Feng Xi tossed the ring toward Yang Kai, staring at him with eager eyes. "There, the ring is yours! Now can we go?"
Yang Kai reached out and caught it, chuckling coldly as he regarded Feng Xi with undisguised amusement.
Feng Xi's heart lurched. Could this man really go back on his word? Following Yang Kai's gaze, Feng Xi looked at the other ring still on his own hand. Gritting his teeth, he ruthlessly pulled off his spatial ring and flung it toward Yang Kai as well. "Take this one too! Just let me go!"
"The Young Sect Master is too generous. How could I possibly accept?" Yang Kai quickly caught the second ring and stuffed it into his pocket without even glancing at it. Then his tone shifted, and he snorted coldly: "I said before that I'd let you go if I got your Vice Sect Master's spatial ring. But now the Young Sect Master has thrust a second ring on me for no reason. Aren't you trying to frame me as an ungrateful and dishonorable man?"
"What—" Feng Xi's jaw dropped open. He never imagined Yang Kai could say something so brazenly shameless.
The women of Ice Heart Valley all wore expressions of utter astonishment, each gazing at Yang Kai with profoundly conflicted eyes. Today this young man had truly shattered their understanding of where the bottom of human shamelessness lay. Before meeting Yang Kai, they had never conceived that someone in this world could be this brazen.
Feng Xi's mind seemed to suddenly spark with clarity. Sensing Yang Kai's hostile expression, he hurriedly spoke up: "Brother, you've misunderstood! That spatial ring was merely a personal gift from me to you—it wasn't part of our original deal at all. Brother has an impressive bearing and extraordinary conduct; you're destined for great things in the future. I simply... simply wanted to befriend you!"
Yang Kai burst into laughter. "The Young Sect Master is so magnanimous! Of course I'll be your friend—absolutely!"
Feng Xi's mouth twitched repeatedly as he forced a sheepish smile. "Then... may we leave now?"
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes. "Does the Young Sect Master want to stay for breakfast?"
"No, no, no!" Feng Xi scrambled to his feet as if granted a pardon from death itself. He grabbed Yao Zhuo and staggered toward the exit of Ice Heart Valley.
Ever since Feng Xi had forcibly seized his spatial ring, Yao Zhuo had seemed like a man without a soul—his eyes completely vacant. Perhaps he despaired at Feng Xi's conduct, and now, being dragged away, he offered not the slightest resistance.
In moments, Yao Zhuo and Feng Xi had vanished without a trace.
Only then did the women of Ice Heart Valley finally let out a collective breath of relief. Earlier, when Yang Kai had held the Ancestral Master's Token and ordered them to kill those two from the Wenqing Sect, they had truly broken into cold sweat, terrified that the situation might spiral beyond control. Fortunately, though Yang Kai had ultimately robbed them of two spatial rings, things hadn't reached a point of no return. At least Feng Xi and Yao Zhuo's lives were not in danger.
"Young Master, where is my master right now?" An Ruoyun finally had the chance to ask what truly concerned her.
Yang Kai turned to glance at her. "Don't worry, Senior An. Senior Ice Cloud is perfectly safe. She simply isn't able to see you for the next few days."
"Not able?" Sun Yunxiu's delicate brows knitted together. "Why not?!"
Yang Kai cast her a cold look. "Not able means not able. There's no 'why.'"
Sun Yunxiu choked on his words. Under normal circumstances she would have erupted in fury, but Yang Kai had been sent by their master and carried the Ancestral Master's Token. She had no choice but to swallow her anger.
Changsun Ying spoke up: "Then when can we see our master?"
Yang Kai thought for a moment. "In two or three days. Just wait." After a pause, he turned his head toward Sun Yunxiun and let out a cold laugh. "I hope that when the Grand Elder meets Senior Ice Cloud, she'll be able to explain the matter of Zi Yu's marriage clearly."
Sun Yunxiu's expression dimmed, but she said in a steady voice: "Whatever punishment Master chooses to deal, I will bear it alone. It has nothing to do with the other sisters."
Yang Kai snorted. Although Sun Yunxiu's behavior earlier had been passable—she hadn't even held a grudge after he'd slapped her—the fact that she had personally agreed to send Zi Yu to marry into the Wenqing Sect meant a heavy punishment was unavoidable.
Pushing her sect's most outstanding disciple into that blazing pit of the Wenqing Sect—her tenure as Grand Elder had certainly reached its end. But this was, after all, an internal matter of their sect, and as indignant as Yang Kai was, he could hardly say too much.
An Ruoyun, however, seemed to have thought of something. She looked at Yang Kai with deep worry and asked: "Young Master keeps saying Master isn't able to see us, and then says it will take two or three days. Could it be... that Master is injured? That she's recovering from her wounds right now?"
At her words, every woman's face changed color at once.
Back when Ice Cloud had left Ice Heart Valley, she had already been a third-stage Emperor Realm cultivator. Three thousand years had passed since then—her strength could only have grown far greater. Even across the entire Star Boundary, she would absolutely be among the very pinnacle of existence. But how could such a powerful being possibly be injured? In all the world, who could have harmed her?
Yang Kai looked at An Ruoyun with surprise, somewhat taken aback by her keen intuition. He hadn't said a word of it, yet An Ruoyun had guessed correctly on her own—clearly, her mind was as sharp as it was perceptive.
These were all senior members of Ice Heart Valley, and many were Ice Cloud's personal disciples. Yang Kai saw no further need to conceal the truth, so he nodded with a serious expression. "You're right, Senior An. Senior Ice Cloud has indeed been injured."
In an instant, every woman in Ice Heart Valley went pale.
Yang Kai quickly added: "But rest assured, everyone—Senior Ice Cloud's injuries are not severe. She is currently recovering right here in Ice Wheel City, and in two or three days she'll be completely restored!"
"Master is in Ice Wheel City?!" An Ruoyun cried out in shock.