Chapter 1273 Personnel Changes (Part One)
Seeing that Yang Haoran didn't continue on the topic of revenge, a much brighter smile immediately blossomed on Xiang Chuan's face. His reaction alone revealed how much sincerity his previous words had lacked.
His change was precisely because Yang Haoran was right: when he told Yang Haoran the ingredients for refining the Rising Yin Pill, he truly was taking a form of revenge on Yang Haoran.
However, calling it "revenge" was perhaps too strong a word; at most, it was a prank. He simply wanted to vex Yang Haoran. After all, Yang Haoran had given him far too little time, and to complete the task, he had racked his brains during that period, losing who knew how many brain cells. So, after successfully refining the Rising Yin Pill, he sought a bit of personal amusement by annoying Yang Haoran in this manner.
He had been acquainted with Yang Haoran for quite some time and had a certain understanding of Yang Haoran's character. Therefore, he knew that Yang Haoran was merely speaking in jest about the matter and wouldn't genuinely hold it against him. After all, it was just a minor issue—or more accurately, nothing more than a friendly joke between comrades.
Moreover, compared to the sarcastic remarks he usually aimed at Yang Haoran, this small jest was truly nothing.
He had originally intended to prolong the banter with Yang Haoran on this issue, but since Yang Haoran had serious matters to discuss, he naturally wouldn't continue to dwell on the topic.
"Heh heh, Big Brother, do you need your humble subordinate to do something again? We're family, there's no need to be polite with me; just give the order. But please, don't ask me to develop another new medicine in such a short time. Last time, I only succeeded through sheer luck. Don't go thinking I'm a refining genius and exploit me relentlessly; I'm actually quite dull!"
The moment Yang Haoran mentioned having serious business, Xiang Chuan felt a headache coming on. He worried that Yang Haoran would throw another difficult task his way, especially the development of new medicines, which always gave him the biggest headache.
This time, he had successfully developed the Rising Yin Pill in a short period according to Yang Haoran's request. Yang Haoran saw his talent and ability in this area, but only Xiang Chuan himself knew how much he had put into it, and the immense hardship he endured during that time was something others couldn't comprehend. Thus, his greatest fear now was that Yang Haoran would perceive him as highly capable in this field and task him with developing more new drugs.
Yang Haoran spoke with a smile, his words causing Xiang Chuan to pause slightly, but then Xiang Chuan quickly recovered, a look of bewilderment spreading across his face.
"Big Brother, is this the serious business you wanted to discuss with me?"
Xiang Chuan asked, a hint of uncertainty in his voice. Yang Haoran merely smiled and shook his head.
"Heh heh, of course not."
Receiving Yang Haoran's affirmative reply, Xiang Chuan adopted an "I knew it" expression.
"I just knew it! How could a capitalist possibly treat their employees' rest as serious business? Aiya, aiya, Big Brother, please don't take it to heart! I wasn't talking about you; don't go putting yourself in that seat. Quickly, tell me, what is the serious business you wanted to discuss?"
The corner of Yang Haoran's mouth twitched slightly. Xiang Chuan had spoken so plainly, yet he still tried to bury his head in the sand.
"Heh heh, you truly are. . . truly make me speechless. Forget it, I can't be bothered to argue with you; I'm used to it anyway. The serious matter I wanted to tell you is for you to quickly pack up, because before long, we will be leaving Gu Mo City."
The moment Xiang Chuan heard Yang Haoran's words, a look of genuine surprise immediately appeared on his face. This time, the astonishment was not feigned, but came from the depths of his heart.
"Leave Gu Mo City? To where?"
Xiang Chuan quickly asked, his heart filled with both confusion and curiosity.
"Heh heh, back to Lecheng."
Yang Haoran responded with a smile, his answer intensifying the confusion and curiosity in Xiang Chuan's heart.
"Back to Lecheng? We haven't been here long since leaving Lecheng, and we've only just recently taken Gu Mo City. We haven't even had a few days of peaceful living, and now we're going back to Lecheng?"
