Chapter 1031: Big Sister
Within Gu Mo City, numerous Spirit God Temples, both large and small, had been erected. In stark contrast to the dilapidated Death God Temple, where not a single ghost could be seen, these Spirit God Temples were luxuriously adorned, with towering statues, and a ceaseless stream of devout worshippers. Every temple bustled with activity, their incense burning bright.
In Lecheng, the Death God Temple enjoyed flourishing incense and a constant stream of worshippers who wore down its threshold, while the Spirit God Temples were utterly demolished by Yang Haoran's people. The situation had truly been reversed in Gu Mo City.
Inside the largest Spirit God Temple in Gu Mo City, there was a lavishly decorated hall. Despite its opulent decor, the hall exuded an eerie, sinister aura. The vast space was dimly lit, and a dense, palpable Yin Qi permeated the entire area.
Currently, thirteen individuals were gathered in this hall. These thirteen were none other than the thirteen Spirit Masters of Gu Mo City's Spirit Mediums. Among them was Zhuang Mingzhe, who had been turned to sand by Huang Sha's palm. He bore no wounds, his body clean and intact, yet his complexion was pallid, as if he were recovering from a severe illness.
Zhuang Mingzhe was not dead. Just as Yang Haoran had suspected, what Huang Sha had turned to sand with a single palm strike was not his true body, but rather a stand-in he had conjured through a Spiritual Art. Hence, he was still alive and well.
Although the destruction of the stand-in did not cost him his life, he had expended a massive amount of Communication Power during the process of controlling it against Huang Sha and Xiang Chuan. This was precisely why his complexion appeared so pale—a result of such a significant depletion of Communication Power in a short period.
In the center of the hall, a colossal light screen illuminated. The scene displayed within this screen depicted everything that had transpired when Zhuang Mingzhe led the other Spirit Mediums to the temple where Yang Haoran was located. Only after Zhuang Mingzhe was struck down and turned to sand by Huang Sha's palm did the image on the screen conclude, and the light screen itself dissipated.
"Heh heh, Zhuang Mingzhe, didn't you confidently declare earlier that this new Emissary of Death from the Underworld Office wasn't all that impressive? How is it you were slapped in the face so quickly? That fellow merely flicked a cigarette butt at the very beginning and never made a move against our people again, yet you were dispatched by his two subordinates in just a few moves. Truly laughable."
No sooner had the elder's voice faded than another sneering voice chimed in.
"In such a short time, over twenty Spirit Mediums were slain, their souls extracted, their Human Spirits drained dry. Even your Guardian Spirit, Zhuang Mingzhe, was taken by the enemy. This time, you've brought immense shame upon us Spirit Mediums, Zhuang Mingzhe."
The speaker was an old woman. From her appearance, she seemed quite similar to the elder who had spoken before. It was clear from her words that even if she and the elder weren't exactly allied, they certainly weren't on Zhuang Mingzhe's side, otherwise, she would never have uttered such words at this moment.
"This matter cannot be entirely blamed on Little Zhuang. None of us expected that this 'Yin dog' would bring two capable assistants, which is why Little Zhuang stumbled at his hands."
A middle-aged man spoke up. From his demeanor, it seemed he was on Zhuang Mingzhe's side.
No sooner had he finished speaking than the elder who had spoken before instantly flew into a rage.
"Nonsense! What do you mean 'didn't expect'? Gu Mo City's Death God Temple was utterly destroyed, their Emissary of Death killed, their Night Watchers reduced to stray dogs. Under such circumstances, since the Underworld Office is sending someone to assist the Gu Mo City Underworld Division, they must surely intend to turn the tide. If they want to turn the tide, do you think the person the Underworld Office sends would be weak? If it were you, would you send mere 'shrimp soldiers and crab generals' to their deaths? If the Underworld Office really did that, it wouldn't just fail to reverse the Gu Mo City Underworld Division's situation, but would bring even greater shame upon them. Anyone with half a brain could figure this out, yet you shamelessly claim you 'didn't expect'!"
The elder's words were sharp, targeting not just Zhuang Mingzhe, but also the middle-aged man who had spoken in his defense.
The middle-aged man frowned, a look of displeasure on his face. With so many witnesses, the elder had shown neither him nor Zhuang Mingzhe any courtesy; how could he not be furious?
