Chapter 1135: The Truth
Yang Haoran abandoned the idea of immediately striking at the various major factions. Thus, he dispersed the mountain-like Death God's Law Aspect hovering above his head. Even if he wasn't actively controlling the Death God's Law Aspect in combat, maintaining it still consumed a significant amount of his Spirit Power. Although his Spirit Power was abundant, he saw no need to waste it like this; it wasn't his style.
As for why he didn't disperse the Death God's Law Aspect the moment the Talisman Ancestor's Dharma Aspect vanished, it was naturally to prevent anyone from ignoring Gu Mo City's upheaval and attacking him or his subordinates again. After all, a second summoning of the Death God's Law Aspect would not only take time but also consume even more of his Spirit Power. Therefore, it was better to keep the Death God's Law Aspect manifested; it would serve as a powerful deterrent and allow him to respond to sudden emergencies.
"Soul-Sower, this palace looks incredibly ancient. I've been in Gu Mo City for so many years, and I never knew such a massive palace was hidden beneath it. In my opinion, there must be some extraordinary treasures inside. Should we go and take a look?"
Lu Wu, with an eager expression, spoke to Yang Haoran. In the past, given his personality, Lu Wu would have been extremely confused and questioned Yang Haoran about why he was simply letting the major factions leave. But now, he didn't ask, because at this moment, like everyone from the major factions, his entire attention was drawn to this suddenly appearing palace.
"Heh heh, go? Why not go? But not now," Yang Haoran responded with a smile.
When Lu Wu heard Yang Haoran had decided to go, his face initially lit up with joy, but then Yang Haoran added that it wasn't "now", leaving him both confused and anxious.
"Soul-Sower, for something like this, we absolutely need to seize the initiative! If we go too late, I'm afraid we won't even get a single hair!"
Yang Haoran took a final drag from the cigarette in his hand, then flicked away the butt, before calmly asking Lu Wu with a faint smile.
Lu Wu, upon hearing this, remained silent, tilting his head in thought.
"Heh heh, the major factions have come to my Death God Temple to cause trouble twice, and the Spirit Masters never showed themselves. Now that Gu Mo City has undergone such a massive change, they've finally deigned to appear."
Yang Haoran smiled faintly. Ignoring the frowning, thoughtful Lu Wu, he turned his gaze to Shui Ling.
"Tell me, what exactly is the situation?"
Yang Haoran asked Shui Ling with a smile. His primary reason for not rushing to the palace immediately was to gather information from Shui Ling. The more he knew, the better he could tailor his approach and prevent his side from being put in a passive position.
Besides, judging solely by its appearance, this palace was filled with an eerie and bloody aura. The internal situation would likely be even more bizarre and gruesome than what met the eye. So, he wasn't in a hurry to enter immediately, lest he fail to find treasure and end up losing himself instead.
Although Yang Haoran didn't state it explicitly, Shui Ling understood his meaning and immediately responded.
"Your subordinate has already investigated and confirmed that the disappearances in Gu Mo City were caused by Wan Wu Yi of the Demon Cult, not the Spirit Masters. The Spirit Masters merely seized this opportunity to widely spread rumors and pin the blame on you, Soul-Sower. Their main objective was to eliminate you by using other factions, without expending a single soldier themselves."
Yang Haoran's expression remained unchanged. As he listened to Shui Ling's report, he pulled out another cigarette, lit it, and continued to ask.
"Have you found out why the Demon Cult did this?"
Shui Ling gently shook her head, a hint of regret in her expression, and then spoke.
"Not yet, temporarily. We were previously discovered by the Demon Cult's people, and a fierce battle ensued between us. Coupled with our Death God Temple being besieged by the major factions, your subordinate had no choice but to abandon the investigation and immediately return to the temple. If your subordinate were given more time, I would certainly be able to follow the clues and thoroughly investigate this matter."
Yang Haoran didn't question Shui Ling's words. Since Shui Ling had managed to ascertain that the disappearances in Gu Mo City were the work of the Demon Cult, she must have some clues in hand. Following these clues, it wouldn't be impossible to uncover the reason behind the Demon Cult's actions.
