Chapter 1358 Purpose
Yang Haoran indeed hadn't conducted a detailed investigation into Yun Yao's identity. He had no reason to. Previously, their relationship was, at best, a casual friendship. There were no conflicts or clashes of interest between them, so why would he investigate her identity? Besides, such an action would be somewhat impolite.
Even after today, though his relationship with Yun Yao had deepened, it was entirely separate from whether he knew her true identity. He hadn't investigated her identity to begin with, so how could a closer relationship today suddenly grant him a deeper understanding of it?
"It seems you pay little attention to this friend of yours. On the contrary, she pays more attention to you. She didn't lie to you; she was indeed the Emissary of Death for Bamboo Sea City once. However, she hasn't been the Emissary of Death for Bamboo Sea City for quite some time now. As for her true identity, it's certainly not something an ordinary Emissary of Death can compare to."
Luo Yao paused here, then gently shook his head.
"Forget it. If you're interested in her true identity, you can investigate it yourself when the time comes. With your capabilities, I believe uncovering her true identity won't be difficult. Now isn't the time to discuss this. Let's talk about what happened today instead."
Yang Haoran nodded in agreement. He, too, felt that this wasn't the time to discuss Yun Yao's identity, so he had no intention of continuing the topic. Luo Yao, meanwhile, continued speaking.
"You and Xu Meijing are both trusted confidantes whom I, Luo Yao, personally promoted. Of course, I wouldn't miss your grand wedding today, nor would I intentionally be late. The reason I didn't arrive before the ceremony began was because I was lured into a powerful grand array. This grand array was extremely formidable; even I couldn't break it in a short amount of time. I was trapped within the array, and thus, I missed the appointed hour."
Luo Yao's words caused Yang Haoran's brow to furrow slightly. Both he and Xu Meijing had been puzzled by Luo Yao's failure to arrive at the Guardian District on time today. At the time, Yang Haoran had guessed that Luo Yao must have run into some trouble. Now, his suspicion was confirmed, and he felt no surprise. He was merely a little bewildered: what kind of grand array could possibly trap Luo Yao, an Emperor? However, he didn't voice his question, instead remaining silent and waiting for Luo Yao to continue.
At this point, Luo Yao's voice trailed off. He took a sip of tea, sighed, and then continued.
"The facts proved my conjecture correct. The opponent was indeed aiming to sabotage your and Xu Meijing's wedding. Although I broke through the grand array as quickly as possible and immediately rushed here, I was still too late. The wedding was halted. Not only did you leave, but Xu Meijing also left. Even if I wanted to salvage the situation, I was powerless to reverse it."
Yang Haoran nodded, agreeing with Luo Yao's assessment. This time, he didn't remain silent, knowing that Luo Yao had said all he needed to say, and it was now his turn.
"I used a teleportation talisman to leave the Guardian District, successfully rescuing my trusted subordinate who was severely injured and unconscious. The opponent didn't show themselves during this process, nor did they set up an ambush to surprise me. This indicates that their goal was to disrupt my and Xu Meijing's wedding, not to kill me. Otherwise, whether I'd even be able to sit here right now would be an unknown."
Yang Haoran deliberately kept his emotions stable as he spoke calmly.
Luo Yao listened to Yang Haoran's words, his brow furrowing slightly, as if something didn't quite make sense to him.
"The opponent didn't kill your trusted subordinate, nor did they set an ambush for you, and they easily allowed you to rescue your trusted subordinate. Why would they do that? Wouldn't it have been simpler just to kill you? Even if they didn't kill you, your trusted subordinate shouldn't have been allowed to live."
Luo Yao voiced his confusion. Yang Haoran pondered for a moment, then offered his own conjecture.
"Perhaps they didn't kill me because the time wasn't right yet; they might have subsequent plans. As for why they didn't kill my trusted subordinate, in my opinion, their purpose in doing so was likely to target Xiao Jing. This incident today has become a knot in Xiao Jing's heart. As long as my trusted subordinate remains alive, Xiao Jing's heart-knot will never untie, and it will be difficult for our relationship to return to what it once was. Besides this reason, I can't think of any other possibilities for now."
Yang Haoran's words caused Luo Yao's brow to furrow even more deeply.
"You mean, everything the opponent did today was aimed at making you and Xu Meijing become antagonistic? But what would be their purpose in doing that?"
Luo Yao asked. Yang Haoran, listening, gently shook his head.
"Your subordinate doesn't know yet, but I can confirm that the opponent certainly has a greater scheme. They might simply be targeting me and Xiao Jing, but it's also possible they're targeting you, Emperor."
Yang Haoran's words caused Luo Yao's expression to shift slightly. Although Yang Haoran hadn't fully elaborated, Luo Yao understood the implications of his words.
Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing were both trusted confidantes whom he had personally promoted, and both worked for him, Luo Yao. If Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing were to completely fall out, he, as Emperor, would undoubtedly be affected. Many tasks that required Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing's cooperation would certainly no longer proceed as smoothly as before.
If the Jingling Continent Underworld Office were currently in a period of peace, then even if Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing fell out, it wouldn't have much of a negative impact on Luo Yao. In fact, it might even allow them to mutually check and balance each other, further solidifying Luo Yao's position as Emperor. However, at present, their Jingling Continent Underworld Office was far from peaceful; the threat from the Tong Continent Underworld Office was quite significant. In such a situation, it was precisely the time when Luo Yao needed his people. The repercussions of these two trusted confidantes, Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing, falling out at this critical juncture were considerable.
Yang Haoran's timely reminder made Luo Yao consider this point. He felt that Yang Haoran's words were very reasonable, and that the opponent might indeed be targeting him. This was why his expression had changed in that instant.
"What exactly happened will only be known after an investigation. I will arrange for people to look into this matter thoroughly and uncover the truth. For now, what you need to do is quickly go and apologize to Xu Meijing, and find a way to gain her forgiveness. Otherwise, your relationship in the future might become very troublesome."
Luo Yao spoke. From both a personal and a beneficial standpoint, he didn't want Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing to fall out. That was why he urged Yang Haoran to quickly apologize to Xu Meijing. In his view, it was better to address such matters sooner rather than later; the longer it dragged on, the deeper Xu Meijing's resentment would surely become, and the harder it would be for Yang Haoran to gain her forgiveness.
However, Yang Haoran shook his head, a helpless expression on his face.
"I know Xiao Jing's personality. Even if I rush to her Guardian District now, there's absolutely no way I'll successfully see her, much less obtain her forgiveness. If it were feasible, I wouldn't be sitting here; I would have already rushed to her Guardian District."
Yang Haoran's words made Luo Yao's brow furrow slightly. Clearly, Yang Haoran's reply was not to his satisfaction.
"Are you just going to leave this matter unresolved?"
Luo Yao asked. Yang Haoran immediately gave an affirmative reply.
"No, I certainly can't let it go unresolved. An apology is definitely necessary. Regardless of whether Xiao Jing accepts it, I will personally go and apologize. It's just not the right time yet. I need some time to adjust my own mindset, and she equally needs some time to calm her inner rage. Going to her now would not only fail to resolve the problem but would also exacerbate the situation."
Luo Yao's furrowed brow didn't relax because of Yang Haoran's words. He remained silent for a moment, then finally spoke.
"You understand Xu Meijing's personality better than I do, so you handle this matter as you see fit. I believe you also don't truly wish to become antagonistic with her."
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