Ye Cangtian's reasoning was not without merit. Firstly, the prison was located within the branch's compound, making a silent infiltration impossible, let alone smuggling someone out.
The same applied to Gui Wu.
Gui Wu had arrived for the first time today, and the two rooms arranged for Gui Wu and Po Xiao, though adjacent, were assigned randomly.
Without an inside informant, it would be impossible to locate Gui Wu accurately. A blind search would easily alert the guards.
Therefore, considering these two points, there was likely an inside mole within the Jieyin City branch, and they wouldn't be of low status.
This was also why Xuan Shisi could not escape responsibility.
Large beads of sweat formed on Xuan Shisi's forehead. After a long pause, he gritted his teeth, cupped his fists, and said, "My lord, rest assured, I will definitely expose the mole!"
"Then hurry!"
Ye Cangtian waved his hand. Seeing the other man rise to leave, he added a reminder, "Remember, keep them alive. The mole might reveal the identity of their associates!"
Upon hearing this, Xuan Shisi acknowledged and left the room.
After meeting with Xuan Shisi, Ye Cangtian headed to a teahouse within Jieyin City.
This was the agreed-upon meeting place with the Yin Group's intelligence department.
About an hour later, a figure finally entered the private room of the teahouse.
He was tall and thin, appearing as if a strong gust of wind could blow him away.
"Mr. Ye, hello. I am Hua Wu, the head of the Yin Group stationed in Jieyin City."
"May I ask what matter has prompted Mr. Ye to issue an urgent signal?"
The man recognized Ye Cangtian at once and spoke directly.
Ye Cangtian nodded, organized his thoughts, and then said, "You should have received news about yesterday's events, right?"
"Mm."
Hua Wu responded with a questioning look.
The commotion yesterday had been quite significant, with almost the entire Dark Association branch mobilized. It was impossible for him not to know.
"I want to know, which faction was responsible for yesterday's incident?" Ye Cangtian inquired.
"This... I'm not sure."
Hearing Ye Cangtian's words, Hua Wu replied sheepishly.
Due to Jieyin City's proximity to the ruins' entrance, the Dark Association placed great importance on this location, stationing heavy troops here.
This meant that to survive and gather intelligence in this area, one had to be extremely cautious.
Upon hearing this, Ye Cangtian frowned and said, "Hua Wu, this matter is extremely important. I hope you will cooperate with me and thoroughly investigate this."
"Since Mr. Ye has asked, it's naturally no problem."
Hua Wu quickly agreed and continued, "However, these people have likely already retreated. Our strength alone is insufficient. I will contact our comrades in other cities for assistance in the search."
"Good, then I'll trouble you to make the arrangements! But be sure to prioritize safety."
"I await your news..."
Ye Cangtian nodded upon hearing this.
Since these individuals had not left the ruins, they were bound to pass through various cities, possibly leaving some clues behind.
With the assistance of comrades from other cities, the search would be quicker, so he naturally wouldn't refuse.
After a brief exchange, Ye Cangtian left the teahouse. The Yin Group's influence within the Dark Ruins was not strong, and they operated in secrecy.
However, this matter could not solely rely on the Yin Group; the Dark Association was primarily responsible. As long as both sides took action, he believed this faction would soon have nowhere to hide.
...
Time flew by, and a day passed.
As the hourglass marked the dawn of the second day, Ye Cangtian received important news from Hua Wu.
Hua Wu had dispatched all intelligence personnel to inquire with other factions within Jieyin City, even going so far as to offer substantial rewards.
Finally, a piece of information was obtained!
It was rumored that before the incident, people from the Anti-Dark Association had been seen in Jieyin City.
However, after the incident, no one had seen them again.
Could it be the Anti-Dark Association?
Ye Cangtian began to ponder. The ultimate goal of the Anti-Dark Association was to eliminate the Dark Association.
While their own forces had grown considerably, they were clearly not yet capable of shaking the Dark Association. Therefore, orchestrating such a divisive incident was within the realm of possibility.
What surprised him, however, was that the Anti-Dark Association was more powerful than he had imagined.
They not only had informants within the headquarters but had also made arrangements in Jieyin City. Most unexpectedly, they had reached into the mercenary group Caesar.
Thinking back, it was truly terrifying.
Furthermore, Ye Cangtian had another point of confusion.
If the Anti-Dark Association rescued Lu Sers, why did they also abduct Gui Wu?
Gui Wu had become a cripple, and the Shinobi division was in ruins. What use was abducting Gui Wu to them?
After a moment, Ye Cangtian shook off the miscellaneous thoughts swirling in his mind.
If he couldn't figure it out, he wouldn't dwell on it.
Moreover, now that the Anti-Dark Association had been identified, he couldn't stand idly by. He had to act immediately to prevent any harm to Gui Wu.
Fortunately, Ye Cangtian had prior dealings with Fei Chen and Xuan Bing of the Anti-Dark Association.
If he could contact them, perhaps they could intercede.
The only problem now was that he didn't know how to contact them or where they were located.
Such matters could only be left to the Yin Group's intelligence department. Trying to find them himself would be too time-consuming.
With that in mind, he handed over the task of contacting Fei Chen and Xuan Bing to Hua Wu, who would notify the brethren in other cities. Ye Cangtian himself returned to the branch.
...
The next day, at the Jieyin City branch.
After Ye Cangtian's return, Xuan Shisi soon found him in a hurry.
Seeing the other man's anxious expression, Ye Cangtian immediately understood that he must have received some news.
However, he didn't know if it was good news or bad news.
"Lord Po Xiao, the guards I dispatched have just found some clues today."
Hearing this, Ye Cangtian nodded and quickly pressed for details.
He then learned that the branch guards had discovered some hoof prints and carriage tracks in the mountain forest path outside the city.
It was estimated that at least a dozen horses and a carriage had headed towards the depths of the Dark Ruins.
"Very good."
"Now, inform the branch departments in other cities to deploy all their scouts, find them, and track them!"
"Remember, until I arrive, no one is to alert them!"
Ye Cangtian quickly gave the order and was about to leave, following the hoof prints.
But as he took a step, Xuan Shisi stopped him.
"My lord, I admit I was negligent in my duties, but considering my diligent efforts, I implore you not to blame me..."
Xuan Shisi quickly said.
He had no choice but to speak now. With news having emerged, the others would surely pursue them, but when they would return was uncertain.
If he didn't beg for leniency beforehand, and Po Xiao exaggerated the matter in his report, his situation would be dire.
"Whether you can escape this ordeal depends on whether I can catch them."
"Otherwise, even I would find it difficult to exonerate you!"
"So, you had best step aside and not delay me in my pursuit!"
Ye Cangtian glanced at Xuan Shisi and said indifferently.
In fact, considering his recent performance, which had been reasonably diligent, he might have let Xuan Shisi off the hook once.
However, since Gui Wu and Lu Sers were abducted from here, he had to teach the man a lesson, making him worry for a few days as a form of punishment.
"Guards!"
"Quick! Prepare a horse for Lord Po Xiao, the fastest horse, speed..."
Hearing Po Xiao's words, Xuan Shisi, without a word, began to shout and simultaneously ordered someone to relay Ye Cangtian's instructions to the various cities at top speed.
...