hobby was researching and refining various medicines, which was why she had produced the largest quantity of different remedies for Yang Haoran.
However, with just the two of them refining medicines, they simply couldn't keep up with the sales velocity. Take the current Jingran Pharmacy, for instance: only a small amount of medicine remained on the shelves, and most items were completely sold out. If even the current Jingran Pharmacy couldn't be adequately supplied, what was the point of expanding it? Should they invite customers to browse an empty pharmacy?
Yang Haoran told Gu Yi his concerns, but Gu Yi said she could try to find a solution to this problem.
Yang Haoran didn't hold too much hope for this, but he didn't dampen Gu Yi's enthusiasm. If the supply issue could truly be resolved, he wouldn't need Gu Yi's suggestion; he would expand Jingran Pharmacy himself, as he had always harbored such an idea from the very beginning.
Of course, Yang Haoran also didn't put the entire burden of this problem on Gu Yi. Currently, he still felt that the number of Pharmacists under him was too small. With only two Pharmacists, it was impossible to meet the demand for sales and consumption. To solve this dilemma, he had to increase the number of Pharmacists under his command, and the more, the better!
Bidding farewell to Gu Yi and the others, Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing did not linger in the Underworld. They left directly, hurrying back to the mortal realm.
The two had just become Guardians, and there were many matters they needed to take over and handle. When they were merely Emissaries of Death, they only needed to manage the Underworld Office in their respective cities. However, now that they were Guardians, they were no longer responsible for just one city's Underworld Office, but an entire regional Underworld Office.
Whether it was the Jingling Continent Underworld Office or other continental Underworld Offices, each Guardian oversaw thousands of Emissaries of Death. Although the exact numbers wouldn't be identical, the differences between them wouldn't be too significant.
In other words, Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing now each commanded thousands of Emissaries of Death, which translated to thousands of cities. Although these local Underworld Offices were managed by Emissaries of Death and didn't require the Guardians to personally attend to every matter, problems that Emissaries of Death couldn't resolve would certainly require their intervention as Guardians. Otherwise, if a major incident occurred, it wouldn't just be their subordinate Emissaries of Death who would lose face; they would be disgraced as well.
Furthermore, if a major incident occurred in the regions they managed, it would be difficult for them to explain themselves to Emperor Luo Yao. Luo Yao might even doubt their capabilities because of it, which would be far from ideal for them. This was why they were in such a hurry to return to the mortal realm.
A few days prior, when the two arrived in the Underworld, they had opened the Ghost Gate at Xu Meijing's villa. Therefore, when they returned to the mortal realm through the Underworld's Ghost Gate, they naturally reappeared at Xu Meijing's villa in Ancheng.
Xu Meijing was once the Emissary of Death for Ancheng, but that was in the past. Now, she was no longer Ancheng's Emissary of Death, and Ancheng itself no longer fell under her jurisdiction. This was because Ancheng belonged to the Ninth District, Yang Haoran's administrative area. She needed to go to the Eighth District; that was her new territory now.
"I'm still not very familiar with the situation in the Eighth District, so I'll pack up and head there immediately to resolve some urgent issues first. Once I'm settled there, you can come find me anytime. If you don't want to come to me, I can also personally come back to see you."
Outside the villa, Xu Meijing spoke to Yang Haoran.
"Heh heh, listening to you talk, I feel like I've become some kind of scumbag abandoning his home and family."
Yang Haoran responded with a laugh. Though his face still wore its usual smile, a sense of parting sorrow had welled up in his heart, for he knew that he and Xu Meijing were about to part ways.
Once separated, who knew when they would be able to meet again? After all, the Eighth District and Ninth District were truly too far apart. Even for beings like them, constantly tearing space for teleportation would consume a great deal of time.
Furthermore, as newly appointed Guardians, they had many matters to attend to, which certainly couldn't be resolved in a short amount of time. In other words, after this separation, it might be a very long while before they could meet again.
It was precisely because he considered this point that Yang Haoran felt an extreme reluctance to part. He simply hadn't yet shown the reluctance in his heart on his face.
"Heh, if you dare risk becoming a scumbag, I'll personally cripple you. Try me if you don't believe it."
Xu Meijing first scoffed disdainfully, then threatened Yang Haoran.
"Don't worry, how could I possibly be so deluded as to take that step? It's you, on the other hand, who makes me uneasy. After all, your figure and looks aren't as ordinary as mine."
Yang Haoran spoke with a laugh, but his words, no matter how they were heard, carried a hint of sourness.
"You don't need to worry about me. With the way I am, who would dare approach me?"
Xu Meijing spoke indifferently, her tone utterly certain.
"Heh heh, what one cannot obtain always causes agitation. Your personality, your beauty—for some men, it's a fatal allure. They might even know that rushing towards you is like a moth flying into a flame, yet they'll still do it without hesitation."
Yang Haoran spoke with a smile on his face, yet his tone revealed a deep concern.
"Heh, that's right. I am that fire, and an eternal, unextinguishable flame. If moths aren't afraid of death, then let them rush in. However many come, I'll burn them all to ashes."
Even though Xu Meijing said this, Yang Haoran still couldn't completely put his mind at ease. Sometimes, that's just how people are: the more they care about something or someone, the more uneasy they become. Yang Haoran was currently in just such a state.
"Alright, let's not waste time flirting here. As long as you and I don't die, time will be infinite. There will be plenty of time for intimacy; there's no need to rush it at this very moment."
At this point, Xu Meijing paused slightly, then, without waiting for Yang Haoran to interject, she continued.
"I have a few trusted subordinates I cultivated in the Ancheng Underworld Office. I want to take them with me. Do you have any objections?"
Ancheng belonged to the Ninth District; to put it bluntly, it was Yang Haoran's territory, no longer Xu Meijing's. Therefore, if Xu Meijing wanted to take anyone from the Ancheng Underworld Office, she needed the approval of Yang Haoran, the Guardian of the Ninth District.
Although Xu Meijing's words at that moment seemed to be a question to Yang Haoran, her tone was resolute. Her demeanor suggested that even if Yang Haoran disagreed, she would certainly forcibly take those few individuals with her.
"Mine is yours; there's no need to be polite with me. You can take as many as you wish. Besides, these people were originally cultivated by you. I won't have any objections if you take all of them. On the contrary, I'll wholeheartedly support it. Because the more trusted subordinates you take with you, the more at ease I'll feel, knowing you won't be alone."
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