Chapter 1266: Ironclad Proof
Everyone's gaze fell upon the token in Zhong Siyu's hand, Yang Haoran no exception.
Earlier, Yang Haoran had noticed Zhong Siyu idly toying with this token. At the time, he hadn't paid it much mind, assuming it was the same one he had given her. Only now, upon closer inspection, did he suddenly realize that while this token was indeed a Corpse Sect token, it differed subtly from the one he had entrusted to her.
With just a moment's thought, Yang Haoran understood where the token in Zhong Siyu's hand must have come from: she must have obtained it after slaying a high-ranking member of the Corpse Sect. Otherwise, she wouldn't possess such a token.
Zhong Siyu, on the other hand, had been toying with the token, her expression eager as she gazed at the goat-bearded man, looking as if she were ready to pounce and bite at any moment. The instant she heard Shi Weihan's words, her face stiffened, and her movements with the token halted. Seeing everyone's eyes fixed on the token in her hand, she couldn't help but glance down herself.
However, she only spared it a glance before raising her head and looking at Yang Haoran beside her with an awkward expression.
"This. . . this, I just thought the token looked decent, so I picked one up to play with when I was bored. I never imagined. . . I never imagined this broken token actually had a tracking function."
Zhong Siyu chuckled awkwardly at Yang Haoran, her words stumbling. At this moment, Zhong Siyu looked like a little girl who had done something wrong and feared a scolding.
Yang Haoran had known Zhong Siyu for quite some time, and they had spent a long period together, yet he had never once seen such an expression on her face.
This time, though she had stirred up trouble and drawn so many enemies, and while she still hadn't admitted fault or apologized to Yang Haoran, her tone of voice carried an apology. Even if this apology wasn't very obvious beneath her awkward cover, it was undeniably there. This was the first time Yang Haoran had ever sensed her embarrassment since he'd known her.
Yang Haoran looked at Zhong Siyu's awkward expression, feeling both surprised and amused. If not for the inappropriate circumstances, he genuinely wished to take a photo of her, to record this very expression on Zhong Siyu's face.
"Heh heh, it's alright, don't take it too much to heart. It's good that they've all been drawn here; I can use this opportunity to clean them all out in one go."
Yang Haoran chuckled faintly, without blame or complaint, appearing utterly unconcerned.
Though Yang Haoran smiled nonchalantly, as if he hadn't taken the matter to heart at all, he still felt a touch of helplessness deep down. After all, he had been so vigilant throughout their journey precisely to avoid exposing himself and attracting trouble, yet they had still arrived at this point. Thus, a sliver of resignation lingered in his heart.
However, since matters had come to this, blaming Zhong Siyu would be meaningless. Furthermore, scolding her might even enrage Zhong Siyu. Despite her current awkward expression, as docile as a little girl fearing a scolding for a mistake, he knew exactly what kind of person Zhong Siyu was and had witnessed her erratic behavior. If he were to truly reprimand Zhong Siyu, it was entirely possible she would fly into a rage, and even he might become her target. He certainly didn't want such a scene to actually unfold.
Of course, Yang Haoran wouldn't do something so foolish and self-defeating. So, even if he felt a bit helpless about it, he could only choose to accept it, as he certainly didn't possess the ability to alter reality.
Moreover, his words to Zhong Siyu were not entirely false. Dozens of Corpse Sect members had arrived tonight, and judging by their attire, they were all mid-to-high-ranking officials of the Corpse Sect. With such a massive number, even if not all of the Corpse Sect's high-ranking members had deployed, it was likely close.
Most importantly, even Shi Weihan, the Door Master of the Corpse Sect, had personally arrived. If they could all be slain here, it would indeed save him a great deal of trouble.
Seeing that Yang Haoran had no intention of blaming her, Zhong Siyu's face immediately bloomed into a flower-like smile.
"I thought a coward like you would be all wishy-washy with me, but I didn't expect you to be so straightforward. Alright, since you're so perceptive, I'll kill a few more people later to thank you!"
