The night passed uneventfully, and the next day Yang Kai and Yang Yan ventured out to explore Black Crow City. Having come all this way, they might as well see if the place had any unique local products — with a bit of luck, they might even find some useful materials.
After spending an entire day browsing with Yang Yan, they actually came away with quite a haul. Certain materials that were difficult to buy or even find back in Tianyun City were surprisingly easy to come by here.
The prices naturally couldn't compare to the discounts offered by Shadow Moon Hall, but the expedition to Buried Heroes Valley had netted both Yang Kai and Yang Yan a massive amount of Sacred Crystals, so they weren't concerned about that.
Yang Yan alone purchased forty to fifty million Sacred Crystals worth of forging materials, and she still seemed unsatisfied.
Though Yang Kai didn't comment on it, his heart was racing. At Yang Yan's spending rate, the Sacred Crystals from this trip probably wouldn't last much longer. But looking at the materials she was buying, he had a vague feeling that she was truly about to craft something extraordinary.
Mixed with his alarm was a measure of anticipation.
If Yang Yan hadn't been worried about attracting attention by buying more, she would have dragged Yang Kai along to continue shopping. Even so, Yang Kai had noticed that throughout the day, quite a few people had been watching them — sometimes openly, sometimes covertly — with apparent interest.
This was hardly surprising. Two young people spending tens of millions of Sacred Crystals in a single day were bound to catch the eye of the observant. Fortunately, those people seemed wary of something and hadn't made any bold moves, simply lurking in the shadows and watching.
By evening, Yang Kai and Yang Yan finally returned to Flying Spirit Hall. The moment they entered the Flying Flower Snow Moon Tower, Yang Yan rushed straight to the third floor, apparently intending to use the forging chambers there.
Yang Kai settled in on the second floor to meditate and cultivate.
After roughly two hours, Yang Kai suddenly opened his eyes, frowned slightly, and glanced toward the entrance. With a wave of his hand, the door opened without a sound. Standing outside was a young woman dressed in green — one of the two maids assigned to the Flying Flower Snow Moon Tower.
She bowed gracefully to Yang Kai, then spoke in a soft voice: "Young Master, there is a visitor. Would you like to receive him?"
"Who?" Yang Kai asked, surprised.
"He says he's your companion. His surname is Shen."
"Shen?" Yang Kai was taken aback. After a moment's thought, he asked, "Is he alone?"
"He is." The maid nodded gently.
A smile tugged at the corner of Yang Kai's mouth. Before the maid could ask further, he waved his hand: "I see. Tell him to wait a moment. I'll be right down."
The maid bowed once more, turned, and glided gracefully down the stairs.
Yang Kai didn't rise immediately. He sat where he was, eyes gleaming with thought, contemplating for a while before finally standing and heading out.
On the first floor's reception area, Shen Fanlei sat in a wide, imposing sprawl, his thick silkworm-shaped brows lying heavy above eyes that burned with vigor. Though he wasn't particularly handsome, he possessed an innate masculine air and a bold, heroic bearing — especially those eyes that seemed perpetually brimming with energy, which drew the most attention.
The two maids stationed in the tower were clearly captivated by him, stealing glances in his direction from time to time, pink flushes rising on their fair cheeks.
Shen Fanlei had obviously noticed this as well, but he pretended otherwise, sitting there with a solemn expression. Yet from the way he kept shifting in his seat, he looked rather like he was sitting on pins and needles.
It was quite some time before Yang Kai finally came downstairs. Shen Fanlei looked as though he'd been granted a reprieve and quickly stood, cupping his fists: "Brother Yang, forgive the unannounced visit. I hope I haven't disturbed your cultivation."
Yang Kai looked at him with some surprise, a smile spreading across his face: "Brother Shen, you're too formal. I was bored out of my mind — no disturbance at all."
So saying, he instructed the two maids to bring some tea.
The green-clad maid who had gone upstairs earlier acknowledged the order and went to prepare.
Before long, not only was tea served, but a plate of spirit fruits was brought out as well.
Yang Kai had no idea why Shen Fanlei had suddenly come to see him, so he didn't rush to ask. And Shen Fanlei, surprisingly, didn't seem inclined to get to the point either — instead, he chatted about this and that, seemingly at random.
But Yang Kai could clearly sense that Shen Fanlei was behaving very differently from usual. The presence of the two maids seemed to put him under tremendous pressure. He was constantly monitoring his words and manner, which robbed him of much of his usual vigor and boldness. He spoke haltingly and often found himself rambling incoherently.
Each time this happened, the two maids would suppress their laughter, and Shen Fanlei would grow equally embarrassed.
Observing this, Yang Kai's expression turned thoughtful. He suddenly waved his hand toward the maids: "That's all for now. You're dismissed — go rest. I'll call if I need anything."
The two maids exchanged a glance. Though clearly disappointed, they obediently agreed and reluctantly took their leave — but not without casting one last furtive glance at Shen Fanlei, looking thoroughly smitten.