Through constant probing, Ye Cangtian learned some of Wan Mingxuan's recent circumstances.
After Wan Mingxuan returned, he was doing very well.
It was said that the Tower Master took special care of him, even personally bestowing him some elixirs, snacks, and even a cultivation technique.
His status also rose considerably, reportedly being promoted to Elder bypassing normal procedures, and having some say in major affairs.
This, in Ye Cangtian's opinion, was highly abnormal.
After all, Wan Mingxuan had gone to Dragon City for the Four Seals, and he had indeed returned defeated.
Even if he managed to escape the pursuit of the Hidden Organization, the Tower Master should not have bestowed such great rewards.
Therefore, Ye Cangtian suspected something fishy was going on!
However, these were clearly not things a mere captain like Han Que could know.
With this thought, Ye Cangtian gestured again and said, "Please, the tea will get cold and won't taste good!"
Huh?
Han Que was slightly taken aback. He was somewhat puzzled as to why the other party kept inviting him to drink tea.
Could it be that the tea was poisoned?
That shouldn't be the case!
If the tea were poisoned, it should have taken effect by now, or at least he should have sensed something, but he felt perfectly fine.
Thinking this, Han Que picked up the teacup again, took a small sip, and then said, "Thank you for the tea, Lord Ye. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave!"
Han Que truly couldn't understand Ye Cangtian's actions. Fearing he might be tricked, he decided to leave as soon as possible.
Seeing this, Ye Cangtian smiled slightly and then said, "Alright, you may go."
Han Que paused upon hearing this, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke, "Lord Ye, there is something I still wish to say, please forgive me. The Swift Wind Tower is determined to acquire Jinling City. I hope you will reconsider..."
As he spoke, Han Que cupped his fists in a salute and left the hall.
Yuwen Sheng watched Han Que leave with his own eyes. Seeing that Ye Cangtian had no intention of apprehending him, he was also puzzled.
He quickly stepped forward and said, "Lord Ye, since Han Que is unharmed, why not apprehend him and interrogate him?"
Seeing that Yuwen Sheng had seen through his plan, Ye Cangtian smiled slightly and said, "The Swift Wind Tower is not the mastermind behind this!"
"Huh? Why?" Yuwen Sheng asked instinctively.
Hearing this, Ye Cangtian did not hide anything. If the Swift Wind Tower were truly involved in this matter, then Han Que's answers to his questions would not have been so natural.
Moreover, if it were indeed the Swift Wind Tower's doing, they would surely be aware of the sequential loss of taste and smell. Han Que would have shown some telltale signs when drinking the tea.
But none of this had occurred, which was why he concluded that the matter was unrelated to the Swift Wind Tower.
Listening to Ye Cangtian's explanation, Yuwen Sheng nodded in understanding and quickly said, "Then I shall not disturb you further. I will go and see if they have found any other clues."
After saying this, Yuwen Sheng left the hall.
...
Returning to his small courtyard, Ye Cangtian glanced at the figure under the pavilion and walked over.
This person was none other than Yi Feipeng, who had accompanied Ye Cangtian earlier. Seeing that Han Que had already left, he had returned here first.
He was currently under the pavilion, engrossed in thought.
"Thinking about what Han Que said?"
Ye Cangtian's voice rang out, and Yi Feipeng snapped back to attention. He glanced at the other party and finally nodded.
Although Ye Cangtian had been probing indirectly, he had also gleaned some information about Wan Mingxuan from Han Que's words.
He was now trying to determine whether what Han Que had said was true or false.
With this thought, he couldn't help but look at Ye Cangtian and ask, "Do you think Han Que lied to you?"
Ye Cangtian smiled slightly upon hearing this and said, "Whether he lied to me, you already have the answer in your heart."
"This..."
Hearing this, Yi Feipeng's expression became even gloomier. From the situation in the hall earlier, Han Que did not dare to deceive Ye Cangtian.
Besides, Ye Cangtian was not inquiring about any confidential matters. It would only take a little investigation to get the answer, so Han Que would not dare to lie about such things.
With this thought, he looked again and said, "I just can't understand why Wan Mingxuan would be heavily relied upon after his return!"
Yi Feipeng stated that he had never heard of anyone in the Swift Wind Tower being rewarded for mission failure.
"Heh, isn't that easy to understand?"
