The office.
Files were piled high on the desk. Dongfang Mingyue, seated in her office chair, had no mind for work.
She held her teacup, her gaze drifting towards the window.
Although Ye Cangtian's strength was formidable, capable of devouring potent poisons, that was the Five Poisons Sect after all. Who knew if there were any poisons he couldn't consume?
If such a poison existed, Ye Cangtian might very well fall victim to it…
*Screech!*
Just as Dongfang Mingyue was worrying, the door suddenly opened, and Ye Cangtian's figure appeared before her.
Seeing that Ye Cangtian had no injuries and his aura was stable, Dongfang Mingyue finally felt relieved.
She then began to question him, saying, "You brat, why did you take so long? Were those lackeys really that hard to deal with?"
*Heh!*
Ye Cangtian shot her a disgruntled glance and replied, "Sister Mingyue, you speak from a position of comfort. Do you think those people would surrender without a fight?"
"Naturally, they wouldn't."
Dongfang Mingyue glanced indifferently at Ye Cangtian and continued, "However, with your strength, once you found them, wouldn't dealing with them be as simple as grasping something within your hand?"
*Ugh…*
Hearing this, Ye Cangtian felt somewhat speechless.
Truth be told, if he had gone all out, it wouldn't have taken too long to deal with Han Weicao and the others.
But the problem was that he hadn't, so he couldn't really refute Dongfang Mingyue's statement.
Thus, Ye Cangtian's mind flashed with an idea, and he directly changed the subject, saying, "Sister Mingyue, although the trouble from the Five Poisons Sect has been resolved this time, they, like the Hall of Light, will not give up easily, so…"
*Hm?*
Dongfang Mingyue's brows furrowed. She understood Ye Cangtian's intention; he clearly wanted to resolve the issues with the Five Poisons Sect once and for all.
Thinking this, she looked at Ye Cangtian and said, "You brat, this is no small matter. In some aspects, the Five Poisons Sect is not inferior to the Hall of Light…"
In Dongfang Mingyue's opinion, the Five Poisons Sect was certainly no match for the Hall of Light.
After all, at its peak, the Hall of Light had four Heavenly-tier experts and several enshrined elders, while the Five Poisons Sect did not.
But the problem was that the core strength of the Five Poisons Sect was not inferior to the Hall of Light.
The Five Poisons Sect, through the use of poisons, had forcibly elevated their strength, creating quite a few masters.
What was most troublesome was that each of these masters knew how to use poison.
If the Hidden Group were to go to war with the Five Poisons Sect, even if Heavenly-tier experts like Ye Cangtian were to intervene, the Hidden Group would likely suffer heavy casualties.
It was even possible that the Hidden Group would be overthrown from its position of dominance in the ruins.
The reason was simple: while the poisons of the Five Poisons Sect might be ineffective against Ye Cangtian and the others, they would be lethal weapons against other members of the Hidden Group.
If the Hidden Group's guard forces were to suffer widespread poisoning, even if Yao Bao'er and the Medicine Sage were to act together, how many lives could they possibly save?
Therefore, unless it was absolutely necessary, Dongfang Mingyue truly did not want to engage in a large-scale war with the Five Poisons Sect.
"Sister Mingyue, do you think I don't know that?"
Listening to Dongfang Mingyue's words, Ye Cangtian smiled slightly and continued, "I don't want a large-scale war either, but some necessary deterrence is still required…"
Ye Cangtian's intention was simple: to use his own formidable power to launch a decisive strike against the Five Poisons Sect.
In simpler terms, to directly capture the sect leader and other experts of the Five Poisons Sect.
If the sect leader and other experts were to refuse to cooperate, he would not hesitate to kill them.
With the Five Poisons Sect lacking its leading experts, even if they wished to retaliate with war, it would likely be extremely difficult.
"That's a valid idea."
Upon hearing this, Dongfang Mingyue's eyes flickered. It was clear that Ye Cangtian intended to strike at the heart of the Five Poisons Sect, just as he had dealt with the Hall of Light.
If this plan were to succeed, the Five Poisons Sect should quiet down, and it might even be devoured by other factions afterward.
After all, many factions feared the poisons of the Five Poisons Sect. Once the sect's high-tier combat power drastically reduced, they would not allow such a threat to persist.
With this thought, Dongfang Mingyue continued, "You brat, when do you plan to make your move?"
