Chapter 1266: The Ninth District
For ease of management, the Jingling Continent Underworld Office divided the entire Jingling Continent into nine major districts, from one to nine. Among them, the First District was the most resource-rich, but also the most complex, as the more abundant the resources in an area, the more intense the competition. To gain greater benefits, major forces had to keep more of their power in the First District, and precisely for this reason, the First District was the most crucial area for the Jingling Continent Underworld Office.
It wasn't just the Jingling Continent Underworld Office; the Underworld Offices of other continents also divided their respective continents into nine regions, and without exception, the First District was always the most important area.
Of course, the division of each continent into regions was merely a unilateral act by the Underworld Office. Some other forces did not divide their continents into regions, and even if they did, it wasn't necessarily into nine regions. The Underworld Office divided the continent into nine regions because each Emperor had only nine Guardians under their command.
However, there were also some forces whose regional divisions for each continent were largely similar to the Underworld Office's, or even completely identical.
Because the First District was so vital, the Underworld Emperors of each continent would entrust this area to their strongest Guardian. This person would not only be their most powerful Guardian but also their trusted confidant; neither quality could be absent.
When the previous Jingling Great Emperor had not yet fallen, the First District of Jingling Continent was also managed by his strongest Guardian. However, this person was not Wen Hexuan. Although Wen Hexuan was now the strongest of Luo Yao's nine Guardians, he wasn't then, so he was not qualified to be the Guardian of the First District.
When the previous Jingling Great Emperor fell, two other Guardians fell with him. Among those two Guardians was the Guardian of the First District. Thus, the First District of Jingling Continent had been without a Guardian for a very long time, because a new Jingling Great Emperor had not yet appeared to appoint other Guardians, leaving the First District to remain vacant.
At this moment, Luo Yao, in front of his nine Guardians, appointed Wen Hexuan as the Guardian of the First District. This act genuinely shocked the nine Guardians present, including Wen Hexuan himself.
If even these three understood, let alone the other six Guardians. How could they not be shocked that Luo Yao decided to entrust such a vital area to Wen Hexuan?
Given Wen Hexuan's strength, he was indeed worthy of serving as the Guardian of the First District, as he was currently the strongest Guardian under Luo Yao. If one only considered strength, Luo Yao making Wen Hexuan the Guardian of the First District was truly nothing to be surprised about. However, after this martial arts competition, anyone with a bit of discerning insight could tell that Wen Hexuan and Luo Yao were at odds.
Since the two were at odds, the most likely thing Luo Yao would do was find a way to eliminate Wen Hexuan, thereby solidifying his own rule. This wasn't just how outsiders saw it; Wen Hexuan himself also believed this to be the case.
Yet, at this very moment, Luo Yao had actually handed the most crucial First District to Wen Hexuan, entrusting it to someone with whom he was at odds. How could this not shock the nine Guardians present!
However, none of the nine Guardians present were fools. After a brief moment of shock, the nine of them detected something suspicious in Luo Yao's words.
"The opportunity has been given to you. I hope you won't disappoint me."
To the nine Guardians, this sentence clearly had a hidden meaning. They all understood what it represented, and Wen Hexuan was no exception.
For a moment, the other eight Guardians all turned their gaze to Wen Hexuan, wanting to see how he would choose: to accept, or not to accept.
To accept meant to compromise. To not accept meant to resist.
In this situation, whether Wen Hexuan directly refused or tried to evade with various excuses, it would absolutely be seen as a refusal.
Wen Hexuan's expression flickered repeatedly. He knew very well in his heart that this opportunity Luo Yao had given him was likely his last. If he refused, not only would such an opportunity never arise again, but Luo Yao would also undoubtedly try every conceivable method to eliminate him, this thorn in his side.
But if he compromised, it meant that he had chosen to submit to Luo Yao in front of all the Guardians.
Under the gaze of everyone present, Wen Hexuan did not immediately respond. None of the other eight Guardians spoke or made any sound. Luo Yao did not press him either, but quietly watched Wen Hexuan, waiting for him to make his decision.
After about ten seconds, Wen Hexuan finally gave Luo Yao a definitive affirmative answer in front of the other eight Guardians.
"This subordinate obeys your command. This subordinate will certainly not disappoint the Great Emperor."
Wen Hexuan's reply caused the expressions of the other eight Guardians present to change somewhat, with the most significant changes naturally belonging to Long Yan and Ye Xianglan.
Long Yan, who had originally worn a gloomy expression, immediately revealed an incredulous look after hearing Wen Hexuan's affirmative reply to Luo Yao. His gaze, directed at Wen Hexuan, then involuntarily betrayed a hint of disappointment.
Although Ye Xianglan's expression today wasn't as gloomy and unsightly as Long Yan's — she appeared natural and normal — upon hearing Wen Hexuan's affirmative reply to Luo Yao, a hint of helplessness still involuntarily crept onto her face. However, this helplessness didn't linger for long; it vanished in a flash, and her expression returned to its previous composure.
