A little time passed.
The sound of hurried footsteps echoed, and Feifei returned to the hall with over ten people.
These individuals were dressed simply, and their auras were very weak. It was clear at a glance that they were ordinary citizens from Dragon City.
Thump! Thump…
The moment these citizens saw Ye Cangtian and Dongfang Mingyue, they immediately knelt on the ground.
"We implore Your Excellencies to uphold justice for us! This person committed violence on the street and severely injured my wife!"
"We beg Your Excellencies to preside over justice! This person injured my brother…"
Ever since Shan Bao began assaulting people in the street, individuals had been coming to the Hidden Group to file complaints, only to be blocked by the guards outside the entrance.
Now, upon seeing Ye Cangtian and Dongfang Mingyue, they immediately poured out all their indignation towards Shan Bao.
Hearing the citizens' accusations, Wan Mingxuan's face grew extremely grim. From the moment he entered the Hidden Group's gates, he had realized that Shan Bao was likely in trouble.
Seeing this scene now confirmed his suspicions! The opponent had clearly laid a trap for him to fall into!
"Damn it, you dare to cause trouble here? Don't you have any self-awareness?"
"Lowly commoners blocking the way deserve a beating!"
Shan Bao, having also heard the accusations, became instantly agitated. As he spoke, he strode towards these citizens and raised his hand.
Since these commoners were so unappreciative, he had to teach them a profound lesson!
*Slap!*
As his hand descended, the citizens before him flinched in fear but were not struck. Instead, Shan Bao was sent flying with a heavy blow.
With a loud thud upon hitting the ground, Shan Bao spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with several broken teeth, his face swollen into a pig's head.
Satisfied!
Seeing Shan Bao's miserable state, the faces of several citizens lit up with joy. This was karma, and he deserved it!
With that thought, they cast grateful glances towards Ye Cangtian.
"With me here, do you think you have the right to be so presumptuous?"
A cold voice echoed, and Ye Cangtian turned his gaze towards Wan Mingxuan, continuing, "Wan Mingxuan, if you can't control your dog, I don't mind helping you put it down!"
As the words were spoken, a suffocating aura spread, and beads of cold sweat appeared on Wan Mingxuan's forehead.
He knew very well that Ye Cangtian was on the verge of losing his temper. If he truly angered the man, the consequences would be difficult to control.
After a moment of silence, Wan Mingxuan let out a low growl, "Shan Bao, get back here at once!"
"I..."
Upon hearing this, Shan Bao's eyes widened. He had been beaten repeatedly and was now a mess. Shouldn't Wan Mingxuan be standing up for him?
But now Wan Mingxuan was reprimanding him. Had he lost his mind?
Although he felt extreme dissatisfaction towards Wan Mingxuan, Shan Bao dared not disobey the order.
After all, without Wan Mingxuan, he was nothing.
Seeing Shan Bao return to Wan Mingxuan's side, Ye Cangtian let out a cold snort.
Then, he turned his gaze to the citizens and said, "Please wait aside for now. I will naturally uphold justice for you!"
Hearing Ye Cangtian's words, the citizens quickly agreed and moved to the side.
At this moment, they had not the slightest doubt about Ye Cangtian's words, as he had already proven himself through his actions.
"Wan Mingxuan, these citizens are only a portion of those affected. They are merely representatives here. Many more are waiting outside!"
Ye Cangtian's voice rang out again, and Wan Mingxuan's face turned ashen.
He knew Ye Cangtian was telling the truth.
After all, Shan Bao had shown no restraint on their way here, assaulting anyone he met. Therefore, it was impossible that only the people in the hall were involved.
After a moment of silence, Wan Mingxuan spoke grimly, "Ye Cangtian, what do you intend to do?"
"Don't rush. This is only one of his crimes!"
Ye Cangtian waved his hand and said with a cold smile, "For his second crime, Shan Bao injured our Hidden Group's guards and acted with extreme arrogance. If such a wicked individual is not severely punished, how can I account for it to our guards!"
Upon hearing this, Wan Mingxuan fell silent, making no comment.
He had witnessed these events himself and had no intention of arguing. He merely waited for the other party's decision.
Seeing this, Ye Cangtian chuckled playfully and said, "Wan Mingxuan, you don't think he's only committed these few offenses, do you?"
"What? There's more?"
Hearing Ye Cangtian's words, Wan Mingxuan was clearly startled. Since entering the city, Shan Bao had only done these things, and he hadn't seen any other behavior from him!
With that thought, he glanced at Shan Bao beside him.
Sensing Wan Mingxuan's gaze, Shan Bao's heart tightened, and a premonition of misfortune arose within him.
