"I'm here!"
Lu Fang shouted instantly, his face filled with fear vanishing, replaced by a sinister smile.
"Ye Cangtian, you're finished. The division's forces have arrived, and you can't escape!"
Lu Fang sneered, confident that with the large contingent arriving, Po Xiao would surely be among them, making it easy to capture Ye Cangtian. Taking him down would be a tremendous contribution.
"Alas, I intended to spare your life!"
"But you truly make things difficult for me! You insist on seeking death, forcing my hand!"
Seeing Lu Fang's defiant display, Ye Cangtian rolled his eyes in exasperation and once again drew the skull dagger.
This time, Lu Fang felt no fear. He heard the approaching footsteps and knew that if he could last a minute or two against Ye Cangtian, he would be safe. As a peak Xuan-level expert, just like Ye Cangtian, he was confident he could achieve this.
"Bring it on! Today, I'll let you taste my might..."
Lu Fang drew his weapon and assumed a defensive stance. One moment he was provoking Ye Cangtian, the next his voice abruptly cut off. In an instant, Ye Cangtian was before him. A flash of black light, a slight coolness at his neck, and he could no longer make a sound.
He touched his neck in terror, and the next moment, blood spurted out.
"You..."
Lu Fang couldn't believe it, pointing at Ye Cangtian in horror before falling to the ground with resentment.
A short while later, dozens of figures rushed to the scene. Ye Cangtian was nowhere to be found, leaving only a pile of bodies.
"Lu Fang! Lu Fang..."
Xuan Sanqi looked at Lu Fang on the ground, his eyes filled with boundless fury. Lu Fang was his trusted subordinate, loyal and having achieved countless merits. He never imagined that such a minor mission would lead to Lu Fang's demise, and he could hardly bear it.
"Investigate!"
"Even if you have to turn Youming City upside down, find this force!"
"I will personally avenge Lu Fang!"
His enraged roar echoed through the area, and several captains immediately led their men in pursuit.
...
Division Office.
Xuan Sanqi returned furiously, not fully trusting his subordinates. With Lu Fang dead, his plans were thoroughly disrupted, forcing him to return and take charge personally. If he continued to let others manage, he feared they would be exploited by Po Xiao.
As soon as he opened his office door, he saw Po Xiao sitting on the sofa, leisurely sipping tea. Seeing this, Xuan Sanqi's anger flared, and he strode forward.
"Xuan Qi, you still have the nerve to drink tea!"
"Didn't you see the emergency support signal?"
Xuan Sanqi, disregarding his status, pointed at Po Xiao and berated him. He was utterly furious; if Po Xiao had gone, perhaps Lu Fang wouldn't have died!
*Splat!*
The next moment, a cup of hot tea was splashed all over Xuan Sanqi.
"Xuan Sanqi, you need to understand your position!"
"What I do doesn't require your questioning!"
Ye Cangtian glanced at Xuan Sanqi and said coldly.
"Screw you!"
"You saw the distress signal but didn't go to support, how dare you call yourself a Earth-level steward?"
"I'm reporting you to headquarters!"
Doused in hot tea by Ye Cangtian, Xuan Sanqi exploded in rage, but he refrained from attacking. He knew clearly that he was no match for Xuan Qi and didn't want to be humiliated again.
"As you wish. Let's see if headquarters kills you or me!"
Ye Cangtian gestured invitingly.
"Damn it, what does this have to do with me!"
Upon hearing this, Xuan Sanqi roared. Even if he had claimed to be injured and recuperating at home, he had gone to support immediately and had done nothing wrong. How could headquarters possibly move against him?
Meanwhile, Ye Cangtian lit a cigarette and then crossed his legs, saying, "Really, nothing to do with you? Then I'll explain it to you slowly."
Ye Cangtian didn't bother with inconvenience and began to explain. After arriving in Youming City, Xuan Sanqi had treated him with disdain and was uncooperative. Lu Fang, his so-called assistant, was Xuan Sanqi's informant. Furthermore, he had no subordinates or intelligence sharing. Based on these alone, he had sufficient reason to eliminate Xuan Sanqi, and even at headquarters, the outcome would be the same. This was also his reason for not providing support. After all, if no one in Youming City supported him, why should he risk himself for them!
"..."
The words hit Xuan Sanqi hard, cold sweat beading on his forehead. The other party had a point; if this matter escalated, he would undoubtedly face severe punishment. Thinking of this, Xuan Sanqi changed his tune and hesitantly said, "Xuan Qi, Lu Fang and the others were worried about disrupting your plans, so they chose to protect you in secret. But where were you when you disappeared for a day?"
Or was there some unspeakable secret? Otherwise, how could he disappear on his own territory without reason? This matter, on a small scale, was nothing. But if it blew up, it was highly possible that Xuan Qi was colluding with enemy forces, entirely dependent on how people spun it.
"Heh heh, where I go and what I do, do I need to report to you?"
"What are you?"
"Also, I've warned you more than once that Xuan Qi is a thing of the past. You still call me Xuan Qi, are you disrespecting me?"
Ye Cangtian sneered coldly, a fierce glint in his eyes. Since the other party wanted trouble, he naturally wouldn't be polite.
"Nothing to hide!"
"If you don't give me an explanation today, it proves you have something to hide!"
Facing Po Xiao's shifting gaze, Xuan Sanqi showed no fear, snorting and speaking sternly.
"You think too highly of yourself!"
Ye Cangtian smiled faintly, his figure vanishing from the sofa and appearing before Xuan Sanqi. Then, a large hand strangely reached for Xuan Sanqi's neck.
Seeing the other party act immediately, Xuan Sanqi was greatly alarmed and quickly dodged. It was a joke; the neck was a vital point. If his neck was grabbed, his life would be in the other party's hands. Moreover, given their conflict, he didn't believe the other party would show mercy.
*Crack!*
However, even with Xuan Sanqi dodging with all his might, the gap between them was still significant. The next moment, his neck was seized.
"To me, you are an ant."
"Whether I kill you or not is at my whim. You'd better not provoke me again, or don't blame me if you die!"
As he spoke, Ye Cangtian flicked his wrist and threw him away.
Xuan Sanqi got up from the ground, his face devoid of arrogance, replaced only by apprehension. Although he was captured and released in just a moment or two, he deeply felt the killing intent emanating from the other party. The tangible killing intent was so oppressive that he could barely breathe. It also made him realize that the other party was not joking. If he continued to provoke him, the other party would undoubtedly kill him without hesitation.
Thinking this, Xuan Sanqi snorted and left the room. Since they couldn't stand each other, it was best to leave quickly and not give the other party a reason to act.
...