The commercial street, once the most prosperous area of the city.
However, after countless years, it had fallen into disrepair, leaving only these structures to mark its past glory.
Currently, at the forefront of the commercial street, many major powers were situated within the houses here.
The Tamu Mercenary Organization, the Caesar Mercenary Group, and other top-ranked organizations of the Mercenary Alliance.
Besides them, there were also some armed groups. Although they no longer possessed firearms, these individuals, relying on their sheer numbers, had managed to stealthily reach this place despite heavy losses.
Inside a three-story pavilion.
A handsome man leaned against a stone chair, idly swirling a glass goblet, seemingly enjoying himself.
Behind him, a blonde woman bowed and said, "Young Master, the spoils of war have been tallied. We acquired twenty-eight spirit stones, three ordinary weapons from the ruins, and eliminated eleven members of an assassin organization."
"These spirit stones have all been delivered to Lord Reagan. Lord Reagan mentioned that upon returning to the Bright Hall, he will grant us seven slots in the Heavenly Net!"
"Only seven slots?"
The handsome man furrowed his brow slightly but quickly relaxed, chuckling, "Seven is seven. After all, this is just the beginning. The real treasures are all within the City Lord's Mansion!"
Across the commercial street stood a magnificent, colossal building.
That was the very center of the entire ruin, the City Lord's Mansion!
The Heavenly Net had dispatched seventy to eighty assassins this time, including a full three S-class assassins, eleven A-class assassins, and the rest were assassins nearing the A-class level.
It could be said that nearly eighty percent of the Heavenly Net's strength was concentrated here.
Furthermore, they were supported by powerful individuals from the Bright Hall. Such a formidable lineup placed them among the top forces that had entered the ruins.
"What is the current situation with the other factions?" the handsome man suddenly asked again.
"The Caesar Mercenary Group has gathered in the north, mere hundreds of meters from us. The Tamu Mercenary Group is behind us. Lord Reagan has instructed us not to engage in conflict with the Tamu Mercenary Group..." the blonde woman hesitated.
The handsome man's eyebrows rose, and he immediately guessed the reason.
The Tamu Mercenary Group, like their Heavenly Net organization, likely had cooperation with the Bright Hall, making them part of the same faction!
He waved his hand, signaling her to continue.
The blonde woman nodded and proceeded, "There's no news about the Pandora Mercenary Group, only some scattered members have been detected. Should we eliminate those individuals?"
Eliminating some stray members of the Pandora Mercenary Group in advance would also serve to weaken a competitor's strength.
However, the handsome man shook his head with a smile, "No need. The members of the Pandora Mercenary Group are very loyal. Be careful not to anger them; these people are difficult to deal with, and Zhao Ziyang is a significant figure."
The above were the major powers that had entered the ruins.
Aside from the Heavenly Net, the Caesar Mercenary Group, the Tamu Mercenary Group, and the Pandora Mercenary Group were all among the most powerful mercenary organizations in the Mercenary Alliance.
As for the numerous armed factions, the handsome man simply didn't take them seriously.
"Right, what's the situation with the Huaxia Dragon Group?"
"Well, we received news that the Huaxia Dragon Group had an encounter with the Tamu Mercenary Group. However, they suffered losses and subsequently retreated to the residential area by the south city gate."
"It seems the Huaxia Dragon Group is the weakest faction this time!" The handsome man chuckled with amusement.
Although on the surface it was a contest between several major powers, the handsome man knew very well that, in essence, this was a confrontation between the Dark Council and the Bright Hall.
As for China's side, it seemed only two Dragon Group teams had arrived. While powerful, they were not a concern.
Of course, the Dark Association would be handled by the strong individuals of the Bright Hall; they didn't need to worry about that.
Seeing the blonde woman still hesitating to speak, the handsome man frowned, "Just say it directly, don't beat around the bush."
The blonde woman nodded, "It's about Lord Reagan. He wants a woman!"
"This old geezer! I can't believe the Bright Hall has such a vulgar person!"
The handsome man gritted his teeth and cursed, then took a deep breath, "Didn't I tell you to accompany him?"
The blonde woman blushed and explained, "Lord Reagan wants a virgin!"
"Scoundrel! Where am I supposed to find one for him in this ruin? Does he want a tigress from the wild? His tastes are truly peculiar. What exactly does he want?" The handsome man's expression turned grim.
"When Gu Yue attempted to assassinate you the other day, Lord Reagan saw her. Therefore, what Lord Reagan wants is... is Gu Yue!" the blonde woman said cautiously.
"Bang!"
The glass goblet was smashed to the ground, shattering into pieces.
The handsome man's face turned ashen. Gu Yue was a woman he fancied. Although this girl was spirited and had not only refused to submit to him but had also attempted to assassinate him multiple times, to the handsome man, such a woman was even more alluring.
If he coveted the woman he had set his sights on, did this old man truly believe their Heavenly Net would fear him?
If it weren't for the fact that the other party was from the Bright Hall, he would have lost his temper long ago!
The handsome man snorted, "Tell him that after Gu Yue assassinated me, she fled in severe condition, and her whereabouts are currently unknown."
The blonde woman hesitated, "But... Lord Reagan left just now. Because an assassin returned with a report stating Gu Yue's whereabouts, and Lord Reagan overheard it..."
"Bastard!"
...
Hundreds of meters away, in an inn.
This place had many rooms of varying sizes. Although much of the furnishings had rotted with age, it served as a decent hiding place.
Gu Yue was leaning against the wall, her face extremely pale, appearing to have lost a lot of blood.
She had sustained multiple knife wounds, several of which had been life-threatening. Although the bleeding had been stopped long ago, her body was extremely weak.
Her reason for infiltrating the ruins this time was to assassinate the young master of the Heavenly Net organization.
The Heavenly Net headquarters had numerous experts, making it difficult for her to get an opportunity to assassinate him. This ruin presented the best chance.
Unfortunately—she had ultimately failed!
Gu Yue never imagined that the Heavenly Net would dispatch dozens of elite assassins this time, including three S-class assassins. It was as if the entire elite force of the Heavenly Net base had been mobilized.
Her injuries were severe, and even the slightest movement now caused her to groan in pain.
She fumbled open her backpack and searched, but found no antibiotics or similar medications. This meant that even if she wasn't killed by the Heavenly Net assassins, her wounds would be fatal if left untreated.
Sighing softly, Gu Yue let out a bitter smile and closed her eyes slightly.
Perhaps she was truly going to die in this place!
"Bang!"
Suddenly, a loud noise echoed.
Gu Yue opened her eyes, her expression changing slightly.
However, she soon heard a jovial voice say, "Beauty, don't hide. I know you're here."
Gu Yue's expression shifted. Although she didn't recognize the voice, she could somewhat guess who it belonged to.
It was an expert from the Bright Hall!
Furthermore, during her repeated observations, Gu Yue had discovered this person to be extremely lecherous and perverted. Before entering the ruins, that person had cruelly tortured and killed several innocent girls.
How did he find her? Gu Yue gritted her teeth, tightened her grip on the short sword, and slowly stood up.