Under the relentless pursuit of countless petitioners, the truth of the Thousand-Faced House finally came to light. High-ranking officials from the Mercenary Alliance, along with leaders from the other two super mercenary groups, came forward to testify, proving that the video footage disseminated by the Caesar Mercenary Group was fabricated, and the genuine material began to circulate at an astonishing speed.

Furthermore, the pre-battle communications between Yang Ying and Ishtar were also unearthed by reporters. All the posturing Ishtar had made to project confidence had turned into fodder for gossip among the people of the Asteroid Belt, with many even viewing Ishtar as a buffoon.

The fleet returned to base in the early hours of the next morning.

"The Caesar Mercenary Group has remained completely unresponsive to external inquiries and accusations," stated Kalia to Yang Ying in the command room, detailing the reactions from all sides during yesterday's media war.

"I suspect they weren't prepared for an emergency plan for when the two Crown Fleets were completely wiped out. The news hit them like a sudden blow, leaving them stunned," Yang Ying shrugged.

"That seems likely," Kalia replied with a slight smile. "Twenty-eight large mercenary groups have sent us congratulations. Setting aside the Kussen Corps and the Lehai Mercenary Group, the other twenty-six have barely interacted with us before."

"You handle those matters. They're just opportunists anyway," Yang Ying said, uninterested in such trivialities; they were cumbersome and largely meaningless. With so many subordinates, it was only logical to put them to use.

"Oh, right." Yang Ying suddenly looked up and asked, "Did the Wuge Army or the Nine Dragons send any congratulations or indicate any reaction?"

Kalia shook his head. "They are far more composed than those larger mercenary groups. They haven't contacted us yet. Perhaps they are still determining how to classify us."

"Our victory today surprised everyone. It's normal for them to need time to process it," Yang Ying remarked, confident that the stance of the other two super mercenary groups would be decided soon enough.

"What's more important is Caesar Mercenary Group's reaction. They still command three Crown Fleets, plus a dozen large mercenary groups who are friendly toward them. Their strength cannot be underestimated," Kalia implied, suggesting it was not yet time to relax.

"Then why didn't those large mercenary groups friendly with Caesar send fleets to join the attack against us this time?" Yang Ying suddenly posed the question.

"According to the intelligence we gathered, while we can't fully grasp their exact thinking, we can confirm that more than half of them refrained from joining the assault due to fear of the prestige of the Nian Neng Temple," Kalia answered.

"Nian Neng Temple?" Yang Ying, who had been comfortably seated on the sofa, shot up at the mention of those three words. "It seems the people who mistook my casual stroll with Master Pang Qian weren't so mistaken after all."

Kalia nodded. "Mr. Harris, the head of the initial investigation team, only defected to our side after seeing you walking alongside Master Pang Qian. But Mr. Harris wasn't the only one in Grey Port who saw you and the Master together. There were countless spies constantly monitoring everyone entering and leaving Grey Port. You and Robin are important figures; naturally, you were under surveillance."

Yang Ying nodded. "So, Master Pang Qian, who was with me, was also noticed. Even if the spies couldn't recognize the Master, passing on the intelligence meant someone eventually would. That's why many people assumed the Teran Mercenary Group had ties with the Nian Neng Temple. Hahaha!"

Yang Ying burst into laughter. "What a coincidence!"

"Do you truly believe it was a coincidence?" Kalia asked solemnly.

"Are you suggesting Master Pang Qian deliberately presented himself in that manner?" Yang Ying noticed a strange tone in Kalia's voice and immediately recalled the circumstances.

Master Pang Qian had walked with him down a long stretch of street, from the docks to the hotel district, allowing numerous spies to witness them together. They spoke for quite a while, after which the Master left behind a piece of calligraphy and departed gracefully. Shortly thereafter, news spread that the Teran Mercenary Group was connected to the Nian Neng Temple, causing many large mercenary groups to hesitate.

Finally, Yang Ying looked up at the inscription, "Forged in a Hundred Refinings," as if a sudden realization dawned on him: "Master Pang Qian's intention was precisely to deter the other mercenary groups, thereby reducing the bloodshed I would have to initiate..."

"Based on the intelligence we've gathered, the probability of that scenario is extremely high," Kalia agreed.

"The Master's intentions were truly profound," Yang Ying murmured, settling back onto the sofa, his heart filled with emotion.

At that moment, the communicator on the table beside Yang Ying emitted a soft beep. Yang Ying stepped forward to pick it up and saw Randolph's name displayed.

Yang Ying exchanged a look with Kalia.

"Most likely concerning the Caesar Mercenary Group matter," Kalia observed.

