Chapter 1439: Not Giving an Ounce of Face
Before coming to the Underworld, Luo Yao had already expected that, given the Underworld Emperor's recent attitude towards him, the Underworld Emperor would certainly not give him much face. After all, the Underworld Emperor harbored considerable resentment towards him now, far more severe than when the Tong Continent Great Emperor was still alive. What he hadn't expected, however, was that the Underworld Emperor's impoliteness would reach such an extreme level.
Although seething internally, Luo Yao did not erupt in front of the Underworld Emperor. A dark face, displaying his inner displeasure, was the utmost he could do at that moment. He intended to convey through his grim expression that he was profoundly displeased. If he were to directly unleash his anger upon the Underworld Emperor, he feared that not only would he fail to achieve his objective today, but he would also complicate matters further and worsen his relationship with the Underworld Emperor.
"Although he is no longer a Guardian of my Jingling Continent Underworld Office, he is still an Underworld Official of my Jingling Continent Underworld Office. If he made a mistake, he should be punished; otherwise, how can we maintain authority? As the Jingling Great Emperor, to take away an erring Underworld Official from my own ranks and give an explanation to others, what is wrong with that? How can it be called acting out of personal vengeance?"
Luo Yao forcefully suppressed the anger in his heart and retorted to the Underworld Emperor, who, however, remained unconcerned, his sneer deepening on his face.
"Heh heh, whether it's personal vengeance, you and I both know, don't we?"
Luo Yao's eyes narrowed slightly. The Underworld Emperor's imperviousness to reason infuriated him. After a moment's hesitation, Luo Yao did not directly answer the Underworld Emperor's question, but instead asked him in a deep voice,
"If it were you, Underworld Emperor, in the same situation as me, what would you do?"
Luo Yao cut straight to the core, but the Underworld Emperor's expression remained largely unchanged.
The Underworld Emperor answered evasively and even turned the tables on Luo Yao. Luo Yao's anger surged, and just as he was about to retort, the Underworld Emperor let out a cold snort and spoke first.
"Hmph, Luo Yao, surely you haven't forgotten whose doing all of this is, have you? It seems I need to remind you, all of this is the good work of your subordinate Guardian, Yang Haoran. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say all of this is thanks to you, because Yang Haoran is a trusted confidant you, Luo Yao, personally promoted! For Yang Haoran to do such a thing, you, Luo Yao, cannot shirk responsibility! You weren't immediately punished because our Underworld Office currently needs you, but that doesn't mean this matter is simply over. You, Luo Yao, are still burdened by guilt. In such circumstances, instead of finding a way to quickly locate Yang Haoran and bring that scoundrel to justice and admit his guilt, you are acting out of personal vengeance against your own subordinate Guardian. Such inability to distinguish between important and unimportant matters – I think your time as Great Emperor is truly at an end!"
The Underworld Emperor's words were sharp and cutting, leaving Luo Yao utterly speechless. Luo Yao wanted to retort, but was powerless to do so.
"Please return. I don't wish to delay your investigation into Yang Haoran's whereabouts. Guardian Huo will temporarily remain with me. Our Underworld Office is currently in great need of talent; every Guardian is extremely important to us. Whether you, Luo Yao, want him or not, that is your business. You can represent the Jingling Continent Underworld Office, but you are not qualified to represent the entire Underworld Office."
The Underworld Emperor issued an order for him to leave. Although his words were polite, his cold tone was not polite in the slightest. It was less an invitation and more a dismissal.
How could Luo Yao not understand the underlying meaning of the Underworld Emperor's words? This made him extremely uncomfortable, but he also knew that he simply could not argue against the Underworld Emperor. He could only let out a cold snort, flick his sleeve, and tear open space, preparing to depart.
Upon his arrival, he had not torn open space and directly descended into the Underworld Emperor's residence, because that was the minimum respect a guest owed a host. Although he harbored numerous grievances towards the Underworld Emperor, he had not yet completely fallen out with him. Furthermore, the recent situation had left him in a very passive position, and he dared not overly offend the Underworld Emperor. So, even if the Underworld Emperor's attitude towards him was less than ideal, he still had to show the minimum respect to avoid inviting criticism.
However, at this moment, as he prepared to leave, he tore open space without first exiting the Underworld Emperor's residence, choosing to depart via spatial teleportation. Such an action was not only completely devoid of respect, but could even be seen as a provocation. The reason he did so was that the anger in his heart had at this moment reached an extremely terrifying peak. He and the Underworld Emperor were both Great Emperors of the Underworld Office, but with the Underworld Emperor so blatantly disrespecting him, he was also a man with a temper, and naturally, he had to retaliate in his own way.
