Chen Fan couldn't help but think of the Recluse.
As far as he knew, of the remaining three Dragon Pattern Compass fragments, one was in the hands of the forces behind Su Yuhua, one was believed to be in the hands of Japan's top conglomerate, and the last one was still in the Recluse's possession.
Ye Yunchen and Su Yuhua seemed to have no connection. Given his experience of being saved by an outsider in the past, Chen Fan naturally made this conjecture and asked a probing question.
The Recluse's strength was considerable, so it was quite possible that his disciples were at the peak of Hua Jin or even Martial Dao Grandmasters.
In this regard, the Recluse was a more fitting identity for Ye Yunchen's master.
Under Chen Fan's chilling gaze, Ye Yunchen felt pressured.
He braced himself and sneered, "What Recluse? Never heard of him."
"Then who is your master?"
Seeing Ye Yunchen's expression, which didn't seem fake, Chen Fan asked.
"You wouldn't know the name of my master even if I told you."
Ye Yunchen was by no means a simple-minded person. He also knew he couldn't let Chen Fan dominate the conversation, so he evaded the question and said, "Let's just talk about this Dragon Pattern Compass fragment. Do you want it or not?"
"Of course I want it. What are your terms?"
Chen Fan also withdrew the chill from his eyes and said.
If Ye Yunchen were a disciple of the Recluse, the situation would become even more complicated.
However, based on Ye Yunchen's current performance, his master might indeed not be the Recluse.
But Ye Yunchen's behavior alone couldn't rule out this possibility, and he would definitely need to investigate further.
Now that Ye Yunchen had returned to the capital, his master and sect would soon surface, so he wouldn't have to wait too long.
"That depends on what you can offer."
Holding his leverage, Ye Yunchen felt much more confident. He said with his hands behind his back, "You know my objective: I want to eliminate the Brotherhood and restore the glory of the Four Seas Gang. What kind of help can you provide me?"
Chen Fan scoffed and said, "I do need that Dragon Pattern Compass fragment, but I can't let you have it for free. State your specific terms."
It was like a business deal; bargaining was inevitable.
"I want the list of the Brotherhood's core high-ranking members. That's the first thing!"
Ye Yunchen had already considered his options and said leisurely, "In addition, you will unconditionally agree to two more requests from me. Once you complete them, I will hand over the Dragon Pattern Compass fragment with both hands."
"Three requests?"
Chen Fan narrowed his eyes and asked.
"Is there a problem?" Ye Yunchen asked.
"Agreed," Chen Fan thought for a moment and said, "However, if I am unwilling to fulfill your requests, I have the right to refuse. As for the list of Brotherhood high-ranking members, I don't have it right now!"
Ye Yunchen sneered, "Chen Tianjiao, you're so arrogant, I thought you were much more capable. Turns out you're no match for the Brotherhood! You can't do anything about them!"
"Back then, the Four Seas Gang was so powerful and glorious, yet it eventually vanished into thin air, wasn't it?" Chen Fan said calmly, "For me, as long as I find the Brotherhood's roots, apprehending them all at once is as easy as turning my hand. As for you..."
He shook his head, his disdain evident.
This time, Ye Yunchen was not angered. He said, "In that case, let me give you a name: Fan Songnian from Yuzhou. This person is an elder of the Brotherhood. If you have the guts, capture him. You can extract a lot of information from him."
Chen Fan was taken aback.
"Fan Songnian from Yuzhou? Who is that?"
Ye Yunchen said with a hint of mockery, "If you're so capable, why ask me? Investigate it yourself."
Clearly, he was still holding a grudge because Chen Fan had failed to recruit him and had instead thoroughly beaten him. He wouldn't miss an opportunity to mock Chen Fan.
"Why should I believe you?" Chen Fan scoffed. "How do I know you're not using a borrowed knife to kill someone?"
"A mere Fan Songnian is not worth me using you?"
Ye Yunchen said indignantly, "I have already met this person. In front of me, he was subservient and repeatedly mentioned his past friendship with my father. It would be difficult for me to kill him directly!"
