Yu Zhuo stuck out her tongue and slipped into the room, then produced an animal-hide pouch like a treasured offering and handed it to Yang Kai. "I found some more seeds for you. Take a look."
Yang Kai reached out and accepted it, hesitating before saying, "You don't need to look for any more in the future. This is more than enough."
Yu Zhuo blinked, let out a soft "oh," and her expression seemed to dim with disappointment. But she quickly perked up and asked, "Senior, what do you need so many seeds for?"
Yang Kai smiled faintly. "It's a task my wives entrusted me with. How could I not give it my full attention?"
"Wives?" Yu Zhuo's eyes widened in shock. "Senior, you have wives?" How had she never heard about this? She'd been asking around about Yang Kai lately and had gathered quite a bit of information, but there had been nothing of the sort.
Yang Kai nodded, lifted his teacup, and took a sip before saying evenly, "Quite a few, actually."
Quite a few… Yu Zhuo's mind went blank, and her mood plummeted into something unbearably desolate.
The usual liveliness gone, she became clearly distracted after learning that Yang Kai not only had wives, but several of them. After exchanging a few idle words, she excused herself and left.
Yang Kai walked her to the door, watched her retreating figure, and slowly shook his head. Revealing his personal life had been unavoidable — he just hoped the clean break would spare them both further trouble.
The team battles continued in full swing. As the rounds progressed, only the elite remained, and the fights grew increasingly fierce. The true depth of the Southern Domain's many Sects was on full display in these team bouts — the later a group stayed in, the stronger the Sect backing them. None of the three great powers had been eliminated, as expected.
True to form, the final three spots were contested among the three great powers, and the group from the Green Sun Temple finally lived up to expectations, claiming the crown in the Dao Source Realm tier. Though they suffered some setbacks in the Void King Realm and Return Void Realm competitions, it was nothing that marred the overall result.
The final rankings were all set. Several hundred Emperor Realm experts and tens of thousands of participating Disciples gathered once more in the valley as Xiao Yuyang read aloud the top ten names and their respective rewards for each tier. The warriors and Sects whose names were called beamed with pride, while those who had fallen short quietly swore they would redeem themselves at the next tournament.
The Southern Domain Martial Arts Gathering had thus concluded. But the crowd had no intention of dispersing. By tradition, the host Sect — the Wu Hua Palace — would host a banquet on this final evening, inviting every attendee, from the Emperor Realm powerhouses who had come to lend their presence to the tens of thousands of competing Disciples.
The banquet was to be held at night, so there was still some time to wait. Yang Kai returned to his quarters.
Before long, the same maidservant came to announce that Yu Zhuo was requesting an audience.
Yang Kai felt a headache coming on. After a moment's thought, he said, "Just tell her I'm not here."
Last time he hadn't spelled it out outright, but the message had been clear enough. He didn't know what Yu Zhuo was feeling, but he had no wish to stir up any further confusion. The maidservant gave him a curious glance — she didn't understand why Yang Kai, who had seemed perfectly friendly toward Yu Zhuo not long ago, was now refusing to even see her — but it wasn't her place to question it, and she dutifully withdrew.
Outside the hall, the maidservant returned and said to Yu Zhuo, "Elder Yang is not in."
Yu Zhuo looked puzzled. "But I saw him come back."
The maidservant smiled faintly. "Perhaps he went out again."
Yu Zhuo clearly didn't believe it. She had watched with her own eyes as Yang Kai returned here and had seen no sign of him leaving — how could he possibly not be in? She was about to ask the maidservant to check again when something suddenly seemed to click. She forced a smile and said, "Thank you for your trouble."
The maidservant shook her head. "You're too kind, miss."
Yu Zhuo turned away, her eyes suddenly rimming with red. Spitefully, she flew off toward her own lodgings, but stopped halfway, turned back, and stared at the wing where Yang Kai was staying. She waved her hand vigorously before streaking away at top speed.
Yang Kai stood by the window, taking it all in, and let out a quiet sigh. Things had come to this, and all he could do was wish her well in his heart — he hoped she would extricate herself from that quagmire soon.
Night fell over the valley, and the scene was bustling beyond measure. Tens of thousands had gathered, with banquet tables stretching across the entire valley floor. Maidens and attendants wove between them, and the Disciples of the Wu Hua Palace were run off their feet, continuously bringing out fine wines and delicacies. The Wu Hua Palace was hosting the world with a grandeur rarely seen, and the clinking of cups and raised voices lent the occasion a roaring warmth.
Over at the area where the Green Sun Temple contingent had gathered, Yang Kai looked around and asked with curiosity, "Where did Senior Sister Gao go?" He hadn't spotted Gao Xueting.
Murong Xiaoxiao replied, "She said she wasn't feeling well and decided not to come."
"Is it serious?" Yang Kai asked with concern.
Murong Xiaoxiao blushed slightly. "It's nothing major. She just needs some rest."
Reading her expression, Yang Kai nodded thoughtfully and didn't press further.
People kept coming by to offer toasts, and the Green Sun Temple group couldn't very well just sit there. On Wen Zishan's orders, even the Emperor Realm experts had to pick up their cups and circulate for a round of toasts.
On the way back, Yang Kai's expression shifted. He turned his head to the side and caught a fleeting shadow darting into the darkness ahead before vanishing.
"What's going on?" Yang Kai frowned, set down his cup, and followed.
A short while later, a few li away, a figure was waiting ahead. Yang Kai walked over and cupped his fists. "Senior Brother Luo."
Luo Chen turned to face him and said coolly, "Come with me."
"Where to?" Yang Kai's brow furrowed. It had been Luo Chen who had secretly sent him a voice transmission moments ago, asking him to come here. Truth be told, though they had led their respective groups together to the Southern Domain Martial Arts Gathering this time, the two of them had barely exchanged a word.