Chen Xiu didn’t intend to stop Yang Kai from leaving with Yu Xiang Die. He only gazed at Yang Kai with a meaningful smile as they departed.
Yang Kai had no idea why Yu Xiang Die was furious, but he wouldn’t dare to ask her about it as he followed her in silence. One hour later, they arrived at a different Spirit Peak.
He realised that the view around him looked familiar. After looking around, he recalled that he had been somewhere near this place before.
Xu Ling Gong’s Spirit Peak was in a nearby place. It seemed that he and Yu Xiang Die were neighbours.
There were many people on the Spirit Peak who should be Yu Xiang Die’s Disciples. She was an Inner Elder of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, so she had the right to take on Disciples. Upon seeing her, all of them saluted her in a respectful manner. Yang Kai, who was behind her, grew curious.
Without looking at these Disciples, Yu Xiang Die directly passed through them in a manner that befitted her status as the leader of the Spirit Peak.
These Disciples wouldn’t dare to say anything. Yu Xiang Die was usually a mild-tempered person who wouldn’t put on airs and would respond to any disciple who said hello to her in normal times. Something seemed to have happened on this day as she sported a cold expression. That was the reason they were anxious.
Soon, they arrived at a room as Yu Xiang Die turned around and ordered, “Stay here for a few days. I need to gather some information.”
Yang Kai nodded without hesitation, “Yes.”
Yu Xiang Die glared at him before turning to leave, but she soon turned back and ordered, “Other than me, don’t meet anyone who comes to see you!”
[What’s going on here?] Yang Kai was puzzled. His experience in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven this time was very different from what he had imagined. First of all, he hadn’t even had the chance to meet Xu Ling Gong or Qu Hua Shang. Then, he was brought to Chen Xiu’s place and stayed there for half a month. Following that, Yu Xiang Die stormed in while feeling furious.
He had only lent Tao Ling Wan a hand when she was suffering from cultivation dissonance, which shouldn’t be a big deal. Given the situation, he couldn’t have turned a blind eye to her suffering.
Yang Kai suspected that Yu Xiang Die had misunderstood something, but he had already explained it clearly to her.
Previously, after Chen Xiu said that he had to gather some information, he went missing for half a month. Now, Yu Xiang Die has said the same thing. Yang Kai wondered what kind of information she had to find out; however, since she was infuriated at the time, he didn’t dare to say anything and simply agreed to her demands.
For the next three days, Yu Xiang Die didn’t show up.
It wasn’t until the fourth day that she appeared in front of Yang Kai.
“Martial Aunt Yu,” Yang Kai saluted her respectfully.
There was a conflicted expression on Yu Xiang Die’s face as she gazed at him. Her eyes seemed to suggest that she was heartbroken for what had happened with a hint of disgruntlement towards him.
A moment later, she let out a long sigh and extended her hand, “Have a seat.”
Yang Kai bowed his head. After she was seated, he did the same and waited for her to speak.
Then, Yu Xiang Die fell silent for quite some time. Just when Yang Kai was running out of patience, she suddenly asked, “How do you find Wan’er?”
“Wan’er?” Yang Kai looked doubtfully at her, then came to his senses, “Are you talking about Junior Sister Tao Ling Wan? She’s a kind-hearted and innocent person. It’s just that… she can be a little obstinate.”
Yu Xiang Die glowered at him, “I didn’t tell you to remark on her temperament.”
A stunned Yang Kai asked, “What do you want me to say, then?”
Cutting to the chase, Yu Xiang Die asked, “Do you love her?”
Yang Kai burst into laughter, “It’s only been a short time since we first met, and we have rarely spoken to one another. Why would I even have any feelings for her? Moreover, you know the reason I’m here…”
Before he could finish his words, Yu Xiang Die cut him off by raising her hand, “But Wan’er loves you!”
A dumbfounded Yang Kai asked, “Are you pulling my leg, Martial Aunt?”
Yu Xiang Die stared seriously at him, “Moreover, it has come to a point where she’ll can no longer love any other man in her lifetime.”
Yang Kai increasingly felt that she was just messing with him. Just like what he had said, it had only been a short time since he and Tao Ling Wan first met, and they had rarely talked to each other. Why would they even have any feelings for each other?
