Chapter 1030: No Reinforcements
Responding to Shui Ling’s query, Yang Haoran chuckled and said,
“The lack of paper figures is likely due to Huang Sha’s power, turning them into sand. Of course, it’s not impossible that Zhuang Mingzhe didn’t use paper figures to condense his stand-in; perhaps it was something else we don’t know about. ”
Shui Ling remained silent. This time, it wasn’t because she was afraid to speak, but because she felt the truth was probably exactly as Yang Haoran had stated, which is why she kept quiet.
“No wonder. I specifically controlled my strength on that last palm strike, yet I still turned him into sand. I had some doubts in my heart, but now that the Boss has explained it, my confusion is finally resolved. Regardless of whether he used a paper figure or something else to condense his stand-in, as long as the object cannot withstand my power, it will inevitably turn into sand. ”
The reason Huang Sha had controlled his strength on the last palm strike was that he only wanted to kill Zhuang Mingzhe, not destroy Zhuang Mingzhe's corpse. If Zhuang Mingzhe's corpse remained, he could absorb the Human Spirit from Zhuang Mingzhe's flesh and blood. Conversely, if Zhuang Mingzhe's physical body was turned into sand, then his intention would be thwarted.
Zhuang Mingzhe was a Spiritualist, and his strength was not weak. The Human Spirit within his flesh and blood was far more potent than that of ordinary Spiritualists. Naturally, he didn't want to miss out, which was why he controlled his strength with that final palm strike.
However, he hadn't expected that even with controlled strength, he would still turn Zhuang Mingzhe into sand. Although he was perplexed at the time, there were other Spiritualists' corpses waiting for him to deal with; if he delayed, he would get nothing. So, he had no time to dwell on the matter.
“Heh, I knew it! Old Sha clearly wanted the Human Spirit, yet he still turned that guy’s body into sand. I thought there was some reason why Old Sha gave up on him. Turns out, that wasn’t the case at all. ”
“By the way, this place isn't too far from Gu Mo City, and we didn't set up any forbidden formations or barriers. Although the commotion from the fight with the Spiritualists just now wasn’t too great, many people must have sensed it. So why didn't anyone come to watch the show? ”
Seeing Xiang Chuan’s confusion, Yang Haoran chuckled and asked,
“Watching the show doesn’t always have to be out in the open; one can watch from the shadows just as well. And sometimes, watching the show doesn’t even require eyes. Sensing the power fluctuations of both sides, discerning the strength of those fluctuations, and whether the fluctuations disappear or not, can still achieve the goal of watching the show. While it's not as good as being present, it's much safer. Not only does one not have to worry about being caught in the crossfire, but one also avoids offending either party. ”
Xiang Chuan naturally understood what Yang Haoran meant by these words, but one thing still puzzled him.
“Alright, even if what you say makes sense, and other forces are hiding in the dark to watch the show, then why didn’t any Spiritualists come to provide support? Are they also hiding in the shadows, just watching? ”
This point puzzled not only Xiang Chuan but also the others. Logically, since Zhuang Mingzhe had initiated the attack, the other Spiritualists in Gu Mo City shouldn't have been unaware. If Zhuang Mingzhe couldn't defeat Yang Haoran and his group, why didn't the other Spiritualists rush to his aid?
Yang Haoran didn't immediately answer Xiang Chuan. He looked around and, finding no signs of spatial instability, finally spoke to Xiang Chuan.
“Before, I also thought that Spiritualists should have sent reinforcements to this place, but from the current situation, it seems I was mistaken. Perhaps, Zhuang Mingzhe came here alone today, behind the backs of the other Spiritualists, wanting to claim this credit for himself. Or perhaps, the other Spiritualists knew of Zhuang Mingzhe’s actions, but their main objective wasn’t necessarily to kill us, but to probe my strength. If they could kill me during the probing, that would naturally be for the best. If not, it wouldn’t matter; at least they would have a better understanding of me. ”
After hearing Yang Haoran's speculation, Xiang Chuan gave a knowing grin, a hint of disdain in his smile.
“Regardless of whether your guess is correct, one thing is a fact: they lost, and we won. We killed over twenty of their Spiritualists, but that’s nothing to them since they have so many. However, that guy named Zhuang Mingzhe lost his Guardian Spirit. Even though we didn’t successfully kill Zhuang Mingzhe, without his Guardian Spirit, he’s no different from an ordinary person who has lost an arm. ”
Xiang Chuan’s words were indeed true. Without their Guardian Spirit, a Spiritualist’s power would be significantly weakened, and their cultivation speed would slow down as a result. Therefore, for Zhuang Mingzhe, this trip was a considerable loss.
“Guardian Spirits are extremely important to Spiritualists. Now that Zhuang Mingzhe’s Guardian Spirit is in our hands, will they not come back to seize it? Will they just let us deal with his Guardian Spirit? ”
Huang Sha asked, his tone clearly bewildered.
“Heh, you’re right. Their current absence doesn’t mean they won’t appear later. Perhaps they really will send someone to snatch Zhuang Mingzhe’s Guardian Spirit. ”
Yang Haoran took a drag from his cigarette, then casually flicked the butt away and said,
“Since we’ve already given them a strong warning today, let’s retreat for now. I happen to have some questions I want to ask this brother. ”
As he finished speaking, Yang Haoran glanced at the Night Watcher chained in mid-air.
Seeing Yang Haoran’s gaze fall upon the Night Watcher suspended in mid-air, Shui Ling’s expression changed slightly, then she nodded with a complicated look, saying nothing more.
Since the Spiritualists’ souls and Guardian Spirits had already been collected into the Soul-Gathering Beads, there was nothing else to process here. Taking the traitorous Night Watcher with them, the group departed, leaving behind only scattered corpses, a dilapidated temple, and ubiquitous traces of battle.
Leaving the Broken Temple, the next destination was a problem. Yang Haoran had considered returning directly to other temples to rebuild the damaged ones. However, after careful consideration, he decided to put that off for now. After all, rebuilding temples also required manpower. With just a few of them, if they personally went to the temple to carry bricks, who would handle the other matters?
Therefore, the first thing to do now was to increase the number of Night Watchers. Only with more people could many things be handled effectively, and only then would there be people to handle them.
As for where to temporarily settle, this time Yang Haoran didn't ask Lu Wu. Instead, he asked Shui Ling to choose a temporary lodging place.
There was a natural reason why he consulted Shui Ling instead of Lu Wu. In his opinion, someone with Lu Wu's personality was suitable for charging into battle, but for other matters, it was best to avoid troubling him if possible.
Shui Ling, however, was the exact opposite of Lu Wu. Compared to him, Shui Ling was much more meticulous, and Yang Haoran felt more at ease when she handled such tasks.
Shui Ling did not disappoint Yang Haoran. After some thought, she chose what she believed to be a relatively safe temporary lodging point: the home of a believer within Gu Mo City.
Currently, the number of Death God believers in Gu Mo City had decreased by more than half, because the Gu Mo City Underworld Office could not provide these believers with basic safety guarantees. After all, the Gu Mo City Underworld Office itself was in precarious straits; how could it possibly protect the lives of its believers? This led to a large exodus of believers, who were poached by other sects.
However, the mass exodus of believers did not mean that Gu Mo City was completely devoid of Death God believers. Some individuals still adhered to their faith, refusing to change their beliefs despite the decline of the Gu Mo City Underworld Office. These types of believers were truly devout, capable of doing anything for their faith, including sacrificing their lives.
Therefore, going to these believers meant they absolutely would not betray Yang Haoran and his group.
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