Chapter 1172: A Backstab (Part 2)
After Ding Tianhua and Huo Laoban entered the secret chamber, Huo Laoban, on the other hand, was quite calm, not in the least bit anxious. Ding Tianhua’s reaction, however, was precisely the opposite; he couldn’t calm down at all.
Ding Tianhua’s agitation wasn’t because he, as an Emissary of Death, was overly concerned about the Tongyou City Underworld Division’s situation. Rather, Huo Laoban had truly piqued his curiosity; he desperately wanted to know what scheme Huo Laoban was cooking up. With Huo Laoban remaining silent, his heart was a restless mess.
Thus, before Huo Laoban could speak, Ding Tianhua eagerly interjected with a question.
“Brother Huo, we’ve been brothers for so many years, closer than blood. So don’t play any games with your elder brother. If you have a good idea, spit it out quickly. You know I’m impatient, and I hate beating around the bush. ”
Huo Laoban offered a faint smile, then waved his hand, setting up a restrictive barrier. Only then did he calmly and smilingly reply to Ding Tianhua.
“Haste makes waste, old brother. It’s not your younger brother trying to lecture you, but you truly should try to curb this impatient habit of yours. If you’re just as impetuous when clashing with others, it’ll be all too easy for your opponent to exploit your openings and seize the initiative. When that happens, it’s you, my old brother, who’ll suffer the loss. ”
Huo Laoban spoke earnestly, yet Ding Tianhua couldn’t take a single word of it in.
“You know my personality, old brother; I’m just like this. It’s not like you’ve known me for only a day. If I could truly change my personality, I would’ve long since climbed to the Emperor’s position. Why would I still be a mere Emissary of Death? Alright, stop spouting useless nonsense. Can you just get to the point already? ”
“Very well. Since my old brother is so eager, this younger brother won’t beat around the bush. The reason I’ve personally invited you to my Seventh District’s Guardian District this time is, on one hand, to inform you of something, and on the other, to offer you a bit of advice. ”
Seeing Huo Laoban still beating around the bush, Ding Tianhua immediately became quite displeased, openly displaying his irritation on his face.
“Then let’s start with the first point. Brother Huo, whatever you want to tell your elder brother, just say it. I’m listening. ”
Although Ding Tianhua was already quite upset, even showing it on his face, he still forced himself to hold back from exploding, asking Huo Laoban.
“Heh heh, the reason I invited my old brother here in person this time is to tell you that my Seventh District will not be sending anyone to assist with the problems facing your Tongyou City Underworld Division. ”
Huo Laoban said with a smile, his expression light and unconcerned, as if he were discussing a trivial matter.
Ding Tianhua froze for a moment. He clearly hadn't expected Huo Laoban to say such a thing; he even wondered if he had misheard.
After several seconds of stunned silence, Ding Tianhua snapped back from his shock, then stared at Huo Laoban with an incredulous expression.
“Brother Huo, did I mishear, or did you misspeak? ”
His disbelief made Ding Tianhua unable to resist asking Huo Laoban, yet Huo Laoban immediately gave him an affirmative, smiling reply.
“Heh heh, my old brother didn’t mishear, and this younger brother didn’t misspeak. ”
Upon receiving Huo Laoban’s affirmative reply, Ding Tianhua could no longer suppress the rage in his heart. He erupted on the spot, not a trace of a smile on his face, only towering fury. He slammed the table violently and instantly sprang to his feet.
“Huo, you bastard! I, Ding Tianhua, have always treated you as a brother. Even when you hadn’t opened your Earth Soul, hadn’t become a Guardian, I, Ding Tianhua, never looked down on you. What, now that you’re the Guardian of our Jingling Continent Yin Division’s Seventh District, you’re planning to mess with me, huh? You made me rush all the way from Tongyou City just to say that one sentence? ”
In his furious rampage, Ding Tianhua couldn’t think of much else. The anger in his heart made him roar directly at Huo Laoban, looking as if he wished he could immediately tear Huo Laoban to shreds.
At this moment, Ding Tianhua’s expression and emotions were terrifying. However, Huo Laoban seemed utterly unfazed. A faint smile still graced his face, his mood seemingly untouched.
