Although he saw through everything, Ye Cangtian did not expose it. Instead, he smiled and said, "Dean Ye is right. Come, I will toast you for your great righteousness!"
After the two drank, Ye Cangtian basically did not speak during the banquet. The remaining time was mainly handled by Dongfang Mingyue.
Dongfang Mingyue was also skilled at this.
After a long while, the banquet came to an end. Dongfang Mingyue, along with Ye Cangtian, was escorted back to the sleeping quarters by Ye Zhenghao's "convenient" company.
However, along the way, Ye Zhenghao walked far behind the two, afraid that they would mention any embarrassing matters.
Only after sending them to the sleeping quarters did Ye Zhenghao turn to leave. However, he did not return to the Yanghua Hall but went to Ye Yaoyang's sleeping quarters.
He really wanted to know why his father, Ye Yaoyang, always tied him together with Dongfang Mingyue!
...
True Fire Hall.
Ye Yaoyang's gaze was focused, pondering something.
Suddenly, his brows twitched, and he looked up. Ye Zhenghao had already arrived beside him.
"Zhenghao, is something wrong?" Ye Yaoyang asked.
Ye Zhenghao did not hide anything and quickly stepped forward, saying, "Father, I don't understand. Why do you insist on me taking Dongfang Mingyue out to play?"
Looking at Ye Zhenghao's questioning gaze, Ye Yaoyang suddenly remembered something. Earlier at the banquet, his son's behavior had been extremely abnormal.
Thinking of this, he quickly said, "Zhenghao, I haven't asked you yet! What's wrong with you today?"
"This..."
Ye Zhenghao's face immediately turned rosy. This was not a good thing, but there was no other way. If his father asked, he couldn't hide it.
After a long hesitation, he finally recounted the whole story.
"Heh heh, it's nothing!"
"Ye Cangtian is, after all, a Heavenly rank expert. It's normal to lose when fighting such a master. You don't need to dwell on it!"
"On the contrary, you must become more courageous through setbacks and constantly duel with strong individuals to grow rapidly!"
Ye Yaoyang not only was not disappointed by Ye Zhenghao's words but instead encouraged him.
Hearing this, Ye Zhenghao's inner dejection vanished a lot. He quickly bowed and said, "Thank you, Father. By the way, Father, you still haven't answered my question!"
Hearing this, Ye Yaoyang smiled slightly and asked, "What do you think of Dongfang Mingyue?"
Hmm?
Ye Zhenghao's brows twitched, and he did not understand his father's meaning for a moment.
He pondered for a moment and then slowly said, "Dongfang Mingyue is quite good. Her cultivation is not low, and she is also a manager of the Hidden Division."
"Quite good?"
"I'm telling you, Dongfang Mingyue is exceptionally good!"
Ye Yaoyang corrected Ye Zhenghao's statement with a hint of annoyance.
In the eyes of the world, Dongfang Mingyue's cultivation had only reached the Quasi-Heavenly rank eighth level. Her talent was not considered very good, at most mid-to-upper tier.
However, in Ye Yaoyang's eyes, Dongfang Mingyue was absolutely top-tier. If it weren't for her managing the Hidden Division and having no time to cultivate, her cultivation would have likely reached the Heavenly rank.
"This..."
Hearing Ye Yaoyang's words, Ye Zhenghao was also stunned, and then he savored them, finding some logic in them.
He couldn't help but sigh and say, "It's a shame about such talent. However, I still admire her, willing to sacrifice herself for the Hidden Division..."
In Ye Zhenghao's opinion, people were selfish.
It was already considered good if one was willing to charge forward for their backing forces. But if one's cultivation was affected for the sake of their forces, it was unlikely anyone would be willing.
After all, only cultivation truly belonged to oneself; everything else was external.
Therefore, he always believed that being able to do this was true selfless dedication.
"It was her own choice, so there's nothing to regret! Moreover, even if her cultivation is a bit lower now, breaking through to the Heavenly rank in the future is not a problem."
Ye Yaoyang looked at him and continued, "If that's the case, coupled with her leadership of the Hidden Division, Dongfang Mingyue would definitely be the greatest among women!"
Hmm!
Ye Zhenghao nodded in agreement upon hearing this. There were very few women with high cultivation in the ruins. Dongfang Mingyue was already quite good among them.
If she could reach the peak cultivation of the ruins, like a Heavenly rank expert, she would absolutely be an existence that all women would look up to.
Thinking of this, he suddenly felt a sense of admiration for Dongfang Mingyue, and his respect gradually grew.
