"Alas, I know you're still bothered by the death of the Young Master of Sky Net,"
"But you must understand, this is Huaxia. While Sky Net and the Ninja Clan fight, forces like the Hidden Group and the Dark Association could very well be reaping the benefits!"
"Therefore, I urge you, let this matter rest for now. It's not too late to seek revenge after we complete our mission and leave Huaxia!"
Seeing Carol's agitated state, Bedra remained silent for a good while before speaking.
His greatest frustration was that Carol was convinced the Ninja Clan was behind the Young Master of Sky Net's murder. He wanted to mediate, but he was powerless.
"Hmph! Bedra, don't think I don't know what you're thinking!"
"You just want to cooperate with the Ninja Clan and the Rattlesnake, which is why you refuse to help!"
"Face reality. After all this time, haven't you seen what the Ninja Clan's intentions are? They won't pledge allegiance to any single force!"
Carol snorted coldly.
He paused, then continued, "Bedra, I'll ask you one last time: are you helping, or not?"
"This..."
Carol's aggressive stance made Bedra's brow furrow in a tight knot.
It was clear that if he didn't help, the relationship between Sky Net and the Holy Hall would completely break down, possibly even turning into outright hostility.
But if he did help, the Ninja Clan also harbored deep resentment towards the Holy Hall, making cooperation impossible in the future.
"Fine, I'll help you!"
After much deliberation, Bedra finally gritted his teeth and agreed.
He could only appease Carol for the time being. If this news got out, it would likely chill the hearts of the Holy Hall's allies.
As for a turning point, it was still possible. After all, Carol was only the second-in-command of Sky Net; he still had to follow orders from Sky Net headquarters.
...
The Villa.
Ye Cangtian had just contacted the Eastern Ying Ninja Clan through the intelligence department of the Dark Association.
He had no choice. Although he knew Gui Wu and Sasaki were in Kyoto, he didn't know their exact whereabouts.
Therefore, he could only contact them through Eastern Ying.
As he hung up and prepared to await a reply from Eastern Ying, Qiangwei's call came through.
"Boss, I have two pieces of news."
"By tracing the IP address based on intercepted information, we've basically locked down the locations of the Holy Hall and Sky Net..."
Upon hearing this, Ye Cangtian's eyes suddenly lit up. He had finally found the whereabouts of these two major powers.
Now, he had control over what actions to take next.
Thinking this, Ye Cangtian said, "Well done. What's the second piece of news?"
"The second piece of news is that we've joined forces with the Pandora mercenary group and carried out some minor operations..."
Minor operations?
Hearing this, Ye Cangtian's mouth twitched. He knew Qiangwei too well; even a monumental operation would likely be considered a minor one by her.
Thinking this, he quickly inquired.
Only then did he learn that the so-called joint operation involved the Death God Squad handing over intelligence gathered from various factions to the Pandora Squad.
And the Pandora Squad acted as enforcers, engaging in battles everywhere.
By now, the Pandora Squad had swiftly annexed five or six factions, their strength soaring.
It was unavoidable. Most of the manpower of those small and medium-sized factions had been deployed to Huaxia, leaving their headquarters extremely vulnerable.
When they encountered Pandora, they were essentially defenseless. Faced with the choice between surrender and annihilation, they could only choose the former.
"Well done, continue."
Hearing this, a smile appeared on Ye Cangtian's face.
This operation had completely disrupted some of the Holy Hall's plans.
Once the crisis in Huaxia was resolved, the Holy Hall would have no opportunity to deal with those smaller factions. After all, Pandora and the Death God Squad had already taken the lead.
Ye Cangtian cautioned them to be wary of retaliatory actions from the Holy Hall.
After all, the Holy Hall had invested heavily in planning this operation.
If the Holy Hall gained no benefit from this trip to Huaxia and was unable to annex those small and medium-sized factions afterward, it would be a case of losing the war and the women.
How could they be reconciled?
After giving his instructions, Ye Cangtian hung up the phone.
Not long after, a message arrived from the intelligence network of the Dark Association.
The Ninja Clan had agreed to meet with the Dark Association, and the time and place of the meeting had been sent over.
Upon hearing this news, a faint smile appeared on Ye Cangtian's face.
Everything was under his control. The Ninja Clan's days in Huaxia were indeed not going well, and they were seeking allies!
...
The next morning, at the Huatian Teahouse in Kyoto.
Ye Cangtian arrived as arranged and headed directly for a private room on the top floor.
Pushing open the door, he was met by a familiar figure. Ye Cangtian's eyes immediately flashed with a playful smile.
Who else could it be?
It was none other than the favored daughter of the Ninja Clan, Gui Wu!
"It's you..."
The moment she saw Ye Cangtian, Gui Wu nearly ground her teeth to dust.
She instantly recalled the shameful past in a certain ship's cabin, where she had subserviently massaged Xuan Qi.
"Haha, my dear maid, we meet again!"
"Truth be told, I truly miss your massage skills!"
"Now that there's no one else around, why don't you give me another massage?"
Seeing Gui Wu gnashing her teeth in anger, Ye Cangtian smiled and teased her playfully.
In fact, he hadn't expected Gui Wu to be the one meeting him. He had intended to see Sasaki of the Ninja Clan.
However, from Gui Wu's reaction, he discerned something. The Ninja Clan likely did not know the relationship between Xuan Qi and Po Xiao.
Otherwise, Gui Wu would at least have questioned him about why he was wearing Xuan Qi's mask, not the mask of a Grand Elder.
"You scoundrel!"
"Xuan Qi, are you here to cooperate, or to pick a fight!"
On the other side, hearing Ye Cangtian's words, Gui Wu's face instantly turned red. Her resentful expression seemed as if she wanted to tear him to pieces.
"Of course, I'm here to cooperate."
"It's just reminiscing and rekindling our acquaintance!"
Ye Cangtian chuckled playfully, walked forward, and poured himself a cup of tea.
"You..."
Gui Wu almost spat out blood upon hearing this.
To begin with, having been a slave to Xuan Qi for a period had become a stain on her life.
She repeatedly told herself to remain calm. The current situation of the Ninja Clan was not good, and she couldn't fall out with Xuan Qi.
Doing so could potentially bring devastating consequences to the Ninja Clan.
After a long while, Gui Wu finally calmed down and said, "Let's talk. How does the Dark Association intend to cooperate with the Ninja Clan?"
Ye Cangtian smiled and said, "Simple. Of course, it will be out in the open, a public declaration!"
"Alright. Then how much support can the Dark Association provide to the Ninja Clan this time?"
Hearing Gui Wu's words, Ye Cangtian smiled playfully, then held up one finger, which he slowly pointed at himself.
"What!"
"Just you? Are you kidding me!"
"What use is one person!"
Gui Wu angrily slammed the table and stood up. It was true that Xuan Qi was powerful, but he was not enough to help the Ninja Clan gain an advantage.
To put it simply, Sky Net and the Holy Hall had at least two Grand Elder experts, while the Ninja Clan only had one. This made it difficult for the Ninja Clan to act freely.
If not for the concern of Carol and Bedra joining forces, the Ninja Clan would have already annihilated Sky Net. Would they still be in a stalemate like this?
Therefore, the Ninja Clan agreed to cooperate with the Dark Association because they wanted the Dark Association to send Grand Elder experts to assist, not just a Profound level expert.
"Heh, what kind of era is this!"
"Now even maids look down on their masters, alas!"
Ye Cangtian chuckled playfully, slowly stood up, and said helplessly, "Since you're unwilling to cooperate, then so be it."
Saying this, Ye Cangtian stood up and walked towards the door.