Yan Hua Xiao Yuan.
When Ye Cang Tian arrived, Lan Yue directly led him to a secret chamber.
Inside the secret chamber, a table laden with delicious food was already prepared.
"Subordinate congratulates Young Master for another achievement..."
Lan Yue had largely learned of the news from the Heavenly Net through the Butcher, and had anticipated Ye Cang Tian's arrival after his return.
Thus, she had specially prepared a feast to celebrate Ye Cang Tian's success.
Ye Cang Tian waved his hand and apologized, "Senior Sister, I truly don't deserve this. My actions have implicated many intelligence personnel and caused you trouble."
"You can't be blamed for this. It was their own carelessness, revealing themselves without realizing it..."
Lan Yue shook her head, not holding anything against him.
Although the deaths of these intelligence personnel were regrettable, dying for Ye Cang Tian could be considered a form of honor.
She then changed the subject, "Alright, you must be hungry after your journey. Taste my cooking!"
"Okay."
Hearing her words, Ye Cang Tian realized his stomach was indeed empty. He agreed and, without further ado, began to eat heartily.
After he had eaten and drunk his fill, Ye Cang Tian patted his stomach and said, "Senior Sister, what's the current situation with the Dark Association?"
"Zi Long, using the information provided by the intelligence stations, has launched a furious retaliation against the Light Hall's intelligence stations!"
"In just a few days, they have consecutively eliminated dozens of Light Hall intelligence personnel."
"As of now, the Light Hall's intelligence stations have been largely cleared out. The remaining stragglers are keeping a low profile to evade the Dark Association's pursuit..."
Lan Yue answered without hesitation, directly relaying Zi Long's situation.
She knew that Ye Cang Tian and Zi Long had fallen out, and a confrontation was inevitable.
"Heh, I didn't expect Zi Long's efficiency to be quite high!"
Ye Cang Tian smiled with slight surprise upon hearing this.
He had thought his actions at the Heavenly Net were swift, and that Zi Long would still be on his mission upon his return.
After all, the Light Hall's intelligence personnel operated in the shadows and had established identities, making them difficult to uncover.
Yet, Zi Long, under these circumstances, had managed to clear out the Light Hall's intelligence stations in such a short time, truly astonishingly fast.
Listening to Ye Cang Tian, Lan Yue furrowed her brow and said, "I have a different opinion. I think this might have been a trade..."
Hmm?
Ye Cang Tian was taken aback for a moment, then understood Lan Yue's meaning.
The Heavenly Net had received news on the very first day he headed for the Heavenly Net, and he had confirmed that Zi Long was the one who leaked the information.
Originally, he had assumed Zi Long simply wanted to kill him. Now, with Lan Yue's suggestion, it reminded him.
It was highly possible that this was a trade.
In order to obtain the information, the Heavenly Net had to pay by providing the locations of the Light Hall's intelligence stations.
This way, not only could he be eliminated, but the mission could also be completed faster – killing two birds with one stone.
As for the Light Hall, their intelligence stations were essentially defunct after the previous operation and held little significance for them.
If they could use them to eliminate Dawn, the deal wouldn't be a loss.
Pity...
Ye Cang Tian lamented inwardly. He hadn't clarified this matter before, and now that Xue Ye was dead, only Hassall likely knew about it.
But Hassall would definitely not provide such proof. Otherwise, he could have accused Zi Long of another crime.
With that thought, he decided to let it go and changed the subject, "Senior Sister, what's the situation with the Dark Ruins? Is there any news?"
Compared to accusing Zi Long, Ye Cang Tian was more concerned about Huang Shan and Lü Luo within the Dark Ruins.
"Within the Dark Ruins, the period of chaos has passed. The ruins are now extremely calm, as if the Light Hall had never intervened..."
Lan Yue pondered for a moment and then slowly replied.
"It seems like the calm before the storm!"
Ye Cang Tian's brows furrowed.
The current peace within the Dark Ruins was not a good sign.
The Light Hall would not easily give up, nor would they enter the Dark Association without reason.
The current tranquility could only mean that the Light Hall was making some sort of deployment, or perhaps they had already secretly begun operations, which had simply not been discovered yet.