Even if she had really fallen in love with Yang Kai due to her inexperience in worldly affairs after Yang Kai lent her a hand while she was suffering from cultivation dissonance, it couldn’t have come to a point where she would no longer love any other man in her lifetime.
They hadn’t kept each other company for any significant period of time, nor had they experienced any life-or-death moments together. Why would she even develop such deep feelings for him?
However, Yu Xiang Die didn’t seem like she was pulling a prank. Following another sigh, she said slowly, “There are two major factions for the disciples in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. One of them is the Heartless Dao while the other is Heartfelt Dao. Although there are two different factions, they lead to the same goal.”
Yang Kai had no idea why she suddenly changed the topic, but he still listened attentively. He had heard Qu Hua Shang mention the Heartless Dao and Heartfelt Dao before. The Heartless Dao was the one she had cultivated. At that time, she had to fall in love with Yang Kai and then cut off those emotions to achieve a breakthrough and make it to the Open Heaven Realm.
Certainly, he didn’t understand the secrets behind this, nor did he know anything about Heartfelt Dao.
“Wan’er has cultivated Heartfelt Dao. You’ve come into contact with her before, so I’m sure you can feel that she’s bashful and timid.”
Yang Kai nodded.
Yu Xiang Die explained, “That is not a pretense. It’s mostly because of the Secret Art’s influence, and a small part of it is due to her natural temperament. She is inexperienced and as pure as a piece of white paper because of the Secret Art she has cultivated.”
“It’s hard to find women like her nowadays,” Yang Kai remarked. Tao Ling Wan was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master after all. She must have cultivated for a long time to achieve her current cultivation, but she remained pure and innocent.
Only the Cave Heavens and Paradises had the capital to nurture disciples like her. The Open Heaven Realm Masters of most ordinary Sects had experienced a lot of hardship during their cultivation journey. Such Masters were often the pillars of their Sects who carried great burdens on their shoulders, so they didn’t have the right to be innocent.
“But now…” Yu Xiang Die shot him a glare, “This piece of white paper has been marked with your brand!”
An aggrieved Yang Kai refuted, “Martial Aunt Yu, there was really nothing that happened between Junior Sister Tao and me. I only lent her a hand when she suffered from cultivation dissonance. If you don’t believe me, you can ask her about it.”
Yu Xiang Die slowly shook her head, “I know you’re telling the truth. Nothing more than what you said happened between the two of you. The problem is that you assisted her in the first place.”
A speechless Yang Kai said, “Are you saying that I shouldn’t have helped her? Should I have just watched her suffer and die?”
“She wouldn’t die. Even if you hadn’t helped her, she would have stabilized her condition on her own. Moreover, this isn’t the first time she has experienced such an incident. I also went through such episodes in the past.”
Yang Kai became dumbfounded for a while before asking, “Have you cultivated Heartfelt Dao as well, Martial Aunt?”
Yu Xiang Die nodded gently.
Although Yang Kai was still doubtful, he had somewhat figured out what had happened. Yu Xiang Die said that the white sheet had been left with his brand, and that Tao Ling Wan would never fall in love with another man in her lifetime. He reckoned that it had something to do with the Heartfelt Dao and the fact that he had helped her when she was suffering from cultivation dissonance.
After straightening his face, Yang Kai said, “Please enlighten me, Martial Aunt.”
Yu Xiang Die was pleased with his attitude. After measuring her words, she replied, “The Heartless Dao and Heartfelt Dao are two major factions of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven that have been existent since time immemorial. Although there is some competition between the two, we generally coexist harmoniously. With that said, we obviously have different cultivation methods from each other. I’m sure Qu’er has told you that she has cultivated the Heartless Dao. Only by falling in love and then cutting off that love could she ascend to the Open Heaven Realm.”
Yang Kai nodded his head as he was aware of this; after all, Qu Hua Shang didn’t hide anything from him.
