Chapter 137: Promotion and a Raise
"Quite surprised, aren't you? " Xu Meijing sneered, then continued, "Your current expression pleases me greatly, but don't rush to be surprised. There's even more to come. I only found out some of these things last night, and I'll tell you everything today."
"Actually, that day in the mountain cave, that fellow surnamed Zhou wasn't wrong. Night Watchers are merely temporary workers of the Underworld Office; they can't be considered true Underworld Officials. When he called Night Watchers 'cannon fodder,' strictly speaking, he wasn't wrong. Because only after becoming an Emissary of Death can one be considered a true Underworld Official."
Pausing here, Xu Meijing's tone shifted. She looked at Yang Haoran with a cold smile and asked, "Do you know what benefits come with becoming an Emissary of Death?"
"Governing a city? " Yang Haoran probed.
Xu Meijing shook her head. "Governing a city and cultivating your own Night Watchers? Those are just the basics, not really 'benefits. ' The true benefits are two-fold. Benefit one: the souls Night Watchers turn in are sent by Emissaries of Death to the Underworld Office. Based on the quantity of souls, Emissaries of Death receive corresponding Soul Pills as a reward."
"It's quite laughable, actually. The souls collected by Night Watchers can only be exchanged for a certain amount of Soul Qi from Emissaries of Death, yet when Emissaries of Death send these souls into the Underworld Office, the reward they receive is Soul Pills, which are completely different from Soul Qi. This is the disparity between Night Watchers and Emissaries of Death, the difference between temporary workers and official staff."
Yang Haoran frowned. He hadn't realized there were so many hidden shenanigans involved.
"I hope you can view this matter correctly. Every Emissary of Death climbed up from being a Night Watcher. They might have had their own fortuitous encounters, just like me, but their personal efforts were also indispensable. To become an Emissary of Death, they sacrificed too much, so their treatment is different. There's nothing to be jealous of. " Xu Meijing, fearing Yang Haoran might not accept it, spoke to remind him.
However, Xu Meijing was overthinking that point. Yang Haoran wasn't that kind of person. It was normal for an Emissary of Death's treatment to be vastly superior to a Night Watcher's, and he could understand it. After all, every Emissary of Death enjoyed such treatment only after putting in immense effort; it was what they deserved. He wouldn't feel jealous or hostile.
"Heh, the second benefit would probably scare you to death if I told you."
Xu Meijing spoke with a cold laugh, but as she did, Yang Haoran distinctly noticed a flicker of excitement in her eyes. Though well-hidden, Yang Haoran still caught it.
"As long as one becomes an Emissary of Death, they are recognized as an Underworld Official by the Underworld Office. From the moment one becomes an Emissary of Death, their bodily functions will be fixed. They will never age again. In other words, an Emissary of Death will not die naturally, and can forever retain the appearance they had when they became an Emissary of Death!"
This truly startled Yang Haoran. After he processed it, his heart involuntarily began to pound.
Xu Meijing's words were simple: once one became an Emissary of Death, as long as they weren't destroyed by external forces, they could live forever, becoming an immortal being. How could this not shock him?
"Throughout the entire New Beginning Realm, there are various sects and various deities. I don't know if deities die naturally, but below the deities, perhaps only those of us from the Underworld Office have such a privilege. However, the prerequisite is that you must become an Emissary of Death, a true member of the Underworld Office, to enjoy such treatment!"
"If spirits aren't subjected to external attacks, and aren't guided by the Underworld Office into reincarnation, they can likewise survive forever in their spirit bodies. Although some Underworld Officials are alive, due to their differing status, they possess this special privilege. If you look at it that way, you'll find it's not a big deal at all, right?"
Xu Meijing maintained a cold, disdainful expression, saying things contrary to what she felt.
Though she said it was "nothing much," the hint of excitement in her eyes was honest.
As her voice faded, she picked up the bowl in front of her and took a sip of the now-cold boiled water.
Yang Haoran, however, hadn't registered her latter sentence, for he had been utterly stunned by Xu Meijing's earlier words. Feeling a surge of emotion, he couldn't help but lick his dry lips.
At this moment, Yang Haoran's heart raced. Even as he tried to suppress his inner turmoil, he didn't achieve the desired effect.
His former dream was simply to buy a house in Lecheng, then bring his parents to the city, marry, have children, and live a happy, ordinary life with his family.
