Picking up the phone, Ye Cangtian immediately inquired, "Lan Yue, is there something?"
"Mm."
Lan Yue responded with a hum and then explained the situation.
Zi Long had just contacted her, saying that headquarters had dispatched someone. Zi Long wanted Lan Yue to arrange a meeting with Po Xiao at Yan Hua Xiao Yuan.
Heh, this Zi Long, he couldn't even be bothered to make a phone call anymore.
Upon hearing this, Ye Cangtian chuckled playfully but quickly turned serious.
Considering the timeline, the report to headquarters this time was exceptionally fast.
He had fallen out with Zi Long only six or seven days ago. In such a short period, it was a good enough achievement for Zi Long to relay the message to the Dark Association headquarters.
How could he possibly have received a reply from headquarters?
As he pondered this, he quickly asked, "Why was headquarters' attitude so swift this time?"
This speed, while seemingly only a slight increase, was something Ye Cangtian could not afford to overlook.
If the time saved by half on every contact with the Dark Association headquarters, it would not be good news for the Chinese forces and the Guangming Hall.
After all, the headquarters of the three major forces were located within the three ancient ruins, making communication inconvenient.
If the time could be halved, the internal and external communication of the Dark Association would be closer, significantly improving its responsiveness and ability to handle any situation.
Therefore, Ye Cangtian absolutely had to figure this out.
Hearing his question, Lan Yue shook her head helplessly and said, "I'm wondering about that too! Perhaps we can know the reason after meeting the person who arrived."
"Alright, I'll head over to your place now."
Seeing that Lan Yue was also unsure, Ye Cangtian didn't waste any more words and directly hung up the phone.
After a quick wash and changing into clean clothes, Ye Cangtian immediately left his home.
...
Yan Hua Xiao Yuan.
When Ye Cangtian arrived, besides Zi Long, he immediately saw a familiar figure.
The person wore a golden mask; it was Huang Shan from the Dark Association headquarters.
To prevent Zi Long from noticing anything, Ye Cangtian merely greeted Huang Shan casually before his gaze shifted to Zi Long.
He wanted to gauge the headquarters' opinion from Zi Long's eyes, whether it was good or bad, to prepare himself.
To his disappointment, he couldn't glean any information from the other's eyes.
His feeling was one of calmness, as if Zi Long would readily accept whatever decision headquarters made.
"Ahem, since everyone is here now, I shall announce Lord Xing Yuan's opinion."
Perhaps sensing the opposing gazes of Zi Long and Ye Cangtian, Huang Shan cleared his throat, drawing their attention, and then conveyed Xing Yuan's intentions.
Regarding Po Xiao's defiance, no further action would be taken. Similarly, Zi Long's misjudgment would also go unpunished.
For the former, Po Xiao had seen through Guangming Hall's intentions and thwarted their operation. Although defiant, their actions could be considered a wash with their previous merits.
For the latter, Zi Long's actions were also out of loyalty and responsibility to the Dark Association, thus no punishment would be meted out.
Hmph!
Upon hearing this outcome, Zi Long let out a cold snort.
Seeing this, Huang Shan quickly added, "Lord Xing Yuan also asked me to relay a message to you both: unity brings mutual benefit, division brings mutual harm. Do not let your loved ones grieve and your enemies rejoice!"
At these words, Zi Long's brows furrowed.
It was evident that Xing Yuan was not entirely indifferent. This message could very well be interpreted as a warning.
Pondering this, Zi Long glanced at Huang Shan and asked, "Huang Shan, did Lord Xing Yuan mention who is in charge of external affairs?"
Huang Shan quickly replied, "Naturally, you are in charge..."
Heh.
Upon hearing this, Zi Long's face broke into a smile.
He glanced at Ye Cangtian and said with a cold laugh, "Did you hear that? I hope you will conduct yourself wisely in the future. Not every act of defiance can be offset by merits!"
"You should be more careful yourself!"
"Don't let yourself be played like a monkey by the other side every time!"
Ye Cangtian looked at Zi Long with a cold gaze, mocking him.
"You..."
One sentence instantly ignited Zi Long's fury, his eyes revealing intense killing intent. However, owing to Huang Shan's presence, he managed to suppress it.
