Who do you think you are? You dare to try and recruit me?
Nightmare stood up. "You want me to switch jobs and become your lackey? Dream on!"
"You bunch of trash don't even deserve to understand my 'One Man, One City' philosophy?"
Even if only one person remains in the Desolate God Society, I will not leave!
"Get out!"
"You...!"
Song Gongyao was so angry that his face turned ashen and his whole body trembled!
When had she ever suffered such a humiliating disgrace?
Enraged, he placed his hand on the sword at his waist, ready to draw it and kill someone on the spot.
"Sister, please calm down! Please calm down!"
Wu Ruyi quickly grabbed her arm and whispered to dissuade her.
"This is the fortress hall; no vigilante justice is allowed!"
"It's not worth getting your hands dirty over him!"
Under Wu Ruyi's persuasion, Song Gongyao finally managed to suppress his Wrath.
She flung her sleeves, turned around, and strode out of the hall, cursing as she went.
"You ungrateful bastard! You deserve to stay here and wait to die!"
"You, and those few bitches Lu Zhihui, are all cut from the same cloth!"
"They're all stubborn traitors! Ungrateful scoundrels!"
Wu Ruyi, following behind, waved a feather fan.
As she listened to Song Gongyao's righteous and indignant rebuke, she smiled obsequiously on the surface, but inwardly she rolled her eyes wildly.
"Lu Zhihui would rather die than Unyielding."
"You sold your sworn sisters to that eunuch Gao Nantong as a pledge of loyalty, all for your own promotion Fortune..."
"Who exactly is that shameless, two-faced scoundrel? They're truly shameless."
Of course, Wu Ruyi only dared to mutter these words in her heart; on the surface, she remained a competent strategist.
Just as Song Gongyao was cursing and swearing...
"Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!"
Suddenly, the sound of running echoed from the corridor outside the hall!
The entire marble floor trembled with each footstep!
"Big sister! Sister Ruyi! Something terrible has happened! Something terribly bad has occurred!!!"
Accompanied by a hoarse, strained voice.
A wide, fat, dark-skinned woman with a full beard rushed into the hall!
This is one of Song Gongyao's most formidable generals, known as the "Black Tank"...
Li Kui!
"Stop right there! What kind of behavior is this, shouting like that!"
Song Gongyao frowned and reprimanded him with displeasure.
"Why are you in such a hurry? I'll hold the sky up if it falls! Tell me slowly!"
Seeing Li Kui covered in sweat, Song Gongyao quickly made a decision and then smiled.
"Has there been good news from the front?"
"It must have been those two girls, Lu Jin and Yang Zhi, who did a great job capturing Lu Zhihui and the others alive, right?"
"Hmph, I knew it! They can't escape my grasp!"
However, upon hearing this, Li Kui's dark, chubby face turned a deep liver color.
She kept waving her hands.
"No, sister!!"
"Lu Zhihui and the others weren't brought back!"
"It's... it's Lu Jin and Sister Yang Zhi..."
"Those two have been captured alive!"
"What?!"
Song Gongyao was swaggering like an official just a second ago, was completely dumbfounded!
"They've been arrested?!"
Song Gongyao's official prestige vanished completely.
She took a step forward and grabbed Li Kui with both hands.
"Lu Jin is a top-tier expert! Even I struggle with Yang Zhi's absolute evasion!"
"How could they have been captured alive by that brute Lu Zhihui?! Are you giving a false report?!"
"Big... Big sister! Don't choke me, I can't breathe..."
Li Kui was being strangled so badly that her eyes rolled back, and her dark face turned bright red.
"Sister, calm down! Let go!"
Wu Ruyi something was wrong and quickly stepped forward to pull Song Gongyao away.
"Li Kui, tell me slowly, what exactly happened? Who told you this news?"
Li Kui rubbed his neck, his voice muffled with lingering fear.
"Strategist, I... I didn't believe it at first either."
"It was a hooded man who told me this; he said he happened to be passing by and witnessed it all..."
You believe what a stranger says?!
Song Gongyao straightened his wrinkled official robe.