But after becoming a Night Watcher, Yang Haoran's goals shifted slightly. On top of the original, he added another: to strive for more power. Because the stronger he became, the better his family's living conditions would be, and he would also be able to use his strength to protect them.
After his parents' tragic deaths, Yang Haoran became lost. With his parents gone, his former dreams and goals had vanished like smoke.
But now, Xu Meijing's words had given him a new purpose in his confusion, a direction for his efforts: to find a way to climb up, to change from a temporary worker to an official employee!
A moment later, Yang Haoran's furiously pounding heart gradually steadied. He looked at Xu Meijing, who was still drinking water, and asked, "How can one become an Emissary of Death?"
Xu Meijing put down her bowl. "To become an Emissary of Death, one must reach the Open Soul realm. Only by opening your Heaven Soul do you qualify."
"Only qualify? " Yang Haoran noticed a deeper meaning in Xu Meijing's words, and a puzzled expression appeared on his face.
"Let me put it this way: all Emissaries of Death are powerhouses who have opened their Heaven Soul, but not all powerhouses who have opened their Heaven Soul can necessarily become Emissaries of Death. This depends on personal strength and also on personal luck. If you're lucky, you might become an Emissary of Death soon after opening your Heaven Soul. If you're unlucky, you might have to wait a long time."
"Of course, if your strength is truly exceptional, and you're among the best of those who have opened their Heaven Soul, then becoming an Emissary of Death is a certainty; you can't escape it. Therefore, improving your strength is the ultimate way. Only when your strength increases will you gain the attention of those above and obtain more of what you desire!"
Xu Meijing understood Yang Haoran's thoughts at the moment. She continued, "I came to tell you all this today because I was worried you hadn't emerged from your sorrow, so I came to provoke you a little, to make you live again, to regain your motivation."
Xu Meijing's words touched Yang Haoran somewhat. This woman, whom he once found utterly detestable, was now looking more and more pleasing to his eye.
"Thank you for your concern. Your words today have indeed greatly stimulated me, and I truly have a new goal now. " Yang Haoran's expression was serious, though a hint of restlessness flickered in his eyes.
"Heh, there's something even more exciting. Want to hear it? " Xu Meijing scoffed, asking Yang Haoran.
"Something more exciting? What is it? " Yang Haoran frowned and asked.
"I'm no longer a Night Watcher. I've been promoted. The reason I had to leave Lecheng is that I had no choice. Two tigers cannot coexist on one mountain; I was transferred. " Xu Meijing said with an air of pride.
"What?"
Yang Haoran exclaimed. Xu Meijing had surprised him quite a bit today, but he had never been so shocked as he was now.
Xu Meijing, highly satisfied with Yang Haoran's reaction, sneered, "What's the big deal? Since I've opened my Heaven Soul, I qualify to become an Emissary of Death. It just so happens that the Emissary of Death in Ancheng was taken out for some unknown reason, and since Lecheng is close to Ancheng, I was sent to fill the vacancy."
Despite Xu Meijing's feigned nonchalance, her contradictory words revealed that she was practically itching for Yang Haoran to be even more surprised.
Watching Xu Meijing's hypocritical demeanor, Yang Haoran recovered from his shock. He took a deep breath before smiling and saying, "Then I really must congratulate you."
"Heh, what's there to congratulate? It's simply to be expected. You, on the other hand, should put in more effort. Make that Soul-Refining Cauldron sooner. With that thing, you'll be able to grow in the shortest amount of time."
At the mention of the Soul-Refining Cauldron, Yang Haoran remembered the Sunken Yin Stone, so he asked, "Right, do you know what a Sunken Yin Stone is?"
"Regarding the Sunken Yin Stone, I would have told you even if you hadn't asked. It's a special kind of stone that only appears in Places of Extreme Yin, but not all Places of Extreme Yin necessarily have this stone. It can only be said that Places of Extreme Yin might produce Sunken Yin Stones. Places of Extreme Yin are already extremely rare, and Sunken Yin Stones aren't found in all of them, so Sunken Yin Stones are even rarer," Xu Meijing explained.
"What does a Sunken Yin Stone look like? If I find a Place of Extreme Yin, how do I identify which stone is the Sunken Yin Stone? " Yang Haoran continued to ask.
