Chapter 1109: Three-Day Deadline
The moment Yang Haoran unleashed his power fluctuations, the expressions of the representatives from the various major factions present changed once again.
Their expressions changed not merely because the power fluctuations Yang Haoran unleashed were exceptionally potent, but more significantly, because Yang Haoran's actions were, in essence, a declaration of his stance.
Although Yang Haoran didn't utter any harsh words when he unleashed his power, his actions served to inform everyone present that he, Yang Haoran, had demonstrated ample sincerity, and if they continued to press the issue, then the matter could only be resolved through force.
“Emissary Yang, I believe this matter has no connection to you. As I said before, my purpose in coming to your esteemed location today was merely to understand the nature of this incident, not to definitively declare that Emissary Yang was responsible. Since Emissary Yang has clarified the matter, I naturally harbor no suspicions towards him. ”
Xia Xinger, who had remained silent for a long time, finally spoke. Her decision to speak now, rather than earlier, certainly stemmed from her own strategic considerations.
“Heh heh, I'm delighted that Emissary Xia trusts me. And your trust is absolutely well-placed, for I truly did not commit this act. Anything more I say now would be useless. When the truth finally comes to light, you'll know that I haven't lied. I, Yang Haoran, have always lived a life of magnanimous righteousness. I would never engage in such underhanded, shady deeds; otherwise, I would be disgracing the very ‘Haoran’ in my name. ”
Yang Haoran spoke with a smile to Xia Xinger. While his initial words were unremarkable, the latter part was quite shameless. Xiang Chuan, standing beside him, almost burst out laughing upon hearing Yang Haoran's last statement.
As for the others present, their understanding of Yang Haoran wasn't deep. Even if they had gathered some information about him and possessed a certain degree of knowledge, that understanding was ultimately limited. They simply had no idea how many shameless acts Yang Haoran had actually committed.
Not believing Yang Haoran possessed magnanimous righteousness was one thing; what to do next was another entirely. Previously, if it had only been Yang Haoran's side, perhaps it would have been different. But now, Xia Xinger of the Holy Mother Cult had clearly stated her position, choosing to believe Yang Haoran.
If they continued to press the issue or found a way to ignite the fuse, then today's battle would likely be extremely brutal. It would be hard to say who would emerge victorious, for each of the factions present harbored their own ulterior motives and were not truly united. Should a real conflict erupt, they would undoubtedly try to preserve their own strength rather than genuinely fight Yang Haoran to the death, in which case Yang Haoran might pick them off one by one.
The reason they came here to cause trouble but didn't immediately launch an attack was precisely because they were still wary of Yang Haoran's strength and the power he could wield. Otherwise, why would they waste their breath here talking to Yang Haoran?
“Emissary Yang, I am incapable of sending people to monitor you, nor will I demand that you remain within the Death God Temple, for I believe that would be disrespectful to you. However, I must have a satisfactory resolution to this matter. Otherwise, I cannot account for it to my subordinates, much less to my superiors. Even if you are my friend, I will absolutely not do anything that betrays my comrades or my association because of you. Therefore, I give you three days. If, after three days, I don't receive a satisfactory outcome, then don't blame me for being an unfeeling friend. While Three-star Demon Hunters are indeed formidable, they are not invincible, and furthermore, our Demon Hunter Association has a great many Three-star Demon Hunters! ”
Zhuang Yingjie, his face grim, uttered these words to Yang Haoran. The moment the words fell, without waiting for Yang Haoran to respond, he turned his grim face to his subordinate Demon Hunters and gave an order.
“Let's go, back to the association! Send people to investigate this matter with all speed. Once I find the mastermind, I swear I'll tear him to shreds! ”
Zhuang Yingjie departed with his Demon Hunters. Consequently, one of the factions that had come to cause trouble for Yang Haoran today, and a considerably powerful one at that, was now gone.
Seeing Zhuang Yingjie leave, Cao Ze's brows furrowed tightly, his expression equally displeased. The most ideal outcome in his heart would have been for some faction to step forward and launch an attack on Yang Haoran, allowing him to reap the benefits of their conflict.
