Chapter 1220: An Uncharacteristic Turn
The addition of the Demon Hunter Guild and other forces had, to some extent, alleviated the Underworld Office's disadvantaged position. However, this was merely a relative improvement; to speak truly, the Underworld Office's current situation remained far from optimistic.
Yang Haoran's Guardian District operations room was as bustling as ever. With the war constantly raging, Yang Haoran and his subordinates had to discuss and formulate appropriate countermeasures based on the latest developments. From the moment the Talisman Order sided with the Spirit Mediums, they had been continuously busy.
“Looking at the current situation, Ancang City will likely be difficult to hold onto. Therefore, I believe it's best to abandon Ancang City and redeploy our forces to other cities. ”
“Ancang City is a major city in our Ninth District, with a considerable land area and rich gold mines. To abandon it so easily would be an immense waste. ”
“It's true that Ancang City possesses rich gold mines, and it would indeed be a great pity to abandon it. However, the current strength of our Ancang City Underworld Office is extremely limited, with a significant gap compared to the Spirit Mediums. The possibility of holding Ancang City is too slim. If we don't order a retreat, our Ancang City Underworld Office will most likely be annihilated. By then, we would lose not only Ancang City but also our Underworld Office personnel. ”
“That's not necessarily true. The Demon Hunter Guild has a considerable branch in Ancang City, and their strength is quite formidable. With their assistance, the Ancang City Underworld Office shouldn't be wiped out so quickly. As long as our Guardian District dispatches some experts to reinforce them, holding Ancang City isn't impossible. ”
Old Master Wu, Zhu Rong, and Yang Haoran's other trusted confidantes were currently locked in a heated debate over the situation in Ancang City. Some believed they should withdraw from Ancang City to prevent greater losses for their side, while others argued that abandoning Ancang City would be too great a pity and that they should defend it.
Both sides, the former and the latter, had their own valid points, which was why such an intense argument unfolded.
Although the debate was intense, neither side devolved into red-faced shouting, let alone outright conflict. After all, their usual relationships were quite good, and they certainly wouldn't let this matter cause unpleasantness. They were merely expressing their truest thoughts; even with differing opinions, it wouldn't lead to a falling out.
Unable to reach a conclusion, both sides eventually turned their gazes to Yang Haoran. Their meaning was clear: they naturally hoped Yang Haoran would make the final decision.
Seeing that both sides had ceased their arguments and were looking at him, Yang Haoran, a faint smile gracing his lips, broke his silence and spoke with a chuckle.
“Not only do I have no intention of losing Ancang City, but I also plan to go there personally. ”
Yang Haoran's words caused not only those who advocated abandoning Ancang City to drastically change their expressions, but even those who argued for defending it saw their faces alter profoundly.
Subsequently, both those who supported abandoning Ancang City and those who championed its defense surprisingly united their fronts, speaking out one after another to persuade Yang Haoran to change his decision, for they all felt that such an action would be far too reckless for him.
In their eyes, even if Yang Haoran didn't abandon Ancang City, there was no need for him to go there personally. After all, Ancang City was in utter chaos right now, and none of them wished to see any mishap befall Yang Haoran. Compared to Yang Haoran's safety, a single Ancang City was utterly insignificant.
It was precisely because both sides held such thoughts that they set aside the question of Ancang City's fate for the moment, instead unanimously speaking up to convince Yang Haoran to change his mind.
“Heh heh, you don't need to persuade me. I've already considered this matter thoroughly. I must make a trip to Ancang City. ”
Yang Haoran said with a smile. Seeing that he had no intention of changing his decision, the others could only cease their pleas. As Yang Haoran's trusted confidantes, they understood his character exceptionally well. Since Yang Haoran had stated that he had already given the matter thorough consideration, it was virtually impossible to make him change his mind again.
Everyone actually knew that Yang Haoran was not a reckless individual. He must have had his reasons for making such a decision, and he had naturally considered any potential dangers. Nevertheless, a certain degree of worry still lingered in their hearts.
“Since going to Ancang City is a decision Lord Underworld Official made after careful consideration, then there's certainly no problem. However, I've been cooped up in this Guardian District for a long time and would really love to go out for a stroll. This time, when Lord Underworld Official goes to Ancang City, could you possibly take me with you? ”
Bai Xue spoke with a charming smile. Although she claimed there was no problem with Yang Haoran's decision, she was actually quite worried deep down. Her actively requesting to accompany Yang Haoran to Ancang City wasn't because she was bored and wanted to sightsee, but rather out of concern that Yang Haoran might encounter some danger.
In her view, if she accompanied Yang Haoran to Ancang City and they truly encountered danger, she could help him shoulder the burden, preventing Yang Haoran from having to bear it alone.
However, she had no idea whether Yang Haoran would agree. From what she knew of him, Yang Haoran would most likely refuse in such a situation. So, to increase her chances of getting him to agree, she tried her best to appear casual.
