Chapter 1022: Startling Figures
Yang Haoran didn't immediately stop Lu Wu and Shui Ling when they first started arguing because he wanted to glean some information from their quarrel, which naturally included the state of their relationship. However, seeing their argument escalate and both growing increasingly furious, Yang Haoran naturally couldn't let them continue. Enough was enough; letting them quarrel further would not be beneficial for him.
Lu Wu and Shui Ling, who had still intended to argue, immediately fell silent upon hearing Yang Haoran's words. Even though Lu Wu was on the verge of an angry outburst, he forcibly suppressed the rage in his heart, for both knew Yang Haoran was right—this was no time for quarreling. Moreover, Yang Haoran's identity as a Soul-Sower commanded respect, and they dared not disregard his warning.
“Everyone has a different personality, and naturally, their principles and methods of handling affairs will vary. So, it's perfectly normal to have differences of opinion on the same matter, and I understand that. But we're all on the same side. I hope you won't let minor issues escalate into major conflicts. ”
Yang Haoran said with a smile, then lit a cigarette. Shui Ling and Lu Wu both nodded in agreement, neither saying much.
“Alright, let's get down to business. The sooner we deal with these Spirit Masters in Gu Mo City, the sooner I can report back to my superiors. If I drag this out too long, they might question my competence,” Yang Haoran continued. “Currently, I want to learn two things from you both. I hope you'll tell me everything you know, without any omissions. First, I want to know roughly how many Spirit Masters there are in Gu Mo City, what their strengths are, and what realm the strongest Spirit Master has reached. Second, I want to know which factions in Gu Mo City are collaborating with the Spirit Masters? ”
The Underworld Office's sworn enemies were the Spirit Masters, and the Gu Mo City Underworld Office's current predicament was inseparable from them. Therefore, what Yang Haoran naturally wanted to understand first was everything about the Spirit Masters.
“I can answer both of the Soul-Sower’s questions, and I can answer them even more thoroughly than a certain someone,” Shui Ling declared. “Because I’ve continuously been collecting information on Spirit Masters, even now. ”
Lu Wu immediately took offense at her words and was about to retort, but Yang Haoran spoke before him.
Yang Haoran asked Lu Wu directly with a chuckle. Though Lu Wu wore a disgruntled expression, he hesitated for a moment before shaking his head.
“She’s right. I truly don’t know as much as she does in this regard. ”
Lu Wu didn't make excuses, admitting openly in front of everyone present that he was indeed inferior to Shui Ling in this area.
“Heh heh, if you don’t know as much as she does, then don’t interrupt her. Listen carefully,” Yang Haoran said. “However, I appreciate that you can face your own shortcomings. ”
As his words fell, Yang Haoran shifted his gaze to Shui Ling, took a puff from his cigarette, and continued.
“Go on, the more detailed, the better. Don’t leave anything out. ”
Shui Ling respectfully assented, then proceeded to thoroughly inform Yang Haoran of everything she knew.
Like other cities, Gu Mo City had Spirit Masters even before the world fell into chaos. However, back then, Spirit Masters were far more restrained and operated primarily in the shadows. This was because the Spiritualist God had not yet appeared, and Spirit Masters were still a disorganized mess, lacking any cohesion. Thus, although the Gu Mo City Underworld Office and Spirit Masters would clash every few days, the Underworld Office almost always emerged victorious.
After the Spiritualist God appeared, Spirit Masters gained their own deity and their own faith. They not only unified but also learned how to summon the powerful Spirit Aspect. It was from that point onward that the Gu Mo City Underworld Office began its decline.
Currently, the Gu Mo City Underworld Office was reduced to only four members. Everyone else, including the former Soul-Sower, had tragically perished, the vast majority at the hands of Spirit Masters, with only a small number dying by the actions of other factions.
Conversely, the Spirit Masters grew ever stronger. Not only did their numbers increase significantly, but their followers also multiplied exponentially. This situation arose because people died every day in Gu Mo City, and without the Underworld Office to guide their souls, these souls naturally fell into the hands of the Spirit Masters.
