"Cough cough, I harbor no ill will in coming here. I merely wished to extend a greeting."
"It so happens that I've encountered you here, and I've brought a small token of my regard. Please accept it."
Facing Ye Cangtian's demeanor, Hasal gritted his teeth, managing a strained smile.
As he spoke, he retrieved several small porcelain bottles from his Qiankun Bag and offered them, ostensibly to congratulate Po Xiao on his breakthrough and becoming a Earth-grade Deacon.
Naturally, these bottles did not contain any rare heavenly treasures, but rather several Xiao Huan Dans.
These were not items scarce to either the Dark Association or the Bright Hall.
However, in the city, such items were considered rare.
Especially given the tense relations between the two factions, the act of giving these away was considered quite magnanimous, and even Hasal felt a pang of heartache after presenting them.
Although the utility of these Xiao Huan Dans was limited, in his opinion, they would be better off given to a dog than to Po Xiao!
But he had no choice; to curry favor, he had to be generous.
"Thank you. I won't stand on ceremony."
Ye Cangtian, without even looking, directly placed the porcelain bottles into his Qiankun Bag.
He knew they were unlikely to be anything good, but every little bit helped. Since they were given freely, he saw no reason to refuse.
He then glanced at Hasal again and said slowly, "Hasal, one doesn't visit the Hall of Three Treasures without reason. Now, tell me your purpose!"
Heh heh.
Seeing that Ye Cangtian had accepted his token gift, Hasal smiled slightly and began, "To be frank, the Bright Hall also has operations in this sea area. To avoid any friction, I wish to know your objectives..."
"Heh heh, Hasal, are you dim-witted, or simply brainless?"
"You expect to bribe me with a few bottles of pills, to make me reveal classified information?"
Ye Cangtian glanced at Hasal. In his eyes, Hasal was no longer a Red-robed Archbishop of the Bright Hall, but a blatant opportunity for extortion.
The fact that Hasal wanted to inquire about the Dark Association's mission secrets was clearly an invitation to be fleeced.
Since the opportunity had presented itself, it would be unreasonable not to seize it!
"Haha, how could it possibly be just a few bottles of pills?"
"Of course, I have other generous gifts prepared. Brother Po Xiao, just name your price, and I assure you, you won't be disappointed!"
Upon hearing this, Hasal burst into laughter.
Since Ye Cangtian was willing to negotiate, it meant there was a possibility of obtaining information from him.
Moreover, judging by Ye Cangtian's tone, this information was likely of great importance.
If that were the case, he would pursue it at all costs.
Firstly, it would confirm whether the matter was related to the Bright Hall, allowing him to prepare accordingly.
Secondly, if it was unrelated to the Bright Hall, he wanted to see if he could profit from it and disrupt the Dark Association's mission plans.
He certainly wouldn't allow the Dark Association to succeed easily and reap the benefits.
Meanwhile, Ye Cangtian cast a playful glance at Hasal and said, "Hasal, did you truly forget your brain at home? Is there any reason to pay before delivery!"
"Very well, since Brother Po Xiao is so forthright, I'm not one to be stingy."
Hearing Ye Cangtian's words, Hasal, having considered the situation, readily agreed. He removed a Qiankun Bag from his person and tossed it directly in front of Ye Cangtian.
The implication was clear: as you can see, this is all I have, so raising the price is impossible!
Seeing this, Ye Cangtian picked up the Qiankun Bag and gave it a cursory inspection.
It contained a considerable amount of spirit stones, both white and purple, as well as several porcelain bottles containing Da Huan Dans.
Apart from these, there was only a long sword.
The sword was entirely crimson, and its appearance was not that of a Western cross-sword, but rather an Eastern style long sword.
However, this sword was slightly shorter than a typical long sword, narrower, and very lightweight.
Coupled with the exquisite decorations on its hilt, it was clearly a sword for women.
"The sword is quite good, certainly not ordinary. However, it's a woman's sword, unsuitable for me!"
