Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 829 - 822

Chapter 829: 822

On the way back, the more Luo’er thought about it, the angrier he became. That bastard Azita really was insufferable. Last time, Luo’er had spared his life and even sent him back to Holy Heart City, and this was how the ungrateful wretch repaid him. However, after much thought, Luo’er realized he was completely at a loss on how to deal with him.

The Central Intelligence was expanding its influence in Holy Heart City, and headquarters needed a force to counterbalance it. It wasn’t about sharing control of Holy Heart City with the Central Intelligence but at least being able to disgust them and distract them from other matters.

Considering the current situation, the Hound Gang led by Azita was undoubtedly the best choice. If Luo’er took out his anger on the Hound Gang, resulting in the Church Court eradicating them, it would only benefit the Central Intelligence, scooping up the rewards. This was not the outcome Luo’er wanted to see.

Of course, Luo’er couldn’t fully trust Azita either, for this guy could betray them again at any moment. If headquarters continued to increase aid to the Hound Gang, Azita might very well rise in power and use the benefits from headquarters to passively oppose the Booze Ghost Gang.

Moreover, if the Hound Gang were to immediately turn coat and throw themselves into the arms of the Central Intelligence after receiving help from headquarters, then all their efforts would be in vain.

So, at this stage, Luo’er had no way to deal with the Hound Gang and Azita. He could either ignore them or let the Church Court once again clean up all the underground forces of Holy Heart City, including the Booze Ghost Gang and the Hound Gang, to prevent the Central Intelligence from expanding its influence.

But that would mean the Church Court would be openly opposing the Central Intelligence. The Church Court and headquarters did not have a subordinate relationship but a cooperative one. Even if the relationship was good, the Church Court was unlikely to offend the Central Intelligence for headquarters’ sake.

Headquarters could perhaps incite the Church Court to eliminate the Central Intelligence’s influence in the Otherworld, but now clearly wasn’t the time. They had no way to exert more influence on the Church Court, to turn this vast religious organization into a subordinate force.

Based on this reasoning, Luo’er had no choice but to swallow the bitter pill in silence. In fact, if they really wanted to take action against the Hound Gang, Luo’er did have methods. However, considering the containment of the Booze Ghost Gang by the Hound Gang, Luo’er still had to grit his teeth and bear it.

Because there was no way to act against the Hound Gang and Azita, Luo’er seemed quite sullen on the way back, occasionally sighing.

In fact, despite Luo’er’s usual calm and polite demeanor, those who knew him were aware that he was fiercely loyal and held grudges. The fact that he was outplayed by Azita and could do nothing about it truly infuriated Luo’er.

The group took nearly six days to travel from Winter Harbor by ship to the outskirts of Holy Heart City, where they found a carriage heading to Yazhi City.

Because it was on the plains, the carriage journey back to Yazhi City would take only about half a month. As the group bypassed Holy Heart City, Tangmo and Baiyue did not return with them. Headquarters ordered them to wait at the Academy for Cheng Ziang and continue their magic practice.

Luo’er estimated that by the time he returned to his station, there would be a Blaiqi commercial airboat arriving at Holy Heart City. Headquarters would arrange for Tangmo and the others to return on the airboat, enabling them to study for a longer period without having to rush on the carriage with Luo’er and his company.

This was probably the first time the Advance Team had been separated for so long since entering the Otherworld. Luo’er might not have expected that an unintentional act of his would lead to finding a target related to the Otherworld Gate.

"Boss, what’s been troubling you lately? You seem so down," Hu Daoke, sitting in the spacious carriage, looked at the dejected Luo’er and couldn’t help but ask with concern.

"It’s nothing," Luo’er said with a forced smile.

"Oh come on, boss, if there’s something bothering you, just spit it out. Don’t keep it bottled up like this. It’s hard on me too, not knowing how to help you," Hu Daoke said with a look of distress.

"Really, it’s nothing." Luo’er shook his head.

