Chapter 377: Underworld Envoy Dueling Bet |
"No wonder you don't know anything. Forget it, if I have a contest with you all, others will definitely laugh at me for bullying newcomers."
After confirming that Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing were both newcomers, the man lost interest and turned to leave.
"Wait, brother. Could you explain what you meant by 'contest'?" Yang Haoran asked with a smile.
With Xu Meijing's personality, she certainly wouldn't ask about such things. However, Yang Haoran's personality differed from Xu Meijing's. When encountering such situations, he felt it was better to clarify.
The man frowned, seemingly unwilling to provide much explanation. However, seeing Yang Haoran's kind smile, he hesitated and offered a simple explanation.
"After the annual soul submission ends, all Underworld Envoys can engage in sparring and exchange here. Although called sparring and exchange, it's actually dueling with self-determined wagers."
The man's explanation was concise, and he had no intention of elaborating further. After leaving these words, he departed, likely seeking sparring opponents again.
From the man's words, Yang Haoran gleaned some understanding, albeit limited due to the oversimplified explanation.
"Wait for me here. I'll find someone else to gain a better understanding," he told Xu Meijing.
This place was filled with Underworld Envoys, all from Jingling Continent. Yang Haoran wouldn't have difficulty inquiring about this, as it wasn't a secret, just unknown to newcomers.
A few minutes later, Yang Haoran returned to Xu Meijing and shared the information he had gathered without her asking.
The previous man hadn't deceived them. After the annual soul submission, such an activity indeed took place, but it wasn't arranged by the Yin Division's higher-ups. Instead, it was initiated autonomously by the Underworld Envoys themselves.
The reason for this activity's emergence was that the New Genesis World had been peaceful for many years. Of course, this peace was relative, referring to the absence of large-scale wars. As for some highly chaotic cities, such chaos was small-scale compared to the entire New Genesis World and considered mere trifles.
With no major wars erupting, fewer people died, resulting in fewer undead to guide. Fewer undead meant lesser soul pills for Underworld Envoys to obtain each year.
Consequently, dueling bets emerged among the Underworld Envoys, with their wagers mostly being their respective soul pills.
After initiating this activity, it gained widespread response from numerous Underworld Envoys, as they couldn't resist the temptation of soul pills and were confident in their abilities, believing they could defeat their opponents. Thus, this activity spread throughout the Yin Division, particularly during this time of year when the most Underworld Envoys participated in dueling bets.
The Yin Division's higher-ups didn't prohibit this activity but instead established specific rules. Underworld Envoys could duel each other, but not in life-or-death bets. After a duel, the loser had to pay the winner's wager according to the rules, without exception.
The Yin Division's higher-ups supported these dueling bets for their own considerations, and it was their support that allowed this Underworld Envoy-initiated activity to continue until now.
According to Yin Division regulations, after submitting souls, Underworld Envoys could freely choose to leave the underworld, observe the sparring and exchanges, or wander around the underworld, as they pleased, without interference from the Yin Division.
However, most Underworld Envoys opted to stay and watch the sparring and exchanges after soul submission, to learn and observe.
This was why, until now, Yang Haoran hadn't noticed any Underworld Envoys leaving.
Of course, his lack of observation didn't mean no Underworld Envoys had left. The number of Underworld Envoys here was immense, making it impossible for him to constantly monitor everyone's comings and goings. Therefore, a few Underworld Envoys might have quietly left after submitting souls without his notice.
Yang Haoran shared everything he had learned with Xu Meijing. After contemplating, she remarked, "We're both newcomers. With our current strength, if we challenge other Underworld Envoys to duels, we're essentially giving them soul pills. We have no chance of winning."
Yang Haoran nodded in agreement with Xu Meijing's perspective.
He was a true pragmatist, not a fantasist. Such sparring and exchanges were indeed unsuitable for them, as newcomers whose abilities couldn't compare to experienced Burial Masters. Sparring with experienced Burial Masters would be like handing them soul pills, with no possibility of miracles occurring.
Knowingly participating in such sparring and exchanges, essentially giving soul pills to others, while harboring a glimmer of hope or chance, wasn't bravery but foolishness, leading to inevitable loss.
Miracles existed in this world but were rare, with even lower chances of occurring to oneself. One should believe in miracles when faced with despair, as there might be no better option. However, constantly pinning one's desires on miracles was naive and could prove fatal.
Xu Meijing understood this principle, and Yang Haoran naturally did too, agreeing with her perspective.
