Chapter 1272: Rising Yin Pill
In Gu Mo City, there were two Night Watchers who had opened their Heaven Soul: Shui Ling and Lu Wu.
However, the Underworld Office in Gu Mo City had only ever possessed one Emissary of Death: Yang Haoran. Now that Yang Haoran had become a Guardian, the Gu Mo City Underworld Office was left without an Emissary of Death.
It was precisely because Yang Haoran had been the sole Emissary of Death in Gu Mo City that no one else there possessed an Underworld Iron Tome. Consequently, no one in the Gu Mo City Underworld Office knew about the recent events in the Underworld, nor were they aware that Yang Haoran was no longer an Emissary of Death, but a Guardian.
When Yang Haoran returned to Gu Mo City, it was operating as normally as when he had left. His trusted subordinates were all diligently performing their duties.
Since they were all incredibly busy, with a constant stream of tasks to handle each day, only Huang Sha, who was stationed at the Death God Temple, came to greet Yang Haoran upon his return, appearing before him at once.
"Boss!"
Huang Sha respectfully saluted Yang Haoran, though a hint of confusion flickered across his face. In his memory, Yang Haoran always wore a suit, yet now Yang Haoran was clad in a form-fitting black long robe. Since he had begun following Yang Haoran, he had never seen him wear this black attire, and he could faintly sense a power fluctuation emanating from it, indicating that it was no ordinary garment. Thus, he felt a measure of doubt.
The attire Yang Haoran wore was, of course, the Guardian's exclusive Death God uniform. Not only had Huang Sha never seen this new style of Guardian Death God uniform, but he also hadn't seen the old style, so his unfamiliarity with Yang Haoran's current Death God uniform was entirely normal.
Yang Haoran was not blind; he naturally noticed the confusion on Huang Sha's face and asked with a smile.
"Heh heh, what is it?"
Seeing Yang Haoran inquire, a touch of embarrassment appeared on Huang Sha's face, but he did not conceal his doubt, instead voicing his thoughts.
"The outfit, Boss, it's very striking. This is the first time your subordinate has seen you wear this black attire, and your subordinate can sense a faint power fluctuation emanating from it, knowing it's no ordinary item. So, I'm a bit confused, and a little curious."
Upon hearing this, Yang Haoran glanced at his Death God uniform, then chuckled faintly.
"Heh heh, so that's the source of your confusion—this outfit. There's nothing to be confused about. It's just my work uniform. The Underworld Office issued an order that specific occasions require wearing the work uniform, so I had no choice but to put it on."
Yang Haoran did not go into a detailed explanation of his Death God uniform to Huang Sha, as he had many other matters to attend to and did not wish to waste time on such minor things.
Huang Sha was not foolish; he naturally knew that the black attire Yang Haoran was wearing was certainly not as simple as Yang Haoran claimed. However, since Yang Haoran had no intention of explaining in detail, he certainly wouldn't be so foolish as to press for more information.
"Immediately contact Shui Ling, Lu Wu, and Yao Guozhi. Tell them to temporarily set aside their tasks and return to the Death God Temple."
Yang Haoran instructed Huang Sha. Although Huang Sha did not know why Yang Haoran was so urgently summoning the three back, he had no intention of asking.
"Yes, your subordinate will attend to it immediately!"
Yang Haoran smiled and nodded, then his figure flickered and vanished from his spot. After a few flashes, he appeared outside the courtyard gate of Xiang Chuan's residence.
The moment he appeared, Xiang Chuan, who was refining dānyào in his alchemy chamber, sensed someone at the courtyard gate, and moreover, this person belonged to the Underworld Office, as the power fluctuation emanating from him was the Spirit Power unique to the Underworld Office.
"Who is it? What do you want with this old man?"
Xiang Chuan's boisterous voice echoed above the courtyard. He did not leave his alchemy chamber because he did not know who the visitor was.
