Chapter 477: Gain Requires Sacrifice
Ye Zhiqiu was truly astonished that Yang Haoran had come to him today, not for a confrontation, but to bestow a benefit upon him. This left him both surprised and deeply puzzled.
From what he knew, Yang Haoran was a man who valued profit above all else. This recent operation served as a prime example: for the sake of gain, Yang Haoran could set aside their past grievances, even wagering his own life. How much such a man prized personal advantage was clear to see.
Yet, at this very moment, Yang Haoran was actually offering him the spoils of that very operation. Ye Zhiqiu simply could not fathom why.
He had witnessed the scale of the operation's gains, with the exception of the Second Brother's independent space. By his estimation, the vast number of Demon Armaments constituted their greatest haul, especially the Elder Brother's Lifebound Demon Armament—a weapon on the verge of advancing to four-marked, undoubtedly the most valuable among all the Demon Armaments.
Nevertheless, Yang Haoran intended to give them all to him, including the Lifebound Demon Armament of the five brothers' leader. How could this not shock and perplex him?
"What do you mean?"
Ye Zhiqiu, having processed the situation, spoke in a low, grave voice. His face was devoid of a smile; beyond his confusion, only vigilance remained, for he had no idea what trick Yang Haoran was playing.
"Don't look at me like I'm a thief," Yang Haoran said with a smile. "Didn't I just make it perfectly clear? These Demon Armaments are all for you. You can use them to enhance your Lifebound Demon Armament."
Ye Zhiqiu's voice was low and serious. The wariness and doubt on his face did not dissipate because of Yang Haoran's words.
"Haha, you're right, I am that kind," Yang Haoran chuckled. "But I really hope you don't follow up with terrible lines like 'I don't believe it! ' or 'Really? ', after all, you're not a game show host."
Ye Zhiqiu stared at Yang Haoran, seemingly trying to discern something from his expression, but to his disappointment, he found nothing.
He gently shook his head, then spoke in a deep voice, "No need. According to our agreement back then, all spoils from the operation belong to you. I cannot personally break that promise."
"Since our agreement has changed," Yang Haoran said with a smile, "the original one naturally ceases to be in effect. So, you don't need to feel any burden."
Ye Zhiqiu still shook his head, stating, "I have my principles. So, please take all these Demon Armaments back."
At this point, Ye Zhiqiu was utterly unyielding. Yang Haoran, however, was neither angry nor in a hurry; he continued to speak with a smile.
"Principles, sometimes you absolutely must have them, but other times, you can do without them. I ask you, are your principles more important than the female demon within your sword?"
As Yang Haoran's words left his mouth, Ye Zhiqiu's expression immediately turned grim. He stared at Yang Haoran, speaking in a low, grave voice, a hint of coldness now lacing his tone.
"Are you threatening me?"
Yang Haoran's smile remained unchanged as he replied, "You're already my person now. Do I even need to threaten you? I'm saying, can't you be a little more cheerful, like me? Wouldn't it be nice to smile more often?"
"I don't want to wear a mask of hypocrisy on my face all the time," Ye Zhiqiu said in a deep voice.
Ye Zhiqiu's words were sharp, but Yang Haoran paid them no mind. He continued to chuckle, "If your Lifebound Demon Armament is stronger, it will be less prone to breaking. Conversely, if your Lifebound Demon Armament shatters easily, what then of the female demon's soul within your sword?"
Seeing that Yang Haoran's true intention lay elsewhere and he wasn't actually using the female demon to threaten him, Ye Zhiqiu's expression softened considerably.
"If I don't use the Demon Armament, she won't be harmed," Ye Zhiqiu said faintly. Although his attitude towards Yang Haoran remained cool, the coldness from before had vanished.
"And without using your Demon Armament, how much of your peak strength can you bring forth? " Yang Haoran asked with a smile.
Ye Zhiqiu furrowed his brow tightly. He chose silence, not answering Yang Haoran's question.