“Heh heh, I was just saying how impulsive you are, old brother. Look how little time has passed, and you’ve already lost control of your emotions again. If you can’t even manage your own temper, how difficult do you think it’ll be for you to properly manage our Jingling Continent Yin Division’s Ninth District if it’s handed over to you later? Not only does the Emperor not believe you have the ability, but now even I’m starting to have doubts. ”
Huo Laoban chuckled as he spoke. Ding Tianhua, in the throes of his anger, didn’t even bother to process the words before responding; he didn’t even grasp the meaning of Huo Laoban’s statement before latching onto half of it and roaring again.
“You’re talking absolute nonsense! What damned Ninth District can I not manage? No matter how big the Ninth District is, I can manage it. For all these years, I’ve managed the Tongyou City Underworld Division perfectly well all by myself! How could I not manage some damned Ninth—”
Mid-curse, Ding Tianhua’s voice abruptly cut off. His expression stiffened in that instant. It was then that he suddenly realized Huo Laoban’s previous words were completely unrelated to what he was cursing about.
“Huo. . . Brother Huo, what did you mean just now? Our Jingling Continent Yin Division’s Ninth District is to be handed over to me to manage? ”
Suddenly enlightened, Ding Tianhua, facing Huo Laoban once more, no longer had that towering rage on his face. Instead, there was an expression of utter disbelief, and an almost uncontrollable excitement stirring within him.
It was precisely because Ding Tianhua’s emotions were overly agitated at that moment that, when he questioned Huo Laoban, his words became stammered, and his voice noticeably trembled.
“Heh heh, this time too, my old brother didn’t mishear, and this younger brother didn’t misspeak. But looking at your expression, old brother, it seems you don’t quite believe it. I wonder if you lack confidence in your own ears, or if you simply don’t trust your younger brother? ”
Huo Laoban took a sip of tea, then looked at Ding Tianhua, who stood rooted to the spot, his face a mix of yearning and disbelief, and asked with a smile.
The excitement in Ding Tianhua’s heart intensified considerably due to Huo Laoban’s words, but he hadn’t been completely overwhelmed by it yet. He still found it somewhat hard to believe, so for now, no joyful expression appeared on his face.
“Brother Huo, isn’t Yang Haoran the Guardian of our Jingling Continent Yin Division’s Ninth District? With him there, how would it ever be my turn to manage it? Brother, please don’t play jokes on your elder brother, alright? ”
Although Ding Tianhua said this, deep down, he didn’t wish Huo Laoban’s words were a joke in the slightest. On the contrary, he yearned for them to be true. The reason he was questioning Huo Laoban like this was simply to receive another affirmative answer from Huo Laoban’s lips and to clarify exactly what was going on.
“Heh heh, this younger brother isn’t joking with you, old brother. Even if I were to joke, I wouldn’t joke about something like this with you, because this kind of joke isn’t funny at all. ”
Huo Laoban responded with a faint smile. Although he hadn’t yet fully explained the situation, his renewed confirmation and the words he had just spoken were enough to make Ding Tianhua excited and free of doubt.
Overwhelmed by his emotions, Ding Tianhua momentarily forgot how to speak, while Huo Laoban continued to say with a smile.
“Heh heh, currently, our Jingling Continent Yin Division’s Ninth District is indeed managed by Yang Haoran, and Yang Haoran is indeed the Guardian of the Ninth District. However, if Yang Haoran were to die, do you think the Ninth District’s Guardian would be replaced by someone else? ”
Without even a moment’s thought about the question Huo Laoban posed, Ding Tianhua immediately nodded emphatically, giving an affirmative reply.
“Brother Huo, you’re absolutely right. If Yang Haoran dies, our Ninth District’s Guardian will indeed be replaced. A country cannot be without a ruler for a day, nor can a family be without a master for a day. Naturally, our Ninth District cannot be without a Guardian for a single day either. ”
Huo Laoban nodded with a smile, unsure if he was satisfied with Ding Tianhua’s answer or with Ding Tianhua’s current state. He took a sip of tea, then gestured for Ding Tianhua to sit.
“Heh heh, old brother, please sit down first. I’ll slowly explain to you why I won’t send anyone to assist Tongyou City, and why I said this Ninth District will be handed over to you to manage. ”
Had Huo Laoban said these words when Ding Tianhua was still in a raging fury, Ding Tianhua might not have listened, nor would he necessarily have acted upon Huo Laoban’s suggestions. But now, Ding Tianhua’s heart was already filled to the brim with excitement and yearning, leaving no trace of anger. So, upon hearing Huo Laoban’s words, he didn’t hesitate for a moment, instantly flopping back into his seat and looking at Huo Laoban with an expectant face.
