Chapter 1163: A Belated Thank You
The voice that suddenly appeared belonged to none other than Yang Haoran, from inside the house.
His current injuries weren't so severe that he needed absolute quiet, so before he began healing, he hadn't set up a restrictive barrier to block out the outside world. Because of this, he not only sensed Shi Kai and Gan Ning's arrival but also heard Shi Kai and the woman's conversation crystal clear.
Since Yang Haoran had sensed Shi Kai and Gan Ning's arrival, yet hadn't immediately allowed them into the house, only speaking as they were about to leave, he naturally had his reasons for doing so. He wasn't trying to embarrass them, nor was he deliberately putting on airs or seeking attention in front of them. He wanted to hear what Shi Kai and Gan Ning would say and do when confronted by the two women. Through this information, he could gain a better understanding of their personalities and how they handled situations. Even if the understanding wasn't extensive or profound, it was better than knowing nothing at all.
If Yang Haoran had let Shi Kai and Gan Ning in the moment they arrived, he wouldn't have been able to glean more about them through these subtle details. As for why Yang Haoran suddenly spoke up to stop them and invite them inside, that was easier to understand: if he hadn't, they would have left with regret.
Upon hearing Yang Haoran's voice, both immediately halted their steps, turned, bowed towards the house where Yang Haoran was, and after respectfully responding, stepped inside.
Since Yang Haoran himself had spoken, the two women guarding outside naturally wouldn't be foolish enough to obstruct Shi Kai and Gan Ning's entry. Not only did the two women not stop them, but they respectfully opened the door for them. One of the women even led them inside, only departing after bringing them before Yang Haoran and receiving his signal. Originally, this woman had intended to stay and serve the three of them, but since Yang Haoran had signaled for her to leave, she naturally wouldn't and dared not disobey his wishes, only bowing respectfully as she withdrew.
When the woman led Shi Kai and Gan Ning into the house, Yang Haoran stopped his healing. By the time the woman brought the two men to the living room, Yang Haoran was already seated in a chair, awaiting them.
At this moment, Yang Haoran, though still clad in his Death God's attire, no longer wore the tattered remnants from the great battle; his attire had now become brand new again.
The Underworld Office's new style of Death God's attire, with the exception of the Night Watchers', was all custom-made. If they had to replace a suit every time it was damaged in battle, how could the Underworld Office possibly have so many to replace? One must understand that countless battles occurred daily throughout the New Beginning Realm, many of them involving the Underworld Office. If the Death God's attire lacked a self-repairing function and could only maintain its appearance through constant replacement, then even if a dedicated garment factory were established in the Underworld, churning out Death God's attire every single second, it likely wouldn't be enough.
Furthermore, this new type of Death God's attire was not easily acquired rags; each set was extremely difficult to produce. Even the Night Watcher's Death God's attire was no exception; the higher the grade of the Death God's attire, the more difficult it was to manufacture, and the required materials were exceedingly precious. Therefore, it was utterly impossible to mass-produce various grades of Death God's attire at all times. It was precisely because the department responsible for the new Death God's attire had considered this problem that they decided, during its research, to endow it with a self-repairing function. To achieve this, they spent a vast amount of time and effort, endured continuous failures, and poured in unknown amounts of resources, finally succeeding in their research and development, allowing the new Death God's attire to successfully possess the ability to self-repair.
Yang Haoran's Death God's attire had self-repaired to its brand new state shortly after the great battle, which was why there wasn't a single bit of damage visible on his current attire.
Shi Kai and Gan Ning were both Emissaries of Death in the Underworld Office. Like Yang Haoran, they each possessed their exclusive Death God's attire, and they were well aware of its self-repairing function. Thus, neither of them was surprised that Yang Haoran's Death God's attire looked brand new.
"Greetings, Lord Guardian!"
After seeing Yang Haoran, Shi Kai and Gan Ning did not casually find a seat and sit down; instead, they respectfully bowed to Yang Haoran once more. Yang Haoran first waved his hand to set up a restrictive barrier, and only then, with a faint smile, spoke to them.
"Haha, there are only the three of us here. You don't need to be so formal. Please, sit down."
As he spoke, Yang Haoran rose from his seat with a smile, warmly inviting the two to sit first. Though somewhat unaccustomed to Yang Haoran's enthusiasm, neither hesitated long before accepting, nodding in agreement as they took the nearest seats.
However, no sooner had their bottoms touched the chairs than their bodies sprang up again, expressions of alarm on their faces. Their strong reaction was because Yang Haoran, after leaving his seat, had actually fetched a tea set and begun to brew tea for them, a gesture that truly startled the two men.
