Chapter 1222: The Reason for Not Taking Action
Yang Haoran's words made the seductive smile on Bai Xue's face grow even more alluring.
"Heh heh, I knew it. Following Brother Yin Officer down the mountain back then was absolutely the right choice."
This time, Yang Haoran didn't look at Bai Xue. He continued to gaze at Lin'an City in the distance, responding with a faint smile.
"I vaguely recall that when you first followed me down the mountain back then, you seemed extremely unwilling, didn't you?"
These words not only failed to diminish Bai Xue's smile in the slightest, but actually made her laugh even more happily. However, this smile no longer held any deliberate seduction; it was pure, heartfelt joy.
"Haha, then Brother Yin Officer, you must be mistaken."
Speaking of which, Bai Xue suddenly remembered something and then asked Yang Haoran,
"Brother Yin Officer, I heard that the Demon Hunter Association will be arranging some experts to support the various Guardian Districts recently. Is this true or false?"
Yang Haoran didn't hide anything, nodding lightly.
Upon hearing this, Bai Xue pouted, her expression clearly disdainful.
"Since we're allies, they're still thinking about charging for everything. They must be completely out of their minds with greed."
Regarding Bai Xue's remark, Yang Haoran gave an noncommittal smile, then said,
"There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Without sufficient profit, how could someone who isn't related or indebted to you possibly lend a hand? Perhaps this was also a rule established by the Underworld Office when negotiating with the Demon Hunter Association."
Bai Xue nodded, finding Yang Haoran's words reasonable. Immediately after, she asked,
"Then will our Guardian District also receive Demon Hunter support?"
Bai Xue was actually very concerned about this question, which was why she brought it up to Yang Haoran. The reason for her concern, of course, was the Flock of Demons Society.
The Flock of Demons Society's headquarters was located within Yang Haoran's Guardian District. Although not all members resided in the district, a considerable number of demons did. If experts from the Demon Hunter Association came to support the Guardian District, conflicts might erupt between the two sides.
Of course, it wasn't as if Yang Haoran's Guardian District had no Demon Hunters; even if it did, there was only Ye Zhiqiu. Ye Zhiqiu was Yang Haoran's confidant, and his wife was also a demon, so the demons of the Flock of Demons Society didn't hold much hostility towards Ye Zhiqiu. But if other Demon Hunters came to the Guardian District, it would definitely be different.
Through the question Bai Xue posed, Yang Haoran seemed to guess what she was thinking.
"Heh heh, don't worry. I won't let the supporting Demon Hunters come to my Guardian District. My Guardian District can only have my people, Yang Haoran's people, not outsiders. Otherwise, it would put me in a very passive position. Besides, my Guardian District hasn't reached the point where I need to spend money inviting ancestors back to worship."
Receiving Yang Haoran's affirmative reply, Bai Xue finally breathed a sigh of relief. If Yang Haoran truly let these Demon Hunters settle in the Guardian District, she wouldn't have known how to handle it properly. Since Yang Haoran wasn't planning to accept the Demon Hunter Association's support, she naturally had nothing to worry about.
"Heh heh, with Brother Yin Officer's words, I'm relieved. If these Demon Hunters really came to our Guardian District, who knows how much trouble they would cause."
Yang Haoran merely smiled at her words. Seeing that Yang Haoran had no intention of speaking or leaving, Bai Xue hesitated slightly, then continued, though compared to before, she seemed somewhat cautious.
"Brother Yin Officer, there's a question that's been bothering me. I'm not sure if I should ask it."
Bai Xue's cautious tone surprised Yang Haoran. He withdrew his gaze from Lin'an City and let it fall back on Bai Xue.
"Heh heh, we've known each other for so many years. Don't you know what kind of person I am? Ask whatever you're curious about; there's no need to keep it bottled up, and even less need to be so cautious."
After receiving Yang Haoran's affirmative reply, Bai Xue smiled alluringly and then asked Yang Haoran,
"A few days ago, the Death God finally appeared, displaying great divine power by slaying several Great Spirit Masters and Gold Talisman Masters from the Talisman Order. Why didn't he continue, in one fell swoop, to slay more Spirit Mediums and Talisman Masters from the Talisman Order? Instead, he mysteriously disappeared again. Is it truly as the rumors say, that these deities feared the New Beginning Realm couldn't withstand their world-destroying power, and thus chose a special location for their decisive battle?"
Yang Haoran hadn't expected Bai Xue to ask this question. He hesitated slightly, then gently shook his head under Bai Xue's expectant gaze.
"Heh heh, not only do you not know the answer to that question, I don't either. And just like you, I'm very curious to find out."
Yang Haoran's words caused obvious disappointment to appear in Bai Xue's eyes.
