Chapter 1020: Assembly
Under the man's guidance, Yang Haoran and the others arrived at a dilapidated temple outside Gu Mo City. This dilapidated temple was also a Death God Temple, and it, too, had been destroyed.
Compared to the Death God Temple within Gu Mo City, this one was considerably smaller. Even so, it could not escape destruction; however, its ruin was considerably less severe than the temple inside the city. Perhaps it was precisely because of its modest size, being overlooked by Spirit Mediums, that it wasn't utterly annihilated.
After stepping out of the spatial rift, Yang Haoran personally set up a restrictive barrier, enveloping the entire dilapidated temple. Although from the outside, the temple still appeared unchanged, those outside the barrier could not discern its internal state with their eyes, nor would they detect anything amiss.
Furthermore, given the restrictive barrier Yang Haoran had now established with his current strength, even an opponent possessing ocular abilities would find it difficult to pierce through if their power was insufficient.
Inside the temple, the man found a chair covered in dust and cobwebs. He swiftly wiped it clean, then reverently positioned it behind Yang Haoran.
Yang Haoran didn't hesitate, settling onto the chair. Then, the man asked with a smile.
"What is your name?"
"My name is Lu Wu. The 'Lu' of 'double mouth', and the 'Wu' of 'martial general'."
"Although you've already seen my transfer orders, out of respect, I'll still introduce myself. My name is Yang Haoran, and I'm from Lecheng. Previously, I was merely the Emissary of Death for the Lecheng Underworld Office. But now, I am not only the Emissary of Death for Lecheng's Underworld Office but also for Gu Mo City's. Since the Gu Mo City Underworld Office is currently in a dire state, I'll be staying here for a considerable period. My mission isn't just to firmly re-establish our Underworld Office in Gu Mo City, but also to make it a power no other faction dares to provoke."
Lu Wu stood reverently before Yang Haoran, silent, listening intently.
Huang Sha stood respectfully behind Yang Haoran, likewise silent, listening just as intently.
Meanwhile, Xiang Chuan felt bored and had no interest in the affairs of the Gu Mo City Underworld Office. Thus, he found a corner, took out a quicksand four-leaf flower, and began to break it down and process it. ?
Yang Haoran paid no mind to Xiang Chuan. For now, Xiang Chuan quietly occupying himself was actually a blessing. If he were to chatter and cause trouble, Yang Haoran would indeed have a headache.
With his introduction complete, Yang Haoran lit a cigarette, then asked Lu Wu.
"What were you going to the Death God Temple alone for today?"
Lu Wu responded instantly, without a moment's hesitation.
"I don't wish to keep scurrying around like a rat, hiding in the shadows. Thus, I was prepared to unleash my Spirit Power within Gu Mo City's largest Death God Temple, solely to draw Spirit Mediums to me. Though such an act is tantamount to suicide, I had no intention of leaving the Death God Temple alive today. Even if I perish, I shall drench those Spirit Mediums in blood. If I can drag one or two to hell with me, all the better; my death would not be in vain. I mean to use my very life to defend my dignity, and to uphold the glory of our Underworld Office!"
Yang Haoran took a drag from his cigarette, then smiled faintly.
"Constant evasion certainly breeds discomfort, but while there's life, there's hope; with death, all hope vanishes. Therefore, when confronting challenges, it's best to maintain a rational mind. Of course, I'm not condemning your resolve; your courage, at least, I greatly admire."
After a brief pause, Yang Haoran continued.
"How many Night Watchers do we have left, including yourself?"
At the mention of this, Lu Wu's expression visibly darkened.
"At its peak, our Gu Mo City Underworld Office boasted a total of one hundred and sixty-three Night Watchers. Among them, three had even successfully opened their Heaven Souls, making them formidable. Yet now, they are all gone. Only five of us remain, myself included."
