Chapter 1202: Has the Quiet One Changed?
Yang Haoran departed from Gu Mo City. Apart from a few trusted confidants, no one else knew he had left, let alone where he was headed.
After leaving Gu Mo City, Yang Haoran's first destination was his hometown, Lecheng.
Given the immense distance separating Lecheng and Gu Mo City, even with his ability to tear through space and cover vast distances with each teleport, it still took him a considerable amount of time to successfully return to Lecheng.
Upon his return to Lecheng, Yang Haoran was somewhat astonished by the city's transformation. Though he hadn't been away for an excessively long time, Lecheng had already undergone earth-shattering changes.
What he didn't realize was that under Zhu Rong's administration, coupled with the full cooperation of the Lecheng Underworld Office, Lecheng was changing day by day. Therefore, even though his absence hadn't been prolonged, the city now presented a vastly different appearance.
Naturally, to expect Lecheng to achieve full prosperity within such a short span was clearly impossible. No matter how capable Zhu Rong might be, the process still required time. Thus, the current Lecheng still had some way to go before reaching true prosperity.
Nevertheless, compared to the initial chaos that gripped Lecheng, the city had indeed undergone a monumental transformation. The safety of its citizens was now guaranteed, and their living standards had significantly improved. Through collective effort, the previously damaged buildings once again stood tall, one after another, and destroyed public facilities had been rebuilt. As long as this current trajectory continued, it wouldn't be long before Lecheng could truly flourish!
If he had ample time, Yang Haoran would certainly have toured Lecheng to observe the finer details, gaining a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of Zhu Rong's accomplishments. However, his time was currently very limited. The Gu Mo City Underworld Office was now at the eye of the storm, and representatives from various major factions could arrive unannounced at any moment. Thus, he had to swiftly conclude the pressing matters at hand and then hasten back to Gu Mo City, not daring to waste a single moment.
If other people's subordinates perished, so be it; he wouldn't care. But his own, he did not wish for them to meet a tragic end at the hands of others, especially those close to him; he was even more determined to prevent them from losing their lives.
It was precisely due to these considerations that he had to suppress his inherent curiosity and proceed directly to the task at hand.
After Yang Haoran departed from Gu Mo City, he didn't immediately open the Ghost Gate and rush to the Underworld. Instead, he returned to Lecheng, for he had two matters he absolutely had to attend to.
The first matter was to retrieve the refined medicines from Feng Xiao. The second was to collect the ghostly artifacts gathered by Old Master Wu and Tang Shi.
Both matters were of crucial importance and tied to his impending trip to the Underworld, which necessitated his return to Lecheng first.
Within Yang Haoran's villa, Xiujuan, as always, meticulously cleaned everything, sweeping and wiping with utmost care. Whether Yang Haoran was present or absent, she never once slacked off, nor did she ever forget her primary duties and responsibilities.
Yang Haoran's room had been unoccupied for some time, yet Xiujuan continued to clean it daily, leaving it impeccably spotless.
At this moment, she was diligently cleaning Yang Haoran's room. Even though the room was already spotless, she still used a cloth to wipe every corner where dust might potentially settle.
After she finished wiping, she began organizing Yang Haoran's clothes. Halfway through, she suddenly sensed a disturbance at the villa's main gate. Her brow furrowed slightly as she gently closed Yang Haoran's wardrobe, then swiftly moved out of his room. As she departed, a gust of Yin Qi swept through, and Yang Haoran's room door swung shut.
When Xiujuan reappeared, she was already not far from the villa's main gate. Under her watchful gaze, a figure had just stepped through the villa's entrance and was steadily walking towards her position.
This sight caused Xiujuan's expression to drastically change in an instant.
The reason for her extreme reaction was that the person was completely enveloped in a bulky black robe, making it impossible to discern their face, or even the slightest hint of their figure.
With such an unidentified intruder suddenly appearing in the villa, her expression naturally underwent a dramatic shift!
"Who are you? !"
