Chapter 70 – The Stirring Darkness

Just as Su Ming began “selling himself for glory,” in the deepest part of a mansion located in the city center of Longyao City, another unknown conversation was taking place.

A well-dressed upper-class figure in a suit held a somewhat retro telephone, his face filled with anger.

“Look at the kind of worthless people you sent?” the upper-class figure said furiously. “A bunch of scoundrels who’ve been crawling around in the underground world, their hands stained with who knows how much blood, yet they were wiped out in a single night. How could such trash possibly complete such an important mission?”

The furious outburst was met with a rather ruthless voice on the other end.

“Don’t say that, my collaborator,” the other party replied calmly. “They were actually quite capable and fairly well-known among the lower-rank Underground Professionals. According to my estimation, with your covert assistance, a mere cub shouldn’t have led to mission failure.”

“But their mission did fail. Not only did it fail, but it also exposed me,” the upper-class figure’s anger did not diminish in the slightest; instead, it intensified. “I told you long ago to send Upper-Rank Professionals to handle this matter, but you wouldn’t listen. Now look—they’re all dead, and even the cub has escaped. Our entire plan has gone down the drain. Are you happy now?”

Faced with this reproach, the person on the other end of the line remained unfazed.

“Upper-Rank Professionals cannot be dispatched casually. Even if I could, I wouldn’t send them,” the other party stated. “If I were to send Underground Professionals of that level, are you certain you could control them?”

The upper-class figure fell silent.

He truly might not be able to control one or even multiple Upper-Rank Professionals and make them obediently carry out his tasks.

If the person on the other end had sent individuals of that caliber, the upper-class figure would have had reason to worry.

After all, a Phantom Demon Cub that could potentially evolve into a Nightmare Species, a Phantom Demon Bloodline that leads directly to the Seven-Star level—such temptations would likely stir the hearts of those Underground Professionals with little moral restraint.

And once they were tempted, would they care about the mission or not?

In the end, they were Underground Professionals, with boundless ambition and greed. This was especially true for Upper-Rank Underground Professionals. If they were truly tempted, they might even eliminate their employer.

Those who managed to rise to the rank of Upper-Rank Professional had likely committed grave sins; otherwise, why would they reside in the underground world?

In contrast, when it came to Lower-Rank Professionals, even if they harbored improper thoughts, there were countless ways to keep them in check.

From this perspective, the arrangement made by the other party was not without reason.

However…

“Did you really send a team of Lower-Rank Professionals out of consideration for this?”

The upper-class figure’s voice grew deep and somber.

“…What do you mean?”

The person on the other end of the line seemed to raise an eyebrow.

“Don’t think I don’t know your intentions,” the upper-class figure snorted coldly. “You’re eager to create chaos in Longyao City to divert the attention of the Base City’s higher-ups, making it easier for you to carry out your shady dealings in the shadows.”

The upper-class figure suspected that the other party had deliberately engineered this situation to serve their own agenda.In other words, the other party might have deliberately sent less powerful individuals to avoid immediately capturing the young beast.

This way, the conflict between the young beast and the Underground Professional group would reach a stalemate, causing disturbances across various corners of Longyao City. Eventually, this would draw the attention of other high-ranking officials in the Base City, diverting their focus.

This was a highly reasonable suspicion.

Moreover, the higher-up was indeed aware that the other party had been engaging in covert activities within Longyao City and did not want these actions discovered by prying eyes.

Therefore…

“If your personal agenda causes me to lose an important Nightmare Species Bloodline, then I’m sorry, but I will no longer cooperate with you from now on.”

The higher-up spoke with an unquestionable tone.

The person on the other end of the phone fell silent, casting an indescribable sense of oppression.

That oppressive feeling made the higher-up almost break into a cold sweat.

Despite his seemingly domineering and forceful words, the higher-up was well aware that he was somewhat inadequate in the other party’s eyes.

He was merely one of the high-ranking officials in Longyao Base City. While he might wield considerable power and swagger around freely within Longyao City, he was not necessarily impressive in the other party’s view.

The other party belonged to ‘Sin,’ one of the largest mercenary organizations in the underground world.

The forces in the entire underground world were intricate and complex, spanning across the globe. For them to occupy a top-tier position within it, one could imagine their capabilities.

To put it plainly, both the leader and deputy leader of ‘Sin’ were Seven-Star Hunters, far beyond what Longyao City—which didn’t even have a single Seven-Star Professional—could contend with.

If it weren’t for the fact that Longyao City and the other three coastal Base Cities had always maintained mutual exchanges, and the Four Base Cities were closely connected—viewed from a global perspective as an Alliance force—this largest mercenary organization in the underground world would have no reason to fear a single Longyao City.

