72: Chapter 72 Dawn Conference

I had barely sat down after returning from the training ground when I received a message from Ye Liuli.

"Emergency meeting, guild headquarters, come quickly."

Looking at these short and forceful words, my heart skipped a beat. That Iceberg Empress, Ye Liuli, was usually a woman of few words. For her to describe something as 'emergency', it definitely wasn't a small matter.

I quickly tidied up and rushed to the Dawn Guild headquarters.

The Dawn Guild headquarters was located in a prime location in Tianqi City, a three-story building with quite a grand decoration. Two armored guards stood at the entrance, and upon seeing me, they saluted in unison.

"Hello, Brother Chen!"

"Hmm, hello to you too." I nodded and strode inside.

The first floor was the lobby, usually used for receiving visitors and issuing tasks. The second floor was the conference room, accessible only to high-level guild members. The third floor was Ye Liuli's private space; no one was allowed up there except for her.

I went straight to the second floor and pushed open the door to the conference room.

Many people were already seated inside, all of them core members of the Dawn Guild. Ye Liuli sat in the main seat, still wearing that icy expression, though there was a hint of solemnity between her brows.

"You're here? Sit down." She glanced at me and pointed to the empty seat beside her.

After I sat down, I looked around and realized that the high-level members of the guild were basically all present. Vice President Old K, Intelligence Chief Xiaoliu, Combat Captain Along... they were all familiar faces.

"Everyone is here, let's begin." Ye Liuli spoke up. "I've gathered everyone today to discuss a response strategy for the large-scale operation that the Shadow Pavilion will launch in seven days."

The conference room suddenly fell silent, and everyone's expression turned serious.

"Xiaoliu, share the intelligence." Ye Liuli looked at the intelligence chief.

Xiaoliu stood up and cleared his throat. "According to information from our intelligence network, the codename for this Shadow Pavilion operation is 'Extermination', and their goal is to launch a full-scale attack on Tianqi City in seven days."

"Extermination?" I frowned. "That's a pretty arrogant name."

"They plan to attack Tianqi City from three directions simultaneously," Xiaoliu continued. "The East City Gate, the South City Gate, and the City Lord's Mansion."

"The City Lord's Mansion?" Old K said in surprise. "They have quite the nerve, daring to attack even the City Lord's Mansion?"

"The Shadow Pavilion's strength cannot be underestimated." Xiaoliu's expression was solemn. "According to our intelligence, they have dispatched at least 500 elite members this time, along with a large number of puppets and summoned beasts."

"Five hundred elites..." I gasped.

What did 500 elite members mean? That was the backbone of the Shadow Pavilion; each of them was above level 20. Add in the puppets and summoned beasts, and this force was enough to destroy a small city.

"How will our Dawn Guild respond?" Along asked.

Ye Liuli stood up and walked to the map on the wall. The map marked the important locations of Tianqi City, as well as the Shadow Pavilion's potential attack routes.

"My plan is as follows," Ye Liuli said, pointing at the map. "The Dawn Guild will be responsible for defending the East City Gate."

"The East City Gate?" I looked at the map. "Isn't that the most dangerous place?"

"That's correct." Ye Liuli nodded. "According to intelligence, the Shadow Pavilion's main force will attack from the East City Gate. It is the place with the greatest defensive pressure and where the fighting will be most intense."

"Then I'll go to the East City Gate!" I stood up immediately. "Such a dangerous place is best left to me!"

"No." Ye Liuli refused without a second thought.

"Why?" I was displeased. "My strength isn't bad, and I have the Unrestrained Sword Intent. What's wrong with me defending the East City Gate?"

"It's too dangerous." Ye Liuli looked at me, a flash of worry in her eyes. "The Shadow Pavilion's main force is not something you can handle alone."

"Then you shouldn't go either!" I said anxiously. "You are the guild leader; if something happens to you, what will the guild do?"

"I am the guild leader; at a time like this, I should be the first to lead the charge." Ye Liuli's tone left no room for doubt.

"You..." I stomped my foot in frustration. "Why are you so stubborn, woman?"

"You're the stubborn one!" Ye Liuli glared at me. "I'm doing this for your own good, do you know that?"

"I'm doing this for your own good too!" I glared back without backing down.

The others in the conference room were dumbfounded, looking at each other, not knowing what to say.

Old K coughed twice, trying to smooth things over. "Um... Brother Chen, President, please don't argue, let's talk this through..."

"Shut up!" I and Ye Liuli shouted in unison.

Old K shrank his neck and didn't dare to speak again.

"Chen Ergou, listen to me." Ye Liuli took a deep breath, her tone softening slightly. "The defense of the East City Gate requires a comprehensive overview; it's not something you can accomplish alone. Although your strength is good, you lack experience in large-scale battles."

"And you have experience?" I retorted.

"I am the guild leader and have commanded many large-scale battles," Ye Liuli said. "For this defense of the East City Gate, I will personally oversee the command. You will follow me and be responsible for assault and decapitation missions."

I thought about it and felt that what she said made sense. I was indeed very capable in a fight, but when it comes to commanding large-scale battles, I really didn't have much experience.

"Fine." I compromised. "Then we'll both defend the East City Gate."

"Hmm." Ye Liuli nodded. "It's settled."

The meeting continued, and Ye Liuli detailed the tasks and defensive strategies for each team. I was sleepy, but at critical moments, I forced myself to stay alert and jot down some important points.

"Meeting adjourned." Ye Liuli announced.

Everyone got up and left. I was also preparing to follow, but was called back by Ye Liuli.

"Chen Ergou, you stay behind."

I was stunned for a moment and stopped in my tracks. After everyone else had left, only Ye Liuli and I remained in the conference room.

"What's up? Is there something else?" I asked.

Ye Liuli looked at me, hesitant to speak. Her eyes were complex, as if there was something she wanted to say, but she didn't know how to start.

"Um..." She opened her mouth, then closed it again.

"What's wrong? You're stuttering, that's not like you." I said with a smile. "Just say what you need to say; we're close enough."

Ye Liuli was silent for a while, and finally shook her head. "Nothing, I just wanted to remind you to be careful in seven days."

"Just that?" I raised an eyebrow. "You kept me behind just to say that?"

"Hmm." Ye Liuli nodded. "You can go now."

I looked at her suspiciously, always feeling that she was hiding something from me. But since she didn't want to say it, I couldn't press the issue.

"Fine, I'm leaving then." I waved my hand. "You should rest early too, don't overwork yourself."

"Hmm."

I walked out of the conference room, still pondering Ye Liuli's expression just now. That hesitant look clearly meant she had something important to tell me, but hadn't said it in the end.

"What on earth did this woman want to say?"

I shook my head, unable to figure it out. Forget it, no point in thinking about it; everything will be clear in seven days anyway.