Chapter 979: Snickering
Yang Haoran didn't yell or shout; his emotions remained perfectly steady. Yet, Xiang Chuan could sense Yang Haoran's unwavering resolve regarding the matter.
Neither of the two choices Yang Haoran offered suited Xiang Chuan. Thus, even though he perceived Yang Haoran's determination, he decided to persist in his persuasion. If he could make Yang Haoran give up and abandon the idea of recruiting him, then he would regain his freedom—that was the outcome he truly desired.
Though he knew the chances were slim, he still resolved to try. After all, trying at least offered a sliver of success; not trying meant there was no possibility at all.
“Emissary Yang,” Xiang Chuan began, “as I mentioned before, the reason I journeyed deep into the Xinyang Mountain Range was to escape my enemies' pursuit. If I truly follow you, and they come knocking, it will undoubtedly bring immense trouble upon you, Emissary Yang. While I admit I possess some skill in pharmacology, I am an inauspicious person. Not only will I fail to bring you any benefit, but I might even bring catastrophic disaster upon you, Emissary Yang. Therefore, I implore you to think twice, Emissary Yang, lest you regret it when it's too late! ”
Xiang Chuan delivered these words with utmost seriousness and sincerity, as if he were genuinely considering Yang Haoran's welfare, rather than simply expressing his own reluctance to follow him.
Yang Haoran, of course, wasn't foolish enough to believe Xiang Chuan was truly thinking of his benefit. As long as his brain hadn't gone rotten, he wouldn't entertain such naive thoughts.
“You needn’t worry about your enemies,” Yang Haoran said. “If they truly come for you, I will naturally shield you. As long as I draw breath, I will absolutely not let them harm you. Since I, Yang Haoran, can utter these words, I can naturally deliver on them. Furthermore, if you’re with me, it’s unlikely they’ll even find you. ”
Yang Haoran smiled, offering his guarantee to Xiang Chuan. Xiang Chuan, however, dropped his usual playful demeanor, his face etched with difficulty. He wished to say something more, but Yang Haoran stopped him with a wave of his hand.
As his voice trailed off, Yang Haoran paused slightly, then added another sentence.
“Trust me, you will absolutely not suffer any loss by following me, nor will you regret it. I have confidence in myself, and I hope you will have confidence in me too. ”
After leaving these words, Yang Haoran said nothing more, rising to walk towards the door.
Xiang Chuan watched Yang Haoran’s departing back, a look of helplessness on his face. He couldn’t help but speak.
“Emissary Yang, a forced melon is never sweet! ”
Yang Haoran paused, then turned to face Xiang Chuan, responding with a smile.
“As long as the melon is ripe, it cannot be anything but sweet,” Yang Haoran countered. “And in my opinion, a forcibly twisted melon tastes even better. ”
Xiang Chuan was momentarily stunned by Yang Haoran's words. By the time he recovered, Yang Haoran had already left the room, closing the door behind him.
Xiang Chuan stared at the door, and after a long while, he shook his head with a bitter expression and sighed.
“Damn it all, I’ve been utterly screwed over by that guy this time! If I had known this would happen, I should have stayed far away from him back then. What kind of damn deal did I make with him? He just died and got it over with, but now I’m the one suffering terribly! ”
The more Xiang Chuan thought about it, the more wronged he felt, hence he couldn't help but curse vehemently. The object of his curses was naturally the Black-Robed Person, whose soul had undergone Soul Transformation.
Yang Haoran was not the first to try and recruit him. Before encountering Yang Haoran, many others had extended offers, but he had rejected them all with various excuses. As he often said, he loved freedom and lived a wild, unrestrained life, thus he didn't wish to be bound by anyone or anything.
Given the noble status of a Pharmacist, few people were willing to offend one. So, even when he rejected their invitations, these individuals still treated him with courtesy. After all, if recruitment failed, they could still be friends, which at least left them an avenue for the future, perhaps even to request him to refine Dānyào for them someday.
Furthermore, his own strength was not weak, and the wide variety of Dānyào he refined significantly boosted his combat prowess. Therefore, even when he had encountered individuals who tried to use forceful means against him in the past, they found themselves utterly helpless, and were even taught a lesson by him instead.
Initially, he had been somewhat smug about this, believing his strength to be quite respectable. It wasn't until his encounter with Yang Haoran this time that he realized his previous luck was simply due to not having met a truly formidable opponent. Facing a ruthless character like Yang Haoran, he felt utterly powerless.
Although Yang Haoran appeared very amiable, conversing with him always with a smile and a polite demeanor, Xiang Chuan could sense the immense danger lurking behind that smile. If he truly refused Yang Haoran, he suspected he might genuinely die by Yang Haoran's hand.
As for confronting Yang Haoran directly, that would be nothing short of hitting a rock with an egg. His strength was indeed considerable within his own Realm, as he possessed numerous Dānyào to aid and significantly enhance his combat power. However, against someone a full Realm above him like Yang Haoran, he had no confidence whatsoever.
Moreover, at this moment, all his power was sealed by Yang Haoran. He had attempted various methods to break through the seal within his body, but all had ultimately ended in failure.
If he couldn't even break the seal Yang Haoran had placed within him, the vast disparity in their strengths was evident. In such a situation, what could he possibly use to fight Yang Haoran?
He couldn't win a fight, and he couldn't reason with him. Thus, Xiang Chuan’s heart was filled with both anger and profound helplessness.
After cursing the Black-Robed Person for a while, Xiang Chuan vented some of the fire in his heart. Only then did he sigh, weakly collapsing onto the bed, his face bitter, racking his brain for a countermeasure.
He didn't know how much time had passed. Xiang Chuan, who had been lying motionless on the bed, suddenly seemed to recall something. His previously lifeless eyes instantly lit up, and his body shot upright into a sitting position.
“Damn it,” he exclaimed, “with my intelligence, I actually didn't think of this method! How embarrassing! ”
Xiang Chuan cast off his previous troubled expression, his mood once again becoming lively. A mischievous smile spread across his face, and a surprised sound escaped his lips. Then, realizing something, he quickly clapped a hand over his mouth.
This was Yang Haoran's territory, and if he spoke certain words aloud, who knew if Yang Haoran might overhear? It was precisely this sudden realization that made him hastily cover his mouth, preventing himself from uttering another sound.
“Good thing I reacted quickly,” he thought. “If I had let my excitement get the better of me and blurted out this method, my plan might have been ruined. But it’s still too early to go to Yang Haoran now; he’d surely see right through me. So, I need to stall for a while. During this time, however, I must keep up this troubled act. Only then can I lower his guard and earn his trust. ”
Xiang Chuan thought this to himself. Then, he slowly removed the hand covering his mouth. As he withdrew it, the excited expression on his face vanished, replaced once more by a troubled grimace.
Leaning back, Xiang Chuan let his body fall onto the bed once more. This time, however, he pulled the blanket over his head and most of his body. The part of his body exposed outside the covers trembled slightly, and indistinctly, one could hear his heavily suppressed laughter from beneath the blanket.
The laughter was very faint, almost imperceptible without listening closely, but the subtle tremor of his body was quite obvious, making even the blanket gently quiver.
Just a moment ago, he had been full of sorrow; now, however, he couldn't help but snicker from beneath the blanket. Such a dramatic reversal in his mood was naturally due to him having conceived a viable method to escape Yang Haoran and regain his freedom.
As for whether this method would truly work, that remained to be seen. But at least in his estimation, his plan was definitely viable, which was why he was so overjoyed.
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