Three days later, the trio returned to Lingxiao Palace.
During the journey, Hou Yu attempted to escape multiple times, but Yang Kai dragged her back each time, thoroughly deflating her spirit.
There's no way you can watch me for a whole hundred years! The moment you let your guard down, I'll have plenty of chances to slip away! Hou Yu sneered to herself.
Unfortunately, this little calculation of hers was ruthlessly shattered less than an incense stick's worth of time after they arrived at Lingxiao Palace.
"D-Demon… Demon Kings!? All three of them?" Hou Yu stared at the three terrifying presences before her, their bodies wreathed in rolling demonic qi and exuding overwhelming auras that shook the heavens, her face going pale with shock.
She had never imagined that Lingxiao Palace possessed such hidden strength.
After all, Yang Kai was only a first-stage Emperor Realm cultivator — how many powerhouses could a sect he founded possibly have? Throughout the journey, she'd had no opportunity to ask about the palace's situation, and now the reality hit her like a thunderbolt.
Three Demon Kings standing guard. Such a foundation was extraordinarily robust, beyond the reach of any top-tier Sect in the entire Northern Region.
"This is our Lingxiao Palace's newly recruited Chief Artifact Refiner." Yang Kai introduced Hou Yu to the three Demon Kings. "Just call her Little Hou. Mm, Little Hou here is quite lively and restless, but I expect her to be well-behaved and dutiful within Lingxiao Palace, so…"
Ying Fei immediately spoke up. "Young Master Yang, rest assured. The three of us will take turns keeping an eye on her. We guarantee she won't cause any trouble."
Xi Lei and Xie Wuwei both voiced their agreement as well.
Hou Yu's face turned deathly pale. She stumbled back several steps involuntarily, crying out, "You can't do this!"
Being watched in shifts by three great Demon Kings — how could she possibly live like that? If that was really going to happen, forget escaping, she probably wouldn't even have a shred of personal freedom.
"Excellent!" Yang Kai nodded slightly and turned to Ying Fei. "Take her to the Chief Steward, register her in the records, and arrange quarters for her."
"Yes!" Ying Fei replied, then gestured toward Hou Yu. "Miss Hou, if you would."
"I refuse!" Hou Yu gritted her teeth and spun around to flee.
Ying Fei glanced at Yang Kai. Yang Kai gave a slight nod.
Ying Fei let out a snort of amusement and transformed into a streak of light, chasing after her. In the blink of an eye, he had seized Hou Yu, holding her in one hand like a chick as he flew off into the distance at an unhurried pace.
Xi Lei and Xie Wuwei exchanged a glance and slowly followed after them.
From far away, Hou Yu's furious shouting and cursing could be heard, gradually fading until it could no longer be distinguished.
Yang Kai took out the transmission compass and left a message for Hua Qingsi. Then he looked at Nanmen Dajun and said, "The Mountain Wave Map — see to it as soon as possible."
"Palace Master, with Little Hou's assistance, the Mountain Wave Map won't be a problem."
"Also, pass a message to the Chief Steward. Once Little Hou is done with the Mountain Wave Map, have her craft a flying Artifact for me. Make it large and high-quality — don't worry about the cost."
"Understood!"
With the matter of the Chief Artifact Refiner settled, Yang Kai was in excellent spirits.
Moments later, he passed through the spatial array and returned to Qingyang Divine Temple.
At the Spirit Sword Peak, Yang Kai had barely steadied himself when his expression shifted. He looked to the side and noticed a small, pitch-black creature in the nearby valley, sneaking glances over with an eager and curious air. Its round eyes spun about restlessly, as though searching for something.
However, since the area around the spatial array was concealed by the ley lines of Spirit Sword Peak under Yang Kai's command, the valley appeared entirely unremarkable to the small beast.
Yang Kai chuckled softly, recognizing it as the same odd little creature he had encountered inside the wine jar before — it looked rather strange, somewhat like a small dog, and was presumably a native demon beast of Spirit Sword Peak.
Its strength was modest, though. Yang Kai couldn't detect any significant fluctuations of power emanating from it at all.
He took a step forward, and the moment his figure materialized, the small beast was visibly startled. It scrambled back warily, its round little eyes fixed on Yang Kai, gleaming with a hint of human-like vigilance.
But once it recognized Yang Kai, that spark of wariness quickly vanished. Instead, it stuck out its tongue, panting happily as if trying to curry favor with an endearing display.
Amused, Yang Kai reached down and picked it up, rubbing its head with a smirk. "Lost your way? This isn't a place you can just wander into."
The birds and beasts of Spirit Sword Peak, while not of exceptionally high rank, included many that this little creature couldn't hope to withstand — especially in this valley, where quite a few formidable demon beasts lurked. If it ran into one of those powerful ones, it would likely be swallowed in a single bite.
Yang Kai was genuinely curious how such a small, dog-like black creature had managed to survive on Spirit Sword Peak at all.
Being rubbed by Yang Kai's hand, the little black dog showed a visible look of pleasure, squinting its eyes contentedly. It lay quietly in Yang Kai's palm, perfectly still.
With a gentle shake of his head and a flicker of movement, Yang Kai appeared outside the Spirit Sword Hall.
He bent down to set the little black dog on the ground, only for the creature to cling to him for dear life, clearly refusing to let go.
Yang Kai burst out laughing. He curled a finger and flicked it lightly against its forehead.