Chen Fan said calmly, "Then what value does this person have?"
"Naturally, he has value."
Ye Yunchen said, "At that time, he was very humble, but his words were not entirely truthful. I had to consider the feelings of some of the old brothers in the gang, so I couldn't torture him severely. With you, there are no such scruples, right?"
Chen Fan nodded, with a hint of sarcasm, "I see. You were fooled by him."
Ye Yunchen's face darkened. "Who says I was fooled? I said I was just considering the thoughts of some of the elders in the gang. I am also rallying the old members of the Four Seas Gang. If I kill him without concrete evidence, it might chill many people's hearts."
Chen Fan was too lazy to continue provoking Ye Yunchen. He said, "How long have you been back in the capital? Has the Brotherhood reacted to your return? They couldn't possibly not know yet, right?"
"I've only been back for three days."
Ye Yunchen said, "The Brotherhood might already know the news, but I'm actually looking forward to them coming for me, to kill me and nip the problem in the bud. I will make them pay for the blood feud of the past!" Da Feng Novel Network
"I have some information about the Brotherhood, but it's not much different from what you have. I'd like to learn more from you."
Chen Fan said, "Then let's exchange information. Let's exchange contact details, and I'll send you a compiled report on the Brotherhood later."
On such important matters, Ye Yunchen would naturally not let pride get in the way. He said, "Alright, I'll give you a report on the information I have as well, in exchange."
Although it was called an exchange, both of them knew that if it were crucial information, they wouldn't tell each other.
"You can leave now."
Having said that, this meeting was essentially over. Ye Yunchen disliked Chen Fan's face and began to usher him out. "Three things. The first is the complete list of the Brotherhood's core members. Once these three things are done, the Dragon Pattern Compass fragment will be delivered to you."
Chen Fan narrowed his eyes. "Agreed."
"Then I hope you can act quickly. If you're not timely enough, that fragment will have nothing to do with you."
Chen Fan remained noncommittal. He signaled Wei Bingying and strode out of the ancestral hall.
Outside the ancestral hall, many of Ye Yunchen's subordinates were glaring at Chen Fan with unfriendly expressions as he emerged.
Two young men lunged at Chen Fan. One of them shouted sternly, "Chen, you dared to shoot Uncle Li, I'll cripple you!"
Chen Fan's expression was calm. Just as he was about to raise his hand, a stern shout rang out.
"Stop!"
A burly man in his fifties, with a voice like a thunderclap, said, "The Young Gang Leader hasn't given the order, what are you trying to do?"
"Have you forgotten the purpose for which the Young Gang Leader gathered you here?"
Those impulsive young men looked fearful and hesitantly stepped aside.
"Mr. Chen, please forgive my subordinates."
The man said, "I am Dong Peng, the Azure Dragon Head of the Four Seas Gang. On behalf of the Five Protectors, Four Heads, and Twelve Hall Masters of the Four Seas Gang, I extend our greetings to you, Mr. Chen."
Chen Fan looked at Dong Peng and smiled, saying, "Thank you."
This was not a greeting, but a display of force.
Of course, if it were the Four Seas Gang at its peak, having so many capable subordinates would be normal. Now, he didn't believe the Four Seas Gang still had so many core members... even if they did, they were not worth mentioning.
"Mr. Chen, please get in the car. Travel safely!"
Dong Peng's gaze was deep, his emotions unreadable as he watched Chen Fan. He waved, ordering his men to move the cars and clear a path.
Chen Fan had Wei Bingying drive as they left the Ye family's ancestral hall.
As they passed the racing cars, several racers showed no surprise at this scene.
The fiery blonde beauty with blue eyes whistled and gave Chen Fan a provocative gesture, shouting, "Let's have a good race next time."
She spoke in a foreign language, and many people in the Four Seas Gang didn't understand her meaning, but they still focused their attention on her.
Chen Fan didn't even glance at her. After Wei Bingying drove the car out of the group of vehicles, they sped away.