Chapter 1379: Heartbreaking Testimony
The Tongzhou Great Emperor's words made Yang Haoran's expression shift. It proved his feeling wasn't mistaken; the Tongzhou Great Emperor had indeed targeted him!
"I didn't!"
Without a second thought, Yang Haoran unequivocally denied it. He wouldn't dare admit such a thing in this setting, for as a Guardian, he understood the stakes. Once admitted, the consequences would be unimaginable, and even Luo Yao would be implicated. Of course, he wouldn't be foolish enough to admit to such a matter.
"Hmph, truly, like master, like dog! Luo Yao dares to commit but not take responsibility, and his Guardians are just as despicable. But no matter, I have evidence for your crimes as well. According to my investigation, you've been harboring ghosts for a particularly long time. Ever since you became a Funeral Director, you've been keeping ghosts at your residence. This is no secret; many people know about it, including your direct superior Luo Yao. However, he didn't punish you for this matter, instead allowing you to continue harboring this ghost. If you try to deny this, you're merely deceiving yourself. I could easily produce a mountain of evidence!"
The Tongzhou Great Emperor let out a cold snort, then spoke unhurriedly. Yang Haoran naturally knew who the ghost he referred to was, and Luo Yao knew it just as well: it was Xiujuan, who had already undergone Soul Transformation.
If the ghost the Tongzhou Great Emperor referred to was merely Xiujuan alone, then Yang Haoran wouldn't feel any pressure. There was a reason he had kept Xiujuan back then, and afterwards, he had specifically explained the matter to Luo Yao, who had tacitly approved. The fact that one dared to do it and the other dared to tacitly approve of his subordinate doing so, showed that neither of them were actually worried about this matter causing much trouble. This was also why Yang Haoran dared to brazenly keep Xiujuan at his residence.
However, now that the Tongzhou Great Emperor had spoken these words, Xiujuan was merely an introduction—Yang Haoran was very clear on this point. The crucial part was that he harbored quite a number of ghosts, and their power levels were not weak. Once this matter was confirmed, he would certainly be convicted, which was why he immediately denied it, without even thinking.
As the Tongzhou Great Emperor's words fell, under the gaze of everyone present, Yin Qi rose above his palm, and a Death God Pendant appeared out of thin air amidst the surging Yin Qi.
With a crisp sound, the Death God Pendant shattered, and a scene was projected in the air above the high platform. In the picture was a young, handsome man. Upon seeing this handsome young man, Yang Haoran's expression changed drastically. He, who was always calm in the face of events, at this moment couldn't help but suddenly stand up from his seat. His reaction was so strong because the young man in the picture was none other than Xiao Kang, whom he had been desperately searching for recently!
As for why Xiao Kang had disappeared, Yang Haoran had naturally considered Huo Laoban. He felt that this matter was definitely related to Huo Laoban, just like Bai Xue's sudden disappearance. Their purpose was certainly to use them against him, Yang Haoran. Otherwise, how could there be such a coincidence? And the scene before his eyes confirmed that his guess was not wrong: Xiao Kang had indeed fallen into the hands of the Tongzhou Great Emperor and Huo Laoban.
At this moment, Yang Haoran's reaction was intense because he was worried about Xiao Kang's safety. Therefore, the moment he saw Xiao Kang, he instinctively stood up from his seat. But then, doubt arose in his heart: Xiao Kang in the picture was neatly dressed, with no visible wounds or bloodstains on his body, and he seemed no different from usual.
This was where Yang Haoran's confusion lay. Logically, if Xiao Kang had fallen into the hands of Huo Laoban and the Tongzhou Great Emperor, he would undoubtedly be in for a terrible ordeal. After all, Xiao Kang was not only his trusted subordinate, but he even regarded him as his adopted son. Someone of such status, falling into the hands of the Tongzhou Great Emperor and Huo Laoban, would be flayed alive even if they didn't die, just like Bai Xue, who was beaten half to death. But strangely, Xiao Kang hadn't suffered any harm. To Yang Haoran, this was too illogical.
Through Yang Haoran's observation, he found that Xiao Kang in the picture wasn't entirely unchanged. Compared to the Xiao Kang in his memory, Xiao Kang in the picture had a cold expression, and his eyes held a venomous resentment that wasn't there before.
Yang Haoran thought Xiao Kang must have suffered some kind of abuse, which was why his expression was so cold and his gaze so venomous. This instantly ignited a fierce rage in his heart, and his eyes flashed with a cold light. But the scene that followed made him freeze on the spot.
