"Hmm?" Yang Kai raised an eyebrow.
Qin Chaoyang said, "This sword can only unleash its true power in your hands, Brother Yang. Please make use of it for now. Should the day come when Yu'er advances to the Emperor Realm, you can return it to her then — how does that sound?"
The way he spoke, it was as though he were entrusting his orphan on his deathbed, arranging his final affairs.
Yang Kai's eyes flickered slightly. He understood that the old man was preparing for contingencies.
Although Qin Chaoyang was no longer young, he was still a Dao Source Realm martial artist. Barring any accidents, living another century or so would pose no problem.
But his cultivation was, after all, not particularly high. In this Star Boundary, the path of a martial artist was fraught with thorns at every step. Who could guarantee a peaceful end? A sudden, unforeseen calamity might sweep him up in some crisis, and he could lose his life without cause.
If that time came, there would be no one left to shelter the Qin family.
Qin Chaoyang wished to entrust the Million Sword to Yang Kai's safekeeping for two reasons. First, a common man owning a treasure invites blame — he feared the Million Sword would bring trouble upon the Qin family. Second, he likely intended to use it as a bond to draw Yang Kai closer to the Qin family.
As long as the Million Sword remained in Yang Kai's possession, he would not sit idle while the Qin family suffered. If something truly befell Qin Chaoyang, at least someone would be there to look after Qin Yu.
Yang Kai's mind turned swiftly, and he quickly divined Qin Chaoyang's intentions. After a moment's deliberation, he ceased declining. "Since Family Head Qin places such trust in me, I shall keep this sword and use it for a time. I will not tarnish the reputation of the Qin family's ancestors!"
He had found the Million Sword quite comfortable to wield. He had already comprehended several sword technique secret arts that could only be used in conjunction with this treasure, so keeping it in his hands a while longer was perfectly acceptable.
"Excellent, excellent!" Qin Chaoyang was overjoyed.
Rumble...
At that very moment, a deep, thunderous rumble erupted from beneath the earth — as though tens of thousands of dragon-horses were galloping past in a roaring stampede, shaking heaven and earth to their foundations. At the same time, the spiritual energy between heaven and earth surged violently.
"What's happening?" Qin Chaoyang's expression shifted, and he cried out in alarm.
Yang Kai's eyes blazed with sharp light as his massive divine sense instantly radiated outward, sweeping across the surroundings. Before long, his gaze locked onto a direction beyond the city walls. "The source seems to be over there," he said in a low voice. "It feels like something extraordinary has awakened."
"Let's go take a look!" Qin Chaoyang barked.
Yang Kai harbored the same intention. The two exchanged a glance, then simultaneously unleashed their movement arts and shot outward.
No sooner had they flown past the Qin residence than they encountered a striking figure hovering serenely in midair. It was none other than Ye Qinghan of the Thousand Leaves Sect.
The young woman had apparently never left — she had been standing guard outside the Qin family the entire time.
Upon catching sight of Yang Kai, Ye Qinghan's beautiful eyes lit up, and she called out, "Master Yang! Master Yang!"
"Out of the way, out of the way — don't block the road!" Yang Kai waved her off impatiently, streaking past her in a flash. In the blink of an eye, he was nothing more than a tiny black speck in the distance.
Ye Qinghan gritted her teeth, staring after his retreating figure, stamped her foot, and hurriedly gave chase.
"Family Head Qin..." As Yang Kai flew at the forefront, he glanced back at Ye Qinghan and asked in a low voice, "Did this woman tell you what she wants with me?"
Qin Chaoyang grinned. "Brother Yang, your reputation is soaring these days. You're handsome as a jade tree in the wind, your cultivation is impressive, and you're a hero without equal in this generation. It's only natural that a few women would find you attractive."
Yang Kai reached up to brush back his hair, straightened his chest, and tilted his head ever so slightly upward...
Then in the next instant, his expression turned serious. "I'm being serious here."
Qin Chaoyang shook his head. "She didn't go into detail with me either. She only said she wished to have a word with you. I thought she seems like a fine prospect — sure, she's a bit older than you, but her figure is delicate, and there's a hint of charm at the corners of her eyes. She's definitely a beauty, Brother Yang. Why not give her proposal some serious consideration?"
Yang Kai's eyes went wide as he looked Qin Chaoyang up and down, as though reassessing the old man entirely. After a long moment, he said, "Family Head Qin, have some dignity! You're getting on in years — saying things like that is hardly appropriate!"
"Ha ha ha ha!" Qin Chaoyang burst into hearty laughter, clapping Yang Kai on the shoulder with deep sincerity. "A young man who isn't romantic has wasted his youth! You need to seize every opportunity, lad!"
"Whatever it is, it's definitely nothing good. I'm not bothering with her," Yang Kai scoffed.
As they spoke, streaks of light had already begun appearing around them — clearly the other Dao Source Realm experts residing in Maplewood City had sensed the disturbance and were heading out to investigate.
"Yang Kai, you beast!" A voice suddenly rang out from the side, dripping with fury.
Yang Kai turned his head and immediately recognized a familiar face, its owner glaring at him with bloodshot eyes.
It was none other than Zhuang Pan, the former vice city lord of Maplewood City!
Standing beside Zhuang Pan was another individual — a handsome young man with rosy lips and white teeth, not particularly strong in cultivation, merely at the first stage of the Dao Source Realm.
For reasons he couldn't quite explain, Yang Kai suddenly felt the fellow looked somewhat familiar, though he was certain they had never met before.
"Yang Kai!" The young man beside Zhuang Pan heard the name, and his eyes instantly blazed with piercing light. He fixed his burning gaze upon Yang Kai and asked Zhuang Pan, "That's the boy surnamed Yang?"