Chapter 1187: A Solution of No Other Resort
The last time Luo Yao mentioned the internal strife among the high-ranking officials, Yang Haoran already suspected that the five Great Emperors of the Underworld Office were not entirely harmonious. This so-called high-ranking echelon likely included the five Great Emperors, and now that Luo Yao had confirmed it directly, it proved his earlier guess was correct.
Precisely because he had anticipated this point, there was no real surprise in his heart at this moment. However, for the sake of atmosphere, he still intensified the astonished expression on his face.
Nevertheless, what Luo Yao was saying at this moment was not what Yang Haoran most wanted to know; his true desire lay elsewhere.
"Now, with the Spirit Masters' formidable rise, they not only threaten our Underworld Office but have also inflicted immense losses upon us. In such a situation, if the five Great Emperors are still unwilling to set aside their grievances and unite against an external enemy, it clearly shows that their animosity has deepened to an astonishing degree."
Yang Haoran voiced his opinion. Luo Yao nodded in agreement, concurring with Yang Haoran's assessment.
"You're right. The animosity among the five Great Emperors of the Underworld Office is indeed profound; some even hate each other to the point of wishing them soul transformation. Although I've only recently become the Jingling Great Emperor, I was, after all, promoted by the previous Jingling Great Emperor, so some of that animosity has naturally extended to me as well."
Luo Yao's words sparked a suspicion in Yang Haoran's mind: could the demise of the previous Jingling Great Emperor also be related to the other four Great Emperors?
Although the previous Jingling Great Emperor died at the hands of the Spirit Master False God, who could guarantee that the other four Great Emperors hadn't harbored thoughts of standing by and doing nothing, or even worse, directly leaking the previous Jingling Great Emperor's whereabouts?
Of course, Yang Haoran wouldn't be foolish enough to voice these thoughts in front of Luo Yao. After all, he was merely a Guardian under Luo Yao, and a newly appointed one at that. For him, in his capacity as a Guardian, to discuss the grievances and disputes between Great Emperors was somewhat inappropriate.
"In this situation, shouldn't our God step forward to mediate? I believe that with his personal mediation, even if the Great Emperors don't completely bury the hatchet, they should at least temporarily set aside their grievances and unite to fight the Spirit Masters. After all, if our Underworld Office is truly annihilated by the Spirit Masters, it certainly wouldn't be good for the five Great Emperors either."
If he had a choice, Yang Haoran wouldn't have uttered these words. However, to resolve some of the doubts in his heart, he considered for a moment and then posed the question to Luo Yao.
Luo Yao did not respond immediately. He pondered gravely for a moment before speaking to Yang Haoran.
"It's fine to tell you this, but you must keep it to yourself. Absolutely do not spread it, not even to your closest confidants, because if this matter gets out, it will have a huge impact on our Underworld Office."
Seeing Luo Yao's grave expression, devoid of any hint of jest, Yang Haoran immediately nodded respectfully and gave his pledge.
"Great Emperor, rest assured, your subordinate will keep this absolutely confidential and will not mention it to anyone."
Upon receiving Yang Haoran's affirmative reply, Luo Yao wasted no time and directly revealed the reason to Yang Haoran.
"It's not that our God is unwilling to mediate; I believe if our God knew that his five Great Emperors had descended to such a state, he would certainly step forward to mediate. However, our God has been in seclusion and has not appeared. Naturally, he cannot mediate the conflicts between the Great Emperors. As for anyone else, they simply do not have the qualifications to mediate."
Luo Yao's answer finally resolved the doubts in Yang Haoran's mind. He had always wondered why, with the Spirit Masters becoming so arrogant, the Death God still hadn't appeared to suppress their rampant pride. It turned out the Death God had been in seclusion all this time.
Although his doubts were resolved, the problem remained unsolved. If the Death God continued his seclusion, the Underworld Office would suffer even greater losses. Currently, the Spirit Master False God has not yet become a True God, making him easier to handle. But once the Spirit Master False God ascends the Apotheosis Platform and becomes a True God, dealing with him will be far more troublesome. Therefore, he must be eliminated before he becomes a True God.
But the problem is that currently, besides the Death God, the only ones in their Underworld Office capable of dealing with this Spirit Master False God are the five Great Emperors, and even then, only if they unite can they possibly kill him. The Death God, being in seclusion, naturally cannot act against the Spirit Master False God. The five Great Emperors are in conflict, and only the Death God can make them temporarily set aside their grievances and unite against the enemy.
In other words, without the Death God emerging from seclusion, it would be extremely difficult for their Underworld Office to deal with the Spirit Master False God. This is the current predicament facing their Underworld Office.
"How long has our God been in seclusion? Has he said when he will emerge?"
Yang Haoran asked, his smile gone and a hint of worry in his tone.
"Our God has been in seclusion for several decades. For someone at his level, spending several decades or even a century in seclusion is quite normal. As for when he will emerge, I believe no one knows except himself."
Luo Yao replied, his voice also carrying a hint of worry, but more profoundly, a deep sense of helplessness.
Yang Haoran, of course, detected the helplessness in Luo Yao's tone. He thought for a moment, then spoke.
