The Duanmu family had originally been allies of Yang Tie, the third son of the Yang family, but on the first night of the succession battle, Yang Tie was eliminated. In that clash, the Duanmu family suffered countless casualties, leaving only five fighters alive.
Among the culprits were warriors from Yang Kang's estate. Now that enemies had crossed paths, eyes naturally burned red with hatred, and the urge to rush down and avenge their fallen kin was almost unbearable.
"Not yet." Qiu Yimeng's expression remained perfectly calm as she shook her head slowly. "Let's wait until the situation opens up before we make our move."
Although the warriors from Yang Kang's estate had been caught off guard, they were still on the defensive and held an overwhelming advantage. Their side had only deployed a little over half their forces—acting rashly without first breaking the stalemate would likely lead to devastating losses.
Qiu Yimeng's mind raced as she waited for Yang Kai's arrival, directing the large group of warriors to bombard Yang Kang's estate from a distance.
Flowers of destruction bloomed everywhere. The warriors Qiu Yimeng had brought made no attempt to engage Yang Kang's forces in direct combat. Instead, they stood high in the air in thoroughly cautious fashion, unleashing the power of various martial techniques and artifacts without the slightest concern for burning through their True Yuan.
In a matter of moments, Yang Kang's estate was in shambles. Great swaths of buildings crumbled to the ground, while the warriors below scrambled to defend and dodge, running about like headless chickens.
The actual losses weren't that great, but the sight was utterly humiliating.
Several warriors couldn't hold back any longer. They shot up toward the sky, desperate to reclaim some dignity.
Gao Rangfeng didn't even have time to stop them. The few who launched themselves upward were quickly swallowed up by Qiu Yimeng's carefully coordinated forces.
The situation was overwhelmingly in their favor, and spirits among the warriors soared. They ached to charge in at once, seize Yang Kang or capture the command flag, and claim victory.
Huo Xingchen muttered from the side: "Qiu Yimeng, won't sending Shadow Nine to sneak in there violate the rules of the Yang family's succession battle?"
Qiu Yimeng shook her head. "Shadow Nine knows his limits. If simply flashing in front of Yang Kang counts as a violation, how could the Blood Guards ever be deployed?"
"But if he sneaks in there without being able to actively attack or grab the command flag, what's the point?" Huo Xingchen couldn't wrap his head around it.
"To scare him a little," Qiu Yimeng said with a faint smile.
Huo Xingchen curled his lip, clearly not buying that explanation. Qiu Yimeng wasn't the type to be that bored. Rolling his eyes, he figured her move was probably a feint, designed to make Yang Kang think Yang Kai was right here.
Come to think of it, he didn't know where Yang Kai had run off to tonight. It seemed like he hadn't been seen since yesterday. But Shadow Nine and Yang Kai were practically inseparable—if Shadow Nine had appeared, Yang Kai had to be hiding somewhere nearby, cooking up some scheme.
Huo Xingchen nodded to himself in silent confirmation.
"Where's the Fifth Young Master?" came an anxious shout from below. Gao Rangfeng was nominally the successor of the Gao family—young, with considerable cultivation—but in the succession battle, he was nothing more than a supporting player. Now that the enemy had shown up at their doorstep, all he could do was order a temporary defense and wait for Yang Kang to take charge.
"I'm here!" Yang Kang's face was dark as he emerged from the rubble, escorted by Tang Yuxian. His cold eyes swept upward, and he let out a disdainful snort.
"Fifth Young Master." Upon seeing him, Gao Rangfeng let out a breath of relief and hurried to his side. "Qiu Yimeng has led people to attack us. The estate was completely unguarded. We've already lost more than twenty people."
"I know." Yang Kang nodded slightly, then raised his voice and bellowed: "Ninth Brother, get your ass out here and face me!"
"Fifth Young Master," Qiu Yimeng called out lightly with a suppressed smile, her tone casual. She hovered in midair, her silhouette graceful and her slender figure swaying elegantly. The night wind caught the cuffs of her trousers, revealing a glimpse of snow-white ankle that gleamed like polished jade under the moonlight, stirring the heart of anyone who caught sight.
Even on this smoke-filled battlefield, quite a few hot-blooded male warriors were greedily stealing glances at that flash of white, their hearts stirring with quiet longing.
To top it off, Lan Chudie and Luo Xiaoman—two women of striking beauty and ample assets—flanked her nearby, their delicate figures trembling with each breath. The Hu sisters, with their stunningly beautiful faces, rounded out the display. Many warriors treated themselves to quite a feast for the eyes, their envy of the men in Yang Kai's estate practically unbearable.
They suddenly realized that Yang Kai's estate had an extraordinary number of gorgeous women! Yang Kang's estate couldn't hold a candle to that.
Miss Qiu wore a warm, radiant expression as she exchanged pleasantries with Yang Kang, but her hands never stopped working. The warriors around her continued to unleash techniques and artifacts in a relentless barrage below.
"Where's the Ninth Brother?" Yang Kang's brow furrowed, displeasure written all over his face. He clearly believed Yang Kai should be the one facing him. Though Qiu Yimeng's status was respectable, in a situation like this, she simply didn't have the standing to speak.
"Fifth Young Master, Yang Kai is occupied with important matters and cannot spare the time at the moment. I'm in charge of the battle here. I'd ask the Fifth Young Master to show some restraint—we'll keep it light and avoid any lasting hard feelings." She finished with a light, melodic laugh, her body trembling with delicate mirth.
Yang Kang's face turned ashen. He let out a few cold, sinister laughs. "Good, good, good. So the Ninth Brother really doesn't think much of his Fifth Brother. In that case, I won't be holding back either. You've come—don't expect to leave!"
Yang Kang was genuinely furious.
The succession battle was about competing for the right to inherit the position of Yang family patriarch—a contest of connections and charisma among the brothers. Now Yang Kang's people were attacking his estate, yet Yang Kai himself hadn't shown his face. This made Yang Kang feel as though he was being looked down upon. He was a proud and arrogant man—how could he tolerate such contempt?
Fuming with rage, he immediately issued the order to charge through the enemy's assault and disrupt their formation.
Gao Rangfeng nearly jumped. Although the attackers from Yang Kai's estate couldn't match them in either numbers or overall strength, the current situation clearly favored defense. As long as they held out until the attackers ran low on True Yuan, they could launch a devastating counterattack that would settle things in one decisive blow.
Moreover, with Yang Kai's forces attacking so aggressively, the other young masters would surely make moves once they heard the news—they wouldn't want to be left out. In a time like this, delaying was the smart play. All they had to do was wait until Yang Kai's own rear was set ablaze, forcing his warriors to rush back to defend. Then they could follow right behind, sandwiching Yang Kai between themselves and the other young masters. Why would they need to fear crushing him?
But Yang Kang, his rage boiling over, hadn't considered any of that. All he wanted was to reclaim his face as quickly as possible. If he actually went through with this, he'd only be making it easier for the enemy to slaughter them.