Xiao Kang in the picture began to speak. In a cold and malicious tone, he revealed Yang Haoran's crimes of violating Yin Division laws and secretly harboring ghosts. He only briefly mentioned his mother, Xiujuan, without elaborating, but emphatically stated that Yang Haoran had abused his authority to disregard Yin Division laws, keeping all his trusted subordinates who died during the Tongyin Chaos at his side. He had not sent the fallen Underworld Officials to the Underworld as per Yin Division regulations and requirements; instead, he secretly nurtured them as ghosts, and their power grew stronger than the last! Yang Haoran was shocked, and everyone else present was equally stunned, including Xu Meijing, who typically maintained a cold expression.
Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing were shocked because neither of them had expected Xiao Kang to say such things. Others might not know the depth of the relationship between Xiao Kang and Yang Haoran, but Xu Meijing did. It was precisely because she knew that she was shocked now.
As for why the others present were shocked: on one hand, it was because of Yang Haoran's actions; they hadn't expected him to actually harbor so many powerful ghosts under his command. On the other hand, some people knew that Xiao Kang was Yang Haoran's trusted subordinate, yet he stood with the Tongzhou Great Emperor and testified against Yang Haoran's crimes. Of course, they were shocked.
The picture was just a recording preserved through a spiritual technique, but this did not diminish the shock it brought to everyone present. At this moment, everyone's gaze was fixed on Yang Haoran.
When the image appeared, after Yang Haoran clearly saw that the person in the picture was Xiao Kang, he emotionally stood up from his seat. His intense reaction naturally attracted the attention of many people present. However, when Xiao Kang began to speak, everyone present's gaze was again drawn to Xiao Kang in the picture. And when Xiao Kang listed out Yang Haoran's crimes of harboring ghosts one by one, everyone's gaze once again converged on Yang Haoran.
"Yang Haoran, I don't need to introduce this person anymore, do I? I believe you're more familiar with him than anyone else here. With his testimony, do you still want to quibble?"
The Tongzhou Great Emperor waved his hand, dispersing the image formed by the power in the air above, then, with a cold smile, asked Yang Haoran.
"I'm afraid I don't know what he's talking about."
Yang Haoran spoke placidly. There was no smile on his face, but similarly, no fear or anger; instead, he appeared extremely indifferent.
At this moment, Yang Haoran's heart was actually shattered into pieces. If this testimony hadn't come from Xiao Kang's mouth, but from someone else, his entire heart wouldn't have shattered. But coming from Xiao Kang's mouth, it was completely different. Although he had once thought about whether a traitor might appear by his side one day, and had even prepared some countermeasures for that, he had never imagined that the person who would betray him one day would actually be Xiao Kang, whom he regarded and raised like a son!
Xiao Kang's testimony was like a sharp knife piercing Yang Haoran's chest, and this sharp knife was still wildly twisting inside him. One could imagine how great this blow was to him. It was precisely because the blow was too great, and his heart too shattered, that he now appeared utterly indifferent. No anger, no fear, and no maliciousness could be seen on his face.
However, heartbreak aside, Yang Haoran had not completely lost his reason. Even with the testimony of Xiao Kang, his trusted subordinate, he still chose to deny it, not admitting to any such thing.
"Heh heh, truly stubborn to the very end. It's come to this point, yet you're still unwilling to admit your crimes. Heh heh, secretly harboring ghosts is a serious crime. Yang Haoran, as a Yin Division Guardian, disregarded Yin Division laws, not only secretly harboring ghosts, but quite a number of them. He even intentionally kept fallen trusted subordinates by his side by force, not sending them to the Underworld as per regulations. This is an even greater offense!"
Having said this, the Tongzhou Great Emperor turned his gaze to Luo Yao, then continued with a cold laugh.
"Luo Yao, as the Jingling Great Emperor, Yang Haoran is a Guardian under your command. He disregarded Yin Division laws by secretly harboring a large number of ghosts, and must be sanctioned by the Yin Division. And even if you were unaware, you would still be punished, because this is due to your mismanagement. But the problem is, you clearly knew he was harboring ghosts, yet you pretended not to know and let him do it. This is no longer as simple as mere mismanagement of subordinates. This indicates that you, a Great Emperor, are also disregarding Yin Division laws. If even you, a Great Emperor, are like this, what a terrible influence will this have on our Yin Division? Do you think you still have the qualifications to remain in the position of Jingling Great Emperor?"
Night God Under the Moon
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