"Senior Brother Zhong, what are you doing?" Yu Ying finally realized what was happening, her face a mask of shock as she stared at Zhong Zhenyong, unable to understand why he had suddenly launched a sneak attack against Yang Kai.
After all, throughout their journey together, Zhong Zhenyong's attitude toward Yang Kai had been perfectly cordial — they had even been chatting and laughing. So how was it that the moment they arrived here, Zhong Zhenyong turned hostile in the blink of an eye? It was something Yu Ying simply could not wrap her head around.
"That's right, Senior Brother Zhong — what exactly are you doing?" Yang Kai's icy gaze fixed on Zhong Zhenyong, his expression dark. "Have I offended you in some way, to warrant a covert killing attempt?"
"Offended me?" Zhong Zhenyong raised an eyebrow and burst into laughter, then barked, "Brother Feng, I'll ask you just one question. If you answer it well, I'll apologize for what just happened. But if you can't answer... heh heh..."
Yang Kai slowly narrowed his eyes. "Go ahead and ask, Senior Brother Zhong."
Zhong Zhenyong's expression turned solemn as he demanded, "Brother Feng — in the Da Huang Star Field, which Sect did you come from? And how exactly did you come to know Junior Brother Yin?"
Upon hearing this, Yang Kai fell into deep thought.
Zhong Zhenyong watched Yang Kai's every micro-expression like a hawk, refusing to miss even the slightest flicker. Yu Ying stood off to the side, glancing back and forth between them, and even she could tell something was deeply wrong. She furrowed her delicate brows, quietly circulated her Source Qi, and fixed a wary gaze on Yang Kai.
After a short moment, Yang Kai lifted his eyes to meet Zhong Zhenyong's. "Senior Brother Zhong, that's... two questions, isn't it? You're not keeping your word."
Zhong Zhenyong froze for an instant, then snarled angrily, "One or two, it doesn't matter — just answer!"
Yang Kai broke into a grin, regarding Zhong Zhenyong with a thoughtful look. "Senior Brother Zhong seems to have learned something, doesn't he?"
This man's sudden sneak attack clearly meant he had received some intelligence about Yang Kai — that his identity as Feng De was fabricated.
"Senior Brother Zhong, what's going on?" Yu Ying asked, her face turning ugly.
Zhong Zhenyong let out a cold snort and jabbed a finger at Yang Kai. "Junior Sister Yu, this fellow who's been tagging along with you calling himself Feng De — he's a fake."
"A fake?" Yu Ying's eyes went wide as she turned to stare at Yang Kai in astonishment.
"The real Feng De is already dead!"
"Dead?" Yu Ying's expression went blank. She murmured, "How can that be?"
If Feng De was dead, then how did the man before her know so much about Senior Brother Yin? What exactly was his relationship with Senior Brother Yin? Why had he assumed Feng De's identity to get close to him? Recalling how she had let her guard down and spent all this time alongside Yang Kai without ever seeing through his true face, Yu Ying couldn't help but shudder.
"The real Feng De died inside the Starlight Passage — Junior Brother Yin witnessed it with his own eyes. There's no mistake about it. And this man standing before you has some... grievances with Junior Brother Yin." Zhong Zhenyong sneered, fixing Yang Kai with a mocking gaze. "Am I right, Brother Yang?"
He placed deliberate, heavy emphasis on the words "Brother Yang."
Yang Kai raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Oh? You even know my surname now. I'm guessing the one who sent you the message was Yin Lesheng?"
As he spoke, his eyes drifted with interest toward that strange, dark-red star in the distance.
Although Zhong Zhenyong had not mentioned where Yin Lesheng currently was, Yang Kai was ninety percent certain that Yin Lesheng was inside that very star. Otherwise, there was no way Zhong Zhenyong could have contacted him to ask about Yang Kai's information.
"That's right." Zhong Zhenyong made no attempt to deny it. "Junior Brother Yin told me all of this. Regardless of whatever grudge exists between you and Junior Brother Yin, you won't get the chance to settle it with him."
As he spoke, a flash of viciousness and greed surfaced on Zhong Zhenyong's face, his expression toward Yang Kai like a starving wolf eyeing a fat piece of meat.
"Who are you, really? Why did you lie to me?" Yu Ying was beyond furious, her beautiful eyes blazing with fire, teeth clenched as she glared at Yang Kai with killing intent.
Yang Kai glanced at her and said coldly, "What a heartless woman. I just saved your life not long ago, and now you dare bare your killing intent toward me? Truly heartbreaking."
Yu Ying snapped, "So what? You dared to deceive me, so you deserve to die!" She turned to Zhong Zhenyong and said, "Senior Brother Zhong, this man possesses a complete Star Source. If you could obtain it, the benefits for you would be extraordinary."
Zhong Zhenyong licked his lips, barely containing his excitement. "Naturally, I know that."
Within the Yellow Spring Sect, though he believed his current strength was not much inferior to Yin Lesheng's, given the latter's terrifying pace of advancement, it was only a matter of time before Yin Lesheng surpassed him. And the greatest source of Yin Lesheng's rapid progress was his identity as a Star Lord — one who possessed a complete Star Source.
It was an opportunity that no warrior could ever hope for.
But now, another warrior bearing a complete Star Source stood right before him. This was nothing like the fragmented Source of the Shattered Star Sea — if he could seize it, the benefits were beyond imagination. He would no longer need to worry about being overtaken by Yin Lesheng. If they both possessed complete Star Sources, then it would come down to who trained harder and with more resolve — and on that front, Zhong Zhenyong was confident he fell short of no one.
Yang Kai suddenly asked, "Is Yin Lesheng truly on that star right now?"
Zhong Zhenyong snorted coldly. "A dead man has no need for such questions."
Yang Kai let out a dark chuckle. "Since I've found where Yin Lesheng is, there's no reason to keep any of you alive!"