Chapter 1196: Words Without Malice
Ye Zhiqiu sensed Yang Haoran's gaze. He glanced at Yang Haoran, then at the woman standing rigidly, her eyes blazing with fury. Immediately, he understood the meaning behind Yang Haoran's look and realized what he had overlooked.
With a flick of his finger, Ye Zhiqiu sent a green ray, like a streak of lightning, shooting out. It instantly struck the woman's body and melded into her.
As the green light integrated into her, the woman's body trembled slightly, followed by an outpouring of furious and murderous curses from her lips.
"You two damn bastards, what do you want from me, dragging me here by force? !"
The woman's curses weren't directed solely at Yang Haoran; Ye Zhiqiu, who had forcibly brought her to the Guardian District, was also well within the scope of her fury.
Previously, the woman hadn't cursed not because she didn't want to, but because her ability to speak had also been sealed by Ye Zhiqiu. Thus, she wanted to speak but couldn't.
As for why Ye Zhiqiu had sealed her speaking ability, it was obvious: he didn't want to hear her furious curses. After all, he had captured her and forcibly brought her to the Guardian District, so her verbal abuse was inevitable. If he hadn't sealed her mouth, he wouldn't have had a moment of peace throughout the journey.
The green light Ye Zhiqiu had just flicked and integrated into her body was the method to unseal her speaking ability, which was why the woman had just regained her voice.
Though the woman's curses included Ye Zhiqiu, he completely ignored her, continuing to smoke and sip his wine as if he hadn't heard her angry shouts or felt her intense fury.
Ye Zhiqiu's silence was normal, completely within Yang Haoran's expectations. This guy had always been cool; although Red Lotus's return had changed his personality, bringing more smiles to his face, for the most part, he remained a man of few words, preferring silence whenever possible.
However, while Ye Zhiqiu could stay silent, Yang Haoran could not, as this matter had just begun. If he also remained silent, how would they deal with the woman next? They couldn't just stare at each other helplessly, doing nothing and saying nothing.
"Heh heh, I'm truly sorry. My friend's method of inviting people is a bit rough. I'll apologize on his behalf here first. However, we invited you here with absolutely no ill intent; you can rest assured of that."
Yang Haoran said with a smile, his tone gentle, his smile kind, an image of harmlessness. But this fox demon woman wasn't foolish; how could she possibly believe Yang Haoran's "words without malice"?
"No ill intent? Look at these injuries all over me, and remember how disheveled I was when I first arrived. You forcibly dragged me here like a prisoner, and then you tell me you have no ill intent? Do you think I'll believe you? Even a three-year-old child wouldn't fall for that lie!"
The fox demon woman retorted furiously, the intense rage in her eyes seemingly capable of incinerating Yang Haoran to ash.
"You're a demon, I'm a Demon Hunter. Logically, I should have killed you directly. Leaving you alive and bringing you here is already being courteous. If it weren't for your decent strength, your ingratitude would have already cost you your life."
This time, it was Ye Zhiqiu who spoke, not Yang Haoran. Originally, Ye Zhiqiu had not intended to speak; he only wanted to smoke and drink, responding only if Yang Haoran needed information from him.
But the fox demon woman's words made him feel somewhat displeased, so after her furious voice faded, he added this remark with a hint of annoyance.
Though Ye Zhiqiu didn't emit any killing intent when he spoke, anyone could tell that he was utterly exasperated with the fox demon woman. If he hadn't valued her strength and potential, he would have long since cleaved her with his sword.
Ye Zhiqiu's words clearly contained a threat, but the fox demon woman not only disregarded it but defiantly retorted, not showing the slightest weakness.
"You don't need to be courteous with me. If you want to kill, then kill! Don't be so wishy-washy!"
The fox demon woman's words struck Ye Zhiqiu directly, stirring the killing intent within him. However, he knew that Yang Haoran was very interested in the fox demon woman's strength and potential. If he truly attacked and killed her, Yang Haoran might be displeased.
Moreover, with Yang Haoran here, he felt the possibility of successfully killing the fox demon woman was slim. If he made a move, Yang Haoran would surely intervene, and he wasn't confident he could kill her while Yang Haoran was trying to stop him.
Considering Yang Haoran, even though the fox demon woman's words infuriated Ye Zhiqiu, he did not act in Yang Haoran's presence.
"I should have known you'd make me so uncomfortable. I shouldn't have brought you back to the Guardian District; I should have ended you with a single slash right then!"
Ye Zhiqiu glared at the fox demon woman and said coldly, his strong killing intent undisguised in his tone.
"You don't need to regret it. You can still kill me now!"
The fox demon woman refused to back down, continuing to provoke Ye Zhiqiu with words, presenting an appearance of having cast aside life and death.
Ye Zhiqiu's displeasure intensified because of the fox demon woman's words, but he still suppressed the urge to strike and remained silent, ignoring the fox demon woman as he continued to smoke and sip his wine.
It wasn't that Ye Zhiqiu didn't want to speak, but he knew that if he did, the fox demon woman would immediately retort. He was afraid that if she provoked his nerves a few more times, he wouldn't be able to suppress his urge to attack, so he simply chose to stay silent.
