Realm of the Night God

Captain Luo and Deputy Captain Zhou, under the guidance of Master Wu, entered the living room. The scene before them prompted an involuntary exchange of surprised and puzzled looks between the two.

As they made their way to the villa, a question lingered in their minds: who had the upper hand in the clash between the Yin Division and the Fu Sect?

Both Captain Luo and Deputy Captain Zhou believed it was the Fu Sect that held the advantage. The reason was simple: they saw the Fu Sect as being on the side of righteousness, while Yang Haoran's defense of the serpent demon put him in the wrong.

However, as they witnessed Yang Haoran sitting on the sofa with a calm demeanor, smoking while Elder Zhang and Jiang Die wore unpleasant expressions, and Wang Yiming appeared anxious, they realized they had misjudged the situation.

Though unaware of what transpired, it was evident that Yang Haoran had firmly gained the upper hand.

Their arrival drew the attention of several individuals, including Yang Haoran, whose gaze fell upon them.

Elder Zhang felt a surge of relief; his grim expression softened considerably. He interpreted the arrival of Captain Luo and Deputy Captain Zhou as a sign of friendship rather than hostility, considering the Fu Sect's consistent support for the Spirit Police and the reciprocal goodwill between the two parties. Thus, he felt compelled to welcome them into the villa under Master Wu's guidance.

Despite the disruption to his plans caused by their arrival, Yang Haoran remained composed. He dared to let Old Wu lead them into the villa, indicating calculated considerations.

While he would have preferred their absence at this moment, their presence was an undeniable fact. He couldn't have them standing outside the villa, considering their positions as leaders of the Spirit Police, and their amicable relationship demanded a certain level of respect. Thus, he had no choice but to allow Master Wu to escort them in.

Yang Haoran's emotions remained hidden beneath a veneer of composure as he greeted the two newcomers with a smile upon seeing them enter under Master Wu's guidance.

"Captain Luo, Deputy Captain Zhou, what a pleasant surprise to have you here," Yang Haoran remarked warmly.

"Not interrupting anything, are we?" Captain Luo glanced at Elder Zhang before addressing Yang Haoran with a smile.

"Not at all! How could it be? Your presence is most welcome. Come, let's sit and chat," Yang Haoran invited, beaming with hospitality.

Perplexed by what transpired before their arrival, Captain Luo and Deputy Captain Zhou sat down, curiosity mingling with their uncertainties.

"Old Zhang, now that the witnesses are here, do you wish to interrogate them to verify if I was lying?" Yang Haoran turned to Elder Zhang with a teasing smile.

Captain Luo and Deputy Captain Zhou didn't grasp the implication behind Yang Haoran's words, but Elder Zhang and Jiang Die certainly did.

Elder Zhang emitted a disdainful snort but refrained from further comment or seeking verification from Deputy Captain Zhou.

He dared not seek verification, especially given the current circumstances. Yang Haoran's suggestion that he ask Deputy Captain Zhou for verification implied that there might be truth to the incident where Yang Haoran nearly perished under the demon suppression talisman. Elder Zhang couldn't risk such a revelation, as it would leave him with no room for denial. Refraining from seeking verification allowed him to maintain a degree of plausible deniability and complicate matters further.

Yang Haoran's suggestion was a gamble. He wagered that Elder Zhang wouldn't dare seek verification from Deputy Captain Zhou at this juncture.

His words were a mix of truth and falsehood; seeking verification would blur the supposed facts, allowing Yang Haoran to maintain the upper hand. He was banking on Elder Zhang refraining from seeking verification.

However, Yang Haoran was prepared for the worst-case scenario. If Elder Zhang insisted on uncovering the truth, he would resort to denial, adamantly claiming he was indeed severely injured and nearly perished under the demon suppression talisman. After all, Deputy Captain Zhou couldn't definitively confirm whether Yang Haoran was severely injured at the time.

Moreover, Deputy Captain Zhou hadn't witnessed whether Yang Haoran truly faced death under the demon suppression talisman, as the battle had concluded by the time Deputy Captain Zhou arrived.

These critical points couldn't be affirmed by Deputy Captain Zhou. If Elder Zhang sought verification from him, he would realize these pivotal aspects were merely Yang Haoran's assertions, thus leading to further disputes.

Yang Haoran, facing this situation, could only resort to denial, firmly insisting that everything he said was true. After all, Deputy Captain Zhou couldn't prove whether his claims were true or false.

However, Yang Haoran's gamble paid off; the worst-case scenario didn't come to pass. Elder Zhang chose silence regarding the matter, which pleased Yang Haoran.

Yang Haoran fetched two teacups and poured tea for Captain Luo and Deputy Captain Zhou with a smile.

Captain Luo then spoke with a smile, "We are all friends here. Whatever the issue is, let's sit down and discuss it calmly. Conflict doesn't solve problems; it only exacerbates them."

Yang Haoran simply smiled without speaking, while Elder Zhang emitted a cold snort and remained silent as well.

Observing this, Captain Luo continued, "I'm not sure what transpired between the two of you, but I do know the cause of the conflict. Continually escalating the situation won't lead to a favorable outcome."

With that said, Captain Luo turned to Elder Zhang. In his view, regardless of what had just occurred, Elder Zhang must have been the one to initiate trouble by coming here early today. Therefore, he decided to address Elder Zhang's side of the issue first.

"Elder Zhang, would you mind sitting down first? I have some good news to share with you," Captain Luo said with a smile.

"Hmph! Good news? I've been having a run of bad luck lately. What good news could there possibly be?" Elder Zhang retorted, though he sat down with a stern expression.

Yang Haoran didn't intervene or stop Elder Zhang from sitting down. Instead, he watched Captain Luo with a smile, curious about what Captain Luo was up to.

"Elder Zhang, isn't it true that the Fu Sect has been wanting to rebuild a larger Fu Ancestor Temple in Lecheng?" Captain Luo asked with a smile.

Elder Zhang's expression shifted slightly as he looked at Captain Luo, asking in a low voice, "What do you mean by that, Captain Luo?"

"I mean, you pick a location. As long as it's not too outrageous, I can help you with it," Captain Luo replied with a smile.

Elder Zhang paused for a moment, then chuckled coldly, saying, "Haha, you'll help me? Will your Administrative Bureau agree? Will your Director of Administration approve? I've approached your Director of Administration several times about this matter, but I've never gotten the results I wanted. Can you deliver?"

"I'll communicate with the Director of Administration's office, so you don't have to worry. You just need to wait for my good news. However, I have one condition," Captain Luo said with a smile.

Elder Zhang's expression changed again upon hearing Captain Luo's words. He seemed intrigued, but when Captain Luo mentioned there was another condition, he became wary.

"I knew there wouldn't be a free lunch. What's the condition?" Elder Zhang responded sternly.

"The matter of the serpent demon, I ask Elder Zhang to let it go. How about it?" Captain Luo said as soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Die's emotions became excited.

"No! We can't just let go of the serpent demon's matter! If it weren't for her, I…" Jiang Die's words were interrupted by Elder Zhang.

"Junior sister, calm down," Elder Zhang said sternly before turning his gaze to Captain Luo. After a few moments, he spoke, "I thought our relationship with your Spirit Police was decent, and in such a situation, I expected the Spirit Police to stand by our Fu Sect. But I was wrong."

After Elder Zhang spoke, before Captain Luo could respond, Yang Haoran interjected with a smile, "Elder Zhang, the Spirit Police are already on your side. Think carefully, and you'll realize I'm not just bluffing."