Xu Yanli continued, "They're like the blood in this basement, hidden underground, where no one can see them. You can use them however you like. But once they see the light..."
He lowered his head and looked at the dark-red bloodstain on the floor.
"Once they see the light, they stink."
Xu Tianran stared at him, then suddenly smiled. There was satisfaction in his smile, along with something complicated and another emotion he couldn't quite name.
"Go on."
Xu Yanli raised his head and looked straight at him.
"My Martial Soul naturally counters Evil Soul Masters," he said. "The Angel's power of purification is exactly their nemesis. If I form an Angel Legion specifically to monitor and restrain those Evil Soul Masters..."
He paused, a faint curve appearing at the corner of his mouth.
"Then they'll have no choice but to live in the shadows forever."
Xu Tianran's eyes lit up. He stared at Xu Yanli for a long, long time, then burst out laughing.
"Good!" He slapped the armrest. "Excellent idea!"
He rose to his feet and clapped Xu Yanli firmly on the shoulder.
"I knew sending you out to gain experience this past year was the right decision."
Xu Yanli smiled faintly and said nothing.
Xu Tianran looked at him, the complicated emotions in his eyes growing stronger and stronger. At last, he let out a soft sigh.
"Yanli," he said, his voice suddenly quieting, "do you know? Sometimes I really envy you."
Xu Yanli froze for a moment.
Xu Tianran turned around and looked at the terrified eyes behind the iron bars.
"You live a cleaner life than I do," he said. "You're clearly ruthless too, yet somehow you still seem clean."
He turned back to Xu Yanli.
"That's a talent I could never learn."
Xu Yanli