"Wait!"
A spatial rift formed, and just as Luo Yao was about to step into it to leave, the Underworld Emperor spoke, stopping him.
"What other instructions do you have? " Luo Yao asked with an unfriendly tone, narrowing his eyes as he looked at the Underworld Emperor.
"I recall you have another Guardian under your command named Xu Meijing. The entire Underworld Office knows of her relationship with that traitor Yang Haoran. If nothing unexpected happened, the two are now husband and wife. You should interrogate her; perhaps you can obtain useful information from her. As for how to interrogate her, I believe I don't need to teach you such a small matter; you should know how to do it yourself."
The Underworld Emperor said in a deep voice. Luo Yao, who was already displeased, felt his mood sour even further upon hearing the Underworld Emperor's words, his face frightfully dark.
"Are you giving me orders?"
Luo Yao asked, his face grim. It was no wonder he asked, for the Underworld Emperor's tone indeed sounded like a superior giving orders to a subordinate.
"I am not ordering you; I am kindly reminding you. However, if you insist on believing I am ordering you, I don't care. I don't have the leisure to explain anything to you!"
The Underworld Emperor said bluntly. After these words, he raised his teacup, looking as if he had no intention of speaking further.
Luo Yao said nothing more. After a cold snort, he stepped into the spatial rift.
"Respectfully seeing off the Jingling Great Emperor!"
Huo Laoban, with a smile on his face, bowed to Luo Yao. The Underworld Emperor said nothing, nor did he rise, self-contentedly drinking his tea.
Stepping out of the spatial rift, Luo Yao arrived at the Ghost Gate of Yellow Springs Road. His mood was terrible. His main objective today had been Huo Laoban; he wanted to vent his fury on that traitor. But the outcome was far worse than he had anticipated. Not only did he fail to take Huo Laoban from the Underworld Emperor, but he also suffered a bellyful of frustration from the Underworld Emperor.
The most detestable was still Huo Laoban. After seeing him, this person was not flustered in the slightest, facing him as if nothing was amiss. When he appeared, Huo Laoban immediately saluted; when he left, Huo Laoban likewise did not forget to salute. Seemingly respectful towards him, the Great Emperor, in his eyes, this behavior was no different from provocation, and he was utterly helpless to do anything about it. He simply couldn't touch Huo Laoban.
Moreover, according to the Underworld Emperor's implication, although he had relieved Huo Laoban of his Guardian post, the Underworld Emperor seemed intent on continuing to use Huo Laoban. This was a blatant slap in his face. If this matter were to spread, he would lose all face. One could imagine how dreadful his mood was at that moment.
Taking several deep breaths, Luo Yao tried his best to calm his emotions, but the effect was not obvious. Fortunately, he didn't do anything foolish because of it, otherwise, it would have been another troublesome matter.
A moment later, Luo Yao exhaled a heavy breath, his face grim, as if trying to expel all the frustration and resentment from his heart. He did not immediately pass through the Ghost Gate to return to the mortal realm, but instead wore a look of hesitation.
How could Luo Yao not understand what the Underworld Emperor had said? After Yang Haoran disappeared, he had sought out Xu Meijing once, but he hadn't obtained any useful information from her. Now, the Underworld Emperor had proactively brought up Xu Meijing, indicating that the Underworld Emperor was very concerned about the relationship between Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing. In his view, not only the Underworld Emperor, but probably everyone in the Underworld Office was very concerned, all believing that some information about Yang Haoran could be obtained from Xu Meijing, serving as a breakthrough to find him.
Initially, Luo Yao had thought the same. However, after meeting Xu Meijing and failing to obtain useful information from her, his thinking had changed somewhat. The reason he was hesitating now was that he was considering whether to pay Xu Meijing a surprise visit to see if he could uncover new information.
After a brief consideration, Luo Yao decided to go to Xu Meijing's Guardian District after all. This would not only give himself an answer but also provide an explanation to others in the Underworld Office who were concerned about the matter. Otherwise, people would constantly bring it up, which would make his situation even more passive.
With his decision made, Luo Yao no longer hesitated. He stepped through the Ghost Gate and left the Underworld, then immediately tore open space again, rushing towards Xu Meijing's Guardian District.
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