"Hmm?"
Dongfang Mingyue was slightly taken aback, then glanced at Ye Cangtian. Seeing that he made no move, she spoke, "You're talking about cooperation, right? The Hidden Organization is deeply honored, but I'd like to ask, is there any subordination?"
"Of course not!"
Ye Yaoyang quickly waved his hands and said, "Since we are allies, we must be treated equally. The Blazing Fire Institute and the Hidden Organization are completely equal!"
Upon hearing this, Dongfang Mingyue nodded and continued, "There's another question. The Blazing Fire Institute is a peak force, so why do you want to cooperate with our Hidden Organization?
Or rather, if we cooperate, what price will the Hidden Organization need to pay?"
"No price at all!"
Ye Yaoyang looked at Dongfang Mingyue firmly and continued, "As for why we chose the Hidden Organization, it's because of Shenghui's relationship with you. With this connection, both sides can fully trust each other. It's that simple..."
"Flawless!"
Listening to Ye Yaoyang's words, Ye Cangtian muttered to himself.
He couldn't find any fault with the reason the other party gave.
However, Ye Cangtian wasn't in a hurry. A fox would eventually show its tail. He waited for the other party to gradually reveal their true intentions.
Dongfang Mingyue, on the side, pondered for a moment and then slowly said, "Senior, I personally am very willing to cooperate with the Blazing Fire Institute.
However, this is not entirely my decision, so I will need to discuss it with the higher-ups of the Hidden Organization."
In fact, she had already discussed similar matters with Ye Cangtian. Ye Yaoyang was being too good to her, which was very unusual.
Therefore, the two of them had decided to be cautious, no matter what conditions the other party proposed or what benefits they offered.
"Hmm?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Yaoyang's brow furrowed immediately.
If the Hidden Organization were replaced by any other force with the conditions he offered, those forces would have eagerly scrambled to cooperate with the Blazing Fire Institute.
After all, the Blazing Fire Institute was a peak force!
Just the mere reputation of cooperating with the Blazing Fire Institute was enough to deter most forces, and the benefits were countless.
Yet, this opportunity had fallen upon the Hidden Organization, and Dongfang Mingyue still wanted to delay. This truly surprised him.
Had he said something wrong?
Ye Yaoyang began to recall every word he had spoken, finally concluding that eagerness might not be reciprocated.
His strong desire and meticulous courtesy might have made the other party suspect his motives.
With this thought, Ye Yaoyang showed a faint smile and said, "Miss Mingyue is right, it is indeed necessary to discuss with the higher-ups of the Hidden Organization. It's alright, there's no rush for this matter."
Dongfang Mingyue quickly clasped her hands and said, "Thank you for your understanding, Senior Ye."
"There's no need to be so formal between us."
Ye Yaoyang waved his hand and continued, "Miss Mingyue, since you're new here, you surely haven't had the chance to appreciate the surrounding scenery. How about this, for the next couple of days, Zhenghao and Biao'er will take you around to explore..."
"There's no need to trouble them. Ye Cangtian and I will wander around by ourselves. They hold important positions, and it wouldn't be good to disrupt their work."
Dongfang Mingyue said politely.
She had no good feelings towards either Yan Biao or Ye Zhenghao. Moreover, if they were with Ye Cangtian, there might be trouble, so she decided to decline.
She didn't want Ye Cangtian to lose his temper and cause further problems.
"Their most important duty now is to accompany you well. With them, it will be much more convenient for you to go anywhere."
"Besides, you are all young people, and the future belongs to you. For the sake of the future of the Hidden Organization and the Blazing Fire Institute, you should interact more!"
Seeing Dongfang Mingyue's refusal, Ye Yaoyang quickly said.
Mentioning the Hidden Organization and the Blazing Fire Institute, Dongfang Mingyue knew she had no reason to refuse any longer.
Otherwise, it would be seen as ungrateful and could easily incur the other party's wrath, making the situation worse than it was worth.
With this thought, Dongfang Mingyue slowly nodded and said, "Then, junior thanks Senior Ye for his kindness."
"..."
On the other side, Ye Zhenghao, who had his head lowered, felt a wave of speechlessness.
He was initially happy when Dongfang Mingyue refused, but he hadn't expected his father, Ye Yaoyang, to be so persistent, seemingly unwilling to stop until his goal was achieved.
In the end, he had forced Dongfang Mingyue to agree to this matter, which made him truly upset!
