Chapter 1373: Guardians Gather
In a mere day's time, all nine Guardians under Luo Yao had assembled in the Underworld; Xu Meijing, of course, was no exception.
Not only the nine Guardians of the Jingling Continent Yin Division, but also the Guardians under the other four Great Emperors had gathered in the Underworld.
Just as Luo Yao had stated, the Great Emperor's Mobilization Order was a rule established by the Five Great Emperors of their Yin Division. Furthermore, as this was its first issuance, the Great Emperors all took it seriously, summoning their respective Guardians to the Underworld without delay.
Although the four Great Emperors had complied with the Tong Continent Great Emperor's request, they harbored a degree of dissatisfaction. The feeling was akin to taking orders from the Tong Continent Great Emperor, which made them quite uncomfortable, yet bound by the rules, they had no choice but to comply.
Beyond their discomfort, the four Great Emperors were primarily filled with doubt, wondering what significant event could warrant such a drastic measure from the Tong Continent Great Emperor.
If even the Great Emperors felt this way, what more needed to be said of the Guardians? Among the forty-five assembled Guardians, with only a select few exceptions, the rest were completely unaware of the reason for this gathering.
Inside the grand hall, the five Great Emperors of the Yin Division had yet to arrive, but all forty-five Guardians were present, seated in five distinct areas. These five areas represented the territories under the jurisdiction of the Five Great Emperors of the Yin Division.
The entire Yin Division had only forty-five Guardians, a small number, so even if they rarely interacted on a daily basis, they all knew each other. However, in such a setting, Guardians not under the same Great Emperor, even if they had prior interactions, refrained from communication due to the need to avoid suspicion. Guardians serving the same Great Emperor, however, certainly engaged in conversation when meeting under these circumstances.
“Yang Guardian, long time no see. You're looking well. ”
In the section reserved for the Jingling Continent Yin Division, Huo Laoban’s gaze fell upon Yang Haoran. He spoke with a smile, seemingly offering a greeting, but in reality, issuing a provocation.
As he spoke, the smiling Huo Laoban deliberately glanced at Xu Meijing. Seeing her cold expression, her eyes slightly closed and not uttering a word, the smile on his face deepened.
At Huo Laoban’s words, the other Guardians of the Jingling Continent Yin Division cast their gazes over, some at Yang Haoran, some at Huo Laoban, and others at Xu Meijing.
Yang Haoran wore a faint smile, his expression completely unfazed by Huo Laoban's provocation.
“Heh, not bad, but still far from matching Guardian Huo. Judging by Guardian Huo’s triumphant air, he must have had quite a fruitful period recently. ”
No anger was visible on Yang Haoran's face, and his tone remained calm, as if he were merely chatting with a colleague. There was no hint of killing intent, not even a trace of animosity.
However, the other Guardians present were well aware of the relationship between the two. Naturally, they weren't fooled by the superficial calm; they understood that beneath this seemingly tranquil conversation lay turbulent currents, with veiled killing intent at every turn. Had the setting not been inappropriate, they were certain the two would have come to blows.
“Heh, heh heh heh, Guardian Yang is absolutely right. I truly have reaped abundant rewards lately. One's spirits are lifted by joyous occasions, and naturally, smiles come more readily to the face. ”
Huo Laoban was laughing heartily, but he didn't burst into a loud guffaw. In this setting, he dared not do so; after all, there were Guardians from other Great Emperors present, and a boisterous laugh would be inappropriate and might even invite animosity. Thus, he deliberately suppressed his laughter.
Though he deliberately kept his laughter subdued, letting it spread only within their Jingling Continent Yin Division section, the Guardians present could still discern his immense joy. The smile on his face was entirely genuine, without a hint of pretense.
