Chapter 1341: No Time to Lose
Yang Haoran hadn't secretly dispatched an expert to protect Xiujuan for a few reasons. One was that Xiujuan herself wasn't weak; over the years, he had successively bestowed upon her a considerable number of treasures, including talismans, dānyào, and even special items that could command ghosts. With these treasures at her side, Xiujuan's overall strength had vastly improved. While one couldn't claim she was unrivaled among her peers, there were certainly few who could surpass her.
Another reason was that under his vigorous cultivation, Xiao Kang's realm had long since broken through to the Earth Soul. Moreover, Xiao Kang possessed a multitude of techniques, making his overall strength quite formidable. Coupled with the fact that Honghai City was Xiao Kang's territory, Yang Haoran believed Xiujuan's safety would not be an issue with Xiao Kang stationed there.
Beyond these two reasons, there was a crucial third: his upcoming wedding to Xu Meijing. To ensure the wedding proceeded flawlessly and without incident, he had assigned various tasks to all his trusted subordinates remaining in the Guardian District, leaving them incredibly busy. While it wasn't impossible to secretly dispatch an expert to protect Xiujuan, it would be troublesome and could even lead to misunderstandings. If the hidden individual were exposed, Xiao Kang and Xiujuan might well mistake them for a spy sent to monitor the mother and son.
It was precisely because he had considered these three points that Yang Haoran hadn't secretly sent an expert to protect Xiujuan.
In truth, this matter couldn't truly be blamed on Yang Haoran. If he had to secretly dispatch an expert to protect every trusted subordinate whenever they went on a mission, where would he find so many experts?
It simply wasn't realistic; after all, undertaking missions inherently involved risks, and no one could avoid that.
Although Yang Haoran understood this principle, he still felt a pang of self-reproach over Xiujuan's Soul Transformation.
Beyond self-reproach, what he felt more keenly was rage.
Yang Haoran spoke in a low voice, but the killing intent in his tone was exceptionally potent.
As these words fell, Yang Haoran lit another cigarette, seeking to alleviate the negative emotions churning within him. Only after taking a deep drag did he knit his brows and speak.
"The immediate priority is to find Bai Xue and Xiao Kang first. Every second we delay finding them increases their danger. Xiujuan is already gone; I don't want them to suffer the same fate."
Although Yang Haoran's heart was still filled with rage and murderous intent, he hadn't lost his composure. He still knew precisely what needed to be done.
"Please rest assured, Emissary, your subordinate will investigate this matter at once, sparing no effort to find them both in the shortest possible time! " Shui Ling quickly affirmed.
Shui Ling quickly affirmed. She was in charge of Yang Haoran's overt intelligence organization, and with Yang Haoran speaking these words, she naturally couldn't pretend to have heard nothing. She had to immediately offer her assurance, even though she knew finding Bai Xue and Xiao Kang would not be easy—in fact, it would be quite difficult. Yet, she couldn't choose silence for that reason; necessary assurances had to be made publicly.
Hearing this, Yang Haoran nodded. He didn't consult the opinions of his other trusted subordinates present; he made the decision directly, for he had no time for idle talk. Every useless word wasted precious time, and he couldn't afford to waste it.
"This matter brooks no delay. Go and handle it immediately. No matter what method you use, you must find them both in the shortest possible time. If you encounter any insurmountable difficulties along the way, you can report to me at any time, and I will clear all obstacles for you!"
Shui Ling wasted no words either. After receiving her orders, she immediately withdrew, for she also knew that not a single second could be wasted, and to accelerate the progress, she had to personally take charge.
As for Yang Haoran's wedding today, she certainly wouldn't be able to attend. Although she felt regret about this, it was simply unavoidable.
After Shui Ling departed, Yang Haoran's gaze swept over his trusted subordinates present, then he spoke.
"Although we still don't know who the enemy is, since they've already made a move against my people, it's highly likely they'll cause trouble at today's wedding. Each of you, stick to your posts, and absolutely do not let them exploit any loopholes. If anything goes wrong with today's wedding, both I and Little Jing will completely lose face."
