Chapter 1990: Chapter 1125: Return to the Owner
Resting alone on the bed, staring at the ceiling, Yang Xiao pondered Tong Han’s words and felt that she made a good point.
This is not the homeland, and with his identity from the Patrol Defense Office in Japan, he definitely has more enemies than friends.
He could leave without concern, as he thought those people wouldn’t dare to chase him back to his home country and cause trouble, but Takagi Reina and Yamamoto Chunai were different; they were ordinary people and couldn’t withstand even a tiny bit of risk.
Yang Xiao didn’t want them to get hurt because of him.
Ultimately, Yang Xiao decided to give up on finding these two. Since they had met by chance in this vast sea of people, let them dissipate within it; if fate allows, they will meet again in the future.
However, for what he had promised, Yang Xiao didn’t want to break his word. He planned to entrust these two to the Jiu Mountain Family.
Before leaving, he would ask someone from the Jiu Mountain Family to take care of the two and also fulfill the promised payment for Takagi Reina’s favor.
As for his true identity, there was no need to tell Takagi Reina and Yamamoto Chunai. Knowing him in Japan might not be a good thing.
He would instruct the Jiu Mountain Family not to contact the two for the time being and only find them some time after he leaves to avoid arousing suspicion from outsiders.
Yang Xiao could imagine that after a few days, if Takagi Reina didn’t hear from him and the promised ten million wasn’t fulfilled, she would surely jump up and curse him for being untrustworthy.
For some reason, the thought of that scene amused Yang Xiao.
Perhaps... perhaps he was overthinking, and maybe Takagi Reina never took his promise seriously.
Nightmares are just that, nightmares. Yang Xiao gently shook his head, burying this memory deeper in his mind.
The next day, when Yang Xiao was able to get out of bed and move around, a middle-aged man came to visit him.
The middle-aged man was Jiusan Moyu, the son of Jiushan Cangxuan, the head of the Jiu Mountain Family. After a brief greeting, Jiusan Moyu told Yang Xiao that the intelligence Yang Xiao had provided to their Jiu Mountain Family was accurate.
Their informants reported back that there was a huge disturbance within the Kantou Wutai Family, as the Family Head, Takeda Nobuaki, had urgently recalled several senior family members from their posts outside, confirming that his illegitimate son, Takeda Shinjiro, had caused significant trouble.
"How come it’s just an illegitimate son?" Yang Xiao was somewhat disappointed.
After all that effort, he had only dealt with a minor figure; he wasn’t satisfied at all.
Upon hearing this, Jiusan Moyu laughed, "Yang, you may not know, but this Takeda Shinjiro is not so simple. Though illegitimate, he was designated by the family head, Takeda Nobuaki, to be the heir. He is expected to inherit the position of the Takeda Family Head in the future."
"He is extremely talented and has learned much from Takeda Nobuaki. The Takeda Family invested considerable effort and countless top-grade elixirs in nurturing him. Most notably, it is said he possesses a powerful Resentful Eye, an heirloom of the Takeda Family passed down for over a century."
"Moreover, he is a very decent person, respectful towards superiors, not arrogant towards subordinates, with an excellent reputation. The Takeda Family holds him in high regard, and even his legitimate brothers are convinced by him."
"Good character, high talent, well-educated, widely read, with naturally good looks, he’s known as the Cold Moon Imperial Officer, a highly sought-after match for all the prominent families. Takeda Nobuaki is extremely satisfied with this son," Jiusan Moyu said in one breath.
Actually, hearing this made Yang Xiao a little displeased. Jiusan’s praise elevated the person to a flawless model, wasn’t he indirectly suggesting that it was wrong for Yang Xiao to have killed him?
Moreover, to commend another young man like this to his face was to subtly undermine him, as if the Patrol Defense Office envoy and Rong City’s Most Fierce Tiger, Yang Xiao, were insignificant. Who in Jiangbei Province doesn’t know that Yang Xiao is highly regarded?
