Yin Tao’s move was very subtle, but how could it escape Elder Long’s notice?
Upon seeing Elder Long, Yin Tao’s expression turned grim. He knew Elder Long would surely stop him.
However, all this was within his expectations. Before coming here, he had already envisioned a confrontation with Elder Long and felt no worry.
After all, Elder Long’s injuries had not healed, and his strength had plummeted to the Earthly realm. Therefore, Elder Long posed no significant threat to him.
“Heh, what’s going on? Have I misjudged someone?”
Before Elder Long and Yin Tao could speak, a mocking voice came from behind Yin Tao.
Yin Tao turned his head and his eyes widened, his face becoming even more sullen.
The one who arrived was none other than Ye Cangtian.
He didn’t know why Ye Cangtian was here. He had arranged with Qiao Guanglin to have Ye Cangtian distracted, giving him ample time to act.
But now, things were completely different!
On the other side, although Ye Cangtian wore a mocking smile, his heart was filled with confusion.
The reason he appeared here was his concern that Black Feather might make a move here.
After all, if the people here successfully broke through, the Hidden Group’s strength would significantly increase, which Black Feather would absolutely not want to see.
Therefore, Ye Cangtian worried that Bai Yuanhang being killed was merely a feint by Black Feather to lure him away, which was why he rushed over.
But he never expected that upon arriving, he wouldn’t see Black Feather, but instead, Yin Tao.
This was indeed intriguing.
Yin Tao held significant prestige in Dragon City. If he were to make a move here, it would surely ruin his lifelong reputation. Yin Tao couldn’t possibly not know this.
Therefore, even if Yin Tao had some connection with Black Feather, there was no need for Yin Tao to act personally.
This was also what made Ye Cangtian puzzled.
“Ye Cangtian, why are you here so late at night!”
After a long pause, Yin Tao’s gaze finally returned to Ye Cangtian and he was the first to inquire.
Ye Cangtian’s timely arrival forced him to overthink where his plan for the night had gone wrong.
In fact, he had considered such a possibility just moments ago but dared not believe his own thoughts.
“My presence here is perfectly normal.”
“However, Yin Tao, why are you here in the middle of the night, and why did you knock out the guards here?”
“You don’t need to rush your answer; try to weave a flawless lie.”
Listening to Yin Tao’s voice, Ye Cangtian smiled slightly and said mockingly.
Originally, he had been quite troubled in his search for Black Feather, but now that Yin Tao was here, he refused to believe that Yin Tao was unrelated to Black Feather.
This meant that once he captured Yin Tao, he could follow the clues to find Black Feather and make him pay the price he deserved.
At this moment, with Elder Long in front and himself behind, Yin Tao could not possibly escape from here.
“I want to reclaim everything I’ve lost, so naturally, I need to gain some support, and I also cannot allow you to grow too strong. Do you understand what I mean…”
Listening to Ye Cangtian, Yin Tao snorted coldly and slowly revealed his objective.
Things had reached this point; he had no way back. Since he had acted, there was nothing he couldn’t admit.
In his and Qiao Guanglin’s plan, he had two objectives for coming here.
Firstly, the people currently undergoing special training under Elder Long were to be brought under his command and used for his own purposes.
Secondly, to interrupt Dongfang Mingyue’s closed-door cultivation.
After all, if he wanted to reclaim everything, he wasn’t just facing Ye Cangtian, but also Dongfang Mingyue.
If Dongfang Mingyue were to advance to the Quasi-Heavenly realm, it would become nearly impossible for him to replace her.
Therefore, he had no choice but to resort to this drastic measure.
“Heh, are you overthinking things?”
“Do you know who these people are? Are you crazy?”
Upon hearing Yin Tao’s words, Ye Cangtian’s face immediately showed a disdainful smile.
The people gathered here were not only the elites from various cities but also Dongfang Mingyue’s confidants.
To make these people serve him, let alone Yin Tao, even Ye Cangtian himself lacked such confidence! And Yin Tao harbored such fantasies, which was truly wishful thinking.
