Back in Youming City, Ye Cangtian handled some follow-up matters.
He informed Wei An of his departure and temporarily assigned a staff member from the branch to manage it, awaiting reinforcements from the Dark Association headquarters.
Having done all this, he then took Manduo Luo and Fei Yan, escorting Xuan Sanqi, and embarked on the journey back.
...
After a few days of travel, Ye Cangtian and his group finally returned to Ghost City.
Ye Cangtian handed Xuan Sanqi over to the staff and then led Manduo Luo and Fei Yan to the main hall.
In the main hall, Hong Mo and Xing Yuan were sipping tea. Upon seeing the trio arrive, they paused their conversation and cast their gazes towards them.
"Greetings, Lord Xing Yuan."
Ye Cangtian, along with Manduo Luo and Fei Yan, bowed respectfully.
Xing Yuan nodded and, with a wave of his hand, a gentle spiritual energy lifted the three of them.
"News from Youming City has started to trickle in, and your performance was excellent..."
Xing Yuan smiled as he looked at Ye Cangtian, his eyes filled with praise.
Honestly, if it were anyone else, this matter would have been difficult to complete.
After all, Xuan Sanqi was a spy who controlled everyone in the entire branch.
Without anyone cooperating with Po Xiao, let alone eradicating the tumor, they probably wouldn't even be able to uncover Xuan Sanqi's secrets.
Yet, Ye Cangtian, with his own strength, had managed to reclaim the branch and eliminate Tian Can Lou, proving his extraordinary ability.
Most importantly, the casualties were minimal. The losses at the Youming City branch were less than one-tenth, a much better outcome than anticipated.
When they first heard that both Xuan Sanqi and Tian Can Lou served the Shinobi Division, Xing Yuan and the three Earth-rank enforcers had felt a chill.
They weren't worried about Po Xiao's safety; an Earth-rank expert wasn't easily killed unless they fought to the death.
Their concern was for the Youming City branch and Youming City as a whole!
No matter how strong Po Xiao was, he was still just one person, and he was new to the area with no established foundation.
Xuan Sanqi, on the other hand, had spent decades in Youming City, building a foundation, bribing everyone in the branch, and with the existence of Tian Can Lou.
It could be said that Youming City had already been taken over by the Shinobi Division.
In light of this, Xing Yuan was about to dispatch reinforcements, but a subsequent letter greatly surprised him.
Po Xiao had not only captured Xuan Sanqi but also cunningly apprehended Duan Dao of Tian Can Lou, and by using the incident with Duan Dao, had forcefully annihilated Tian Can Lou.
The only minor regret was that Tian Can and Duan Dao had not been captured.
However, with Po Xiao reclaiming Youming City single-handedly, Xing Yuan was already quite satisfied.
"Lord Xing Yuan, I have a question!"
"How did Po Xiao confirm Xuan Sanqi was a traitor?"
"As far as I know, Xuan Sanqi has been loyal for decades and is one of Master Cheng Hai's beloved disciples. How could he be a spy?"
"I believe it's likely that Xuan Sanqi had dealings with Tian Can Lou, and thus Po Xiao mistakenly identified him as a spy..."
On the other side, listening to Xing Yuan, Hong Mo quickly stepped forward, bowed respectfully to Xing Yuan, and voiced his opinion.
Tian Can Lou had previously allied with the Dark Association, and cooperation with Xuan Sanqi over the decades was normal.
He believed that Ye Cangtian had seized upon this point and branded Xuan Sanqi as a spy.
As for the reason, it was simple.
He had previously sent a message to Xuan Sanqi, instructing him to refuse any cooperation with Po Xiao's actions. He suspected this had provoked Po Xiao's vengeful nature.
"Po Xiao, what do you say?"
Xing Yuan pondered for a moment. The transmitted message had been brief, merely stating that Xuan Sanqi was a spy for the Shinobi Division, without detailing how Po Xiao had discovered it.
Therefore, faced with Hong Mo's questioning, Xing Yuan still needed an explanation from Po Xiao.
"My Lord, please look."
Ye Cangtian was prepared for such a question. After all, Xuan Sanqi had managed Youming City for decades; it wouldn't be resolved with just a few words, but required concrete evidence.
