The crowd surged forward in a dense cluster, every face split with grinning anticipation as they followed Yang Kang's group hurtling toward the northeast.
War City's area couldn't compare to the Central Capital, but relative to other cities, it was still a colossal sprawl. If it hadn't been, the Yang family would never have chosen to hold the War of the Heir here. Without vast open spaces to serve as a battlefield for back-and-forth engagement, the War of the Heir simply couldn't take place.
Yang Kang's group flew at an unhurried pace, their expressions utterly relaxed. They even chatted and laughed along the way, completely at ease.
It took nearly half an hour before they reached the northeast sector of War City.
Before the residence of the third brother, Yang Tie, Yang Kang's party landed with composed grace. The idle onlookers who had tagged along to watch the spectacle scrambled to find vantage points, jostling into position and craning their necks for whatever was about to unfold.
Yang Kai set down with the Wind and Cloud dual guards at a distance that was neither too close nor too far, quietly waiting for the show to begin.
"Third Brother! Your Fifth Brother has arrived!" Yang Kang stood outside the residence, a smile on his face as he called out in a clear voice.
"If you've come, then come in!" Yang Tie's voice drifted out from within.
Yang Kang smiled faintly and led his entourage inside with measured steps. Though Yang Tie's voice was steady and unhurried, anyone could hear the helplessness and desolation lurking beneath the surface.
During all his years of tempering himself outside, Yang Tie had failed to earn any noteworthy merit—couldn't secure the loyalty of a Blood Guard, had no Blood Guard at his side for protection, hadn't drawn the allegiance of any outside faction either. With only the support of his maternal family's clan to rely on, it simply wasn't enough to make a difference.
Qiu Yimeng's earlier judgment had been largely accurate: the third brother, Yang Tie, was destined to be the first one eliminated.
Inside the courtyard, Yang Tie stood ramrod straight. Behind him were two Shenyou Realm seventh-stage powerhouses and several other warriors of respectable strength—all of them drawn from the Duanmu clan, his mother's family. The Duanmu clan was Yang Tie's sole source of support in the War of the Heir.
Whether he could survive tonight unscathed depended entirely on the Duanmu clan's strength.
Yang Kang, by contrast, had not only Tang Yuxian—a formidable Blood Guard well-versed in soul techniques—as his personal protector, but also one of the Eight Great Families, the Gao family, as his ally. The refined and scholarly Gao Rangfeng had brought two Shenyou Realm fifth-stage experts with him.
These two were fifth-stage Shenyou Realm cultivators from the Eight Great Families, and they couldn't be measured by ordinary standards. Out in the open, either one could defeat a typical Shenyou Realm eighth-stage master.
Beyond them, Yang Kang had five or six additional Shenyou Realm experts and several dozen Zhenyuan Realm warriors. The disparity in strength was immediately obvious.
Yang Kang wouldn't even need to deploy half his forces to tie down every last bit of support Yang Tie had. Once that was done, capturing Yang Tie himself or seizing his command banner would be as easy as flipping a hand—and either one could be exchanged with the family for resources.
Yang Tie regarded Yang Kang's unhurried approach with a calm gaze, his expression indifferent.
Yang Kang halted ten zhang away. The two locked eyes for a moment before Yang Kang smiled and said, "Third Brother. We're brothers, after all. Hear me out—let's settle this peacefully. What do you say?"
He was clearly hoping to compel Yang Tie's surrender without a single blow. With an overwhelming advantage at his back, he had every right to make such an offer.
Upon hearing this, Yang Tie shook his head slowly but firmly. "A member of the Yang family has only ever known defeat in battle—never the word surrender. Even if you are my brother, that won't change!"
"Good. I knew you'd say that." Yang Kang gave a light nod, the smile on his face gradually fading. "In your position, I would have said the same. Very well, then—don't blame your Fifth Brother for showing no mercy."
"As you wish!" Yang Tie's expression turned sharp and cold in an instant.
The Duanmu clan warriors behind him surged their Zhenyuan in the same heartbeat, silently bracing themselves.
At that moment, Tang Yuxian—who had been inseparable from Yang Kang's side all along—suddenly furrowed her brow and murmured something under her breath.
A playful look crossed Yang Kang's face. He glanced back and called out in a resonant voice, "Seventh Brother! Since you're here, why not show yourself properly? What's with all the sneaking around?"
A peal of laughter rang out, and a group came streaking through the night sky, dropping into the courtyard to face Yang Kang's party in a standoff.
It was none other than the Yang family's seventh son, Yang Ying, and his allies.
Yang Kang had Gao Rangfeng of the Gao family as his ally; Yang Ying had Kang Zhan of the Kang family as his. He too had brought a Blood Guard for protection. Though there was some gap between the two sides' strength, it was marginal.
The crowd of onlookers buzzed with excitement. Three Yang brothers had gathered here—there was bound to be a spectacular show. The only question now was whether Yang Kang or Yang Ying would be the one to devour Yang Tie, the juicy prize.
"Third Brother, Fifth Brother—Little Seven pays his respects." Yang Ying touched down and offered a courteous greeting with a warm smile, looking every bit the genial figure.
"Seventh Brother, that's not very honorable of you. If Yuxian hadn't sensed you, I might have ended up the mantis stalking the cicada while the oriole watched from behind—and not even known it." Yang Kang shook his head with a laugh.
"Fifth Brother, you're too kind. In the War of the Heir, open schemes and hidden stratagems are all fair game. Little Seven merely concealed himself for a moment. I was actually worried whether there might be other brothers lurking in this crowd of spectators."
As he spoke, both he and Yang Kang swept their gazes around the area, eyes wary.
Yang Kai had his hat pulled low, his face concealed. Hearing this, he couldn't help but crack a smile. The Wind and Cloud guards felt a similar prickle, as if their cover had nearly been seen through.
"No one else should be coming," Yang Kang said slowly, shaking his head. "Eldest Brother is holding back tonight. As the firstborn, he defers to all of us by three parts—he's sitting this first battle out for now. The Eighth Brother has become jumpy and defensive; he won't make any offensive moves."
The eighth brother, Yang Quan, did have a Blood Guard serving as his retainer. However, his maternal family was only a second-rate power and couldn't offer much support. During the day, he had failed to recruit many followers, so he naturally didn't dare—and lacked the strength—to strike at anyone preemptively.
Moreover, with a Blood Guard at his side—even just one—breaching his defenses wouldn't be easy. No one had targeted him on the first night either.