"Heh heh, what's all this talk about killing? It's too formal. We'll all be family from now on, seeing each other constantly, so let's get along well. There's no need for such a temper."
Seeing that Ye Zhiqiu wasn't going to speak again, Yang Haoran spoke with a smile. But as soon as he opened his mouth, he immediately attracted the fox demon woman's ire.
"You're spouting nonsense! I'm me, and you're you. What 'we're all family from now on'? Stop your wishful thinking!"
The fox demon woman cursed angrily, her voice filled with disgust. Yang Haoran wasn't angered by this; instead, he continued to smile and said,
"Heh heh, as long as you're willing to join our big family, then we'll naturally be family from now on. There'll be no need to distinguish between 'you' and 'I'."
Yang Haoran said with a smile. The fox demon woman was currently in a rage. Although she didn't know what trick Yang Haoran was playing, or what this "joining" was all about, she knew she was furious, and this fury caused her to respond to Yang Haoran without thinking twice.
"Don't dream! I won't join you!"
The fox demon woman's blunt refusal didn't surprise Yang Haoran in the least; it was exactly what he expected. Knowing she would flat-out refuse, yet still bringing it up in this situation, of course, had his considerations.
"Heh heh, I'm inviting you to join us now, without any preamble. I just wanted to convey a message to you: I bear no ill will."
Yang Haoran said with a smile. However, his words did not reduce the fury in the fox demon woman's eyes by half. Yang Haoran saw all of this, so he didn't give the fox demon woman a chance to speak further. As soon as his voice fell, he continued,
"Your emotions are too volatile right now. Some things are not suitable to discuss at this moment. So, I think it's better if we talk properly once you've calmed down a bit. At least then, you won't lose your basic rationality due to anger."
After saying this, Yang Haoran extinguished his cigarette butt and summoned a Communication Talisman.
"You can give up! No matter what your purpose is, I will never join you, not even if I die!"
The fox demon woman's words were absolute, leaving no room for negotiation. Yang Haoran smiled without speaking. He had seen too many stubborn people like her; he had plenty of ways to deal with such characters.
But not right now, because the fox demon woman was completely blinded by rage. In such a state, no matter what Yang Haoran said, she certainly wouldn't listen. Yang Haoran understood this perfectly, so he didn't continue the conversation.
Yang Haoran remained silent, but the fox demon woman showed no intention of shutting up. She continued to curse Yang Haoran relentlessly, naturally not sparing Ye Zhiqiu, who had forcibly brought her there.
Just as she cursed two more sentences, a figure silently appeared outside the study door. The appearance of this figure immediately caused the temperature in the room to drop significantly. The fox demon woman's curses abruptly ceased, and her gaze shifted towards the newcomer.
"Emissary, what are your orders?"
The newcomer was none other than Xiujuan. Upon receiving Yang Haoran's Communication Talisman, Xiujuan immediately put down what she was doing and rushed here with the utmost speed.
"Heh heh, please trouble you to pick the best room for our distinguished guest. Let our guest wash up and rest well. If she needs anything, try your best to accommodate her. Oh, and also bring some excellent Dānyào for her injuries; they seem quite severe."
Yang Haoran said with a smile. Xiujuan quickly bowed respectfully, acknowledging his words, and politely gestured for the fox demon woman to follow. However, the fox demon woman did not move, her eyes still blazing with anger.
It seemed the fox demon woman was not prepared to accept Yang Haoran's arrangements. Yang Haoran observed her reaction, his expression unchanged, and said with a smile,
"Heh heh, though my study isn't as fragrant as a lady's bedroom, it certainly has no peculiar odors. Yet, now it's filled with a stench. Do you know why?"
These words made the woman's inner rage burn even fiercer. However, this time, she didn't curse Yang Haoran or Ye Zhiqiu. Instead, after a slight hesitation, she let out a cold snort and walked out of the study, following Xiujuan away.
After the fox demon woman left, Ye Zhiqiu tilted his head back, took a swig of wine, then stood up from his chair, stretching lazily as he spoke.
"I'm equally stinky; no better than that fox demon. So, I won't stay here polluting the air. I need to go wash up."
Ye Zhiqiu was about to leave, but Yang Haoran suddenly called out to him.
"Heh heh, I won't delay you much. Why the rush? Tell me the detailed story of how you encountered this fox demon first, and then you can leave. It won't be too late."
Yang Haoran said with a smile. Ye Zhiqiu didn't seem unwilling. After all, he had long prepared for this, so he didn't refuse or beat around the bush. He recounted in meticulous detail how he had encountered the fox demon woman, how he captured her, and how he brought her back to the Guardian District, holding nothing back.
Ye Zhiqiu spent some time telling Yang Haoran the entire process, then departed the study with a flourish, leaving Yang Haoran alone in thought.
Yang Haoran wanted to know the detailed process primarily to gain a better understanding of this woman, which would allow him to prescribe the right remedy and subdue the fox demon woman more quickly.
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