Chapter 1431: Gathered in the Cloud Haze Mountain Range
Zhong Siyu's shock was plastered directly across her face. She truly hadn't expected the Cloud Haze Mountain Range to host so many people. Furthermore, she could sense spatial rifts continuously appearing throughout the mountain range, with people steadily emerging from each one. This meant the number of individuals in the Cloud Haze Mountain Range was still constantly increasing.
Moreover, despite such a vast number of people gathered in the Cloud Haze Mountain Range, and the resulting cacophony, there were no signs of conflict. This alone indicated that those currently within the Cloud Haze Mountain Range must belong to the same faction; otherwise, they certainly wouldn't be coexisting so harmoniously.
It wasn't just Zhong Siyu who was astonished; Yang Haoran was equally stunned. This was quite different from what he had anticipated. He had never in his wildest dreams imagined that the Cloud Haze Mountain Range would gather so many people. As Zhong Siyu had noted, although his Lecheng had a large population, it hadn't reached this level of sheer numbers.
Shocked as he was, Yang Haoran's mind didn't short-circuit. He didn't respond to Zhong Siyu, for his thoughts had already turned to Old Master Wu. To do something like this, and to possess the capability to pull it off, in his estimation, there was likely no one else but Old Master Wu. As for Old Master Wu's purpose in doing so, Yang Haoran harbored certain suspicions.
"Do any of you know what's going on here?"
Yang Haoran asked, a faint smile on his face, glancing first at Bai Xue, who was supporting him, and then sweeping his gaze over Huang Sha and the other two.
The four exchanged glances, then shook their heads at Yang Haoran, indicating they had no idea what the situation was.
Yang Haoran wasn't surprised, for he had already guessed the outcome from the expressions on their faces before they even answered.
Having said that, Yang Haoran turned his gaze to Huang Sha and continued, "Have Old Man Wu come see me."
Yang Haoran's voice was weak, his words lacking strength, yet Huang Sha's reply was full of vigor.
"Yes, Boss!"
Huang Sha acknowledged the command and prepared to leave, but at that moment, Yang Haoran called out to him.
"Heh heh, no need to go. They're already here."
Yang Haoran smiled faintly. Although he was severely wounded and even struggled to speak, his powerful sense of perception remained undiminished.
Huang Sha paused in his steps, then looked in a certain direction. It wasn't just him; everyone present turned their gaze in the same direction, though with slight differences in timing.
Under the collective gaze of the group, a multitude of black specks suddenly appeared in the distance. These specks rapidly approached the mountain peak where Yang Haoran was located. As the distance between them shortened, the small black specks quickly grew larger, transforming into distinct human figures.
In just a few breaths' time, these individuals arrived at the mountain peak where Yang Haoran was and stopped directly in front of him. Leading them was none other than Old Master Wu. As for the people behind Old Master Wu, besides the Emissaries of Death clad in Underworld Office Death God attire, there were also high-ranking members of the Flock of Demons Society and the Medicine God Society.
"Boss!"
"Greetings, Lord Emissary!"
Old Master Wu took the lead in bowing, followed immediately by hundreds of people behind him, who all bowed in unison, their voices neat and resonant. Although these individuals did not belong to a single organization, they all knew who their true boss was.
Yang Haoran nodded with a smile and hummed in acknowledgment, at which point everyone straightened up.
"Big Brother, why are you so badly hurt? Want me to treat you? " Xiang Chuan, noticing Yang Haoran's weakness, couldn't help but ask. Though his tone carried a hint of teasing, Yang Haoran could feel his genuine concern.
"Heh heh, you rascal, *cough cough*."
The moment Yang Haoran opened his mouth, he couldn't help but fall into a coughing fit, with even fresh blood spilling from the corners of his lips.
This sight startled everyone present. They could all perceive Yang Haoran's weakness, and precisely because of that, they were immensely worried. Yang Haoran was the backbone for all of them; if anything were to happen to him, it would truly be no different than the sky collapsing for them. How could they not be nervous?
Noticing the shift in everyone's emotions, and even a slight commotion in the area, Yang Haoran gently waved a hand, signaling for them not to be nervous.
"Heh heh, rest assured, my injuries are severe, but I won't die. However, now is not the time to discuss this."
Having said this, Yang Haoran looked at Old Master Wu and asked, "What happened? Give me the short version."
