This…
At these words, the Pope’s expression changed instantly.
This was clearly mocking him, saying his governance was lax!
Muttering to himself, the Pope glared fiercely at Housman.
With just a glance, Housman shivered, quickly retreated to his original position, and lowered his head.
He had initially intended to curry favor with the Pope by making things difficult for Ye Cangtian, but seeing the Pope issue him a warning, how could he dare say another word!
Seeing this, the Pope then looked at Ye Cangtian and said, "Ye Cangtian, the Hall of Light has prepared a banquet for the Hua Xia delegation to welcome everyone. Shall we proceed to the banquet hall?"
Pausing, the Pope continued, "As for other matters, let’s discuss them later. After all, you are newcomers and should rest well, and perhaps take a stroll to see the sights of Guangming City!"
The Pope had seen clearly that Ye Cangtian was quick-witted and sharp-tongued. Continuing the discussion now would not yield any advantage.
On the contrary, it might cause the Hall of Light to lose face, so it would be best to end it early.
"I respectfully accept your invitation!"
Ye Cangtian did not object to this, cupping his hands in agreement.
After all, with so many people present, the chaotic babble was indeed not conducive to negotiation.
Furthermore, there would be plenty of time, and he could not appear too eager, or he would be at a disadvantage.
…
Throughout the entire banquet, both sides were amicable. Neither side provoked further, and neither side discussed any serious matters.
The two sides merely engaged in casual conversation at the banquet, giving the impression of established relations.
This continued until the end, when the Pope arranged for Hassal to escort Ye Cangtian and his entourage to their accommodation.
Knowing the purpose of the Hua Xia delegation's arrival, the Pope did not arrange for them to stay at the Hall of Light but instead at a high-end hotel at the foot of Guangming Mountain.
Of course, the rooms where Ye Cangtian and the other two stayed were presidential suites, all for show.
Not long after, Hassal escorted Ye Cangtian and his group to the presidential suite and took the opportunity to chat with Ye Cangtian in the suite.
"Mr. Ye, I have investigated the matter of the reporters. It was all Housman's doing."
Hassal spoke up proactively. He had indeed investigated the matter, as he had promised to provide Ye Cangtian with an answer.
"So it was him."
A cold smile appeared on Ye Cangtian's face. He had some impression of Housman, who had confronted him in the great hall.
"By the way, I have no conflict with Housman. Why is he targeting me?"
Ye Cangtian inquired. He could understand the general animosity of people in the Hall of Light towards those from Hua Xia.
However, since most of the cardinals did not make a move, Housman's behavior seemed overly aggressive, which aroused his suspicion.
Hassal quickly replied, "From what I've learned, this matter should be related to the change in the delegation's schedule. According to gossip, the Pope even reprimanded Housman for this…
So he might be blaming the Hua Xia delegation for all of this!"
No wonder!
Hearing this, Ye Cangtian understood everything and no longer paid it any mind.
He was just a cardinal, and he could not make much of a stir in front of him.
The next moment, he glanced at Hassal and said, "Let's get down to business. First, tell me the location of the Specimen Hall."
Upon hearing this, Hassal, without a word, directly took out a large piece of parchment from his Qiankun bag and handed it to Ye Cangtian.
From the moment he received the news of Ye Cangtian leading the delegation, he knew that Ye Cangtian was heading for the Specimen Hall, so he had prepared a map in advance.
On the other side, Ye Cangtian opened the parchment and looked at the buildings and markings drawn on it, instantly understanding everything.
Then he asked, "Now that I have the map, the remaining question is the guard situation at the Specimen Hall. Do you know anything about this?"
This…
Hearing this, Hassal lowered his head sheepishly and said, "Mr. Ye, the guard situation at the Specimen Hall is not my responsibility, and usually, I don't have the opportunity to go there…"
Hassal stated that he had tried to approach the Specimen Hall in the past few days, but he had not succeeded.
The Specimen Hall was too close to the Pope's private chambers, and he was afraid of being discovered by the Pope.