If Yang Haoran hadn't been a Guardian, but merely an Emissary of Death like them, as he once was, then his initiative in pouring them tea would at most have made them slightly embarrassed, certainly not eliciting such a strong reaction as they showed now. But the problem was that Yang Haoran was no longer an Emissary of Death; he was a Guardian, and their direct superior. How could they dare let Yang Haoran personally pour them tea? So, Yang Haoran's actions at this moment truly gave them quite a fright.
"Haha, no need to be nervous. As I just said, it's just the three of us here. Relax. " Despite his words, Shi Kai and Gan Ning didn't truly relax because of Yang Haoran's remark, nor did they immediately return to their seats. The expressions of alarm on their faces remained.
Yang Haoran observed their expressions and reactions, yet his own face remained unchanged, making it impossible to discern his thoughts. He didn't immediately urge them to sit down but instead poured the tea at his own pace. When he slowly set down the teapot, three cups of tea had appeared before him. He placed two cups in front of Shi Kai and Gan Ning respectively, then took a cup for himself before speaking with a smile.
"Here, there are no Guardians, no Emissaries of Death. There are only three friends who haven't seen each other in a long time. So, there's no need for you to be overly formal. Please, sit down quickly. It's been a long time since I've seen you two, and I'd like to have a good chat."
Yang Haoran spoke with a faint smile, his warmth undiminished. In truth, neither Shi Kai nor Gan Ning could genuinely be considered his friends; their relationship at most was that of colleagues, and colleagues with only a single previous encounter at that. While this was indeed the truth, it wasn't how one should speak. Thus, Yang Haoran proactively defined their relationship as friends to bridge the gap between them.
Shi Kai and Gan Ning also understood that Yang Haoran's words were merely polite courtesies, but these pleasantries at least made them feel comfortable. If Yang Haoran had put on airs as a Guardian in front of them, even if they didn't dare say much, they would still feel a degree of discomfort in their hearts. Under Yang Haoran's warm invitation, they naturally felt embarrassed to keep standing. After respectfully responding, they sat back down.
However, the tea Yang Haoran had poured for them, neither of them dared to actually pick up and drink.
"Actually, I recognized both of you from the start. However, given the different circumstances, it wasn't appropriate for me to reveal it, lest someone gossip or even make a big fuss. That wouldn't affect me much, but if it caused problems for you two, that wouldn't be good."
Yang Haoran took a sip of tea, then gently set down his cup, speaking with a faint smile.
"You are indeed considerate, Lord Guardian. Gan Ning and I can't compare to you in that regard. " Shi Kai responded with a smile. Though Gan Ning remained silent, a smile also appeared on his face. However, Shi Kai's smile conveyed a sense of shrewdness, while Gan Ning's smile felt more genuine and guileless.
"Haha, you're being humble. When you first saw me, didn't you also refrain from showing anything? From that, it's clear you must have considered the same issues."
Over the next period, the two chatted extensively, discussing events that occurred during the great battle in Cloud River City, and also some things that had happened since. The entire process lasted about an hour, during which it was almost entirely Yang Haoran and Shi Kai conversing. Gan Ning rarely spoke, unless Yang Haoran specifically asked him a question.
Seeing that they had chatted sufficiently, Shi Kai then stated the primary purpose of their visit.
"Gan Ning and I have come to pay our respects, Lord Guardian, for two reasons: firstly, to bid you farewell, as we are preparing to leave Tongyou City and return to our respective cities. Secondly, to express our gratitude. If you hadn't arrived in Tongyou City in time this time, Gan Ning and I would surely have perished here. Furthermore, during the great battle in Cloud River City, if you hadn't taken out that healing Pharmacist's Medicine and given it to us, whether we could have survived that time remains an unknown."
Shi Kai spoke with a smile, his tone remarkably sincere. Yang Haoran listened, then gently shook his head and replied with a faint laugh.
"Haha, for this great battle in Tongyou City, I'm very grateful for your cooperation in responding to the call for support. With such cooperation, naturally, I didn't want to see you lose your lives in Tongyou City. Not just you two, even ordinary Night Watchers—I wouldn't want them to lose their lives here either. As for the matter of the Pharmacist's Medicine you mentioned earlier, those were merely two drops of medicine; it's hardly worth mentioning."
Shi Kai smiled at his words, but then an hesitant expression appeared on his face, a sight that Yang Haoran caught perfectly.
"We're all friends here. Say whatever you want; there's no need to hide anything or have any reservations."
Bolstered by Yang Haoran's words, Shi Kai seemed to make up his mind and spoke with an apologetic expression.
"Truth be told, after the Cloud River City incident, Gan Ning and I had always wanted to find an opportunity to visit you in Lecheng, Lord Guardian, to personally thank you for saving our lives that day. However, we've been incredibly busy and unable to get away. Furthermore, we didn't dare leave our respective jurisdictions, as doing so would likely expose us to attacks from Spirit Mediums. So, we had no choice but to remain guarding our cities, and the matter of visiting you was repeatedly delayed."
