For Every Inch of Good, There's a Foot of Evil
Yang Haoran didn't even think about it before immediately giving his reply, which left Xiang Chuan utterly speechless. He couldn't help but curse Yang Haoran fiercely in his heart. However, Yang Haoran giving such a reply wasn't entirely unexpected; what *did* surprise him was how direct Yang Haoran was. He was slightly stunned for a moment, then quickly recovered, continuing to proceed according to his plan.
“It seems Lord Emissary Yang truly has no intention of letting me go,” Xiang Chuan said with a helpless expression. “As you said that day, 'it's better to live ignobly than to die,' and I will indeed make the right decision. Because I don't want to die so young; I haven't lived enough yet. So, I agree to your terms. ” From his expression and tone, it was clear he made this decision purely out of coercion. If he had any other choice, he absolutely would not have made it. Faced with life and freedom, he chose the former.
He had thought that after he said these words, Yang Haoran would undoubtedly be overjoyed. His emotions wouldn't necessarily become incredibly agitated, but at the very least, they would fluctuate somewhat. After all, Yang Haoran had gone to great lengths during this period to successfully bring him under his command. Now that he had accepted the recruitment, Yang Haoran had no reason not to be happy, no reason not to be excited. But he was still wrong. After Yang Haoran heard his words, he remained just as he had been; his emotions didn't fluctuate in the slightest, and the smile on his face remained gentle.
Yet, he felt there was something off about this smile today, as if something else had been added to it. But what exactly had been added, and what exactly was wrong, he couldn't quite figure out at that moment. Furthermore, the way Yang Haoran looked at him right now also seemed different from usual. It made him feel as if he had been seen through completely, which left him very uneasy. He even began to doubt whether his plan would work.
“Damn it, could it be that Yang Haoran has guessed what I'm thinking? ” Xiang Chuan thought to himself. As this thought emerged, the feeling of unease instantly grew stronger.
However, he didn't abandon his plan because of the unease in his heart. He had already reached this point; even if the sky fell, he had to proceed with his original plan. Xiang Chuan not only kept his true thoughts from showing on his face, but instead deliberately put on a troubled expression. Yet, compared to his previous utterly dispirited state, he now seemed to possess a touch of lively human vigor.
“Lord Emissary Yang, I can agree to your terms, but I have three conditions. If you can agree to these three, then from now on, I'll follow your lead. If you tell me to go east, I'll never go west. ”
Hearing this, Yang Haoran asked with a smile.
“Heh heh, what conditions? ”
“First, you must give me at least two days off every week; I want to have a two-day weekend. During my time off, I have the right to do absolutely nothing. Of course, if I'm in a good mood and willingly work overtime, that's another matter. ”
“Second, whether I'm working or resting, you cannot force me to do anything I dislike. I don't want to follow you only to lose all my human rights. ”
“Third, you're taking me under your command, surely because you value my pharmaceutical skills. However, refining medicine consumes a lot of resources. Without absolute financial backing, a Pharmacist simply cannot sustain themselves; I'm sure you understand this well. But since you're so determined to take me in, you must possess such financial capability. Therefore, all the spiritual herbs and ingredients I need for refining medicine in the future must be provided by you. Regardless of whether the Dānyào is refined for you or for me, you will handle all the spiritual ingredients. ”
As his words fell, Xiang Chuan paused slightly, then continued speaking to Yang Haoran.
“If Lord Emissary Yang can agree to these three conditions, then the invisible thread between us will be successfully connected. However, if you don't agree, I'm afraid this invisible thread between us will never connect. Do you agree? ”
Yang Haoran didn't answer Xiang Chuan immediately. He extinguished the cigarette butt in his hand, and then said with a smile to Xiang Chuan.
“Although your words are a bit contradictory, it doesn't matter. I can agree to all three of your conditions. ”
Yang Haoran agreed very readily. Xiang Chuan, however, felt somewhat perplexed, because the matter was proceeding much more smoothly than he had anticipated, which couldn't help but give him a profound sense of unreality.