Zhuang Mingzhe's pale face also twisted in anger. In his view, he was the only one who had put in any effort for this operation, yet he had ended up with a thankless outcome. How could he not harbor resentment?
"Old Niu, don't you dare come here with your hindsight criticism! You're so good at divining and strategizing, why didn't you offer any ideas back then? If you'd just brought your old flame and settled that brat, it would have been over, wouldn't it? Why should I have to take the risk to handle this matter?"
The anger in his heart made Zhuang Mingzhe's tone exceedingly unfriendly. His words were aimed not only at the elder but also at the old woman beside him.
Provoked by Zhuang Mingzhe's words, the anger on the faces of both the elder and the old woman intensified.
The elder slammed his hand on the table, shot up from his seat, and with a bony finger pointed at Zhuang Mingzhe, roared loudly.
"Hmph! This old man has lived most of his life, I've eaten more salt than you've eaten grain! You dare to act like my superior in front of me? Aren't you afraid of shortening your own lifespan, boy? ! If you hadn't taken charge of this matter, this old man would naturally have handled it personally. But since you insisted on handling it, I wanted to see how capable you truly were. The result is plain for everyone to see: you've utterly shamed us Spirit Mediums this time! What does this prove? It proves you're simply incompetent, boy!"
Not to be outdone, Zhuang Mingzhe also slammed his hand on the table and stood up, retorting furiously at the elder.
"Although this operation was proposed by me, Zhuang Mingzhe, it had the Big Sister's approval! You old coot, are you perhaps questioning the Big Sister's decision?"
As he uttered the three words "Big Sister," the elder, whose face had been contorted in fury, suddenly changed expression. It was as if someone had seized him by the throat, and he forcibly swallowed the words that had been on the tip of his tongue, turning his gaze towards the main seat.
Seated in the main chair was a black-clad woman. She was idly toying with her long hair, watching with keen interest as Zhuang Mingzhe and the elder argued until their faces were red and necks strained, showing no intention of mediating.
Seeing that both men had turned their gazes to her and fallen silent, the black-clad woman finally smiled and asked.
"What's wrong with you two? Why stop arguing in the middle of it? I was rather hoping to see if you two would actually come to blows here."
Upon hearing this, the two men exchanged a glance. Although they both saw the anger in each other's eyes, neither spoke again, and they returned to their respective seats.
"Ah, how uninteresting. Since you two no longer wish to argue, I suppose I'll briefly discuss this matter then."
The black-clad woman sighed, her face revealing a look of regret, as if genuinely disappointed to have missed a good show.
No one else spoke, nor did any of them show the slightest dissatisfaction with the black-clad woman's words. This black-clad woman did not seem particularly old, yet all the Spirit Mediums present appeared to hold her in great awe.
"Old Niu was right. Since the Underworld Office is sending an Underworld Official to take charge in Gu Mo City, they certainly wouldn't send a mere minion to die. Doing so would not only fail to achieve their objective but would also bring even greater shame upon their Underworld Office. Therefore, the Emissary of Death sent by the Underworld Office to our Gu Mo City must possess a certain level of strength. As for exactly how strong they are, I believe none of you know, and naturally, neither do I."
At this point, the black-clad woman turned her gaze to Zhuang Mingzhe, smiled, and then continued to speak.
"My agreement for Little Zhuang to lead the charge was actually to gauge the true extent of this Underworld Official's strength. If we knew nothing about his power and all rushed in to cause trouble, what if he counter-killed us? Events have proven my thinking correct. You all just saw how Little Zhuang was dealt with in a few moves. Although the one who attacked wasn't this Underworld Official himself, the fact that those two are willing to follow him indicates that he must be a capable individual. If he truly lacked ability, who would willingly follow a useless person?"
The black-clad woman paused, then pulled a cigarette from a pack on the table and lit it. After taking a deep, seemingly intoxicated drag, she resumed speaking.
"This Underworld Official has an ordinary appearance, yet he exudes a unique aura. Throughout the entire process, he wore a smile, showing no signs of frowning or panic, exuding an air of complete confidence. He truly doesn't seem like a simple character."
The black-clad woman's words seemed to be for the Spirit Masters present, and yet, they also sounded as if. . . she was speaking to herself.
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