Chapter 423: Trust You
Yang Haoran was disinclined to elaborate, and Huo Laoban didn't press him further. He merely offered Yang Haoran a benevolent smile before turning his gaze back to Xu Meijing.
"From the looks of it, are you preparing to leave? " Huo Laoban asked with a smile. "The Underworld agents' combat trials haven't even begun. Wouldn't leaving now be too much of a pity?"
"Neither of us holds any interest in the combat trials, nor do we intend to participate," Xu Meijing replied placidly. "What's there to regret?"
Huo Laoban shook his head with a smile, not entirely agreeing with Xu Meijing's assertion.
"Every year, during the combat trials between Underworld agents, someone remarkable will emerge," Huo Laoban asked with a chuckle. "Someone once obscure can rise to renown after a single trial. Isn't that a good thing?"
"What's so good about that? " Xu Meijing countered.
"Heh heh, once one gains renown, it becomes easier to forge connections," Huo Laoban explained with a laugh. "That has no small impact on one's future prospects."
Xu Meijing offered a slight smile, then asked, "Huo Laoban, do you have something in mind this year? Are you planning to find someone to challenge to a duel?"
Upon hearing this, Huo Laoban shook his head, a wry smile spreading across his face. He sighed helplessly, "I wish I could, but unfortunately, my strength is limited, and I'm afraid of losing face."
Huo Laoban chortled and said, "Newcomers aren't necessarily weak in strength. I can tell at a glance that you two possess genuine capabilities. You won't necessarily lose if you duel other Underworld agents. Why not give it a try? I'll offer you two some guidance; if you win, it's all yours; if you lose, I'll shoulder half the burden."
Upon hearing this, Xu Meijing's smile deepened slightly.
Yang Haoran's expression remained impassive, still wearing a faint smile, but in his heart, some suspicions began to form.
There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world, nor will pies fall from the sky. Unsolicited favors often come with an ulterior motive, a situation especially prevalent between members of the opposite sex.
To Yang Haoran, Huo Laoban's words at this moment were perhaps an attempt to curry favor with Xu Meijing, or to gauge his and Xu Meijing's true strength through the combat trials, or perhaps they hid other designs entirely.
Yang Haoran couldn't be certain of the exact nature of the other party's intentions, but based on his many years of experience, such actions absolutely harbored other motives; this certainly wasn't simply an offer of pure goodwill.
Though he thought this way internally, Yang Haoran didn't betray any hint of caution or distaste on his face. He didn't even consider warning Xu Meijing, because he wanted to see what decision Xu Meijing would make under these circumstances.
If Xu Meijing agreed to Huo Laoban's proposition, then he would certainly intervene to stop her. Conversely, if Xu Meijing showed no interest, that would naturally be for the best, saving him the trouble of voicing his objection.
However, in Yang Haoran's view, Xu Meijing wasn't the kind of person lacking in shrewdness. He believed Xu Meijing would certainly discern the underlying issue. If she did and still accepted the other party's proposal, then he would likely have to re-evaluate the relationship between Xu Meijing and Huo Laoban.
The scenario Yang Haoran worried about most did not come to pass. Confronted with Huo Laoban's current proposition, Xu Meijing smiled, shaking her head in refusal.
"I appreciate Huo Laoban's kind intentions," she said, "but neither of us truly holds any interest in such combat trials, thus, we have no desire to waste time on it."
Huo Laoban's expression remained unchanged, the smile on his face unwavering. He showed not the slightest hint of disappointment.
"Even if you don't participate in the combat trials, you could still stay and observe the duels between other Underworld agents," Huo Laoban suggested. "Perhaps you could even learn something valuable from the experience."
"No, thank you," she replied. "We still have matters to attend to, so we won't be lingering in the Underworld. We'll take our leave now."
Upon hearing this, an expression of regret crossed Huo Laoban's face. He then immediately chuckled, "Since that's the case, I won't press you two to stay. Should I find the time another day, I'll personally pay you a visit."
Yang Haoran didn't speak, just smiled and nodded at Huo Laoban.
Xu Meijing, for her part, offered a faint smile and replied, "You're always welcome."
With her words delivered, Xu Meijing cast a meaningful glance at Yang Haoran, and the two then turned and departed.
Watching their retreating figures, Huo Laoban's expression remained utterly unchanged. That perpetual smile revealed nothing of his true thoughts at that moment.
Upon leaving the plaza, they stepped onto a street. By then, they had completely vanished from Huo Laoban's sight, and likewise, they could no longer sense Huo Laoban's presence.
"This Huo Laoban is no simple character, is he? " Yang Haoran said with a chuckle, glancing at Xu Meijing beside him.
Xu Meijing offered a faint smile, responding as she continued to walk.