Luo Yao, conversely, showed no change in expression from beginning to end. Even after Wen Hexuan gave him an affirmative reply, his face remained as solemn as before.
"Very good. Since you have given me your assurance in front of the other Guardians, I will naturally choose to believe you. Go now, and take your designated seat."
Luo Yao spoke indifferently. Wen Hexuan bowed and assented, his demeanor having changed slightly from before, showing a touch more respect. Then, leaning on his staff, he slowly walked towards the exclusive seat of the First District Guardian.
As Wen Hexuan strode towards his seat, Luo Yao didn't waste any time. He immediately turned his gaze to another person and continued to make arrangements.
When Wen Hexuan reached his designated seat, he didn't casually sit down. Instead, he stood waiting, leaning on his staff, while Luo Yao had already successfully arranged the Guardian for the Second District.
This person, unlike Wen Hexuan, didn't ponder for over ten seconds. After Luo Yao made the arrangement, he responded affirmatively without any hesitation and walked towards the seat designated for the Second District Guardian.
In just a short while, Luo Yao had made arrangements for all nine Guardians. Long Yan was assigned to the Fifth District, Ye Xianglan to the Sixth District, Huo Laoban to the Seventh District, while the newly appointed Xu Meijing and Yang Haoran were responsible for the Eighth and Ninth Districts respectively. Xu Meijing was in charge of the Eighth District, and Yang Haoran was given the last, Ninth District.
When Luo Yao was still a Guardian, the area he was responsible for was the Ninth District. Lecheng, where Yang Haoran was once in charge, Ancheng, managed by Xu Meijing, Gu Mo City, overseen by Yang Haoran, and even Xinyang City, previously managed by Huo Laoban, all belonged to the Ninth District.
After Huo Laoban became a Guardian, he had once requested Luo Yao to let him manage the Ninth District. There were many reasons why he wanted to become the Ninth District Guardian, but three were the most important. One reason was that he had formerly been the Emissary of Death for Xinyang City; he had invested a great deal there, and almost all his efforts had been poured into Xinyang City, so he did not wish to leave.
Another reason was Xu Meijing's Supreme Yin Body. Once he became the Guardian of the Ninth District, Xu Meijing would naturally become an Emissary of Death under his command. At that point, with his status as a Guardian, he believed it would be incredibly simple to obtain Xu Meijing.
And one more reason: among the Guardians under Luo Yao at the time, he was the weakest. Furthermore, he was a Guardian directly promoted by Luo Yao, which naturally caused resentment and significant objections from the other Guardians. Since the Ninth District was, relatively speaking, the area with the fewest resources and weakest strength in the entire Jingling Continent, he felt that by not competing with other Guardians for better areas and choosing the worst Ninth District, the other Guardians' objections to him would likely be much smaller.
Although Luo Yao hadn't agreed at the time, he hadn't refused either, so Huo Laoban felt that there would be no issue with him becoming the Guardian of the Ninth District. After all, he had full confidence in his own abilities. Not only had Luo Yao not refused, but even if Luo Yao had, given him a little time, he was confident he could slowly persuade Luo Yao to let him become the Guardian of the Ninth District.
However, in the end, he did not become the Guardian of the Ninth District; instead, Yang Haoran did, which made him quite displeased. But this displeasure lasted only for a short while. Soon, he adjusted his mindset, and not only did his unhappiness vanish, but he even secretly rejoiced.
This was because the Seventh District had far more abundant resources than the Ninth District. Although he had invested a lot in Xinyang City, and his foundation was there, he could transfer most of these things out. What couldn't be transferred was insignificant compared to the resources of the Seventh District.
As for Xu Meijing, she had now become a Guardian, no longer merely an Emissary of Death. Even if he became the Guardian of the Ninth District, he couldn't use his status to obtain Xu Meijing.
Finally, there was the issue of strength. One reason he had wanted to become the Guardian of the Ninth District was precisely because he was the weakest; by becoming the Ninth District Guardian, other Guardians' hostility towards him might lessen. Although he was still the weakest among the nine Guardians now, Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing were both newcomers. Moreover, their recent ascension to Guardianship had offended three other very formidable Guardians. In such circumstances, his becoming the Guardian of the Seventh District meant the other veteran Guardians would certainly have no objections, as he was merely positioned ahead of Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing, not ahead of any other long-standing Guardians.
It was precisely because he had considered these points that Huo Laoban's displeasure vanished, replaced by secret joy. The Seventh District was far more resource-rich than the Ninth District; although it was also significantly more dangerous, the rewards were proportionate to the risks.
All nine Guardians stood before their respective seats, none sitting down. It wasn't until Luo Yao arrived at the main seat, sat down, and ordered them to be seated that the nine individuals finally took their exclusive seats.
"This time, our Jingling Continent has gained two new Guardians. Everyone, please introduce yourselves first so that you can get a general understanding of each other."
