In the inn room at this moment.
Ye Cangtian ordered a table full of delicacies, and while eating, he assigned the tasks.
"Mandala, Feiyan, intelligence matters will be left to you two. I require you to understand the situation in Dongjiang City within the shortest possible time!"
"If possible, directly pinpoint the Bright Squad for me."
"But remember, do not alert the enemy until the action is taken!"
Listening to Ye Cangtian's words, Mandala and Feiyan immediately responded. Intelligence was their forte, and they were reasonably confident in this area.
"Lan Yue, after the meal, let's take a casual stroll together!"
"While they are busy, we shouldn't be idle. Let's do what we can!"
On the surface, Ye Cangtian had other intentions, but it was inconvenient to tell Mandala and Feiyan.
After all, the two girls only knew him as Dawn, but not his identity as Ye Cangtian, so some matters needed to be kept discreet.
Of course, this was not because he didn't trust the two girls, but rather, knowing too much might not be a good thing!
And if the two girls showed any weakness, his identity as Dawn would become useless.
On the other side, Lan Yue naturally wouldn't refuse when listening to Ye Cangtian's arrangements. She nodded and agreed.
Thus, after a simple meal, the four of them split into two groups and went their separate ways.
...
Having just left the inn.
Ye Cangtian and Lan Yue immediately changed their disguises and removed their golden masks, replacing them with ordinary white masks.
There was no other way. The mask of a Earth-level steward was conspicuous, and Ye Cangtian's appearance was also very striking, so they had to do this.
Then, the two passed through an alley and arrived in front of a courtyard in the eastern part of Dongjiang City.
As soon as they arrived, they were stopped by guards.
"Who are you?"
Upon hearing the guards' questioning, Ye Cangtian offered no explanation. Instead, he took out a jade token and directly threw it to the other party.
Catching the jade token, the guard examined it carefully and was instantly stunned. He then knelt on one knee before the two.
"Greetings, Deputy Alliance Leader!"
Saying this, the guard respectfully returned the token to Ye Cangtian.
That's right, this was the new base of the Anti-Gang Alliance, and the token Ye Cangtian threw to the guard was given to him by Huang Shan.
"You may rise. Take me to see the elder," Ye Cangtian said calmly.
Upon hearing this, the guard did not hesitate. He quickly sent someone ahead to report and then led the two into the courtyard.
Before they even reached the main hall, the sound of hurried footsteps could be heard approaching.
Immediately after, a middle-aged man appeared before the two and respectfully bowed, "Your subordinate Fang Yuan, greets Deputy Alliance Leader!"
The man who arrived was Fang Yuan, an elder of the Anti-Gang Alliance, who was temporarily in charge of the alliance.
"Let's talk inside."
Ye Cangtian nodded slightly and then stepped into the hall and sat down.
Fang Yuan personally poured them a cup of tea and then stood respectfully before them, asking, "Deputy Alliance Leader, may I ask if the Alliance Leader has any instructions for this visit?"
"Fang Yuan, I am not the Deputy Alliance Leader of the Dark Association. This jade token was given to me by your Alliance Leader, allowing me to command your forces."
Listening to the other party's voice, Ye Cangtian was the first to explain.
He knew that Huang Shan and Luoluo intended for him to take over the Anti-Gang Alliance, but this matter was too improper.
He had too many things on his plate and no time to manage the Anti-Gang Alliance.
Furthermore, his identity was very sensitive. Once exposed, it might bring disaster to the Anti-Gang Alliance.
Therefore, Ye Cangtian wanted to explain a little, which was also a way of indirectly expressing his stance to Huang Shan and Luoluo.
"This..."
Hearing Ye Cangtian's words, Fang Yuan was suddenly taken aback.
To be honest, this was the first time he had encountered such a situation. The Deputy Alliance Leader held a position second only to the Alliance Leader, wouldn't that be stronger than being an outsider?
It would also be more convenient to command them. Yet, the person before him was doing the opposite, making it truly impossible for him to see through.
However, since the other party said so, he could only cooperate, especially since the other party held the jade token.
Thinking this, he quickly asked, "Sir, what should I call you?"
"You can call me Grim Reaper."
Ye Cangtian said faintly, then continued, "Alright, first, introduce me to the situation in Dongjiang City."
"Yes, Grim Reaper Sir."
Fang Yuan quickly responded and then began his introduction.
The person in charge of the Dark Association's branch in Dongjiang City was Xuan Si Jiu, whose strength was unfathomable. In addition to the city's garrison, he also had a private army with formidable combat power.
