Chapter 208: Secretly Guarding
Of course, Yang Haoran wasn't foolish enough to believe Du Da's nonsense. He'd never believe that so-called "transaction" wasn't a scheme by Du Da, even if you beat him to death.
Dealing with an old fox like him meant that the slightest misstep could drag him into a trap, or even lead to his demise. Yang Haoran had nearly died at Du Da's hands before, and now that he had narrowly saved his life, he certainly wasn't going to joke around with it.
Though Du Da felt utterly desperate after Yang Haoran's words, he still had no intention of giving up. He wanted to say more, but Yang Haoran had no intention of listening. He immediately drew Du Da's spirit body into the Soul-Gathering Bead, then tore through space and returned to the Ghost Building, which had been reduced to ruins.
Even though the Ghost Building was now a pile of rubble, it still contained the seal specifically targeting Zhong Siyu. As long as this seal remained unbroken, Zhong Siyu couldn't hope to leave the Ghost Building.
When Yang Haoran tore through space and appeared at the Ghost Building, Zhong Siyu was sitting on a wooden plank, idly swinging her legs.
Seeing Yang Haoran appear, her spirit body twisted, then vanished, only to reappear instantly before Yang Haoran.
"Heh heh, so how did it go? " Zhong Siyu looked at Yang Haoran, a cruel grin spreading across her face.
Though unspoken, Yang Haoran naturally understood what Zhong Siyu meant by that.
With a benevolent smile, Yang Haoran waved his hand, retrieving Du Da from the Soul-Gathering Bead.
"Heh heh, I knew that old geezer wouldn't be able to escape your grasp. " Zhong Siyu said to Yang Haoran with a sinister grin, her gaze upon Du Da's spirit body filled with greed.
In truth, Zhong Siyu possessed a delicate and adorable face, but her insane, twisted grin made it difficult for anyone to feel she was cute; instead, it made them shiver, constantly radiating a dangerous aura.
"How do you plan to deal with him? " Yang Haoran asked Zhong Siyu with a smile.
Zhong Siyu looked at Yang Haoran and retorted, "How do you think I should deal with him?"
"It would be best to devour him. If I don't see him undergo Soul Transformation, I won't feel at ease," Yang Haoran suggested.
As he spoke, Du Da's expression immediately turned grim. He tried to speak, but before he could, Zhong Siyu, clad in her Blood-Clad form, appeared before him.
Without a single word of unnecessary chatter, Zhong Siyu opened her mouth and inhaled. Du Da's spirit body twisted, then transformed into a puff of white smoke that was directly sucked into her body.
Zhong Siyu licked her lips, a look of lingering satisfaction on her face, and chuckled maliciously, "The souls of Spirit Mediums are as delicious as the souls of Underworld Officials. Both are great tonics for me. This old geezer was quite a formidable character among Spirit Masters. Even in his weakened state, his spirit body is fundamentally different from ordinary souls."
Zhong Siyu's primary, indeed sole, purpose in wanting Du Da's spirit body was to devour him. Beyond that, Du Da's soul held no other value in her eyes.
It was precisely for this reason that when Yang Haoran made this suggestion, she didn't even think about it and directly swallowed Du Da whole.
Watching Du Da's soul being devoured by Zhong Siyu, Yang Haoran finally felt truly at ease.
Du Da was cunning and full of tricks. Even Yang Haoran himself was extremely cautious when facing this old coot, fearing that he might be outsmarted by the old man if he wasn't careful.
However, no matter how many schemes and tricks Du Da had, once his soul was dispersed, he couldn't pull off any more stunts.
The incident with Wang Qing had taught Yang Haoran a lesson: it was best to make sure your enemies underwent Soul Transformation, otherwise, you never knew when you might fall into their hands or be ambushed by them.
Having learned that lesson once, Yang Haoran didn't want to suffer the same loss a second time. He wouldn't feel at ease until he had personally witnessed his opponent's soul dissipate.
