Yang Kai looked at him and smiled faintly. "Why are you asking about this?"
Zi Wuji said in a low voice, "The Lost Land is so dangerous that even a figure as extraordinary as Father has perished. Big Brother couldn't have remained unscathed, surely. If he survived, it was probably thanks to the Exalted One. So only the Exalted One knows Big Brother's current whereabouts."
"And what if I do?" Yang Kai raised the corner of his lips. "What? Does Young Master Wuji want me to hand your brother over to you for judgment?"
Zi Wuji waved his hands in alarm. "I wouldn't dare! Wuji would never harbor such a thought. Big Brother and I share the same blood. Now that Father has perished, how could Wuji bear any ill will toward Big Brother? I merely wish to ask — did the Exalted One come to Purple Star this time at Big Brother's request?"
"Don't be ridiculous. What standing do I hold? Even as the Young Master of Purple Star, he has no right to question my movements." Yang Kai let out a cold laugh.
Zi Wuji was overjoyed. "Then this is simple. Since the Exalted One shared a life-and-death bond with my father, you surely cannot bear to watch Purple Star's power fall into someone else's hands. If that were to happen, how could Father rest in peace beneath the nine springs? Please, Exalted One, help me!"
Yang Kai fell silent, appearing to be deep in thought.
Seeing an opening, Zi Wuji pressed on while the iron was hot. "Since the Exalted One has already met my Big Brother, you must know what kind of person he is. In the Exalted One's view, who would be more suited to sit in the position of Purple Star's master?"
As he spoke, Zi Wuji made no further attempt to conceal his ambition, his eyes gleaming with fervor.
Yang Kai said mildly, "Though Zi Donglai possesses no small amount of talent, when it comes to composure and cunning, he is indeed no match for you. He may become a powerful cultivator, but he can never become a true overlord."
"Thank you for the Exalted One's praise!" Zi Wuji accepted it without false modesty, then said gravely, "Exalted One, Father and Big Brother have been missing for nearly two years now. Though Father's lingering prestige still holds some sway, the Grand Elder has been stirring up trouble. If this is delayed any longer, Purple Star's situation will become dire. Since the Exalted One has accepted the Exalted One's Token that Father bestowed, Wuji will naturally regard you as one of our own. With the Exalted One's help, great things can be accomplished."
"You're that confident?" Yang Kai furrowed his brows.
Zi Wuji smiled confidently. "In Purple Star, the Zi family is the legitimate bloodline! Wuji has bided his time and hidden his strength for so many years. Now that I dare to stand up and oppose that old wretch, I am far from empty-handed. All I lack is a key figure capable of standing against him! And the Exalted One's arrival has given Wuji hope!"
Yang Kai regarded Zi Wuji with some surprise, realizing he had underestimated this fellow. From the sound of it, it seemed Wuji had already gathered quite a few powerful fighters under his banner.
Yang Kai couldn't be bothered to meddle in Purple Star's power struggles — his objective was simply the Star Emperor Token. However, his last covert foray into the Purple Star Palace had roused the enemy's suspicion. If he could use Zi Wuji's help to retrieve the item this time, it would be a decent approach.
With that thought, Yang Kai pretended to ponder.
Zi Wuji didn't dare disturb him and could only stand in place, waiting anxiously.
After a long while, just as Zi Wuji was growing restless, Yang Kai finally spoke. "Young Master Wuji's openness and sharp instincts are most gratifying. I believe that if Zi Long knew of this from the afterlife, he too could rest easy beneath the nine springs."
"The Exalted One means..." Zi Wuji stared at Yang Kai, caught between shock and elation.
"Wanting me to help you isn't out of the question. As an Exalted One, I should naturally lend my strength to Purple Star. I am no cold-blooded person — I cannot simply watch Purple Star's foundation fall into another's hands. However..."
"If the Exalted One has any demands, please state them plainly. If Wuji can fulfill them, he will not refuse!" Zi Wuji was quick on the uptake, cutting in before Yang Kai had even finished.
"Very good." Yang Kai nodded with satisfaction. "I have only two conditions. The first is that I be allowed into your Purple Star Treasury to retrieve an item — something your father promised to give me."
"The Treasury!" Zi Wuji's expression shifted in alarm, and he quickly forced a bitter smile. "The Exalted One may not know this, but Wuji does know a thing or two about the Purple Star Treasury. It sits within the most heavily guarded area of the Purple Star Palace. While I can approach it, I cannot open it without the key. I have never set foot inside — only Father and Big Brother have ever entered."
"I have the key," Yang Kai said. "That much need not concern the Second Young Master."
"Father's key is in the Exalted One's hands?" Zi Wuji was utterly astonished.
"Yes." Yang Kai nodded.
Zi Wuji's expression flickered — it was unclear what had crossed his mind — but he quickly composed himself and nodded. "If that is the case, then this shouldn't be difficult to arrange. As the Second Young Master, Wuji naturally has the right to approach the Treasury. Leave this matter to me."
"Very good." Yang Kai nodded again. "The second matter is to release those people from the Heng Luo Trading Company."
Hearing this, Zi Wuji's face fell into a bitter grimace, and he said helplessly, "The Exalted One may not realize this, but those people were not imprisoned by Wuji — it was the Grand Elder's doing. All the guards are his trusted confidants."
"I know perfectly well it was his doing." Yang Kai snorted coldly. "The Second Young Master can barely take care of himself right now — he'd hardly have the leisure to detain Heng Luo Trading Company's people. But I am curious: what is the Grand Elder after with this move?"
Zi Wuji's expression darkened, and he said, "If Wuji isn't mistaken, it is likely another one of that old wretch's schemes aimed at me."
"I'd like to hear the details." Yang Kai raised an eyebrow.
"The Heng Luo Trading Company is a colossus — stronger than our Purple Star, if anything." Zi Wuji lowered his voice. "Among those who came to Purple Star this time, the leader appears to be the Trading Company's chairman's son. The Grand Elder detained him. If the Heng Luo Trading Company learns of this, they will naturally take action. This matter can be treated as either big or small. On the grand scale, it is a conflict between two great powers that could very well spark a full-scale war. On the small scale, it's hardly worth mentioning — as long as those people aren't in mortal danger. If the Heng Luo Trading Company does receive word and comes demanding their people, the Grand Elder merely needs to hand over a scapegoat, and the matter can be defused. I doubt the Trading Company would want to start a direct confrontation with Purple Star over something like this. Of course, the scapegoat would have to carry enough weight — some random nobody won't satisfy the Trading Company's anger!"