Chapter 976: I Really Didn't Lie to You
Xiang Chuan didn't feel awkward because of Yang Haoran's refusal. His face still carried an excited smile as he showered Yang Haoran with a torrent of words.
Without exception, all he spoke were praises: how much he missed Yang Haoran, how mighty Yang Haoran was, how formidable his strength was, and so on. If he weren't a man, such words would surely cause misunderstanding in others; even as a man, they might still well cause misunderstanding.
Yang Haoran didn't interrupt Xiang Chuan, nor did he speak. Instead, he found a spot to sit down, smoking a cigarette as he listened to Xiang Chuan continuously showering him with flattery.
It wasn't that he wanted to hear Xiang Chuan's praises. He knew his own capabilities clearly enough without needing others to praise him. He was simply too lazy to interrupt Xiang Chuan. Besides, he also wanted to use this method to learn more about Xiang Chuan. The more the other party spoke, the more opportunities he would have to discern a person's inner character from the details.
After an unknown period, Xiang Chuan finally stopped speaking. As for the reason, perhaps speaking alone became too boring, or perhaps he had already exhausted all his sycophantic words and no longer knew what to say.
Xiang Chuan, now silent, plopped down opposite Yang Haoran. At this moment, a hint of awkwardness finally appeared on his face. He had rambled on and on, his lips practically blistered, while Yang Haoran had merely watched him like an idiot. Anyone in such a situation would likely feel somewhat embarrassed.
"Are you done talking?"
Yang Haoran looked at Xiang Chuan, took a puff of his cigarette, and asked with a smile.
Xiang Chuan chuckled and replied to Yang Haoran. Although he was a bit awkward, he wasn't so embarrassed that he couldn't speak.
"Alright then, let me perform. First, I have a question for you: Who was that Black-Robed Person from that day, and how much do you know about them?"
Yang Haoran had kept Xiang Chuan imprisoned here for a month. Now that they met, Yang Haoran didn't apologize to Xiang Chuan about the matter, nor did Xiang Chuan demand an explanation from Yang Haoran, as both understood there was no need.
And now, as Yang Haoran proactively brought up the Black-Robed Person, Xiang Chuan's face showed no surprise, as if he had long known Yang Haoran would ask this question.
"If I were to say that I'm not familiar with that Black-Robed Person either, would Emissary Yang believe me?"
Xiang Chuan spoke, but as he answered Yang Haoran's question, his previous awkwardness had completely vanished, replaced by a cheeky grin, looking utterly frivolous.
Yang Haoran's expression remained unchanged. He didn't speak, merely smiling as he looked at Xiang Chuan.
Initially, Xiang Chuan didn't think much of it. Just looking, so what? Could he possibly discern something extraordinary? But as time slowly passed, he began to feel a little uncomfortable. Eventually, Yang Haoran's gaze even made his heart pound, making him feel uneasy all over.
"Heh heh, Emissary Yang, looking at me so affectionately, you're making me shy."
Although he felt a shiver down his spine, Xiang Chuan still spoke frivolously, though this time, when saying it to Yang Haoran, he was clearly less natural.
Yang Haoran remained as before, not speaking, but looking at Xiang Chuan with a smile.
Xiang Chuan, whose heart was already pounding from Yang Haoran's gaze, saw that Yang Haoran remained so calm and instantly felt a surge of panic.
"Alright, alright, I won't joke with Emissary Yang anymore. What I just said was true, I really am not familiar with that Black-Robed Person. From beginning to end, I've only seen them a few times."
Hearing this, Yang Haoran nodded gently with a smile. Xiang Chuan saw Yang Haoran nod, assuming Yang Haoran believed his words, and a hint of joy welled up in his heart. But it was at this moment that Yang Haoran spoke.
"Pharmacist Xiang, I, Yang Haoran, have always held great respect for you Pharmacists. It is precisely because of this that I did not harm you, merely imprisoning you. Otherwise, according to my rules, for you to collude with the Black-Robed Person and attempt to put me to death—based on that alone, I should have killed you. I believe Pharmacist Xiang understands what I mean by this."