"I think it's possible that those two bitches Lu Jin and Yang Zhi, are holding a grudge and have secretly switched sides to Lu Zhihui!"
"With their strength, how could they possibly have lost if they hadn't held back?!"
"No, ma'am! I initially thought that person was just talking nonsense too..."
Li Kui was so anxious that she stamped her feet and hurriedly took out a piece of cloth from her bosom and handed it over.
"But I only believed it when that hooded man pulled out this!"
Wu Ruyi quickly took the piece of fabric, glanced at it, and knew it was the right one.
"It can't be wrong..."
"Sister, this is the Dragon Xia Naval Flag the imperial court issued to the generals after we were granted amnesty."
"It also features Lu Jin's exclusive embroidery..."
"Something might really have happened to them."
Upon hearing the news being confirmed, Song Gongyao's true nature was almost exposed.
"Useless! They're all useless! What on earth are those two up to?!"
"Is he really unfaithful to me?!"
"With their abilities, even if they can't win, surely they can escape?"
"How could we possibly be captured by Lu Zhihui and her group?!"
"But what if... it's not just Lu Zhihui and her group that's taking action?"
Suddenly, a questioning voice drifted over from afar.
"Who?!"
Song Gongyao, Wu Ruyi, and Li Kui turned to look.
A figure emerged from behind a stone pillar in the hall.
The man was completely wrapped in a cloak, the hood covering most of his face, and he was holding a long sword in his arms.
"Ah! It's you, my dear brother!"
As soon as Li Kui saw him, she quickly introduced him to Song Gongyao.
"Big sister, this is the hooded man I was talking about who gave me the information!"
"By the way, bro, what was your name again?"
The hooded man looked up.
"Zhang Lingqi."
"Zhang Lingqi..."
Song Gongyao squinted and stroked his chin.
At this moment, Wu Ruyi closed his feather fan and revealed his true identity.
"Zhang Lingqi, the former deputy captain of the Huaxia Denglong Squad, right?"
Zhang Lingqi turned his head and stared at Wu Ruyi: "You recognize me?"
"Of course I know you. You're a big shot in both the legitimate and underworld circles now."
Wu Ruyi pulled a wanted poster from her sleeve and unfolded it in front of everyone.
"This was recently obtained by the intelligence team; it was something that drifted in with the west sea breeze."
The image clearly depicts Zhang Lingqi, along with detailed information about his betrayal of China and his nationwide manhunt.
Song Gongyao to take a look and immediately felt empathy.
She stepped forward and gave a perfunctory bow.
"Thank you, Brother Zhang, for sharing such important information with us."
"You've come all this way, you probably haven't eaten yet, have you?"
"Come on, it's my treat, I'll treat you to a nice meal!"
"Shall we eat now?"
Upon hearing there was food, Li Kui's eyes lit up. "Great! I'm starving!"
"Elder sister!"
Wu Ruyi grabbed Song Gongyao's sleeve, lowered her voice, and asked anxiously.
Is it time to eat now?
"Lu Jin and the others are missing, their fates unknown. Shouldn't we immediately gather our sisters and set sail to rescue them?!"
Song Gongyao patted Wu Ruyi's hand with his backhand and muttered impatiently.
What's the rush?
"After yesterday's amnesty ceremony, to show their loyalty, the sisters have been dispersed and assigned to various guard battalions."
"If we want to mobilize troops now, we have to wait a while and go to Lord Nantong. We need his approval before we can send troops."
"What?!"
Upon hearing this, Wu Ruyi was struck dumb, "Sister!"
"Didn't you promise the sisters before that the condition for surrendering was that you would never break up the organization?!"
Song Gongyao sighed.
"As you wish, times have changed."
"After Lu Zhihui led his men in defection, the higher-ups actually didn't agree to grant us amnesty."
"They're even prepared to send an army to completely wipe out our Lianghai Pirate Group!"
"It was only after Lord Nantong pleaded with Gao Shangwen several times that the higher-ups reluctantly agreed."
"Since we're living under someone else's roof, we have to make some concessions, don't we?"