Souls willing to submit to the Spirit Masters would be cultivated by them, allowing them to continue existing in the world as ghosts, euphemistically called "eternal life. " More powerful souls would even be trained to become Guardian Spirits, serving as companions to their Spirit Masters.
As for souls unwilling to submit, the Spirit Masters showed no mercy. They would directly have their Guardian Spirits devour them, turning them into supplements for the Guardian Spirits.
The vast majority of souls chose to submit to the Spirit Masters, because submission offered not only eternal life but also the possibility of becoming a Guardian Spirit. The alternative was Soul Transformation, a choice so obvious even a child could make it.
Beyond handling souls, Spirit Masters also exerted significant influence over the living through brainwashing. They constantly instilled in the living the idea of eternal life: as long as one was willing to become a believer in the Spiritualist God, they wouldn't have to descend into hell after death; they could continue to exist in this world and even possess powerful abilities that ordinary people couldn't.
Before the world fell into chaos, few would have believed such 'ghost stories'. But now, with the world in turmoil and demons and ghosts running rampant, ordinary people who had witnessed supernatural powers had long accepted the existence of various miraculous forces in this world and deeply envied and yearned for them. Thus, the Spirit Masters’ brainwashing efforts were highly successful.
Consequently, the number of believers in the Gu Mo City Spiritualist God rapidly increased in a short period. From these believers, the Spirit Masters selected many promising individuals, cultivating a new generation of Spirit Masters. This led to the current situation where the number of Spirit Masters in Gu Mo City has reached an astonishing level.
According to the information Shui Ling had gathered, there were as many as one thousand five hundred and seventy-three Spirit Masters in Gu Mo City possessing spiritual power. Among them, one thousand three hundred and eighty-four had Guardian Spirits. Although the vast majority of these Guardian Spirits were Wánglíng, and the Spirit Masters themselves had not yet broken through to the Spirit Master realm, such a massive number was still shocking, and this figure continued to grow daily.
In addition to the ordinary Spirit Masters, Gu Mo City also had thirteen powerful Spirit Masters. Each of these thirteen possessed astonishing strength, especially the leading Spirit Master, whose power, according to Shui Ling's intelligence, was already close to the pinnacle of the Spirit Master realm.
It was precisely because the Gu Mo City Spirit Masters possessed such formidable strength that their Underworld Office was defeated in such a short period. Even their strongest Soul-Sower didn't escape, suffering the fate of Soul Transformation. As for the other Night Watchers, they were utterly defenseless against the Spirit Masters, ultimately leading to the current situation.
As for the other factions in Gu Mo City, many had initially sided with the Underworld Office. Even those who didn't explicitly side with them dared not openly oppose them, as they harbored concerns about provoking such a formidable entity as the Underworld Office.
However, ever since the Jingling Great Emperor fell, two Guardians were slain, and the Spirit Masters crushed the Underworld Office, the attitude of many factions towards the Underworld Office changed. They believed the world was about to shift, and that the Underworld Office would likely be replaced by the Spirit Masters. Consequently, some factions decisively abandoned the Underworld Office and chose to align themselves with the Spirit Masters.
Currently, there were quite a few factions in Gu Mo City siding with the Spirit Masters. Although almost all of them were small or medium-sized forces, their combined strength was not to be underestimated.
Besides these small and medium-sized factions, some larger powers also had dealings with the Spirit Masters. However, they still harbored concerns about the Underworld Office, so they dared not be too overt in their alliances, only interacting in secret.
Finally, some factions were adopting a wait-and-see approach, offending neither side. Although the Spirit Masters were very powerful in Gu Mo City, the Underworld Office was no pushover. They would certainly send someone to clean up the mess in Gu Mo City; if for no other reason, then for the Underworld Office's 'face', they absolutely couldn't ignore Gu Mo City's affairs. Thus, these factions wisely chose to observe, waiting to watch a good show.
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