At this point, Xiang Chuan suddenly thought of something, and then, with an uncertain tone, he asked Yang Haoran,
"Could it be that the Guardian above you, seeing that you've settled Gu Mo City, is now abandoning you after benefiting and reassigning you back to Lecheng?"
It was no wonder Xiang Chuan thought this way; after all, such things were not impossible. Some people were just like that: when they needed you, you were a treasure, and they would accommodate you in everything, whether within or outside the bounds of principle. But once you lost your value, you became a mere blade of grass, an eyesore no matter where you were placed.
At this moment, Xiang Chuan genuinely believed that Yang Haoran had encountered such a superior and was receiving such unjust treatment, which was why he was being reassigned back to Lecheng.
"Heh heh, don't overthink it. Just pack your things and follow me back. I'll hold a meeting with the others shortly; some will stay, and some will come with us. The reason I came to find you personally instead of just calling you to the meeting was because I considered that if you were at a critical point in your Dānyào refining, you might not be able to leave."
Yang Haoran spoke with a smile, and after his words fell, he stood up, looking as though he was about to leave. Seeing this, Xiang Chuan quickly spoke.
"This batch of Dānyào only needs to be removed from the furnace when the time is right; I don't need to guard the Dānyào furnace constantly. Big Brother, since you're holding a meeting for everyone, how can you do without me? I'd like to attend as well."
Given Xiang Chuan's personality, if he could avoid a meeting, he'd be overjoyed and certainly wouldn't actively ask to attend. The reason he did so now was that he'd caught an unusual scent in the air, and Yang Haoran hadn't explained things clearly, which filled his heart with curiosity. That was why he proactively requested to participate in the meeting.
Since Xiang Chuan had volunteered, Yang Haoran naturally wouldn't refuse. Just as he had said, he had come to find Xiang Chuan privately because he was worried that Xiang Chuan might be unable to get away due to his refining work, and therefore hadn't planned on having him attend the meeting. Now that Xiang Chuan could free himself to participate, it was certainly better for Yang Haoran, as it meant he wouldn't have to explain the same matter twice, saving him even more time.
"Heh heh, no problem. Call the brother and sister, Jing Qi and Jing Miao, and then come find me in the conference room."
"Alright, I'll go do it right away!"
Yang Haoran left Xiang Chuan's courtyard and headed to the conference room, while Xiang Chuan made his way to the courtyard of Jing Qi and Jing Miao, preparing to follow Yang Haoran's instructions and bring the siblings to the conference for the meeting.
When Yang Haoran arrived at the conference room, there was no one else present besides himself. He knew it would take some time for everyone to arrive. Xiang Chuan and the siblings Jing Qi and Jing Miao would, of course, arrive quickly; after all, the three of them were already within the Death God Temple. Since he had given the order, no matter what Jing Qi and Jing Miao were doing, they would surely follow Xiang Chuan to the conference room immediately. Thus, the three of them would appear in the conference room before long.
However, Shui Ling, Lu Wu, and Yao Guozhi were different. The three of them had many matters to handle daily and spent a considerable amount of time outside the temple, unlike Xiang Chuan who only refined Dānyào within the temple, or Jing Qi and Jing Miao who merely cultivated there. Therefore, it would definitely take them some time to return to the temple.
Yang Haoran's gaze swept across the conference room, and he couldn't help but sigh with emotion. This place hadn't been built long ago and had barely been used a few times, yet now he was leaving it. To say he was reluctant was not accurate, but a sense of lament certainly lingered. He lamented that he had become a Guardian so quickly and was now leaving this place—something he had never anticipated when he first built it.
The reason he decided to leave Gu Mo City and return to Lecheng was that he wished to establish the Guardian District for their Ninth District of the Jingling Continent Underworld Office in Lecheng.
