Chapter 906: Long-Awaited Gratification
When Ancheng was mentioned, the smile on Zhu Rong's face couldn't help but fade slightly. Her change in expression naturally caught Yang Haoran's eye.
"Heh, didn't you just say you hadn't encountered any trouble? From your current expression, it doesn't look like that at all," Yang Haoran said with a chuckle.
"While this matter is a bit troublesome, I can still handle the current situation. For now, there's no need to bother the boss to intervene. If the situation continues to worsen, then of course I'll need the boss to resolve it. After all, my current strength is far from sufficient," Zhu Rong explained.
"Heh, no worries. Why don't you tell me, what kind of trouble is it exactly? " Yang Haoran said, smiling.
Hearing this, Zhu Rong recounted all the recent intelligence she had gathered regarding Ancheng to Yang Haoran.
It turned out that Ancheng had recently been secretly probing Lecheng's situation, and had even extended olive branches to various Lecheng factions. As long as these factions were willing to help Ancheng deal with Lecheng, they would receive generous rewards after Lecheng was captured.
Even if these factions were unwilling to help Ancheng, they would still receive a reward simply for not helping Lecheng, though this reward would be significantly less than the former.
Among these factions, some succumbed to the temptation and agreed to Ancheng's terms, but these factions were all eliminated by the Spirit Police.
Because of this, Lecheng's factions had now been greatly reduced, no longer the motley collection they once were.
After listening to Zhu Rong's explanation, Yang Haoran shifted his gaze to Old Master Wu.
"Heh, did our Underworld Office not receive an invitation from Ancheng? " Yang Haoran asked with a smile.
"Not yet," Old Master Wu replied respectfully without a moment's hesitation.
If such a thing had ever happened, Old Master Wu wouldn't have forgotten it, nor would he have failed to report it to Yang Haoran, which was why his answer was so unequivocal.
"Oh? Is it because I ruined their plans last time, so they burned the olive branch meant for our Lecheng Underworld Office as firewood? " Yang Haoran mused, his face full of smiles.
"Boss, you're too humorous. According to the information I've received, the Ancheng Administrative Chief hasn't just avoided discussing this matter in detail with you, but also with other major powers. It's not that they don't want to; it's because they know that without sufficient sincerity, it would be difficult to sway the leaders of major forces, so they've been preparing."
"During this preparation period, they've been sending people to persuade Lecheng's smaller factions, using them to create trouble for our Lecheng Administrative Courtyard and divert our attention. If my analysis isn't wrong, they'll make their move soon. By then, the boss will see the 'grand gift' their Ancheng Administrative Chief has prepared for you."
After listening to Zhu Rong's words, a curious expression appeared on Yang Haoran's face.
"Heh, what's your basis for that? Have you planted spies in the Ancheng Administrative Courtyard? " Yang Haoran asked with a smile.
"Of course there are spies; Ancheng certainly has them planted in Lecheng as well. However, the spies I've planted have limited status, and thus the information they can obtain is also limited. I believe the spies Ancheng has planted in Lecheng aren't much different."
"The reason I think they'll make their move soon is because Lecheng's smaller factions have either been absorbed by me or already dealt with. Furthermore, with today's gathering of major forces at our Administrative Courtyard, they must have already learned about this. If they don't act soon, they might not get another chance."
Yang Haoran pondered for a moment, then smiled at Zhu Rong and said,
"So this time, you're using this opportunity to offer rewards and win over the major factions, all to get ahead of Ancheng?"
Zhu Rong nodded and replied,
"Exactly. Even without those two Demon Hunters butting in, I was already planning to approach the leaders of the major factions with sincerity and discuss how to get them to side with Lecheng as much as possible. But since they've gathered here, it's even better; I can just handle everything in one go."
Yang Haoran didn't respond immediately. After a moment of silence, he chuckled and asked Zhu Rong,
"Heh, what if the conditions offered by the Ancheng Administrative Chief far surpass yours? Aren't you worried other factions will turn against us?"