"Your boss has been fuming over that guy named Azita these past few days. I’m worried he might get sick from all this brooding," Fulajie’er chimed in, though she did not show herself.

"Eh, is that so," Hu Daoke was taken aback for a moment and then looked at Luo’er, complaining, "Boss, why didn’t you speak up sooner? If you weren’t feeling well, we could have entered the city and taken care of that bastard Azita. It would have been the perfect chance to get back at them for the last time they screwed us over. With Feng with us, the Booze Ghost Gang and the Hound Gang are nothing."

As Hu Daoke spoke, he gave Feng a few hefty pats on the shoulder, which clearly the receiver did not appreciate; he covered his shoulder with a frown and moved away from him.

Luo’er managed a strained smile but didn’t speak. Instead, it was Fulajie’er who scolded him in a tone of disappointment, "All you think about is revenge. Do you think Luo’er doesn’t know that? Can’t you think before you blurt out such mindless talk?"

"What did I say wrong?" Hu Daoke asked, scratching his head after being scolded by Fulajie’er.

"Under the current circumstances, we can’t touch Azita," Luo’er added, by way of explanation.

"Why can’t we touch him?" Hu Daoke asked, puzzled.

"Because we still need Azita’s Hound Gang to keep the Booze Ghost Gang’s expansion in check. If we wipe out the Hound Gang, we’d be playing right into the hands of the Booze Ghost Gang and the Intelligence Agency," Luo’er explained.

"Then why not eradicate both?" Hu Daoke said dismissively.

"You..." Fulajie’er began and couldn’t help but heave a sigh.

"Did I say something wrong again?" Hu Daoke asked cautiously.

"Of course you did," Fulajie’er said confidently, "Luo’er, you tell him what’s going on."

"Right now, only the Church Court has the power to eliminate both factions, but if the Church Court were to actually do so, it would mean they’d be taking sides in the struggle between headquarters and the Intelligence Agency," Luo’er said softly, continuing his patient explanation.

"Isn’t that how it should be?" Hu Daoke asked, eyes wide.

"Of course not," Luo’er shook his head and went on, "Headquarters and the Intelligence Agency are like chess players, and the forces under each of them are their chess pieces. For instance, our Advance Team is a piece for headquarters, while the mercenaries hired by the Intelligence Agency are their pieces. The struggle between chess players is fought through their pieces. Though the Church Court is powerful, it cannot and does not want to become a piece but would rather be an observer. Despite the Church Court’s amicable relationship with headquarters and their occasional support in certain situations, they only act as observers, providing the necessary assistance to headquarters as a chess player..."

After pausing, Luo’er continued, "Both headquarters and the Intelligence Agency are actually vying for the observer, the Church Court, to join their side, but headquarters obviously have a bit more advantage. However, we also need to understand that the Church Court won’t help headquarters for nothing; if we need their assistance, we have to pay a price, because they are not chess pieces."

"Therefore, if we ask the Church Court to intervene in the underground struggle in Holy Heart City and headquarters cannot offer sufficient benefits, the Church Court won’t help us. If they help without asking for anything in return, then they would essentially be turning into headquarters’ chess piece, and that’s not what they want," Luo’er concluded.

"Then let headquarters offer some benefits," Hu Daoke suggested, scratching his head.

"It’s not that easy. Headquarters is also financially strapped. Just the other day, they had a confrontation with the military brass over budget allocations. Good steel must be used on the blade’s edge. Right now, all headquarters can think about is how to open the Otherworld Gate; they can’t afford to provide benefits to clean up the Intelligence Agency’s influence in Holy Heart City. By doing so, they’d be losing focus and wasting resources. So I think it’s unlikely that headquarters will get involved in the underground struggles in Holy Heart City," Luo’er said with a shrug.

"So you’re saying headquarters doesn’t have the money to hire the Church Court to wipe out the Hound Gang?" Hu Daoke asked, blinking.

"Pretty much. In fact, headquarters might even want to give up on Holy Heart City altogether, keeping only the Magic Academy as a stronghold," Luo’er nodded in agreement.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.