Yue He covered her mouth and giggled softly when she heard this. "They've come to sue for peace."
"They actually went out to meet me beyond the city walls earlier, but I ignored them," Yang Kai said with a light, cold laugh.
"Then they must be sitting on pins and needles right now." As she spoke, Yue He handed over a box. "After you left that day, the Red Star Grand Master came here in person and delivered this. Between the lines, the message was clear — he wanted me to put in a good word for him when you got back."
"What is it?" Yang Kai glanced at the box.
Yue He said offhandedly, "Probably not impressive enough to catch your eye. Just three fifth-grade materials."
Yang Kai gave a noncommittal grunt and raised his teacup for a sip.
Chen Yue, listening from below, was absolutely terrified. Three fifth-grade materials — she might not be able to get her hands on such things in her entire lifetime. Out in the world, they would be considered a fortune's worth of supplies, yet here they were being casually handed over as a gift. And the recipient clearly didn't think much of them at all.
She felt a deep, painful awareness of the insurmountable gap between herself and certain people, and her spirits sank.
Yue He, reading the situation and seeing that Yang Kai showed no intention of outright refusal, turned her head and asked, "Who all came?"
Chen Yue replied softly, "All of the Red Star masters are here, including the Grand Master who visited once before."
Yue He nodded and looked at Yang Kai questioningly. "Young Master, shall you see them or not?"
Yang Kai set down his teacup, patted his clothes, and flashed a grin. "Sure, why not? They've come bearing gifts — no reason to turn them away."
Yue He was speechless. She knew the Red Star crew was about to take a severe financial hit this time; she just wondered how brutally this young master would drive the knife.
In front of the estate, the faces of several Red Star masters were grim. They had already gone beyond the city walls to welcome Yang Kai before, which should have given him more than enough face, but he had ignored them entirely, grinding their dignity into the dirt. Any one of them would have felt humiliated.
But thinking of Yang Kai's terrifying strength, they swallowed their anger and dared not speak up.
Now, led by the Grand Master, the entire group had chased after him to pay a visit, only to be left cooling their heels outside the gate for so long. It was almost more than they could bear.
"Grand Master, if you ask me, we should just go straight in. Who knows how long we'll be standing here?" Bei Yushan rumbled. The main issue was that with the comings and goings on the street, plenty of people were casting curious glances their way, making him very uncomfortable.
"Shut your mouth!" Chen Tianfei jumped in fright and quickly barked a warning. "Do you have a death wish? If you do, don't drag the rest of us down with you!"
Inwardly, he wished he could slap this bonehead senseless. What kind of brainless idea was that?
Bei Yushan scratched his head, confused about what he had said wrong.
Chen Tianfei stepped forward and sidled up to the Grand Master, whispering, "I've already sent people out. In a day or two at most, we'll know how things stand with Sword Pavilion. Grand Master, whatever happens, please be patient for now. It would be best to wait for news from Sword Pavilion before making any moves."
The Grand Master said nothing, as if he hadn't heard.
For the Red Star masters, the question gnawing at them most was undoubtedly the outcome of the battle between Yang Kai and Sword Pavilion. If Yang Kai had won, it meant no one in this Void World could keep him in check. If Sword Pavilion had won, that would naturally be ideal — at the very least, it would mean this brat Yang Kai couldn't run completely rampant.
That was why the moment Chen Tianfei had learned of Yang Kai's return, he had already dispatched people to Sword Pavilion's headquarters to gather intelligence.
But the journey would inevitably take some time, and with the lingering fear that Yang Kai might settle scores later, the masters had come over to smooth things over — nothing more than a stalling tactic.
How were things over there? Chen Tianfei's mind raced with anxious thoughts. Based on the strength Yang Kai had displayed before, Sword Pavilion probably couldn't hold its ground. But the Pavilion Master of Sword Pavilion was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven cultivator, and Chen Tianfei couldn't help clinging to a sliver of hope.
A Sixth-Order Open Heaven — just one step away from the Upper Grade. Moreover, the Sword Pavilion Master's origins were mysterious. Rumor had it he came from an enormous power, and his foundation was certainly extraordinary.
Just then, with a creak, the estate's front gate swung open, and a timid figure appeared in the doorway.
Chen Tianfei quickly stepped forward and clasped his fists. "Miss Yue, how is the situation?"
In the past, he would never have bothered with a minor figure like Chen Yue, let alone addressed her with such courtesy. But times had changed. A minor official at a minister's door carries weight — anyone even tangentially connected to Yang Kai had risen in stature accordingly.
Chen Yue shrank back slightly, stepping aside to make room. "My lords, please come in. The Young Master invites you." She had previously called Yang Kai "Senior Brother Yang," but after the incident with Zhao Xingchen, she no longer had the nerve to use that form of address and simply followed Yue He's lead.
Chen Tianfei breathed a visible sigh of relief and bowed with a pleasant smile. "Thank you for your trouble, Miss Yue." As he spoke, he slipped a spatial ring into her hand so discreetly that it was almost imperceptible.
Chen Yue, caught off guard, took it without thinking. By the time she realized what had happened, the Red Star masters had already vanished from sight.
Staring blankly at the spatial ring in her hand, Chen Yue blinked, then quickly grasped what had transpired. She swept it with a wisp of divine sense and was startled to find it contained a full three thousand Open Heaven Pills. Her heart skipped a beat.
For any Emperor Realm cultivator, three thousand Open Heaven Pills were a considerable fortune. She had merely delivered a message and had received such a massive reward in return.