Within the majestic and magnificent temple, thick fog swirled and churned, and from time to time, grotesque and hideous faces of various shapes would try to emerge from it, but the fog seemed to bind them tightly like a swamp.
Thick fog enveloped several towering stone pillars, which were arranged in a ring, collectively guarding a huge and eerie statue.
The statue was hidden in the mist, and its full appearance could not be seen.
People were standing on some of the surrounding stone pillars, one of whom... was Geheluos.
"Hey~, what happened to the Judgment Angel? He looks so disheveled!" Someone made no attempt to hide their schadenfreude.
"Didn't you go to recruit Hu Jiu? It seems the result wasn't very good," another person said.
All eyes in the room turned to Geheluos.
"The opponent was extremely strong and harbored hostility towards Evernight. I was careless and was injured by him." Geheluos tried his best to make his tone sound calm and even, without any fluctuation.
A long-haired woman stated bluntly, "I suggest you tell the truth and don't hide any details, so as not to cause us to make a wrong judgment."
"You must understand, for powerful individuals like us, even the slightest error can be fatal in a conflict!"
Her words were unanimously agreed upon by everyone.
Geheluos's breathing suddenly became heavier, and his hands under his black robe clenched into fists.
But he knew that he shouldn't hide anything at this time.
Taking a deep breath and mentally preparing himself, he slowly began to describe his ordeal.
--We were completely overwhelmed and even lost a Fierce Ghost that was practically our core.
Everyone else present was shocked after hearing his words.
Amidst the shock, some people couldn't resist making sarcastic remarks.
Who told Geheluos to be so arrogant and pretentious?
"Ares, Ixtab, you two, don't go too far!" Geheluos warned in a low voice.
The senior members of the Eternal Night Organization all use the names of mythological figures as code names.
However... they did not use the names of gods from the same pantheon.
The two men named by Geheluos showed no remorse. Ares said, "We're doing this for your own good. Remember this humiliation so you won't fall in the same place again."
"Even if I fail once in a while, it's none of your business!" Geheluos said in an unfriendly tone.
Ixtab scoffed, "You still think you're the Judgment Angel you once were? Give me a break! Without that eye, do you even deserve to stand here with us?"
Seeing that the three were about to start arguing, someone immediately stepped in to smooth things over. "Say less, let's talk about business first."
Geheluos is taking any opportunity to back down; he's really weak right now.
The other two, not wanting to stand out in this situation, tacitly remained silent.
Hu Jiu's strength exceeded Evernight's expectations.
They had all heard about the previous conflict between the China Headquarters and the America Exorcists.
It was initially thought that the conflict would be resolved through diplomatic means, and that Hu Jiu was merely a newly promoted star figure from Headquarters, deliberately boasting and creating hype.
But now, they have to put away their arrogance and take it seriously.
Geheluos said in a deep voice, "Hu Jiu has displayed several different Supernatural powers— Frost, illusions, instant death curses, and Magic Mirror, and perhaps others."
"I could tell he wasn't giving it his all; he probably let me go on purpose."
There are only two reasons why they deliberately let people go: either they are afraid of Evernight's strength and dare not really offend Evernight; or... they want to follow the clues to find out more!
The latter is more likely.
Hu Jiu forcibly gouged out Geheluos's eyes; this didn't seem like someone who feared the Evernight!
Of course, the people present weren't afraid of him. He could easily defeat one Geheluos, but Evernight could gang up on them, so they didn't believe he could win.
"Hu Jiu harbors hostility towards Evernight. This dangerous element must be nipped in the bud!" Geheluos solemnly offered his suggestion.
Some countered, "If we could recruit Hu Jiu into Evernight, the benefits to Evernight would be the greatest."
"If we can achieve a win-win situation by joining forces with Hu Jiu, he probably won't refuse, much less fight us to the bitter end."
"Faced with enormous profits, minor conflicts and disagreements can be Neglect."
"F**k! "Geheluos cursed inwardly. Had his eyes gouged out really been such a minor conflict?
--If it doesn't hurt anyone else, it's a small matter to them.
Hu Jiu is incredibly powerful; he almost killed Geheluos. Even if Evernight were to send a team to kill Hu Jiu, casualties would be inevitable.
No, there will definitely be casualties!
No matter what, Hu Jiu should be able to achieve a one-for-one trade at the very least.
It's really not worth it to die together with someone else.
After some analysis, everyone came to the following conclusion:
"Hu Jiu won't find us so easily. Besides, we're in the shadows, so we can slowly wear him down in other ways. There's no need for a direct confrontation."
"Geheluos, it's understandable that you're upset after being beaten badly by Hu Jiu and want to seek revenge. However, offering advice with such emotions in mind can easily lead you astray."
"Evernight Night has a large and powerful force, and they are hidden in the shadows. Even if they cannot successfully recruit Hu Jiu, there are many safer and more effective ways to deal with him. Taking risks is not advisable."
Hearing this, Geheluos sighed deeply. "I'm sorry, I misunderstood."
"It's alright," someone said, offering words of comfort.
"That's the meaning of a team. When someone goes down the wrong path, thinking they're on the right track, no one will kindly remind them. But it's different when you have teammates and partners."
"Hehe~" Geheluos forced a smile; he wasn't really in the mood for chicken soup.
An older man, who appeared to be of higher status, cleared his throat and spoke cautiously:
"Alright, let's proceed according to plan. Evernight has always valued talent. We'll give Hu Jiu one last chance. If he really doesn't know what's good for him, then don't blame us for being ruthless!"
As soon as the words were spoken, someone muttered quietly, "If the leader were willing to take action, why would he need to hesitate like this?"
"The leader has gone to the Endless Corridor on urgent business. As subordinates, we must be sensible and not cause him any trouble!"
Upon hearing this slightly obsequious phrasing, Geheluos immediately nodded. "That's right, we should give full play to our initiative, work overtime, and complete all the tasks assigned by the leaders."
Upon hearing this, the others chimed in, showering their leader with lavish praise, even though the leader was not present.
The meeting concluded amidst such solemn, lively, serious, and interesting praise.
Just as everyone was about to leave, someone suddenly exclaimed, "Oh no! Someone has invaded the Glory City!"
"What did you say?"
"Who dares to be so bold!"
"It's Hu Jiu!" Geheluos blurted out.