Chapter 957: Chapter 677: Incoming_2
Upon hearing this, the woman was stunned for a moment, followed by a warm surge up her chest; all she had hoped for was to leave with her life intact, but now not only had she saved her life, she had also obtained a Protective Magical Artifact. This... this was like a dream come true!
It is worth noting that defensive Magic Artifacts are much rarer and more precious than purely offensive ones.
It was also at this moment that the woman was deeply moved by Yang Xiao. Having spent quite some time in Xiang Ma Town, she had seen the ruthless, the greedy and lascivious, and those who plotted and schemed with daggers hidden behind their smiles; but she had never seen anyone as generous as the man before her. She now sort of understood why such a young man had been able to take the high position of Pingxi Marquis and become one of the Four Major Families in the town.
"My Lord, I have wronged you before. From today on, I am willing to die for you!" The woman, moved, burst into snot and tears.
Yet, facing this scene, Yang Xiao gently shook his head and corrected her: "What you’re saying is wrong; it’s not for me, but for us. We will walk the road ahead together."
"Yes, yes, together... we will walk it together!"
After consoling her for a few moments, Yang Xiao instructed her to do her utmost to help Ling Yanyu, and then he let her leave. Soon after, Ling Yanyu entered the room.
"Master, Guardian Yun cried, crying and saying that you are a magnanimous person, a person of noble character, a person who has transcended lowly tastes."
"What do you think?" Yang Xiao couldn’t help but chuckle.
"I think she didn’t describe you quite accurately; you are also a capable person, a pure person, a person to be trusted," Ling Yanyu said without changing his expression.
"Hahaha..." Yang Xiao laughed heartily and stretched out his hand to tap Ling Yanyu, "I like your honesty; you are very much like me in that regard."
Seeing that daylight was about to break, Yang Xiao took out an object wrapped in silver paper from his backpack and handed it to Ling Yanyu, instructing, "After I leave, put on the mask and go to the Peace Hotel. Use this as a bargaining chip to inquire about Sui Chengguo’s whereabouts. Once there’s any news, notify me immediately."
"You must go in person and keep it absolutely secret," Yang Xiao advised in a low voice.
"Understood, I’ll do it personally. Rest assured," replied Ling Yanyu.
Through the shape visible through the silver paper, it was clear that the item was a short sword, another Magic Artifact Yang Xiao had confiscated from the Coffin Carrier.
According to intelligence, this Magic Artifact was also the Coffin Carrier’s signature artifact, which should meet the Peace Hotel’s Fierce Grade criteria. He had been wondering where to get a Fierce Grade artifact, but unexpectedly, the Coffin Carrier had delivered it directly to his door.
After instructing Ling Yanyu on some other matters, Yang Xiao left. By the time he made his way back to Rongcheng, it was almost noon. He first reported back to the Patrol Defense Office and met with Director Nalan.
In the afternoon, after informing Fu Qingzhu of his return, Fu Qingzhu complained to Yang Xiao with a bitter smile; it turned out that Xi Yuru had been looking for him many times recently, and all attempts were stalled by Fu Qingzhu, who felt he could hardly hold out any longer.
"What does she want with me?" Yang Xiao had been so busy recently, with the mess in Xiang Ma Town, he had nearly forgotten about this person.
"What else could it be, if not for the incident where you signed to release that person? It made her lose face, and her local backers were displeased. They had been counting on this opportunity to punish that person severely, to make an example of him," explained Fu Qingzhu.
Normally, Yang Xiao would not condescend to explain such matters, but given his current position, he also needed to weigh the pros and cons, taking into account the relationships with various parties.
After all, the Action Bureau was not his alone to command; in the future, he would still need the support of Rongcheng’s local powers.
This was also what Director Nolan had been stressing to him: being able to bend and stretch is what makes a man.
After getting Xi Yuru’s number from Fu Qingzhu, Yang Xiao dialed it straight away, and sure enough, a plaintive voice came from the other end of the line as the call connected. Yang Xiao spent quite a while soothing her, and then explained his reasons for handling the matter how he did.
Firstly, after identifying the problem, he didn’t want to make a mountain out of a molehill, and secondly, he also considered the face of the local forces in Rongcheng. If severe penalties were applied, it could easily backfire and draw criticism, with outsiders potentially saying that Rongcheng’s local forces were bullying others by throwing their weight around.
