At the same time.
In a dilapidated church somewhere in Nan Province.
A person dressed in a black robe stood beneath the cross. Beneath the wide brim of their hat, a pair of eyes suddenly opened, gazing forward.
In front of them, figures streamed into the church and sat down obediently.
"The International Go Tournament will begin in two days. What I need you to do is ensure that everyone who comes to Daxia to participate in the Go tournament dies within Daxia's borders."
The black-robed person's voice was hoarse but clearly reached everyone's ears.
Someone questioned, "At a time like this, is the Dark Hall treating us as expendable cannon fodder?"
These people were S-class war criminals hidden in Nan Province.
There were only about ten of them now. This was only a portion of those in Nan Province; coming in larger numbers would make them too conspicuous and easily targeted.
The black-robed person spoke slowly, "You can choose not to participate, but don't forget, it was our Dark Hall that paid a great price to rescue you. What, are you afraid of such a small matter compared to your freedom?
If that's the case, I will report it truthfully to Lord Honglian. Of course, I can't guarantee what will happen afterward."
He didn't seem angry, but rather threatened them.
Upon hearing the name Lord Honglian, they immediately fell silent.
That was the Red Lotus Demoness, one of the Eight Divine Kings. Even in the Mo Bei Prison, that name was not unheard of.
The Eight Divine Kings of the Dark Hall were eight individuals who caused headaches for nations worldwide. Even Ye Longlin, before reaching that certain step, wouldn't dare claim absolute victory over them.
"Lord Honglian is in Nan Province?"
Someone asked. If she was truly in Nan Province, then they wouldn't have any room for doubt.
An existence like the Red Lotus Demoness could annihilate them in minutes.
"The Lord has already had an encounter with the Great Xia Heavenly King."
This single sentence made their hearts skip a beat, and their eyes showed a trace of fear.
Neither the Great Xia Heavenly King nor the Red Lotus Demoness were individuals that S-class war criminals like them could afford to provoke.
"If that's the case, is the Great Xia Heavenly King currently in Nan Province as well? Are we capable of provoking someone of that caliber? Moreover, with the Great Xia Heavenly King here, with our meager numbers, do we still think we can confront the Great Xia Heavenly King head-on? That's unrealistic."
A middle-aged man sitting in the front row shook his head.
Although he didn't outright refuse, his words were filled with rejection.
It was truly difficult. With the Red Lotus Demoness of the Dark Hall here, and the Great Xia Heavenly King also present, the idea of anyone causing trouble here was essentially extinguished.
"Well said. The Great Xia Heavenly King is here, and in a sense, the Great Xia Heavenly King represents the face of Great Xia. If the Great Xia Heavenly King falters, this matter will truly escalate. Is the Dark Hall so arrogant now that they dare to cause trouble on Daxia's territory?"
Someone next to the middle-aged man spoke up. He was wearing a white coat, clearly dressed as a doctor.
The black-robed person's tone remained calm, "We have long experienced the methods of the Daxia authorities and do not have too many scruples. At most, it will be classified as a terrorist attack. As long as there are no casualties among ordinary people, Daxia will not actively pursue it. This matter is bound to escalate anyway; creating international disputes is our objective."
...
Meanwhile, Ye Longlin was unaware of the Dark Hall's plan. He was currently at a club, teaching Qi Chuyao how to play Go.
"These are basically the basic strategies. As long as you thoroughly grasp what I've taught you, winning the championship won't be difficult."
"Go is inherently a treasure of our country. As long as you use your mind properly, there will always be a chance of survival."
Ye Longlin got up. They had played six games, and he had imparted almost everything he could teach.
He remembered that Daxia currently did not have a female national Go player. If she could become one, it would not be a waste of his efforts.
"Teacher, for your teachings, Chuyao will repay you with boundless gratitude."
Qi Chuyao respectfully performed a disciple's bow, regarding herself as a disciple.
Ye Longlin waved his hand, not dwelling on these trivial matters. "Only by winning do you earn the right."
Yuan Gang approached quickly, his expression somewhat grim. He handed over a tablet, on which was an image of a woman holding an ID card, clearly a video.
"My name is Zhang Lanying. I am reporting the Wang family for the murder of my son's family. My son was a soldier. After being honorably discharged five years ago due to injuries, he made a living by setting up a street food stall.
Five days ago, someone from the Wang family ordered a pancake from my son's stall but didn't pay. My son reminded them, but was retaliated against by the Wang family and sent to the hospital, where he died that night.
Afterward, my daughter-in-law suffered from gas poisoning at home, leaving only my granddaughter. Yesterday, the Wang family's lawyer came to my door, wanting me to sign a release of liability agreement, but I refused. They then seized the bodies of my son and daughter-in-law.
Here, I hope that the relevant departments can intervene. My son shed blood for Daxia, nearly dying on the battlefield. I don't seek revenge, only justice."
As the choked sobs subsided, Yuan Gang said with a dark expression, "This matter has already hit the trending topics and is rapidly gaining popularity, attracting widespread public attention.
The Veterans Association is already investigating. The heat of this matter is too high for the Wang family to suppress. They activated various public relations management efforts, but still couldn't contain it, which is why it's gaining this much attention now.
After verification, this incident is real, and the family in the video has also been investigated. They are indeed military personnel, and what's more, they are... Captains of the Qilin Army's assault battalions. I have already contacted the Veterans Headquarters to establish a special investigation team, which is currently en route."
The predecessor to the Dragon Pavilion was the Qilin Army, which was also why Yuan Gang's expression was grim.
The current Four Heavenly Kings were not the initial group that followed Ye Longlin in conquering territories; they were all from the second batch, those around the time the Dragon Pavilion was established.
The very first batch was called the Qilin Army.
And that batch was the earliest, but most of them had retired. Their information was classified as top-secret Level One confidential data.
Ye Longlin had the authority to check, but he never had.
Since they had already retired, there was no need to intrude upon their lives.
However, hearing about this incident suddenly made Ye Longlin's expression turn somber.
"Cause and effect."
Ye Longlin's tone also turned cold at this moment.
Qi Sheng, who had been listening to their conversation the entire time, remained silent for a moment before speaking, "It's not surprising that the Wang family did it.
Recently, the Sun family in Rongcheng has been getting quite close to the Wang family, intending to form a marriage alliance. However, because the eldest daughter of the Zhang family looked down on Wang Shao, five days ago, likely during their meeting, I suspect that after Wang Shao was rejected, this incident occurred.
Furthermore, Wang Shao is also a food blogger with a considerable number of followers. If this matter is not handled properly, it will be very troublesome."