Sha Hu's gaze collided with that of the stocky middle-aged man in midair, and it seemed as though fierce sparks erupted between them. Every member of the Sea Hall held their breath, standing aside in trembling silence.
After a long moment, Sha Hu finally heaved a sigh, his gaze losing some of its edge. He addressed the stocky middle-aged man, "Huaian, Yang Kai is my guest. I will personally attend to him. Take your people and withdraw!"
Hearing Sha Hu address the middle-aged man, Yang Kai immediately grasped his identity.
The Grand Hall Master of the Sea Hall — Jiang Huaian!
Come to think of it, Yang Kai had heard Jiang Huaian's name before. It was during his first visit to the Tianyun City auction. A single Void Grade, lower-tier Void Condensing Pill that he had personally refined had been purchased at great expense by this very Jiang Huaian.
At the time, Wei Guchang had mentioned that Jiang Huaian bought the Void Condensing Pill for his son.
However, this was the first time they had actually met face to face.
Yang Kai studied the Sea Hall's Grand Hall Master with casual interest and found that this man's strength had already reached the pinnacle of the Return to Void Realm. His aura was even denser and more substantial than Qian Tong's had been — he was indeed qualified and capable of holding the position of Grand Hall Master of the Sea Hall.
Moreover... this fellow was quite bold. Yang Kai had no idea what kind of conflict existed between him and Sha Hu, but their relationship was clearly far from harmonious.
Jiang Huaian smiled and said, "Uncle-Master Sha, I must respectfully disagree. Though this Sect Master Yang may be your guest, he is attempting to collude with the Sea Clan. Please forgive your nephew for being unable to stand by and do nothing. Uncle-Master, you should be well aware of how deep the grudge between the Sea Clan and our Sea Hall runs. Every year, our Sea Hall disciples meet horrific deaths at the hands of the Sea Clan. Those fellows in the Sea God Palace could truly be called our mortal enemies without exaggeration. Since you know this man, Uncle-Master, I ask that you recuse yourself for a time. Leave this matter to me to handle, and I will give you a satisfactory explanation."
Yang Kai raised his eyebrows slightly, faintly sensing that he had somehow been swept into the vortex of some power struggle. And this struggle, it was clear, existed between Jiang Huaian and Sha Hu.
It seemed every family had its own set of troubles. Yang Kai sighed inwardly.
"Huaian, must you really go this far?" Sha Hu's expression darkened, though there was no intention of backing down.
"Your nephew acts only with the Sea Hall's interests at heart!" Jiang Huaian stood ramrod straight, without a trace of deference or guilt. "I must ask for your understanding, Uncle-Master!"
Sha Hu stared at Jiang Huaian with a dark, menacing gaze, his Star Source power faintly stirring as though on the verge of being unleashed. It seemed he was about to strike. Yet upon sensing this, Jiang Huaian showed not the slightest fear — instead, a look of eager anticipation crossed his face, as if he were practically begging Sha Hu to make the first move.
"Old Sha, what exactly is going on here?" Yang Kai asked, utterly bewildered.
Sha Hu turned to glance at him and sighed, "My apologies. This old man has been too soft-hearted. I've caused you unnecessary trouble."
"You're too hard on yourself, Old Sha," Yang Kai chuckled. "It's just that the way you two are carrying on has me completely confused."
"Just wait a moment. Once I've settled this matter, I'll come speak with you properly!" Sha Hu said.
"Sure!" Yang Kai nodded, adopting a bystander's posture as he observed the surroundings with an amused smile.
Sha Hu turned his gaze back to Jiang Huaian and said gravely, "Huaian, you were once considered one of the Sea Hall's rare geniuses. However, your heart is far too narrow. I had hoped that after so many years, now that you hold the position of Grand Hall Master — standing high, seeing far — you might have changed somewhat. But you've disappointed me. No matter how high you climb, no matter how deep your cultivation grows, Jiang Huaian will always be the same Jiang Huaian from back then. Nothing has changed!"
Being admonished so openly before so many Sea Hall powerhouses, Jiang Huaian's face visibly darkened with embarrassment. He said irritably, "Your nephew's affairs are not for Uncle-Master to worry about."
Sha Hu shook his head slowly. "Leopards never change their spots! This old man has been missing for three hundred years. Now that Sect Master Yang has helped me break free and return to the Sea Hall, I have no intention of engaging in power struggles. As long as whoever holds one of the three Hall Master positions can bring growth and prosperity to our Sea Hall, it makes no difference to me who sits on them. You think I want to compete with you for the Grand Hall Master position? What a joke. I'll say something you won't like to hear — the position of Hall Master in the Sea Hall? This old man truly couldn't care less about it!"
The corner of Jiang Huaian's eye twitched slightly. He stared fixedly at Sha Hu, as though trying to determine whether his words were genuine or feigned.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai's expression showed dawning comprehension. He finally understood why he had received such treatment.
Clearly, Jiang Huaian had been measuring a gentleman's heart with a petty man's ruler. He believed that Sha Hu's return threatened his position, and so he had been finding every possible excuse to make things difficult for Yang Kai — all as a way to keep Sha Hu in check.
As for the accusation of colluding with the Sea Clan, that was merely a convenient excuse. Even without it, the Sea Hall would have found some other pretext. All Yang Kai could say was that he had stepped right into their power struggle and been treated as a useful pawn.
Sha Hu, for his part, clearly had no desire to compete with Jiang Huaian for power. Having lived on Soul Island for three hundred years, he had long since grown indifferent to fame and fortune. In this life, he pursued only a more powerful martial path.
But no matter what, Jiang Huaian was still the Grand Hall Master of the Sea Hall. Even if Sha Hu harbored displeasure, he would not resort to force against him. He could only endure.
That was why he had called himself too soft-hearted.