Chapter 1240: A Major Reshuffle
Luo Yao watched as the Tong Continent Great Emperor and the others entered the spatial rift, offering no obstruction. Behind him, Huo Laoban, seeing this, had intended to say something, but after a slight hesitation, he ultimately decided against it.
Yang Haoran was different from Huo Laoban. Although he too had witnessed everything, he had no intention whatsoever of reminding Luo Yao from beginning to end. Even after the spatial rift healed and the Tong Continent Great Emperor and the others completely vanished, he still had no thought of speaking up.
Yang Haoran understood the meaning behind the recent conversation between Luo Yao and the Tong Continent Great Emperor. He also had some guesses as to why the two hadn't immediately come to blows upon meeting, instead speaking in veiled, seemingly irrelevant terms.
Although there had been no direct confrontation, Yang Haoran knew that their recent exchange had been fraught with hidden currents, every sentence, even every word, imbued with intense killing intent.
He hadn't spoken carelessly because he knew he shouldn't. If he did, he might end up in a thankless situation. Therefore, remaining silent and letting Luo Yao make his own choices was the safest approach.
Of course, if Luo Yao had actively sought his opinion, that would have been a different matter. Since Luo Yao hadn't asked, he certainly wouldn't be so foolish as to volunteer and bring trouble upon himself.
With the departure of the Tong Continent Great Emperor, silence descended upon the scene. Luo Yao wore a grim expression, staring at the spot where the spatial rift had healed, lost in thought for a long time.
Yang Haoran and the others stood respectfully behind Luo Yao, motionless. No one dared to show the slightest dissatisfaction, nor did anyone dare to urge him on.
"Yang Haoran."
Luo Yao's first words were, surprisingly, Yang Haoran's name. Yang Haoran, hearing this, dared not delay and immediately responded respectfully.
"Subordinate present."
Luo Yao didn't beat around the bush and issued a direct command.
"The aftermath here will be handled by you. As for how to do it, I can point you in a direction: you can announce to the public that Wen Hexuan and Long Yan died while suppressing a ferocious beast in this area. You may give their bodies a grand burial to show that our Jingling Continent Yin Division highly values their sacrifice. As for other details, you can handle them as you see fit."
The aftermath, one could say, was both important and not important. Although Luo Yao had brought several trusted subordinates today, he specifically entrusted this matter to Yang Haoran, which clearly demonstrated the extent of his regard for him.
The other Guardians present, upon hearing this, looked at Yang Haoran with varying expressions. Yang Haoran paid them no mind, bowing respectfully to Luo Yao.
"Your subordinate obeys!"
Receiving Yang Haoran's affirmative reply, Luo Yao nodded with satisfaction, then departed with the others, truly entrusting the complete handling of the aftermath to Yang Haoran.
Before leaving, Xu Meijing quietly cautioned Yang Haoran to be careful. As for the others, some ignored Yang Haoran, while others offered him a polite smile before departing. Especially Ye Xianglan, who had now shed her undercover disguise, her attitude towards Yang Haoran was no longer hostile as before, but full of goodwill—at least, that's how it appeared on the surface.
Yang Haoran returned their smiles. Not to mention that Ye Xianglan was now on their side, even if their positions hadn't changed at all, Yang Haoran's personality made it difficult for him to show a cold face to others. Whether they were opponents or allies, he always maintained that harmless, benevolent demeanor.
The aftermath was easy to handle. After all, those who needed to die were already dead, and Luo Yao had given Yang Haoran clear instructions, so there was no difficulty in managing it.
Although there were certainly still some of Wen Hexuan's trusted subordinates in the Guardian District, their strength was negligible in the eyes of Yang Haoran, a Guardian himself. Moreover, these individuals wouldn't be so foolish as to openly defy Yang Haoran, so the cleanup proceeded very smoothly.
Following Luo Yao's instructions, Yang Haoran publicly announced that a peerless ferocious beast had always been suppressed beneath the First District's Guardian Zone. Wen Hexuan and Long Yan had heroically sacrificed themselves to completely slay this beast. To ensure future generations remembered the two Guardians' contributions in this great battle, Yang Haoran not only gave them splendid burials but also erected monuments to their achievements, as if they had truly died a heroic death for the stability of the Jingling Continent Yin Division.
