Who is imprisoned here?
With this thought, Ye Cangtian began searching for mechanisms, and before long, he opened a secret door.
Upon arriving at the entrance, Ye Cangtian was once again stunned by the sight before him.
The walls of the room were adorned with the corpses of women.
These women had died in agony, their muscles shriveled, their skin devoid of luster and moisture, clearly dried out for an unknown period.
"Save me..."
Just then, a faint voice echoed again.
Ye Cangtian followed the sound and saw that one of the women's lips were moving; she was not yet dead, her open eyes flickering with a plea.
Seeing this, Ye Cangtian hurried over and placed his hand on the woman's wrist.
The next moment, Ye Cangtian's face showed a helpless expression. The woman's internal organs had already failed, and her life force was but a thread. In such a state, even a Great Returning Pill would be powerless to save her.
To be honest, surviving until now was a testament to her tenacious will and a miracle in itself.
"I'm sorry, I can't do anything."
"If you have any unfulfilled wishes, you can tell me, and I will do my best to fulfill them."
Ye Cangtian did not choose to hide the truth from the dying woman, but instead told her truthfully.
Perhaps understanding her own condition, the woman did not seem overly agitated by Ye Cangtian's words.
She struggled to lift her head, looking at the silver mask on his face.
After a long while, she weakly said, "I don't want to become a dried corpse, hanging here to be spectated by that perverted old lecher. I want to go home, back to my parents..."
The woman revealed her identity and family matters to Ye Cangtian.
Ye Cangtian then learned that this woman was the daughter, Xiao Fang, who had been separated from the middle-aged couple at the Public Security Department earlier.
He pondered for a long time, then finally nodded slowly.
Honestly, taking away these corpses would not be difficult; they could simply be placed in a Qiankun Bag.
The problem was, if these corpses disappeared, the moment the old lecher mentioned by Xiao Fang returned, he would immediately notice.
Even if he were not the most foolish, he would know that an outsider had infiltrated the Dark Association. He would then conduct a thorough search within the organization, and it was possible that Ye Cangtian would be exposed.
However, faced with the dying plea of an innocent woman, and coupled with his disgust and hatred for the old lecher, he agreed.
Thinking this, he spoke, "Xiao Fang, tell me what happened, perhaps I can avenge you!"
"It's better if you don't know."
"The Dark Association is hypocritical; there isn't a good person among them, and you are no exception. If I had another choice, I wouldn't ask you..."
Xiao Fang glanced at Ye Cangtian and said weakly, her eyes flashing only with hatred.
If it weren't for the Dark Association, she wouldn't be where she was today; she would still be that innocent and romantic girl...
"Believe me, I am different, or I wouldn't have agreed to your request," Ye Cangtian said, frowning.
"Alright, since you want to know, I'll tell you."
"But if you die because of it, don't blame me! It's all the Public Security Department's doing..."
Xiao Fang, hearing his words and seeing the sincerity in his eyes, pondered for a long time before finally revealing everything.
The Security Department brought these women here to be toyed with and enjoyed by that old lecher.
She thought this was the worst outcome; at least she would keep her life. However, these women soon realized they were mistaken.
When the old lecher grew tired of playing with them, he would turn into a devil, absorbing their Yin essence to supplement his Yang, draining every last trace of their life force.
She was the last one, and also the luckiest and most tragic.
Lucky enough to survive until now, but tragically enduring endless pain and the fear of death.
She should have died too, but before dying, someone suddenly reported that something had happened, and the old lecher had left in a hurry, leaving her with a sliver of breath.
"Who is that old lecher?"
Ye Cangtian inquired, though he already had a guess in his heart, merely waiting for her to say it herself.
"Someone who can have the Security Department serve him, and can be called an old lecher, who else could it be?"
"It's that bastard from Chenghai!"
"He appears virtuous and respected, but in reality, he is a wicked demon!"
Xiao Fang glanced at Ye Cangtian and roared with immense excitement.
The next moment, she suddenly calmed down, as if she had thought of something, and weakly said, "I know you don't believe me; he's too good at pretending, but I'm telling the truth..."
"I believe you."
"Don't worry, if I have the chance, I will definitely avenge you."
Ye Cangtian nodded slowly. He had already harbored suspicions, and hearing Xiao Fang's words now served to confirm them.
With reluctance, Xiao Fang closed her eyes. Ye Cangtian then collected the bodies of the women into the Qiankun Bag.
They were indeed a group of pitiable women, and he believed their final wishes were the same as Xiao Fang's: to no longer be defiled by Chenghai.
Having done all this, Ye Cangtian exited the secret chamber and continued his search.
Unfortunately, after searching all the rooms and all discoverable secret chambers in the headquarters, he found no news of Tang Qingshan and his wife.
Helpless, Ye Cangtian had to withdraw from the headquarters.
According to the time, Chenghai should be returning soon. During this sensitive period, if he were encountered by Chenghai at the headquarters, it would surely arouse Chenghai's suspicion.
Therefore, Ye Cangtian chose to leave.
Using this time, he changed his attire and, under the guise of the Public Security Department, left a letter of apology, returning Xiao Fang's body to the middle-aged couple.
He also buried the other women.
...
Headquarters.
Chenghai looked at Xuan Sanwu with an unpredictable expression.
Three days had passed since Shangguan Yanran was rescued.
In these three days, the Ghost City had been searched with a fine-tooth comb.
Even the surrounding forests of the Ghost City had been thoroughly searched, yet there was still no trace of Shangguan Yanran.
While Chenghai, frustrated and angry, was preparing to vent his rage, he discovered that the specimens he kept in the secret chamber for his admiration had mysteriously vanished.
This immediately made him nervous.
After all, in the eyes of others, he was a highly respected and esteemed figure.
If those works were exposed, his reputation would be irrevocably damaged, instantly turning him into a flower-picking lecher and an old pervert.
This was not only an insult to him but also tarnished the reputation of the Dark Association. It was possible that the Dark Association might make an example of him to appease pressure from all sides.
This matter could not be taken lightly. In fact, in his opinion, it was even more important than Shangguan Yanran's situation.
Simply put, if Shangguan Yanran was rescued, although he would be held accountable for dereliction of duty, he had done his best. Even if punished, it would not be a capital offense.
But if this matter blew up, his life might not be saved.
Moreover, when Xing Yuan left, he had subtly and explicitly warned him not to go too far.
This probably referred to this matter. Now that it had been exposed, Xing Yuan would likely not let him off the hook either.
Because of this, he found Xuan Sanwu increasingly displeasing, with a faint, bloodthirsty glint in his eyes.
It was simple: during this period, almost all personnel in the Dark Association headquarters had been deployed, leaving only a few guards, all of whom were from the Public Security Department.
With such an incident occurring, it was bound to be related to the Public Security Department.
The most important point was that, apart from Xing Yuan, who was aware of the matter, the only people who knew about it were Xuan Sanwu and his confidants.
Furthermore, Xuan Sanwu was a vindictive person. Chenghai had slapped him a couple of times out of anger before, and he vividly remembered the resentful look in Xuan Sanwu's eyes.
Considering all this, Chenghai believed that this matter might have been orchestrated by Xuan Sanwu.