Seeing the changes in Ye Zhenghao's expression, Ye Yaoyang revealed a satisfied smile.
He looked at him and continued, "Zhenghao, I won't keep you guessing. I've taken a liking to this Dongfang Mingyue!"
"What!"
Ye Zhenghao's eyes widened. Ye Yaoyang was already quite old. If he married Dongfang Mingyue, wouldn't that be like an old bull eating young grass, inviting endless criticism?
Thinking of this, he said, "Father, are you looking for a stepmother for me? Forgive me for being blunt, but you don't seem to be a suitable match, do you? Many people will criticize you..."
Slap!
Before Ye Zhenghao could finish, Ye Yaoyang's face turned green, and he angrily hit Ye Zhenghao.
Ye Zhenghao clutched his head with a grimace, his eyes filled with confusion. Had he said something wrong?
Sensing Ye Zhenghao's gaze, Ye Yaoyang glared at him fiercely.
"I'm already old and have no such thoughts. Moreover, what you said is right. Can I do something worse than a beast?"
"Uh..."
Ye Zhenghao paused slightly, understood, and nodded, continuing, "Father, you said you took a liking to Dongfang Mingyue..."
"I've taken a liking to her as a daughter-in-law!" Ye Yaoyang said with annoyance.
Ah?
Ye Zhenghao's eyes immediately widened. Daughter-in-law meant his wife, since Ye Yaoyang only had him as a son.
Thinking of this, he quickly said, "Father, are you sure? How could that be possible?"
"What's impossible?"
"You are unmarried, and she is unmarried. One is the manager of the Hidden Division, and the other is the successor of the Blazing Fire Institute. It's a good match."
Ye Yaoyang said quickly. He had been looking for this daughter-in-law for a long time, as he also wanted to hold his grandson soon.
And Dongfang Mingyue was currently the most suitable candidate.
"This..."
Ye Zhenghao was somewhat troubled. He had only met Dongfang Mingyue for the first time, and Ye Yaoyang wanted them to get married. He had no affection for her, and it was truly hard to accept.
Moreover, he had already lost face in front of Dongfang Mingyue before. How could he have the face to mention marriage!
Seeing Ye Zhenghao lower his head, Ye Yaoyang snorted and said, "You go back and think about the benefits of marrying Dongfang Mingyue! Then decide what you should do..."
Benefits?
Ye Zhenghao was slightly stunned. He hadn't even thought of marrying Dongfang Mingyue, let alone benefits!
But since his father, Ye Yaoyang, had said so, he could only agree and go back to think about it slowly. He then turned and left the True Fire Hall.
...
Early morning, the sun rose.
The refreshing morning air was incredibly invigorating to breathe.
After a simple warm-up, Ye Cangtian walked out of his room and into the hall.
"You're awake?"
Dongfang Mingyue greeted Ye Cangtian as he entered.
Ye Cangtian nodded, then came to her side, sat down, picked up the breakfast on the table, and began to eat.
"Little brother, I forgot to ask you last night, why did you mention the Five Poisons Sect!"
Dongfang Mingyue hesitated for a moment, then finally asked.
He had previously said that having the Blazing Fire Institute destroy the Five Poisons Sect's branches was a show of loyalty, but after much thought, she felt that he had another intention.
However, she was indeed very tired after the banquet last night, so she waited until now to ask.
Upon hearing this, Ye Cangtian smiled faintly and said, "It's nothing, I just wanted to find something for the Blazing Fire Institute to do..."
He was certain that the Blazing Fire Institute had ulterior motives towards Dongfang Mingyue, or the Hidden Division.
And now that the Hidden Division was in the spotlight, it was not suitable to have conflicts with any forces.
Therefore, he planned to pit the Blazing Fire Institute against the Five Poisons Sect.
This way, a portion of the Blazing Fire Institute's attention would be drawn to the Five Poisons Sect, which would reduce a lot of pressure on the Hidden Division.
In addition, if the two sides wore each other down.
Then, when the Hidden Division had the spare capacity to deal with the Five Poisons Sect, the Five Poisons Sect's strength would have greatly diminished, making it easier to deal with them.
However, it was a pity that Ye Yaoyang seemed to have seen through his intentions and did not agree.
So, all of this was as good as unspoken.
"Little brother, you're really insidious!"
"If it weren't for that old fox Ye Yaoyang being so cunning, he might have really been tricked by you!"
After hearing Ye Cangtian's words, Dongfang Mingyue reacted and then gave him a speechless look, smiling helplessly.
It was fortunate that Ye Cangtian was one of them. If he were an opponent, the Hidden Division would likely be not far from destruction.