Chapter 993: This day has Finally Come
Yang Haoran's brows furrowed slightly as he listened to Tang Shi's analysis, his face etched with thought.
Back then, before Xia Yu died, she would rather choose Soul Transformation than let her soul fall into his hands. This action was clearly meant to reduce trouble for Huo Feihong.
From this, it's clear that Huo Feihong's confidants held deep affection for him. If Huo Feihong were truly dead, then as Tang Shi had just said, they shouldn't show no signs of grief at all.
Moreover, Tang Shi just mentioned that Huo Feihong's confidants were organizing various resources, giving the impression that they were moving house, not fleeing for their lives. This suggests they hadn't encountered any trouble, merely that time was pressing, making them appear somewhat rushed.
"From your analysis, it seems Huo Feihong must be in a hurry to go somewhere, and perhaps he won't be returning to New Sun City in the future, which is why he arranged for his confidants to handle these matters. Once he leaves New Sun City, someone must take over the New Sun City Underworld Office. If his departure wasn't approved by higher-ups, then a new Emissary of Death wouldn't immediately appear to take over after his departure. But the current situation is that a new Emissary of Death has indeed appeared in New Sun City, which can only mean one thing: his departure was approved by higher-ups, and it's even highly probable it was directly arranged by them, which is why the new Emissary of Death took over the New Sun City Underworld Office so quickly."
Yang Haoran said slowly, smoking a cigarette and furrowing his brows. This time, Tang Shi nodded, agreeing with Yang Haoran's assessment.
"That's what I believe as well, Master. Furthermore, your subordinate feels this matter must involve some secret, which is why I immediately requested your presence upon learning of this news."
Yang Haoran flicked off the cigarette ash, a smile reappearing on his face, then slowly said.
As one of the nine Guardians of Jingling Continent, Luo Yao oversaw an extremely vast territory. Within his domain, he had the right to transfer anyone he wished and depose anyone he chose; as a Guardian, he possessed this authority.
Furthermore, even if the transfer of an Underworld Official wasn't approved by the Underworld Office, it wouldn't be a major issue for them as Guardians. After all, these were extraordinary times, and the Jingling Continent Underworld Office was already chaotic enough. For him, as a Guardian, to transfer his subordinates due to necessity was perfectly normal. Even without the Underworld Office's approval, they wouldn't be able to do anything about it.
However, compared to that, what he was more concerned about at this moment was where Luo Yao had transferred Huo Feihong, and what exactly was the secret between them?
"If it's truly as Master says, then it will likely be difficult for us to ascertain Huo Feihong's whereabouts next," Tang Shi stated.
Yang Haoran understood why Tang Shi held this thought. Since it was a secret operation, there was no way they would expose their whereabouts. If their location were revealed, what kind of secret operation would it be then?
Therefore, under these circumstances, it would be exceptionally difficult to discover Huo Laoban's movements.
"For now, keep our people in New Sun City and observe for a while longer. Perhaps there will be an unexpected discovery. If, after a period of time, there are still no findings, then don't continue to 'wait by the stump for the rabbit' in New Sun City. Send people to other places to investigate Huo Feihong's whereabouts. In short, no matter where Huo Feihong is hiding or what extraordinary mission he's executing, I want to know his location. Of course, don't get too fixated; just do your best. Don't let this matter delay your other work."
"Rest assured, Master. No matter where he's hiding, your subordinate will find a way to drag him out. As for other work, your subordinate will not let this matter cause any delays."
Tang Shi knew this task would be difficult, but he had no complaints. He respectfully accepted Yang Haoran's arrangements and even made a guarantee.
For the next period, Tang Shi's people continued to seek out Huo Feihong's whereabouts, but Huo Feihong seemed to have vanished into thin air, with not a single trace, his confidants included.
Before Huo Feihong's departure, his confidants had made contact with several individuals. Tang Shi had hoped to glean some useful information from them, but regrettably, these people were equally unaware of Huo Feihong and his group's movements.
Despite having no breakthroughs, Tang Shi did not give up, still trying every possible method to find clues,
Yang Haoran didn't rush Tang Shi, for he knew the matter was far more difficult than imagined. Besides, Tang Shi wasn't omnipotent; he couldn't just instantly investigate everything Yang Haoran wanted to know. Therefore, he didn't press, as he didn't want to put too much pressure on Tang Shi.
In the blink of an eye, ten days passed. Over these ten days, Yang Haoran gradually developed a habit: whenever the Underworld Iron Tome reacted, he would take it out and peruse the information reported by the Underworld Office. If he didn't have time at that moment, he would choose a later time to read it.
The main reason he formed this habit was his desire to learn Huo Feihong's whereabouts through the Underworld Iron Tome, to see if the Underworld Office would report any information about him. Although he himself knew this possibility was slim, he still couldn't resist checking. Ten days later, he hadn't received any information about Huo Feihong, but he had, instead, cultivated the habit of proactively reviewing the Underworld Iron Tome.
On this day, he was at home, perusing the Underworld Iron Tome, simultaneously checking for any news of Huo Feihong and catching up on yesterday's events within the Underworld Office. Just at that moment, a section of space within the villa courtyard suddenly began to fluctuate violently.
There was only one explanation for this phenomenon: someone intended to forcefully descend into the villa by tearing through space.
Currently, among his team, only Ye Zhiqiu possessed such an ability besides himself; even Bai Xue temporarily lacked this power.
Ye Zhiqiu was already inside the villa, so the spatial rift that appeared now had nothing to do with him. This indicated that the newcomer was not one of their own, but an outsider.
Under normal circumstances, ignoring a restrictive formation and directly tearing through space to descend within its bounds was an extremely impolite act. Most people would avoid doing this to prevent displeasing the host, choosing instead to land outside the formation as a basic show of respect.
Thus, Yang Haoran's first reaction was that the newcomer meant ill. The first people he thought of were those from the Talisman Order, assuming they had found clues regarding his killing of the Gold Talisman Master and had come here to cause him trouble.
With a flick of his wrist, Yang Haoran put away the Underworld Iron Tome. Enveloped in a shroud of Yin Qi, he shot out of the study at extreme speed. When he reappeared, he was already at the locus of the violently fluctuating space. ?
As he arrived on the scene, the spatial rift coincidentally manifested, and a figure stepped out from within. Upon clearly seeing who the newcomer was, his heart instantly lurched.
The arrival was none other than his direct superior, Luo Yao!
Yang Haoran hadn't expected Luo Yao to appear in his humble, remote corner of the world, so he was somewhat surprised. However, he felt more confusion than shock, wondering what Luo Yao was doing here.
He did not let the confusion in his heart show on his face. His expression merely displayed the appropriate shock for such a situation; apart from that astonishment, no other emotion was evident on his face or in his eyes.
"Greetings, God Envoy!"
Yang Haoran quickly bowed to Luo Yao, his demeanor respectful, his tone excited, much like a good employee suddenly encountering their long-unseen boss.
Everyone else in the villa, except for Xiang Chuan and Feng Xiao, rushed to the courtyard at top speed. Feng Xiao was refining Dānyào in another villa and almost never concerned herself with external affairs, so she didn't come out; she didn't even know they had guests.
As for Xiang Chuan, he still hadn't fully recovered and still held considerable resentment towards Yang Haoran. He didn't consider himself a member of this team, so he didn't appear. Instead, he found an inconspicuous corner and watched the commotion from afar.
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