Ye Ling found Wang Liren's request utterly absurd.
Not only had he never met Yue Wu, thus being ignorant of his connections and methods, making him prone to exposure, but the very idea of him impersonating the Dragon Department's minister was preposterous.
Yue Wu had the Yue family behind him. With Yue Wu currently in seclusion, the sudden appearance of a minister in the Dragon Department who intended to move against the Zeng family would be met with disbelief. Anyone would question the authenticity of such a minister.
If the Yue family were to issue a clarification, it would only push the situation in a worse direction.
More importantly, even if Wang Liren managed to handle everything and successfully arrange for him to assume Yue Wu's identity and become the de facto minister of the Dragon Department, Ye Ling had no inclination to do so.
His family's revenge remained unavenged, and his younger sister, Ye You, was still missing. The thought of engaging in the petty stratagems of a few seventh or eighth-grade cultivators in the Dragon Department was less appealing than simply dismantling the entire department.
Without a second thought, Ye Ling refused, "I will not agree to this."
Wang Liren quickly replied, "I know this is asking a lot, but I will handle everything. Brother Ye, you only need to appear at critical moments to suppress those causing trouble."
"You won't need to go to the Dragon Department daily or manage any of its affairs. You simply need to display your strength when necessary, letting the cultivator circles know that Yue Wu has emerged from seclusion."
"I will handle everything else, including gathering evidence."
"That sounds more reasonable..." Ye Ling nodded, then asked, "However, how do you plan to deal with the Yue family?"
Wang Liren said, "I have friends in the Cangyan Army, and my Wang family has some influence in the capital. With a little maneuvering, I can persuade them."
"Since you are so confident, then proceed. I can help you."
"But remember this: regardless of success or failure, you and your Wang family owe me a favor."
"This debt must be repaid."
Seeing Ye Ling agree, Wang Liren's face lit up with joy. He quickly thanked Ye Ling, "No problem! Whether it succeeds or not, I owe you an immense favor, Brother Ye. Just give the word when you need me!"
"Let's dispense with the pleasantries. We both have a lot to do."
"Once everything is ready, contact me again."
Ye Ling waved his hand and walked towards the exit of the conference room. "Oh, and there's a professor named Pan Yichun in the computer science building. He used to be a technician at the Hongchen Pavilion but has since defected. If your Dragon Department apprehends him, please protect him securely. He could still be useful."
"Understood!"
Wang Liren said excitedly. After Ye Ling left the conference room, he took a deep breath to calm himself.
His gaze gradually became resolute.
"Yosh, let's go!"
For him, every step he took from now on was of paramount importance.
A single misstep could lead to utter ruin!
...
Dao City University, the sports field.
Su Xiaobai, like the other students, was squatting in the center of the field, awaiting processing by the Dragon Department.
These students were ordinary people who had witnessed battles between cultivators and even demons that defied the mortal realm. According to the Dragon Department's procedures, they would all undergo psychological counseling, followed by memory erasure to forget everything that had happened that day.
The students had no idea what awaited them, and a sense of unease permeated the field. Many felt like they were awaiting execution, their anxiety palpable.
"It's all Su Xiaobai's fault! If she hadn't stopped us from escaping, we wouldn't be caught now."
"Exactly! Is being the student council president that great? She used her charm to attract that monster and then dared to order us around. What a slut!"
"What's the point of saying this now? No one knows what's going to happen next. Will those people kill us?"
"If anyone dies, it should be that slut Su Xiaobai first!"
Among these students, many, consumed by extreme fear and anxiety, blamed Su Xiaobai for their current predicament, believing she was the reason they were captured.
In their eyes, Su Xiaobai, emboldened by Ye Ling's backing, had been arrogant, restricting their freedom and preventing them from leaving the field.
If it weren't for Su Xiaobai, they would have long since escaped and wouldn't be standing here, their freedom restricted by an unknown group.
As a torrent of malice washed over her, Su Xiaobai's expression turned grim and her heart filled with grievance upon hearing her classmates' curses and insults.
She didn't understand what she had done wrong to deserve so much vitriol!
At that moment, several Dragon Department cultivators stepped forward and instructed the students, "Everyone stand up and follow us in line."
"Where are you taking us?" a girl asked the Dragon Department cultivators. "I want to call my mom! I want my mom to pick me up!"
The Dragon Department cultivator replied impatiently, "Stop with the nonsense. Your parents will be notified later. Hurry up now."
"We are officials, conducting routine inquiries. Just cooperate."
The appearance of people from the Hongchen Pavilion at Dao City University had already created enough trouble for the Dragon Department cultivators. They had no patience to bicker with a group of students and simply wanted to process them quickly at the relevant departments at headquarters.
Another student, hearing that the Dragon Department cultivators were officials, became bolder. He stood up and shouted, "This is illegal detention! What crime have we committed to have our freedom restricted? What's your employee number? I'm going to report you!"
Compared to the cultivators of the Hongchen Pavilion, the Dragon Department cultivators were much gentler. With one student taking the lead, the others also began to gain courage.
As that student stepped forward, others also became restless, their emotions running high. Some even started taking out their phones to record, intending to expose the Dragon Department cultivators online.
The Dragon Department cultivator, growing impatient with the students' behavior, raised his rifle butt and struck the face of the most vocal student, knocking him unconscious.
Silence fell over the crowd.
The Dragon Department cultivator grumbled, "Damn it, during the battle earlier, you were all as cowardly as soft eggs, not even as brave as that young girl. Now that it's safe, you're causing trouble?"
Seeing this, Su Xiaobai, not wanting the situation to escalate, stood up and said, "Please, no more violence. We will cooperate with your work!"
Seeing Su Xiaobai cooperating, the Dragon Department cultivator's expression softened. He said to the others, "See this girl? You bunch of cowards, get in line!"
Under the intimidation of the Dragon Department cultivator, the students dared not cause further trouble and lined up.
However, with Su Xiaobai leading the way, their resentment towards her grew even stronger.
"White lotus!"
"Bitch, just pretending!"
"I bet she's trying to seduce them again!"
Whispered curses followed Su Xiaobai, and even many neutral students were swayed by the sentiment, joining in the verbal abuse.
It was as if cursing Su Xiaobai was their only outlet for their emotions.
The Dragon Department cultivators heard the hushed insults and felt exhausted, but they lacked the energy to intervene.
After all, this was still a branch of the Hongchen Pavilion, and there was a constant threat of attacks from Hongchen Pavilion cultivators. They needed to remain vigilant and protect these students.
If even one student were to die, the repercussions from their superiors would be severe.
Thus, Su Xiaobai could only silently endure the torrent of abuse.
She gritted her teeth, clenched her fists, and her body trembled slightly.
"What are you enduring?"
At that moment, Ye Ling's voice sounded in her ear, making her tremble violently.
She looked up and saw Ye Ling walking towards her from a distance.
Everyone who had been slandering and cursing instantly shut their mouths upon seeing Ye Ling!
The field fell silent.
Ye Ling walked up and said, "You haven't done anything wrong. Why should you endure their insults?"