Yang Xiao understood Xi Yuru’s predicament. As the spokesperson elected to represent them, her role was to safeguard the interests of the local forces of Rongcheng. Now that the Action Bureau dealt with the matter leniently, it was naturally hard for her to explain when she returned.
Considerately, Yang Xiao gave Xi Yuru a way out, saying he wanted to invite several local decision-makers of Rongcheng out to a meal, and asking her to convey the invitation. He added with a laugh that Xi Yuru must also be present to keep him company.
As expected, Xi Yuru’s reaction changed immediately upon hearing this, her voice much cheerier. She agreed right away to pass on the message.
The efficiency of the response also surprised Yang Xiao. In just over an hour, he received a call from Xi Yuru, and they agreed to meet at 7 p.m. sharp at the Fuxianghui Hotel. Yang Xiao even joked, telling her to dress up nicely.
Yang Xiao also tidied himself up a bit and cheerfully went to the appointment on time. The dinner was immensely enjoyable for everyone. Yang Xiao got along very well with the several elderly men, and Xi Yuru, who sat next to him, was wearing a fitting cheongsam that highlighted all the favorable contours of her figure.
Yang Xiao didn’t skimp on singing Xi Yuru’s praises in front of the elders. After some pleasant small talk, the previous unpleasantness was smoothly glossed over. After all, it wasn’t such a serious matter to begin with – just a petty thief, which these bigwigs naturally wouldn’t consider a concern. What they truly cared about was the attitude of the Action Bureau towards them.
Now that Yang Xiao, a leading commissioner of the Action Bureau, had invited them to dinner, their honor was sufficiently recognized, and their anxiety alleviated.
"Mr. Yang, we must interact more in the future. Being in the company of a young hero like you makes me feel much younger myself, hahaha..." one elder, dressed in a Zhongshan suit, stroked his beard, his cheeks flushed as he laughed, squinting his eyes.
"Mr. Sun is as vigorous as ever. If I may need a favor in the future, I hope you would grant me the kindness." Yang Xiao answered with a smile.
"Certainly! Certainly!"
After the banquet, Yang Xiao walked out of the hotel alone. Standing outside the door in the cold wind, the slight chill of the night air helped to dispel some of the effects of the alcohol. Suddenly, his pocket vibrated. He took out his cell phone and unconsciously furrowed his brow – it was a call from Xi Menxiu.
As the call connected, Xi Menxiu spoke urgently, telling him that he was now in the hotel’s underground parking lot. Aunt Flo had sent news.
Upon hearing this, Yang Xiao sobered up halfway immediately, and he rushed back to the hotel. He took the elevator down to the underground parking lot and found his new black off-road vehicle. Before he even approached it, the car door opened, and Xi Menxiu, sitting in the driver’s seat, waved at him. She was wearing sunglasses late at night, which almost covered half of her face.
"What’s going on?" Yang Xiao got into the passenger seat.
"Aunt Flo got a message: people from the Yu Yuan Sect have already taken action and are now near Rongcheng," Xi Menxiu said, speaking both urgently and quickly. "There are not a few of them— at least 30."
"What’s their power level?" Yang Xiao was not at all worried about ordinary Venerable Level Heretic Cultivators; he could handle four or five of them himself. What he was concerned about were those close to Ghost Level, or even genuine Ghost-level Apostles.
As the call connected, Xi Menxiu spoke urgently, telling him that he was now in the hotel’s underground parking lot. Aunt Flo had sent news.
Upon hearing this, Yang Xiao sobered up halfway immediately, and he rushed back to the hotel. He took the elevator down to the underground parking lot and found his new black off-road vehicle. Before he even approached it, the car door opened, and Xi Menxiu, sitting in the driver’s seat, waved at him. She was wearing sunglasses late at night, which almost covered half of her face.
"What’s going on?" Yang Xiao got into the passenger seat.
"Aunt Flo got a message: people from the Yu Yuan Sect have already taken action and are now near Rongcheng," Xi Menxiu said, speaking both urgently and quickly. "There are not a few of them— at least 30."
"What’s their power level?" Yang Xiao was not at all worried about ordinary Venerable Level Heretic Cultivators; he could handle four or five of them himself. What he was concerned about were those close to Ghost Level, or even genuine Ghost-level Apostles.
