Chapter 73

Chapter Sixteen: Rumors

For the first time, the cold-faced man's face showed a look of astonishment as he stared at Ye Qi, who seemed completely unconcerned. The cold-faced man asked, "Why?"

"Not interested! Not suitable!" Ye Qi leaned back in his chair, relaxed, and with a smile, he said, "The position of branch president is too high; it's too tiring for me to sit there. Why don't you take it?"

"This matter is decided by the headquarters' upper echelons! I have no authority to interfere! I will relay your words!" Seeing Ye Qi's indifferent attitude, the cold-faced man sat in silence for a while before slowly getting up and speaking.

What's going on?

Ye Qi watched the cold-faced man's disappearing back, his brows furrowed—though he appeared relaxed and indifferent, he had been observing the cold-faced man's every move. Apart from that one moment of astonishment, the cold-faced man's expression remained as cold as usual. Even when Ye Qi offered to let him take the position of branch president, his face showed no joy or excitement, just coldness.

Does he not care about the position of branch president at all? Or is he just hiding it well, and I didn't notice? Or did I misunderstand him before...

His eyes slightly closed, Ye Qi's index finger tapped the table faster and faster.

...

"Teacher!"

The cold-faced man stood in a room filled with books, respectfully bowing to Baidenang, then repeated Ye Qi's words verbatim.

"He refused? Indeed, he is the same kind of person!" Baidenang was surprised for a moment, but then smiled, stroking his purple-black hair. "Nofa, I will handle this matter personally! Starting tomorrow, you will fully cooperate with the Thorn Tower to clean out the rats inside! They have been too comfortable and luxurious for too long, and it has corrupted their hearts..."

"Yes, teacher!"

...

The sun in Shaker was still warm, but a cold wind seemed to have swept through the headquarters of the Demon Hunters—over a dozen high-ranking officials, who were usually above everyone else, were taken into the Thorn Tower due to the attack. Numerous pieces of evidence and testimonies were subsequently found in their residences...

As the crimes of these dozen high-ranking officials were confirmed, countless people were implicated. Even if they were not directly taken to the Thorn Tower, they would be reviewed by the cold-faced man and his guards. The cold-faced man's illusions shone brightly during these reviews, leaving a deep impression. However, now, when people saw the cold-faced man, they avoided him even more, as if he carried a plague. Of course, the cold-faced man was not the only one people avoided; there was another, the origin or "source of disaster" of all these events—Ye Qi!

If people saw the cold-faced man as a plague, then they saw Ye Qi as a disaster—through the headquarters' investigation, the enmity between Ye Qi and the Deko family, from the life-and-death matches in the Taling District to the life-and-death matches in the headquarters in Shaker, and the subsequent apostle tests, gradually became known to everyone and quickly spread throughout the entire headquarters.

From the peripheral figures of the Deko family, like Tade, to the direct family members, like Koster and Pachi, and finally to the entire Deko family's downfall, it took less than a year... This made people lament the Deko family's bad luck while also speculating about Ye Qi, who caused all this...

"Ye, aren't you going to explain yourself?"

Awa and his companions sat in Ye Qi's room, their eyes filled with anxiety as they looked at Ye Qi, who seemed completely unconcerned. The sudden rumors that had emerged over the past week had made Awa's heart race, and it seemed that most people were willing to believe these rumors, causing Ye Qi's reputation to soar—of course, all for the worst.

For example: a vengeful schemer; this was already a mild description. More maliciously, he was called a demon-blooded, devil's child, terms that would have been enough to send Ye Qi to the stake a hundred years ago. Of course, there were no public stakes now, and without substantial evidence, no one could privately send Ye Qi to the stake. However, this did not stop people from pointing fingers at Ye Qi behind his back, and even the new apostles who had joined with him began to avoid him...

"Explain?" Ye Qi smiled at the anxious Awa and the calm little man beside him, as well as the big man who still had a silly grin on his face. "Why should I explain myself?"

"Because... because..." Awa tried to answer, but after several "becauses," he had no follow-up. Ye Qi patted Awa's shoulder and smiled, "Because of my reputation? Ha, reputation is indeed a good thing! But I'm not a politician who needs a good reputation to gain achievements. So, whether my reputation is good or bad doesn't matter to me. After all, those who know me will never misunderstand me. As for those who don't know me, why should I explain myself to them?"

Besides, if explanations worked, there wouldn't be any misunderstandings!

Ye Qi picked up his milk tea, the corners of his mouth curling slightly in disdain—because the week was too short, and to make up for the time he had been busy the previous two days, Ye Qi spent the remaining time after the cold-faced man left reading a large number of secret books in the Tower of Knowledge. By the time he came out of the Tower of Knowledge, the rumors had already spread. At this point, trying to stop them was impossible and would only make him seem like he was trying to cover something up. So, Ye Qi let the rumors fly, and apart from visiting the female cavalry captain and his companions, he continued to stay in his room to study "The Eye of Momo."

As for those rumors? Ye Qi wouldn't bother with them. After all, this was the headquarters of the Demon Hunters, and if action was needed, it wouldn't be his turn, right?

...

"Hehe, what they say, what does it matter to us? How about we go for a drink?" the little man suggested, then quickly added, "Of course, Ye has to pay!"

"Sure!" the big man agreed, "Dolphin Bar!"

Awa immediately nodded, "I want to bring my animal friends along!"

"Actually, the milk tea I make is pretty good?" Ye Qi raised his milk tea cup, "How about we have milk tea?"

...

Three to one, the little man's suggestion naturally passed, and Ye Qi, of course, had to pay a rather painful amount of Kempthorne—after all, the big man's drinking capacity and Awa's animal friends' appetites were not to be underestimated.

After saying goodbye to his companions and leaving early, Ye Qi returned to the central castle with the food he had packed from the restaurant opposite the Dolphin Bar. This food was not for his own midnight snack—Jacob's injuries had healed, but he was still very weak, and the female cavalry captain had been taking care of him. The female cavalry captain's resting place was naturally his room.

"Do you want black tea or milk tea?" Ye Qi placed the basket of food on the table and smiled at the female cavalry captain, "Or a glass of red wine?"