Hearing Li Wuxin voice his confusion, Ye Ling also smiled and said, "It seems you've noticed something is amiss. Indeed, this is the living quarters of the Dragon Department base. By all rights, there should be many Dragon Department employees and their families here. Yet, after a quick look around, we haven't seen a single person."
Li Wuxin frowned, "Ever since we entered this base, Long Fei has been deliberately concealing something. There must be a problem here, and I intend to find out what it is!"
Previously, Li Wuxin had led his troops here with only a suspicion that the Dragon Department was up to no good. But now, he was certain that the Dragon Department was engaged in some unsavory activities behind the scenes!
Bai Qiao's demonic form bounced beside Ye Ling, crying out, "Wuwuwu!"
Hearing Bai Qiao's call, Ye Ling removed the spiritual energy that had sealed her mouth and chuckled, "What? Do you have any brilliant ideas, girl?"
Finally able to speak, Bai Qiao's demonic form let out a sigh of relief. "I was suffocating! Master, this is abuse!"
Ye Ling said ruthlessly, "If you continue to be so glib, I won't hesitate to sew your mouth shut."
"Master!"
Bai Qiao's demonic form instinctively covered her mouth and took two steps back, then realized what she was doing. "Master, you wouldn't dare! But speaking of which, Master, didn't you notice something was off about the two women who led us here?"
Ye Ling smiled, "Naturally, I could tell."
Bai Qiao's demonic form, "Then why did you follow them, Master? Couldn't we have just stormed through the Dragon Department?"
Ye Ling shook his head with a smile, "As that old man Long Fei mentioned along the way, the Dragon Department base was constructed with difficulty. Destroying it rashly would be a loss. Once we remove the cancerous elements from the Dragon Department, the remaining part can still be of use to us."
Bai Qiao's demonic form muttered, "I don't understand... wouldn't it be better to kill them all?"
Hearing Ye Ling and Bai Qiao's conversation, Li Wuxin looked confused and asked, "What was wrong with the two ladies who guided us here?"
Bai Qiao's demonic form rolled her eyes at Li Wuxin and scoffed, "You're an eighth-grade异士 (yìshì - special ability user), and your eyesight is worse than mine, a mere third-grade insignificant speck."
Li Wuxin gave a wry smile and bowed, "I truly didn't see it. Please, miss, enlighten me."
Bai Qiao's demonic form tucked her hair behind her ear, placed her hands on her hips, and said proudly, "Alright, I shall deign to explain to you, they both..."
Ye Ling interrupted, "The aura of those two felt wrong. They had been implanted with蛊 (gǔ - a type of witchcraft or poison), they've already been controlled."
"Master!" Bai Qiao's demonic form repeatedly called out to Ye Ling, seeing him steal her words, and looked aggrieved.
Ignoring Bai Qiao's demonic form, Ye Ling continued, "Similarly, this room has had a barrier set up in advance. When they led us in, the barrier was already active. We are now trapped here."
Hearing Ye Ling's words, Li Wuxin's expression changed slightly. He quickly rushed to the door and reached for the handle, only to be repelled by a force!
"There is indeed a barrier!"
Discovering that they were truly sealed in by a barrier, a trace of anxiety flashed in Li Wuxin's eyes. He quickly asked Ye Ling, "Senior, what do we do now?"
Ye Ling, however, seemed completely unconcerned. He sat on the sofa, placed his feet on the coffee table, and beckoned to Bai Qiao's demonic form, "Girl, I'm tired. Give my legs a massage."
Although Bai Qiao's demonic form was itching to throttle Ye Ling, she had previously stated that by following Ye Ling, she could serve tea, water, and massage his back and legs. At this moment, she couldn't refuse and could only reluctantly kneel before Ye Ling and begin massaging his legs.
Seeing Ye Ling still leisurely enjoying himself, Li Wuxin opened his mouth, incredulous, "Senior, you are..."
Ye Ling yawned and said, "Didn't Long Fei go to prepare our paperwork? We just need to wait here patiently. He'll naturally return."
Li Wuxin anxiously asked, "But he's trapped us with a barrier, and you still believe his lies, Senior?"
Ye Ling replied, "Relax, we won't be able to run. Find a place to rest yourself."
Seeing that Ye Ling wasn't taking the matter seriously at all, Li Wuxin knew he couldn't rely on Ye Ling. He began to explore the room, searching for a way to break the barrier.
Meanwhile, Ye Ling truly leaned back on the sofa, closed his eyes, and enjoyed Bai Qiao's demonic form's massage.
Time trickled by. Bai Qiao's demonic form's hands grew numb, and Li Wuxin still hadn't found a way to break the barrier, making him somewhat desperate.
"What kind of barrier is this? It can absorb my spiritual energy. If this continues, won't we be trapped and die here?" Li Wuxin stood helplessly at the main door of the room, his brow furrowed, filled with despair.
To walk so carelessly into a trap set by others, if they were truly trapped and died here, Li Wuxin felt nothing but shame just thinking about it!
Bai Qiao's demonic form also found it difficult to watch. She asked Ye Ling, "Master, how long are you going to rest? My legs are numb from kneeling, and my hands are sore."
Ye Ling replied, "Then change your posture."
"Master..." Hearing Ye Ling's words, Bai Qiao's demonic form looked helpless, but she still laboriously got up, walked behind Ye Ling, and began to massage his shoulders.
With no other options, Li Wuxin finally turned to Ye Ling for help, pleading, "Senior, you must have a way to break this barrier. Can you open it?"
Ye Ling smiled and asked, "Do you really want to go out? That would be seeking suffering."
Li Wuxin nodded, "I must find out what the Dragon Department is doing in secret. Being trapped here, there's been no progress at all."
Seeing the determination in Li Wuxin's eyes, Ye Ling smiled and shook his head, "Very well. If you wish to venture out, then go. If you can find Wang Liren alive, help me bring him back."
Upon hearing Ye Ling's words, Li Wuxin's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed excitedly, "Thank you, Emperor! Please, Emperor, help me get out!"
"A small matter." Ye Ling snapped his fingers, and a crack appeared in the space before Li Wuxin, revealing the street outside.
Ye Ling said, "If you go out from here, you will be outside this barrier."
"Thank you, Senior! I will definitely find Wang Liren!"
Seeing the spatial rift, Li Wuxin paid no mind to his astonishment at Ye Ling's power. He bowed deeply to Ye Ling and then stepped into the spatial rift, escaping the barrier!
Seeing Li Wuxin exit the barrier, Bai Qiao's demonic form also hurried towards the spatial rift, excitedly exclaiming, "I'll go with General Li!"
Ye Ling commanded, "Come back."
Called back by Ye Ling midway, Bai Qiao's demonic form froze in place, turned to look at Ye Ling, and pouted, "Master, I want to..."
Ye Ling closed the spatial rift and said, "My shoulders are still a bit sore."
"Yes... Your disciple will come and rub your back now." Seeing the spatial rift close, Bai Qiao's demonic form looked disappointed but reluctantly returned to continue massaging Ye Ling's shoulders.
At the same time, Li Wuxin, having left the room, had just arrived at the center of the living quarters' street when he felt two chilling killing intents directed at him!
His spine tingled with cold!
"Who!"
Sensing the bone-chilling killing intent, Li Wuxin immediately summoned his weapon and shouted sternly.
At this moment, two women in suits and high heels appeared in front of and behind Li Wuxin, surrounding him. They asked coldly, "General Li... how did you get out?"