It wasn't that he didn't want to answer, but that he simply couldn't. As a Demon Hunter, if he didn't use his Lifebound Demon Armament in battle, his strength would be severely reduced. Being able to exert even half of his peak strength would be quite good.
He understood clearly that Yang Haoran wanted him to serve for ten years precisely for his combat prowess. If he couldn't even unleash half of his peak strength, what purpose would Yang Haoran's decade-long demand for service hold?
Therefore, he had no answer to Yang Haoran's question.
"Not using your Lifebound Demon Armament is ultimately a last resort," Yang Haoran stated. "While this method may prevent your Lifebound Demon Armament from being harmed, it could lead to you being harmed, or even losing your life. If you die and your soul is scattered, what then of the female demon? Even if I had the power to extract her from the sword's inner world at that point, if you're no longer here, do you think she'd be happy? I doubt it, because you would have left her with endless longing. Do you want to see her become like you are now?"
Yang Haoran's words made Ye Zhiqiu's brows furrow even deeper, but he still said nothing, maintaining his silence.
"I've asked you to serve me for ten years, and during that decade, you'll undoubtedly undertake many perilous missions," Yang Haoran continued. "If you don't even use your Lifebound Demon Armament, a single mission could cost you your life. This isn't just being irresponsible to me, it's being irresponsible to yourself. And of course, it's being irresponsible to the female demon within your sword."
At this point, Yang Haoran noticed Ye Zhiqiu had clearly wavered. The smile on his face deepened slightly, and he finally spoke.
"Personally, I think your most sensible course of action right now is to raise your Demon Armament to four-marked as much as possible. This way, not only will your Demon Armament be less likely to shatter, but your own combat power will also increase. It's killing two birds with one stone, so why wouldn't you do it?"
After Yang Haoran finished speaking, Ye Zhiqiu finally stopped his resistance. With a grim expression, he nodded to Yang Haoran.
"I know what I must do."
Yang Haoran chuckled, then said, "In that case, I'll wish you good fortune in advance on acquiring a four-marked Demon Armament. Of course, if these Demon Armaments aren't enough to advance your Lifebound Demon Armament to four-marked, then consider my early congratulations unsaid. I'll find a way to get you more Demon Armaments then."
With those words, Yang Haoran left Ye Zhiqiu's room. As he stepped out, the door closed by itself, leaving only Ye Zhiqiu and the numerous Demon Armaments inside.
Ye Zhiqiu watched Yang Haoran depart. Only after the door closed did he retract his gaze, then looked at the Demon Armaments floating suspended throughout the room.
After a moment, Ye Zhiqiu paid no mind to the floating Demon Armaments. Instead, he turned his attention back to the longsword in his hand, gently polishing its blade, his expression softening.
"I am human, you are demon. No matter how much my strength increases, I will ultimately leave this world before you, and then we will both be separated by life and death," he murmured. "However, in my lifetime, I must do everything I can to raise my strength, so that I can offer you more protection while I am still alive."
Ye Zhiqiu continued to wipe the longsword, muttering to himself. Yang Haoran's words just now had deeply affected him, which was why he was now speaking to the sword in such a manner.
He knew the female demon wouldn't hear these words, as her soul was still in a deep slumber. Before her soul awakened, it was impossible for her to hear external sounds. So, he was, in fact, speaking to himself.
What he hadn't expected, however, was that after his monologue ceased, the longsword in his hand actually trembled faintly.
Such a sudden occurrence completely caught Ye Zhiqiu off guard. He paused for a moment in surprise, then an expression of delighted surprise immediately bloomed on his face.
At that instant, his first thought was that the female demon's soul had awakened. But then, to his disappointment, he found that the longsword merely trembled faintly before returning to stillness, with no further movement.
In response, Ye Zhiqiu quickly merged his consciousness into the sword's interior. The female demon's soul floated quietly within the sword's world, showing no immediate signs of awakening.
After waiting for a long time, the female demon's soul remained utterly still. Ye Zhiqiu, with a mix of doubt and disappointment, could only withdraw his consciousness from the sword's inner world.
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