"The sooner, the better."
Ye Cangtian replied slowly after a brief silence.
By now, the matter of the Four Seals had likely spread to all the major factions, and they might already be taking action.
Therefore, he planned to deal with the Five Poisons Sect before the factions began competing for the Four Seals, lest these factions join forces with the Five Poisons Sect, which would make things even more troublesome.
"Alright, but you must be careful this time. I cannot provide you with much more support."
"As you know, with the news of the Four Seals spreading, I must keep Haotian and the others here to guard Dragon City and the Hidden Group…"
Dongfang Mingyue nodded, speaking with some difficulty.
"You've thought of the same thing as me."
Upon hearing this, Ye Cangtian immediately smiled and continued, "Sister Mingyue, the Five Poisons Sect doesn't even have a single Heavenly-tier expert. There's no need to make a big fuss. I'll just bring a few people with me, and it'll be settled."
"Mm."
Dongfang Mingyue nodded in understanding and continued after a moment of silence, "Although the Five Poisons Sect has no expert who can match you, you still need to be cautious…"
Dongfang Mingyue cautioned him. For an infamous evil faction like the Five Poisons Sect, countless forces had wished to destroy them.
Yet, not only had they not been destroyed, but they had become even more audacious. This showed that in addition to poisons, the Five Poisons Sect likely had other trump cards.
After all, mere poisons would not possess such deterrent power.
At her words, Ye Cangtian was suddenly taken aback, and his heart tensed, becoming silently vigilant.
Dongfang Mingyue was right. Without any backing, how could the Five Poisons Sect have survived to this day?
With this thought, he cupped his hands towards Dongfang Mingyue and said, "Sister Mingyue, I'll head back first to think about how to deal with the Five Poisons Sect…"
Dongfang Mingyue waved her hand and said, "Go. Remember, no matter the outcome, I have only one request: that you return safely."
Hearing this, Ye Cangtian's eyes flashed, a warmth flowed through his heart, and he nodded before turning to leave.
"Wait."
Before Ye Cangtian could leave, Dongfang Mingyue remembered something.
Seeing him turn around, she said, "I've already spoken with the guesthouse and had them cancel your room. Starting today, you will reside in Qingfeng Hall!"
"Ah? Sister Mingyue…"
Mentioning Qingfeng Hall, Ye Cangtian immediately wanted to say something, but before he could, Dongfang Mingyue cut him off.
"You brat, the Three Grand Halls represent the Hidden Group."
"As you know, the Three Grand Halls have been closed for too long, causing many to harbor ambitions towards the Hidden Group."
"Therefore, I want to reopen the Three Grand Halls, to let everyone know that the Hidden Group still has strong experts guarding it and is not to be coveted. Don't you intend to help your sister?"
*Ugh…*
Hearing this, Ye Cangtian's lips twitched. Dongfang Mingyue had elevated the seriousness of the situation to the safety of the Hidden Group itself. What else could he say?
To refuse now would be to disregard the greater good, wouldn't it?
With this thought, Ye Cangtian could only nod and say, "Alright, I'll reside there for the time being. If there is someone more suitable than me, I will immediately give the hall to him!"
"No problem, no problem!"
Dongfang Mingyue quickly agreed with a smile. After all, Ye Cangtian had made immense contributions to the Hidden Group, to the point where one could describe it as his merits overshadowing his ruler.
It was truly difficult to find someone who could firmly surpass Ye Cangtian in this regard!
Thinking this, Dongfang Mingyue continued, "Oh, right. In case you get bored, I've arranged for Bao'er, Elder Medicine Sage, and the Grim Reaper Squad to stay in the side halls of Qingfeng Hall."
Upon saying this, Dongfang Mingyue clearly noticed a change in Ye Cangtian's expression and immediately chuckled.
She naturally knew what Ye Cangtian was thinking.
It was nothing more than his concern that Yao Bao'er might blow up Qingfeng Hall while refining pills.
Therefore, Dongfang Mingyue quickly added, "Don't worry, I've already prepared a new alchemy room for Bao'er."
*Oh.*
Hearing this, Ye Cangtian responded with a sound of acknowledgement, feeling somewhat relieved.
After all, Qingfeng Hall represented the Hidden Group, and if it were to be blown up, it would be a monumental joke.
With Dongfang Mingyue's arrangements now, it was abundantly clear…