After a long journey, Ye Cangtian and Mandarava finally arrived beneath the city of Youming.
As soon as he stepped out of the carriage, Ye Cangtian was instantly shocked by the city walls before him. Even though he had experienced countless life-and-death situations, a hint of fear sprouted in his heart.
The city walls, dozens of meters high, were not built from bricks and stones, but from a mixture of bones and earth.
The entire wall was densely packed with white bones; the number of people piled up was simply impossible to count.
"This place is called Youming City? I think White Bone City would be a more fitting name."
Looking at the wall of white bones, Ye Cangtian couldn't help but mutter.
Beside him, Mandarava felt a hint of amusement.
When she first arrived here, she had also been quite frightened by the city walls. However, with time, she had become somewhat accustomed to it.
Now, seeing "Po Xiao" looking so uneasy, it was as if all the frustration from their journey had been unleashed.
Feeling pleased, she stepped forward and said, "My lord, they are merely some bones. What storms have you not weathered, my lord, to express such sentiment?"
"Heh, are you mocking me?"
Ye Cangtian turned to glance at Mandarava, a cold smile in his eyes. He could discern the underlying tone of her words, be they good or bad.
Uh...
Feeling Ye Cangtian's gaze, Mandarava suddenly felt as if she had been seen through, and a chill ran down her spine.
"M-my lord, your humble servant dares not. Your humble servant said nothing, please do not misunderstand..."
Suddenly, Mandarava's face turned pale, and her body began to tremble.
"Hmph! It had better be so."
Seeing Mandarava's extreme fear, Ye Cangtian let out a soft snort. He then gestured with his hand. Without a word, Mandarava quickly stepped forward, leading the way for Ye Cangtian.
As soon as they entered the city, Ye Cangtian felt that many people were watching him from the shadows.
This was not surprising. With various factions gathered here, and him arriving in a carriage of the Dark Association, it was normal to be noticed.
Ye Cangtian paid no mind to these spies, acting as if they didn't exist.
After a short while, under Mandarava's guidance, Ye Cangtian arrived at the entrance of the branch.
Seeing the golden mask on his face, the two guards at the entrance immediately saluted.
Although the style of the mask was unfamiliar, anyone wearing a golden mask within the ruins could only be a Earth-tier steward.
"Take me to Xuan Sanqi."
Upon hearing Ye Cangtian's words, one of the guards stepped forward and said, "My lord, I am truly sorry, but Lord Xuan Sanqi is not currently in the branch. Please wait inside, my lord. I will send someone to notify him immediately."
Hearing this, Ye Cangtian nodded, not taking it to heart.
He had already learned from Mandarava that Xuan Sanqi had taken the branch members to pursue people from various factions.
Furthermore, he did not sense many powerful auras within the branch, so what the guard said was likely true.
Thus, Ye Cangtian bid farewell to Mandarava and entered the branch.
...
In Youming City, at a restaurant.
Xuan Sanqi was drinking heartily with more than a dozen subordinates in a private room.
He had received a letter from Mandarava earlier, stating that "Po Xiao" would arrive in Youming City within these two days.
While others did not know the identity of the newly promoted Earth-tier steward, Xuan Sanqi knew everything from the carrier pigeon message sent by Hong Mo.
His respected master had died while saving this good-for-nothing, and in Ghost City, relying on Lord Xing Yuan's backing, he had repeatedly offended Hong Mo.
As such, he naturally did not want to serve such a person.
So, he decided to lead his brothers in feasting and merrymaking, letting Po Xiao face everything himself! It would be even better if Po Xiao died here!
*Clang! Clang! Clang!*
Just as everyone was toasting each other, a knock came at the door.
In the blink of an eye, a guard walked in and went directly to Xuan Sanqi, saying, "My lord, Lord Po Xiao has arrived at the branch and is waiting for you to return."
"Got it, you may leave!"
"If he asks you again, tell him you couldn't contact me."
Xuan Sanqi waved his hand, revealing a look of disdain.
What use was an Earth-tier expert here if he didn't cooperate?
Even if he could return to headquarters alive, he wouldn't be able to explain himself to Lord Xing Yuan!
...
Time flew by, and the hourglass had reached nighttime.
In the branch, within Xuan Sanqi's office, soft snores could be heard.
Ye Cangtian lay on the sofa, sleeping soundly.
Initially, he thought Xuan Sanqi would return promptly, but after waiting for a long time with no sign of him, he understood.
Xuan Sanqi intended to give him a show of authority, or perhaps refuse to cooperate altogether.
With that in mind, Ye Cangtian was not in a hurry to find Xuan Sanqi. He simply fell asleep in the room, taking the opportunity to rest his weary travel body.
After all, this was the branch, and Xuan Sanqi would eventually return!
"Has Po Xiao left?"
"No, he's waiting in your office..."
A faint conversation reached the office, and the next moment, Ye Cangtian opened his eyes, his lips curving upwards in a slight smile.
The next moment, the office door slowly opened, and a burly figure staggered in.
This person was none other than the branch supervisor, Xuan Sanqi.
"Yo! Lord Po Xiao hasn't gone back to rest yet!"
"I'm truly sorry, this subordinate was too busy with official duties and couldn't find the time to meet you!"
"I'm sure Lord Po Xiao can understand. It's all the fault of those petty thieves..."
Xuan Sanqi glanced at Ye Cangtian, let out a hiccup, and said unsteadily, as if he were still drunk.
Still pretending?
Ye Cangtian saw through Xuan Sanqi's trick at a glance. If the man were truly drunk, would he have asked the guard about his whereabouts?
Thinking this, Ye Cangtian slowly got up and walked to Xuan Sanqi, patting him on the shoulder.
"I can understand that you are busy with official duties."
"After working too hard, I can also understand leading your brothers to have a drink and relax."
"However, you not saluting me when you see me, I cannot understand."
*Slap!*
As he spoke, Ye Cangtian's hand, which was on Xuan Sanqi's shoulder, suddenly swung out, fiercely striking Xuan Sanqi across the face.
He sent Xuan Sanqi flying backward.
The next moment, his mask fell off, revealing a middle-aged face that was rapidly swelling and reddening.
"You..."
"You dare to hit me, Xuan Qi, who the hell do you think you are!"
Feeling the throbbing pain on his face, Xuan Sanqi immediately exploded, pointing at Ye Cangtian and roaring.
At first, he had inwardly sneered at Ye Cangtian's first two sentences, thinking that "Po Xiao" was retreating to advance, not holding him accountable for his negligence, thus trying to win his favor.
But he never expected the man to be so hot-tempered, to resort to violence without giving him any chance to evade.
"Xuan Qi? That's the past."
"The one standing before you now is only the Earth-tier steward - Po Xiao!"
Ye Cangtian was not surprised at all that the other party knew his identity.
He glanced at Xuan Sanqi, then his figure flickered to Xuan Sanqi's side, and he raised his hand.
"Damn it, you really think I'm a pushover!"
Seeing Ye Cangtian's hand descend, Xuan Sanqi was furious. While leaning back, he fiercely kicked out.