Zhu Rong offered a bitter smile, a hint of helplessness in her expression.
"Naturally, I have concerns about that. If it truly comes to that, then I'll have to trouble the boss to step in."
This time, Yang Haoran didn't deliberate further; he immediately responded,
"No problem. If it truly comes to that, then leave it to me."
After the meeting concluded, Yang Haoran had Bai Xue secretly escort Zhu Rong back to the Administrative Courtyard. Only he and Old Master Wu remained in the conference room.
"Old Wu, how have you been arranging things for Wu Senior, Wu Junior, and Wu Xiaoxiao recently? " Yang Haoran asked Old Master Wu with a smile.
"Wu Senior went out to guide spirits along with Xiao Kang. He's also gathering information on Spirit Mediums. Wu Senior's strength is still too weak, so I wanted him to get some improvement. That's why I sent him out to guide spirits, so he can come back to me to exchange them for Pure Yin Qi. But he's a novice in this area after all, and he doesn't know any combat techniques, so I troubled Xiao Kang to accompany him. That child, Xiao Kang, is very talented in this regard and knows more than Wu Senior, so teaching Wu Senior some basic things is no problem at all."
To prevent Yang Haoran from misunderstanding, Old Master Wu quickly explained,
"Although Wu Senior is my son, I haven't given him any special favors. However many souls he turns in, I only give him the corresponding Pure Yin Qi, just like any other Night Watcher. I absolutely haven't given him a single extra bit; I can guarantee that with my integrity."
Yang Haoran chuckled, waving his hand lightly to signal that Old Master Wu didn't need to continue.
"Old Wu, you're being too formal. If I couldn't even trust you, how could I possibly entrust the Lecheng Underworld Office to you? So you don't need to make any guarantees to me; I have absolute faith in you," Yang Haoran said with a smile.
"Thank you, boss, for trusting me. Besides Wu Senior, I've also arranged for Wu Junior to go out and perform tasks. That prodigal son only knows how to eat, drink, and be merry all day, neglecting proper business. So I assigned him some tasks to complete alone. First, to temper his timid nature for your sake, second, to allow him to acquire some Pure Yin Qi to enhance his strength," Old Master Wu explained.
"Old Wu truly has good intentions. But I heard that Wu Junior has changed a lot recently, no longer going out and stirring up trouble," Yang Haoran said with a smile.
"Heh, I've filled his schedule with tasks. That prodigal son wouldn't even have the time to go out and cause trouble, even if he wanted to," Old Master Wu said with a chuckle.
Although he said that, Yang Haoran could tell that Old Master Wu, as a father, was actually quite pleased with Wu Junior's current performance. He could no longer see the disappointment that had once been in his eyes; instead, they held a smile of deep gratification.
"Congratulations, Old Wu. You've probably been waiting for this day for a very long time, haven't you? " Yang Haoran said with a smile.
"Heh, yes, I've certainly waited a long time. I originally thought I wouldn't live to see this day, but thankfully, the worst outcome didn't happen," Old Master Wu replied with a smile.
Seeing Old Master Wu so happy, Yang Haoran felt he should change his initial plan, so as not to hurt Old Master Wu.
He had kept Old Master Wu behind specifically to ask him to keep Wu Junior confined at home for a while until the two Demon Hunters left.
However, this approach clearly showed a lack of trust in Wu Junior. While it wouldn't have mattered in the past, as even Old Master Wu himself didn't trust Wu Junior, things were different now. So, Yang Haoran felt it was absolutely necessary to change his plan.
After Old Master Wu finished speaking, he paused slightly, then continued,
"Wu Xiaoxiao has been following me constantly recently. She's still too young and lacks social experience, so I'm keeping her by my side mainly so she can learn more."
Yang Haoran nodded in understanding. After thinking for a moment, he spoke to Old Master Wu,
"Call all three of them back. I have a plan I'm preparing to implement, and I need to test their abilities. Afterwards, I'll have an arduous task to entrust to one of them."
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