To think that he, a defeated opponent, would have to accompany her on a tour, and she might flaunt her victory from time to time. What about his dignity?
But the problem now was that Ye Yaoyang was discussing this directly with Dongfang Mingyue, and he couldn't argue with his father or refuse at this moment.
In helplessness, Ye Zhenghao decided to find his father, Ye Yaoyang, to reason with him after the banquet.
"Hahaha..."
Ye Yaoyang's reaction was the complete opposite of his son's upon hearing Dongfang Mingyue's words.
With her agreement, he had completed the most difficult step of his plan, and everything was developing in a positive direction.
"Dean Ye, what are your thoughts on the Five Poisons Sect?"
After a short while, Ye Cangtian looked at the other party and slowly asked.
Since Ye Yaoyang wasn't revealing much, he decided to gauge the other party's stance first.
After all, the Blazing Fire Institute and the Viper Hall of the Five Poisons Sect were both in the southern region, not far from each other, so there might be some friction or grievances between them.
The Five Poisons Sect?
They were like maggots gnawing at the bone!
No one who provoked the Five Poisons Sect benefited.
Ye Yaoyang's brow twitched slightly. He naturally understood the Five Poisons Sect; they were a troublesome existence.
After all, potent poisons were insidious and made people feel extremely wary.
With this thought, Ye Yaoyang outwardly displayed his disgust and said, "The Five Poisons Sect is a scourge to the ruins and should not exist within them. Everyone should strike them down!"
"Indeed."
Ye Cangtian nodded in agreement and continued, "Dean Ye, you might not know this, but the Five Poisons Sect and the Hidden Organization have had quite a few clashes, and the conflict is continuously escalating. It's believed that a major battle will break out between the two sides before long."
At this point, Ye Cangtian paused and looked at the other party.
"Hmm?"
Sensing Ye Cangtian's gaze, Ye Yaoyang's brow immediately furrowed.
The other party's meaning was very clear: they had already provoked the Five Poisons Sect, and if the Blazing Fire Institute cooperated with the Hidden Organization, they would also become enemies of the Five Poisons Sect.
It was possible that the Blazing Fire Institute would suffer losses because of this.
And Ye Cangtian was looking at him, asking if the Blazing Fire Institute was willing to accept such a risk.
This indeed put him in a difficult position!
After all, the Five Poisons Sect was not to be underestimated. Apart from not having any Heavenly-level experts, the rest of their strength was comparable to a peak force.
Therefore, if a real war broke out with such a force, even the Blazing Fire Institute would be in danger of being toppled from its pedestal.
And all of this was for the sake of the Hidden Organization, which seemed hardly worth it.
With this in mind, Ye Yaoyang said righteously, "Mr. Ye, rest assured, if an alliance is formed and the Hidden Organization truly goes to war with the Five Poisons Sect, the Blazing Fire Institute will absolutely not stand idly by!"
While saying this, he was internally musing, "Let's take it one step at a time."
Whether it was the Five Poisons Sect or the Hidden Organization, both forces were not weak. If they went to war, it would benefit neither side.
Both sides should be aware of this, so before they launched a major conflict, they would carefully consider it and not easily engage in battle.
But if a war did break out, it would depend on the circumstances.
On the other side, upon hearing this, Ye Cangtian smiled slightly and said, "Dean Ye, the Five Poisons Sect is currently a major concern for the Hidden Organization!"
"If the Blazing Fire Institute is willing to destroy one or two halls of the Five Poisons Sect, then Sister Mingyue will have a much stronger hand in persuading the higher-ups to cooperate with the Blazing Fire Institute!"
"This..."
This statement immediately changed Ye Yaoyang's expression.
The other party's intention was crystal clear: they were asking him to make a gesture of loyalty!
Did this kid have a problem with his head?
The Blazing Fire Institute's willingness to cooperate with the Hidden Organization was already a tremendous favor to the Hidden Organization. Now, the other party was actually asking him to make a gesture of loyalty, which was simply overstepping bounds!
With this thought, Ye Yaoyang said, "The Five Poisons Sect is not easy to deal with. Dealing with them requires careful planning and thorough preparation. If the Blazing Fire Institute is fully prepared, I don't mind destroying them."
Heh heh.
Upon hearing this, Ye Cangtian smiled faintly. From this statement alone, he could already imagine that the cooperation between the Blazing Fire Institute and the Hidden Organization was merely a facade, and in reality, they had other intentions for the Hidden Organization.
Otherwise, Ye Yaoyang would not have pushed the matter away.