"Continuing like this is not a solution. If our God doesn't appear for a long time, the Spirit Masters will surely realize the problem. By then, we might face even fiercer attacks from them."
Luo Yao nodded upon hearing this. He did not deny Yang Haoran's assessment; on the contrary, he strongly agreed with it, as he had also considered this point. It was precisely because he had considered it that he felt so helpless.
"Alas, there's nothing that can be done. After all, when our God will emerge from seclusion is not something we can decide."
Luo Yao sighed, speaking with a helpless expression. Yang Haoran then took over the conversation.
"When our God emerges from seclusion is indeed not something we can decide, but we cannot ignore the Spirit Master False God just because our God is in seclusion. If this Spirit Master False God truly becomes a True God, it will only be more troublesome for our Underworld Office to deal with him later."
Luo Yao smiled bitterly and gently shook his head.
"How could I not have thought of what you're saying? It's just that finding the Spirit Master False God's whereabouts is one problem, and how to deal with him once found is another. I believe I've already made these two points quite clear to you."
Yang Haoran nodded gently, not denying Luo Yao's words.
"Great Emperor, you have indeed made it very clear to your subordinate. My reason for bringing this up now is merely to suggest that you find a way to communicate with the other four Great Emperors and, as much as possible, persuade them to temporarily set aside their grievances and unite against the outside enemy. With our God still in seclusion, only you and the other four Great Emperors are qualified to do this. As long as the other four Great Emperors agree to temporarily set aside their grievances and unite, dealing with the Spirit Masters will become relatively easier. At that point, we would only need to set up an ambush and find a way to lure out the Spirit Master False God."
To avoid Luo Yao misunderstanding, Yang Haoran quickly voiced his thoughts. Luo Yao furrowed his brows, deep in thought. Seeing this, Yang Haoran naturally did not disturb him, standing respectfully in place and waiting quietly.
After just a few breaths, Luo Yao responded to Yang Haoran.
"Although your suggestion isn't particularly outstanding, given the current situation, it seems we have no other option. At the very least, doing this is better than gambling on when our God will emerge from seclusion. However, this is easier said than done, and success is far from guaranteed."
Luo Yao spoke, his worry not only undiminished but visibly deepened.
"Even if there's only a one percent chance of success, we still have to try. Because if we don't try, there won't even be a one percent chance. Besides, the other four Great Emperors surely understand the stakes involved, so I actually think the possibility of them agreeing to temporarily bury the hatchet is far greater than one percent."
Yang Haoran said with a faint smile, his calm demeanor now restored, a stark contrast to Luo Yao's worried expression.
Luo Yao was not always so troubled. In the past, he appeared equally calm when faced with problems, but now he had changed significantly.
Although he had successfully ascended to the throne of the Jingling Great Emperor, he found no joy in it. Instead, he often sighed and was frequently troubled. The reason was simple: the change in his status had drastically altered everything he faced. Previously, he only needed to manage the Jingling Continent's Ninth District of the Underworld Office, but now he had to manage the entire Jingling Continent Underworld Office. Furthermore, the Spirit Masters were not as arrogant as they are now, and the Underworld Office faced little threat. However, the situation was now the exact opposite, making his pressure as the Jingling Great Emperor immense, as one can imagine.
"You're right. In the current situation, we truly have no choice but to try your suggestion. As long as the other four Great Emperors aren't completely dim-witted, they should be able to see that the current situation is extremely detrimental to our Underworld Office. If we continue with internal strife, it will not benefit our Underworld Office in any way, nor will it benefit themselves. So, as long as the method is appropriate, getting them to temporarily set aside their grievances and bury the hatchet is not entirely impossible."
Luo Yao's words clearly indicated he had adopted Yang Haoran's suggestion. After a brief pause, he continued.
"In a moment, I will contact the other four Great Emperors and discuss uniting with them. At the same time, I will also inform them of the true purpose of the Spirit Masters' current actions, so they can take timely targeted remedial measures to minimize losses as much as possible."
Upon hearing this, Yang Haoran's smile deepened slightly.
"Heh heh, with the Great Emperor personally taking charge, I'm sure this matter will be handled excellently. By then, not only might we minimize our losses, but we might also find an opportunity to strike a heavy blow against the Spirit Masters."
Yang Haoran smiled, subtly flattering Luo Yao. However, Luo Yao's expression barely changed from Yang Haoran's flattery.
Shortly after, Yang Haoran respectfully took his leave under Luo Yao's gaze. His objective for this trip had been achieved, and he naturally wouldn't remain with Luo Yao, as he also had many matters that required his immediate attention.
After Yang Haoran left, Luo Yao prepared to contact the other four Great Emperors as planned. However, at that very moment, he suddenly received a Communication Talisman, and it was also a Gold Talisman-level Communication Talisman.
After receiving the information within the Communication Talisman, Luo Yao's brows furrowed slightly. He then sent back a Communication Talisman. Approximately twenty minutes later, a figure appeared before Luo Yao.
This person was none other than Huo Laoban, who was, like Yang Haoran, a Guardian under Luo Yao.
Upon successfully meeting Luo Yao, Huo Laoban wore a smile, which seemed to carry a hint of triumph. He immediately respectfully handed a thin stack of documents to Luo Yao.
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