Chapter 347: She Yelled at Me
The potency of a talisman depended on its type and its inherent grade; that is, whether it was a low-grade or high-grade talisman. Different types and grades meant that even two Black Talismans could vary wildly in power.
Beyond these two points, the strength of a talisman was also directly related to the strength of the Talisman Master. The stronger the Talisman Master, the more powerful the talismans they drew would be.
Yang Haoran didn't know the specific power or type of the ten Black Talismans Old Man Zhang had just offered, but given Old Man Zhang's status and position, these ten Black Talismans ought to be quite good.
If they were just ten ordinary low-grade Black Talismans, Old Man Zhang probably wouldn't have dared to present them. Since he was willing to offer them, these ten Black Talismans were certainly not lacking.
The snake demon listened to Old Man Zhang's words, her expression somewhat displeased. Of course, she wasn't naive enough to believe that Old Man Zhang was truly giving the talismans out of gratitude to Yang Haoran.
In her opinion, Old Man Zhang's actions were one hundred percent aimed at her.
Seeing the snake demon's expression turn sour, Old Master Wu, who was beside her, quietly asked, "Don't you trust the Boss?"
"Of course I trust Brother Emissary, I just don't like these Talisman Masters," the snake demon replied in a low voice.
"If you trust the Boss, then control your emotions and don't act rashly," Old Master Wu quietly warned her.
Yang Haoran looked at the Talisman Pouch before him, his smile unchanging, yet he made no move to touch it.
In truth, the ten Black Talismans in the pouch weren't specifically prepared by Old Man Zhang for Yang Haoran. They were from his personal collection. If Yang Haoran hadn't brought up the matter of saving Jiang Die, and if Old Man Zhang didn't have other objectives for this visit, he would never have taken out these ten Black Talismans.
However, Yang Haoran had no intention of accepting the gift. He wasn't surprised by this; it was as if he had anticipated such a situation. He merely felt a little uncomfortable.
"Oh? Does Emissary Yang not like this gift? If not, this old man can exchange them for something Emissary Yang prefers," Old Man Zhang said with a smile, not letting his inner displeasure show.
As Old Man Zhang's words fell, Old Master Wu and the snake demon arrived at Yang Haoran's side.
"There's no rush for this. Let's have some tea first," Yang Haoran said with a smile, then glanced at Old Master Wu and the snake demon.
Understanding his intent, the two placed the brewed tea and tea sets on the table. They prepared to pour tea for the three, but Yang Haoran stopped them.
"You two don't need to do this. Bai Xue, stay. Old Wu, go attend to your own matters."
Having Old Master Wu and the snake demon pour tea felt like an apology, especially for the snake demon. Asking the snake demon to pour tea for Jiang Die, not only would Jiang Die not accept it, but it would undoubtedly be a blow to the snake demon's pride.
So, of course, Yang Haoran wouldn't let Old Master Wu do it, much less the snake demon.
And his decision to keep the snake demon and send Old Master Wu away naturally had other implications. Others might not understand, but he believed Old Master Wu would.
The snake demon stood beside Yang Haoran, her angry gaze subtly drifting towards Jiang Die, whose reaction was not much different from the snake demon's.
And Old Wu, as per Yang Haoran's request, left to attend to his own affairs.
The tea set rested on the table, and the aroma of tea wafted from the teapot, but no one poured. Yang Haoran, as the host, simply looked at Old Man Zhang with a benevolent smile.
Old Man Zhang understood Yang Haoran's intent, and a cold chuckle echoed in his heart, though his expression remained unchanged.
"Yiming, why are you so oblivious? Do I, your master, still need to teach you what to do in such a situation? " Old Man Zhang dropped his smile and sternly rebuked Wang Yiming.
"I'm sorry, Master. This disciple understands, this disciple understands. " Wang Yiming's expression shifted. He apologized as he walked around the sofa, then quickly bent down to pour the tea.
Yang Haoran watched the scene unfold, his expression unwavering, but a soft sigh escaped his heart.
"Yiming, let me do it," Yang Haoran said with a smile, stopping him and taking the teapot from the hesitant Wang Yiming's hands.
"This. . . " Wang Yiming was conflicted, looking at Yang Haoran, then at his master, Old Man Zhang. For a moment, he didn't know how to proceed.
"It's fine. I'm the host here; this is what I should do," Yang Haoran said with a smile.
Old Man Zhang burst into laughter. "Since Emissary Yang puts it that way, Yiming, you may step down."
