Perhaps it was because she was the eldest senior sister, but Han Xiaoqi carried an air of cold elegance, while Ye Han was innocent and adorable, Liu Qingru was alluring and charming, and Hua Ruoyin was serene and well-behaved.
Yang Kai stared at Han Xiaoqi blankly, and it seemed as though he caught a glimpse of Su Yan's shadow in her. His sharp gaze softened without him even noticing.
Both of them were the eldest senior sisters of their respective sects, and they did share some similarities — though Su Yan was undoubtedly even colder than Han Xiaoqi. But her coldness was something she showed to outsiders. In front of Yang Kai, her ice would melt away just like the snow at the start of spring.
Han Xiaoqi's neck flushed red under Yang Kai's burning gaze. Unable to bear it, she shot him a fierce glare and hissed, "I was telling the truth — why are you staring at me?"
Qiu Yimeng let out a soft snort, gritting her teeth on the side, convinced that men were all the same — one look at a beautiful woman and their lecherous side came out.
The tenderness in Yang Kai's eyes and the adoring expression on his face were impossible to miss. Anyone who wasn't blind could see it. None of the people present were children — how could they not understand?
"Yang Kai? You don't have to be so obvious about it," Zuo Fang said with an awkward laugh. "Sure, Senior Sister Han is gorgeous, and we all want to take a few extra looks, but at least we do it discreetly. Why do you have to be so in-your-face about it?"
Han Xiaoqi had already been feeling uncomfortable under Yang Kai's stare. Hearing Zuo Fang's words, her face reddened even further, and she glared at him. "You're no better — birds of a feather!"
Zuo Fang immediately fell into sheepish laughter.
Yang Kai didn't respond, nor did he try to explain. The peculiar look in his eyes gradually faded, and his expression returned to complete composure. He then turned his head to look outside the hall.
Clack-clack-clack — rapid footsteps approached.
Dong Fatty's face was lined with anxiety. He rushed in without bothering to greet anyone else and blurted, "Yang Kai, something's happened. You need to take people out there and check."
"What is it?" Yang Kai frowned and asked.
Everyone else's expressions grew solemn as well. During the battle for succession, sudden incidents were a constant occurrence. They had come to Yang Kai's estate to help him, which meant they were always prepared for a fight.
"Qingyan's group has arrived in War City, but they've been stopped inside the city!"
"They're here?" Yang Kai's expression shifted, a flash of joy crossing his face. He wasted no time, striding quickly toward the door while calling out, "Ying Jiu, come with me!"
Without Blood Guards watching his back, showing his face in broad daylight was quite dangerous.
"No, no, no — you need to take at least half the forces you have. You don't know what the situation is over there yet," Dong Fatty said, cold sweat forming on his forehead. He had clearly been just as startled when he received the news.
Yang Kai looked at him blankly for a moment, then nodded without further questions. "Fine. The Huo family, the Xiang family, and the Dong family. The Duanmu clan's people will come with me. Qiu Yimeng, you stay behind."
"Understood," the young miss replied in a low voice.
"What about us?" Han Xiaoqi asked.
"You should all stay and rest. This probably isn't anything major."
With that said, he and Dong Qinghan hurried out at a rapid pace. As they dashed, Dong Qinghan blew a sharp whistle. An instant later, the sound of rustling robes echoed through the estate.
By the time Yang Kai reached the entrance, Huo Xingchen and Tianxiao had already assembled a group of people waiting outside. Among them stood five Shenyou Realm powerhouses from the Duanmu clan whom Yang Kai had met that night, waiting silently to the side. Upon seeing Yang Kai, they gave a slight nod. "Greetings, Young Master Kai!"
"Thank you for your trouble," Yang Kai acknowledged the five Duanmu clan experts with a nod.
"Yang Kai, what's going on?" Huo Xingchen asked with curiosity. This was the first time Yang Kai had mustered forces for a proactive strike, and he couldn't help but be intrigued.
"I'll explain on the way — I'm not entirely sure myself," Yang Kai replied offhandedly.
The group surged outward in a grand procession.
"How did Qingyan end up getting stopped?" Yang Kai finally had a chance to ask in detail as they traveled. She was indeed Xiao Fusheng's disciple, but she had only been studying the art of alchemy for a short time. The fact that she could already refine earth-grade pills was impressive enough. Moreover, given the way Xiao Fusheng trained his disciples, he probably hadn't let Dong Qingyan actually begin serious pill refining yet.
An alchemist of that level hardly seemed worth stopping.
Dong Qinghan let out a helpless laugh. "If it were just Qingyan alone, there probably wouldn't have been any problem. Do you know how many people she brought with her?"
"Thirty!" Dong Qinghan's tone was grave. "A full thirty alchemists from Medicine King Valley, half of whom are heaven-grade alchemists — and one of them is mysterious-grade!"
"What?" Yang Kai's face was stricken with shock. Even Huo Xingchen, always the most nonchalant of them, had his mouth hanging wide open.
"How did the people from Medicine King Valley come to participate in the battle for succession?" Young Master Huo thought he must have misheard, barely able to believe it.
Dong Qinghan shook his head. "I don't know the specifics. You'll have to ask Yang Kai about that. They came here this time to join Yang Kai."
As he spoke, he gave Yang Kai a meaningful look, clearly harboring his own suspicions.
Huo Xingchen was utterly stunned. "Yang Kai, where did you find the influence to mobilize those stubborn old blocks from Medicine King Valley? That bunch thinks they're above everyone — they wouldn't even give Young Master Huo here the time of day. How are you so incredible?"
Yang Kai's brow furrowed. He didn't bother with Huo Xingchen's chatter, his mind consumed with anxiety.
Dong Qingyan had arrived — which meant Little Senior Sister had surely come as well!
They had been intercepted in War City by his own brothers and their forces. If something happened to Little Senior Sister because of this…