It was perfectly normal for Xiang Chuan not to know that the visitor was Yang Haoran. At this moment, Yang Haoran had reined in his power, and the Spirit Power he emitted was very faint, comparable to the power fluctuation a regular Night Watcher might exude. Therefore, Xiang Chuan's first reaction was that a Night Watcher was looking for him. As for why, he hadn't considered it at all.
It was precisely because he thought the visitor was just another Night Watcher that he couldn't be bothered to go out. If he had to personally greet every Night Watcher who came knocking, he wouldn't have any spare time.
"Heh heh, old man, it's me."
Yang Haoran replied with a smile, no hint of displeasure or dissatisfaction on his face. As soon as his words fell, a power fluctuation appeared behind the courtyard door, and then the door was hastily opened.
The one who opened the door was precisely Xiang Chuan, as he was the only occupant of this courtyard; if anyone opened the door, it would be no one else but him.
At this moment, Xiang Chuan's face was filled with an awkward smile. He truly had not expected that the person who suddenly appeared outside his door would be Yang Haoran. If he had known, he certainly wouldn't have neglected to come out and greet him, much less refer to himself as "this old man" in front of Yang Haoran.
"Heh heh, heh heh heh heh, so it's you, Big Brother! I thought it was just some Night Watcher looking for some medicine from me. You really are something. You could have just come straight in, why wait outside the door? We're all on the same side, why be so polite with me? Besides, this is your old man's territory, Big Brother, isn't there anywhere you can't go?"
Xiang Chuan first let out his signature series of chuckles, then, while ushering Yang Haoran into the courtyard, he explained with a smile. However, the smile on his face was not as natural as usual; it was only natural because of what he had just said.
After entering the living room, Xiang Chuan, with a fawning smile, urged Yang Haoran to sit down quickly.
"Big Brother, please sit first. Your little brother will go pour you a cup of tea to quench your thirst."
Just as Xiang Chuan was about to display his eager hospitality, Yang Haoran stopped him.
"Heh heh, no need to trouble yourself. I'm not thirsty at the moment."
Xiang Chuan paused, then chuckled at Yang Haoran and asked.
"Heh heh, Big Brother, really no need?"
Yang Haoran smiled and nodded, giving Xiang Chuan a definite affirmative.
"Heh heh, truly no need. Would I lie to you? There's no need for me to lie about such a small matter, is there?"
In truth, Xiang Chuan also didn't want to go to the trouble. Since Yang Haoran confirmed he didn't need it, he could just relax.
"Heh heh, of course, Big Brother would never lie to me."
At this point, Xiang Chuan suddenly remembered something and, with a mysterious look, asked Yang Haoran.
"Oh right, Big Brother, that dānyào I prepared for you some time ago, did you steel yourself and take it? How were the effects?"
Xiang Chuan's words would certainly leave others utterly bewildered, unsure what dānyào he was referring to or why one would need to "steel oneself" to take it. However, Yang Haoran understood exactly what Xiang Chuan meant, and he was equally clear about the nature of the dānyào Xiang Chuan spoke of.
Before the competition was held, Yang Haoran had made extensive preparations to ensure that he and Xu Meijing could ultimately ascend to the Guardian position. One of these preparations was having Xiang Chuan develop a medicine for them that could temporarily boost their Spirit Power.
Yang Haoran had not held much hope for this matter, as he had given Xiang Chuan far too little time. Expecting Xiang Chuan to develop a medicine capable of boosting Spirit Power in such a short period was indeed asking a lot, even if the boost was only temporary.
Although he harbored little hope, Yang Haoran did not voice this directly, nor did he show any indication of it to Xiang Chuan. Instead, he both pressured and encouraged Xiang Chuan, using this method to stimulate Xiang Chuan and push him to unleash greater potential.
Originally, Yang Haoran was just trying his luck; even if Xiang Chuan ultimately failed to produce the medicine he needed, he would not have blamed him in the slightest. To his surprise, however, just before he and Xu Meijing were to depart for the Underworld, Xiang Chuan actually succeeded in refining the dānyào he required.
