Chapter 1243: Calling to Account
Upon hearing Shui Ling's words, Yang Haoran felt a significant weight lift from his mind. With Shui Ling secretly dispatching people to erase all traces of Zhong Siyu, the likelihood of this matter being exposed became even lower.
Beyond Yang Haoran's trusted confidants, Zhong Siyu's existence was originally a secret. Outsiders had no idea a figure like Zhong Siyu even existed, naturally knowing nothing of her identity. Thus, for the Demon Hunter Guild to thoroughly investigate this matter would certainly not be easy. With Shui Ling secretly erasing the traces of Zhong Siyu's appearance, it would naturally be even more difficult for the Demon Hunter Guild to uncover the truth.
Of course, regardless of whether the Demon Hunter Guild could ultimately uncover the truth of this matter, it would undoubtedly cause Yang Haoran a certain degree of trouble. After all, Yang Haoran was the master of this territory, and everyone knew that Yang Haoran did not welcome the Demon Hunter Guild's activities. If such an incident occurred, the Demon Hunter Guild would most likely assume Yang Haoran was secretly behind it. It was inevitable that Yang Haoran would thus incur some trouble. However, this was far better than Zhong Siyu being exposed. If Zhong Siyu were truly exposed, and the Demon Hunter Guild succeeded in unearthing the whole truth, then the situation would indeed be truly severe, far beyond what the word "trouble" could describe.
“Employ every means necessary,” Yang Haoran stated, “to completely erase all traces of Zhong Siyu’s presence before the Demon Hunter Guild can discover any clues. Only then can we minimize the trouble. ”
As Yang Haoran spoke, a hint of hesitation appeared on Shui Ling’s face.
“Heh heh, don’t hesitate to speak your mind. I won’t blame you. ”
Only with Yang Haoran’s assurance did Shui Ling continue to speak.
“Actually, there’s another way to erase the traces of Zhong Siyu’s appearance before the Demon Hunter Guild finds any clues. It just requires eliminating a few low-level Demon Hunters. ”
“Heh heh, nowadays, every city in my Ninth District has a Star God Temple, and they’ve even built one right here in Lecheng, causing me such significant losses. What does it matter if a few low-level Demon Hunters from their Guild die? As long as you’re confident in handling this, go all out and don’t worry about the subsequent trouble. ”
Yang Haoran didn't ask Shui Ling for the specifics of how she planned to proceed, though he could guess what she intended. He didn't inquire in detail, naturally out of trust in Shui Ling. Based on his understanding of her over the years, the fact that Shui Ling would say such a thing in front of him indicated she was quite confident in the operation.
“Emissary, rest assured, your subordinate will handle this matter properly! ”
Shui Ling offered her guarantee. She was indeed quite confident in her plan. As for why she had hesitated just now, it was because a Three-Star Demon Hunter had already died in Lecheng this time. If several more Demon Hunters were to die immediately afterward, even if they were only low-level ones, it would still create a significant impact, and that impact would inevitably involve Yang Haoran. That was why she had been hesitant about proceeding.
However, now that she had Yang Haoran’s approval, she naturally had few reservations left.
After Shui Ling withdrew, she immediately set about handling the matter. Yang Haoran shook his head with a wry smile and rose from his seat. He had initially intended to have Zhong Siyu come to his study to see him, but then a very realistic problem occurred to him: Zhong Siyu was not his subordinate, and she held not an ounce of reverence for him. If he asked Zhong Siyu to come see him, he would likely end up on the receiving end of her dismissive glares. Thus, he decided it would be more prudent for him to personally go and meet this "little grandaunt," lest he find himself in an awkward position later.
It was not difficult for Yang Haoran to find out where Zhong Siyu was at the moment, as this was his territory, and his eyes and ears were everywhere. Thus, he quickly located Zhong Siyu returning from outside and brought her to a quiet room.
“Little grandaunt,” Yang Haoran began, “it’s only been a few days, and you’ve already caused trouble again. And this time, the mess you’ve made is much bigger than before. ”
Inside the quiet room, Yang Haoran did not beat around the bush with Zhong Siyu but went straight to the point. However, his tone, aside from a hint of helplessness, betrayed no emotion of blame or anger.
Upon hearing this, Zhong Siyu showed no panic on her face, nor any trace of shame for having erred. Instead, under Yang Haoran’s gaze, she blossomed into a smile. Although Zhong Siyu had not transformed into her Blood-Clad form for combat when facing Yang Haoran, her smile still gave off a bloodthirsty and savage impression.
“When I encounter such short-sighted fools, I kill them, and that’s that. Am I supposed to indulge them? ”
Yang Haoran had long grown accustomed to Zhong Siyu’s bloodthirsty and savage smile. Of course, he was equally accustomed to her headache-inducing replies after causing trouble. Although he had long become used to Zhong Siyu’s troublesome answers, the helplessness in Yang Haoran’s heart still increased by a few degrees.
