"Brother Yang!" Though Du Xian didn't get quite as emotional as Ye Jinghan, he still clasped his fists with an excited look on his face.
As long as Yang Kai was here, they had a chance to leave this place — they wouldn't be trapped in Emperor Heaven Valley for the rest of their lives. The Thousand Leaf Sect had been annihilated without cause, and their enemy was formidable. But as the eldest Senior Disciple of the Thousand Leaf Sect's younger generation, it was both his duty and his responsibility to avenge his Sect.
To seek revenge, he first needed to grow stronger, and second, he needed to leave this place.
Growing stronger was his own concern, but leaving here depended entirely on Yang Kai.
"Miss Ye, Brother Du..." Yang Kai gave a slight nod and sighed. "Please accept my condolences."
He didn't really know what to say. Anyone who had suffered the annihilation of their Sect would be in terrible spirits, and he understood Ye Jinghan's loss of composure.
After a few exchanges between the three of them, the Thousand Leaf Sect Disciples who hadn't yet grasped the situation began to catch on. Soon, murmurs of discussion spread through the crowd as they pieced together Yang Kai's identity.
After fleeing here, Du Xian had told them not to lose heart, not to give up — they still had a chance to leave, still had a chance to avenge their Sect. All they had to do was wait for someone named Yang Kai to arrive.
Now that this person named Yang Kai had finally come, the surviving Thousand Leaf Sect Disciples were visibly stirred, their gazes toward him burning with fervent hope.
"Is everyone here?" Yang Kai swept his gaze left and right but didn't spot the person he was looking for. He had expected as much, but disappointment crept in nonetheless.
The Thousand Leaf Sect survivors were few in number — five hundred at most — and they had all gathered in this valley. Their cultivation levels varied wildly; among them, fewer than ten had reached the Dao Source Realm.
"Young Master Yang, please come inside to talk!" Ye Jinghan had regained some composure, dabbing at the corner of her eye before gesturing inward with her hand.
Yang Kai nodded and headed toward the cave. Ying Fei followed close behind, his aura completely suppressed. No one could tell how deep his strength ran.
The cave had been refurbished over the past year or so. Ye Jinghan, Du Xian, and the others had all been living here, nursing their desire for vengeance and dedicating themselves to Cultivation, hoping that one day they would be able to kill their enemies with their own hands.
There was no furniture inside the cave. Everyone simply sat on the ground. Aside from Yang Kai and Ying Fei, only Ye Jinghan and Du Xian were present — it seemed that among the surviving Thousand Leaf Sect Disciples, only the two of them held the highest cultivation and status.
"What exactly happened? I only heard that the Thousand Leaf Sect was destroyed by the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect. Is that true?" Yang Kai asked.
Ye Jinghan and Du Xian exchanged a glance. The former gave a slight nod, and the latter spoke up: "What you heard is correct, Brother Yang. It was indeed the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect that destroyed our Thousand Leaf Sect."
"There are rumors outside that the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect was tempted by the existence of the Heavenly Puppet. Is that also true?"
Du Xian's face twisted with fury. "The Flowing Shadow Sword Sect focuses primarily on the Sword Dao — they are single-minded in their pursuit of the sword. Even if our Thousand Leaf Sect possessed a Heavenly Puppet, how could that possibly entice them? There is a mastermind behind all of this!"
Yang Kai raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Ye Jinghan and Du Xian exchanged another glance, both seeming hesitant to speak.
Yang Kai said, "There's nothing you can't tell me. I came here precisely to get to the bottom of this. I have friends among the Thousand Leaf Sect, too."
Only then did Du Xian speak. "Brother Yang... do you still remember Hua Qingsi?"
Yang Kai's brow furrowed. "Sister Hua?"
How could he forget Hua Qingsi? But from the way Du Xian had phrased it, it sounded like the destruction of the Thousand Leaf Sect was somehow connected to her. That made him suspicious. Besides, after parting ways with Hua Qingsi in the Shattered Star Sea, they had never seen each other again.
Yang Kai had no idea where Hua Qingsi had gone.
Sister Hua knew quite a few of his secrets, especially regarding the Small World. But he had always felt she was trustworthy, which was why he had granted her freedom and even gone so far as to give her a precious Grand Mist Pill.
Du Xian continued, "After the Shattered Star Sea concluded, that Hua Qingsi suddenly appeared at the Thousand Leaf Sect. She said she had an agreement with you, Brother Yang, and was waiting at the Sect for you to arrive."
Yang Kai nodded. "That's right. It's true."
When he had parted ways with Hua Qingsi in the Shattered Star Sea, he had told her that if she couldn't find him in the future, she should go to the Thousand Leaf Sect and wait. Chi Yue and the others were still there, so he would inevitably return.
It seemed that Sister Hua had indeed kept her word. After leaving the Shattered Star Sea, she had gone straight to the Thousand Leaf Sect.
Du Xian's expression turned strange. "Then do you know, Brother Yang, what Lady Hua's true background is?"