This dānyào was named the Rising Yin Pill. Once consumed, it could instantly boost a significant amount of Spirit Power within the body. According to Xiang Chuan, the Rising Yin Pill could not only enhance the Spirit Power of Underworld Officials and Ghost Officials but also the Communication Power of Spirit Mediums, and even increase the power within ghostly entities.
To put it plainly, the Rising Yin Pill could temporarily enhance any power linked to Yin Qi. However, consuming this dānyào also came with a side effect: once the dānyào's medicinal effect wore off, the user's power would instantly drop by a minor realm, only returning to normal after the side effect completely disappeared.
Furthermore, once the dānyào's side effect manifested, the body would require a certain period of recuperation to gradually and completely purge the side effect from the system. If left untreated, the side effect would still vanish, but it would take a much longer time.
Any dānyào that temporarily boosted power, whether it was for physical strength or internal energy, almost always came with certain side effects. The better the dānyào, the smaller the side effects and the more terrifying the power increase. Conversely, the poorer the dānyào, the greater the side effects and the weaker the power increase.
Given Xiang Chuan's capabilities, the dānyào he refined naturally wouldn't be poor in quality. Even though he was usually quite eccentric and prone to exaggeration, Yang Haoran had considerable faith in his alchemy skills. Therefore, even if the Rising Yin Pill had some side effects, Yang Haoran considered it normal.
In other words, the Rising Yin Pill actually met Yang Haoran's requirements, but when Xiang Chuan handed him the Rising Yin Pill, he didn't dare to take one to test its efficacy.
One reason was that he worried if he took the Rising Yin Pill beforehand, the resulting side effects would impact the upcoming competition.
Another reason was that the materials required for refining this Rising Yin Pill made him feel disgusted; he needed some mental preparation to take such a dānyào. If it wasn't a critical moment, he truly didn't want to take the Rising Yin Pill.
When Xiang Chuan had given him the Rising Yin Pill at the time, he had mysteriously informed him of its refining ingredients, which included rotting flesh and dried bones, specifically human rotting flesh and dried bones. This was because human rotting flesh and dried bones carried strong Yin Qi. Coupled with dozens of other special medicinal ingredients that also contained strong Yin Qi, the Rising Yin Pill could finally be successfully refined.
The other dozens of special medicinal ingredients were mostly not legitimate spiritual herbs, but various bizarre and disgusting things, such as black cat's blood, black dog's fangs, water buffalo's eyeballs, and so on. Each one was hard to accept—these were the so-called special ingredients. Genuine medicinal ingredients that grew in places rich in Yin Qi also existed, but such powerfully Yin-infused ingredients were very few.
It was precisely because the ingredients for refining the Rising Yin Pill were so disgusting and peculiar that Yang Haoran, despite knowing the Rising Yin Pill was a good item, dared not ingest it easily.
Although Yang Haoran did not take a Rising Yin Pill to test its efficacy when he first received it, he still took two Rising Yin Pills from Xiang Chuan: one for himself, and the other for Xu Meijing.
This was one of his fallback plans. If, during the competition, it reached a point where he absolutely had to use this dānyào, then even if the special medicinal ingredients required for its refinement disgusted him, he would swallow it without hesitation. If he lacked even that much courage at a critical moment, how could he achieve great things?
However, when he handed the Rising Yin Pill to Xu Meijing, he only mentioned the dānyào's effects and side effects, without disclosing the ingredients used to refine it. He repeatedly cautioned Xu Meijing to be very careful when taking this dānyào, and to absolutely not take it unless it was a critical moment. The reason he gave Xu Meijing was that the dānyào had just been developed and was not yet mature enough, its side effects were relatively significant, so it was best not to take it unless absolutely necessary.
