Chapter 2469: Chapter 2469
Amidst the starry expanse, Ye Liuyun’s Hawks clashed with the Sacred Dynasty’s Swallows in a fierce aerial battle.
Yet the Swallows were no match for the Hawks in firepower, defense, or speed. Over three hundred Hawks swiftly annihilated twice their number of Swallows without suffering a single loss. Terrified, the Sacred Dynasty’s fleet retreated in disarray, refusing to engage further. The Hawks gave a token pursuit, destroying a few smaller vessels before promptly returning to their defensive positions.
Meanwhile, Sharman arrived with his troops, only to be recalled into Ye Liuyun’s spatial world. Ling Hai and his crew, having looted the city lord’s mansion, quickly regrouped near the Divine Sword Manor. Soon, the battle there also reached its decisive conclusion.
Ye Liuyun gathered everyone into his spatial world, retrieved the remaining Swallows from the void, and then used the Black Tower’s teleportation to reunite with his doppelgänger.
Back in the city, chaos reigned. With the city lord’s forces and garrison wiped out, and the merchant guilds plundered, martial cultivators descended into a frenzy of looting. The Sacred Dynasty, having deduced Ye Liuyun’s involvement, dispatched troops from nearby cities, setting up multiple checkpoints along the way to intercept fleeing fighters.
Envious of the Hawks and war chariots Ye Liuyun had displayed, the dynasty resolved to mobilize a massive force to seal off the region and capture him alive. Unfortunately, their blockade came a step too late. The checkpoints failed to stop Ye Liuyun’s group as they slipped through undetected.
They soon reached a city housing the Black Kill Secret Realm and smoothly returned to the Black Kill Training Grounds.
"Thrilling! Absolutely exhilarating!" Back safely at Ye Liuyun’s residence, Kuang Sha and the others finally let out a collective sigh of relief.
Then, buzzing with excitement, they crowded around Ye Liuyun, firing off questions nonstop.
"What kind of treasures did you pull out earlier? Show us!"
"Yeah! That streak of white light that took down the Sword-master—what kind of treasure was that?"
"How did you even escape? Was the Divine Sword Manor wiped out?"
Apart from confirming that the Divine Sword Manor had indeed been destroyed, Ye Liuyun had no answers for the rest of their questions.
"Alright, enough! Those treasures are his lifelines—stop putting him on the spot!"
You Ming stepped in to smooth things over for Ye Liuyun before deftly shifting the topic. "Since the mission’s accomplished, let’s go cash in our points, yeah?"
"You guys go ahead. I’m not taking any points. I barely did anything—no way I’m claiming credit," Kuang Sha said bluntly.
Tian Yan and Yi Dao shared the same sentiment, too embarrassed to accept the rewards.
"We’re a team. And you all helped by keeping watch on the Divine Sword Manor—don’t talk like we’re strangers!" Ye Liuyun urged them.
With You Ming adding her persuasion, they finally relented and followed the others to claim their points.
But Kuang Sha wasn’t done. "You’re way too strong. This squad should probably disband. Otherwise, we’d just be freeloading off your missions—no growth for us."
Tian Yan and Yi Dao agreed. "Besides, once you two earn enough points, you’ll be promoted to headquarters as stewards. We might as well find new teammates now."
Even You Ming didn’t object.
Truth be told, Ye Liuyun had been thinking the same thing. At least this way, he wouldn’t have to be the one to bring it up. Still, they decided to share one last meal together—a farewell barbecue—before parting ways.
They reported to the steward, exchanged their points, and watched as Ye Liuyun and You Ming both rose to Rank One. The leftover points were then divided among the rest.
The steward added headquarters access permissions to the identification badges of Ye Liuyun and You Ming, granting them unrestricted entry to the main compound.
Afterward, Ye Liuyun joined the others for a lively barbecue feast before they all went their separate ways. While he and You Ming headed straight for headquarters, Kuangsha, Tianyan, and Yidao departed for training to form a new team.
Upon arrival, a steward assigned living quarters to Ye Liuyun and You Ming. Seizing the opportunity, Ye Liuyun released Mosha from confinement. Having long been a first-class assassin, Mosha was already familiar with headquarters.
Worried that exposing the identities of Falcon and Chariot might draw unwanted attention from both the Sacred Dynasty and the Black Killers, Ye Liuyun instructed Mosha to remain behind and gather intelligence for him. Meanwhile, he prepared to leave at any moment to avoid falling under the Black Killers’ control.
Just then, You Ming sought out Ye Liuyun, pressing him about his true identity. Before he could explain, a steward arrived and announced, "The leader summons you to the grand hall!"
With an apologetic smile, Ye Liuyun told You Ming, "I’ll explain everything later." Then he hurried off to meet Xiao Qiwu.
The moment he stepped inside, Xiao Qiwu cut straight to the point. "A simple mission—how did you manage to cause such an uproar?"
"It wasn’t my fault!" Ye Liuyun defended himself. "The Sword-master was too powerful. I had no choice but to reveal my identity to survive."
Xiao Qiwu fixed him with a stern look. "The Sacred Dynasty has already guessed you’re here. They were the ones who issued the mission to destroy the Sword-master’s Manor. And the equipment you exposed made it all too easy for them to connect the dots."
"Mm-hmm." Ye Liuyun gave a slight nod without elaborating.
Since the mission had been issued by the Sacred Dynasty, it wasn’t surprising they could trace it back to Black Kill. But he was merely carrying out their orders—Black Kill never specified methods. Even if the Dynasty figured it out, it had nothing to do with him.
"For your safety, it’s best you stay put for now," Xiao Qiwu advised. "The Dynasty will undoubtedly have people watching for you. But don’t worry—they can’t breach this place. You’re completely secure here."
"Understood," Ye Liuyun replied. In his view, Black Kill protecting its members was only natural.
Still, he wasn’t naive enough to believe Xiao Qiwu had no ulterior motives in confining him to headquarters.
Sure enough, Xiao Qiwu soon pressed him for details—how he had slain the Sword-master, and the matter of the Hawk and the Chariot.
"Just standard military gear," Ye Liuyun dismissed, attributing everything to standard battlefield equipment.
"Those are a far cry from the Swallow you sold before," Xiao Qiwu hinted.
"Of course. Who’d part with the good stuff so easily?" Ye Liuyun replied bluntly. "But the Swallow was more than enough for the Sacred Dynasty. They should be satisfied."
Xiao Qiwu nodded. "The Swallow was sufficient for them, true. But what if I wanted to buy your better equipment? Would you sell?"
Ye Liuyun pretended to consider it. "I hadn’t planned on selling those. But if you need them... I might reconsider."
"Fair enough. Take your time to think it over. Let me know once you’ve decided." Seeing Ye Liuyun’s reluctance, Xiao Qiwu didn’t push further. "While you’re here at headquarters, I’ll ensure your safety."