Yang Haoran wasn't prepared to ask how Shui Ling had found the clues to confirm that the disappearances in Gu Mo City were the Demon Cult's doing; now wasn't the time to inquire about such details. After all, there were more pressing matters that required his attention, and besides, he wanted the result, not the process.
Yang Haoran took a puff from his cigarette, turning his gaze towards the eerie palace in the central area of Gu Mo City, then continued to ask Shui Ling.
"What's the deal with this palace? Do you know anything about it?"
This time, Shui Ling didn't shake her head; instead, she nodded emphatically. She didn't play coy in front of Yang Haoran, nor would she dare to. After nodding, she immediately responded.
"The reason our Gu Mo City is called Gu Mo City, according to legend, is because a powerful Ancient Demon once appeared here before the city was renamed. It was due to this individual that the city's name was changed to Gu Mo City. And this palace, which has suddenly burst forth from the ground, if my guess is correct, is the very palace that Ancient Demon built for himself back then."
Lu Wu, deep in thought, was interrupted by Shui Ling's words. He gave up on further contemplation and shifted his entire attention to what Shui Ling was saying, then spoke to her.
"The origin of Gu Mo City's name—that's just a legend. I've always just listened to it as a story and never took it seriously. Who knows if a figure like the Ancient Demon ever truly existed in our Gu Mo City's past? Even if he did appear, I've never heard of him having a palace, let alone one right beneath Gu Mo City."
Lu Wu raised his doubts. From his words and the tone and expression with which he spoke, it was clear he didn't believe what Shui Ling was saying.
"Almost all historical records concerning Gu Mo City's past mention the Ancient Demon. And even now, some parts of our Gu Mo City still bear traces of the Ancient Demon's presence. So, whether such a person existed is beyond dispute; he most certainly did."
At this point, Shui Ling paused, then also looked towards the palace that had burst forth from the ground in the city center, and continued.
"Whether the Ancient Demon built this palace in Gu Mo City is not recorded in historical texts. Before I investigated the Demon Cult, I also had no knowledge of this, nor had I ever heard any rumors related to it. It wasn't until I began investigating the disappearances in Gu Mo City and traced them to the Demon Cult that I learned the Ancient Demon once built a magnificent palace for himself. After a great battle, the Ancient Demon died, and the palace he built vanished. Now, with a partially ruined palace suddenly emerging in Gu Mo City, I suspect this might very well be the palace the Ancient Demon originally constructed, which then disappeared."
Shui Ling's explanation left Lu Wu speechless, but a clear look of skepticism still lingered on his face; he clearly remained somewhat unconvinced.
Shui Ling understood Lu Wu's nature, so she didn't bother to explain further to him. Withdrawing her gaze from the palace, she looked at Yang Haoran.
"Soul-Sower, if this palace truly is the Ancient Demon's long-lost palace, then who knows how many years it has lain dormant underground. For it to appear now, after all these years of obscurity, I believe it must have a significant connection to the Demon Cult. Just because outsiders don't know about the Ancient Demon's palace doesn't mean there aren't related records in some of their Demon Cult's texts."
Yang Haoran took a drag from his cigarette, then nodded, agreeing with Shui Ling's assessment.
"Perhaps you're right. It's possible this palace was indeed conjured by the Demon Cult. However, regardless of whether this palace is the Ancient Demon's former dwelling or a tactic orchestrated by the Demon Cult, I'm not done with them. The disappearances in Gu Mo City put me in a very passive position, and if I don't avenge this, I'd be letting myself down too much."
Yang Haoran said with a smile. Although his tone remained as calm as ever, devoid of significant emotional fluctuations, those around him could all sense the intense killing intent emanating from his words.
"Lu Wu, Huang Sha."
"At your service!"
The two responded in unison, their attitudes respectful. They knew Yang Haoran was about to issue them orders.
Huang Sha's expression was serious, devoid of any visible emotion, his eyes calm. Although Lu Wu's expression was equally solemn, a surge of excitement shone through his eyes.
"Lu Wu, take your people and go protect our Yin Division followers. Do everything you can to ensure they survive this massive upheaval."
Yang Haoran's order caused Lu Wu's expression to stiffen.
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