They undoubtedly possessed the strength to conquer a Base City, but they were restrained by the fact that Base Cities were not isolated and helpless. Thus, they could only operate in the shadows.

Under such circumstances, if the other party didn’t need someone like him to serve as an inside agent, daring to speak to them in such a manner would be nothing short of courting death.

The higher-up could only leverage this advantage to restrain the other party, betting that they wouldn’t dare act recklessly.

Fortunately, his gamble paid off.

“Don’t be hasty, my friend,” the person on the other end of the phone said in a flat, monotonous voice. “You haven’t been completely exposed yet. The fact that all the people I sent were wiped out is actually a good thing. At the very least, it means the high-ranking officials of the Base City can’t pinpoint who hired them, right?”

“What about my Nightmare Species Bloodline?” The higher-up felt a slight sense of relief but still spoke gravely. “Don’t forget, the condition for agreeing to assist you in the first place was the Nightmare Species Bloodline.”

“Rest assured, if we offered the condition, we naturally have the means to fulfill it,” the other party replied indifferently. “That young beast was our Prey from the start. The information about its existence was given to you by us, and even its appearance in Longyao City was orchestrated by us, wasn’t it?”

Hearing this, the higher-up remained silent but let out another cold snort inwardly.It was precisely because all of this had been orchestrated by the other party that he couldn’t help but suspect whether they had deliberately used his hands to create chaos in Longyao City.

Otherwise, why didn’t they capture the cub from the start, instead going through all the trouble of driving it into Longyao City?

He had been so blinded by the Nightmare Species Bloodline back then that he agreed to cooperate with them without a second thought, secretly facilitating their plans. Now, it was too late for regrets.

Since things had already come to this, he absolutely had to secure the benefits he deserved.

“So, what do you plan to do?” the superior said. “In one more day, the entrance to the Spirit Demon Abyss will open. By then, that cub could easily escape back into the Spirit Demon Abyss, and the rare opportunity to obtain the Nightmare Species Bloodline will be completely lost.”

At this point, the superior couldn’t help but feel agitated.

A cub with the potential to evolve into a Nightmare Species was truly a rare find.

The Bloodline of a Nightmare Species was so difficult to obtain. Now that there was a chance to acquire such a high-Rank Bloodline, the superior really didn’t want to miss it.

The other party clearly understood this as well.

Thus, he made this promise.

“I will make arrangements to ensure that cub cannot leave the present world,” the other party stated. “You just need to focus on your own tasks and make sure not to expose our collaboration.”

“Fine.” The superior took a deep breath. “Then I’ll await your good news.”

“No problem.” The other party agreed and then added, “By the way, I almost forgot to ask—who was it that ruined our plans?”

“Don’t worry about that.” The superior narrowed his eyes. “Just a little girl from the Xu Family. I’ll settle the score with her myself, slowly.”

“Then I won’t concern myself with it.” The other party no longer paid any attention to the matter.

Not long after, the superior hung up the phone.

He tapped his fingers on the desk for a while before picking up the phone again and dialing a number.

“Arrange for those kids from the Xu Family who are keeping an eye on Xu Qianqian to cause some trouble for her,” the superior commanded. “Be careful not to expose our identities, or your own.”

With these words, the superior added one more instruction.

“I’ll create the opportunity for you. Whether you can bring that little girl from the Xu Family under your control will depend on your own abilities.”

After saying this, the superior hung up the call without waiting for a response from the other end.

In the darkness, a gloomy and terrifying voice slowly echoed.

“Whoever dares to ruin my plans, I won’t let them off easily.”

……

A turbulent night quietly passed.

Few noticed the unrest that had occurred during the night, and even fewer were aware of the stirring darkness that had emerged within this Base City.

By daybreak, people went about their usual routines as if nothing had happened, unaffected by the events.

As the sky brightened, the Academy District once again became lively.

Countless students emerged in small groups from the Dormitory Building, heading toward the Mission Hall on the first floor of the office building, beginning another day of mission life.Since they had already arranged for someone to arrive early at the office building to stake out and secure the more desirable tasks, Su Ming and the others weren’t in a rush to get up. Only Ye Bai, who had lost at rock-paper-scissors the previous night, grumbled as he headed out, while the rest slept in for about an hour longer than the day before.

This proved highly convenient for Su Ming.

He had experienced an eventful night, spending hours pondering and making arrangements, barely getting any sleep.

Now, with a chance to catch up on rest, he was naturally delighted.

Unfortunately, the respite was short-lived.

Before long, someone slipped into his room.

(End of Chapter)