Days passed in the blink of an eye.
Chen Yi and Haotian, accompanied by Ye Cangtian, departed from the Huaxia ruins and returned to the capital.
After several days of travel, Ye Cangtian decided to stay a night in the capital to rest before continuing his journey. He also wanted to visit home.
Chen Yi and Haotian naturally had no objections to Ye Cangtian's request.
After all, they were back in the capital, and it would be inappropriate not to let him go home for a visit.
Thus, after settling the two into a luxurious hotel, Ye Cangtian headed to Yan Hua Xiao Yuan alone.
Lan Yue, upon seeing Ye Cangtian arrive, dusty and travel-worn, was momentarily surprised. She quickly poured him a glass of water and handed it to him before sitting down.
"Where is Master?" Ye Cangtian asked.
Hearing his question, a hint of disappointment flashed across Lan Yue's face. "Master doesn't need me to serve him, so he moved out. But he gave me his contact information. Do you need to contact him?"
"No."
Ye Cangtian shook his head.
With him and Haotian present, and heading to the Dark Ruins, capturing Chen Yi would not be a problem under these conditions. There was no need for Elder Zhou to intervene.
He was merely asking about Elder Zhou's well-being out of concern.
As he spoke, Ye Cangtian changed the subject. "Senior Sister, I've come with a mission for you..."
Ye Cangtian quietly explained the mission to Lan Yue. Upon hearing it, Lan Yue was astonished.
She hadn't expected Ye Cangtian to uncover the traitor so quickly.
Thinking this, she quickly said, "Alright, leave this to me. I'll set off tomorrow!"
"No, you need to set off now."
Ye Cangtian glanced at Lan Yue and continued, "Tomorrow is our departure time. You must arrange everything before we reach Ghost City. The time difference is less than a day."
"This..."
"Junior Brother, you truly... truly want to work your Senior Sister to death!"
Hearing Ye Cangtian's words, Lan Yue was momentarily speechless and complained. Then, without further ado, she packed her things simply.
Ye Cangtian gave her a helpless look. He knew it was urgent and rushed, but there was no other way. He had only just returned himself!
After about ten minutes, Lan Yue reappeared beside him. "Remember to lock the door! I'm leaving!" she said with a hint of annoyance.
After a brief farewell, Lan Yue hurried away from Yan Hua Xiao Yuan.
Ye Cangtian rested for a few minutes before heading directly to the family compound.
As he entered the compound, he heard the sound of pleasant singing.
Following the sound, he saw Xu Weiwei lying on a recliner, wearing headphones, her eyes closed, completely at ease.
This was understandable, as the Bright Hall had been inactive for some time, and the capital had been peaceful. She had found herself with free time.
"Ahem, Weiwei, it's not good for you to be so idle, is it? It makes me feel quite unbalanced!"
Ye Cangtian walked forward with a wry smile and playfully removed her headphones.
Only then did Xu Weiwei realize Ye Cangtian had returned.
She paused for a moment before replying, "When one is capable, they often have more work to do. Besides, I'm just taking a break. Who knows when I'll be busy again!"
"Alright."
Ye Cangtian smiled and continued, "I came to see you about something. I had agreed with the Bright Hall to a two-month timeframe, but it seems the time is quite tight now."
Ye Cangtian's intention was simple: if the Bright Hall wanted to enter the Huaxia ruins, his presence was mandatory.
Therefore, if he did not return as scheduled, Xu Weiwei, in her capacity as Dragon Head, would need to notify the Bright Hall to extend the deadline by another month.
This way, no matter what, he would be able to make it back in time.
"Alright, alright, you really are something. When you do things, you never leave yourself enough time!"
Xu Weiwei didn't ask further questions. In her opinion, Ye Cangtian's departure at this time must be for something extremely important, and knowing that was enough.
As for anything else, if Ye Cangtian was willing to say, she would listen; if not, she wouldn't pry.
"I have no choice in the matter!"
Hearing this, Ye Cangtian smiled. He then cupped his hands and said, "I'll be away for a while. Please be careful."
With that, Ye Cangtian swiftly left the family compound.
