The look on Yang Kai's face clearly indicated something unpleasant had happened at the Yang Family. Qiu Yimeng pondered this inwardly but didn't dare ask immediately, silently welcoming him into the manor.
Inside the side hall, the leaders of various factions had gathered together.
They had all heard the news of Yang Kai being summoned back to his clan and naturally wanted to know the reason.
Over a dozen pairs of eyes stared fixedly at Yang Kai, waiting for him to speak. The hall was utterly silent, you could hear a pin drop.
"One piece of good news, one piece of bad news." Yang Kai took a deep breath, looking around. "Which would you like to hear first?"
"Good and bad, huh?" Huo Xingchen laughed and shook his head. "Let's hear the bad news first then. It can't be worse than what we heard this morning."
Yang Kai's expression shifted slightly. Although he didn't know what Huo Xingchen was referring to, he didn't press the matter. If there was news in the War City, Qiu Yimeng would certainly have informed him.
"The bad news is, only two Blood Servants from the manor can participate in the War of Succession. The rest are not allowed to contribute in the battle for succession."
"What?" Everyone was shocked, and Qiu Yimeng furrowed her delicate brows further, pressing, "What do you mean?"
Yang Kai gave a simple explanation of the clan's decision.
Once everyone grasped the underlying implications, they all became indignant, their expressions turning grim.
"How is that fair?" Huo Xingchen shouted. "Is your Yang Family taking this too lightly? The rules of the War of Succession can just be changed at will?"
"Exactly, how could this happen?"
"This cuts the strength gap with the other manors drastically in an instant."
Everyone began criticizing the Yang Family's Elder Hall, and even someone as cold and aloof as Han Xiaoqi had a hint of anger on her features.
The situation had been looking great, with seven Blood Servants on Yang Kai's side, more than enough to sweep away all their enemies. But now, that was clearly no longer possible.
"Yang Kai, didn't you fight the Elder Hall on this?" Huo Xingchen was furious. "These Blood Servants came to join you of their own accord! And they're just being dismissed without reason?"
"Quiet!" Qiu Yimeng took a deep breath and scolded softly. Just hearing this news moments ago, she had felt a knot of frustration in her chest and her heart had burned with anger. But after calming down, she noticed that although Yang Kai had said this, not a hint of displeasure showed on his face.
She immediately realized he didn't actually mind this outcome.
"And the good news?" Qiu Yimeng looked at Yang Kai and asked. "Tell us."
The room suddenly fell silent as everyone looked towards Yang Kai.
A slight smile slowly curved Yang Kai's lips. "The good news doesn't concern you, nor does it have anything to do with the War of Succession. It only concerns me."
"Any Blood Servants who join me now or in the future will be registered entirely under my name. They will pledge loyalty to me alone!"
The others' eyes lit up. Thinking carefully, they immediately realized the immense benefit hidden in this.
"No way?" Dong Qinghan looked utterly incredulous. "Your Yang Family agreed to this condition?"
"That's right."
"Holy crap!" Huo Xingchen was also stunned.
Qiu Yimeng smiled faintly, slowly shaking her head. "Yang Kai, you've really made out like a bandit."
All Blood Servants joining him now or later would be loyal only to Yang Kai himself. This meant that regardless of whether he won the final victory in the War of Succession, Yang Kai's future standing within the Yang Family was bound to be high!
With so many Blood Servants as followers, his status couldn't possibly be low. At the very least, he would hold an Elder position!
An Elder of the Yang Family—that was a figure with status comparable to the leader of a first-rate force!
"The clan probably agreed to my condition because they went too far this time," Yang Kai chuckled softly. "If they hadn't interfered, I wouldn't have gotten such a huge advantage."
Qiu Yimeng nodded gently. "In the short term, this is indeed bad news for the War of Succession. But for your personal long-term development, it's extremely beneficial. In any case, congratulations first."
A chorus of congratulations sounded.
Yang Kai smiled faintly, but observing their expressions, he suddenly noticed a trace of worry hidden in everyone's brows. He couldn't help but ask, "Did something happen last night?"
He had only been away for one night, and their expressions had changed like this—something significant must have happened last night.
Everyone coughed lightly and straightened up.
Qiu Yimeng smiled bitterly. "Nothing gets past you. I was just about to tell you."
She sighed. "Just like you, I have one piece of good news and one piece of bad news here. Which would you like to hear first?"
"The bad news!" Yang Kai's expression turned serious.
"Yang Ying... has forfeited!"
"What?" Yang Kai's face changed dramatically.
"You heard right. Your Seventh Brother, Yang Ying, forfeited. Just last night!"
"What happened?" Yang Kai frowned. This was something he hadn't anticipated.
The War of Succession had progressed to this point, leaving only four of the Eight Young Masters.
Yang Wei, Yang Zhao, Yang Kai, Yang Ying! Among these four, Yang Kai's manor had gathered the most experts. Just the seven Blood Servants alone possessed strength that surpassed everyone else, let alone the Earth Demon and Meng Wuya.
And besides that, the one with the most support and the largest numbers was Yang Ying—a point the other three couldn't compare with.