Gu Mo City's resources were far richer than Lecheng's. Even though Gu Mo City's resources had already been extensively exploited, the sheer abundance here still could not be compared to a barren place like Lecheng.
Logically, for Yang Haoran to establish the Guardian District for the Ninth District of the Jingling Continent Underworld Office, Gu Mo City would certainly be more suitable than Lecheng. Even disregarding Gu Mo City, the entire Jingling Continent was vast, with many cities superior to Gu Mo City. Yet, Yang Haoran, without the slightest hesitation, directly chose Lecheng.
He made this decision because Lecheng was his hometown, the place where he grew up, holding too many memories for him. Thus, even though Lecheng was barren and remote, he chose it directly as the site for the Guardian District without a second thought.
As for this so-called Guardian District, it was essentially a fixed base of operations and office area for a Guardian within their assigned sector. If an Emissary of Death in that sector needed to report something to their Guardian but couldn't contact them, they could go directly to the Guardian District. Even if the Guardian wasn't present upon arrival, they would certainly be able to meet the Guardian's trusted subordinates, and these subordinates would undoubtedly have a way to contact their Guardian. Therefore, the existence of the Guardian District was highly necessary.
After Yang Haoran sent Xu Meijing off, he didn't return to Lecheng but immediately rushed back to Gu Mo City. His intention was to adjust the Gu Mo City Underworld Office: he would leave some trusted subordinates to guard Gu Mo City, but also take a portion of his confidants with him.
He couldn't take everyone with him; doing so would be tantamount to handing over Gu Mo City, which he had worked so hard to conquer, to someone else on a silver platter.
Of course, he also couldn't leave all his trusted subordinates there; that would be too wasteful. One Gu Mo City was not worth him leaving all his confidants behind. He needed to bring more capable subordinates back to the Guardian District, because the Guardian District was the banner of their Ninth District of the Jingling Continent Underworld Office—a banner that must not fall. It needed to have more talent and more strong individuals to ensure that the banner of the Jingling Continent Underworld Office's Ninth District would not collapse. Once that banner fell, even if Yang Haoran didn't die, he would lose all face. Therefore, the Guardian District's strength had to be sufficient to prevent anyone from daring to cause trouble there.
Just as Yang Haoran took his seat at the head of the conference table, three distinct power fluctuations suddenly appeared outside the room.
Although Yang Haoran didn't look to see who the three were, the faint power fluctuations emanating from their bodies already revealed their identities to him.
Footsteps approached from afar, and the three individuals successively entered the conference room. They were none other than Xiang Chuan and the siblings Jing Qi and Jing Miao.
"Big Brother, I've brought the siblings Jing Qi and Jing Miao to you."
As soon as the three entered the conference room, they spotted Yang Haoran seated at the head table. Xiang Chuan, walking quickly, loudly called out to Yang Haoran.
Hearing this, Yang Haoran looked at Xiang Chuan, then smiled and nodded, saying nothing more.
"Boss!"
The siblings Jing Qi and Jing Miao came before Yang Haoran and respectfully bowed to him.
"Mm, it's been a while since we last met. You two siblings look more and more spirited, and your complexions are much better. Compared to your gauntness when I first met you, the change is truly a world of difference. This brings me great satisfaction."
Yang Haoran spoke with a smile. The scene when he first met the siblings was still vivid in his mind. Back then, they were in rags, their faces sallow and emaciated, looking like beggars reduced to skin and bones. Now, the siblings were clean from head to toe, their complexions rosy, their bodies slender and strong—they were like entirely different people compared to before.
The last time he saw the siblings, they had already undergone significant changes. Now, only a short time had passed, and they had changed considerably again, which somewhat surprised Yang Haoran, prompting him to speak these words.
"If not for Boss, whether we two siblings would be alive or dead today would be an unknown. Perhaps even our bones would have been gnawed clean by monstrous beasts. How could we be as vigorous as we are now? All of this is thanks to Boss; it is Boss who granted us two siblings a new life."