“As for the Heartfelt Dao… we don’t have to go to such lengths to make it to the Open Heaven Realm. Cultivators of this Dao won’t face any difficulty when ascending to the Open Heaven Realm. The problem starts when we want to ascend to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. Cultivators of the Heartfelt Dao have to look for suitable partners when they are in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm and obtain their Yin Qi or Yang Qi. Only when Yin and Yang are merged can they achieve completion and break through to the Seventh-Order. At the same time, their Small Universes would also materialise. However, before that, the more powerful a cultivator of the Heartfelt Dao is, the more hidden concerns she would be left with. I’m sure you understand that Yin or Yang cannot grow on their own, so these hidden concerns break out from time to time.”
“Cultivation dissonance!” Yang Kai finally understood what had happened.
Yu Xiang Die nodded, “Yes, cultivation dissonance, but different from ordinary cultivation dissonance. While the two look similar on the surface, even without any external aid, one who had cultivated the Heartfelt Dao can overcome these episodes with enough focus and effort. That wasn’t the first time Wan’er suffered from ‘cultivation dissonance’, but no one ever helped her in the past.”
An embarrassed Yang Kai scratched his head awkwardly, “I had no idea. She was suddenly struck with cultivation dissonance, so I just tried to…”
Yu Xiang Die sighed, “It’s not your fault. Any conscientious person wouldn’t have turned a blind eye to it in that situation, but that was where you made a mistake. Did you feel anything strange when you were helping her?”
Yang Kai nodded, “My strength perfectly merged with hers.”
“That’s the uniqueness of the Heartfelt Dao,” Yu Xiang Die explained, “She can perfectly accept the first power from the opposite sex and merge with it, thus becoming the life companion of that man.”
Yang Kai was dumbfounded as he asked, “Martial Aunt, didn’t you say a cultivator of Heartfelt Dao has to look for a partner?”
Yu Xiang Die replied, “There are two ways of selecting a partner. One of them is to fall in love. If Wan’er had really fallen in love with anyone, that would be her choice. The other way is to merge her power with another party. This way is more forceful and dominating. One might fall out of love with their partner, but since their strength has already merged, it can never be untangled. Many disciples of Heartfelt Dao are unable to bear the pain of the cultivation dissonance, so they look for their partners using this method.”
There was an awkward expression on Yang Kai’s face, “Martial Aunt, are you saying that Junior Sister Tao and I…”
With a solemn expression, Yu Xiang Die nodded, “You are now the only man she can have in her life. Just like what I’ve said, she has been left with your brand. Other than you, she will never love anyone else.”
“No way!” Yang Kai quickly waved his hands, “You know what I came to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven for. I didn’t have a choice when I helped Junior Sister Tao. Moreover, we know nothing about each other, so how can we suddenly become a couple?”
“I’m afraid it’s not up to you to decide.” Yu Xiang Die slowly shook her head, “Although Wan’er is not a Core Disciple of the Sect, she has the highest hope of ascending to the Seventh-Order in the last hundreds of years. Without your help, her Martial Dao would end at the peak of the Sixth-Order.”
Yang Kai had never expected that his attempt to help someone would end up causing such a big problem.
He reckoned that the Secret Arts of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven were indeed abstruse.
If it was just like what Yu Xiang Die had said, Tao Ling Wan would never be able to accept another man’s Yang Qi as her Small Universe had absorbed Yang Kai’s strength. In that case, without Yang Kai’s help, she would never be able to make it to the Seventh-Order in her lifetime.
It wasn’t something those from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven wanted to see. A Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was valuable to every Cave Heaven or Paradise. Tao Ling Wan had high hopes of ascending to the Seventh-Order. If her future was ruined by Yang Kai, those from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven wouldn’t let him off.
Yang Kai felt helpless while his mind was a mess.
It had only been a short time since he and Tao Ling Wan first met, and they had barely even spoken to each other. However, if her future was destroyed because of him, he would feel guilty.
Nevertheless, he couldn’t bring himself to simply accept her. He had come all the way to this place for Qu Hua Shang. It wasn’t the right thing to do if he was tangled up with another woman while he hadn’t even met Qu Hua Shang.
“Chen Xiu!” Yang Kai suddenly cursed. He was puzzled previously, but upon hearing Yu Xiang Die’s explanation, he seemed to have realised something, “It was Chen Xiu’s doing, right?”
Tao Ling Wan was Chen Xiu’s Disciple, so he must be fully aware of her situation. Perhaps he knew that Tao Ling Wan would be struck with cultivation dissonance soon at that time, so he insisted on making her serve Yang Kai. After that, he went missing for half a month.
