Yang Kai looked closely and realized he actually recognized the person who had arrived.
He'd been at the Menial quarters for less than three months. He hadn't interacted with many people, and there were even fewer he could call acquaintances — but the one standing before him definitely counted. It was none other than Xiang Yong, the bear-like fellow who had once chased Die You all the way to the market and then intercepted Yang Kai outside it.
He'd only seen the man twice, with a single exchange between them, but the impression Xiang Yong had left was of someone with a simple mind and a domineering, overbearing personality. If that was the case, then this stretch of orchard must be the territory under Xiang Yong's management.
What was Zhou Zheng doing, bringing him here? Yang Kai couldn't figure it out no matter how he thought about it.
On the other side, Xiang Yong had also spotted Yang Kai. His copper-bell-sized eyes went wide at once. He scratched his head with one hand while pointing at Yang Kai with the other. "You… you, you — I think I've seen you somewhere before!"
Yang Kai smiled. "The market!"
With that reminder, Xiang Yong's face lit up with sudden recognition. "Oh, right — it's you. I remember now."
"Acquaintances?" Zhou Zheng had been watching coldly from the side. Hearing this, he looked from one to the other, a faint, inscrutable curve forming at the corner of his lips.
"Nope!" Xiang Yong shook his large head and turned to Zhou Zheng. "What brings Steward Zhou here? Any instructions?"
Zhou Zheng clasped his hands behind his back and said flatly, "I'm here to inform you that starting today, this orchard of yours is being handed over to Yang Kai's management."
The moment those words left his mouth, Xiang Yong's jaw dropped so wide it could have fit a fist inside. He stood there blankly, dazed, a long while passing before he recovered his wits.
Yang Kai was also taken aback. Could such a good thing really be happening?
For any Menial, this would be excellent news. The orchard he'd been managing before was far too small — too few fruit trees. Swapping to almost any other location would be a massive net gain. That was exactly why he'd had Old Fang deliver gifts in the first place.
But after the way he'd offended Zhou Zheng, how could the man possibly let him have an easy time? Even if Zhou Zheng wouldn't act against him openly, pulling some strings behind the scenes would be well within reach.
Could it be that Xiang Yong's territory had problems too? The thought flickered through his mind before he realized — no, Xiang Yong's land almost certainly had nothing wrong with it. Zhou Zheng's gesture here carried a deeper meaning!
On the other side, Xiang Yong hesitated for a moment, then scratched his head and said, "Heh heh, Steward Zhou, could you say that again? I don't think I heard clearly."
Zhou Zheng enunciated each word deliberately. "Starting today, your land will be managed by Yang Kai. Did you hear that clearly enough?"
Xiang Yong immediately reacted like a cat with its tail stepped on. Veins bulged on his forehead, and a thick finger jabbed toward Yang Kai. "Him? On what grounds?"
Zhou Zheng's gaze turned icy. "On the grounds that this is my order. Is that not enough? What — are you saying you don't respect me?" As he spoke, the aura of an Open Heaven realm cultivator unfurled in a slow, steady wave.
Feeling that oppressive force, even the furious Xiang Yong sobered up a few degrees. He forced a smile. "No, no — Steward Zhou, how could I ever not respect you? Surely there's been some kind of mistake. Did I do something wrong? Why would you suddenly have someone else take over my territory?"
"This has nothing to do with you."
Yang Kai also clasped his fists from the side. "Steward Zhou, if Brother Xiang is so reluctant, perhaps we should just call it off. My current orchard is perfectly fine — there's no need to switch."
Zhou Zheng sneered. "Whether you switch or not isn't your decision. I won't hide it from you either — this was ordered by Senior Brother Du. So whether you want to or not, you're switching today!"
Yang Kai was speechless. How had a trivial matter about orchards gotten tied to Du Rufeng? Wasn't he the chief Disciple of the Fire Spirit grounds? But since Zhou Zheng had said it, it must be true. Could it be related to the Crimson Sky Golden Flame he'd helped collect a few days ago?
Xiang Yong blinked from the side. "Lord Du specifically designated him to take over my territory?" If that were really the case, then there was nothing more to say. He could only blame himself for having caught Du Rufeng's displeasure somehow.
Zhou Zheng said, "Well, not exactly."
"Then why my land specifically?" Xiang Yong wasn't happy about that. After speaking, he grabbed Zhou Zheng's arm and dragged him off to a distance, leaning in close and lowering his voice to murmur something.
Yang Kai couldn't be bothered to eavesdrop. If he tried, he'd surely be discovered, so he had no idea what they were discussing. All he could see was Xiang Yong muttering incessantly while Zhou Zheng shook his head from time to time. In the gaps between, Xiang Yong would turn to glance toward where Yang Kai stood, his eyes filled with vicious intent.
For Xiang Yong, today's events were an utter calamity that had fallen from the sky without warning. Zhou Zheng was stronger than him and held a higher position — there was nothing he could do against the man. So he could only pin this grudge squarely on Yang Kai's head.
Yang Kai stood with his hands clasped behind his back, occasionally looking up at the sky, occasionally glancing down at the ground — deliberately never looking Xiang Yong's way, which was enough to nearly drive the man to fury.
Since Zhou Zheng had brought Yang Kai here today, that meant he already had everything arranged. There was likely nothing Xiang Yong could say or do to change the outcome.