Takeda Shinjiro was just a scheming hypocrite, and Yang Xiao was the true hero.
Perhaps sensing the subtle shift in Yang Xiao’s mood, Jiusan Moyu belatedly sought to remedy, "Of course, hearing your words, we now know not to trust rumors. The so-called Cold Moon Imperial Officer is just an empty-name hypocrite."
After learning about Jiushan Cangxuan’s attitude and recognition of Yang Xiao, the entire Jiu Mountain Family’s attitude towards him improved substantially, offering him considerable care and respect.
This respect even transcended his status as a special envoy of the Patrol Defense Office, demonstrating a highly favorable evaluation of his capabilities, character, and future potential.
This time, Jiusan Moyu did not come empty-handed; he brought several top-grade elixirs for Yang Xiao to take to heal his body.
"Jiu Shan, do you think the Takeda Family will investigate what happened in the Nightmare World?" Yang Xiao asked cautiously, knowing this family’s oddities, with prophetic abilities and connections to the Ghost Sect.
Having truly witnessed the prowess of these big forces, Yang Xiao understood they might possess some formidable abilities.
However, Jiusan Moyu almost laughed out loud at this, realizing it might be a bit inappropriate, he subdued his laughter and said seriously, "Yang, you overthink. Neither the Takeda Family nor even our Jiu Mountain Family can do such a thing; the Nightmare World is not so easily comprehended."
"That’s good, that’s good," said Yang Xiao, who had troubles of his own, reluctant to attract further problems.
He wasn’t afraid of the Ghost Sect, but... but if he could avoid trouble, he preferred to do so.
Yes, precisely that.
Though now an Upper Ghost Level Apostle, it was still far from enough, as his enemies were too strong.
The former Sect Master of the Yu Yuan Sect, the patron of Withered Bone Pavilion, Yiling Academy, Yin Temple Dharma Sect... any one of these adversaries was a monumental challenge for him, almost a catastrophic encounter.
Previously, Yang Xiao was furious, wondering why his adversaries were so vexing and not a single one simple. Later, one night while sleeping, he startled awake and realized it was because all the weaker foes intent on opposing him had long been obliterated by him.
Some were repurposed by him, refined into elixirs.
A few who fortunately remained intact were turned into puppets.
Luckily, I joined the Patrol Defense Office, which served as a strong backing; otherwise, I wouldn’t know how many times I would have died.
Yang Xiao always held a sense of awe and gratitude towards the Patrol Defense Office, because unlike the United Federation and the Chamber of Commerce which are all talk or scheming, it was genuinely doing practical work.
Elder Sheng once shared with me the previously unknown secrets behind the Patrol Defense Office. It was once the undisputed leader among the three major forces, though now it no longer holds a significant advantage over the other two.
This result is due to the Patrol Defense Office’s relentless efforts over the years in combating and eradicating various evil cultivation forces, suppressing terrorist cults, and openly and secretly fighting against foreign influences with ill intentions—war involves casualties.
A significant amount of manpower and resources were consumed in this invisible war, with many dying silently.
Yang Xiao knows that in the last ten years, no fewer than five top-level Patrol Defense Office experts at the Provincial Bureau level have died in battle.
As for other brothers who live in anonymity, their bodies might not even be recovered after death.
Additionally, my survival to this point is also thanks to the prestigious Patrol Defense Office, which served as a platform for me to meet and connect with powerful figures like the Yin Temple Secret Teaching Cannibal Buddha, Jiu Mountain Clan Leader Jiushan Cangxuan, Ru Lin Academy’s Yang Qianhe, Yiling Academy’s Elder Sheng, and Second Demon Uncle.
He is reassured knowing that he is not fighting alone, having countless mates from the Patrol Defense Office covering for him.
Of course, Yang Xiao never doubted that it was his charisma that has helped him step by step to where he is today, and he is very satisfied with himself.