"I thought Brother Yin Officer, as a Guardian of the Underworld Office, would have some understanding of this matter. I didn't expect even you, Brother Yin Officer, to not know."
Yang Haoran gave a bitter smile, a hint of helplessness on his face.
"I'm merely a Guardian; it's difficult for me to reach the level of a deity, just as it's difficult for a Night Watcher to reach a Guardian. So, I don't understand the Death God, nor can I fathom his thoughts. Don't laugh, but before the Death God appeared, I doubted more than once whether there truly was a Death God in this world."
Bai Xue was amused by Yang Haoran's words, making her cover her mouth and burst out laughing.
"Haha, you, a dignified Guardian of the Underworld Office, actually doubted whether the Death God truly exists in this world? If that got out, it would probably make a lot of people's jaws drop."
Yang Haoran didn't mind, responding with a faint smile.
"Even if this matter gets out, not many people will believe it. Because to become an Underworld Official, one must first believe in the existence of the Death God in this world. Moreover, one's faith in the Death God must be incredibly devout. If even ordinary Underworld Officials are like this, how much more so for a Guardian like me?"
Upon hearing Yang Haoran's words, Bai Xue laughed even harder, her face revealing clear disbelief.
"Since your faith in the Death God is incredibly devout, then how could you have doubted whether the Death God truly exists in this world before? Isn't that a contradiction?"
Yang Haoran's expression remained unchanged. With a faint smile, he seriously countered Bai Xue's question,
"Is it a contradiction? Devotion is devotion, doubt is doubt. Is that a contradiction? I don't think it is at all."
Regarding Yang Haoran's shameless statement, Bai Xue not only didn't despise him but was quite happy, and she chimed in,
"Right, right, right, very reasonable, very reasonable, not contradictory at all."
The words had barely left her mouth when Bai Xue herself couldn't help but burst into laughter. It wasn't until a short while later that she stopped, but her face still bore a deep smile, clearly indicating she was trying her best to keep from laughing out loud again.
To divert her attention, Bai Xue quickly changed the subject and asked Yang Haoran,
"Brother Yin Officer, you said that before the Death God appeared, why didn't the Spirit Master False God and the Talisman Ancestor of the Talisman Order directly show themselves and launch a thunderous assault on the Underworld Office? With the terrifying strength of these two great deities, it shouldn't have been difficult to destroy all of the Underworld Office's defenses in a very short time. Since they didn't do so, was it because they feared the Death God?"
Yang Haoran pondered the question for a moment before giving Bai Xue his response.
"There's certainly a degree of apprehension, but I actually believe the main reason isn't that."
Yang Haoran's answer surprised Bai Xue, and at the same time, sparked a strong curiosity within her.
"Oh? What does Brother Yin Officer think the main reason is?"
If it had been anyone else asking Yang Haoran this question, he might not have answered, or even if he did, he might not have revealed his truest thoughts. However, with Bai Xue, he wasn't so guarded or parsimonious, so he didn't conceal anything, informing her of his speculation.
"I believe the true reason is that the Spirit Master False God doesn't want this war to end quickly. He wants this war to continue for a longer period, making the New Beginning Realm even more chaotic."
All traces of a smile vanished from Bai Xue's face, replaced by an expression of astonishment.
"Ah? Why would the Spirit Master False God do that?"
Bai Xue's bewilderment was clearly etched on her face, and her tone was filled with surprise.
"Because the Apotheosis Platform hasn't appeared yet, he absolutely doesn't want to end the war this quickly. Even if he held the upper hand, he wouldn't want to, and he wouldn't do it. Once the war ends, the world will inevitably gradually return to stability, and then it would be even more impossible for the Apotheosis Platform to appear. He must make this world even more chaotic for the Apotheosis Platform to manifest, and only then will he have the opportunity to step onto the Apotheosis Platform, obtain a God Position, and become a True God, achieving his ultimate goal."
At this point, Yang Haoran looked at Bai Xue and asked with a smile,
"If it were you, after meticulously plotting and single-mindedly striving to become a god, and finally seeing the hope of apotheosis, would you give up halfway? Would you willingly end this war before the Apotheosis Platform has even appeared?"
Bai Xue shook her head immediately, without even thinking.
"Since you would think this way, wouldn't the Spirit Master False God think the same?"
Yang Haoran countered with a smile. Although Bai Xue didn't speak, the doubts in her heart about this matter were completely resolved at that moment.
"When the New Beginning Realm first fell into chaos, I wasn't certain that the Spirit Master False God was solely responsible for it. But now, in my opinion, it's highly probable that he orchestrated this entire affair, with only one goal: to successfully step onto the Apotheosis Platform, obtain a God Position, and become a True God!"
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