The command flag that should have belonged to Yang Kang was suddenly snatched away, leaving him stunned for a moment, his elation instantly replaced by utter fury.
Moreover, the person who had seized the flag had already leaped up and vanished back down, the flag nowhere to be seen.
He gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath, but didn't dare make any rash moves.
That overwhelming aura of spiritual sense — belonging to a peak Shenyou Realm expert — still blanketed the entire area.
Not only did Yang Kang not dare act, but everyone present moved with extreme caution.
Having such a powerful expert hiding nearby was a deterrent to all of them. They didn't know who this person was, but they all sensed clearly that this expert was no ally.
Thanks to the suppression from that spiritual sense, Yang Tie and the few warriors from the Duanmu family — who had been in a dire situation moments ago — found themselves with a much easier time.
The Wind and Cloud Guards, however, showed no such restraint. They charged into the fray, striking left and right, targeting every one of Yang Kang's men. The warriors Yang Yin had brought along found the pair somewhat unfamiliar-looking but didn't think too much of it, letting them run wild across the battlefield.
After only a few exchanges, the two guards had worked their way to Yang Tie.
Sensing the tide turning against him, Yang Kang barked, "What are you standing around for? Grab my third brother right now!"
The flag was already gone — if they couldn't at least capture the person, this whole endeavor would be a complete loss.
Yang Kang's shout finally jolted the hesitant warriors into action.
Yang Yin roared as well, "Stop them for me!"
Both sides clashed again, warriors entangling with one another in a chaotic melee.
The Wind and Cloud Guards pressed forward to Yang Tie's position, and in the confusion actually received aid from several warriors in Yang Yin's camp. Together they forced back the two Duanmu family experts guarding Yang Tie, and seized him firmly in their grasp.
Yang Yin burst into hearty laughter and called out to the pair, "Gentlemen, please bring the person to me!"
"Done!" the Wind Guard replied in a deep voice.
"Hurry up."
"Fine!"
Even as they spoke, they casually tossed Yang Tie over.
Yang Yin's expression froze — he hadn't yet understood what was happening when the same person who had snatched the command flag leaped into the air, caught Yang Tie mid-flight, and carried him off into the distance.
At the same moment, the Wind and Cloud Guards also took to the sky, wrapped in a streak of cyan light, and vanished into the night.
"Fifth Brother. Seventh Brother — thank you!" A familiar voice drifted back to them from far away.
Yang Kang and Yang Yin's faces turned ashen as the recognition hit them, and they blurted out in shock: "The Ninth!"
The onlookers who heard those words erupted into uproar.
The Ninth! That was the youngest young master among the direct Yang family line — Yang Kai!
Just moments ago, Yang Kang had been boasting that tonight Yang Zhao and Yang Shen had already led men to Yang Kai's residence to cause trouble. And judging by how he'd performed during the day, Yang Kai had few allies to call upon — things might have been marginally better than Yang Tie's situation, but not by much.
So at this very moment, shouldn't the Ninth, Yang Kai, be tearing his hair out at his own estate? How had he shown up here to reap the rewards of others' efforts?
And it seemed he had only brought two helpers along.
This man was audacious beyond belief!
For reasons they couldn't quite articulate, hearing Yang Kang's cry of disbelief — and the utter incredulity laced within it — sent a wave of excitement through the watching crowd. It was as though this kind of unexpected twist in the battle was exactly the kind of spectacle they had been hoping to see.
In the blink of an eye, Yang Kai had carried Yang Tie over a hundred zhang away, pouring all of his Zhenyuan energy into his movement. His figure flickered and blurred, trailing a long, unbroken afterimage behind him.
"It really is the Young Master!" Tang Yuxian murmured with a smile. Earlier, upon spotting that flash of gold in the darkness, she had suspected it might be the Golden Feather Eagle. Now, hearing Yang Kai's voice, her suspicions were confirmed.
"You already knew?" Yang Kang shot her an unhappy glance.
Tang Yuxian maintained a perfectly composed expression and shook her head. "It was merely a guess. I wasn't certain."
Yang Kang's face was grim, and he said nothing more. He knew that Tu Feng and Tang Yuxian both held Yang Kai in high regard — which was exactly why he had deliberately chosen them as his retainers for this succession struggle. Partly because their strength was genuinely impressive, and partly to spite Yang Kai.
He hadn't expected that at this critical moment, it would be him who ended up spited.
The flag and the prisoner — both snatched away by Yang Kai. He and Yang Yin had fought tooth and nail, lost so many of their forces, and ended up with nothing.
The frustration he felt was beyond description.
"After them!" Yang Kang snarled through clenched teeth and took off in pursuit.