Xiujuan spoke in a deep voice, her tone laced with potent killing intent. As her voice rang out, a dense Yin Qi emanated from her, and she assumed a combat stance.
Judging by her posture, if the black-robed figure took even one more step forward, she would immediately launch a fierce assault.
The black-robed figure seemed to have discerned Xiujuan's readiness to strike, so he wisely refrained from taking another step forward.
Although the black-robed figure had halted, Xiujuan did not relax her vigilance. Just as she was about to speak again, pressing for the black-robed figure's identity, a hearty laugh suddenly echoed through the area.
"Hahahaha, Xiujuan, Xiujuan, he hasn't been gone long, have you forgotten who he is so quickly?"
Xiujuan was momentarily taken aback by these words. Then, a sudden realization struck her, and her gaze shifted from the black-robed figure to the villa's main gate behind him.
This place was protected by a grand array, a fact Xiujuan knew all too well. Yet, not only was the grand array perfectly intact, it hadn't even passively activated its defensive mode, while the black-robed figure had successfully entered its confines.
What did this signify?
This meant that the black-robed figure possessed a unique mark, allowing him entry and exit from this grand array. That was why he could easily enter without triggering its defensive mode.
Just moments ago, Xiujuan had instinctively assumed the black-robed figure was hostile, thus entirely missing this crucial detail. Now, with this realization, Xiujuan's expression shifted once more.
But this time, it was no longer one of killing intent, but rather of profound happiness and excitement.
"Divine Emissary! Xiujuan greets the Divine Emissary!"
Xiujuan's gaze returned to the black-robed figure, and she bowed excitedly.
There were many Divine Emissaries in this world. When believers met, they would habitually address each other as 'Divine Emissary'.
However, the only person who could evoke such excitement and respectful address as 'Divine Emissary' from Xiujuan was Yang Haoran — their benefactor who, under immense pressure, had taken in her and her son, even infringing upon the laws of the Underworld Office!
Xiujuan was certain the black-robed figure before her was Yang Haoran because only a select few possessed the grand array's mark for this place, and she recognized and was familiar with every single one of them.
The black-robed figure was entirely cloaked in a bulky black robe; his face and figure were obscured, but his height could be discerned.
His height was identical to Yang Haoran's. This, combined with his ability to freely enter the villa and the sudden audible reminder, left Xiujuan certain that this person was indeed Yang Haoran.
Seeing Xiujuan so agitated, a faint chuckle then emanated from beneath the black robe. Xiujuan was intimately familiar with this laugh, and her emotions surged with even greater excitement.
"Heh, Xiujuan, we haven't been apart for long; there's no need to be so overwrought."
As the laughter resounded, the black-robed figure removed his hood, revealing a face Xiujuan was incredibly familiar with. It was indeed Yang Haoran.
"Welcome back, Divine Emissary!"
Seeing that the black-robed figure was truly Yang Haoran, Xiujuan couldn't help but bow respectfully once more.
"Heh, it's a bit early for a 'return. ' I'm just here to handle some urgent matters and will have to leave shortly. I'm dressed this way specifically so outsiders won't know I've come back to Lecheng."
At this point, Yang Haoran paused, then chuckled as he questioned Xiujuan.
"Heh, who was that speaking just now? The voice sounds somewhat familiar, yet at the same time, it strikes me as a little strange."
"Divine Emissary, the one who just spoke and alerted Xiujuan was the Demon Hunter Ye Zhiqiu."
Upon hearing this, Xiujuan immediately responded respectfully. Yet, her words caused Yang Haoran's eyebrows to twitch ever so slightly. From his facial expression, it wasn't hard to tell that Yang Haoran was somewhat surprised.
"Ye Zhiqiu? It's been a while, has that quiet type become so lively?"
Yang Haoran's words clearly conveyed his inner doubt. Before Xiujuan could even speak, two figures materialized beside her.
One was Ye Zhiqiu, and the other was Ye Zhiqiu's wife, Red Lotus.
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