He directly took out a set of Japanese attire from his Qiankun bag.
As he handed it over, he said, "This set of clothing was found in a secret chamber in Xuan Sanqi's home, and Xuan Sanqi himself has already admitted to his identity as a spy."
Saying this, Ye Cangtian's gaze swept towards Hong Mo and he added calmly, "Lord Hong Mo, Xuan Sanqi has been brought back. If you don't believe me, you can have him brought out for a confrontation."
"Hmph, a confrontation it is!"
Hong Mo snorted coldly. Seeing that Xing Yuan did not object, he directly ordered guards to bring Xuan Sanqi forward.
In his opinion, Xuan Sanqi's confession was coerced by Po Xiao!
Now that he was backing Xuan Sanqi, he was sure Xuan Sanqi would reveal the truth, perhaps even frame Po Xiao.
If that were the case, then Po Xiao's merits for this mission would be greatly diminished!
Before long, Xuan Sanqi was escorted onto the main hall by the guards.
Hong Mo glanced at him and then said, "Xuan Sanqi, do you have anything to say to us, in front of myself and Lord Xing Yuan?"
"Hong Mo, I have nothing to say."
"I am a spy for the Japanese Shinobi Division. Kill me if you wish!"
Xuan Sanqi looked calmly at Hong Mo and said, his tone indifferent.
If it were before, he would have certainly retaliated against Po Xiao.
He would have used the conflict between Po Xiao and Hong Mo to clear his name.
Even if he couldn't, he would have deepened the animosity between Po Xiao and Hong Mo, perhaps sowing the seeds for future internal strife within the Dark Association.
However, now, Xuan Sanqi had abandoned that idea.
The attempt by Tian Can Lou to silence him had left him disheartened. He no longer wished to do anything for Tian Can Lou or for Japan.
"Xuan Sanqi, do you know what it means to say that?"
"Has someone threatened or enticed you?"
Hearing Xuan Sanqi's words, Hong Mo was almost driven mad.
What was the purpose of his actions?
It wasn't just to suppress Po Xiao, but also to save Xuan Sanqi's life, as he was a disciple of Cheng Hai.
But Xuan Sanqi's response not only doomed himself but could also implicate him.
"Hong Mo, I am originally from Japan. There's no need for prevarication! It's just that old man Cheng Hai was blind."
Xuan Sanqi's words were another heavy blow to Hong Mo, making his hands tremble with anger.
If Xing Yuan wasn't present, he would have loved to strike Xuan Sanqi down with a single palm.
Wasn't this a case of the ungrateful biting the hand that fed them?
He had intended to help Xuan Sanqi, but not only did the latter not appreciate it, he even insulted his respected teacher. Truly unappreciative!
On the other side, also listening to Xuan Sanqi's words, Ye Cangtian's eyes revealed a mocking smile.
The reason he dared to bring Xuan Sanqi back to headquarters was entirely due to discovering Xuan Sanqi's deep-seated resentment towards Tian Can Lou.
If not for this, he would have dealt with Xuan Sanqi long ago.
"Since Xuan Sanqi has nothing more to say, let's consider this matter settled. Take him away."
Seeing Hong Mo's predicament, Xing Yuan pondered for a moment and directly made the decision.
After Xuan Sanqi left the hall, his gaze fell upon Ye Cangtian again. "Po Xiao, you have done well this time. What do you wish for..."
"Lord Xing Yuan, I believe the reward should be waived!"
Before Xing Yuan could utter the word "reward," Hong Mo spoke again.
Xing Yuan frowned and looked at Hong Mo, remaining silent for a moment before saying, "Give me an explanation!"
"Lord Xing Yuan, it is true that Po Xiao has merit this time, but he also has faults!"
"He traded Duan Dao for Fei Yan, but putting that aside for now, the crucial point is that he did not pursue Tian Can and Duan Dao when they escaped!"
"Furthermore, the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir last time was an exceptional reward given to Po Xiao. Therefore, this time, it should be waived!"
Hong Mo quickly stated.
In his view, not pursuing Tian Can and Duan Dao was a serious dereliction of duty, and could even be construed as colluding with Tian Can Lou.
Moreover, Tian Can was an Earth-rank expert, and might make a comeback in the future, bringing significant trouble to the Dark Association.