Chapter 778: Safe and Sound
Xiujuan didn't foolishly rush directly out of the barrier. As a spirit, if she had charged out before ascertaining the newcomer's identity and intentions, she worried it would cause trouble for Yang Haoran.
She remained inside the barrier, first confirming the other party's identity and intentions. Old Master Wu and the other two, meanwhile, charged directly out of the barrier.
Outside the barrier, an additional person had appeared. After this individual materialized, they didn't force their way into the barrier. Instead, their face was etched with anxiety, as if they were waiting for something.
Once Old Master Wu and the other two rushed out of the barrier, this person immediately stepped forward to greet them.
It was none other than Wang Yiming, whom Yang Haoran had forcibly sent away from inside the barrier.
Even before bursting out of the barrier, Old Master Wu and the others had recognized the newcomer as Wang Yiming. They all knew him and were aware that his relationship with Yang Haoran was quite good. Old Master Wu, in particular, had once invited Wang Yiming to exorcise spirits from their family villa.
Upon seeing that it was Wang Yiming, a slight sigh of relief escaped them, as they felt the chances of him coming here to cause trouble were slim.
Of course, they weren't ready to completely rule out the possibility. After all, because of Bai Xue, Yang Haoran had previously been entangled with Wang Yiming's master. It wasn't entirely impossible that Wang Yiming had come today on his master's orders.
Nevertheless, despite Old Master Wu considering it unlikely that Wang Yiming was here to cause trouble, he remained deeply puzzled by Wang Yiming's presence. Why arrive at this precise moment, and no other? Could it truly be just a coincidence?
Old Master Wu, however, was unaware that Wang Yiming's master had already perished, nor did he know that Yang Haoran had initially been with Wang Yiming when he first set out on this journey.
As the three stepped out of the barrier, they saw Wang Yiming immediately approach them, his face a mask of anxiety. Old Master Wu felt an even greater sense of bewilderment.
"Old Wu, has Brother Yang returned?"
Before Old Master Wu could even open his mouth to question Wang Yiming, Wang Yiming himself posed the question to Old Master Wu first.
None of the three had anticipated Wang Yiming suddenly asking that question. Their hearts jolted; at this moment, they were extremely sensitive to anything concerning Yang Haoran.
Nevertheless, none of the three revealed their inner vigilance, not even Xiao Kang, the youngest among them.
"Yiming, you look so flustered. Has something happened?"
Old Master Wu skillfully dodged Wang Yiming's question. Then, feigning a bewildered expression, he countered Wang Yiming with a question of his own.
"Indeed, something major has happened. If Brother Yang still hasn't returned, then this matter has become even more severe!"
Wang Yiming was unaware that Yang Haoran had already been brought back by Xu Meijing, nor did he know that Yang Haoran was currently clinging to life by a thread. After Yang Haoran forcibly sent him out of the barrier, he hadn't wanted to leave. However, considering his limited strength and Ma Yuanjin's severe injuries, if they didn't depart, they wouldn't just be unable to help Yang Haoran; they would become a burden instead.
Therefore, the three of them had a brief discussion at the time. He would escort the severely injured Ma Yuanjin back to the Ma Family, while Zhang Li would head to the Ancheng Underworld Division to summon reinforcements.
After successfully returning Ma Yuanjin to the Ma Family Compound, Ma Yuanjin, in gratitude for Yang Haoran's life-saving kindness, instructed his son Ma Hongcheng to take his eldest and second sons with him to go and support Yang Haoran.
As for Ma Ling and her third elder brother, under Ma Yuanjin's arrangement, they separately rushed to other locations to gather reinforcements. He also gave the siblings a list containing names and detailed addresses.
Because this time, it wasn't only their Ma Family that had been ensnared and framed by the Zhang Family; several other prominent figures from Ancheng, who had their own circles and friends and relatives, were also involved. If they had been harmed, their friends and relatives certainly wouldn't stand idly by.
Therefore, Ma Yuanjin instructed Ma Ling and her third elder brother to contact these individuals, as they would surely be able to gather another force. The enemy's strength was too formidable; if they didn't assemble additional power, even rushing over would be tantamount to seeking death.
Thus, they split into three routes. Ma Ling and her third elder brother went to seek more assistance, while Wang Yiming took Ma Hongcheng and his two sons and rushed back to the scene of the incident.
