Chapter 1439: Traitor
Amidst the bustling city, the hotel became the biggest sanctuary. Ye Fan’s people couldn’t attack the West Ancient Cult recklessly. If such an event occurred, its impact would be too great, easily affecting the innocent, which is unwise.
Ye Fan understood this principle, and naturally, the West Ancient Cult did as well.
Ye Fan’s daring act of entering the lion’s den greatly infuriated Yamamoto and Nishida, who deeply regretted missing the perfect opportunity to ambush Ye Fan.
Listening to the West Ancient Cult, Yamamoto understood each other’s concerns.
"There’s bound to be a major battle between us and Ye Fan sooner or later. It’s unavoidable," Yamamoto said slowly. "Whether we can achieve final victory, we’re facing tremendous challenges."
"Regardless of the outcome, we can’t let ourselves be shaken," Nishida replied. "When necessary, we must take the initiative, not just defend passively. Attacking as a form of defense is the best strategy."
"Tell me, why did Ye Fan come to us so brazenly, explaining the truth behind Asai’s assassination? What’s Ye Fan’s real purpose?" asked the West Ancient Cult. "Could Ye Fan be kind enough to inform us of Asai’s death? That’s unrealistic, surely there’s an ulterior motive."
"What could be the motive? It’s definitely to show off, proving how powerful he is—the fate of those who provoke him is the same as Asai’s. It’s purely to intimidate us, to make us afraid of him and not dare to oppose him," Yamamoto speculated, thinking Ye Fan’s purpose was purely to intimidate them.
"In my view, it’s not that simple," Nishida analyzed. "Ye Fan won’t scare us into defeat. He’s probably trying to stir us into action so he can compete with us. As long as we stay in the hotel and don’t move, before the auction starts, our forces won’t suffer any loss or weakening. If we act proactively, we risk falling into the enemy’s trap, with the possibility of our strength being diminished before the auction begins."
"There’s really that possibility." Yamamoto agreed with Nishida’s idea, his gaze shifting.
"No matter Ye Fan’s intentions, we have our own plans and strategies," the West Ancient Cult said sternly. "Before any action, we must inform Nagano Yoko of the situation and listen to her opinions and directives."
While waiting for Nagano Yoko, the West Ancient Cult called her.
"Asai was killed by Ye Fan. Ye Fan came alone to see us," the West Ancient Cult reported the events in detail to Nagano Yoko, leaving nothing unsaid, even telling her what Ye Fan had said upon his arrival.
Nagano Yoko listened to the West Ancient Cult, her expression gradually growing somber.
After a moment of contemplation, she said, "Do not act rashly, protect the map fragments. That’s more important than anything. Abstain from any aggressiveness—it could be Ye Fan’s strategy to lure the tiger from the mountain and then eliminate your forces."
"Yes, I understand." The West Ancient Cult replied earnestly.
"Remember, protecting the map fragments is paramount," Nagano Yoko emphasized again. "Currently, not only Ye Fan’s people are watching you, but other forces as well. Ye Fan won’t rashly attack you, but other forces will seize the opportunity to cause you trouble."
"I know, I’ll be careful not to give the enemy any chance," said the West Ancient Cult.
The call between Nagano Yoko and the West Ancient Cult was brief. After hanging up, Nami hurriedly inquired, "What happened? Your expression suggests something bad has happened?"
"Yes, Asai and his people were wiped out. No one survived, and they couldn’t even send an alert," Nagano Yoko said with a heavy expression. Losing such a major asset was a considerable blow.
"What? How is that possible?" Nami exclaimed in disbelief. Asai’s thirty-member group was formidable strength, losing them pained her to her core, and she urgently asked, "Who did it?"
"Ye Fan," Nagano Yoko replied.
"What? That despicable bastard killed Asai and then boasted to the West Ancient Cult?" Nami said, angrily. "Ye Fan clearly knows Asai was from the West Ancient Cult, yet he dared to act so brazenly! Who gave him the audacity to be so arrogant?"
"Ye Fan probably intends to provoke the West Ancient Cult, prompting them to act again, so he can eliminate them, reducing enemy forces before the upcoming battle," said Nagano Yoko.
"In that case, should we take some action, aligning with Ye Fan’s intent, and suppress the enemy’s arrogance a bit?" Nami said menacingly. "We have plenty of targets to go after, as long as we don’t direct hostility at Ye Fan. Anger Ye Fan from the side, making him unable to handle us—a tit-for-tat approach."
"Extreme measures should be saved for the very end," Nagano Yoko said. "Right now isn’t the time to confront Ye Fan directly."
"Do we just swallow this rage then?" Nami asked furiously.
"We can only temporarily endure this shame." Nagano Yoko said. "We’ll settle this score when the time comes."
"If Ye Fan’s purpose is to intimidate us, making us retreat and preventing us from doing anything, wouldn’t we be falling into his trap?" Nami thought.
"Regardless, now isn’t the time for direct action," Nagano Yoko confirmed. "The urgent task is to crack Ji Jie and gather important intelligence, then steal the Ancient Painting."
"That’s definitely paramount and the challenge we’ve wanted to overcome for ages," Nami said. "There’s been significant progress with Ji Jie. Tonight, Ji Jie has arranged to meet me. If successful, we can obtain valuable intel from Ji Jie tonight, allowing us to enter the auction and secure the Ancient Painting."
"I like traitors, especially those like Ji Jie, very endearing," Nagano Yoko said with a smile. "Once we know where the Ancient Painting is, we’ll act tonight."
Nagano Yoko and Nami, after long and arduous planning, finally breached this critical juncture.