Chapter 422: Huo Laoban
Xu Meijing's Soul-Refining Cauldron was already halfway refined. Yang Haoran had seen it with his own eyes, and Xu Meijing had also told him that she would successfully refine her Soul-Refining Cauldron before the end of next year.
Yang Haoran, of course, had no doubts about Xu Meijing's words, for he had absolute faith in her capabilities.
It was precisely because Yang Haoran believed Xu Meijing would refine the Soul-Refining Cauldron before the end of next year that a certain worry began to sprout in his heart.
The number of souls Xu Meijing had submitted this year was too low. It was highly likely that she had held back souls, preparing in advance for the future refinement of Soul Pills.
In truth, there was nothing inherently wrong with this approach; after all, Yang Haoran himself did the same. However, he was exceedingly careful about which souls must be kept and which should be submitted.
His worry stemmed from the fear that Xu Meijing lacked restraint. Holding back too many souls might expose her, and while his own fate in such a scenario was uncertain, Xu Meijing would undoubtedly face tragedy.
Yang Haoran did not wish to see such a tragedy befall Xu Meijing, so he felt it was absolutely necessary to give her a warning.
However, he couldn't bring up the matter in the current setting. He could only suppress his inner worries for now and have a proper talk with Xu Meijing after they left the Underworld.
The submission of souls continued. Those Underworld Officials who had already completed their submissions began to scout for their gambling duel targets.
Although neither of them had fully unleashed the Spirit Power within their bodies, and the faintly emanating power fluctuations weren't overly intense, which could mislead others in judging their true strength, both were well aware of their own capabilities. Should they agree to a challenger's duel, they would, in all likelihood, be the ones to lose.
“The rest has nothing to do with us,” Xu Meijing said to Yang Haoran. “Let's go back to the mortal realm and do what we need to do. ”
Yang Haoran nodded. He had never been particularly interested in gambling duels, and with something on his mind that he wanted to discuss with Xu Meijing, he naturally had no desire to remain in the Underworld.
“Have you picked up the custom skins? ” Xu Meijing asked.
“Yes, I did. They were ready yesterday,” Yang Haoran replied.
“Is there anything else you need to take care of? ” Xu Meijing asked again.
Yang Haoran shook his head, giving Xu Meijing an affirmative reply.
After receiving Yang Haoran's affirmative reply, Xu Meijing asked no further questions. The two of them left the area where the Jingling Continent's Underworld Officials were gathered, preparing to depart the Underworld and return to the mortal realm.
However, just as the two of them left the area of Jingling Continent above, a man's voice came from behind them.
“Miss Xu? ”
Although the place was very noisy, Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing heard those three words clearly, for the owner of the voice was very close to them, not far behind.
There was no need to think; it was clear the voice belonged to someone who had come for Xu Meijing.
After all, Yang Haoran's surname wasn't Xu, nor was he a 'Miss. ' The one who fit the title 'Miss Xu,' of course, was only Xu Meijing beside him.
The two halted their steps and turned to look behind them. Standing there was a man who appeared to be only twenty-seven or twenty-eight. He was handsome, with a smile on his face that gave off a very comfortable feeling.
However, upon seeing this man, a hint of wariness, or perhaps even aversion, arose in Yang Haoran's heart, because he was too familiar with the smile on the man's face.
That kind of smile, which conveyed kindness, approachability, and an extremely comfortable feeling, was precisely the smile he himself often wore.
Others might not grasp the true meaning behind such a smile, but how could Yang Haoran not know? Beneath that kind and approachable smile lay hidden deceit, cunning, and hypocrisy.
In Yang Haoran's opinion, the man before him was cut from the same cloth. Such individuals were undoubtedly dangerous, and it was best to avoid dealing with them entirely.
However, from the current situation, it seemed this man knew Xu Meijing and had specifically come for her.
“I wondered who it was; I didn't expect it to be you,” Xu Meijing said, glancing at the man with a faint tone.
There was no smile on Xu Meijing's face, yet no expression of distaste either; she was merely as aloof as ever.
