Chapter 985: Vengeance Must Be Exacted
Yang Haoran was now certain in his heart that the person who had repeatedly tried to kill him was none other than the Night Watcher named Xia Yu.
With the black-robed person's identity confirmed, Yang Haoran also understood why Xia Yu had chosen to suffer Soul Transformation rather than let her soul fall into his hands.
Huo Laoban had shown her kindness, and she had clearly etched that gratitude deeply into her heart. Therefore, when she knew her demise was inevitable, she preferred to let herself undergo Soul Transformation rather than implicate Huo Laoban, who was behind her.
Although this was merely Yang Haoran's conjecture, he felt there was likely little wrong with it. While he admired Xia Yu for this, he also somewhat admired Huo Laoban's methods.
Of course, admiration was one thing, but a debt of vengeance must certainly be paid. These were two separate matters that could not be conflated.
At present, only one final doubt remained in his heart: why did Huo Laoban want to kill him?
On this point, it would be difficult to deduce the reason through mere speculation, and the guessed outcome might not necessarily be correct. To understand the truth, directly confronting Huo Laoban was the most effective approach.
Although Yang Haoran was also aware that even if he found Huo Laoban, Huo Laoban might not admit to it, nor would he reveal his motive for wanting him dead.
It was just that Huo Laoban was no ordinary Emissary of Death. Back when they had carried out missions together, Huo Laoban's strength had already been quite formidable. While Huo Laoban hadn't yet opened his Heaven and Earth Souls at that time, it was hard to say whether he had done so now.
Currently, Huo Laoban's business at the Yin-Yang Emporium in the Underworld was doing well, and his profits were certainly considerable. With this shop increasing his income, he could acquire more Soul Pills, making it entirely possible for him to have successfully opened his Earth Soul.
Furthermore, according to the information Tang Shi had gathered this time, Xia Yu wasn't the only Night Watcher under Huo Laoban who had successfully opened their Heaven Soul. Besides Xia Yu, there was also a man named Chun Yang who had opened his Heaven Soul, and he had done so much earlier than Xia Yu.
If he had the ability to enhance the strength of his Night Watchers, why would he be incapable of opening his own Earth Soul? Yang Haoran thought this possibility was slim, so he believed that Huo Laoban might indeed have successfully opened his Earth Soul by now.
It wasn't that Yang Haoran lacked confidence in his own strength. Even if Huo Laoban had truly opened his Earth Soul, it didn't necessarily mean he would be Yang Haoran's match. With his current power, any individual at the bottom of the same realm who encountered him would face only one outcome: death. Just like when he killed the Jin Fushi Male, he had dealt with the opponent with effortless ease.
He didn't believe Huo Laoban's strength had surpassed his own. After all, he possessed the Soul-Refining Cauldron, which allowed him to continuously refine Soul Pills, something Huo Laoban's Yin-Yang Emporium couldn't possibly compare to. Therefore, he still had a certain degree of confidence in his strength. It was just that Huo Laoban was inherently difficult to deal with, and if he had opened his Earth Soul, it would certainly be much more arduous to handle him than it had been with the Jin Fushi Male.
Moreover, how to strike against Huo Laoban was also a problem. He couldn't just directly storm into New Sun City and eliminate Huo Laoban. If he did so, not only would his strength be questioned, but the Underworld Office would also punish him. After all, both he and Huo Laoban were Underworld Officials, protected by the laws of the Underworld Office. If an Underworld Official were directly slain, the Underworld Office would definitely investigate.
If it truly came to that, things would become troublesome. While this trouble wasn't a dead end and could potentially be resolved, it would ultimately cause him discomfort. It was naturally best to avoid it if possible.
Therefore, even if he were to make a move against Huo Laoban, it absolutely couldn't be done openly. It had to be done quietly, just like Xia Yu's assassination attempt on him, carried out in secret. That way, even if Huo Laoban died, the Underworld Office would never trace it back to him. Not only would he achieve his objective, but he also wouldn't invite trouble upon himself – that was the outcome he desired.