The one who spoke wasn't the talkative Jing Qi, but rather Jing Miao, who usually said very little. Jing Qi had originally intended to respond to Yang Haoran, but before he could, Jing Miao spoke first. From this, it was evident that Jing Miao regarded this matter with great importance; otherwise, given her personality, she would most likely have remained silent and not spoken so readily.
"Jing Miao is absolutely right. If not for Boss, we two siblings wouldn't be where we are today. Therefore, in our hearts, we already regard Boss as our reborn parents. This entire life, we will only serve Boss, and even if it means sacrificing our lives, we will have not a single regret!"
Jing Qi spoke with a respectful expression. There wasn't the slightest hint of falsehood or pretense in his words, for they were truly from the depths of his heart.
"Heh heh, excellent. As long as you two siblings don't let me, Yang Haoran, down, then I, Yang Haoran, will certainly not let you two siblings down either."
Yang Haoran spoke with a smile. Hearing his words, the siblings immediately bowed to Yang Haoran again.
"Please rest assured, Boss, we two siblings will absolutely not disappoint your expectations, nor will we betray you. Not in this life, and not in the next!"
Jing Qi guaranteed with a solemn expression, and the smile on Yang Haoran's face deepened considerably because of Jing Qi's words.
"Heh heh, of course I believe you. I have absolute faith in you two siblings. It's been some time since I last saw you; I suppose your strength must have improved quite a bit, right?"
Hearing this, a radiant smile appeared on Jing Qi's face. Even Jing Miao, who rarely smiled, also broke into a smile upon hearing Yang Haoran inquire about their strength, though her smile was far more reserved than Jing Qi's, not as bright.
Yang Haoran certainly didn't know the extent of the siblings' current strength, because at this moment, only faint power fluctuations emanated from their bodies; most of their power was contained within. Therefore, it was impossible to judge their current strength based solely on those subtle fluctuations. Not only could Yang Haoran not make an accurate assessment, but no one else could do so merely from this.
To ascertain the siblings' true current strength, they would need to unleash all the power fluctuations contained within their bodies.
"To answer Boss, our strength has indeed advanced quite a bit. Boss, would you like to test our abilities?"
Jing Qi, with a brilliant smile, replied to Yang Haoran, looking eager to try.
"Heh heh, there's no need today. Let's save the test for when I truly wish to examine you, because I believe you two siblings will bring me an even greater surprise then."
Hearing Yang Haoran's words, Jing Qi couldn't help but feel a touch of disappointment, as he was eager to demonstrate his value before Yang Haoran.
Since Yang Haoran hadn't yet assigned any tasks to the siblings, in his view, the only way for them to demonstrate their worth was to let Yang Haoran, their Boss, witness their continuously soaring strength.
But currently, Yang Haoran had not given the siblings this opportunity, which left Jing Qi somewhat disappointed, a disappointment that was even partially visible on his face.
Yang Haoran saw Jing Qi's reaction and could roughly guess what was on Jing Qi's mind, so he spoke with a smile.
"Heh heh, there's still a very important meeting today, so it's not quite suitable for testing your abilities. Don't worry, it won't be long before I assign tasks to you two siblings. When that time comes, I'll be waiting for you to truly showcase your skills."
Yang Haoran said with a smile, and his words immediately sparked intense anticipation in the siblings' hearts!
"Yes, Boss!"
Yang Haoran's gaze shifted from the siblings and then turned to Xiang Chuan.
"Heh heh, you all can sit down first. This meeting today can't begin until everyone has arrived."
Yang Haoran spoke, and only then did the three find seats. Xiang Chuan sat casually, while the siblings Jing Qi and Jing Miao sat ramrod straight, very proper.
"Heh heh, Big Brother, the attire you're wearing seems quite extraordinary. Why does it look a bit like your Underworld Office's Death God uniform? But your Underworld Office's Death God uniform shouldn't spontaneously emit power fluctuations, should it?"
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