Many present didn't understand what Yang Haoran meant by that, but Old Master Wu, however, comprehended his intent.
"Upon learning that the teleportation array was completed, this subordinate took the liberty of gathering all the Emissaries of Death under your command, along with all personnel from their respective cities, right here. The purpose was to transfer all personnel from your Ninth District in the shortest possible time, ensuring not a single city, not a single person, was left behind!"
Old Master Wu's expression was respectful as he gave a concise report according to Yang Haoran's instructions. Though he didn't elaborate on the entire process, Yang Haoran already grasped his meaning.
"You did well. This indeed saves me a lot of trouble. Are all the personnel accounted for?"
Yang Haoran first praised Old Master Wu, then proceeded to ask.
"All personnel from the Medicine God Society and the Flock of Demons Society have arrived, with their high-ranking members all present here. Subordinate members are on standby within this Cloud Haze Mountain Range. As for the Emissaries of Death from the one hundred and fifty-eight cities under your command, they too have all arrived and are standing here. However, some of their city personnel have not yet been fully transferred to the Cloud Haze Mountain Range. But I have just inquired, and the remaining personnel yet to be transferred are few; in a mere few minutes, all personnel will be fully relocated to the Cloud Haze Mountain Range!"
Old Master Wu respectfully replied, providing Yang Haoran with a general overview of the situation.
Before the chaos of the Underworld, each Guardian of the Underworld Office was accompanied by an Emissary of Death.
After the outbreak of the Underworld chaos, the world's landscape underwent immense changes. Major factions and sects consolidated their power and carved out territories for themselves, and the Underworld Office was naturally no exception. As one of the victors, the Underworld Office had secured a considerable domain. However, outside of the Underworld Office's territory, it became exceedingly difficult for other powers to construct Death God Temples, and even more challenging to establish a significant presence complete with an Emissary of Death. This led to a drastic reduction in the number of Emissaries of Death serving under each Guardian of the Underworld Office.
Yang Haoran's Ninth District comprised a total of one hundred and fifty-eight cities. Each of these one hundred and fifty-eight cities naturally had an Emissary of Death overseeing it, and these were all carefully selected individuals—not only loyal but also highly capable.
However, Yang Haoran naturally commanded more than just one hundred and fifty-eight Emissaries of Death, as his Guardian District was also staffed with a number of them. Although these Emissaries of Death were not city lords, they were still Emissaries of Death and wielded a certain degree of real authority, differing only in the areas they oversaw compared to the city lords.
After Old Master Wu finished speaking, he hesitated slightly, then added to Yang Haoran.
"This subordinate initially intended to gather everyone under your command at Phoenix Fall Mountain, but Phoenix Fall Mountain simply couldn't accommodate such a large number of people. Furthermore, Phoenix Fall Mountain is not a suitable location for establishing a grand array. Thus, this subordinate designated Phoenix Fall Mountain as a temporary evacuation point for Lecheng personnel. Personnel from other cities were instructed by their Emissaries of Death to find a safe temporary location to await orders. After Lecheng personnel had gathered at Phoenix Fall Mountain, this subordinate received a Communication Talisman from Ma Ling, informing me that the teleportation array was completed. Only then did I decide to assemble all personnel as quickly as possible here in the Cloud Haze Mountain Range. This place is sufficiently remote and vast enough to accommodate all personnel from our Ninth District. Now that nearly all personnel are in position, Boss, shall we immediately proceed with the next phase of personnel transfer?"
Old Master Wu harbored such thoughts because he knew why Yang Haoran was transferring all his personnel today: if they didn't move quickly, the Underworld Office's pursuers would likely arrive soon.
Although only a very few individuals had a slight understanding of today's situation, the others had no idea what exactly had happened, nor why Yang Haoran was suddenly transferring all his personnel. However, paper couldn't wrap fire; even if he issued a gag order, it would be no exception.
Once the Underworld Office's pursuers appeared, everyone would learn about Yang Haoran's defection from the Underworld Office. Regardless of how many traitors might emerge then, even if none did, a bloody, large-scale battle was inevitable here. It was certain that a great number of people would tragically perish, and total annihilation was not entirely out of the question. This was why he was asking Yang Haoran if he should order another transfer—a transfer that, naturally, would be conducted via the teleportation array.
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