As for how to strike against Huo Laoban, this was no trifling matter. He naturally had to meticulously plan it out. The more elaborate the trap, the higher the likelihood of achieving his goal.
Furthermore, carefully choosing who to assign this task to was also crucial. Xia Yu's Soul Transformation was a bloody lesson. If the one attempting to assassinate him hadn't been Xia Yu, but rather someone with greater strength, then even if that person misjudged his power and couldn't kill him, their chances of escape would at least be greater.
Yang Haoran certainly didn't want the people he dispatched to suffer the same fate as Xia Yu. He was sending people to kill, not to die. Therefore, selecting the right person for this task was equally important.
Yang Haoran leaned back in his chair, slowly smoking, his face etched in thought.
Seeing this, Tang Shi refrained from interrupting, instead standing respectfully in place, quietly awaiting Yang Haoran's orders.
After an unknown duration, Yang Haoran's smile returned to his face, and his gaze once again fell upon Tang Shi.
"Did we suffer any losses this time?"
Yang Haoran asked with a smile. Hearing this, Tang Shi immediately shook his head gently.
"The first time, we nearly lost a few brothers. However, the second time, we were even more cautious than before. Furthermore, we found a special channel for gathering intelligence, so the other party didn't discover our presence, and thus, our people suffered no losses."
Hearing there were no losses, Yang Haoran's smile deepened a little.
"Heh heh, it's good that there were no losses. They are all the flesh of my heart. Losing even one would be like a knife cutting through my heart; it would be very painful," Yang Haoran said with a smile.
"Master, please rest assured. Unless absolutely necessary, this subordinate will not send them to their deaths. If it truly comes to a point where death is unavoidable, then they must die a death of value! " Tang Shi stated.
"If it truly comes to a point where death is unavoidable, then naturally one must die a death of value, otherwise it would only benefit the opponent. Let alone them, even if I reach that point, I must die a death of value."
At this point, Yang Haoran paused slightly, then smiled and asked Tang Shi.
"Oh, by the way, what was that special channel for gathering intelligence you just mentioned?"
Yang Haoran's voice carried a hint of curiosity. Hearing this, Tang Shi dared not show the slightest neglect and immediately responded.
"Currently, there are people in many places who gather all sorts of intelligence. These individuals either possess unique skills or have astonishing talent in this area. Their strength isn't necessarily formidable, but they are indeed incredibly capable when it comes to gathering information. They make a living by selling various pieces of intelligence, and as such, they have some knowledge of many things unknown to outsiders," Tang Shi explained.
Upon hearing this, Yang Haoran's eyebrow twitched slightly, and then he asked with a smile.
"From what you're saying, it sounds like our people aren't as good at gathering intelligence as they are?"
Tang Shi's expression subtly shifted, and he quickly began to explain.
"Both sides have their own strengths. What we can do, they might not, and what they can do, we might not. The person we sought out this time is a local boss in New Sun City, so he knows far more about matters concerning New Sun City than we do. If I wanted to gather useful intelligence in the shortest possible time, while also minimizing risk, approaching him was the most suitable choice."
Yang Haoran nodded with a smile but remained silent. Seeing this, Tang Shi quickly offered Yang Haoran an assurance.
"Indeed, we still have room for improvement in this area. However, please rest assured, Master, that given some time, I will certainly be able to forge a top-tier intelligence gathering team for you!"
Yang Haoran shook his head with a smile, then spoke.
"You don't need to be like this. I wasn't blaming you; I was merely asking out of curiosity, nothing more. The achievements you've made have already pleased me greatly, so you shouldn't have any psychological burden. You should be proud of what you've accomplished."
"Thank you, Master!"
Tang Shi did not become agitated or lose his composure because of Yang Haoran's words; he appeared very steady. Yang Haoran observed Tang Shi's reaction and grew increasingly satisfied with him.
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