Nian Jiachen understood.
He took out a map from his chest and drew a circle on it.
Then he tossed the map to Fang Yu.
"Later, Young Master Diao, take this and go to Floral Street to find one of my subordinates. He will lead you to identify those demons disguised as humans. Within this circle, you may kill them at your discretion. But itâs best... to kill a few at intervals, so as not to cause too much of a commotion."
Fang Yu squinted his eyes.
So, this is only partial intel on the demons.
Or rather, itâs intel on demons that, even if killed, wouldnât affect the Rebel Army.
But... having some is better than none.
If he had to rely on himself to find them, he might only manage to kill a few in over half a month, far fewer than the number provided by the Rebel Armyâs intel.
Putting away the map, Fang Yu made no complaints or suggestions, simply cupping his hands in thanks.
He didnât understand why there were certain demons that the Rebel Army clearly knew about, knew exactly where they were, yet didnât kill them, instead deliberately leaving them be.
Could it be that these demons were actually useful to the Rebel Army?
As Fang Yu was pondering this, a fragrant scent wafted over.
With a smack, a jade hand hooked onto Fang Yuâs shoulder.
"Brother Diao, you look like someone who hates evil! Donât you just want to kill all the demons in the world? Come on! Big Sis is here to help you kill them! If you encounter any demons youâre unsure about, just call me, and Iâll accompany you on the mission!"
Mission my foot!
You just want to share my experience points, right?
Get lost as far as you can!
Fang Yu quickly put the map away.
This person looked like the type who couldnât wait to fight every day; better not get entangled, lest he lose experience points and be unable to confront her about it.
Though he thought this inwardly, he had to show respect outwardly.
Immediately, Fang Yu said.
"Thank you, Minister Xuâs..."
"Call me Big Sis!"
Fang Yu hadnât even finished speaking before he was interrupted.
With his expression stiff, Fang Yu forced himself to say.
"Thanks for Big Sisâs kindness, but such a trivial matter as demon hunting shouldnât need to trouble Big Sis..."
"Hahaha! No worries, no worries! Just call me when you need help! Iâm usually around the brothels and taverns of Thunder City, so if you want to find me, just look around a nearby brothel or tavern, youâll probably find me or my subordinates."
Bro...thel?
Fang Yu looked at Xu Qingqi, a bit of an odd expression on his face.
"Oh right, what else did Father instruct...?"
Her pondering expression left Fang Yu speechless.
Xu Qingqi really had a poor memory; she would forget something the moment it was mentioned...
No, wait, martial artists should have decent memories.
This personâs probably not paying attention from the start! Thatâs why she can never remember!
Thinking of the various requests he had made to the Rebel Army, Fang Yu couldnât help but softly remind her: "About the task of finding someone..."
Smack!
Xu Qingqi excitedly slapped her thigh.
"Oh right! Finding someone! That Hui Yao!"
The others present all looked at her in silence.
This situation made Xu Qingqi feel a bit awkward, and she couldnât help but lower her voice and whisper in Fang Yuâs ear: "Honestly, our Rebel Army kind of has some dealings with Hui Yao."
Initially, Fang Yu felt a ticklish sensation as Xu Qingqiâs breath hit his ear, but upon hearing this, his gaze shot straight to her!
The Rebel Army indeed had dealings with the slave organization!
"Xu Qingqi!"
Xu Qingqi was about to continue when Qiu Xiaoping immediately glared at her, enunciating: "Let me explain this part. I believe Lord Commander said this matter was under my charge."
After all, he had just joined the Rebel Army.
Fang Yu felt that within the Rebel Army, there was still a bit of wariness towards him in various aspects.
Not everything was laid out clearly.
For example, when it comes to demon intelligence, Fang Yu doesnât know what the Rebel Armyâs higher-ups plan to do with those demons.
The same holds true now.
Xu Qingqi was quite candid, and quick to speak. Qiu Xiaopingâs actions clearly aimed to prevent her from speaking out of turn and leaking important intelligence.
"The Rebel Army lacks sincerity."
Fang Yu suddenly spoke softly, standing up from his seat.
This action immediately caused slight changes in the expressions of the people present.
Except for Xu Qingqi, who still seemed unaware, the others showed some awkwardness.
