After a small interlude, Qingyan led the many forces away from Misty Rain Tower.
Twenty-odd days passed, taking them directly through Wu City, the southernmost city of the ruins within the Hidden Organization's territory.
As they ventured deeper into the southern region, dangers increased, and the demons encountered became increasingly formidable, with beasts appearing incessantly.
However, these beasts stood no chance against the numerous forces, resembling feasts being divided amongst them.
It was well-known that beasts were treasures from head to tail. Their furs and sinews were incredibly useful, and even their flesh could provide sustenance for the various factions.
Thus, after another ten-plus days, the forces finally reached the edge of a rainforest.
It was here that Qingyan once again issued the order to set up camp and summoned the leaders of all the forces.
Inside a tent.
Ye Cangtian and the others were resting. For the Hidden Organization and the Imperial Dragon Villa, the journey had yielded no significant gains.
While they had encountered quite a few beasts along the way, the situation was one of scarcity with too many contenders, leaving no opportunity for the Hidden Organization or the Imperial Dragon Villa to act.
Ye Cangtian, however, was unbothered by this. He believed in preserving their strength for when it truly mattered, saving their might for the critical moments.
After finishing a cigarette, Ye Cangtian left the tent.
He had left a signal earlier during the camp setup, and now was the opportune time.
The next moment, Ye Cangtian arrived at a dense forest nearby.
A short while later, Geng Chao's figure appeared within his sight.
"Sir, what news do you seek from me?"
Upon seeing Ye Cangtian, Geng Chao's face broke into a fawning smile. The fact that the other party had contacted him meant there was a request, and therefore, a reward.
In Geng Chao's eyes, Ye Cangtian had now become his primary patron.
Ye Cangtian glanced at him and, without wasting time, extended his hand. "First question, where are the others from Flying Cloud Pavilion, and how many people came in total?"
"Oh, shoot, asking such explosive questions right off the bat. Aren't you afraid I can't answer?"
*Hmph!*
Ye Cangtian snorted lightly. "Stop the nonsense. If you don't want to expose yourself, you'd best answer my questions first."
Hearing this, Geng Chao shrugged helplessly and began, "They're scattered around, about one to two kilometers apart, at least several dozen people. This probably isn't all of them."
Geng Chao paused before continuing, "I happened to learn that some disciples of Flying Cloud Pavilion have disguised themselves as members of various forces and are lurking. However, I don't know which forces they are in..."
This...
Upon hearing this, Ye Cangtian's brows furrowed deeply.
If Geng Chao's information was accurate, then this would be troublesome.
He would need to be on guard at all times, lest the enemy strike a fatal blow at a crucial moment.
Damn it, it seemed Flying Cloud Pavilion had significant ambitions!
Ye Cangtian muttered to himself, then continued, "Second question, based on the situation over these past few days, which of these forces have formed alliances?"
Geng Chao did not conceal anything regarding this question and answered truthfully.
From the current situation, it was quite evident that Snow Peak and Tiger King Gate were in league, practically sharing the same trousers.
Beyond that, other forces seemed to be acting independently, with no apparent connections between them.
Heh heh.
Ye Cangtian chuckled, his gaze falling upon Geng Chao. "I'm starting to question your intelligence-gathering capabilities. I already knew that Snow Peak and Tiger King Gate were in cahoots before we even departed."
Hearing this, Geng Chao quickly interjected, "You can't blame me for this! For now, the beasts encountered have been relatively easy to deal with. Even without assistance, other forces can handle them on their own."
"Alright!"
Ye Cangtian shrugged and then asked, "Last question, what are Shen Bingyang and Hu Lifeng from Swift Wind Tower up to?"
"Those two... you could say they have actions, or you could say they don't."
Geng Chao looked at Ye Cangtian and continued, "The two have been very close to the soldiers of Swift Wind Tower recently. This is understandable, but also not entirely normal. This doesn't seem to fit their personalities..."
Hmm?
Ye Cangtian fell silent. He had interacted with Shen Bingyang and Hu Lifeng before, and his perception of them was that they were extremely arrogant.
While their strength might not have been exceptional, their ambition was considerable.