Soon after Wang Yiming arrived at the scene, Zhang Li also successfully brought reinforcements from the Ancheng Underworld Division, arriving shortly after. Finally, Ma Ling and her third elder brother each brought their own set of helpers.
However, by the time they arrived at the scene, the battle had already concluded. They found no trace of Yang Haoran or Xu Meijing's bodies, nor any sign of the Zhang family father and son.
They then rushed to the Zhang Family's residence, but found no sign of the Zhang family father and son there either, nor did they find Yang Haoran or Xu Meijing. Furthermore, the other members of the Zhang Family were completely oblivious to the entire affair.
Currently, a portion of these reinforcements remained at the Zhang Family, intent on causing them trouble. The vast majority of these individuals were friends and relatives of the deceased.
Another portion continued their search for Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing at the scene, expanding their search area. These individuals consisted of members from the Ancheng Underworld Division and the Ma Family.
The reason Wang Yiming was present at this moment was to check if Yang Haoran had already returned to his residence in Lecheng.
Wang Yiming's reply made Old Master Wu and the other two discern the core issue. A single thought simultaneously arose in their minds: why was Yang Haoran so severely injured, even almost losing his life? And it was highly probable that Wang Yiming was also one of the insiders.
Although Xu Meijing knew the most about the affair, she hadn't divulged anything to them. Bai Xue hadn't inquired, as she didn't wish to speak with Xu Meijing, and the others hadn't dared to ask.
Both Bai Xue and the others were deeply concerned about this matter and eagerly wished to know the full story. This way, they could gain a clear understanding and implement targeted preventative measures.
Now, seeing that Wang Yiming seemed to be privy to the matter, the few of them immediately felt they could glean some information from him.
"What exactly happened? Can you please explain it clearly in one go?"
Bai Xue was extremely anxious and couldn't help but press Wang Yiming.
"This is no place to talk. Let's go inside first."
Old Master Wu led Wang Yiming into the villa. At this moment, the other villa had long since been concealed, completely invisible to the naked eye, and not the slightest power fluctuation could be detected from it. The only one visible was the villa originally constructed on this spot.
Under Old Master Wu's guidance, the group arrived in the villa's living room. Xiujuan served them tea and water. Before Old Master Wu could even begin to ask, Wang Yiming proactively recounted the series of events that had transpired at the Zhang Family.
Upon hearing Wang Yiming's narration, the doubts in Old Master Wu's and the others' hearts were finally dispelled. However, what they didn't know was that the situation was far more complex than Wang Yiming had described, because Wang Yiming himself was unaware of what had occurred afterward.
Just as Wang Yiming finished recounting everything he knew, his expression suddenly shifted, and he retrieved a talisman from his personal space.
This talisman was merely a Yellow Talisman. As for its specific type, everyone present recognized it, as they possessed similar ones; this kind of talisman had, in fact, been given to them by Yang Haoran.
The talisman Wang Yiming suddenly produced was precisely a Communication Talisman, specifically designed for transmitting information. After he withdrew the talisman, it immediately ignited, and a woman's voice emanated from within.
"Our Emissary returned to the Death God Temple not long ago, and Emissary Yang is also safe and sound."
Upon receiving this news, Wang Yiming's expression brightened with joy, his facial features instantly relaxing considerably, and a faint smile blossomed on his face.
However, Old Master Wu and the others' reactions were far from as relaxed as Wang Yiming's. They were acutely aware of Yang Haoran's current physical condition; he was far from safe and sound, his life almost gone.
"That's wonderful! It's good that Brother Yang is fine; now I can finally rest assured."
Wang Yiming spoke with a joyful expression, his tightly coiled nerves finally relaxing.
Watching the joyful Wang Yiming, a smile also bloomed on Old Master Wu's face.
"So it was a false alarm. Yiming, you truly gave us quite a scare! Look, Miss Bai Xue still hasn't reacted, even after hearing the news you brought."
Old Master Wu chuckled, appearing as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
Hearing this, Wang Yiming turned his gaze towards Bai Xue. Sure enough, Bai Xue still wore a stern expression, her mind seemingly lost in thought.
Noticing his gaze, Bai Xue seemed to finally snap back to attention, offering him a smile that appeared somewhat forced.
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