Chapter 1051: Release Him
Yang Haoran's tone was calm, and a faint smile played on his face, his expression appearing utterly benign. Yet, the meaning behind his words held not an ounce of kindness.
A chill ran through the Cripple's heart. He was an old hand at this, and naturally, he could tell Yang Haoran wasn't joking.
"Hmph, your strength indeed exceeded my expectations. I admit that was my miscalculation, but you'd best not get too arrogant. Otherwise, the fate of your Underworld Office's previous Emissary of Death will be your own. Forget the entire Gu Mo City, even within our Corpse Driving Sect, my strength isn't considered top-tier. Do you really think you're invincible just because you defeated me?"
The Cripple snorted coldly. Although his heart was shaken by Yang Haoran's power, he didn't want to show any weakness in front of him.
"Heh heh, you're almost beaten to death, yet your mouth is still so stubborn. You really make me look at you in a new light. Since you're unwilling to choose your own way to die, I'll pick one for you."
Yang Haoran said with a smile, then looked at the Cripple's remaining intact leg.
"I'll just break your other leg first, and then throw you and all your little zombie darlings into a fire pit. Only by burning your bodies to ash can we prevent the corpse toxin within you from harming others."
Fury flashed across the Cripple's pale face. He stared coldly at Yang Haoran and said in a low voice.
Yang Haoran naturally understood the true meaning and hidden implications of the Cripple's words, but he pretended ignorance, shaking his head lightly at the Cripple before speaking with a chuckle.
"Heh heh, I truly don't understand what you meant by those words. All I know is that you came here to cause trouble, wantonly slaughtering our Underworld Office's Night Watchers and Death God Temple believers. As an Emissary of Death of the Underworld Office, I must kill you, for this is my duty."
Yang Haoran spoke with a smile, and as his voice faded, a chain suddenly materialized at the Cripple's feet.
The Cripple was already severely wounded at this point, and his movement speed and reaction time were far from their peak. Thus, before he could even react, his intact leg was bound by the chain, which then quickly tightened.
The Cripple's expression changed drastically. He glanced at the rapidly tightening chain around his leg, a hint of panic involuntarily appearing on his face. From the current situation, it seemed Yang Haoran truly intended to cripple his leg first.
According to Yang Haoran's words, once this leg was crippled, his life would follow, and his corpse would be incinerated. Though he was stubborn to the core, his heart still panicked when he saw Yang Haoran truly preparing to do this.
"I am a member of the Corpse Driving Sect, and I represent the Corpse Driving Sect! If you kill me, you'll incur the wrath of the Corpse Driving Sect. You'd better think this through!"
To make Yang Haoran change his mind, the Cripple stopped beating around the bush. He laid his cards on the table, threatening Yang Haoran with the Corpse Driving Sect behind him, hoping to save his own life.
The current situation of the Underworld Office in Gu Mo City was not optimistic; to be precise, it was quite dire. He believed that if Yang Haoran had any sense, he wouldn't make too many enemies in Gu Mo City, as it wouldn't benefit the Underworld Office's development.
Furthermore, their Corpse Driving Sect was publicly recognized as one of the major powers in Gu Mo City; their formidable strength was clear for all other factions in Gu Mo City to see. If the Underworld Office offended their Corpse Driving Sect, they would surely suffer badly in Gu Mo City from now on.
It was precisely because the Cripple had considered these factors that he believed, as long as he made his intentions clear, Yang Haoran would certainly not deliver a killing blow, for the sake of the Underworld Office's development in Gu Mo City.
"If you were me, you'd find your current threat utterly laughable."
Yang Haoran spoke with a smile, then snapped his fingers. The chain wrapped around the Cripple's leg suddenly intensified its grip. The searing pain forced a scream from the Cripple. He could clearly feel that the leg bound by the chain was on the verge of shattering. Had he not mustered his power to protect it, that leg would already be gone.
Although he had mobilized a vast amount of power to protect his leg, the force unleashed by the chain at that moment had already exceeded his tolerable limit. He knew very well that if he didn't destroy the chain immediately, in just a short while, the power protecting his leg would be completely shattered, and his leg would undoubtedly be pulverized.
Yang Haoran's reaction made him realize one thing: his threats were completely ineffective against Yang Haoran. Even though he had brought out the Corpse Driving Sect behind him, Yang Haoran still had no intention of letting him go.
In such a situation, he certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to continue threatening, as it wouldn't achieve the desired effect and would even hasten his demise. He naturally wouldn't do that.
However, he also didn't beg Yang Haoran for mercy, as begging was not only humiliating but also might not even work. He was a person of standing in Gu Mo City; to ask him to beg for mercy was something he simply couldn't bring himself to do.
If no one were watching, and begging for mercy actually worked, then to save his life, he very likely would have chosen to do so.
But the current situation was different. Yang Haoran gave him a terrifying feeling, and he felt that even if he begged, Yang Haoran would, more likely than not, still not spare him.
Furthermore, there was another crucial point: everything happening here and now was being watched intently by quite a few people hidden in the shadows, all of them influential figures from Gu Mo City. If he were to beg Yang Haoran for mercy, whether successful or not, it would be a slap in his face and an embarrassment to the Corpse Driving Sect. How could he possibly continue to thrive in Gu Mo City after that?
"Aren't you going to make a move! ! !"
The Cripple roared, his face twisted in anguish. At this moment, his heart was filled with both fury and anxiety. The fury wasn't solely directed at Yang Haoran; a part of it was aimed at those secretly watching the spectacle.
He was almost being killed by Yang Haoran, and these guys still weren't making a move, treating him, the one leading the charge, as mere cannon fodder. How could he not be furious?
As for the anxiety, it was naturally due to his fear of suffering irreparable damage. He was about to lose his ability to resist, and if he didn't escape his current predicament soon, his leg would truly be unsalvageable.
Once this leg was gone, even if those secretly watching came to his rescue, his lost leg wouldn't recover. At that point, it would truly be as Yang Haoran said: he wouldn't need a crutch anymore; a wheelchair would suffice.
As the Cripple's anxious and furious roar echoed, several ripples of power suddenly emanated from outside the temple. Each of these power ripples was considerably stronger than the power ripples released by the Cripple in his prime.
"Heh heh, newcomer, that's enough. Doing too much won't benefit anyone, wouldn't you agree?"
A man's voice echoed above the temple. Judging solely by his voice, the man's age shouldn't be high; he was definitely younger than the Cripple. His words carried no hint of anger, but they were full of mockery.
As the man's voice fell silent, several figures appeared from various hidden corners outside the temple. These figures distorted for a moment before vanishing, followed immediately by a tearing sound in the air. Inside the temple, which was now a ruin, several more people appeared.
The individuals were not in a single spot; instead, they were distributed throughout the temple. Some landed on the ground, some perched on the tops of crumbling structures, while others simply hovered in the air.
Although the individuals were scattered around the temple, they subtly formed a circle of encirclement, trapping Yang Haoran within.
Yang Haoran turned slightly, looking at a young man not far away. The man was smiling as he watched him, though his smile carried a distinct air of provocation.
When the Cripple saw this person appear, his heart leaped with joy. He immediately roared at the man, his face etched with anxiety.
"Quickly! Make that damned Underworld dog release me! My leg is about to break! ! !"
The man heard this, glanced at the Cripple, and an undisguised look of contempt flashed in his eyes. He did not respond to the Cripple, but after merely a fleeting look, he shifted his gaze back to Yang Haoran, then spoke with a commanding, yet smiling, tone.
"Release him."
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