Not to mention, the elixirs sent by the Jiu Mountain Family are quite good. In just one night, Yang Xiao felt 60 to 70 percent recovered to his normal state.
Yang Xiao kept his wits about him and didn’t consume all the elixirs. He saved one in particular, given that he will soon visit the Secret Sect to meet the Cannibal Buddha and Elder Sheng, and he can request the Secret Sect to help prepare some to take back, one for Director Nalan and others.
The Cannibal Buddha is always generous with him, and such a small request is trivial.
Of course, people are generous because they have the grace and vision, but one can’t be oblivious. Yang Xiao didn’t intend to return empty-handed either; he planned to discuss with the Secret Sect in advance, understand their needs, and bring them a batch of goods they urgently need with the coordination of the Provincial Office.
Frankly speaking, the Cannibal Buddha guy doesn’t have a good reputation domestically, he is notorious and holds countless blood debts.
But Yang Xiao doesn’t look at it that way. He doesn’t care about the other’s reputation. Among his acquaintances are more than a couple of individuals with bounties on their heads. As long as they’re good to him and not unscrupulous villains, that’s enough.
Besides, over the years, if it weren’t for these ill-reputed friends looking out for him, he’d have been devoured by those self-proclaimed righteous hypocrites.
The Second Demon Uncle is the most evident example; he offered Yang Xiao a familial kind of care.
In the evening, while Yang Xiao contemplated whether to watch a short movie to relieve stress, suddenly, footsteps approached from outside.
Seeing who it was, Yang Xiao was pleasantly surprised; it was Beiyu Ye, accompanied by a tall puppet with its head and face wrapped in gray cloth.
From the puppet’s armor, Yang Xiao immediately recognized it as his puppet, which he had taken from the General of the Kakemono Ninja Team.
Due to an ambush by the Half Compassion Purple Body Buddha, the puppet lost control and nearly killed Beiyu Ye, who was training with him at that time, something he felt unsettled about.
At that critical moment, he was driven away, and the puppet was left on-site. Seeing it again now brings a sense of joy akin to finding a lost item.
The puppet isn’t just any object, it was at least a Half-step Nether Realm master in life, the lifebound puppet of that Ninja Team General.
"Yang, I’ve repaired this puppet for you, it’s yours again," Beiyu Ye said, pulling off the gray cloth covering the puppet’s head, smiling.
"Thank you so much, I thought I’d lost this connection." The puppet is perfectly suited to Yang Xiao’s abilities, with it, he is even more formidable.
Thinking this, Yang Xiao couldn’t resist taking out the Human Bone Staff, trying to control the puppet, and surprisingly, he succeeded the first time, with excellent results.
At that moment, Beiyu Ye seemed to sense something, looking at Yang Xiao with shock, "You... your spiritual power level has increased a lot!"
"Yeah, hahaha, couldn’t help it." Yang Xiao laughed heartily.
Beiyu Ye wore a polite smile, but inside was tinged with a bit of envy. He remembered when he first met Yang Xiao, he was slightly ahead, but now, considering the other’s incredible trump cards, they might have been brought to the same level.
"I’m really happy for your great progress, truly." Beiyu Ye said.
Yang Xiao hesitated for a moment, then turned around showing the Human Bone Staff in his hand to Beiyu Ye, "Well... brother, next time you say such things, maybe wait until I put away this magic artifact, otherwise it’s a bit awkward."
Guided by Jiushan Cangxuan, Yang Xiao had made qualitative progress in using this Spiritual Magical Artifact. Unless facing a master specializing in spiritual artifacts or someone whose spiritual power greatly surpassed his, he could use the Human Bone Staff to detect their true emotional fluctuations.
"I heard you’re going back?" Beiyu Ye casually sat on Yang Xiao’s bed.
"Yeah, in the next few days." Yang Xiao replied with a smile, "Why, something up?"
"Nothing major, it’s just that last time you saved me, and my master wants to thank you in person." Beiyu Ye said.