Zhong Siyu, who had been awkward and stumbling over her words just a moment before, now chuckled happily at Yang Haoran. However, her smile carried a hint of morbidity, devoid of the innocence and sunshine one would expect from a young girl. Instead, it sent a shiver down one's spine.
Although neither of them had deliberately raised their voices during their conversation, their words still carried through the silent night to the ears of everyone present.
"Heh heh, under these circumstances, you two actually have the leisure to chat. You're certainly calm enough. I just wonder if you'll still be so composed in a little while."
Shi Weihan sneered, speaking coldly. Although he could sense that Yang Haoran and Zhong Siyu were far from simple, their nonchalant attitude infuriated him. He uttered these words partly as a provocation and display of power, and partly to boost the morale of his own side.
After his words fell, he finally turned his gaze to the goat-bearded man and continued speaking.
"Soul Transporter Gou Shenshi, I believe you've seen the token in this girl's hand. I shouldn't need to explain how I confirmed this place is our destination. As for whether these two are the people I'm looking for, you can rest assured a thousand times over, because they appeared in my Corpse Ancestor City before, and many people have seen them. Based on the characteristics provided by those who saw them, I can be one hundred percent certain it's them. The token in this girl's hand is the best proof."
At this point, Shi Weihan paused slightly in his speech, then continued.
"Besides the two of them, there's another person inside the cave. I'm sure Soul Transporter Gou Shenshi has sensed this as well. This person's aura is weak and they dare not show themselves, surely because they are severely injured. Being with these two, and severely injured, who else could it be but the target my Corpse Sect initially wanted to eliminate tonight?"
No sooner had Shi Weihan's words fallen than Ma Ling's cold voice echoed from inside the cave.
"Dare not show myself? My courage is not as small as you imagine!"
As the cold voice rang out, Ma Ling slowly emerged from the cave entrance, dragging her heavily injured body. Although she had previously taken a Dānyào, its medicinal effect seemed very limited, or perhaps her injuries were too severe for any noticeable effect to appear quickly. Regardless of the reason, it was a fact that her body was very weak at this moment, barely able to move. Yet, her face showed an expression of stubborn defiance, without the slightest intention of admitting defeat due to her physical weakness.
"Why did you come out? You should just rest inside the cave."
Yang Haoran looked at Ma Ling beside him and said with a faint smile.
"Heh heh, this matter started because of me. I can't just rest inside the cave while you fight desperately outside. Don't worry, Big Brother Yang, I'm fine. Just let me stay out here."
Since Ma Ling had said as much, Yang Haoran didn't press the issue. After all, for this level of battle, there was little difference between staying outside the cave or inside. So, he merely cautioned Ma Ling to be careful and didn't insist on her returning inside the cave.
"That's right, it's this woman. She's the one who has been secretly killing our Corpse Sect disciples, and she's also the one we originally intended to eliminate tonight. Soul Transporter Gou Shenshi, have you seen clearly now? Even this woman herself has appeared. Are you still going to question what I've said?"
Shi Weihan said to the goat-bearded man in a deep voice, his tone even carrying a hint of interrogation. Upon hearing Shi Weihan's words, the goat-bearded man's face turned terrifyingly grim, and his gaze shifted to Yang Haoran.
"Although the power fluctuations emanating from you aren't strong, I can clearly discern that this is the Spirit Power unique to my Yin Division. And the girl beside you has astonishing resentment and is shrouded in Yin Qi; one glance is enough to tell she's a Ghost. You, as a member of the Yin Division, actually dare to chat and laugh with her? You've completely disgraced our Yin Division!"
The goat-bearded man spoke to Yang Haoran in a cold voice, his face ablaze with fury, his eyes almost spitting fire. It was unknown whether this rage stemmed from being put on the spot in front of Shi Weihan, or truly from Yang Haoran associating with a Ghost.
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