Upon hearing Ye Cangtian's words, Hasal's brow furrowed. His words clearly indicated dissatisfaction!
Thinking quickly, he said, "Brother Po Xiao, it is indeed a woman's sword, but you must understand that ruins are not plentiful, and it's not always possible for everyone to find something that suits them. You should make do."
"Hmph!"
"Hasal, are you implying I am a woman with this female sword, are you insulting me?"
Ye Cangtian snorted, his expression instantly turning cold.
"No, I am merely stating a fact."
"Although this sword is meant for a woman, it was not easy to obtain. It is the Heart of a Ruin from a small relic!"
"To be honest, this sword was originally intended for Nancy, but Nancy already possesses a weapon more suited to her, which is why it ended up with me..."
Hasal shook his head slowly, speaking his words.
He had no ulterior motive, simply wishing to inform Ye Cangtian that the sword was hard-won and a rare treasure, and to dissuade him from making further unreasonable demands.
"What you've said is irrelevant to me."
"To me, anything useless, no matter how good, is still trash."
"Therefore, if you cannot produce anything better, then there's nothing more to discuss between us. Please, be on your way!"
Ye Cangtian sniffed dismissively upon hearing this and gestured for Hasal to leave.
"You..."
Seeing Ye Cangtian's extremely poor attitude, Hasal gnashed his teeth in anger. He couldn't believe Ye Cangtian was so unappreciative of its value and was actually trying to extort him further.
After a brief silence, Hasal finally calmed down and took out an ancient book from another Qiankun Bag he carried.
"This is a book on ancient medical arts. I obtained it not long ago and haven't had the chance to turn it in yet."
"If you find it satisfactory, take it. If not, then there's nothing I can do!"
"You must understand that I cannot produce any more valuable items. After all, if the higher-ups find out, my situation will be difficult!"
Hasal stated. He had no interest in or value for ancient medical arts.
Especially since the ancient book recorded mostly vials, jars, and some needles, which were not part of the Western medical system.
Therefore, he didn't mind giving it to Ye Cangtian.
Hearing Hasal's words, Ye Cangtian fell silent.
It seemed Hasal had been squeezed to his limit.
With that thought, Ye Cangtian spoke, "Alright, then I will sell you a piece of information. This matter concerns the survival of the Dark Association. I hope you will not spread it, nor reveal the source of the information to anyone!"
"Good! Good! Good!"
Upon hearing this, Hasal immediately agreed with excitement, assuming a posture of eager listening.
If this matter concerned the Dark Association's very survival, then knowing this information would allow him to control their fate!
It seemed a great contribution was within his grasp!
"Listen carefully, I will only say this once!"
Ye Cangtian glanced at Hasal and continued, "We are here to prevent the Viper Mercenary Group from reinforcing the Eastern Sun!"
What!
At these words, Hasal froze on the spot, a growing fury flashing across his face, intensifying with each passing moment.
He could never have imagined that the purpose of Ye Cangtian's presence here was the same as his own!
Could it be that Ye Cangtian already knew his mission? And was deliberately saying this to mock him?
He suddenly felt as though he was being played!
The next moment, Hasal suppressed his rage and said darkly, "Po Xiao, I expect a satisfactory explanation from you!"
Seeing Hasal's furious countenance, Ye Cangtian felt a surge of secret satisfaction. He glanced over and said, "Explanation for what?"
"Explain why the Dark Association is doing this!"
"Why this mission can determine the survival of the Dark Association!"
"Otherwise, I have reason to believe you are deceiving me, or even playing me for a fool!"
Hasal said furiously, his entire body trembling, appearing as though he was about to lose control.
"Very well, since I've sold you the information, I will naturally provide customer service."
Ye Cangtian sighed and continued, "The Dark Association is currently taking action against the Eastern Sun's ninja clans. If the Viper Mercenary Group is allowed to reinforce them, the Dark Association will suffer heavy losses."
"If the Dark Association suffers heavy losses, it is inevitable that others will covet its position, thus inviting a catastrophic disaster. Do you find my explanation satisfactory?"