Seeing Ding Tianhua seated and looking at him with an expectant expression, Huo Laoban then continued with a smile.
“Tongyou City is one of the few major cities in the Ninth District. Yang Haoran only recently became the Guardian of the Ninth District, so he certainly won’t stand idly by and watch the Ninth District be destroyed by Spirit Masters. Once the Tongyou City Underworld Division is seized by Spirit Masters, Yang Haoran will absolutely be unable to account for it to the Emperor. Furthermore, having just become a Guardian, he needs to achieve something to solidify his current position. If he fails to achieve anything, and the Tongyou City Underworld Division is instead annihilated by Spirit Masters, it won’t just be a matter of losing face; it will completely cause the Emperor to doubt Yang Haoran’s capabilities. ”
At this point, Huo Laoban paused slightly. He observed Ding Tianhua’s reaction, and seeing that Ding Tianhua was listening intently with an excited expression, he continued with a confident smile.
“From what I know of Yang Haoran, he would never allow himself to be so passive. To consolidate his position and prevent the Emperor from doubting his abilities, he will certainly go to Tongyou City himself to resolve this issue for the Tongyou City Underworld Division. As for the Spirit Masters, the fact that they so brazenly attacked the Tongyou City Underworld Division this time, and haven’t immediately wiped out your Tongyou City Underworld Division despite holding an absolute advantage, suggests there’s something fishy going on. Perhaps they’ve already set a trap, waiting for anyone coming to aid your Tongyou City Underworld Division to jump right into it. Once Yang Haoran appears in your Tongyou City, his fate is foreseeable. ”
Although Ding Tianhua was still in a state of excitement, his mind hadn’t completely shut down. While Huo Laoban’s analysis had indeed thrilled him, a hint of doubt still arose in his heart.
“Brother Huo, Yang Haoran might not necessarily come to Tongyou City himself for assistance. What if he sends others to aid Tongyou City? ”
Huo Laoban heard this, shook his head with a smile, clearly disagreeing with Ding Tianhua’s conjecture.
“Heh heh, the crisis Tongyou City faces this time is something even you, old brother, a mid-stage Earth Soul expert, can’t handle. Do you think sending ordinary Emissaries of Death to aid Tongyou City would be effective? If they haven’t opened their Heaven and Earth Souls, going to Tongyou City for support would not only be useless but would also lead to greater losses. Unless Yang Haoran mobilizes a massive number of Emissaries of Death to Tongyou City, employing human wave tactics to win this battle. ”
Huo Laoban paused slightly after saying this, then continued with a smile, immediately dismissing the human wave tactics he had just mentioned.
“However, I’m certain that Yang Haoran will absolutely not choose to handle the problems facing the Tongyou City Underworld Division using human wave tactics. Doing so would bring enormous losses to his Ninth District. Many Emissaries of Death would inevitably fall during the battle, a loss he cannot afford. Furthermore, if a large number of Emissaries of Death are pulled away, what would happen to the cities they are responsible for? Would those cities not require Emissaries of Death to hold down the fort? If Spirit Masters seized that opportunity to launch attacks on those cities, the Ninth District’s losses would be even greater. Therefore, I’m certain Yang Haoran wouldn’t be foolish enough to do that. ”
As his voice trailed off, Huo Laoban chuckled, withdrew a stack of files from his personal space, and then with a wave of his hand, sent them floating before Ding Tianhua. Ding Tianhua took the files and began to flip through them. They contained detailed information on Yang Haoran’s close confidants, including not only records of their strength but even their hobbies and interests.
“Among Yang Haoran’s close confidants, there are also individuals of formidable strength: one Demon Hunter and a snake demon who has advanced to Demon King. Both of them possess strength comparable to our Yin Division agents who have opened their Heaven and Earth Souls. However, the likelihood of Yang Haoran sending these two out is low. One of them needs to manage the newly established Flock of Demons Society, which is still in disarray since its recent formation, so that snake demon is needed to handle it. As for the Demon Hunter, he also needs to remain in the Guardian District to protect it, making his deployment equally unlikely. ”
At this point, Huo Laoban paused slightly, then continued.
