Chapter 948 Stirring
Inside the Death God Temple, Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing sat opposite each other. Knowing Xu Meijing was curious, he proactively informed her of recent events before she could even ask.
After listening to Yang Haoran's narration, Xu Meijing's brows furrowed deeply, and her expression was troubled.
"It's clear you've been targeted. This kind of enemy, lurking in the shadows, is the most dangerous."
Yang Haoran offered a wry smile, then nodded, agreeing with Xu Meijing's assessment.
"Indeed, this kind of hidden enemy is like a venomous snake. You never know when it will lunge out and bite you, leaving you utterly defenseless."
Xu Meijing pondered with furrowed brows for a moment, then spoke.
"Continuing like this is no solution. If you don't find a way to drag this Black-Robed Person out of the shadows, your life will constantly be under threat."
Yang Haoran lit a cigarette and took a deep drag, before speaking slowly.
Xu Meijing fell silent for a moment, then suddenly thought of something and spoke to Yang Haoran.
"Isn't Qin Yefeng's soul still in your hands? If you forcibly awaken his soul, you might get an unexpected windfall. Since he teamed up with the Black-Robed Person to deal with you, he should at least know some information about them."
In the past, even if Xu Meijing hadn't reminded him, Yang Haoran would have immediately awakened Qin Yefeng's soul to extract the information he desired.
However, he was concerned that forcibly awakening it might damage Qin Yefeng's soul, just like what happened with the woman who tried to assassinate him. In that case, some information might become unobtainable. It was precisely this consideration that prevented him from forcibly awakening Qin Yefeng's soul.
"Forcibly awakening a soul could very well damage it, leading to memory loss. So, for safety's sake, I've decided not to forcibly awaken his soul. I'll try to gather as much information as possible using my Ghost Eye first."
Xu Meijing thought it over, then nodded at Yang Haoran. If he wanted to extract the most information from Qin Yefeng, Yang Haoran's approach was indeed the safest.
"Oh, right, just now, in the Talisman Order's underground chamber, I got the feeling you were intentionally provoking that Gold Talisman Master."
Yang Haoran chuckled and gave Xu Meijing an affirmative reply.
"Your feeling wasn't wrong. I was indeed deliberately provoking him."
"Given what I've learned about you over the years, you wouldn't just be looking to satisfy your urge to speak, would you? " Xu Meijing asked.
"Heh, that's right. I want to get something from him. However, it certainly won't be that golden talisman."
...
The death of Qin Yefeng, Ancheng's Administrative Chief, spread throughout Ancheng that very day. Not only Ancheng but Lecheng also learned of the matter.
The reason the news spread so quickly was partly due to Han Fushi and partly due to Yang Haoran.
Han Fushi actively spread the news because he wanted the Black-Robed Person to know about it immediately. According to the analysis he and the Gold Talisman Master had made, once the Black-Robed Person learned of Qin Yefeng's death, they would likely seek a new partner. Having formed an enmity with Yang Haoran, Han Fushi was naturally the prime candidate.
According to their plan, as soon as the Black-Robed Person appeared, his master would immediately seize control of them. At that point, whether they cooperated with the Black-Robed Person to deal with Yang Haoran would be secondary. Their main objective was to obtain the incantation for drawing the Lock Yin Talisman.
Yang Haoran actively spread this news to incite internal strife in Ancheng. After all, Qin Yefeng was Ancheng's Administrative Chief, and with him dead, it would be difficult for Ancheng to avoid chaos. The Ancheng Administrative Courtyard, in particular, would become the most chaotic place. This was because more than just one or two people coveted the position of Administrative Chief. While Qin Yefeng was alive, they dared not act recklessly, but with him gone, they would undoubtedly emerge to vie for the position.
Once Ancheng fell into disarray, they would have no energy left to attack Lecheng. By the time Ancheng's internal strife subsided, it was uncertain whether the newly appointed Administrative Chief would even contemplate attacking Lecheng. Even if they did, it wouldn't necessarily pose a threat to Lecheng. They couldn't take Lecheng at their peak, and after internal turmoil, their strength would be far less than before, making it even harder to threaten Lecheng.