No sooner had Yang Haoran finished handling the aftermath than a Guardian descended upon the First District. This individual, bearing Luo Yao's orders, became the new Guardian of the First District, taking over what was openly known as the strongest district in the Jingling Continent Yin Division.
This person was none other than Ye Xianglan, who had been undercover beside Wen Hexuan and Long Yan.
Luo Yao's original intention had been to hand over the First District to Yang Haoran. By having Yang Haoran stay in the First District to handle the aftermath, he already harbored this thought.
After the aftermath was concluded, Luo Yao did not directly order Yang Haoran to take over the First District. Instead, he sought Yang Haoran's opinion, to see if Yang Haoran was willing to transfer from the Ninth District to the First District and become its new Guardian.
However, Yang Haoran politely declined. His reason for refusing was simple: he had long grown accustomed to the Ninth District, and he had poured immense effort into it, thus he was truly reluctant to leave the Ninth District.
As Yang Haoran was unwilling to leave the Ninth District, Luo Yao didn't force the issue. He respected Yang Haoran's choice, and therefore, for the important position of First District Guardian, he sought out another candidate, eventually choosing Ye Xianglan.
Ye Xianglan, by going undercover alongside Wen Hexuan and Long Yan, could be said to have rendered significant service to Luo Yao. Furthermore, Ye Xianglan was herself a Guardian from Luo Yao's own era, with impeccable qualifications and strength. It was indeed reasonable for Luo Yao to entrust the most crucial First District to her management.
Not only was Wen Hexuan's First District taken over by a Guardian, but the territory previously under Long Yan's jurisdiction was also taken over by a Guardian. However, this Guardian was not a pre-existing one, but a newcomer—a Guardian only recently promoted by Luo Yao.
Yang Haoran knew this person, yet he wasn't familiar with them. Before this individual became a Guardian, Yang Haoran had only met them a few times; they couldn't be considered close acquaintances.
However, Yang Haoran had heard a bit about this person's strength. Looking across the entire Jingling Continent Yin Division, there were very few, if any, among the Soul-Sowers who surpassed him in power. It was precisely because of this that Yang Haoran had noticed him and gained some understanding of him.
In Yang Haoran's view, Luo Yao's decision to promote this person certainly had this reason behind it. Without sufficiently powerful strength, even if promoted to Guardian, it would be difficult to command respect, and Luo Yao would naturally not do such a thing.
Although this person was strong, his appointment as Guardian still bred dissatisfaction in the hearts of some. Luo Yao's method of promoting him, just like when he promoted Yongle to Guardian, involved no selection process whatsoever. He was directly elevated to the position, and this time, not just one person was promoted, but three. It was guaranteed that such an approach would cause some resentment, yet Luo Yao pretended not to notice, having no intention of changing his decision.
As for those who were dissatisfied, their displeasure remained purely internal. They dared not show the slightest hint of it, nor did they dare to directly confront Luo Yao about the matter, for they knew full well that if they expressed dissatisfaction or tried to argue with him, their ultimate fate would certainly not be good. Thus, the matter was settled successfully under Luo Yao's unyielding stance.
Of the three newly promoted Guardians, one took over Long Yan's territory, another took over Ye Xianglan's original territory, and the third took over the territory of another Guardian. Although this Guardian was perfectly alive, he was not one of Luo Yao's trusted confidants. He could somewhat guess Luo Yao's intentions; he knew that if he continued to sit in the Guardian's position, he might lose his life at any moment. So, he simply resigned from the post of Guardian.
Regarding this Guardian's action, Luo Yao initially offered some words of persuasion, essentially hoping that this Guardian would consider the matter more carefully and not make such a decision in the heat of the moment.
How could this Guardian not realize that these were merely Luo Yao's polite formalities? He didn't take Luo Yao's attempts to retain him seriously, instead offering various excuses and insisting on resigning from the Guardian position. In the end, Luo Yao could only agree with a helpless expression, though to the Guardian, that helplessness was clearly feigned, not sincere.
After this Guardian resigned, his managed territory naturally needed someone to take over. That was why Luo Yao promoted three Guardians at once.
Thus, all nine Guardians under Luo Yao were replaced by his trusted confidants. Although this approach significantly diminished the overall strength of the Guardian contingent under him, it at least solidified his position!
Comments