The joy that had just sprouted in Xiang Chuan's heart instantly dissipated upon hearing Yang Haoran's words.
Although Yang Haoran's expression hadn't changed, his face still carried a smile, and his emotions remained stable without any fluctuations, Xiang Chuan still sensed a strong killing intent from Yang Haoran's words.
He knew that Yang Haoran was not satisfied with his answer. To put it more directly, Yang Haoran simply didn't believe that he and the Black-Robed Person were unacquainted, which was why his words carried such strong warning and threat.
From Yang Haoran's words, it wasn't hard to discern that if his next response still failed to satisfy Yang Haoran, he felt that this Underworld Official might truly kill him. Thinking of this, he quickly began to explain.
"Emissary Yang, I really didn't lie to you. That Black-Robed Person only contacted me a few times. I don't even know if they were male or female, so how could I be familiar with them? If I'm speaking half a falsehood, may I be struck dead by lightning the moment I step outside!"
To make Yang Haoran believe him, Xiang Chuan even swore a venomous oath.
The Black-Robed Person was a woman; Yang Haoran only learned this in the end. As for whether Xiang Chuan truly didn't know if the Black-Robed Person was male or female, Yang Haoran made no immediate judgment.
"Heh heh, I'm starting to believe you a little. Tell me, how did you two meet? I'm quite curious."
Yang Haoran said with a smile. Claiming to "believe Xiang Chuan a little" was false; his true intention was to glean more information about the Black-Robed Person from Xiang Chuan's mouth.
Moreover, he wanted to use what Xiang Chuan said to judge the veracity of his words. The more Xiang Chuan spoke, and the more detailed his account, the better he could determine if Xiang Chuan was lying. After all, he who talks much is bound to reveal something. If Xiang Chuan had said nothing at all, he would have been unable to make an accurate judgment.
For the remainder of their time, Xiang Chuan explained in detail, telling Yang Haoran how he and the Black-Robed Person had met and how many times they had interacted.
It turned out that Xiang Chuan was not a native Pharmacist of Xinyang City. He came from another city in Jingling Continent. The reason he came to the Xinyang Mountain Range was partly to escape pursuit from enemies, and partly because the Xinyang Mountain Range was vast and rich in spiritual medicinal ingredients, some of which were unique to the Xinyang Mountain Range. Therefore, he decided to settle deep within the mountain range.
After arriving deep in the Xinyang Mountain Range, he initially stayed there peacefully, not venturing out. But after a short while, seeing that his enemies hadn't tracked him down, his worries gradually dissipated with each passing day.
He was not a restless person by nature; to put it bluntly, he couldn't stand loneliness. So, as his worries decreased, he often liked to go into Xinyang City to wander around when he had nothing to do. Sometimes it was because he needed to buy something, but other times it was simply to enjoy himself in Xinyang City, to experience a bit of the mortal world.
It was precisely because of this that his presence was no longer a secret. The news that a Pharmacist lived deep within the Xinyang Mountain Range spread, though not many people knew it.
Later, the Black-Robed Person sought him out. This was also the first time he had met the Black-Robed Person.
When the Black-Robed Person approached him, they simply wanted to make a deal: the Black-Robed Person would provide a certain amount of spiritual medicinal ingredients, and he would refine a batch of Dānyào according to the Black-Robed Person's requirements.
He initially didn't want to take on this business, but the spiritual medicinal ingredients offered by the Black-Robed Person were extremely tempting, and all the materials for refining the Dānyào were also provided by the Black-Robed Person. He only needed to supply his expertise, so he agreed.
After the deed was done, the Black-Robed Person was very satisfied with the Dānyào he had refined, and the Black-Robed Person also paid him a batch of spiritual medicinal ingredients as promised. This was his first transaction with the Black-Robed Person, and both parties were very satisfied.
Subsequently, the Black-Robed Person sought him out twice more. Although the Dānyào they requested him to refine on these two occasions were different from the first, the remuneration they offered was just as generous. This made him happy and, at the same time, gave him a greater fondness for the Black-Robed Person, a fondness stemming from their generosity and straightforwardness.
The matter concerning Yang Haoran was the fourth time the Black-Robed Person had approached him.
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