“Of course, it’s not entirely out of the question that Yang Haoran might send both of them to assist Tongyou City. However, even if he were to do so, he would never allow both to leave the Guardian District. At most, he would send only one, because the Guardian District must have someone guarding it; he would absolutely never leave it undefended. As for Yang Haoran himself, he will definitely go, because this is his first battle after becoming a Guardian, and it’s a major one. He cannot afford to not participate, as this battle will prove whether Yang Haoran truly has the capability. ”
Huo Laoban spoke with utmost confidence, appearing to have everything firmly within his grasp. At this moment, Ding Tianhua also put down the files in his hands.
There were many files, and they were very detailed, but given Ding Tianhua’s personality, how could he possibly examine them meticulously? He merely glanced through them perfunctorily.
Seeing him put down the files, Huo Laoban then smiled and summarized.
“Aside from the two I just mentioned, none of Yang Haoran’s other confidants would be of any use in this major battle. So, for this Tongyou City battle, he will either go alone or take one person with him. As for why I’m not sending anyone to assist you, it’s not because our relationship isn’t close enough, or because I don’t want to send experts to help. Rather, it’s because I believe this is an excellent opportunity for my old brother to become a Guardian, and I don’t want my intervention to ruin your chance at promotion. ”
Huo Laoban had spoken at length, and while Ding Tianhua was somewhat muddled by it all, he generally understood the main points. However, a degree of worry still lingered in his heart, for this matter was far too important to him; even a slight misstep could lead to eternal damnation. How could he not be worried?
“Brother Huo, your analysis leaves me with no doubt, and I also believe that Yang Haoran will certainly appear in Tongyou City. But even if Yang Haoran truly appears in Tongyou City, are you certain he will die at the hands of the Spirit Masters? ”
Huo Laoban looked at Ding Tianhua with a surprised expression upon hearing this. From his look, he seemed somewhat astonished that Ding Tianhua would ask such a crucial question.
“Heh heh, to be honest, I can’t truly be certain about that. If the Spirit Masters don’t disappoint us, then Yang Haoran is as good as dead. Once Yang Haoran dies, how you ascend to the position of Guardian is not something you need to worry about; I will find a way to make it happen for you. However, if the Spirit Masters do disappoint us and fail to kill Yang Haoran, this younger brother has already considered that possibility for you, old brother. And that brings me to the other point I wanted to discuss with you today: to offer you some advice. ”
Upon hearing Huo Laoban’s words, Ding Tianhua immediately became invigorated, and with a face full of excitement, he urgently pressed him.
“Brother Huo, tell me quickly! What advice? Your elder brother is all ears! ”
Huo Laoban chuckled. This time, he didn’t keep him in suspense. Instead, he retrieved a Death God Pendant from his personal space and handed it to Ding Tianhua. Ding Tianhua didn’t understand its purpose, but he dutifully accepted the Death God Pendant.
“After Yang Haoran goes to Tongyou City, he’s bound to have a major battle with the Spirit Masters. Even if the Spirit Masters ultimately fail to kill Yang Haoran, he’s bound to be injured. And the advice I want to give you, old brother, is this: if the situation truly develops to that point, relying on the Spirit Masters will be meaningless. We must take action ourselves and kill Yang Haoran. The Death God Pendant I’m giving you now will not only warn you when anger causes you to lose reason, but also possesses a powerful ability to turn the tide at a critical moment. ”
Upon hearing that this Death God Pendant possessed such formidable power, Ding Tianhua couldn’t help but take another look at the Death God Pendant in his hand. He harbored not a shred of suspicion, only shock and excitement.
After Huo Laoban’s voice paused slightly, he immediately continued.
“As for how to operate this matter, and at what crucial moment this Death God Pendant should be used, now is not the time to discuss it. I need to formulate a plan according to the changing circumstances. After you return to Tongyou City, remember to keep in touch with me. I will devise plans that benefit us, step by step, as the situation evolves. As long as you follow my instructions, we will certainly be able to seize this opportunity to eliminate Yang Haoran. Once he dies, I guarantee you, the position of Guardian for the Jingling Continent Yin Division’s Ninth District will be yours and yours alone! ”
Huo Laoban’s words made Ding Tianhua’s blood boil. At this moment, his heart was devoid of worry or doubt; there was only excitement. He felt as if he could already see the day he would become a Guardian, and his reply to Huo Laoban was equally decisive, a single word.
“Good! ”
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