They wouldn't even spare ordinary guards a second glance, let alone him.
Now, their closeness with the ordinary guards of Swift Wind Tower was highly unusual, and there must be a motive behind it.
Could they be trying to seize military power from Yi Feipeng?
That seemed highly unlikely!
After all, neither their cultivation nor their status matched Yi Feipeng's. In such circumstances, attempting to seize military power would be a joke!
Unless they made a move on Yi Feipeng first. Without Yi Feipeng, those guards would naturally serve them...
Upon this realization, Ye Cangtian's expression turned grim. It seemed his guess was not far off!
With this thought, Ye Cangtian looked at Geng Chao and said, "Geng Chao, in the future, find a way to get me the purpose of Flying Cloud Pavilion, and also the identities of their disguised personnel hidden within the various forces."
"Sir, are you trying to get me killed?"
Upon hearing this, Geng Chao almost jumped up, exclaiming, "Sir, that's Flying Cloud Pavilion! I'm already trembling with fear just telling you this information. If I help you investigate them further, will I still have a life to live?"
Hearing this, Ye Cangtian smiled slightly and said, "Half a Nine Revolutions Golden Elixir for each infiltrated personnel. You decide how you want to do it!"
This...
At this statement, Geng Chao's eyes suddenly lit up. Flying Cloud Pavilion had sent quite a few people this time, most of whom were undercover within various forces.
If he could uncover all of them, he could at least obtain dozens of Nine Revolutions Golden Elixirs.
This would make him incredibly rich! With these elixirs, he could even form a formidable team...
With this thought, Geng Chao looked at Ye Cangtian, gritted his teeth, and said, "I'll risk it! Fortune favors the bold. It's settled."
Upon hearing this, Ye Cangtian's face broke into a satisfied smile. He patted Geng Chao on the shoulder and said, "Good luck, I'll be waiting for your good news."
With that said, Ye Cangtian left the dense forest and returned to the tent.
As soon as he returned, Rose approached him.
"Someone from Misty Rain Tower just came. They said Qingyan has invited the leaders of all forces to convene in the main tent..."
Ye Cangtian nodded upon hearing this and then turned to head towards the main tent.
Inside the main tent.
Most of the leaders had gathered. While waiting for everyone to arrive, they were comparing their respective gains.
"Oh ho, isn't this Ye Cangtian from the Hidden Organization?"
"Esteemed Heavenly-rank expert, forgive me for asking, but what gains has your Hidden Organization made?"
As Ye Cangtian entered the main tent, Meng Nan from Snow Peak stepped forward and inquired provocatively.
He and Tiger King Gate had allied, and they had obtained quite a few good items, giving him confidence that their gains surpassed those of the Hidden Organization.
Ye Cangtian glanced at Meng Nan and replied plainly, "We haven't had any significant gains yet."
Heh heh.
Meng Nan's face showed a smug expression. In his eyes, Ye Cangtian's admission was equivalent to admitting defeat.
Being able to outshine the Hidden Organization was enough to satisfy him.
However, Zuo Hu, standing beside him, was not willing to let Ye Cangtian off the hook so easily. He sneered, "Is this how the Hidden Organization serves the ruins? Truly a bunch of hypocrites..."
Hmm?
Ye Cangtian's expression immediately darkened. Originally, he had no intention of making things difficult for Meng Nan and the others.
The gains they had made were merely scraps, and letting them have their brief moment of glory was fine. However, now that they had insulted the Hidden Organization again, his anger surged.
"Zuo Hu, everything the Hidden Organization has done for the ruins is not for you to deny!"
With that, Ye Cangtian's cold gaze turned towards Meng Nan and he continued, "And you, Meng Nan, what is there to be proud of by comparing yourselves to the Hidden Organization here? If you have the guts, let's compare who has contributed more to the ruins!"
"You..."
Meng Nan was instantly rendered speechless. In this regard, neither Snow Peak nor any other force present could compare to the Hidden Organization. He was truly at a loss for words.
Zuo Hu on the side snorted coldly, "So what if you defeated the Bright Hall and the Dark Association? Besides these, what other achievements does your Hidden Organization have? Don't you get tired of boasting about these things!"