"Gentlemen, please remain calm!"
Huang Shan, seeing the increasing tension between the two, quickly intervened.
He then glanced at Zi Long and said, "I haven't finished speaking. You will still lead external affairs, but when your opinions truly differ, you must consult with each other..."
"What?"
At Huang Shan's subsequent words, Zi Long's face turned ashen, and his heart filled with intense dissatisfaction.
What did "consult with each other" mean?
It was clear that Xing Yuan was still favoring Po Xiao in this matter.
After all, in most past matters, Zi Long could make decisions independently, or report to headquarters if he couldn't.
There had never been a precedent for consultation!
Now that Lord Xing Yuan was asking him to consult with Po Xiao, it clearly indicated that Lord Xing Yuan was increasingly valuing Po Xiao, which amplified his sense of crisis.
"Alright, your matters have been decided. I believe you know best how to proceed!"
"Now, let's talk about the main business!"
Huang Shan saw that both Zi Long and Po Xiao had quieted down and directly changed the subject.
The headquarters was still extremely enraged about the assassination of Qing Dao this time.
Qing Dao was one of the seven Earth-level Envoys of the Dark Association, his abilities and contributions were widely recognized!
Therefore, the Dark Association could not possibly ignore Qing Dao's death.
Thus, Xing Yuan assigned two tasks.
First, to launch a devastating strike against Guangming Hall's intelligence network in China.
This was both retaliation for Guangming Hall's actions against the Dark Association's intelligence stations, and also to reduce the possibility of Dark Association members being exposed.
Take the assassination of Qing Dao this time as an example. Without the assistance of Guangming Hall's intelligence network, it would be difficult for those assassins to track Qing Dao's movements.
Second, to eliminate the Sky Net Overlord—Xue Ye, and to the greatest extent possible, destroy Sky Net.
Guangming Hall was currently like a nouveau riche, with an endless stream of Cardinal Bishops. Forcing a direct confrontation would be extremely disadvantageous for the Dark Association.
However, the Dark Association could not simply swallow this insult.
Therefore, Xing Yuan deliberated for a long time and finally decided to target Sky Net. Firstly, it was to cripple Guangming Hall's support.
Secondly, Xing Yuan did not want Sky Net to cultivate more assassins for Guangming Hall.
If more God Slayers were to be trained, then the Earth-level Envoys of the Dark Association might not be enough for them to assassinate!
Therefore, Xing Yuan decided to cut the source and resolve future hidden dangers.
Brilliant!
Upon hearing the tasks assigned by Xing Yuan, Ye Cangtian was inwardly thrilled.
He had long wanted to strike at Sky Net but had never had the opportunity.
Now that Xing Yuan had assigned the task, he could openly eliminate Sky Net in his capacity as Po Xiao.
"Oh, right. This mission must be kept absolutely secret before its execution. For now, only the four of us and Lord Xing Yuan are aware of it."
Huang Shan's voice rang out, this was also Xing Yuan's instruction.
After all, Sky Net was supported by Guangming Hall. If the news were to leak out, it would be much more difficult to eliminate Sky Net.
"Ahem, I will announce the mission plan!"
"The Guangming Hall intelligence stations in the capital will be handled by Po Xiao for cleanup."
"Lan Yue will accompany me to eliminate Xue Ye of Sky Net. We will depart this afternoon..."
Zi Long pondered briefly and directly issued the orders.
He had no interest in the Guangming Hall intelligence stations within the capital.
During the two previous attacks by Guangming Hall, many intelligence personnel had been wiped out by China. He believed that not many would remain.
Besides, the credit for eliminating these intelligence personnel could not compare to the credit for eliminating Xue Ye!
He still wished to use this merit to completely crush Po Xiao under his feet.
"Zi Long, you seem to have forgotten something!"
"Lord Xing Yuan instructed that if opinions differ, you must consult!"
"I think it's better for you to stay, as the Dark Association's intelligence stations have always been under your control..."
Ye Cangtian's intention was the opposite of Zi Long's; he wanted to personally lead Lan Yue to Sky Net headquarters.
Similar to Zi Long's thoughts, Ye Cangtian also intended to establish his position above Zi Long through this mission.