Chapter 1363 Narrowing the Scope
Bai Xue's analysis made a lot of sense to Yang Haoran, as he himself held the same belief. Thus, he didn't shake his head in denial but nodded gently in agreement, though Bai Xue's wording was perhaps a little too blunt.
"My conjecture is largely the same as your analysis, at least as far as the current situation goes. Beyond this, I honestly can't think of any other possibilities for now."
Despite receiving Yang Haoran's confirmation, Bai Xue couldn't bring herself to be happy, for this was hardly good news for either her or Yang Haoran. There was no logical reason for her to rejoice, and Yang Haoran continued to speak.
"From the details you've described, the Tong Continent Great Emperor's identity should be accurate. However, I'm very curious about the Black-Robed Man's identity. Think carefully again; see if there are any features or details you've forgotten."
Bai Xue didn't respond immediately. Instead, she frowned, lost in thought. Seeing this, Yang Haoran remained silent, not making a sound, for fear of disturbing Bai Xue's recollections.
After about five minutes, Bai Xue looked up at Yang Haoran and gently shook her head.
"This person hid himself extremely well. From start to finish, he didn't reveal a single trace. There was no information about his Soul Armament, nor did I see his true appearance. Even his voice was altered through special means, so I didn't find any useful features or details on him."
Upon saying this, an apologetic expression appeared on Bai Xue's face.
Bai Xue's face showed apology, and her tone was vexed, a picture of deep regret. Seeing this, Yang Haoran gave a faint smile and replied,
"Heh, it's a good thing you didn't. If you had, whether you'd still be alive right now would be an unknown. The Tong Continent Great Emperor doesn't care if his identity is exposed, but this Black-Robed Man cares a great deal. If you had learned his true face, do you think he would have let you go?"
Yang Haoran's reminder made Bai Xue's expression stiffen slightly. When she realized the implication, her complexion became a little unpleasant. She didn't refute Yang Haoran, because in her opinion, what he said made perfect sense. If she had truly acted that way that day, then everything about her right now would certainly be a different story.
Seeing Bai Xue's slightly unpleasant expression, Yang Haoran could somewhat guess her current thoughts. So, he pondered for a moment, then spoke.
"Strictly speaking, it's not that you discovered nothing about this Black-Robed Man. At least three points are of considerable value to me."
Yang Haoran's words left Bai Xue both puzzled and somewhat pleased; puzzled about which three points, and pleased that she could help Yang Haoran. Before she could even ask, Yang Haoran explained on his own.
"First, you confirmed for me that this Black-Robed Man is a member of the Yin Division, and his realm is at Earth Soul, not Life Soul. Second, judging by the details you described, the Black-Robed Man and the Tong Continent Great Emperor should not have a direct subordinate relationship but rather a cooperative one, which means he is not from the Tong Continent Yin Division. Third, his voice was altered through special means. From your description, this person should be the same individual who spoke with me that day. With these three pieces of information, the scope of my search can be narrowed considerably."
Yang Haoran's analysis brought an unconcealed admiration to Bai Xue's face.
"Yin Officer brother is still amazing! You easily grasped the key points and successfully narrowed down the scope of the opponent's identity so much!"
Bai Xue's praise made Yang Haoran feel a little embarrassed. After all, anyone a little more observant could have noticed these three points. In his view, it wasn't something to be proud of, so being praised by Bai Xue like that made him feel somewhat awkward.
Moreover, he knew that Bai Xue was actually very intelligent. It was quite possible she had already thought of the three points he mentioned, merely pretending to be foolish in front of him.
"Heh, don't tease me. I know full well how smart you are. Don't make yourself out to be an idiot."
Yang Haoran spoke with a faint smile, not accepting Bai Xue's praise or admiration. Though sometimes he was thick-skinned, at other times his skin was quite thin.
In the past, when Bai Xue encountered such a situation, she would surely have flashed a seductive smile and uttered some teasing words. However, this time she did not. Although a smile now adorned her face, it lacked the soul-stirring charm she usually possessed, nor did she utter any words to tease Yang Haoran.
This significant change in her was partly due to her extreme weakness at the moment, and partly because she wasn't in the mood.
Furthermore, she knew Yang Haoran must have been in a terrible mood recently, and even now was no exception. Although Yang Haoran wore a faint smile, appearing no different from usual, she could feel that his mood was actually quite bad. Not only could she feel it, but she could also discern it from the subtle details.
Knowing full well that Yang Haoran was in a bad mood, and that this matter was directly related to her, no matter how bold or unrestrained she usually was when facing Yang Haoran, she would absolutely not act improperly in front of him at a time like this. It wasn't that she dared not, but that she didn't want to.
"I'm not joking with you, Yin Officer brother. Everything I said is the truth. In my eyes, no one is smarter than you, and no one is more capable than you. You are the undefeatable War God in my heart, always will be!"
Although Bai Xue wore a smile, her tone was extremely serious. Yang Haoran, already accustomed to Bai Xue's playful nature, felt somewhat unaccustomed seeing her suddenly become serious. It felt even more awkward and embarrassing than if Xiang Chuan had suddenly acted proper in front of him.
"Heh, I know full well my own capabilities. I hardly deserve the title of 'undefeatable War God. ' Although I haven't reached the point of utter defeat this time, I was still badly tricked by the other party, so please don't make fun of me."
Yang Haoran awkwardly laughed. After his words fell, Bai Xue opened her mouth as if to say something else, but he spoke before she could.
"Your body is still very weak and needs a quiet environment to rest well. I won't disturb you here anymore, so as not to affect your recovery. I've gained some valuable information from you today, and now I need to go back, make arrangements, and deploy to uncover the mastermind as soon as possible!"
Yang Haoran stood up, preparing to leave. Bai Xue's expression grew anxious. She hadn't expected Yang Haoran to leave so soon after arriving, so she wanted to speak and make him stay, hoping he could keep her company for a little longer. But the words reached her lips, and she couldn't say them, only managing to change her reply to a simple "Alright."
After receiving Bai Xue's response, Yang Haoran smiled and nodded at her, then turned and walked towards the door.
"Yin Officer brother!"
Yang Haoran had only walked a few steps when Bai Xue struggled for a moment but couldn't help but speak.
Hearing her, Yang Haoran's steps halted, and he turned to look at Bai Xue again.
"Heh, what's wrong?"
Yang Haoran asked gently with a faint smile. Bai Xue hesitated, then bit her lip, her head slightly bowed, long hair covering her cheeks.
"I. . . I. . . I want to say sorry to you, and at the same time, I want to say thank you."
Bai Xue's voice was very soft and sincere, making her seem like a completely different person from her usual self. She hadn't wanted to bring up this matter, fearing it would rub salt in Yang Haoran's wound. Yet, if she said nothing at all, she felt it would be inappropriate. Moreover, she truly wished to express her inner apologies and gratitude to Yang Haoran, so after a slight hesitation, she decided to speak.
Yang Haoran gave a faint smile, his expression not changing in the slightest because of Bai Xue's words.
"You don't need to say sorry to me, because you didn't do anything wrong in this matter. Moreover, you are also a victim, so you don't need to apologize to me, nor do you need to feel any guilt in your heart."
After a slight pause, Yang Haoran continued to speak with a smile.
"You also don't need to say thank you to me. We've known each other for so many years; there's no need for me to elaborate on how deep our bond is. I wouldn't ignore it if I knew you were in danger. If our positions were reversed, I believe you would also unhesitatingly drop everything to save me. So, you don't need to say thank you to me; it would only make us seem too distant. Given our relationship, no matter who helps whom, there's no need for thanks."
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