Yang Ying nodded and activated the communicator.

Randolph, sporting an aquiline nose, appeared on the holographic screen, dressed in very formal military attire.

"Young man, long time no see. You've certainly grown capable!" Randolph greeted him.

"Uncle Randolph, we only met last month," Yang Ying reminded him.

"How long it's been is a minor detail; what matters is your capability. I heard—oh, no, I don't need to hear it now; the facts prove it—you managed to eliminate two of Caesar's Crown Fleets silently and without taking a scratch. First, allow me to offer my congratulations!" Randolph performed a slight bow.

"Uncle, as the commander of the Thirteenth Fleet, you must be busy. If you're calling me, it's probably not just to offer congratulations. Just state your business directly; I am all ears," Yang Ying cut to the chase.

"That is excellent," Randolph nodded. "Could you tell me how you managed to take down two Crowns? That is no small feat. Even if our fleet engaged them, we couldn't guarantee emerging unscathed."

"Apologies, that is a company trade secret. No comment," Yang Ying replied without hesitation.

"Then let's leave that. That wasn't the main reason I contacted you anyway," Randolph adopted a serious expression. "I'm here to mediate the conflict between you and the Caesar Mercenary Group. I read the records of your conversation with that Ishtar fellow. Since you have the intention of accepting war contracts, you probably don't wish to fight to the death with another group that has also accepted war contracts, do you?"

"Accepting war contracts is indeed the next step for our mercenary group's plan, but what Caesar thinks—whether they are willing to cease hostilities—is the most crucial question," Yang Ying countered.

Having consecutively lost two Crown Fleets, along with tens of thousands of elite mercenaries and significant material assets, the Caesar Mercenary Group now bore a blood feud with the Teran Mercenary Group. Whether they could swallow their pride to sue for peace was questionable.

"You needn't worry about that. The Caesar family also has no desire to be engulfed in the vortex of civil war at this juncture. They have an intention to negotiate a truce," Randolph stated. "Allow me to clarify the situation."

"Please do."

"Young man, I know that under normal circumstances, facing such devastating losses, it is exceedingly difficult for Caesar to endure it. It wouldn't just be them; any faction would find it hard to reconcile after having their people killed by another party, and it would certainly breed internal conflict," Randolph explained.

Yang Ying nodded. "If this were a conflict between nations, this incident would be sufficient grounds for both countries to declare war and fight until one side is extinguished!"

"Precisely, young man," Randolph praised. "However, humanity in the Solar System now has only one nation, and only one enemy: the Ancient Legion. Conflicts between two nations are something only seen hundreds of years ago."

Randolph coughed and continued, "But you must also know that the Caesar Mercenary Group is left with only three Crown Fleets. Two were defeated by you; three aren't fundamentally different. Even if they hate you to the core, they must pause the fighting to catch their breath first."

"What if we don't give them the chance to catch their breath?" Yang Ying tested.

"You young man, don't think about such impractical things," Randolph wagged his index finger, speaking in a dismissive tone. "Don't you understand that the Caesar Mercenary Group is merely a pawn of the Caesar Corporation? Even if you annihilated one Caesar Mercenary Group, the Caesar Corporation could rapidly arm another. Except for the experimental Crown-class battlecruisers, which are difficult to manufacture, the other large warships are simply products on an assembly line—expendables to the Caesar Corporation."

"Moreover, they still have the mainstream 'Pacific-class' battlecruisers on their production lines. While not as powerful as the Crowns, their production rate is much higher. All thirteen fleets currently stationed on Earth use the Pacific-class battlecruiser as their flagship. You should think carefully before engaging the Caesar Mercenary Group," Randolph concluded, holding a favorable view of Yang Ying and wanting to remind him that the Caesar Corporation was not easily provoked.

After saying this, he still felt something was missing. He suddenly recalled the mysterious Teran Company behind Yang Ying, then the possibility of competition between the Teran Company and the Caesar Corporation, causing his brow to furrow immediately. He continued, "Although I don't know the capabilities of the Teran Company backing you, if the Teran Company has designs on the Caesar Corporation, I hope you advise your chairman, Tom, to reconsider. The Caesar Corporation is the government's largest contractor; many military projects are undertaken by them. The Caesar family has extensive connections across the political, commercial, and military spheres. The consequences of opposing them are severe."

Yang Ying nodded. "I understand. Let's return to our previous topic: the Caesar Mercenary Group will agree to a truce with us so they can recover, is that correct?"

"That's right," Randolph nodded. "In fact, they were the ones who first approached the military, intending to have the military mediate their relationship with you. It is precisely because of this that I reached out to you."