It was the same side hall as before. Yang Kai sat in the seat of honor, waiting quietly, as the leaders and commanders of every faction within the residence streamed in one after another.
Before long, everyone had arrived.
Han Xiaoqi notified Yang Kai, then found herself a seat and sat down.
Only then did Yang Kai snap out of his reverie. He looked up and surveyed the crowd.
As his gaze swept across the room, a series of familiar faces came into view.
Dong Qinghan of the Dong family. Fan Hong and Luo Xiaoman of Purple Maple Valley. Chen Xueshu and Shu Xiaoyu of Reflecting Moon Gate. Zuo Fang of Heart-Questioning Palace. Chu Jingshan of Flying Feather Pavilion. Four girls of varying temperament from Ten Thousand Flowers Palace. Five seniors of the Duanmu family. Hu Jiao'er and Hu Meier of the Blood Battle Gang. Fang Ziqi of Wind and Rain Tower. Leng Shan and Shen Yi of Ghost King Valley. Liu Feisheng of Tianyuan City…
Eleven allied forces, eleven factions. Every single one of them had shown up—everyone except the Lingxiao Pavilion.
Not only that, but Qin Ze of Medicine King Valley, Wu Yan and Tao Yang of the Precious Artifact Sect had come as well, and the Blood Servants had all assembled here in full.
The lineup was more impressive and formidable than anything they had ever seen.
But it was precisely because Yang Kai had summoned absolutely everyone that it drove home the gravity of the situation. Even at his most insistent, he would never have called in people from Medicine King Valley and the Precious Artifact Sect before.
A sense of unease crept over them as they quietly waited for Yang Kai to speak.
"Junior Brother Yang, if you have something to say, say it quickly. I've got pills to refine." Qin Ze yelled out impatiently. Over these past weeks he had been learning the art of alchemy alongside Xia Ningshang in the residence, and the alchemists from Medicine King Valley had all made tremendous progress. Qin Ze practically camped out in the pill refinery day after day, wishing he could live there forever and never return to Medicine King Valley.
Compared to Medicine King Valley, this place was a true sanctuary for alchemists.
Yang Kai stood up, offered a faint smile, and began to speak.
"Just now, quite a few of you witnessed what happened. You're probably wondering why Qiu Yimeng and Huo Xingchen left."
Everyone nodded in unison.
Yang Kai continued: "I can't go into the specific reasons, but I can tell you one thing…"
Everyone held their breath.
"The residence is about to face serious trouble. Very serious trouble." Yang Kai said gravely, his expression turning stern.
The crowd was stunned for a moment. Then they burst into laughter.
Dong the Fatty spoke up: "Ever since I came to your place, I haven't had a single moment of peace. When has there ever been an incident that wasn't trouble?"
"That's right, that's right." Zuo Fang nodded repeatedly. "But no matter how much trouble we've faced, we've always pulled through together. So go on—what kind of trouble is it this time?"
Everyone looked relaxed, not a trace of tension on their faces. They clearly hadn't grasped the severity of the situation.
"The kind of trouble that could threaten your lives—and even jeopardize the fate of your families or sects." Yang Kai swept his gaze across the room. "Can you still laugh after hearing that?"
The laughter died abruptly. Everyone stared at Yang Kai in shock, their faces full of disbelief.
"I'm not exaggerating to scare you. Perhaps the situation isn't quite as dire as I'm making it sound, but it's not far off."
"Surely not?" Chu Jingshan shook his head vigorously. "How could it come to that? We haven't done anything wrong. We came here to help you in the Battle for Succession—how could that possibly endanger our lives, let alone our sects?"
"Because you're helping me." Yang Kai looked at the crowd apologetically. "The problem lies with me."
Han Xiaoqi suddenly interjected: "Does this have to do with your recent breakthrough to the Shenyou Realm?"
Everyone's expressions turned grim as they suddenly recalled that terrifying evil aura and the sight of eight Shenyou-realm experts mobilizing together.
Even now, the memory still sent chills down their spines.
"It can't be called the whole reason, but at the very least it's related." Yang Kai nodded, and then dropped a bombshell: "There's a very real possibility that because of this, I will end up as an enemy of the Eight Great Families of Zhongdu!"
The room erupted in commotion, everyone struck dumb with shock.
To be enemies with the Eight Great Families of Zhongdu—that was something none of them would have even dared to imagine.
The forces of the world participated in the Battle for Succession in order to build good relations with the Eight Great Families. Those who had gathered at Yang Kai's residence had done so for the same purpose, or at the very least had never contemplated one day standing against the Eight Great Families.
That would be like throwing an egg against a rock.
Pairs of trembling eyes stared fixedly at Yang Kai, as though trying to read some hint of a joke on his face.
Unfortunately for them, Yang Kai's expression was deadly serious.
"That's why Qiu Yimeng and Huo Xingchen were taken away." Yang Kai took a quiet breath. "The reason I've gathered all of you here today isn't for anything else. I simply want to tell you all—thank you for your help during this time. If fate allows, perhaps we'll meet again."
"Yang Kai, what exactly do you mean by that?" Hu Jiao'er suddenly rose to her feet, her bewitching face twisted with anger. "Are you trying to drive us away?"
Yang Kai nodded and replied gravely: "Yes. Staying here any longer will only bring you harm!"
"You bastard!" Hu Jiao'er glared at him through gritted teeth, her voice dripping with sarcasm: "What do you take me for? Someone you summon on a whim and dismiss just as easily? You were the one who dragged us sisters into this residence in the first place, and now you want to kick us out? Why should I listen to you?"
"Sister…" Hu Meier's face was filled with anxiety as she quickly tugged at Hu Jiao'er's arm. "Yang Kai means well."
"It's not like I'm blind…" Hu Jiao'er muttered under her breath, shooting Yang Kai a resentful glare. "I just can't stand that bossy, high-handed way of his."