On the other hand, he never told Yang Kai anything.
Chen Xiu knew that once Tao Ling Wan suffered from cultivation dissonance in front of Yang Kai, the latter wouldn’t turn a blind eye to it. The moment Yang Kai decided to help, he would fall into the trap.
This probably wasn’t a well-thought-out plan; after all, Chen Xiu had no idea when Yang Kai would visit Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, so he had most likely improvised it.
When Yang Kai arrived, it just so happened that Tao Ling Wan would be struck with cultivation dissonance soon.
Yu Xiang Die parted her lips for a moment before letting out a sigh, “You’ve figured it out, after all.”
With a frown, Yang Kai asked, “But, why?”
Regardless, Tao Ling Wan was a powerful Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who was also strikingly beautiful. If such a beautiful woman got together with Yang Kai, outsiders would think that he had found a partner that was out of his league.
However, Yang Kai couldn’t figure out Chen Xiu’s intention for doing this. It wasn’t like he didn’t know that Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang were engaged.
The titles of Yang Kai, which included Star Boundary Great Emperor and Void Land’s Lord, were probably not prestigious enough to make him sacrifice a Legacy Disciple just to establish a connection.
“It’s for Qu’er!” Yu Xiang Die replied.
“What do you mean?” Yang Kai became even more doubtful.
Yu Xiang Die explained, “100 years ago, you won first place in the Dao Theory Assembly and became engaged with Qu’er. Supposedly, you should have come to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven a few years ago.”
Yang Kai nodded, “That was my plan, but I was held up by something.”
“It was the Chaotic Dead Territory, right?” Yu Xiang Die asked.
Yang Kai was shocked, “How do you know?”
“The Ancestor who is responsible for monitoring the Chaotic Dead Territory is from Luo Sheng Cave Heaven. When he saw that you entered the Chaotic Dead Territory alongside the Giant Spirit God, he asked around to find out about your identity. That was how all Cave Heavens and Paradises knew that you had entered the Chaotic Dead Territory.”
Yang Kai nodded gently. The appearance of a Giant Spirit God and someone entering the Chaotic Dead Territory were both major events. Since the Ancestor from Luo Sheng Cave Heaven had seen it, he would definitely inform everyone about it. The Cave Heavens and Paradises naturally had channels to communicate with each other; hence, it wasn’t a secret that Yang Kai had barged into the Chaotic Dead Territory alongside the Giant Spirit God.
“The Chaotic Dead Territory is a dangerous place. Even the Eighth-Order Ancestor from Luo Sheng Cave Heaven could only stay in the periphery for a short moment before having to retreat. What do you think the outsiders would speculate when you had gone missing for decades?” Yu Xiang Die stared at him and asked.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai replied, “They must have believed that I was dead.”
Yu Xiang Die nodded, “Exactly. In fact, I just came back from the Star Boundary not long ago. I was also shocked when I heard that you had entered the Chaotic Dead Territory back then. I too believed that you were killed; however, when I asked the Head Manager of High Heaven Pavilion, she firmly declared that you were fine. If I hadn’t seen you with my bare eyes this time, I wouldn’t have believed it.”
At that time, she was puzzled by Hua Qing Si’s confidence. No one could survive after entering the Chaotic Dead Territory, but Hua Qing Si told her to rest assured and said that her Sect Master must be fine. As for when he would leave the Chaotic Dead Territory, she didn’t have a clue either.
Yu Xiang Die didn’t probe her further. Since Hua Qing Si had said so, she chose to believe her.
When she returned to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, she really met Yang Kai.
While Yu Xiang Die didn’t understand the reason behind it, Yang Kai knew why Hua Qing Si was so certain.
That was because he had the Loyalty List which had nine names written in it. The life or death of those nine hinged on Yang Kai. If something happened to him, Mao Zhe and the others would instantly lose their lives as well.
Since Mao Zhe and the others were still alive and kicking, it meant that Yang Kai was fine.
“But others wouldn’t think of it this way. All the Cave Heavens and Paradises believed that you were dead. This speculation was further verified since you didn’t show up after the 100 year promise was due.”
