Lingxiao Palace's management still hadn't fully matured. The six Demon Kings had more than enough strength, but they were Demon Kings after all — putting them in charge of Lingxiao Palace would only throw everything into chaos. The only one who could lend her a hand in the entire palace right now was the Second Steward Bian Yuqing. As a result, Hua Qingsi would likely have to maintain this state of affairs for quite some time to come.
The thought filled Yang Kai with a twinge of guilt. Hua Qingsi was a martial artist in her own right — naturally she wanted to pursue the pinnacle of the martial path, yet she had been distracted by all manner of trivial affairs. That was truly his fault.
Before he could speak, a crisp, tender voice came from beside them: "Hello, beautiful big sister! What's your name?"
Hua Qingsi turned her head and only then noticed another person in the hall — a fair, plump little boy with a look of pure innocence, long lashes framing cheeks as pink and tender as if carved from jade. She let out a small cry of surprise, reached out, and pinched Yang Xiao's cheek, laughing: "Where did this little guy come from?"
Yang Xiao let her pinch his face, grinning even more happily: "You're so pretty, big sister."
Don't be fooled by this brat's innocent act, Hua Qingsi! Yang Kai screamed inwardly.
But as it happened, every woman loved hearing compliments like that. Hua Qingsi froze for a moment, then covered her mouth, laughing so hard her whole body swayed like a blossoming branch. She pointed a slender finger at Yang Xiao: "This little one really does have a sweet tongue." She turned to Yang Kai and asked: "Who is he? Palace Master, where did you kidnap him from?"
Yang Xiao beamed: "I'm Daddy's son."
Hua Qingsi's laughter cut off abruptly. Her beautiful eyes widened as she looked back and forth between Yang Xiao and Yang Kai, trying to spot some resemblance between them. But the more she looked, the less alike they seemed.
Cold sweat poured down Yang Kai's back: "Adoptive father! Adoptive son!"
Hua Qingsi exhaled in relief and nodded: "That's what I thought. How could you come back after barely a year with a son this big? So he's an adopted son." If this really were his biological child, things would have gotten seriously complicated. The Palace Master had four wives and none of them had given him children yet — to go out and produce one with someone else would have been outrageous.
"An adoptive father is still a father. Daddy will be my daddy forever," Yang Xiao declared with utmost seriousness.
Hua Qingsi turned to Yang Kai: "The little one really knows how to talk. What's his name?"
"Yang Xiao."
Hua Qingsi's expression immediately grew peculiar — she couldn't help but wonder if this brat really was Yang Kai's biological son after all. Otherwise, why would they share the same surname? If he were merely an adopted son, surely he wouldn't bear the name Yang.
But it wasn't really her concern. If trouble erupted in the household, the one with the headache would be Yang Kai alone. She pinched Yang Xiao's little cheek again: "Fine name indeed. They say a tiger's cub never shows cowardice. Your adoptive father is a dragon among men — your accomplishments should be no less impressive."
Yang Xiao giggled: "If Daddy is a dragon among men, then I want to become a true dragon."
Hua Qingsi praised him: "What ambitious goals!" She had no idea that Yang Xiao truly was a member of the Dragon Clan — had she known, she could hardly have imagined how she would have reacted.
Changing the subject, Hua Qingsi said: "Oh, Palace Master — some old fellow showed up at the palace. Fierce-looking, wandering all over the peaks. The Disciples have been asking who he is. They say he came back with you."
"Him? That's Qiong Qi," Yang Kai replied casually.
"Qiong Qi…" Hua Qingsi's delicate brows furrowed. "What a strange name… Wait — Qiong Qi?" Realization suddenly struck. Her eyes went round and she stared at Yang Kai in shock: "The Qiong Qi the Palace Master speaks of — is that his name, or…?"
Yang Kai smiled: "Exactly what you're thinking."
"Oh no!" Hua Qingsi's face changed.
"What's wrong?" Yang Kai looked at her in confusion.
Hua Qingsi's expression twisted with exasperation: "The Disciples reported that the old fellow didn't look like any good sort, so I sent a message for Demon King Xie to go check on him. Nothing bad happened, did it?"
Yang Kai chuckled: "The Demon Kings have lived in the Wasteland Ancient Lands for ages and faced several Sacred Lords — they should be able to recognize Qiong Qi's aura, shouldn't they?" Even as he said it, he wasn't entirely sure. "Maybe we should send a message to check on the Demon King."
Hua Qingsi nodded and hurriedly produced a communication compass, reaching out to Xie Wuwei.
A moment later, she wiped the cold sweat from her forehead: "Demon King Xie seems to be fine."
"Fine?" Yang Kai was taken aback.
Hua Qingsi wore an expression caught between laughter and tears: "It seems Demon King Xie made some… indiscreet remarks, and then got taught a lesson by Lord Qiong Qi. Now Liu Yan and two other Demon Kings have also rushed over after hearing about it."
"That old fellow really does know how to stir up trouble," Yang Kai couldn't help but roll his eyes.
---
On a lush, verdant spirit peak, Xie Wuwei stood awkwardly beside Qiong Qi. Qiong Qi had his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze roaming with undisguised interest over the scene before him.
Before coming here, he had known that Lingxiao Palace had a solid foundation and no shortage of experts — but he never expected it to be this powerful.
Three beings at the Demon King level alone, not to mention a considerable number in the Emperor realm. But that was one thing — he hadn't taken any of them seriously. What truly caught his attention was the small figure standing five zhang in front of him, a little girl who appeared no older than seven or eight, dressed in a fiery red skirt.
The aura of a Sacred Spirit!
This little girl actually radiated the aura of a Sacred Spirit — and it was the aura of the Phoenix Clan!
Lingxiao Palace actually had a phoenix?