The Guardians present had already met Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing on the day of the martial arts competition, but Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing didn't necessarily know the other Guardians. Therefore, Luo Yao decided to have his Guardians introduce themselves to each other to facilitate future work.
Just a simple self-introduction naturally wouldn't take much time. The nine quickly gave brief introductions, gaining a preliminary understanding of each other.
"Three days ago, I took four Guardians with me and left five behind. I believe the five who stayed must be very curious about what I did with those four Guardians, and why they were all in peak condition when they left but returned wounded."
Luo Yao spoke blandly, but none of the nine Guardians present uttered a word. Luo Yao's gaze swept over the nine, and seeing that none intended to speak, he continued.
"This time, our Jingling Continent Underworld Office held a martial arts competition in the Underworld to select Guardians. This matter is no secret; it's impossible to conceal, so not only do we in the Underworld Office know about it, but other forces are also aware, including the Spirit Mediums."
As Luo Yao spoke to this point, Yang Haoran already had a guess. He had probably figured out what Luo Yao had done with the four Guardians three days prior, but he wasn't foolish enough to speak up at this moment.
In such a setting, as long as Luo Yao didn't directly address him, even if he had guessed something, he wouldn't proactively jump out to seek attention or show off his intelligence.
He didn't speak up, nor did the other eight Guardians. After a slight pause, Luo Yao continued speaking.
"The Spirit Mediums, upon learning that our Jingling Continent Underworld Office was holding a martial arts competition to select Guardians, were even more excited than our own Underworld Office personnel in Jingling Continent. In their view, this was the best opportunity to strike our Jingling Continent Underworld Office. After all, the vast majority of Emissaries of Death had gone to the Underworld, especially some powerful experts qualified to compete were no longer in the mortal realm. Under these circumstances, they would surely be able to inflict a massive blow upon our Jingling Continent Underworld Office in a short time. Therefore, upon receiving this news, they immediately began to deploy their arrangements, hoping to swiftly destroy several of our most influential Death God Temples in the mortal realm while our Jingling Continent Underworld Office was holding its competition."
At this point, Luo Yao paused slightly, then continued to speak.
"That day, I took four Guardians with me precisely to deal with these Spirit Mediums. Our sudden appearance caught them off guard. Although they had made some preparations beforehand to prevent a sudden rescue from our Underworld Office, they hadn't anticipated that I would personally lead four Guardians to the scene. This battle lasted three days. While our Jingling Continent Underworld Office suffered considerable losses, the Spirit Mediums' losses were even greater than ours. All in all, we won this battle."
Luo Yao's words had already explained quite clearly why the four Guardians were all wounded, and their injuries quite severe. Yang Haoran's own guess was very close to the truth.
Yang Haoran had actually considered this point long before the martial arts competition. If he were a Spirit Medium, he would certainly seize this opportunity to deliver a heavy blow to the Underworld Office. This would not only cause immense losses for the Underworld Office but also create significant influence, allowing other forces to witness the Spirit Mediums' strength and thus choose to side with them. Even if they didn't fully side with the Spirit Mediums, these forces wouldn't easily take the Underworld Office's side and make enemies of the Spirit Mediums.
From the outcome, it appeared that Luo Yao, this newly appointed Great Emperor, had long foreseen such a development. Although Luo Yao didn't mention whether secret countermeasures had been prepared in the mortal realm beforehand, Yang Haoran felt that Luo Yao certainly would have made such preparations. After all, if he had thought of this possibility, how could he not have prepared in advance?
Why was the competition conducted so quickly and brutally? Why did they immediately rush to the mortal realm after the competition ended? All of this was for the Spirit Mediums.
As for why Luo Yao didn't directly take Yang Haoran and the others to the mortal realm at that time, it was, of course, because he didn't want to see them die needlessly. After all, they were severely wounded at the time, and taking them to the battlefield would likely mean their deaths at the hands of the Spirit Mediums. If any of these wounded, like Yang Haoran, were to die, it wouldn't just be a matter of loss; it would also involve their 'face'. If word got out that several of his Guardians had been killed, where would the Jingling Continent Underworld Office put its face? How immense would the impact be?
"Although the Spirit Mediums suffered heavy losses this time, it doesn't mean the war is over. On the contrary, our Jingling Continent Underworld Office will certainly face even fiercer retaliation from the Spirit Mediums. Compared to other continents, our Jingling Continent Underworld Office is currently the weakest, and there's no way for me to deny this, as it's a fact. The Spirit Mediums also know this, and thus it's highly likely they will make an example of our Jingling Continent Underworld Office. Given their crushing defeat and heavy losses this time, the possibility of them targeting our Jingling Continent Underworld Office has only increased. Therefore, you must constantly remain vigilant, keep your minds sharp, or else you won't even know how you died when the time comes."
For the remainder of the time, Luo Yao made a series of arrangements and deployments for all nine Guardians and also asked them if they had any good suggestions regarding the current situation faced by the Jingling Continent Underworld Office. Consequently, this meeting took some time, lasting a full four hours before concluding.
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