Inside Yang Haoran's villa study, Yang Haoran sat in the main seat. Besides him, important figures such as Bai Xue, Old Master Wu, and Zhu Rong were also present.
Ancheng's Administrative Chief Qin Yefeng was dead; they had, of course, all received the news. They also knew that Yang Haoran was responsible.
Their gathering here at this moment was naturally related to Qin Yefeng's demise.
"Chief Underworld Official, now that Qin Yefeng has been killed by you, Ancheng is surely in a state of utter chaos. We can seize this opportunity to take Ancheng. That way, our Lecheng territory will expand by more than double, making us not much different from a mid-sized city. " Bai Xue said.
"This is indeed a good opportunity to take Ancheng. Once we take Ancheng, not only will our territory more than double, but our human resources and material support will also significantly increase, which would be of considerable help to us. " Old Master Wu also spoke.
Listening to their suggestions, Yang Haoran didn't make an immediate decision. Instead, he turned his gaze to Zhu Rong.
"Heh, what do you think?"
As Lecheng's Administrative Chief, Zhu Rong was more professional in this area than anyone else present. Moreover, she was clearer than anyone else present about Lecheng's overall official combat strength. Therefore, Yang Haoran did not make an immediate decision based on his own wishes but instead asked for her opinion.
"I don't think now is the right time. " Zhu Rong shook her head and replied.
"If we don't act against Ancheng now, once a new Administrative Chief emerges in Ancheng, especially one more capable than Qin Yefeng, and they manage to secure the full support of some major powers, then it won't be easy for us to deal with Ancheng. Furthermore, we'll have to guard against them making a move on our Lecheng. " Bai Xue said.
"I've already considered everything you've mentioned. It's just that Lecheng's official combat strength is currently limited. Even if we succeed in taking Ancheng after deploying our forces, it would still result in significant losses for us."
After a slight pause, Zhu Rong continued.
"Losses are only one aspect. Currently, the trustworthy talents under my command are few and far between. After successfully taking Ancheng, I wouldn't be able to find suitable people to govern it. I wouldn't feel comfortable using people from Ancheng's former Administrative Courtyard. Moreover, a tall tree catches the wind. If our foundation is solid enough, we naturally have nothing to fear. But if our foundation isn't strong enough, it won't be able to withstand the winds and rains. Once the tree falls, others will be the ones to benefit. Therefore, I believe it's better for us to solidify our foundation first."
After listening to Zhu Rong's words, Old Master Wu wore a thoughtful expression and said nothing more.
Bai Xue wanted to say something more, but upon careful thought, Zhu Rong's words weren't without merit. Thus, she closed her mouth and said nothing further.
Yang Haoran still didn't make an immediate decision. Instead, he cast his gaze towards a corner of the study. There sat a dishevelled man, who was casually drinking and smoking, as if he hadn't heard Yang Haoran and the others' conversation.
This person was none other than Ye Zhiqiu.
"Heh, Ye Zhiqiu, what's your take on this matter? " Yang Haoran asked with a smile.
Ye Zhiqiu first poured a mouthful of strong liquor down his throat, then replied.
"I'm a fighter, not a strategist. I can help you fight and kill, but I can't offer you counsel."
Ye Zhiqiu's words left Yang Haoran between laughter and tears. He had asked Ye Zhiqiu this question purely out of politeness and respect, not wanting Ye Zhiqiu to feel completely ignored. Therefore, he hadn't actually expected Ye Zhiqiu to offer any useful suggestions.
Yang Haoran smiled as he withdrew his gaze, then turned his attention back to Zhu Rong.
"You are Lecheng's Administrative Chief. You only need to consider our suggestions. The final decision rests in your hands. Since you believe this is not feasible for now, then we won't bother with Ancheng for the time being. Let them fight amongst themselves."
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