Hearing this, Ye Cangtian nodded and said, "You've done your best. You don't need to worry about these things anymore. I'll figure something out!"
"By the way, Mr. Ye, you must be careful with everything!"
Hassal suddenly remembered something and quickly reminded him, "The inner hall has already sent experts. The people who have come this time are from the Golden Armor Knights, and their combat strength is terrifying…"
In response, Ye Cangtian smiled slightly, which coincided with his earlier prediction. He then asked, "Who is leading them, and what is their general cultivation level?"
"I don't know."
Hassal shook his head and explained.
He had only received news of the Golden Armor Knights' arrival but had not seen them.
However, in his opinion, these people must have been hidden by the Pope, simply to prevent any leaks.
Heh, still playing these tricks, what's the point?
Listening to Hassal's words, Ye Cangtian scoffed inwardly.
The Pope was hiding these Golden Armor Knights to deal with him.
Then, the locations where they were hidden could only be two places: one was near the Specimen Hall, and the other was around the hotel, ready to make a move against him at any time.
With this thought, Ye Cangtian looked at Hassal and said, "Alright, time is almost up, and I can't keep you too long, lest the Pope become suspicious."
"Okay!"
Hassal responded and then said, "One last thing. The Pope has always suspected that the Hua Xia delegation is incomplete, and the remaining people might be causing trouble in secret. Perhaps Mr. Ye can use this to your advantage!"
"It's useless."
Ye Cangtian waved his hand. Causing a small commotion at this time would be of little use.
If he caused a larger disturbance, the Pope would immediately guess that he was responsible, as the cultivation of those who did not come was only at the Xuan level.
With such strength, it would obviously be insufficient to cause trouble in the Hall of Light's territory.
Therefore, the Pope would definitely consider Ye Cangtian a suspect.
In this case, it would be equivalent to giving the Hall of Light a reason to deal with him, so Ye Cangtian felt this was completely unnecessary.
"I was foolish."
Upon hearing this, Hassal quickly said, his expression anxious, as if afraid Ye Cangtian would misunderstand him.
"It's not your fault; you've done very well."
Ye Cangtian said calmly, then waved his hand.
Seeing this, Hassal said no more. After cupping his hands in a salute to Ye Cangtian, he left the hotel.
…
The Hall of Light.
After the banquet, the Pope did not go to rest but led many cardinals back to the great hall.
He wanted to wait for Hassal's return to see what information Hassal could gather and then make corresponding arrangements.
After waiting for a while, everyone finally saw Hassal return.
The Pope immediately inquired, "Hassal, have you gathered any information about the other members of the Hua Xia delegation?"
"I apologize, Your Holiness the Pope. Ye Cangtian is too vigilant and has said nothing about it." Hassal replied.
The Pope's expression instantly turned grim, and he angrily said, "Useless! You can't even gather this much information?"
Seeing the Pope's anger, Hassal quickly said, "Your Holiness, please do not be anxious. I have my own opinions."
"Let's hear them."
Listening to the Pope, Hassal quickly said, "Your Excellency, although the delegation is short by twenty to thirty people, these people are merely like ants…"
Hassal stated that even if these people were hidden in various places, they could not make much of a stir. At most, they would help Ye Cangtian divert the attention of the Hall of Light.
Therefore, the Hall of Light only needed to do two things to be at ease.
First, order personnel in all regions to strictly investigate their jurisdictions and deal with or report any issues directly.
Second, the Hall of Light should keep a close eye on Ye Cangtian and the other two, as Ye Cangtian's value was higher than those ants.
Hmm?
Hearing this, the Pope's eyes began to gleam.
What he said seemed to have some merit. The purpose of the Guangming delegation was the Specimen Hall.
And whether it was negotiation or forceful seizure, those small fry would not be of much use. At most, they could serve to divert attention.
Thinking this, the Pope felt somewhat relieved. If this matter were not clarified, he would always feel uneasy.
"Hassal, is there any other news?" the Pope asked again.