Wang Yiming gave Yang Haoran a helpless smile, wanting to speak but holding back.
"It's fine, you may go. " Yang Haoran responded with a smile, then slowly poured three cups of tea.
The snake demon watched the scene, her brows tightly furrowed, feeling quite vexed.
Old Man Zhang, meanwhile, watched Yang Haoran pour the tea with a beaming smile, while Jiang Die remained expressionless, the coldness in her eyes never dissipating from the start.
Everyone present was perceptive. Though no physical blows were exchanged, the verbal sparring continued unabated. In this round, Yang Haoran had clearly lost.
If Yang Haoran had disregarded Wang Yiming, he would have won this round decisively. But considering Wang Yiming's feelings, he had set his own trap and now had to taste its bitter fruit.
After pouring three cups of tea, Yang Haoran picked one up and offered it to Old Man Zhang.
"Emissary Yang is truly too kind. " Old Man Zhang knew when to quit while he was ahead, and he happily accepted the teacup.
"It's only proper. You are an elder and a guest; these are all things I should do," Yang Haoran said with a smile.
These words made Old Man Zhang even happier, his laughter growing a few decibels louder.
Yang Haoran paid no mind to Old Man Zhang. He picked up another cup of tea and offered it to Jiang Die. She glanced at Yang Haoran but did not take the teacup.
This sight infuriated the snake demon behind Yang Haoran. Her silver teeth clenched, and she was about to erupt, but Yang Haoran stopped her with a wave of his hand.
Yang Haoran chuckled, seemingly unconcerned by Jiang Die's attitude. He gently placed the teacup in front of her, then took a cup for himself and slowly took a sip.
Setting down his cup, Yang Haoran turned his gaze to Old Man Zhang, waiting for him to continue.
The pleasantries had been exchanged, and verbal blows had been traded. In Yang Haoran's view, if nothing unexpected happened, Old Man Zhang should now get to the point.
"Emissary Yang, please don't fault Xiao Die for her rudeness. It's truly because she harbors some resentment, which caused her to be careless with her demeanor. She had no intention of offending Emissary Yang."
Old Man Zhang spoke with a smile, but his words conveyed no apology. Instead, they made Jiang Die's previous attitude seem perfectly reasonable.
Yang Haoran wore his benevolent smile and replied, "It's alright. After so many years of not speaking or interacting with people, it's understandable to lose the ability to speak and forget how to get along with others. I never discriminate against disabled people."
Old Man Zhang's smile froze. Jiang Die's expression, however, contorted in fury. She abruptly stood from her seat and bellowed at Yang Haoran.
"Who are you calling names? !"
No sooner had the roar left Jiang Die's mouth than a chain, as thick as an arm, struck her chest, sending her flying backward.
It all happened too fast. By the time everyone reacted, Jiang Die's body had already slammed violently onto the ground.
The expressions of everyone present changed drastically. No one had expected Yang Haoran, with his benevolent smile, to suddenly attack.
Even the snake demon, who had been suppressing her anger, was stunned by Yang Haoran's sudden move. She had thought Yang Haoran might continue to tangle with the other party for a while longer. She never imagined such a scene would unfold before her eyes.
Old Man Zhang likewise hadn't anticipated the situation to develop so suddenly. He had expected Jiang Die to get angry after Yang Haoran's words, but he hadn't foreseen Yang Haoran suddenly acting to injure someone. His thoughts were similar to the snake demon's: he believed Yang Haoran would swallow his anger and continue their negotiations.
In his view, Yang Haoran shouldn't have made a move before their discussions broke down, and he himself wouldn't have either, as both sides had their own reservations.
He thought this, and so did the snake demon, including Wang Yiming, who couldn't speak in such a setting, also thought the same.
However, Yang Haoran chose to play by his own rules, and the outcome was completely different from what they had anticipated.
Yang Haoran's strike, in Old Man Zhang's eyes, was a blatant provocation. The smile vanished from his face, and he abruptly stood up from his seat.
"Emissary Yang, what is the meaning of this? " Old Man Zhang roared at Yang Haoran, while Wang Yiming quickly ran to Jiang Die and helped her up.
Facing Old Man Zhang's fury, Yang Haoran's smile did not falter. He took a sip of tea, then looked at the enraged Old Man Zhang.
"Old Man Zhang, I'm a timid person. If someone yells at me, I get scared. When I get scared, I want to defend myself. Did you see her yelling at me just now?"
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