At this point, Shi Kai shook his head with a bitter smile, then continued,
"We spent a great deal of time and effort, finally finishing all the miscellaneous tasks at hand. We also successfully cultivated a new batch of Night Watchers who could stand on their own. At that point, as long as we didn't make a big show of it, leaving our jurisdictions for a short time wouldn't be a problem. Even if Spirit Mediums truly attacked during that period, the strength of our Night Watchers would be enough to hold out for a while. It was then that we wanted to come and visit you, Lord Guardian, but instead, we were met with the Jingling Continent Underworld Office's martial arts competition."
At this point, Shi Kai paused slightly, then continued with a smile.
"At that time, we went to Lecheng to inquire about your situation and learned you weren't there. We then surmised that you must have gone to the Underworld, as such a grand martial arts competition for our Jingling Continent Underworld Office would surely draw you to join the excitement. So, we decided to head to the Underworld to find you and, incidentally, to watch our Jingling Continent Underworld Office's competition. The result was completely unexpected: we did indeed see you in the Underworld, but you were on the martial arts arena, while we were beneath it, witnessing your entire process of becoming a Guardian."
By this point in Shi Kai's narration, Yang Haoran could already guess the rest even if Shi Kai didn't say it. However, he didn't interrupt Shi Kai, allowing him to continue speaking.
"When we discovered you on the arena, Gan Ning and I were both shocked, as neither of us had imagined that you had already opened your Earth Soul. After witnessing your journey to becoming a Guardian with our own eyes, our hearts were even more astounded, because we never expected that not only had you opened your Earth Soul, but your strength had also reached such a terrifying level. Of course, despite our shock, it didn't lessen our joy for you. After returning to the mortal realm, we discussed it at length and ultimately abandoned the idea of visiting you, because the disparity in strength and status between us was simply too vast. It was only this time that we hadn't anticipated your personal arrival in Tongyou City, which conveniently gave us the opportunity to thank you in person."
After these words, Shi Kai stood up, his smile vanishing from his face, and bowed deeply to Yang Haoran. Gan Ning, seeing this, also rose. His actions were no different from Shi Kai's; he too bowed solemnly to Yang Haoran.
Seeing the two men so earnest, Yang Haoran did not remain seated either. He also rose with a smile to show respect, and gestured to stop them.
"Haha, alright, alright, that's enough. It's not that big of a deal, after all. Besides, we are friends; helping each other is only natural, so there's no need to be so serious. Perhaps one day I, Yang Haoran, might fall, and I'll still need help from you two. After all, no one can say for sure what tomorrow holds."
Yang Haoran spoke casually, but Shi Kai and Gan Ning dared not take his words lightly.
"Lord Guardian is a dragon and phoenix among men. To become a Guardian in such a short time is rare in the entire history of the Underworld Office. Therefore, your strength will only grow, and your status will only rise. The matter of falling from grace could never possibly happen to you, Lord Guardian."
Shi Kai spoke, a smile reappearing on his face. However, neither his smile nor his tone of voice conveyed any hint of flattery; he was neither humble nor arrogant.
"Lord Guardian, if you ever truly need your subordinates in the future, just a single command, and your subordinate will brave mountains of blades and seas of fire for you!"
Gan Ning, who rarely spoke, suddenly interjected after Shi Kai's words fell silent. Compared to Shi Kai's speech, his words were much more direct, more concise, and sounded far more sincere.
Yang Haoran glanced at Shi Kai, then at Gan Ning, and nodded with a smile, saying nothing else.
"Lord Guardian, the matters here in Tongyou City have been largely resolved. Our purpose in coming to see you today has been achieved, so we will not linger further in Tongyou City. After all, the current chaotic situation is complex, and if we leave our jurisdictions for too long, I worry that the cities under our management might become targets for Spirit Mediums, just like Tongyou City."
Shi Kai spoke to Yang Haoran with a smile. No sooner had his words fallen than Gan Ning also nodded and said,
"Lord Emissary Shi is right. Under current circumstances, as Emissaries of Death, we truly cannot leave our respective jurisdictions for too long. Furthermore, my Cloud River City suffered extremely heavy losses in supporting Tongyou City this time, so I must return to Cloud River City as quickly as possible to cultivate more Night Watchers in the shortest amount of time. Otherwise, our Cloud River City Underworld Office might be taken advantage of by Spirit Mediums."
Yang Haoran nodded at their words.
"Haha, if circumstances allowed, I would indeed like to chat more with you. However, you are right; given the current situation, your respective jurisdictions truly cannot do without their Emissaries of Death. So, I won't try to keep you. When the opportunity arises in the future, I will visit the jurisdictions you oversee and see how well you've managed them."
Yang Haoran said with a smile. Afterwards, the two men departed, and he personally saw them out the door. Only after they opened a spatial rift and left did he turn and re-enter the house.
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