Right now, the plan had reached its most crucial moment, and not the slightest slip-up could occur. Otherwise, everything he had done during this period would have been in vain. So even though he felt something was amiss in his heart, aside from secretly remaining vigilant, he didn't show any extraneous emotions on his face.
“Alright then, from now on, I am Lord Emissary Yang's person. Since we're all on the same side now, I wonder when Lord Emissary Yang will unseal my body? ”
Previously, Xiang Chuan hadn't made such a request to Yang Haoran because he felt it was completely unrealistic. But now it was different; since they were all on the same side, then unsealing his body and allowing him to recover his strength was indeed a reasonable matter.
However, Yang Haoran, who always liked to nod with a smile, this time shook his head instead.
Xiang Chuan took in all of Yang Haoran's reactions. Seeing Yang Haoran shake his head, Xiang Chuan frowned, and a look of doubt appeared on his face.
“Why does Lord Emissary Yang shake his head? Does Lord Emissary Yang not intend to unseal my body? If the seal isn't removed, I'll have no power. Then how am I to work for you? ”
Xiang Chuan consecutively asked several questions, his tone filled with doubt.
“Heh heh, the seal will certainly be removed for you, but not right now. ”
Yang Haoran responded with a smile. As soon as Xiang Chuan heard Yang Haoran's words, a look of displeasure instantly appeared on his face.
“Lord Emissary Yang, what do you mean by this? I've already agreed to follow you, and you've agreed to my three conditions. Why are you still unwilling to unseal my body? ”
Yang Haoran naturally detected the displeasure in Xiang Chuan's words, but he didn't care. Not even the slightest change occurred in the smile on his face.
“My unwillingness to unseal your body is because I feel it's not the right time yet. I can't be sure if you're truly willing to follow me, or if you're deliberately trying to deceive me. Recklessly unsealing your body wouldn't quite align with my style. Although I don't believe you could stir up much trouble even if your seal were removed, it would still ultimately bring me some bother. I sometimes detest trouble, so naturally, it's best to avoid unnecessary hassle. ”
Yang Haoran's words finally made Xiang Chuan understand where his feeling of unease came from. This feeling stemmed precisely from Yang Haoran's distrust of him.
“Employ no one you suspect, suspect no one you employ. Does Lord Emissary Yang not even understand this principle? ”
Xiang Chuan asked in a low voice, the displeasure on his face now a few shades more apparent than before.
“Heh heh, I naturally understand this principle,” Yang Haoran said with a smile, “but these words also depend on who they're applied to; not everyone qualifies. ” Xiang Chuan fell silent for a moment, before speaking to Yang Haoran with a somber expression.
“Lord Emissary Yang wants to take me under his command, yet he refuses to trust me. I truly don't know what to do. ”
Yang Haoran chuckled. Then with a gentle wave of his hand, an object was taken out from his independent space, floating in mid-air before him.
“Heh heh, if you have no solution, I happen to have a rather good one. ”
Hearing this, Xiang Chuan's gaze fell upon the object floating in front of Yang Haoran.
This was a black token. The front of the token was carved with a ferocious ghost head, its bloody maw wide open, as if it wanted to devour everything in the world.
Xiang Chuan didn't recognize the black token, so naturally, he didn't know what it was for. However, judging from its appearance, it was definitely not a benevolent item.
“What is this thing? ”
Xiang Chuan asked in a low voice. Looking at this bizarre black token, he couldn't help but feel a bad premonition in his heart.
“You don't need to ask what it is,” Yang Haoran said with a smile. “You only need to drip a drop of vital blood into the ghost head on the token. Then all problems will be resolved. And I, from now on, will absolutely never doubt you again. ” As soon as Xiang Chuan heard Yang Haoran's words, his expression instantly turned ugly.
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