"You're right. If we participate in such sparring and exchanges, we might end up returning to the Yang realm stark naked, unless our opponents are also this year's newcomers," Yang Haoran said with a smile.
"There aren't many newcomers this year. Besides the difficulty of finding them among so many Underworld Envoys, they might refuse even if found, perhaps being more cautious than us," Xu Meijing responded.
After a brief discussion, they decided against participating in this year's sparring and exchanges, directly refusing anyone who approached them, leaving no room for persuasion.
"Since we're not participating in the sparring and have submitted our souls, why don't we leave the underworld now?" Xu Meijing suggested.
Surprised by the idea of leaving the underworld immediately, Yang Haoran said, "Leave now? Even if we don't participate in the sparring and exchanges, we can still observe other Burial Masters' techniques and perhaps learn something."
Xu Meijing shook her head and asked Yang Haoran, "What's there to see? As long as you don't die, you'll have opportunities every year. It's not worth wasting time here this year when we could do other things." At the end, she gave Yang Haoran a meaningful look.
Yang Haoran knew that Xu Meijing had something left unsaid, but due to the circumstances, she couldn't say it directly. He understood, but he didn't ask further.
"Alright, let's leave the underworld first, but..." Yang Haoran looked towards where Master Jiang was.
Previously, the two parties had agreed that after the souls were handed over, they would find a place to chat properly. However, if they left the underworld now, this matter could not be carried out.
"Let's go bid farewell to Master Jiang first before leaving. If you really have a lot to talk to him, there will be opportunities in the future. It's not necessary to do it today, after all, we're not restricted to visiting the underworld only once a year," said Xu Meijing.
Yang Haoran nodded, and then flew with Xu Meijing towards Master Jiang's location.
Upon learning that the two were about to return to the Yang realm, Master Jiang felt somewhat regretful. After becoming a ghost attendant, due to his responsibilities, he couldn't leave the underworld at will. It was a rare occasion to see Yang Haoran today, and he really wanted to sit and talk with him.
However, since Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing still had matters to attend to, he couldn't keep them. He could only give his phone number to the two, but the phone number he gave them couldn't be dialed from the Yang realm; it required equipment from the underworld to get through.
Yang Haoran took down Master Jiang's phone number and promised to visit the underworld to see him after some time before leaving the square with Xu Meijing.
According to Yang Haoran's thoughts, he had intended to bid farewell to Luo Yao before leaving, to get acquainted with his boss. However, with his current identity and strength, he didn't even have the qualifications to approach Luo Yao, so he had to give up on that idea.
After all, according to the regulations of the Yin Division, after the souls were handed over, the Underworld Envoy could leave the underworld on their own. Even if he didn't inform Luo Yao, the Guardian, it wouldn't affect him.
After leaving the square, following Xu Meijing's intention, they were to immediately leave the underworld and return to Yellow Springs Road, then summon the Ghost Gate to return to the Yang realm. However, when passing by Yuan's Skin Emporium, Yang Haoran stopped in his tracks.
"Do you have any hell coins?" Yang Haoran asked Xu Meijing.
Xu Meijing looked at Yang Haoran, then at Yuan's Skin Emporium, as if she had figured something out.
"You want to buy a skin?"
Yang Haoran nodded, not concealing it, and responded, "Indeed, I need to buy a skin."
"Since you want to buy it, then buy it. It's not like we don't have the means."
Xu Meijing didn't ask why Yang Haoran wanted to buy a skin. A flash of light appeared in her hand, and she took out a purse from her independent space.
"Before coming to the underworld, I managed to obtain some hell coins. Take them and spend them. Buying a skin is no big deal. But I won't go in with you, so hurry up on your own."
Yang Haoran acknowledged it, took the purse, and entered Yuan's Skin Emporium. In just two or three minutes, he came out of Yuan's Skin Emporium.
There were fewer hell coins in Xu Meijing's purse, but Yang Haoran's independent space now had a newly purchased skin.
This skin, of course, was prepared by Yang Haoran for Xiu Juan. Since he didn't have any hell coins, he had to ask Xu Meijing to buy a skin.
Seeing Yang Haoran come out of Yuan's Skin Emporium so quickly, Xu Meijing was somewhat surprised. She didn't expect Yang Haoran to be so fast.
After exiting the underworld city gate and crossing the Naihe Bridge, the two saw Meng Po again. However, this time, Meng Po looked towards the two of them.
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