The jade pendant was exceptionally lustrous, emitting a faint glow, and was intricately carved with delicate snowflakes.
Upon seeing the jade pendant, Leng Xuefeng froze. It was a token of love he had personally carved for his beloved wife.
"You!"
The next moment, Leng Xuefeng's face turned grim. He pointed furiously at Bai Zhenshan, intending to question the whereabouts of his wife. However, before he could speak, Bai Zhenshan interrupted him.
"Don't be anxious. She is merely a guest at my home, and all is well."
Bai Zhenshan smiled slightly and continued, "May I know if you can open the gate now?"
"How despicable! You're using my family to threaten me!" Leng Xuefeng said through gritted teeth, his voice filled with rage.
"Don't waste words. Will you open it, or not?"
Bai Zhenshan wasted no time with him. His face had also turned grim, as there was no turning back now.
"Hmph! You think too little of me, Leng Xuefeng!"
"If you could make me yield by using my family, do you think I would still be sitting here?"
"Let me tell you, without the proper authorization today, even the King of Heaven himself would be useless!" Leng Xuefeng snorted furiously.
Holding his position, he naturally understood his importance.
These were top-secret documents of the Hidden Bureau. If they were leaked, they could potentially cause turmoil in China's ancient ruins, which was no trifling matter!
"Dongfang Hongwu truly didn't misjudge you!"
Bai Zhenshan's gaze turned sinister. "But do you think you can stop me? Why bother? If you die, you must also bring your beloved wife with you. Is it worth it for a mere document?"
"It is my duty, and I shall not shirk it!" Leng Xuefeng said coldly. He knew he was no match for Bai Zhenshan, but at this moment, he felt no fear.
"Truly unappreciative!"
"Then, you shall die!"
Hearing this, Bai Zhenshan's face darkened to its extreme. In an instant, he flashed forward and lunged at Leng Xuefeng.
Leng Xuefeng, however, showed no fear. Strangely, he neither retaliated nor dodged.
*Snap! Snap! Snap!*
Just as Bai Zhenshan's large hand was about to grasp Leng Xuefeng's neck, a round of applause echoed.
"Bai Zhenshan, you truly resort to any means for a document!"
Bai Zhenshan turned his head. His body immediately trembled. The two individuals who had arrived were wearing guard uniforms, but upon closer inspection, they were the two people he least wanted to see: Dongfang Mingyue and Ye Cangtian.
"Ye Cangtian, you betrayed me?"
Seeing Ye Cangtian, Bai Zhenshan understood everything. It must be Ye Cangtian using this situation to set a trap for him.
In an instant, Bai Zhenshan's anger surged, and he trembled with rage.
He had made a deal with Ye Cangtian with the intent of cooperation, but who would have thought that by stealing the document for him this time, he would be played by him?
This was not merely a warm face meeting a cold backside, but a warm face meeting an ice cave, causing the face to freeze and fall off!
"How can it be called betrayal? That's too harsh a word!"
"You can only blame yourself for underestimating me. While I do want to find the truth, I understand boundaries better!"
"Besides, I've also said that I don't want to see your families go to war." Ye Cangtian said with a slight smile.
"Bah! Shameless!"
"You say you don't want our families to go to war, but what are you doing now? You've already joined forces with Dongfang Mingyue against me!"
"Moreover, even if you didn't want it, who do you think you are! Can you stop it?"
Bai Zhenshan roared angrily at Ye Cangtian's sophistry.
In his eyes, Ye Cangtian was outwardly righteous but, in reality, a complete scoundrel.
Furthermore, what the other party said was a colossal joke.
The Bai family had already fallen out with the Dongfang family. The two sides were now basically in opposition. With such a relationship, even if the Bai family backed down, would the Dongfang family let it go?
"Bai Zhenshan, there's no point in saying more. I only ask you, will you surrender, or will you resist?"
As Bai Zhenshan's words fell, Dongfang Mingyue didn't give the two any chance to quibble. She directly intervened forcefully and spoke coldly.
Her words silenced Bai Zhenshan. His aged hands clenched tightly into fists.
He was truly unwilling to surrender, truly unwilling to be defeated so miserably by such a scheme.
However, he had already fallen into the trap. He had no means to turn the tables. Moreover, he was no match for Dongfang Mingyue and could not escape.
After a long period of contemplation, Bai Zhenshan glanced over and said, "I can surrender, but I have one condition."
"Speak," Dongfang Mingyue said faintly.
Hearing this, Bai Zhenshan spoke, "I beg you to spare the Bai family."
After saying this, Bai Zhenshan seemed to have all his strength drained, his spirit and energy wilting.
He had kidnapped the wife of the guard captain, threatened the guard captain into compliance, and forcefully attempted to enter the absolute secret room.
These combined crimes were not something that an auxiliary elder's status could withstand.
At best, he would be sidelined and expelled from the Hidden Bureau; at worst, he would be killed, and his family would also be implicated. All of this was now in Dongfang Mingyue's hands.
After this incident, the Bai family's reputation was bound to plummet to rock bottom, perhaps even to the point of being abandoned by all. They would no longer be able to contend with the Dongfang family.
Bai Zhenshan had also asked this because he saw that the Bai family posed no threat to the Dongfang family.
"Agreed. I never intended to harm the Bai family in the first place," Dongfang Mingyue said faintly, then tossed him the Spirit Sealing Pill she had prepared.
"You win."
Hearing this, Bai Zhenshan sighed and swallowed the Spirit Sealing Pill in one gulp.
Seeing this, Dongfang Mingyue showed a satisfied smile and looked at Ye Cangtian beside her. "You brat, the document you want is behind the gate. Do you want to try your luck?"
Ye Cangtian nodded and said seriously, "Yes, I do have that thought!"
"Heh heh, do you think Captain Leng is a pushover!"
"Don't say I didn't warn you; you might not be Captain Leng's match now!"
"Moreover, if you dare to act rashly, don't blame me, your sister, for beating you up!"
Dongfang Mingyue glared fiercely at Ye Cangtian, waving her fist, almost losing control. Her casual remark had actually been taken seriously by Ye Cangtian.
"Uh..."
"I was joking."
Seeing Dongfang Mingyue's fierce expression and Leng Xuefeng's cold gaze, Ye Cangtian suddenly felt a bit awkward and quickly chuckled sheepishly.
Hearing this, Dongfang Mingyue snorted, "Alright, take Bai Zhenshan to the Disciplinary Team..."
...
Disciplinary Team Prison.
In the grim prison, Bai Yuanhang came to visit.
He had already bribed the prison guards to leave.
"Su Lan, father has avenged you this time. Ye Cangtian is dead for sure!" Bai Yuanhang said with intense excitement upon meeting her.
Although he didn't know what major affairs or powerful beings were involved in Tang Qingshan's case, he knew that anyone involved or investigating had no way out, and Ye Cangtian would be no exception.
"Father, what are you talking about?"
"You, you must not do anything foolish!" Bai Su Lan's heart suddenly leaped, and she quickly spoke.
She had already been imprisoned and expelled from the Bai family. For someone like her, doing anything further was no longer worth it.
"What do you mean foolish?"
"It's only natural for a father to vent his daughter's anger!" Bai Yuanhang said grumpily.
"Father, please don't."
"Don't escalate the conflict over this matter again."
"I've already thought it through. My enemy isn't Ye Cangtian, but likely the Eastern Barracks' Hidden Unit..." Bai Su Lan said urgently.