“Heh heh, it's been a while, and you've grown even more beautiful. You truly dazzle me. Just now, I almost thought I'd mistaken someone else for you, nearly didn't recognize you,” the man said with a laugh.
“By your words, do you mean I used to be an ugly monster? ”
Although Xu Meijing's words were meant to retort to the man, a faint smile appeared on her face as she spoke.
“Heh heh, Miss Xu, you've misinterpreted my meaning. I said you're becoming more beautiful; I certainly didn't say you used to be an ugly monster. Given your beauty and temperament, let alone now, even in the past, it would be difficult to find your equal across the entire Jingling Continent,” the man said, chuckling.
The man was exceedingly handsome. Though he hadn't reached Guan Hai's level, he was certainly a rare sight of handsomeness, and the smile on his face not only added a touch of sunshine and amiability to his good looks but also made his handsomeness seem less unapproachable.
“Don't call me 'Miss' anything; it always feels a bit awkward to me. You should just call me by my name,” Xu Meijing said with a faint smile.
“Heh heh, alright then, from now on, I'll just call you by your name. ” The man chuckled, then his gaze shifted to Yang Haoran, who stood beside Xu Meijing.
Though Yang Haoran felt a degree of wariness and aversion towards this man in his heart, he showed not the slightest hint of it on his face. Like the man, he, too, wore a full smile, a smile that was equally kind and gave off a very comfortable feeling.
It was just that, compared to the man, Yang Haoran fell short in terms of looks, and his words weren't as sugary. As for temperament, however, he was in no way inferior to the other party.
Gazing at Yang Haoran, a flicker of wariness darted through the man's eyes.
Yang Haoran found the man dangerous, and the man likewise perceived Yang Haoran as a dangerous presence. Yet, both the man and Yang Haoran showed nothing of this.
“Meijing, is this your friend? ” the man asked with a smile.
“Don't you dare call me Meijing; that sounds even more awkward to me,” Xu Meijing responded to the man first, then glanced at Yang Haoran before introducing him to the man: “His name is Yang Haoran, he's my friend, the Emissary of Death for Lecheng. ”
After introducing Yang Haoran to the man, Xu Meijing then introduced the man to Yang Haoran.
“This is Huo Laoban, whom I mentioned to you before. He's the owner of the Yin-Yang Emporium. ”
After hearing Xu Meijing's introduction, both the man and Yang Haoran almost simultaneously extended their hands with smiles, though Yang Haoran's movement was slightly quicker, and the man's a bit slower.
As their hands met, the smiles on their faces deepened a few shades, but the wariness in their hearts significantly increased.
“Brother Yang, it's a pleasure to meet you. I used to hear Meijing say she had no friends, and I never imagined she was lying to me. It turns out she has a friend like you. I'm truly envious of you; in her eyes, I'm probably only slightly better than a stranger, not even counting as a friend, yet I've always regarded her as my best friend. ”
The man, all smiles, spoke with considerable flavor, making fun of himself while praising Xu Meijing and highlighting her important place in his heart.
However, he hadn't changed his address for Xu Meijing according to her earlier wishes, still using the somewhat intimate 'Meijing' to refer to her.
“Heh heh, a pleasure to meet you, Huo Laoban. ”
The man's identity surprised Yang Haoran somewhat. He hadn't guessed that this man was the owner of the Yin-Yang Emporium, but he didn't let his inner surprise show on his face.
Furthermore, for a first handshake and introduction, Yang Haoran didn't say as much as Huo Laoban. He merely offered a smiling greeting, saying nothing else, much less engaging with the other party's words.
His reluctance to speak much to Huo Laoban was partly Yang Haoran's way of conveying his attitude to the other party.
Moreover, by not engaging with the man's words, he was both unwilling to reveal more information and also making his stance clear.
As his words fell, the two tacitly released their hands simultaneously. Yet, the smiles on their faces did not diminish; they remained as deep as before, giving the impression of old friends meeting unexpectedly after many years, filled with pleasant surprise and camaraderie.
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