This was mainly because Dongjiang City was located on the easternmost side of the Dark Relic, and across the river was an unexplored region.
This was equivalent to guarding an unknown treasure trove. As long as one was lucky, they could gain considerable benefits.
And Xuan Si Jiu had started his rise in this manner.
In addition to Xuan Si Jiu, the families in Dongjiang City were all not to be underestimated, and their strength was quite considerable.
Like Xuan Si Jiu, after staying here for a long time, they had also gained many benefits, comprehensively improving their family's strength.
It could be said that every family had at least one Earth-level expert stationed there.
Hearing this, Ye Cangtian nodded in agreement. Here, the emperor was far away, and there were large unexplored areas.
Although these areas were dangerous, danger and benefits coexisted. Therefore, it was reasonable for these families to survive and grow here.
Thinking this, Ye Cangtian asked, "Since Kong Ling took charge of the Dark Association, have there been any unusual movements from the families here?"
"Yes!"
Fang Yuan stated that although Xuan Si Jiu here was not very diligent in complying with Kong Ling's orders to suppress the families, there were still some families who did not obey.
Among them, the Xue family, the foremost family here, had formed a family alliance.
In addition to this, the only other power in Dongjiang City besides the Dark Association, the Shadow Tower, was also making moves...
Good heavens.
As soon as Ye Cangtian heard this news, a wry smile appeared on his face.
The foremost family here, as well as the only power, were both stirring. It seemed that Dongjiang City was not far from rebellion.
Now, without a doubt, the Dark Association's influence here would only weaken, and even members of the Dark Association might be monitored, making their every step difficult.
Thinking this, Ye Cangtian had to ask again, "Have you heard any news about the Bright Hall Action Squad here?"
Upon hearing this, Fang Yuan quickly replied, "Reporting to Sir, as of now, I have not heard any news of their arrival..."
Hmm? What's going on?
Ye Cangtian's brows furrowed. He had been back in the Dark Relic for at least half a month.
And before he returned, the Bright Hall Action Squad had already split into three teams and headed in three different directions.
Logically, they should have arrived in Dongjiang City long ago. But why had Fang Yuan not received any news?
Could it be that this Fang Yuan had a problem?
As soon as this thought flashed through his mind, Ye Cangtian shook his head and dismissed the idea.
The Anti-Gang Alliance was the brainchild of Huang Shan and Luoluo, and it was their main force for dealing with the Dark Association.
Therefore, when selecting their agents, Huang Shan and Luoluo must have chosen carefully, selecting the people they trusted the most, making it difficult for them to defect.
Thus, it seemed that the members of the Bright Hall's action this time were hidden extremely well, especially since they wouldn't not be heading to the unexplored eastern region.
Thinking this, Ye Cangtian glanced at Fang Yuan and said, "Later, issue an order to search for any news of the Bright Squad. Remember to be discreet and do not alert them."
"Yes."
Fang Yuan quickly agreed.
Seeing this, Ye Cangtian spoke again, "Alright, tell me about the Anti-Gang Alliance. Since arriving here, have you encountered any difficulties?"
"Reporting to Sir, everything is fine with the Anti-Gang Alliance, but..."
Fang Yuan's face flushed. Although the Anti-Gang Alliance had not been targeted by other families or the Shadow Tower since arriving here, they dared not make any major moves.
The reason was simple: while the Anti-Gang Alliance's strength might rank highly elsewhere, here, it was simply not enough to count.
Without the Alliance Leader and Deputy Alliance Leader present, and with no Earth-level experts in the Anti-Gang Alliance, they dared not provoke the various families and the Shadow Tower.
Therefore, no matter what they did, the Anti-Gang Alliance had to act with extreme caution.
Hearing this, Ye Cangtian's brows furrowed.
He did possess some Nine Revolutions Golden Pills, but after careful consideration, he ultimately did not take them out.
There was no other way; people were ambitious.
When their strength was low, they might have sufficient loyalty to a certain person or force.
But as their strength increased, their ambition would also be revealed.
Especially since the Anti-Gang Alliance was itself composed of various forces, and it was not directly managed by Huang Shan and Luoluo on a daily basis.
Ye Cangtian worried that once these people's strength increased, they would find ways to break free from control and establish their own factions, causing the Anti-Gang Alliance to fall apart, which would be problematic.
However, Ye Cangtian did not choose to stand idly by. He said directly, "You can rest assured and act boldly. If anything happens, as long as I am here, I will support you!"
With that, Ye Cangtian left them the contact code and then departed from the Anti-Gang Alliance.
...