“Hmph! What do you know!”
“So-called loyalty is merely a bargaining chip for betrayal when the price is not high enough!”
Facing Ye Cangtian’s words, Yin Tao snorted coldly and said with disdain.
He naturally knew that these people were Dongfang Mingyue’s confidants, but he also knew that these people were not fools.
He believed that under his coercion and enticement, these people would make the smart choice.
“Yin Tao, hearing you say this truly disappoints me.”
Ye Cangtian’s gaze swept over Yin Tao and he continued, “Do you think everyone in the Hidden Group is only after personal gain? No, they have a sense of responsibility, a faith!
Think back to your past, how you once spilled blood and sacrificed yourself for the Hidden Group, without ever mentioning rewards!”
This…
At these words, Yin Tao’s face instantly turned red.
Thinking back to his past self and his current actions, it truly made him feel ashamed.
After a moment, he said fiercely, “What do you know! Stop talking to me about responsibility and faith; those are just brainwashing tactics you people use!”
Pausing, Yin Tao continued, “Let alone anything else, after I was injured and my cultivation dropped, what did the people in the Hidden Group do for me? They only looked at my strength and mocked me. Otherwise, do you think I would have left the Hidden Group?”
At this point, Yin Tao’s face was filled with extreme anger.
When his strength declined back then, everyone’s attitude towards him changed.
At best, they were outwardly obedient but inwardly rebellious; at worst, they directly mocked him to his face. Where was there any remaining respect?
Especially those he had disciplined before, when his strength drastically decreased, each of them couldn’t wait to ride on his neck and defecate.
It was under these circumstances that Yin Tao made the painful decision to leave the Hidden Group.
Listening to Yin Tao’s past experiences, Ye Cangtian and Elder Long fell silent.
Especially Elder Long, his situation was almost identical to Yin Tao’s. Everything Yin Tao had experienced, he had gone through.
Although Ye Cangtian had not experienced it himself, he could feel the desolation and resentment from the other person’s words.
The next moment, Ye Cangtian glanced at the other party and slowly said, “I express my regret for everything you have gone through, but ask yourself, did the Hidden Group truly abandon you?
Your departure from the Hidden Group was because you were the first to lose faith in the Hidden Group!”
“Hmph! I don’t need the Hidden Group’s pity!”
Upon hearing Ye Cangtian’s words, Yin Tao directly snorted coldly.
To be honest, after his accident back then, the Hidden Group had indeed not abandoned him. On the contrary, they had given him a very high position and allowed him to live out his remaining years in peace.
However, in his view, this was merely the Hidden Group’s charity and pity.
As a strong individual, the thing he could least accept was such things.
Ye Cangtian glanced at the other party and said indifferently, “You are mistaken. This was not pity, but the Hidden Group’s affirmation of your past contributions and your past glory!”
“What’s the point of saying all this now!”
“I am not here to discuss these things today!”
Yin Tao did not dwell on this issue for too long; in reality, it was all meaningless now.
From the moment he arrived here, he had already become a traitor to the Hidden Group in their eyes. Therefore, no matter what, this battle was unavoidable.
The other party would not let him off.
Because of this, Yin Tao revealed his daggers. Rather than having his reputation ruined, he might as well fight for it.
As long as he could defeat Ye Cangtian, no one in the Hidden Group could stop his progress, and he could then write his own story as a victor.
On the other side, looking at Yin Tao’s actions, Ye Cangtian frowned and said, “It’s still not too late to turn back…”
“Hmph! Once the arrow is shot, there’s no turning back!”
“Tonight, I will either be a king or a bandit!”
Yin Tao directly interrupted Ye Cangtian. A cold light flashed in his eyes, and he had already appeared before Ye Cangtian, his daggers flying swiftly.
Alas!
Ye Cangtian sighed. Knowing the hardships Yin Tao had endured, he truly did not want to fight him.
But since the other party offered no opportunity, there was nothing he could do but choose to fight.
The next moment, their figures began to clash in the night, and streaks of cold light continuously collided, erupting in fierce sparks.