“Alright, this time you'll accompany me to Ancang City. ”
Yang Haoran agreed to Bai Xue's request without a moment's hesitation. This not only stunned his loyal subordinates, but even Bai Xue herself wondered if she had misheard.
Bai Xue was about to open her mouth to confirm if she had misheard, but at that moment, Yang Haoran turned his gaze to the siblings Jing Qi and Jing Miao.
“You two siblings will also accompany me to Ancang City. As for the general affairs of the Guardian District and my entire Ninth District, I'll trouble Old Wu to temporarily oversee them, with Zhu Rong assisting. Everyone else must cooperate. My trip to Ancang City will be brief, perhaps one or two days, or at most several. I have thoroughly considered all aspects, so you needn't worry about me. Just perform your respective duties and do your own jobs well. ”
After making his arrangements, Yang Haoran wasted no time. Right there in the operations room, he tore open space, taking with him Bai Xue, who was still bewildered and hadn't reacted, and the siblings Jing Qi and Jing Miao, who were clad in their bloody robes and buzzing with inner excitement. The others were left staring at each other, not quite understanding what was happening.
It was true that Ancang City needed reinforcements, but it wasn't a situation that warranted Yang Haoran, a Guardian, personally stepping in. Furthermore, Yang Haoran had departed with such haste, taking Bai Xue and the siblings Jing Qi and Jing Miao with him directly, without any sign of preparation before setting off. No matter how much Ancang City needed assistance, it shouldn't have caused a Guardian like him to be so frantic.
After exchanging bewildered glances, everyone except simple-minded Lu Wu simultaneously guessed one thing: their boss, Yang Haoran, was going to Ancang City this time not merely to support the Ancang City Underworld Office; he definitely had other objectives.
Although everyone harbored such conjectures, no one voiced them aloud. Old Master Wu and Zhu Rong quickly stepped into their roles, continuing to make targeted arrangements and deployments based on the current situation. However, Ancang City, which had previously been the subject of the most fervent debate, was now no longer mentioned by anyone.
Yang Haoran's trusted confidantes indeed understood him to a certain extent. Their suspicions were not mistaken; his decision to personally travel to Ancang City this time, bringing along Demon King Bai Xue and the siblings Jing Qi and Jing Miao, who had reached the Demonic Envoy realm, was truly not just to solve the problems of the Ancang City Underworld Office.
Although Ancang City was a large city with abundant resources, it was not entirely under the dominion of their Underworld Office. Besides the Underworld Office, Ancang City also hosted numerous other forces, which were divided into three factions: the Spirit Medium faction, the Underworld Office faction, and the Neutral faction.
Therefore, even if they successfully defended Ancang City and annihilated the Spirit Medium faction, Ancang City would still have the Underworld Office faction and the Neutral faction remaining. Combined, these two factions possessed considerable strength, and Ancang City's resources would naturally need to be distributed accordingly. Thus, Ancang City's resources were not exclusively the Underworld Office's.
Yang Haoran naturally did not wish to lose such a city with mixed forces, given its resources. However, he would also absolutely not do anything that exceeded the city's inherent value. The fact that he was taking such drastic action this time certainly meant it wasn't merely for the sake of the Ancang City Underworld Office.
Before making this decision, Yang Haoran had received two pieces of intelligence. One report came from Shui Ling, detailing the current predicament facing Ancang City and how many experts the Spirit Medium faction had dispatched there.
From this report, Yang Haoran could discern that the Spirit Medium faction intended to devour Ancang City, or rather, completely annihilate the Underworld Office faction within it.
However, another piece of intelligence revealed something unusual to him. This report came from Tang Shi of the Myriad Ghost Grotto. It contained not only the information Tang Shi had collected but also a series of analyses he had made based on that information.
According to the information Tang Shi had gathered and his personal analysis, the Spirit Medium faction had, in addition to their overt experts, secretly dispatched several other experts. These individuals were not mentioned in Shui Ling's report, and all of them were Great Spirit Callers.
These Great Spirit Callers not only refrained from mingling with the Talisman Masters of the Talisman Order, nor did they move with the main Spirit Medium forces. Instead, they operated secretly and independently, yet their destination was the same: Ancang City.
If not for the considerable strength of the ghostly entities under Tang Shi's command, combined with the vast financial resources and materials he had expended over the years to secretly establish a massive intelligence network, he would never have uncovered this confidential information. This was precisely why Tang Shi knew about this matter while Shui Ling did not; the Second Division led by Shui Ling had yet to establish an intelligence network as vast as the Myriad Ghost Grotto's.
Their destination was also Ancang City, yet these Great Spirit Callers chose to travel secretly, not only avoiding overt display but even separating from the main forces. This clearly indicated a problem.
Yang Haoran's decision to come personally was to see what scheme these Great Spirit Callers were up to. However, this was merely a secondary reason. The primary reason was that he wanted to swallow these Great Spirit Callers whole!
Comments