Public opinion surged like a tide, spreading with ferocious speed. In barely half a day, the news had already swept through the entire Battle City and Zhongdu. Everyone was talking about it. Even those who had been optimistic about Yang Kai and held great expectations for him were quietly shifting their attitudes.
And Qiu Yimeng and Huo Xingchen, who had been forced to leave, became the main subjects of the rumor mill. Word had it that these two young masters and misses had seen through Yang Kai's sinister nature, and after their earnest attempts to persuade him proved fruitless, they chose to part ways with him.
If that weren't the case, they would never have left Yang Kai's residence no matter what.
When the news spread, the whole city was thrown into an uproar. People felt that Qiu Yimeng and Huo Xingchen's long efforts had been entirely wasted, and they loathed Yang Kai's actions and attitude.
Yang Wei's Residence.
Ever since Yang Kai had advanced to the Shenyou Realm, Yang Wei's Residence had ceased all activity. Every warrior under its banner was focused entirely on cultivation, paying no attention whatsoever to the War of Succession. After all, if even Young Master Yang Wei himself had lost confidence in winning, what could these recruited warriors possibly do?
It was far more important to improve their own strength as quickly as possible. Once the War of Succession ended, they would simply leave Battle City.
The quiet residence was devoid of any sound, until suddenly a flurry of hurried footsteps shattered the stillness. The footsteps drew closer from a distance, racing up to Yang Wei's quarters. The visitor didn't even knock before bursting inside, calling out urgently: "Young Master! Young Master!"
Yang Wei, who had been meditating, slowly opened his eyes and regarded Meng Shanyi, whose face was pale with shock yet brimming with inexplicable excitement. His sword-like brows rose as he spoke in a low voice: "Shanyi, how many times have I told you not to get so flustered every time something happens? And every single time, you're the same."
As he spoke, he shook his head slowly, a look of helpless resignation on his face.
"Young Master, this time it's different." Meng Shanyi's face was flushed, as though he had encountered some tremendous piece of good fortune. But upon closer inspection, there was also a trace of worry between his brows, his expression deeply conflicted.
"What exactly is it?" Yang Wei had been in closed-door cultivation these past days, hearing nothing of the world outside. He knew absolutely nothing about the city's current rumors.
Meng Shanyi said: "Yang Kai is most likely going to be eliminated."
Yang Wei's expression turned sharp, and he asked in a cold voice: "Where did you hear this piece of gossip?"
"It's not gossip." Meng Shanyi shook his head, his face solemn, and gave a brief account of what had transpired in the city over the past day.
After listening, Yang Wei's expression grew strange as well.
Qiu Yimeng and Huo Xingchen leaving Yang Kai's residence — that did catch him off guard.
As for the wave of public opinion sweeping through Battle City, it was clearly the work of someone pulling strings from behind the scenes. Who that person was hardly needed guessing. Aside from the Eight Great Families, no one else possessed the means to manipulate public sentiment on such a scale.
He hadn't expected that his seemingly omnipotent ninth brother had actually drawn this level of attention from the Eight Great Families.
Yet somewhere deep down, he felt a faint sense of something being off...
Even if the ninth brother did have the potential to become the Evil Lord, for people of the Eight Great Families' standing, it would be utterly beneath them to openly gang up on a junior. What was the real reason behind this? What deeper meaning lay hidden within?
Moreover, the plan was to first manipulate the tide of public opinion, forcing the ninth brother into a passive position from the standpoint of moral righteousness. And then...
A thought struck Yang Wei — something truly alarming — and a flash of alarm crossed his face.
"Young Master, there's one more thing I need to tell you." Meng Shanyi furrowed his brow and spoke with obvious reluctance.
"What?"
"The Meng family sent word for us to cooperate with the Second Young Master... to defeat Yang Kai." The bitterness in Meng Shanyi's expression as he uttered these words was profound.
"The Meng family sent word?" Yang Wei's brow shot up. "And what about my Yang family?"
"The messenger said... the Yang family will not interfere in this matter, so we should feel free to go ahead with it."
He himself had received the message while in seclusion. He had hurriedly gathered intelligence throughout Battle City, and only after grasping the current situation had he rushed to inform Yang Wei.
"Cooperate with the second brother... heh." Yang Wei suddenly let out a laugh. "Even if every fighter from both our residences gathered together, we'd probably still be no match for the ninth brother. Are there other arrangements as well?"
Meng Shanyi smiled bitterly: "Young Master sees through everything like a clear lantern... The messenger said we needn't worry about a thing. All we have to do is make an appearance and state our position. The rest will be handled properly by the Second Young Master's residence..."
Yang Wei fell silent, a sharp gleam radiating from his eyes.
"Young Master..." Meng Shanyi pressed his lips together. "This time, even though the message came from my Meng family, it seems your Yang family has also tacitly approved."
Yang Wei gave a slight nod. Without the Yang family's tacit approval, how could the Meng family dare to act? They simply wouldn't have the nerve.
"The second brother has shown no fighting spirit ever since that day, and the number of people in his residence has drastically dwindled — he couldn't possibly be any match for the young lord. But judging by the messenger's tone, the second brother now has complete confidence that he can devour Yang Kai's entire faction... Where does he get such assurance?"
"Reinforcements. Reinforcements from the Eight Great Families!" Yang Wei cut straight to the heart of the matter.
Meng Shanyi's face went pale with shock. Yang Wei had voiced the very suspicion forming in his own mind, and a bitter look immediately washed over him. "Young Master... does this mean they've already designated the Second Young Master as the Yang family's next head?"
The reinforcements weren't being sent to the First Young Master's residence — they were going to Yang Zhao's. That alone spoke volumes.
The Yang family clearly wanted Yang Zhao to inherit the position of clan head, which was why the reinforcements would converge under his banner, enabling him to defeat Yang Kai and claim victory in the War of Succession.
A faint smile hung on Yang Wei's face as he nodded gently: "Leaving aside the ninth brother's matter for the moment, based on how things stand now, the Yang family indeed seems to want exactly that."
"Young Master, doesn't that chill your heart at all?" Meng Shanyi blurted out, unable to contain his indignation.