Ye Cangtian smiled slightly and continued, "Wan Mingxuan, with his glib tongue, managed to fool your Tower Master and gained his favor..."
Upon hearing this, Yi Feipeng almost spat out blood and immediately interrupted him, "I'm not joking with you!"
Seeing Yi Feipeng's cold expression, Ye Cangtian's gaze turned sharp, and he said, "I'm not joking with you either. Either Wan Mingxuan can be of service to the Tower Master and gain his appreciation."
"Or he might possess something that can threaten the Tower Master. Like some secret, perhaps. Other than that, I can't think of anything else!"
A secret?
Yi Feipeng frowned upon hearing this. He had been with the Tower Master for many years and had never heard of the Tower Master having any secrets.
However, on second thought, who didn't have secrets!
"No, I have to go back and see! I can't let a scoundrel like Wan Mingxuan continue to gain power!"
With this thought, Yi Feipeng got up and headed for the door.
He truly couldn't abandon the Swift Wind Tower. If he ignored it, who knew what Wan Mingxuan might do, possibly even leading to the change of ownership of the Swift Wind Tower.
Therefore, he had to go back.
"Wait!"
Ye Cangtian directly blocked his path and said, "Going back will be of no use, and you will also fall into danger."
"How so?"
Yi Feipeng looked at Ye Cangtian in confusion. In his opinion, as long as he could see the Tower Master, everything would be resolved.
"Have you not considered that Wan Mingxuan's promotion after failing his mission indicates that the thing he has to threaten the Tower Master is exceptionally important."
"If you go back and directly expose him to the Tower Master, the Tower Master might not support you, and might even act against you for that very thing!"
"Furthermore, if you provoke Wan Mingxuan, he might destroy that thing without regard for the consequences, and the Swift Wind Tower would suffer even greater losses!"
"This..."
Listening to Ye Cangtian's successive words, Yi Feipeng's expression changed again.
After pondering for a long time, he finally calmed down and looked at the other party, saying, "When do you plan to leave here?"
Ye Cangtian replied lightly, "That depends on when we resolve the matters in Jinling City!"
Ye Cangtian's meaning was simple: since he was involved, he couldn't abandon Jinling City.
"Alright." Yi Feipeng nodded and then walked towards his room.
Seeing this, Ye Cangtian called out to his retreating back, "If you want to leave sooner, help me root out those despicable little bugs!"
Yi Feipeng stopped and glanced back, asking, "Do you have any leads?"
Ye Cangtian shook his head slowly and said, "The symptoms in Wuling City should be related to mental power. Others have too weak mental power, so it's likely only you and I can sense their presence..."
Huh?
Upon hearing this, Yi Feipeng's eyes darted. Reaching the Heavenly rank, mental power undergoes a qualitative leap, indeed far beyond what others can compare to.
Therefore, Ye Cangtian was right to seek his help.
With this thought, he looked at Ye Cangtian and said, "Alright, I can help you search, but I will not interfere with your Hidden Organization matters!"
As he spoke, Yi Feipeng changed direction and flashed out of the courtyard.
Initially, he did not want to get involved in these matters, but he had no choice. He still needed Ye Cangtian to return to the Swift Wind Tower, so he couldn't stand idly by.
The next moment, Ye Cangtian did not hesitate and went directly to Ye Zhenghao's room.
Seeing Ye Cangtian arrive, Ye Zhenghao, who was cultivating, opened his eyes and immediately got up and approached Ye Cangtian.
"Mr. Ye, please tell me directly if you have any instructions!"
Given the significant events in Jinling City, he knew Ye Cangtian would need assistance, so he asked without waiting for Ye Cangtian to speak.
Seeing that the other party had guessed his intentions, Ye Cangtian gave a wry smile and said, "It's nothing much, really. I just need you to join the search. After all, there's strength in numbers!"
"Heh, a small matter. I'll go now!" Ye Zhenghao quickly replied.
"Wait."
Ye Cangtian hesitated for a moment, then finally stopped him. He then took out a black seal from his Qiankun Bag and tossed it to him.
He smiled slightly and said, "This is a little trinket I refined personally. If you encounter a powerful enemy, it might save your life!"
"Oh? Mr. Ye is also a grandmaster refiner? That's quite surprising."
Looking at the ancient black token in his hand, Ye Zhenghao was slightly surprised. He then cupped his fists in thanks and left the separate courtyard.