To achieve this goal, he had spared no effort in fanning the flames, yet no faction had truly stepped forward to clash with Yang Haoran. Moreover, Yang Haoran was incredibly patient; no matter how others cursed or provoked him, he simply refused to make a move.
This resulted in today's grand battle not only failing to erupt, but with him being the only one to have made a move.
Cao Ze also had his own concerns. He hadn't dared to strike again after Yang Haoran's previous warning, and with the situation developing as it had, he was even less inclined to make a move now.谷
“Fine! Three days it is. If, after three days, Emissary Yang cannot produce compelling evidence to prove your innocence, then our Talisman Order won't just be coming to demand an explanation from you. Zhuang Yingjie was right; Three-star Demon Hunters are indeed powerful, but they are not invincible. And our Talisman Order's Golden Talisman Masters are no slouches either! ”
Cao Ze flung down these harsh words, then likewise departed with the Talisman Masters of the Talisman Order. The various major factions present, seeing that both the Demon Hunter Association and the Talisman Order—these two colossal powerhouses—had left, also dropped their own threats and chose to withdraw. After all, without a major faction leading the charge, for them to confront the Underworld Office alone would be courting death.
Yang Haoran heard all the harsh words uttered by these factions. He didn't retort, but instead listened quietly with a smile, as if the person being threatened by these factions wasn't him at all. And the time limit these factions gave him was also three days.
In a short while, all the other factions, except for the Holy Mother Cult, withdrew. Yang Haoran smiled as he watched these factions depart, finally turning his gaze towards Xia Xinger.
“Heh heh, it seems I, Yang Haoran, owe you another favor today. Should the opportunity arise in the future, I will repay this debt. ” Yang Haoran said with a smile.
“I didn't do this to make Emissary Yang owe me a favor. I merely felt that Emissary Yang was indeed not lying. Furthermore, I also do not wish to witness a scene of rivers of blood. If this battle truly erupted today, it would certainly be far more tragic than your previous conflict with the Corpse Driving Sect, for the casualties of this fight would undoubtedly multiply. ” Xia Xinger said, her tone calm.
Yang Haoran simply smiled faintly, saying nothing more. He genuinely didn't want to deal with members of the Holy Mother Cult. It wasn't that he harbored animosity towards them, but rather that the Holy Mother Cult's way of doing things differed greatly from his own in certain aspects. They weren't people who walked the same path; even if he wanted to chat more, they wouldn't have common topics, their values being entirely divergent.
Seeing that Yang Haoran merely smiled and showed no intention of speaking, Xia Xinger hesitated for a moment, then addressed him.
“Emissary Yang, can you truly investigate this matter thoroughly and clear your name within three days? ”
Without even thinking, Yang Haoran shook his head in response to Xia Xinger's question.
Seeing Yang Haoran shake his head, Xia Xinger remained as calm as still water, her emotions unperturbed by his gesture.
“If you have no confidence, why did you agree? ” Xia Xinger asked.
“Heh heh, when did I ever agree? ” Yang Haoran countered with a smile.
Yang Haoran's reply caused Xia Xinger to freeze for a moment. Only then did she recall that from the moment Zhuang Yingjie declared the three-day deadline until their current conversation, Yang Haoran had not uttered another word. Indeed, he had given no response whatsoever to the three-day limit set by the various factions, not even a nod, merely observing everything with a faint smile.
Yang Haoran's current answer made her realize something.
“Whether you agreed or not, they have already set this deadline. If, after three days, Emissary Yang cannot produce compelling evidence to prove your innocence, I'm afraid the situation will become far more severe than it is today,” Xia Xinger said.
“If I can't produce compelling evidence after three days, there's nothing I can do. After all, this deadline was set by them, and unilaterally imposed upon me without my consent. It's perfectly understandable if I can't meet it. If they wish to use this as an excuse to ignite a grand battle, then I can only choose to resolve the problem with violence,” Yang Haoran replied with a smile.
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