He couldn't help it; he was still a bit apprehensive about interacting with Xu Weiwei alone. What if Xu Weiwei's mood took a sudden turn?
...
The sun rose.
After seeing Tang Xinwan off in the morning, Ye Cangtian, along with Gui Wu, arrived at the hotel.
Shortly thereafter, Haotian and Chen Yi emerged.
As Haotian got into the car, Chen Yi turned to Ye Cangtian and said, "Ye Cangtian, the information you received is incorrect! I also have informants in the Dark Association, and they say there hasn't been any unrest in the Dark Association!"
Last night, Chen Yi had specifically inquired with intelligence personnel of the Dark Association in the capital.
After all, Kong Ling's matter was a major one, and he couldn't just rely on Ye Cangtian's word.
Therefore, he had to verify it with someone.
The results confirmed Kong Ling's death, though the cause of death remained unknown.
Furthermore, the situation regarding the Dark Ruins also differed from Ye Cangtian's description.
Thus, after much deliberation, Chen Yi finally confronted Ye Cangtian, attempting to disrupt the operation.
"Perhaps it was suppressed by Xing Yuan? Or perhaps the Dark Association deliberately blocked the news..."
Ye Cangtian glanced at Chen Yi and, with a poker face, continued, "What's wrong? Do you have any objections? Or does the unrest affect our operation?"
"The unrest would certainly be advantageous to us!"
Chen Yi seized the opportunity, stating that if there were unrest within the Dark Ruins, they could sneak into Ghost City amidst the chaos, saving them a lot of trouble.
"If that's the case, then it's simple. Even if there isn't unrest in the Dark Ruins, we can create some."
Hearing Chen Yi's words, Ye Cangtian smiled slightly, his tone laced with amusement.
This...
At these words, Chen Yi's expression faltered. He had merely been trying to save face and avoid suspicion, but he had inadvertently given Ye Cangtian an idea.
If Ye Cangtian were to instigate unrest and divert the Dark Association's attention, their four-person team would become an absolute blade, piercing directly into the heart.
In that case, the Dark Association would be in grave danger.
It was at this moment that Chen Yi felt as though he had lifted a rock only to drop it on his own foot, but he was utterly unable to express his predicament.
Seeing Chen Yi's bitter expression, Ye Cangtian chuckled inwardly. "Lord Chen Yi, what is it? Do you find any fault with my plan?"
"No, it's perfect. Your mind is truly remarkable."
Chen Yi forced a stiff smile, gave Ye Cangtian a thumbs-up, and then dejectedly got into the car.
Seeing this, Ye Cangtian paid him no further mind. He glanced at Gui Wu beside him and said, "Let's go."
...
Several hours later.
The four of them passed through the entrance of the Dark Ruins and arrived at Blood City.
Since Haotian and Chen Yi were unfamiliar faces, and Ye Cangtian and Gui Wu had disguised themselves slightly, their journey had been relatively smooth.
However, what troubled Haotian was that Chen Yi still showed no signs of abnormal behavior, which made Haotian rather anxious.
The reason was simple: he did not know Xing Yuan's identity, nor did he know Ye Cangtian's true combat strength.
Therefore, in his view, if they reached Ghost City, everything would become dangerous.
With the combined strength of himself, Ye Cangtian, and Gui Wu, they would be no match for Xing Yuan and Chen Yi, let alone the countless experts within the Dark Association!
It was for this reason that he was somewhat confused seeing Ye Cangtian's confident demeanor.
Did the other party not even grasp the gravity of their situation? How could he still be smiling at a time like this?
Blood City Inn.
Ye Cangtian and the others ordered some food and drinks. Their next destination was Ghost City, and they needed to rest here for final supplies.
"Have you heard? Something big has happened!"
"There's been unrest in the western, southern, and eastern regions simultaneously. The Dark Association has dispatched three teams to quell the disturbances..."
"What's going on? Has the Bright Hall attacked again?"
"No, this all stems from the trouble caused by Lord Kong Ling. His tyranny led to many factions being suppressed, forcing them to unite. Now that news of Kong Ling's death has spread, they likely feel the time is ripe..."
As the group dined, conversations drifted over to them.