But who could have guessed that he would turn out to be such a warm-hearted person, willing to risk danger to help someone he had never even met? After all, doing so would easily offend Yuan Wu, and judging by the current situation, crossing Yuan Wu certainly wouldn't end well.
This substantially improved Yang Kai's impression of him.
Still, it was rather strange. Though this wretched-looking man had stuck his nose in, after exchanging a few words with Yuan Wu—no one knew what was said—the latter actually showed no inclination to blame him. Instead, the two drew close together, communicating through voice transmission.
The wretched man's face was plastered with an obsequious, fawning expression, which Yuan Wu clearly found quite agreeable.
For the rest of the journey, Yuan Wu no longer bothered Yang Kai, Lü Sanniang, and her daughter.
Gazing into the distance, Yang Kai narrowed his eyes. He had been weighing whether to simply reveal his identity to make finding Zhu Qing easier. After all, he and Zhu Qing were already intimate, so coming to find her was perfectly natural. He even possessed the Dragon Island Token.
However, after seeing Fu Qi and Fu Ling, he had a vague feeling that acting rashly would not be wise. If he went ahead with it, he might not only fail to see Zhu Qing but could also trigger some unforeseen consequences.
So he decided to play it by ear and focus on finding Zhu Qing first.
At night, a cool breeze stirred, and scattered stars glittered across the sky.
A sea island suddenly appeared in everyone's view. It was hard to make out clearly, but its area was definitely not small. Moreover, the spiritual energy on the island was not only abundant but also remarkably pure—perfect for warriors to cultivate in.
Yang Kai sized the island up with a glance and quietly marveled that the cultivation environment on Dragon Island was this exceptional. No wonder every dragon he had encountered was at least at the Emperor Realm. Regardless of whether Fu Qi and Fu Ling had high dragon bloodlines, their cultivation had all reached the Emperor Realm.
This was hardly surprising. The dragon race were Sacred Spirits to begin with, and having occupied such a bountiful Minor World, it would be strange if their strength were anything but formidable.
"Mother…"
A soft call suddenly came from Lü Yuqin beside him.
Yang Kai turned to look and furrowed his brow. He noticed that something was off about Lü Sanniang's condition—her entire body was trembling, her lips pressed tightly together, drained of all color.
It was clear that Lü Yuqin had noticed something wrong with her mother, which was why she had called out with concern.
"Mother, what's wrong?" Lü Yuqin asked softly.
"N-nothing," Lü Sanniang shook her head.
"Mother, are you feeling unwell? Why is your body so cold?"
"It's nothing. It's probably just the wind." Lü Sanniang reached over and pulled her daughter into a tight embrace.
Lü Yuqin looked at her mother blankly, half-believing, half-doubting. She had no idea what had come over her. Her mother had been shaking badly just a moment ago, and it was only getting worse.
Yang Kai had noticed it too. Lü Sanniang's explanation was obviously just an excuse. She had at least the first level of the Emperor Realm—there was no way a gust of wind could do this to her. That explanation could only fool the innocent Lü Yuqin.
After silently observing her for a moment, Yang Kai's gaze sharpened as he looked toward the nearby sea island.
He had a pretty good idea why Lü Sanniang was reacting this way.
She had been captured by a member of the dragon race and brought to Dragon Island, imprisoned for two to three hundred years, only to be expelled more than a decade ago when Lü Yuqin was born. The place where that dragon had lived was inevitably the site of her nightmares.
Along the way, they had passed by several other islands, and Lü Sanniang had shown no particular reaction.
But the moment that sea island ahead came into view, her condition had suddenly taken a turn. The reason was now obvious—that island was precisely where she had been held captive for two to three hundred years!
After more than a decade, seeing this land of nightmares once again, it was only natural that Lü Sanniang would be flooded with painful memories. Some reaction was unavoidable.
Her emotions churned, and even her flight grew unsteady, her body swaying. This alarmed Lü Yuqin so much that her face turned pale.
Yang Kai channeled his Emperor Yuan, enveloping the mother and daughter within it, steadying them.
"Thank you!" Lü Sanniang nodded in gratitude.
Yang Kai replied: "Since Li Jiao entrusted you to my care, I will look after you both. There's no need to worry."
Lü Sanniang was silent for a moment before asking: "May I ask the young brother's name?"
"Yang Kai." Yang Kai offered a slight smile.
Lü Sanniang said: "So it's Brother Yang. Are you close with Brother Li?"
Yang Kai nodded: "Very close. We're like brothers, so his business is my business. No need to stand on ceremony, Sister Lü."
When to say what, Yang Kai understood perfectly well. Lü Sanniang had been deeply devoted to Li Jiao for years, never having forgotten him after all this time. Yang Kai certainly wasn't going to diminish Li Jiao's standing in front of her.
He couldn't exactly tell her that Li Jiao had been thoroughly bullied by him recently—that would be far too tactless.
In the end, it was nothing but a few pleasant words. A little flattery cost him nothing.
Upon hearing this, Lü Sanniang smiled: "Though Brother Li has monster race bloodlines, he's a genuinely good person. He especially loves standing up for others, and he's very kind to people."
As she spoke, it seemed she was recalling something, her face breaking into a warm, reminiscent smile.