Everyone received their orders, then, at Yang Haoran's signal, left the study. Some headed to their respective areas of responsibility, while others prepared for Yang Haoran's upcoming groom's procession.
According to the originally scheduled time, Yang Haoran should have already departed for the groom's procession. However, due to two pieces of ill news, his departure was delayed, forcing the trusted subordinates responsible for the matter to quickly ensure all preparations were complete.
Yang Haoran didn't assign these trusted subordinates under him to search for Bai Xue and Xiao Kang. One reason was that these subordinates were not professionals in this field, and their involvement wouldn't be very effective.
Another reason was that for today's wedding, his trusted subordinates each had their own tasks and simply couldn't be spared. If they left the Guardian District, many operations would be unable to proceed normally.
While finding Bai Xue and Xiao Kang was crucial, his wedding to Xu Meijing today was equally important. Unless absolutely necessary, he would not allow this matter to disrupt the normal proceedings of the wedding. This was a responsibility; he had to be accountable to all the guests attending the wedding, and even more so to the bride, Xu Meijing. Therefore, even though he was deeply worried about Bai Xue and Xiao Kang's safety, he couldn't abandon today's wedding because of it.
After all his trusted subordinates left the study, Yang Haoran immediately took out a Communication Talisman. After speaking a few words into it in a low voice, he waved his hand, casting the talisman forth.
This Communication Talisman was sent by Yang Haoran to Tang Shi. The Myriad Ghost Grotto, led by Tang Shi, was superior to Shui Ling's intelligence agency when it came to gathering information of all kinds. As for strength, it left Shui Ling's intelligence agency several streets behind; one could say there was simply no comparison between the two.
Yang Haoran sending a Communication Talisman to Tang Shi at this moment was naturally for the purpose of finding Bai Xue and Xiao Kang.
It wasn't that he doubted Shui Ling's capabilities; he believed that given enough time, Shui Ling would certainly be able to uncover useful information, perhaps even locate Bai Xue and Xiao Kang. However, the current circumstances didn't allow him to give Shui Ling much time. He wanted to find Bai Xue and Xiao Kang in the shortest possible time.
Therefore, he decided to have Tang Shi mobilize the power of the Myriad Ghost Grotto to search for Bai Xue and Xiao Kang with all their might. Only with the Myriad Ghost Grotto's involvement could they truly hope to find Bai Xue and Xiao Kang in the shortest possible time.
He hadn't given Tang Shi orders in front of his other trusted subordinates before because the Myriad Ghost Grotto's existence was a secret. He didn't want to expose the covert Myriad Ghost Grotto publicly, which was why he only sent the Communication Talisman to Tang Shi after all his subordinates had left the study.
Sitting alone in the study, Yang Haoran smoked, easing the irritation within him. Only after several cigarettes did his negative emotions somewhat abate. Just then, Old Master Wu entered the study.
"Boss, everything is ready. We can depart for the groom's procession now."
Old Master Wu spoke respectfully. Yang Haoran nodded, extinguished his half-burnt cigarette, then vigorously rubbed his face. After taking a deep breath, a faint smile reappeared on his face, though it seemed somewhat unnatural.
"Let's go, depart."
Yang Haoran smiled faintly. Logically, after such a major incident, even he, who usually showed no emotion, would find it difficult to smile. But today was, after all, his joyous wedding day with Xu Meijing. If he went to retrieve his bride with a grim expression and faced the guests with a sour face, what kind of impression would that make?
He was the groom for this wedding. If he wasn't happy and wore a long face, how could anyone else be?
The answer was obvious without needing to think: aside from those who wished him ill, the genuine guests who came to congratulate him certainly wouldn't be happy. It might even lead people to mistakenly believe he didn't want to marry Xu Meijing.
With Yang Haoran's sharp mind, how could he not understand the stakes involved? So, even though his mood was terrible at that moment, he still forced a smile onto his face, pretending to be no different from usual.
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