Wu Ruyi was stunned after hearing this.
She didn't know what to say; a sense of foreboding enveloped her.
Compromise? Concession?
"You handed over your sisters who have followed you for so many years like bargaining chips, just to get this official hat?"
"Song Gongyao, have you gone mad...?"
Song Gongyao completely ignored Wu Ruyi's breakdown and turned to continue his enthusiastic invitation to Zhang Lingqi.
"Let's go, Brother Zhang, eat and chat?"
Zhang Lingqi is a model youth who has experienced many ups and downs in the new era.
One glance was enough to tell what kind of person Song Gongyao was.
But he also had his own motives.
"Let's skip the meal."
Zhang Lingqi refused, and then dropped a bombshell.
"I have important business to discuss with the current head of Deep Pool Fortress."
"Information is available for sale; it's about... the Dragon God."
"Dragon God?!"
Upon hearing this name, the three of them trembled violently.
Song Gongyao was so excited that his face was flushed.
"Is this true?! You really have information about the Dragon God?!"
You should know that Gao Nantong was sent to this godforsaken place with the primary mission of intercepting that Dragon God!
If I could hand over this intelligence, wouldn't that be a great achievement?
A promotion Fortune are just around the corner!
"Take me to see him, now."
Zhang Lingqi coldly withdrew his hand. "Please hurry, or it will be too late."
The more anxious the other party is, the higher the value of the information!
Song Gongyao was overjoyed and immediately straightened his chest, speaking with righteous indignation.
"Brother Zhang is right! Everyone makes mistakes."
"Back in the day, weren't we also outlaws, sister?"
"But look at us now, aren't we eating the meals of the imperial court's stewards?"
"Sister will take you to see Lord Nantong and help you reform! Let's go!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she eagerly pulled Zhang Lingqi and walked deeper into the hall.
Before leaving, he only left one sentence.
"Ruyi, Li Kui, you two stay here and wait!"
Watching the two figures walk away.
Li Kui scratched his head and turned to look at Wu Ruyi.
"Strategist, our eldest sister isn't taking us out to eat..."
"How about I treat you to some leftover meat from the kitchen?"
"No, thank you. I have no appetite."
Wu Ruyi face ashen.
"Why? Didn't you say this morning you wanted to eat roast goose?"
Li Kui asked innocently.
Wu Ruyi a bitter laugh and clenched the feather fan in her hand.
"Because... I can smell a rotten stench."
"Li Kui, do you know?"
"Some people, once they put on red official robes, really think they're not water ghosts anymore."
"But her inherent selfishness and ruthlessness are more disgusting than the most venomous sea snake."
In the darkest corner of the hall.
Nightmare, who had been sitting there, put down the Thunder Sprite Bottle in his hand.
"Zhang Lingqi..."
"Information about the Dragon God..."
He murmured to himself, then transformed into a wisp of Black Mist and followed in the direction Song Gongyao had gone...
Only the empty Thunder Sprite bottle remained on the table, spinning in the breeze.
Deep Pool Fortress, the study deep within the inner fortress.
When Song Gongyao, accompanied by Zhang Lingqi, pushed open the door.
A strong, fishy smell of seafood wafted over.
There was no desk in the center of the study; instead, a huge red gauze curtain was drawn across it.
Behind the curtain, seven or eight dark figures could be vaguely seen entangled together.
Gao Nantong is currently discussing with others how to make cream puffs.
"Hey! Which blind lackey is that!"
"Can't you see I'm having a great time? Get out!"
From behind the curtain came Gao Nantong's androgynous, furious curses.
Song Gongyao quickly knelt on the ground and called out in a humble voice.
"Lord Nantong, please calm your anger! It was your subordinate, Song Gongyao!"
"My subordinate has brought important intelligence..."
"It's about the Dragon God!"
"Dragon God?"
The panting behind the curtain stopped abruptly.
Immediately afterwards, Gao Nantong's voice changed tone.
"That's all for today, everyone. We'll continue tomorrow!"
A rustling sound arose.
Soon, the red curtain was lifted, and a dozen or so... orcs walked out!