At this moment, the other Guardians present turned their gazes to Xu Meijing. In the past, whenever such a situation arose, Xu Meijing would have unhesitatingly stepped in to assist Yang Haoran, never allowing Huo Laoban to gain an advantage, not even verbally. But this time, Xu Meijing did no such thing; she remained with her eyes lightly closed, as if she hadn't heard Huo Laoban's joyful laughter at all. The news of Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing's canceled wedding had recently spread throughout the Underworld, known to all. The Guardians present were naturally aware, so they found Xu Meijing's current demeanor neither surprising nor strange; instead, they considered her reaction entirely logical. If Xu Meijing had spoken up to help, *that* would have surprised them, making them suspect the rumors were exaggerated.
Judging by Xu Meijing's reaction, the rumors seemed to be entirely accurate; Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing had indeed fallen out completely. Some Guardians were indifferent to this, while others secretly rejoiced, and naturally, a few felt a sense of regret.
Yang Haoran watched Huo Laoban display his inner joy so openly. He felt no anger, nor did he erupt in curses. Instead, he remained exceptionally composed, the faint smile on his face not changing in the slightest.
As for Xu Meijing's demeanor, Yang Haoran naturally took note of it. He wasn't surprised, but a touch of disappointment was unavoidable. However, from a rational perspective, Xu Meijing’s current attitude was better for him, as the more estranged they appeared, the safer Xu Meijing would be in the future.
Seeing Yang Haoran merely smile without speaking, Huo Laoban's expression turned mocking.
“Heh, in my impression, Divine Emissary Yang has always been quite sharp-tongued. Why are you so quiet today? ”
Huo Laoban asked with a laugh. Although Yang Haoran hadn't spoken, Huo Laoban had no intention of letting him off so easily.
“Heh, there's nothing cheerful enough for me to open my mouth about. If I could be as joyous as Guardian Huo, I wouldn't mind chatting a bit more. ”
Yang Haoran chuckled softly, and his words only served to make Huo Laoban even happier.
“Once a person's luck turns bad, misfortune tends to follow in quick succession. Guardian Yang, don't misunderstand; I'm not trying to curse you. It's just what everyone says, and I'm merely giving you a friendly reminder. Don't overthink it. ”
Everyone present could detect the schadenfreude in Huo Laoban’s words. His comment piqued the interest of some, yet simultaneously provoked the displeasure of others, for among the Guardians present, some were allied with Yang Haoran, just as others were aligned with Huo Laoban.
Originally, these Guardians had been speculating about the reason for this urgent assembly of all Guardians in the Underworld. But seeing Yang Haoran and Huo Laoban engaging in their usual bickering, their attention shifted to the two. Some Guardians even prepared to interject, eager to fan the flames.
However, before they could utter a word, a sudden, violent spatial fluctuation erupted on the most prominent raised platform in the hall. Luo Yao, the Great Emperor of Jingling, materialized on the platform, signifying the first appearance of one of the Five Great Emperors of the Yin Division.
Luo Yao’s appearance brought a measure of quiet to the scene, but only a slight one. Some Guardians, seeing that it was merely Luo Yao, chose to ignore him, continuing their hushed conversations as if he were of no consequence.
Although Luo Yao held the esteemed position of one of the Five Great Emperors of the Yin Division, second only to one, he had not been a Great Emperor for long. In terms of prestige, he naturally fell far short of the other four Great Emperors.
Before becoming a Great Emperor, his status was the same as that of the forty-five Guardians present. Indeed, some of the Guardians present had far more seniority than him. His sudden transformation into a Great Emperor caused extreme imbalance in the hearts of those more senior to him, and even those less experienced or powerful than him harbored significant resentment.
Furthermore, Luo Yao was only in charge of the Jingling Continent Yin Division, not the entire Yin Division. He had no authority to meddle in the territories under other Great Emperors, nor to transfer, reward, or punish Guardians under their banners. This led some Guardians to simply disregard Luo Yao entirely.
It was precisely due to these factors that the current scene unfolded.
While Luo Yao was unable to command the full awe of Guardians from other Great Emperors' factions, within the Jingling Continent Yin Division itself, he had successfully established a degree of deterrent power. This was evident from the fact that all nine Guardians of the Jingling Continent Yin Division chose to remain silent.
Moonlit Night God
Comments