Yang Kai smiled helplessly. "I know, I'll be careful."
Yu Rumeng continued to fuss over him for a while longer, looking for all the world like a young wife left behind at home, nagging her husband before he marched off to war. All trace of a Demon Saint's dignity had vanished, replaced by nothing but reluctance to part and boundless worry.
Yang Kai simply watched her with a smile, committing every word she said to heart.
"You're not going to shut up anytime soon, are you?" Bei Limo had been standing nearby all along, gazing up at the star-filled sky, but she finally couldn't help turning around to take a jab at Yu Rumeng. "If you're that reluctant to let him go, just go with him."
Yu Rumeng shot her a glare. "Nobody asked you to talk."
Of course Yu Rumeng wanted to go with Yang Kai. She simply couldn't.
Chang Tian and Bei Limo didn't trust those Great Emperors—so how could Yu Rumeng trust them? If Yang Kai left and she went with him as well, there was no telling what thoughts might arise in the minds of these two, now in possession of several thousand Demon Kings and dozens of Half-Saints. By staying behind, Yu Rumeng could at least serve as a deterrent, ensuring that Chang Tian and Bei Limo harbored no ulterior motives. Bei Limo in particular still bore the Soul Imprint that Yang Kai had planted in her mind—if left unsupervised, who knew whether she might attempt to break free of it?
She hadn't mentioned this layer to Yang Kai, because some things didn't need to be spelled out so bluntly.
But there was no need for Bei Limo's impatience either. Having fussed over him this long, Yu Rumeng had said everything there was to say, and at last she let out a soft sigh and clapped her hands.
Two figures hurried over from nearby. When they drew close, Yang Kai realized they were old acquaintances.
Bai Zhuo. Bo Ya.
One was a Half-Saint under Yu Rumeng's command, the other a Half-Saint under Bei Limo's. Both had crossed paths with Yang Kai many times before.
Bai Zhuo had originally been stationed at the Two Realms Battlefield, but when Yang Kai had prepared to devour the continent under Yu Rumeng's control, Bai Zhuo had received orders and returned from the front.
Upon meeting, Yang Kai gave them a nod, then looked at Yu Rumeng with an inquiring expression.
Yu Rumeng said, "You'll be traveling outside—take the two of them along, and I'll feel more at ease."
"There's really no need," Yang Kai said with a laugh. "I have Zhui Feng, and I have my Dharma Body."
"That's not the same thing," Yu Rumeng said, shaking her head. "I've stayed in the Star Boundary before, and I know it's not entirely peaceful out there. If something unexpected happens, they could be of some help."
More than just helpful—with two Half-Saints at his side, unless a Great Emperor stepped in personally, who could possibly threaten Yang Kai?
Bei Limo chimed in as well. "If you won't take them, then don't leave. You're our linchpin. If anything happened to you, what would we do?"
Their retreat had already been cut off. Everything hinged on Yang Kai. They had to ensure his safety no matter what.
With both Demon Saints saying the same thing, Chang Tian's position was almost certainly the same. Even if Yang Kai wanted to refuse, he probably couldn't. With no other choice, he nodded. "Fine. I'll take them."
Yu Rumeng turned to the two, her bewitching features hardening into a severe expression. "You two are to stay by my husband's side at all times and protect him no matter what. If anything happens to him, you'd better bring me your heads!"
Bai Zhuo and Bo Ya cupped their fists in unison, their faces solemn. "Rest assured, Saint Venerables. We will guard Lord Yang with our lives."
"I'll be in your care," Yang Kai clasped his fists toward them.
"We wouldn't dare! We wouldn't dare!" Bai Zhuo and Bo Ya hastily returned the salute.
In the past, when they had interacted, they had treated each other as equals, calling each other brothers. But now that Yu Rumeng had openly called him "husband" right in front of them, how could they dare presume such familiarity? They would never again address him as "Brother Yang."
Just then, Chang Tian approached. His voice arrived before he did. "If everything's settled, then let's set off. The sooner this is handled, the sooner we can all rest easy."
There was nothing else to prepare. Yang Kai immediately stored Bo Ya and Bai Zhuo inside the Small Mystic World, said his farewells to Yu Rumeng and the others, and shot straight up into the sky.
Beneath the starlit canopy, Yang Kai transformed into a streak of light and headed south.
Yu Rumeng stared at his fading silhouette and let out a long, wistful sigh.
Bei Limo cast her a sidelong glance and sneered. "Look at that face—pining like a neglected wife, are we?"
Surprisingly, this time Yu Rumeng didn't rise to the bait. She simply watched Yang Kai disappear before turning and walking away, leaving Bei Limo with the peculiar feeling of having punched a fist into cotton.
……
Inside the Small Mystic World, a hundred li beyond the three peaks arranged in a triangular formation, a tall mountain rose up, its slopes thick with trees. On the trunk of one great tree, a shapely figure lay at ease, one long, beautiful leg dangling and swaying idly. In her hand, Bo Ya held a feathered arrow a full zhang in length, channeling Demonic Energy to refine and hone it.
Without warning, a figure materialized out of thin air beside her, less than three chi away.