"Heh heh, Uncle, you really had a huge haul tonight. We fought tooth and nail, and you ended up raking in most of the benefits," Zhong Siyu said to Yang Haoran with a sinister laugh.
Yang Haoran simply smiled without speaking, but inwardly, he was on high alert. In his eyes, the danger posed by Zhong Siyu was no less than that of Deng Feng or Du Da.
Now that both Du Da and Deng Feng had undergone Soul Transformation, only he and Zhong Siyu remained. He was concerned that Zhong Siyu might harbor malicious intentions towards him.
Yang Haoran's concern wasn't unfounded. Zhong Siyu was an Evil Spirit to begin with, her resentment soaring to the heavens. Coupled with her ruthless methods and constant state of pathological madness, who knew what such a lunatic might do?
Furthermore, several Death God Seals remained within his body, their power not yet fully absorbed, especially Deng Feng's Death God Seal, which contained the most terrifying power. If he were killed now, these Death God Seals could still be extracted from his body.
Although some of the power within the seals had weakened, the combined Yin Qi and blood energy contained in multiple seals were still astonishing enough to tempt Zhong Siyu.
In other words, Zhong Siyu now had every reason to attack him.
As for their cooperative relationship, in the face of absolute profit, it was as thin as a cicada's wing. For greater gain, it wouldn't be surprising for Zhong Siyu to abandon their so-called cooperation and attack him.
At this moment, Zhong Siyu's strength was less than one-third of her peak, while Yang Haoran had just opened his Heaven Soul. His strength, though perhaps not at its absolute peak, was definitely superior to Zhong Siyu's; this was certain.
With such an advantage, Yang Haoran should theoretically have no reservations. However, the exact opposite was true. Yang Haoran was extremely wary of Zhong Siyu because that blood-red eyeball still resided within his body.
Yang Haoran didn't know what that blood-red eyeball actually was. If he really came to blows with Zhong Siyu, what effect would that blood-red eyeball within him have? That was an unknown variable.
The blood-red eyeball had played a decisive role in Yang Haoran's survival tonight. If not for that strange eyeball constantly absorbing the Yin Qi released by the various Death God Seals, he would have been utterly annihilated by now.
Yet now, the very same strange blood-red eyeball was what made him feel wary and endangered.
Seeing Yang Haoran merely smile without a word, the cruel grin on Zhong Siyu's face stiffened, then turned into an expression of displeasure.
"Uncle, don't think for a second that staying silent will make everything alright. You'd be underestimating me then. You've only accomplished a fraction of what you promised. You haven't forgotten the other part, have you?"
Compared to before, Zhong Siyu's tone now carried a hint of coldness.
Though Zhong Siyu seemed young, that was merely her appearance from before she died, only proving that she was indeed young when she perished.
Countless years had passed since her death; truly, it wouldn't be an exaggeration for Yang Haoran to call her "Auntie."
But she still looked young, a vibrant maiden. Conversely, Yang Haoran, with his stubble, looked mature and composed, so Zhong Siyu calling him "Uncle" felt completely natural.
However, if Yang Haoran were to call her "Auntie," it would indeed seem quite odd.
Yang Haoran observed the changes in Zhong Siyu's expression. His smile remained, but his wariness intensified.
He was an Underworld Official, and Zhong Siyu was an Evil Spirit. Putting aside profit, their respective positions alone compelled Yang Haoran to guard against Zhong Siyu.
In Zhong Siyu's eyes, he, the Underworld Official, was also a great tonic!
"I've never thought of going back on my word. Since I promised to help you break this seal, I will certainly do so. " Yang Haoran replied with a smile, his tone full of sincerity.
Upon hearing Yang Haoran's words, the coldness on Zhong Siyu's face vanished, replaced once more by her characteristic cruel grin. Her gaze towards Yang Haoran seemed to soften as well.
However, at that very moment, something Yang Haoran had never dreamed of happened: his Enchantment Art was passively triggered by Zhong Siyu, this Evil Spirit!
Such a sudden occurrence was, in Yang Haoran's opinion, definitely not a good thing.
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