Heh heh. m..oΓg
On the other side, Ye Cangtian coldly smiled and spoke, "Your sycophantic subordinate, upon arriving at the Hidden Group, acted with utter disdain. Not only did he ask Lady Mingyue to pour him tea, but he even extorted me and demanded favors!"
Pausing for a moment, Ye Cangtian continued, "I want to ask you, what exactly does the Swift Wind Tower think of the Hidden Group? Why would such a lackey dare to be so arrogant within the Hidden Group!"
"This..."
Wan Mingxuan's expression became even more unpleasant. To be honest, he truly didn't hold the Hidden Group in high regard.
However, with the current interrogation, he couldn't simply remain silent.
Clearly, Shan Bao was in the wrong. If he continued to show contempt for the Hidden Group, it could easily escalate into a conflict between the two factions.
While the Swift Wind Tower certainly wasn't afraid of war, his mission this time would be jeopardized.
After all, the Hidden Group had three Heavenly realm powerhouses guarding it. Under such circumstances, he had no chance of forcibly seizing the Four Seals!
Furthermore, if the matter escalated too much, the reputation of the Swift Wind Tower would be tarnished, and it would be difficult for him to report back.
Balancing the pros and cons in his mind, Wan Mingxuan looked at Ye Cangtian and said, "This sycophant bullied commoners, attacked Hidden Group guards, and showed no reverence for powerhouses. He indeed deserves severe punishment. So, please tell me, how do you intend to punish him?"
Wan Mingxuan directly chose to abandon Shan Bao and handed over the authority to deal with him to Ye Cangtian.
He wanted to see how Ye Cangtian would handle it!
Heh heh.
Ye Cangtian smiled faintly and asked, "Will you accept whatever punishment I mete out to him?"
Upon hearing this, Wan Mingxuan directly replied, "If one makes a mistake, they must bear the consequences. I have nothing to say and will not complain in the slightest!"
Having no other choice, Wan Mingxuan could only shift the blame entirely onto Shan Bao.
If he didn't, it would be difficult to extinguish the other party's anger, making negotiation impossible.
"Good, since you say so, then I won't be polite!"
Hearing this, Ye Cangtian smiled slightly, then cast a mischievous glance at Shan Bao, slowly rising to his feet.
"No! No..."
Feeling Ye Cangtian's gaze, Shan Bao's eyes immediately filled with terror.
Regardless of anything else, given what he had done to Ye Cangtian, Ye Cangtian wouldn't be wrong to kill him.
With that thought, he quickly took out his Qiankun bag and retrieved all the crystals and elixirs that Ye Cangtian had given him.
He then knelt on the ground and said, "Your Excellency, I was wrong, I truly know I was wrong. I will return all these things to you. Please spare my life..."
Having no other choice, and with even Wan Mingxuan no longer protecting him, if he didn't find a way to save himself now, he was certain to die today!
This scoundrel! Why didn't he die here!
Seeing Shan Bao kneeling and begging for mercy, Wan Mingxuan gritted his teeth in anger, the sound of his teeth grinding audible.
Such a lack of backbone! It was just some punishment, wasn't it? With him here, would Ye Cangtian dare to act too harshly?
But now, Shan Bao had directly knelt and begged for mercy, truly dragging the Swift Wind Tower's reputation through the mud!
"Heh heh, Shan Bao, I told you these things were not easy to take! You regret it now, don't you?" Ye Cangtian said, looking at the items on the ground.
"I know, I know."
Shan Bao nodded repeatedly like a pecking chick and said, "Your Excellency, please spare me out of consideration for my sincere repentance!"
Hearing this, Ye Cangtian smiled faintly and said, "You took so many things from me. How can we let it go without any interest?"
"Yes, yes, yes."
Shan Bao readily agreed. Right now, as long as the other party spared him, he was willing to pay any price!
The next moment, he looked at Ye Cangtian, his meaning clear, requesting Ye Cangtian not to demand an exorbitant price.
"This..."
Upon hearing this, Shan Bao was stunned, and the muscles in his face involuntarily twitched.
It wasn't that he couldn't meet the demand, but if he did, he would essentially have no savings left.
However, to settle the matter and preserve his life, he gritted his teeth and took out his Qiankun bag, then handed it over.
Ye Cangtian gestured to Feifei, who immediately understood and took all the items, then began to count them.
Seeing that the quantity was correct, Feifei nodded at Ye Cangtian.
Upon seeing this, Ye Cangtian wore a satisfied smile and said, "Our past grievances are settled. However, you offended Lady Mingyue, assaulted Hidden Group guards, and wronged the citizens of Dragon City. This matter cannot be overlooked!"