Yang Haoran felt a pang of surprise. He was surprised, on the one hand, that the Gu Mo City Underworld Office once commanded such a large number of Night Watchers, with three even having opened their Heaven Souls. On the other, he was astounded by the sheer scale of the Gu Mo City Underworld Office's losses—a force so immense now reduced to a mere five individuals.
"Conflict inevitably begets death; that is a timeless truth, beyond alteration. Still, these casualties are truly staggering."
Yang Haoran spoke, his tone tinged with lament.
Hearing this, Lu Wu's head lowered slightly. He offered no reply; although he was one of the survivors of this disaster, he felt no fortune in it, only deep shame.
"How strong are the other four?"
Yang Haoran inquired, and this time, Lu Wu broke his silence, responding at once.
"Their strength is slightly less than mine, but among the Night Watchers, they're still quite good. It's just that they're a little on the timid side."
Yang Haoran had yet to witness Lu Wu's actual combat ability, but he had a clear understanding of the level of Spirit Power within Lu Wu.
Previously, in the Death God Temple, Lu Wu had unleashed the Spirit Power within him. Judging from the situation at the time, the Spirit Power in Lu Wu's body had almost reached the peak of the Heaven Soul-subordinate realm. That is to say, he was on the verge of opening his Heaven Soul. Such strength meant little to Yang Haoran, naturally, but among the Night Watchers, it was already quite formidable. Excluding those Night Watchers who had successfully opened their Heaven Souls, it would be difficult to find a match for his strength among their ranks.
With a general understanding of Lu Wu's strength, Yang Haoran didn't inquire about Lu Wu's own power, but directly asked about the other four's.
From Lu Wu's answer, the strength of the other four was not poor. Even if they weren't as strong as Lu Wu, their power among the Night Watchers was quite respectable. As for Lu Wu's claim that the four were timid, perhaps that was merely his subjective assessment, for not everyone possessed his audacious disregard for their own lives.
"Can you contact those four?"
Yang Haoran asked with a smile. Lu Wu nodded, immediately giving an affirmative answer.
"Yes! I know where each of them is hiding!"
"Very good. Then, I'll trouble you to fetch them. Ask them to come over; I have a few things I'd like to discuss."
"Lord Emissary, you are too kind. Now that you have graced our Gu Mo City, as Night Watchers, they are duty-bound to come and pay their respects to you. There's no need to 'invite' them; they are not so privileged. Rest assured, I'll bring them to you at once."
With those words, Lu Wu turned and prepared to depart, but Yang Haoran stopped him.
"Wait."
Lu Wu stopped, looking at Yang Haoran with a hint of confusion.
"Does Lord Emissary have any other instructions?"
"I'm not at ease with you going alone."
Yang Haoran responded with a smile, then instructed Huang Sha.
"You accompany him. Remember, avoid using your power unless absolutely essential. Should it truly become unavoidable, then eliminate the opponent with utmost speed, and immediately depart the scene, lest you get encircled and trapped. We haven't yet gained a firm foothold here, so exercise every caution. Once we're firmly established, heh heh, that will be a different story."
"Yes, Boss!"
Huang Sha responded respectfully, then led Lu Wu away from the battered Death God Temple.
As night descended, Huang Sha and Lu Wu returned to the broken temple. Besides the two of them, there were three additional individuals.
These three, two men and one woman, all appeared to be in their twenties or early thirties. Yang Haoran sensed the presence of Spirit Power emanating from them. This meant these three must be surviving Night Watchers from Gu Mo City.
However, according to Lu Wu's account, besides himself, there were four other surviving Night Watchers in Gu Mo City. Yet now, Lu Wu and Huang Sha had only returned with three, which left Yang Haoran somewhat perplexed.
Regarding this, before Yang Haoran could even open his mouth to ask, Lu Wu immediately offered an explanation.
"Lord Emissary, all surviving Night Watchers from Gu Mo City have been brought back. There was one more, originally, but unfortunately, he is already dead. I found him at his residence, but what I found was merely a corpse, a body devoid of its soul."
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