His saying this was also out of helplessness, because he feared that if he told the truth, he might end up being beaten to death by Xu Meijing, or Xu Meijing might simply refuse to take the Rising Yin Pill. If she refused to take it at a critical moment, then the trump card he had prepared would be wasted.
Sometimes, in relationships, white lies are quite necessary. When Yang Haoran deceived Xu Meijing at the time, he comforted himself with this thought, though even he found this comfort somewhat forced.
However, this competition turned out completely different from what he had imagined. He had made many predictions before the competition, but he never anticipated that Luo Yao would send three Guardians to the arena, and the method of eliminating contestants was truly unique. As a result, almost all the measures he and Xu Meijing had prepared didn't even get a chance to be used, and the competition ended. The Rising Yin Pill was no exception; there was simply no opportunity to take it.
Now that Xiang Chuan had proactively brought it up, the smile on Yang Haoran's face immediately became a bit unnatural, but this awkwardness lasted only a fleeting moment before disappearing.
"Heh heh, tell me honestly, when you gave me the Rising Yin Pill, did you have some ulterior motive when you deliberately told me about the ingredients used to refine it?"
Yang Haoran did not answer Xiang Chuan's question. Instead, with a smiling face, he retorted with a question of his own.
Upon hearing Yang Haoran's words, Xiang Chuan's smile first froze abruptly, then he immediately laughed and denied it.
"Heh heh, heh heh heh heh, how could that be, Big Brother? How could I possibly do such a thing? I told you about the ingredients for refining the Rising Yin Pill only to let you know how complicated and difficult to find they are. There was absolutely no other meaning; please, old man, don't misunderstand."
Yang Haoran's expression remained unchanged. He stared at Xiang Chuan intently, then chuckled faintly.
"Is that so? I feel like you were trying to get back at me, deliberately disgusting me."
Xiang Chuan denied it again, his face even showing an expression of being greatly wronged.
"Big Brother, just think, why would I want to get back at you? Why would I want to disgust you? You've been so good to me, Xiang Chuan; I'm grateful to you, old man, I couldn't be more so. I'd love to hang your picture on the wall and worship you every day. How could I possibly do anything to get back at you or disgust you?"
Xiang Chuan's words were delivered with such apparent sincerity that anyone unfamiliar with his character would surely believe he was speaking the unvarnished truth, without a shred of falsehood.
However, Yang Haoran had known Xiang Chuan for more than a day or two; he understood this fellow's character quite well. If Xiang Chuan hadn't said these words, if his acting hadn't been so exaggerated, Yang Haoran might have wondered if he had truly misunderstood him. But now, he felt certain his guess was correct: he had not misunderstood Xiang Chuan. Xiang Chuan had told him about the Rising Yin Pill's ingredients as a roundabout way of getting back at him and disgusting him!
"Heh heh, and you say you didn't? You even want to hang my picture on the wall. Are you secretly wishing for my early demise?"
Yang Haoran asked with a laugh. As soon as he finished speaking, Xiang Chuan was about to explain, but Yang Haoran cut him off with a wave of his hand.
"I'm not talking nonsense when I say you, kid, wanted to get back at me and disgust me. That day, I asked you to develop a medicine that could boost Spirit Power, but I gave you too little time. You were already full of complaints, and yet you happened to complete the task within the stipulated time. Naturally, you could then justifiably show off and gloat in front of me. So you took that opportunity to list out the ingredients for the Rising Yin Pill one by one, with the aim of disgusting me, using that as a way to get back at me, wasn't it?"
With Yang Haoran's words, Xiang Chuan's smile once again turned awkward.
"Heh heh. . . Heh heh, Big Brother, that's just your unilateral conjecture. Not everyone is as bad as you think. I don't care how you think of others, but you can't think of me like that. Look how hard I work for you, can't you just think of my good points?"
Xiang Chuan's words were full of grievance. Yang Haoran chuckled and didn't continue the topic.
"Alright, I won't waste time with idle chatter. Let's talk about proper business."
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