"Young Master Diao, please donât take offense. I have absolute trust in you. However, you are from the outer city, not a local, and your experience is still shallow, so the higher-ups will inevitably hold back. Once youâve been with the Rebel Army for a year or so and have achieved a few significant accomplishments, they will naturally trust you as they trust us."
Qiu Xiaoping said apologetically.
She was the one who invited him in.
Now that he was aggrieved, she was actually quite angry and agitated.
But this was the decision of the Commander and a few other ministers together, which she could not defy.
"Itâs fine. My loyalty to the Rebel Army is as clear as glass! The work of the Rebel Army is for the great cause! Itâs the blessing of Thunder Cityâs people! Once I decided to join the Rebel Army, I was determined to be fuel for this great cause and give my all!"
These kind words were treated by everyone merely as a gust of wind past their ears.
Only Xu Qingqi seemed genuinely pleased.
"Brother Diao, you definitely have the potential to achieve great things! Follow me, and Iâll help you overthrow the Ten Major Families! By then, my father will be the City Lord, a prince, and Iâll be a princess, rewarding you with a position as a Great General! And for all of you, everyone will have a share, you all will be Founding Generals!"
As soon as these words were spoken, their expressions changed.
"You mustnât speak recklessly, donât say such things..." The old Taoist quickly closed his eyes, pretending to be uninvolved.
Bearded Nian Jiachen couldnât help but find it both funny and frustrating.
"Qingqi, our goal is to overthrow the Ten Major Families, not the Da Xia Dynasty, so refrain from saying terms like prince or general."
Qiu Xiaoping also spoke up at this time.
"In short, Iâll be the one to inform Young Master Diao about the dealings with the Hui Yao Organization. Any objections?"
Qiu Xiaoping brought the topic back on track, and naturally, everyone concurred.
Fang Yu also turned his gaze towards her.
Fang Yu wanted to see what dealings the Rebel Army had with the slave organization.
Moreover, to uncover his brother Diao Ruonianâs information, this was the aspect to focus on; the more he knew, the better his chances of discovering his brotherâs whereabouts.
"Young Master Diao, you should know that Thunder Cityâs Ten Major Families are quite ancient."
He didnât know.
Nonetheless, it didnât hinder him from nodding in agreement at this moment.
Seeing Fang Yuâs response, Qiu Xiaoping continued.
"The more ancient an existence, the more they enjoy exploring the forbidden."
"And in Thunder City, the forbidden lies in those ten Sky-reaching Pillars."
"Initially, the methods of the Ten Major Families were straightforward and crude, capturing those in Thunder City who were either alone or willing to sell themselves for exploration."
"But the truth canât be hidden for long. As citizens frequently went missing and mysteriously disappeared, it sparked panic among the lower-class populace. The outflow of people led to Thunder Cityâs decline."
"Realizing the pain, they stopped. The Ten Major Families then realized that if it continued, Thunder City would sooner or later become a ghost town."
"So, they began to introduce a second method. That is... purchasing slaves!"
"Moreover, they no longer made large one-time purchases but instead learned their lesson, taking a steady and gradual approach. At regular intervals, they procured slaves and allocated resources."
"Over the long term, Thunder Cityâs slave purchasing business gradually grew, forming a complete channel and a hugely profitable enterprise."
"As business grew, people came from everywhere."
"The Jiuyao Organization is the largest and most stable slave trading organization around here."
"And Hui Yao is the Jiuyao Organizationâs representative specifically responsible for Thunder Cityâs business."
"The Ten Major Families have close trade dealings with Hui Yao. And we, the Rebel Army, are also connecting with Hui Yao through slave transactions."
"Through Hui Yao, we can obtain a lot of intelligence regarding the Ten Major Families."
"This intelligence is crucial to us! For the Ten Major Families to eliminate us, they must mobilize high-level experts and a large number of people, and such movements cannot escape Hui Yaoâs attention."
"Or if the Ten Major Families suddenly make significant slave purchases, we can deduce their recent movements from the volume of orders."
"In short, while Hui Yao is a partner to the Ten Major Families, they are also our intelligence source."
"Until we overthrow the Ten Major Families, our business dealings with Hui Yao will not cease."