"That's right, your thoughts align with Xing Yuan's."
Lan Yue nodded and continued, "Zi Long mentioned that Xing Yuan is also urging the completion of outer perimeter missions as soon as possible, likely to recall us for support, fearing that the Light Hall might be planning something major..."
"So Zi Long has already rushed back to the Dark Ruins?" Ye Cang Tian asked doubtfully.
"Not yet."
Lan Yue slowly shook her head and said, "There are still some remnants of the Light Hall's intelligence stations in the capital. He's using this as an excuse to stay for now, but in reality, it should be..."
At this point, Lan Yue hesitated, her gaze towards Ye Cang Tian implying, "you understand."
Heh heh.
Seeing Lan Yue's expression, Ye Cang Tian immediately understood and showed a dismissive cold smile.
Needless to say, Zi Long was waiting for news from the Heavenly Net.
With that in mind, he said, "Since Zi Long misses me so much, tomorrow we'll go and see him, then head back to the Dark Association."
"Alright," Lan Yue nodded.
The two chatted back and forth for a long time before Ye Cang Tian left Yan Hua Xiao Yuan.
When Ye Cang Tian returned home, it was already dark.
Tang Xin Wan had just gone to sleep. Ye Cang Tian didn't wake her, but instead quietly knocked on Gui Wu's door and then went up to the rooftop.
*Clang!*
As Ye Cang Tian lit a cigarette, Gui Wu, in her pajamas, appeared behind him.
"Boss, do you know I'm a woman?"
"Women who don't get enough sleep can have their complexions affected..."
Before Ye Cang Tian could speak, Gui Wu began to complain.
Ye Cang Tian glanced at her and casually tossed her a few Rejuvenation Pills, saying, "Here, for anti-aging."
This...
When Gui Wu saw the Rejuvenation Pills in her hand, she was instantly speechless, feeling defeated. She finally said helplessly, "Boss, just tell me directly, what's the matter?"
"I'm going to the Dark Ruins tomorrow. The matters here in the capital will be left to you and Nancy."
Ye Cang Tian said slowly. He was leaving tomorrow, and with time pressing, he had to inform her now.
"That's it?"
Gui Wu glared at Ye Cang Tian and said irritably, "You don't need to tell me about this. I would have done it anyway. You're wasting my precious time, hmph!"
With a snort, Gui Wu turned and went back into her room.
Seeing this, Ye Cang Tian smiled slightly. It seemed she now considered this place her home, which was good.
With that in mind, Ye Cang Tian called Secretary Liu and informed him of his travel plans, who would then convey them to Elder Xu tomorrow.
...
The next morning.
After sending off Tang Xin Wan, Ye Cang Tian found Lan Yue and they headed to the Serton Hotel together.
When Zi Long saw Po Xiao return, he appeared outwardly normal, but his mind was in turmoil.
He was roaring internally, wondering why Xue Ye had failed to kill Po Xiao, despite being informed of the news.
With so many of their Asuras, backed by the Light Hall, why was Po Xiao still alive and returned!
In an instant, Zi Long's mood vanished.
Ye Cang Tian's return meant the destruction of the Heavenly Net, a great achievement far surpassing his elimination of a few intelligence stations.
Most importantly, had Po Xiao received any information from Xue Ye?
With that thought, Zi Long tentatively asked, "Were the operations at the Heavenly Net smooth?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Cang Tian smiled and replied, "Thank you for your concern. Everything went relatively smoothly. It's unlikely we'll see those assassins for a long time from now on..."
This...
Hearing Ye Cang Tian's response, Zi Long was left speechless. In the past, when he inquired about operations, the other party would provide detailed explanations.
But today, his response was merely a general statement, truly a sign of how times had changed.
With that in mind, he snorted and said, "Po Xiao, I am still the overseer of the outer perimeter. I have the right to know the specifics of the operation."
"The operation has concluded, the Heavenly Net is basically crippled. The process is unimportant; the result is what matters."
"If you insist on knowing the specifics, then wait until we return to the Dark Association headquarters. We'll both be going back anyway, so you won't have to wait much longer."
Ye Cang Tian glanced at Zi Long and said indifferently.