"Hmph! Don't be naive, if they rebelled once, they will rebel a second time!"
"When they become powerful, they will still harbor ill intentions. This seat is merely preparing for contingencies!"
Gu Hai cast a disdainful glance at Po Xiao and said with a sneer.
In fact, he had another reason for doing this. If Po Xiao spared these families, then in the future power struggle between Xing Yuan and Kong Ling, these families would very likely side with Xing Yuan.
Therefore, his actions were also to help Kong Ling, believing that Kong Ling would stand with him.
"Good! Very good!"
"You have not lived up to this seat's cultivation!"
As soon as Gu Hai finished speaking, Kong Ling burst into laughter.
Finally, there was something he was satisfied with!
Hearing Kong Ling's praise for Gu Hai, Ye Cangtian's expression also turned cold. Kong Ling's extreme approval of Gu Hai's actions clearly indicated that they were cut from the same cloth.
They were simply tyrants!
"Po Xiao, this seat knows you might find this difficult to accept."
"But you must understand, ambition is like wild grass; it springs back after being burned by the fire."
"Therefore, rather than letting them grow and eventually become enemies of the Dark Association, this seat would prefer to cut them down and eliminate any future trouble!"
Perhaps sensing Ye Cangtian's angry gaze, Kong Ling looked at him and said with a forced smile.
Although he was referring to these families, he was essentially giving Po Xiao a piece of advice.
In his eyes, Po Xiao was no different from these families; if they could not be used for his benefit, he would never allow them space to grow!
"As my lord says, so it shall be!"
Ye Cangtian replied indifferently. Since these families had already been wiped out, there was no point in saying anything more.
Moreover, if even Xing Yuan could not change Kong Ling, how could he expect to sway the latter with just a few words!
"Good! Then this seat shall proceed with the rewards!"
"Gu Hai, Zi Long, step forward. You two have rendered meritorious service in quelling the rebellion. Each of you shall be bestowed three Nine Revolutions Golden Pills and appointed as guest elders!"
"Hong Mo, step forward. You have rendered meritorious service in annihilating the Eugene squad. You shall be bestowed three Nine Revolutions Golden Pills, appointed as a guest elder, and granted the privilege to select three treasures from the Dark Association's treasury!"
As the words fell, Gu Hai, Zi Long, and Hong Mo quickly bowed in gratitude.
Ye Cangtian showed a look of disdain at this. It wasn't because of Hong Mo, but rather because of Gu Hai and Zi Long.
These two had, in essence, stepped over the corpses of many families to receive their rewards, which he found truly contemptible!
The next moment, Kong Ling's gaze shifted to Ye Cangtian.
He pondered for a moment and then said lightly, "Po Xiao Lan Yue, you have rendered meritorious service in annihilating the Light squad. You shall be appointed as a guest elder. Mandora Fei Yan, for your assistance, you shall be appointed as an Earth-tier steward!"
Upon hearing this, Ye Cangtian could not help but sneer. He knew Kong Ling would not give him any substantial rewards.
The position of guest elder was merely a title. Although it was a rank higher than an Earth-tier steward, for him, it was effectively a demotion.
The reason was simple: if the guest elder position did not exist, he would have been a minister of state within the Dark Association, with figures like Zi Long and Hong Mo ranking slightly below him.
However, with the creation of the guest elder position, Zi Long and Hong Mo and others were now his equals.
Therefore, this was a subtle weakening of Po Xiao, a petty trick that Ye Cangtian saw through at a glance.
"That's all?"
Kong Ling had no further announcements, and Lan Yue on the other side widened her eyes in disbelief.
Putting aside everything else, in the mission to annihilate the Light squad, Po Xiao had undoubtedly made immense contributions!
Yet, in the end, he was only rewarded with the title of guest elder, which was less than what Gu Hai and Zi Long received. This truly made him feel indignant.
Thinking of this, Lan Yue quickly stepped forward and said, "Lord Kong Ling, this is too unfair. Putting aside other matters, we were the ones who eliminated the Bellock and Kusi squads. Why are our rewards less than those of Gu Hai and the other two!"
"It is somewhat unfair, but there is nothing that can be done."
"Ever since this seat took over the Dark Association, the resources within it have been extremely scarce. You and Po Xiao have rendered great service, and ordinary items can no longer be used to reward you."
"Out of necessity, this seat can only grant you titles and status for now. As for other rewards, this seat is temporarily unable to provide them, but I will communicate with Xing Yuan and ask him to compensate you as much as possible!"
Kong Ling glanced at Lan Yue and said lightly.
His gaze showed sincerity, but inwardly, he sneered.
Fool! Don't you know which side you're on? How dare you ask this seat to reward you? Have you no brains?
Besides, those pills weren't solely the Dark Association's; they also included this seat's savings from many years. Why would I give them to you!
"You..."
"Fine, very fine. We risk our lives for the Dark Association, and this is how you treat us!"
"I think you can withdraw the title of guest elder, we don't want it!"
Lan Yue was truly enraged. This was clearly preferential treatment, a deliberate targeting of them.
She could endure some hardship, but the key was that Ye Cangtian was also suffering. This was something she could not tolerate.
"Hmph!"
"Once this seat speaks, a team of horses cannot overtake it. It is not something you can simply refuse!"
On the other side, upon hearing Lan Yue's words, Kong Ling let out a low reprimand.
He never expected that even Lan Yue would dare to challenge his authority. Instantly, killing intent surged within him.
"Lord Kong Ling, please calm your anger. Lan Yue is merely confused for a moment."
As Kong Ling's voice fell, Ye Cangtian's pupils constricted, and he quickly spoke.
He had already sensed two powerful auras stirring in the darkness. Without a doubt, they were the Black and White Impermanence.
Given their strength and Lan Yue's, it would be highly dangerous to deal with the few people present, let alone a Heavenly-tier expert like Kong Ling.
Therefore, in this situation, it was best not to act.
Hearing Ye Cangtian's words, Lan Yue immediately realized she had lost her composure and then cupped her hands, saying, "Apologies, my subordinate lost her composure!"
Hmph.
Kong Ling's face showed a cold sneer as he lightly snorted and said, "Fine, you may withdraw."
Upon hearing this, Ye Cangtian stepped forward and said, "Lord Kong Ling, now that the rewards have been distributed, may we leave Ghost City? After all, we all work in the outside world."
He felt immense pressure from Kong Ling in Ghost City and wanted to leave as soon as possible to avoid any unforeseen incidents.
"No hurry!"
"Xing Yuan will be arriving in the next two days. You should meet him before you leave."
Upon hearing Ye Cangtian's words, Kong Ling smiled slightly and said slowly.
He hadn't yet taught Po Xiao a lesson, nor had he thoroughly investigated Po Xiao's affairs. How could he possibly let the latter leave so easily?
If he let him go and later discovered some issues, where would he find the person then!
This was merely an excuse to keep him, or did Kong Ling have another motive?
For a moment, Ye Cangtian was filled with doubts, but he knew that now was not the time to dwell on these matters.
So, he led Lan Yue, bowed to Kong Ling, and slowly retreated from the hall.
"Hahaha..."
"Wonderful, exhilarating!"
"Your subordinate thanks Lord Kong Ling for standing up for me!"
As soon as Po Xiao and Lan Yue left, Gu Hai burst into unrestrained laughter and quickly bowed down to Kong Ling.
Without Kong Ling, let alone these rewards, he didn't know when he would have been able to vent his anger!
Hmph.
Looking at the smug Gu Hai, Kong Ling let out a cold snort and said, "Are you not embarrassed enough? Get down from here!"