"That's simple. Everything in a Place of Extreme Yin will be tainted with Yin Qi, with the sole exception of the Sunken Yin Stone. As long as you find a stone in a Place of Extreme Yin that isn't tainted with Yin Qi, that's absolutely the Sunken Yin Stone, no mistake!"
Yang Haoran nodded, memorizing Xu Meijing's words, and then Xu Meijing spoke again.
"The Soul-Refining Cauldron is a treasure that only high-ranking members of the Underworld Office can possess. Even an Emissary of Death has no right to own one, and is absolutely forbidden from doing so. This is because after souls are sent to the Underworld Office, there are many procedures. Those eligible for reincarnation will enter the cycle of rebirth, while those who committed grave evils in life, or harmed living people and devoured other souls after death, will lose their right to reincarnation. These souls, stripped of their right to rebirth, will be thrown into the Soul-Refining Cauldron by high-ranking Underworld Office officials and refined into Soul Pills, or even higher-grade Soul Crystals."
"Soul Pills and Soul Crystals hold immense temptation for Underworld Office personnel. If Emissaries of Death possessed Soul-Refining Cauldrons, the high-ranking officials of the Underworld Office would worry they might commit outrageous acts, so they forbid Emissaries of Death from owning Soul-Refining Cauldrons. Even the method for refining the Soul-Refining Cauldron is top secret. This is precisely why I kept emphasizing that you must never let anyone know anything about the Soul-Refining Cauldron. Once high-ranking Underworld Office officials learn that you or I possess a Soul-Refining Cauldron, our situation will become extremely dangerous!"
"However, even though the Soul-Refining Cauldron in our hands is like a bomb that could explode at any moment, the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. The advantages brought by the Soul-Refining Cauldron are something other Night Watchers, and even Emissaries of Death, dream of obtaining but cannot."
"If you truly have the ability to forge the Soul-Refining Cauldron, then I can guarantee that you will break through to the Open Soul realm in a short amount of time. However, there's one thing I must warn you about: absolutely do not follow in Xue Li's footsteps, otherwise no one will be able to save you."
Yang Haoran nodded. Although he craved strength, he would absolutely never commit acts like indiscriminately slaughtering the innocent.
Moreover, Xu Meijing's words made him understand a truth: while the Soul-Refining Cauldron was good, it was also a very hot potato. It was like walking a tightrope on a cliff; a single misstep would lead to utter destruction!
Previously, he simply didn't want to reveal information about the Soul-Refining Cauldron to avoid inviting disaster, but now, after hearing Xu Meijing's words, he not only didn't want to, he didn't dare!
Their current actions were a challenge to the authority of the Underworld Office. Once exposed, they would undoubtedly face certain death!
When he discovered the Soul-Refining Cauldron in Xue Li's stone chamber that day, logically, Xu Meijing should have killed him to be safest. That way, besides Xu Meijing, no one else would know the secret. Yet, Xu Meijing didn't do so, which puzzled him.
Perhaps it was because Xu Meijing hadn't yet become an Emissary of Death at the time, so she didn't fully grasp the value and danger of the Soul-Refining Cauldron, or perhaps Xu Meijing wasn't inherently a ruthless person, or perhaps there were other reasons he didn't know about.
Regardless of the reason, one fact remained unchangeable: due to the existence of the Soul-Refining Cauldron, fate had inextricably bound him and Xu Meijing together.
And what he had to do from now on was to guard the secret of the Soul-Refining Cauldron with his life, not revealing a single word!
Xu Meijing was unaware of Yang Haoran's thoughts at the moment. As she brought up the Soul-Refining Cauldron and Xue Li, a flicker of curiosity crossed her face.
"Speaking of Xue Li, although he was a bit twisted, he truly had some skill. To actually get his hands on the method for refining the Soul-Refining Cauldron, I'm quite curious how he managed that."
Yang Haoran, at this point, had no mind to be curious about how Xue Li got that yellow cloth, because that was merely a dead man's past. He forcibly suppressed the restlessness in his heart and recalled another matter.
"Since you've been promoted and are no longer a Night Watcher in Lecheng, how will your Death God Seal be handled, and how will you explain this to Deng Feng?"
When Yang Haoran brought this up, the curiosity on Xu Meijing's face instantly turned into a sneer.
"That's a very good question you've asked. If you truly manage to step into the Open Soul realm in the future, then what I'm about to tell you will only help you, with no downside."
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