Chapter 473: Chapter 409: It’s Impossible to Work
"Working for you is too risky; one Ghost Envoy task is worth three normal ones, and I’d like to live a bit longer." For someone like Mo Daidai, beating around the bush is pointless, speaking frankly is the only way to come to a solution.
"High risk, high reward, you should understand that concept, and your Director Nalan is not as generous as I am." Mo Daidai expressed regret, "Yang Xiao, you don’t need to make a decision so soon. I have plenty of patience for you. You’re an extremely talented individual, capable, patient, wise, loyal to friends, principled, and ruthless when necessary. I’m really looking forward to you joining us. As for the terms, you can ask for anything, as long as the price is reasonable."
"I’ll take it into serious consideration," Yang Xiao finally replied.
After hanging up the phone, the car didn’t return to the office building, but instead went directly back to the apartment Yang Xiao was renting, as he had requested.
Back in his room, the first thing Yang Xiao did was to lock the door from the inside, change into the Drama Robe, and take out the key to examine it closely.
The key was bronze in color and the old vertical type, used only in very old door locks. It was ice-cold to the touch and had an indescribable greasy feel, so Yang Xiao had no choice but to pull his sleeve over his hand and wrap the key with the sleeve of the Drama Robe.
After taking a good look, Yang Xiao decided to store the object for now. When the time was right, he could sell it to the hotel or exchange it for something he needed. Currently, it was of little use to him.
The Drama Robe was much more than a simple prop for Yang Xiao; it was an aid for a high-end Treasure Appraiser. Unseen, it would guide him to accumulate truly suitable and powerful treasures, like the Human Bone Staff and the Ghost Duster. These, and the like, could not escape the influence of the Drama Robe. As for ordinary items, the Drama Robe wouldn’t give them a second glance.
A regular Angel Envoy could only wield one Resentful Eye. A mightier one might wield two, but he now had as many as five on him. He had roughly calculated that if he gauged his limit by the amount of paper money used for the Nether Garment, it would not be less than thirty.
The most important thing for him to do now was to continuously improve his spiritual power. His future was boundless; the future him would be terrifyingly powerful.
Working a job was out of the question. Once he dealt with the original owner of the Drama Robe, he, Yang Xiao, would no longer be at anyone’s mercy.
Of course, all these were just thoughts for the time being. For now, he still needed to rely on his "big sister." Yang Xiao took out the Soul-Capturing Mirror and entered the Mirror World, storing the key in the Silver Box. This item had become his spoils of war.
After coming out, he carefully folded the Drama Robe neatly, put it away, and then went to wash up. After being busy for so long, Yang Xiao was tired too and soon fell asleep on his bed.
This sleep was restful and rare, lasting until daybreak. He set an early alarm, had breakfast, and then went to the Patrol Defense Bureau. Going to work was just a front; his real aim was to scout for information. After all, the vice president of the Apostles Union was no trivial figure. Nalan Shuo had a keen sense of smell, and Yang Xiao worried he might become suspicious of him.
However, sitting there all morning, he heard no rumors or hints. After lunch, Yang Xiao returned to his office, planning to meet with Zhu Yina for training in the afternoon, but then he suddenly received a message from Mo Daidai. The message was simple, with only seven short words: "Tong Han is awake and wants to see you."
Half an hour later, Yang Xiao got into a taxi at the designated location. The taxi zigzagged before driving into a small alley and stopping in a relatively clean courtyard where he saw Tong Han sunbathing.
Tong Han’s body was visibly frail, as she lay on a rocking chair with a blanket covering her from the waist down. Her face was also extremely pale.
"You finally woke up!" Yang Xiao rushed over and crouched beside her. At this moment, Tong Han’s eyes were dim but had begun to focus.
Tong Han nodded slightly and managed a difficult smile. "Thanks to you, or all of us... all of us might have died there."
"It’s we who should be thanking you," Yang Xiao said, holding her hand. It was still very cold. "How are you feeling now?"
After this question, Tong Han was silent. She looked at Yang Xiao with an odd expression and after a long pause, she slowly began to speak, "I... I had a very long dream. I saw many people, many... many dead people."
"Do you remember you once died?" Tong Han’s tone shifted abruptly.
That was exactly what Yang Xiao wanted to ask. There was a lapse in his memory during the mission, and try as he might, he couldn’t recall anything.
Tong Han seemed to have anticipated this, and with a slow, low pitch, he explained to Yang Xiao what they were facing for the last challenge. Upon hearing about his own death by the collision with the Blood Coffin and the severance of his corpse, Yang Xiao instinctively shrank his neck.
"This last challenge, it’s yours." Tong Han looked at him with complex eyes, "After I walked onto the stone platform, I saw the people above. Among them... one person was very strange."
Upon hearing this, Yang Xiao was startled, "Who?"
Tong Han swallowed hard and nodded, "The one wearing the Double-winged Black Gauze Cap, standing right behind the woman in red, exactly behind her, at an excellent angle for attack. Logically, a master like the woman in red wouldn’t make such a rookie mistake. I couldn’t figure it out before, but not long ago, I finally... I finally understood."
"Understood what?"
"That person was not the enemy of the woman in red, or at least, the woman did not regard him as one. In times of danger, she wanted to protect him. Sadly, at the most crucial moment of the battle, that person attacked her by surprise, leading to the woman’s downfall."
"Do you know why I’m telling you all this?" Tong Han suddenly asked.
Yang Xiao had a bad feeling, "Why?"
"Because that person looks a lot like you."
"Like me?" Yang Xiao’s mind buzzed at that moment.
"Yes, I didn’t get a good look at his face, but the shape of his face, the angles, and body posture, resembled you by six or seven parts. Most importantly, the vibe, the feeling you both give off is strikingly similar. I... I don’t know how else to describe it." Tong Han’s breathing became rapid, his chest heaved violently.
Guided by Tong Han, a lock seemed to open in Yang Xiao’s mind, and his dust-covered memories gradually awoke. He began to recall the events that had transpired during the mission, one by one, each so bloody, so vivid.
Closing his eyes, he could even remember the faces of the people on the White Jade platform, but only the woman in red and the person behind her were blurry, indistinguishable.
As Yang Xiao delved into his memories, Tong Han suddenly leaned forward, seemingly trying to sit up. Yang Xiao immediately stood up and moved closer to assist him, but instead, Tong Han wrapped his arms around him. In the next second, the cold lips landed on Yang Xiao’s cheek, leaving his mind blank.
Yang Xiao instinctively tried to break free, but Tong Han held on tightly. As he struggled to get away, he worried about harming Tong Han’s frail body, and for a moment, they were both stuck in place.
"Don’t move." Tong Han whispered in Yang Xiao’s ear, "There’s a bug under the rocking chair. Whatever I’ve said before, if anyone asks you later, you say you don’t know. I’ll say it’s all delusions from a clouded mind. The final survivor is only me, and this memory is known only to me; he won’t be able to verify it."
"Mo Daidai is a merchant, not a friend. He is unreliable."
After saying this, Tong Han released Yang Xiao and fell back onto the recliner, breathing heavily with a cold sneer, "Yang Xiao, you saved my life, we’re even now."