There are crab-men with two large pincers.
There are dolphin people whose bodies are smooth and slippery.
There was even a crocodile-man with a mouth full of fangs!
The dozen or so monsters quickly lined up and walked out, passing by the door.
The fumes nearly suffocated Song Gongyao and Zhang Lingqi on the spot.
Finally, Gao Nantong walked out, swaying his slender waist.
He held his pinky finger up in a delicate, orchid-like gesture.
"Get up, what intelligence?"
Song Gongyao quickly got up and, with a fawning expression, pointed to Zhang Lingqi and introduced him.
"Sir, this is Zhang Lingqi from the former Dragon Ascension Squad! He has top-secret information about the Dragon God to sell!"
"Oh? Zhang Lingqi? I know you."
Gao Nantong swayed his hips as he walked up to Zhang Lingqi and gave him a flirtatious wink.
"Oh my, he's quite handsome, and he has this cold, aloof air about him."
"This is much better than those rough seafood dishes we just had!"
"You rascal, what kind of information are you trying to sell?"
Zhang Lingqi gritted his teeth, suppressing the urge to draw his sword and kill this pervert, and stated his conditions.
"After providing the intelligence, I need to go to the Dragon Xia Imperial City."
"I need you to open a passage for me."
Gao Nantong pinched his chin and rolled his eyes.
Should he go to the capital?
He wasn't afraid of what trouble Zhang Lingqi, a wanted criminal, would cause once he arrived in the capital.
After all, the capital city was his uncle Gao Qiu's territory. Once there, dragons had to coil up and tigers had to lie low.
Okay~
Gao Nantong chuckled, "I agree."
"Provided that your intelligence... is worth the price."
"Don't worry... it's absolutely worth the price."
Zhang Lingqi immediately spoke.
"First, the Dragon God is about to attack Deep Pool Fortress."
"Secondly, he has already learned of the dangers of the First Sea Region."
"Therefore, he bypassed the First Sea Region where Duanlang was in seclusion and came directly here!"
"What?!"
Upon hearing this, Gao Nantong's face turned deathly pale!
"How... how could he know that Lord Duanlang was in the First Sea Region?!"
"This is top secret! He bypassed Duanlang... who in that fortress can stop him now?!"
Gao Nantong was shocked and unable to remain calm!
Seeing his cowardly appearance, Zhang Lingqi sneered inwardly and continued to add fuel to the fire.
"Because I killed his closest companion, he's now hunting me down like a madman."
"Now, it's time for you to keep your promise."
Gao Nantong spun around twice, then gritted his teeth and screamed.
"Alright! I'll clear the way for you right now!"
"No... I will personally escort you to the Imperial City!"
"I need to report this momentous matter to my uncle in person!"
"Upon arriving in the capital, I will personally introduce you to my uncle!"
Thank you.
Zhang Lingqi responded calmly.
Song Gongyao, standing to the side, grew anxious.
Zhang Lingqi got what he wanted, but she didn't!
They hurried forward, eager to claim credit.
"My lord! My lord, what about me?! I'm the one who recommended this person to you!"
Gao Nantong gave a perfunctory reply.
"Rest assured, I haven't forgotten your loyalty!"
"From today onwards, when Lord Duanlang and I are not in the fortress!"
"You, Song Gongyao, are now the temporary head of this Deep Pool Fortress!"
"All the city's garrison troops are now under your command!"
Upon hearing this, Song Gongyao was overjoyed!
"Thank you so much for your promotion, sir!!!"
She was so excited that she knelt on the ground and loudly pledged her loyalty.
"Your Excellency, please proceed to the capital with peace of mind!"
"Your subordinate will certainly make the most stringent preparations before the Dragon God attacks! We'll be waiting for you to bring back reinforcements, sir!"
Looking at Song Gongyao's ecstatic expression, as if he had finally taken off.
Zhang Lingqi, standing to the side, lowered his head and revealed a cold smile.
"Be prepared?"
You probably won't even have time to prepare.
"I'm talking about soon... not a few days later, not tomorrow."
"But..."
"A few hours, you idiot."