“My dear little grandaunt,” Yang Haoran said, “this time, you didn’t just kill a minor figure, but a Three-Star Demon Hunter. A Demon Hunter of that caliber is equivalent to an Earth Soul realm expert in our Underworld Office. Moreover, this person was the very individual responsible for constructing the Star God Temple in my Lecheng. You’ve killed such an important figure of theirs and even destroyed their newly completed Star God Temple. Do you think they’ll just let this go? ”
Yang Haoran’s words brought a fierce expression to Zhong Siyu’s face.
“Heh heh, I was already merciful enough by not slaughtering them all. If they have the nerve to come knocking, I don’t mind wiping them out completely. ”
Zhong Siyu only spoke half of her mind. In truth, there was something else she didn’t say: these Demon Hunters were of no use to her. Even if she forcibly extracted and devoured their souls, it wouldn’t provide any significant boost to her strength. If, however, it had been an Underworld official, a ghost entity, or a Spirit Master who had offended her, that would certainly have been a different story.
Zhong Siyu’s reply brought a trace of wry amusement to Yang Haoran’s face. When this wry smile met Zhong Siyu’s gaze, the sneer on her face immediately gained a few more hints of mockery.
“I say, Yang Haoran,” Zhong Siyu scoffed, “why are you still such a coward? You haven’t changed a bit since I first met you. The Demon Hunter Guild is building temples on your territory; I’m sure you’re incredibly displeased by it. If you’re displeased, then fight them! Why torment yourself? Humph, if I were you, and they dared to step foot on my territory without my permission, I would not hesitate to slaughter them completely. As for wanting to build temples on my land, that’s simply delusional! ”
Zhong Siyu’s words were utterly impolite. Yang Haoran, however, did not get angry upon hearing them; he merely replied with a faint smile.
“Heh heh, I represent more than just myself. Once I make a wrong decision, many of my subordinates will lose their lives because of that mistake. So, there are many things I can’t simply do just because I want to. I need to be responsible for everyone. ”
Yang Haoran’s words were actually quite easy to understand, yet Zhong Siyu seemed to have not comprehended them, and she even displayed a look of impatience.
“You don’t need to complicate things so much. All you need to know is that you’re unhappy with those guys, yet you don’t dare to act against them. I’ve stepped in and vented your anger for you, so you should be thanking me, not calling me to account. ”
Yang Haoran smiled faintly and gently shook his head.
“Heh heh, I’m merely here to remind you not to act impulsively, lest you suffer a great loss without even realizing it. I had no intention of calling you to account. On the contrary, if nothing unexpected happens, I’ll be the one called to account very soon. ”
Upon hearing this, Zhong Siyu’s face showed disdain.
“If they dare to come, then kill them all! Leave them no way out! ”
As soon as Yang Haoran heard Zhong Siyu’s murderous words, he quickly waved his hand, his face etched with helplessness.
“No, no, no, my dear little grandaunt, just do me a favor. For now, stay indoors for a while and don’t go anywhere. Otherwise, if the Demon Hunter Guild traces this back to you, then I’ll truly be finished. ”
Zhong Siyu was naturally displeased with Yang Haoran’s arrangement. Yang Haoran also knew that Zhong Siyu would certainly be uncomfortable. The reason he still insisted was that this was a small trick of his, a way to subtly force Zhong Siyu to leave the Guardian District. If Zhong Siyu, annoyed by his arrangement, were to leave the Guardian District on her own accord, then his future would be much easier, as he would be rid of a troublesome agent who loved to cause incidents.
However, the outcome left Yang Haoran disappointed. Although Zhong Siyu was extremely displeased with the arrangement he had made, she showed no intention of leaving, which both surprised him and left him with a touch of disappointment.
Shui Ling, however, did not disappoint him. Before the Demon Hunter Guild could discover any clues, Shui Ling indeed completely erased all traces of Zhong Siyu’s appearance. However, some people also vanished completely as a result, including several low-level Demon Hunters. As for whether these vanished individuals died or were secretly sent to other places, that remained unknown; in any case, they all disappeared from Lecheng.
Although Shui Ling, with her swift and decisive methods, promptly erased Zhong Siyu’s traces, preventing the murder of the Three-Star Demon Hunter and the destruction of the Lecheng Star God Temple from being traced back to Zhong Siyu, the higher-ups of the Demon Hunter Guild quickly learned of the incident. They even dispatched several experts to Lecheng, who, with imposing aura, went straight to the point and sought out Yang Haoran, the Guardian of the Ninth District.
Just as Yang Haoran had surmised, the Ninth District was, after all, his territory. Regardless of how Shui Ling handled the situation, with such a major incident occurring, the Demon Hunter Guild would certainly demand an explanation from him. This was unavoidable.
However, since Zhong Siyu’s existence had not been exposed, the situation was naturally much better. His handling of it would be relatively much simpler, and he wouldn’t be as passive.
Several days after the incident, Yang Haoran’s Guardian District welcomed five grim-faced Demon Hunters. The cultivation realms of these five Demon Hunters were not weak: two Three-Stars and three peak Two-Stars. Such a combination, if placed in an ordinary city under Yang Haoran’s jurisdiction, would undoubtedly be able to easily wipe out everyone in that city, including the Funeral Director, cleanly and swiftly, without expending much time. However, placed in Yang Haoran’s Guardian District, such a combination appeared somewhat underwhelming.
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