"Indeed, he's no simple character," she said. "Like you, he's a smiling tiger, concealing a dagger behind his smile."
Hearing Xu Meijing's words, Yang Haoran felt a pang of awkwardness, yet simultaneously a wave of relief washed over him.
The awkwardness stemmed from Xu Meijing's description; the relief came from how clearly Xu Meijing saw things.
"He's truly your kindred spirit, isn't he? " Xu Meijing asked with a laugh. "So, did you feel a sense of 'meeting too late' when you saw him?"
Yang Haoran's mouth twitched faintly, then he replied with a bitter laugh, "No 'meeting too late' feeling at all. I'd prefer not to have met him at all."
Xu Meijing chuckled, then said placidly, "The first time I met this Huo Laoban, I already saw him as a smiling tiger. But he did help me, after all, so I can't say I have much fondness for him, but I don't feel much aversion either."
Hearing this, Yang Haoran chuckled, "Though I have great faith in your capabilities, I still can't help but want to offer a word of caution: if possible, minimize your dealings with him."
Yang Haoran's reminder made Xu Meijing's smile deepen.
"What are you worried about? " Xu Meijing asked with a smile.
"This Huo Laoban operates with a measured hand, knowing when to advance and retreat," Yang Haoran explained. "I'm worried that if you spend too much time interacting with him, he'll slowly infiltrate your defenses. At that point, I fear you'd be sold out and still help him count the money."
"Wouldn't you call this badmouthing others behind their backs? " Xu Meijing asked with a chuckle.
To Xu Meijing's question, Yang Haoran responded without a moment's hesitation.
"If that's how you choose to interpret it, so be it," he said. "If he truly considers you his prey, then forget merely badmouthing him behind his back; I wouldn't even mind subtly ensuring his demise."
As he spoke, the benevolent smile on Yang Haoran's face remained as always, and not the slightest hint of killing intent could be detected. It was as if he were merely making a slight jest.
But Xu Meijing knew Yang Haoran wasn't joking. After all, they were long past the stage of mere acquaintances; they had come to understand each other deeply.
"You smiling tigers are truly too dangerous," Xu Meijing said with a laugh. "Associating with people like you is tantamount to 'scheming with a tiger for its hide'—one can't discern which of your words are true and which are false. One might even be subtly killed by you one day without ever knowing it."
Yang Haoran offered an awkward smile, swiftly explaining, "Not 'you guys,' don't lump me in. He is he, and I am I. I don't know if he harbors ill intentions towards you, but I certainly do not."
Xu Meijing seemed intrigued by Yang Haoran's words. She pondered for a moment, then asked with a smile, "How will you prove that?"
Yang Haoran's smile stiffened. Xu Meijing's question truly stumped him.
How to prove it?
For a moment, he truly couldn't conceive of a method to prove himself.
If he were to use the existence of the Soul-Refining Cauldron to prove their relationship, it would only prove that Xu Meijing harbored no intention of killing him, for if Xu Meijing had wished to kill him, she would have dealt with him in the cave back then and not allowed him to walk out alive.
Yet, the existence of the Soul-Refining Cauldron could not prove that he harbored no ulterior motives towards Xu Meijing.
The more people aware of a clandestine existence like the Soul-Refining Cauldron, the more disadvantageous it becomes for oneself. Aside from himself, who could guarantee that Yang Haoran wouldn't decide to kill Xu Meijing to silence her over the matter of the Soul-Refining Cauldron?
Yang Haoran knew he would absolutely never do such a thing, but might Xu Meijing harbor such a suspicion?
After all, in his own estimation, a person like him could hardly be considered a true gentleman in Xu Meijing's eyes.
To prevent Xu Meijing from misunderstanding him, he absolutely had to prove himself, yet he couldn't find a suitable method to prove that he harbored no ill intent towards Xu Meijing.
After a moment's thought, Yang Haoran ultimately shook his head with a bitter laugh, his expression tinged with a hint of melancholy.
"I can't find any good way to prove myself," he admitted. "If you're uneasy, you could certainly implant some secret art or similar restriction within my body. My reaction, or lack thereof, will tell you if I'm deceiving you."
Watching Yang Haoran's melancholic expression, Xu Meijing burst out laughing, clearly amused by his plight.
"Heh heh, rest assured, if I didn't trust you, I wouldn't be this close to you," she chuckled. "Whether you harbor any ill intent towards me, I can naturally sense it. After all, we didn't just meet yesterday. As for Huo Laoban, I know what's what; you needn't worry."
Pausing slightly, Xu Meijing looked at Yang Haoran and continued with a smile, "If one day I am truly subtly undone by you, I, Xu Meijing, will accept my fate. I won't blame anyone; I'll only blame myself for being 'blind' and trusting the wrong person."
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