Yang Kai appeared worried, “Did Senior Sister Qu enter seclusion because of this?”
“Yes.” Yu Xiang Die nodded, “If you were still alive and had come to this place on time, those from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven wouldn’t have gone back on their word. You would still be a Son-in-Law of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. However, since you were thought to be dead, the engagement became invalid as well. Qu’er is one of the Sect’s Core Disciples who has a bright future after all. Given the uniqueness of the Secret Art she has cultivated, those from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven decided to look for a partner for her.”
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and asked calmly, “What did Senior Sister Qu think about the idea?”
Yu Xiang Die shook her head, “She naturally refused. It was because of this that she decided to cultivate in seclusion. Out of sight, out of mind. At the same time, she wanted to wait for you to appear.”
Yang Kai fell silent, thinking that he didn’t deserve Qu Hua Shang’s trust. If he had simply come on time, all this wouldn’t have happened.
“Qu’er’s stance was firm; however, since she is a Core Disciple, the Sect has the right to interfere in her affairs. She can’t change anything on her own. If Brother Xu were still around, he could have put in a word for her; however, since he’s gone, Qu’er was all by herself while I was far away in the Star Boundary. There was no one in the Sect who could speak up for her. She had tried her best by choosing to cultivate in seclusion to avoid this problem.”
“So… who is the partner that your noble Sect has selected for Senior Sister Qu?”
Yu Xiang Die shot him a glance, “Qu’er is a Core Disciple who has the hope to ascend to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm one day and become an Ancestor. There are not many people in the Sect who are a match for her. First of all, his aptitude must be similar, and his seniority comes next. With that said, there is a suitable person. He is Chen Xiu’s Disciple as well as Tao Ling Wan’s Junior Brother, Feng Cheng Si. He was the most recent Core Disciple before Qu’er who had directly ascended to the Sixth-Order. Although he’s much older than Qu’er, they are of the same seniority. In fact, the Sect’s Managers initially wanted Qu’er and Feng Cheng Si to get together. However, since she had violated the taboo, they had no choice but to hold the Dao Theory Assembly.”
Yang Kai frowned in puzzlement, “According to you, Feng Cheng Si is Chen Xiu’s Disciple, so why would he set me up to help Junior Sister Tao Ling Wan resolve her cultivation dissonance? He wouldn’t gain any benefits out of it, nor would it be beneficial to Junior Sister Tao.”
It would be terrible if they had to be tied up for life because of this as it had only been a short time since they first met. It probably wasn’t Tao Ling Wan’s intention either. She was just forced to obey her Master.
“He wouldn’t get any benefits out of it, but his plan could perfectly resolve the embarrassing situation that Yin-Yang Cave Heaven is facing,” Yu Xiang Die explained, “Although I don’t agree with what he’s done, and I think that he’s too short-sighted, there’s no doubt that he’s doing it to protect the Sect’s interests. I hope you’ll understand that he didn’t have any ill intentions against you.”
Yang Kai nodded.
Yu Xiang Die went on to say, “Those from the Sect thought you were dead, so they had designated a partner for Qu’er; however, with you being alive now, the Sect would have to go back on their word. That’s the embarrassing situation the Sect is facing.”
Yang Kai could somewhat understand it. Following her explanation, he deduced, “So, Chen Xiu thought of a way to resolve this conundrum, which is to pair me with his Disciple as a form of compensation. He would probably force me to give up the engagement as well. In that case, Yin-Yang Cave Heaven could get away with it, and outsiders couldn’t blame your Sect.”
Yu Xiang Die nodded, “Yes, that’s exactly his plan. Strictly speaking, Wan’er is not bad. It’s just that her aptitude is not comparable to Qu’er’s. If you’re happy with her, it will be a win-win situation. Do not think that just anyone can make Chen Xiu sacrifice his Legacy Disciple. If not for your amazing achievements over the years, he wouldn’t have the heart to use Wan’er to set you up. Back then, Wan’er directly ascended to the Fifth-Order, and her cultivation journey has been smooth sailing over the years. If nothing unexpected happens, she’ll make it to the Seventh-Order within a few hundred years. You directly ascended to the Fifth-Order as well, so outsiders would think that you and Wan’er are a perfect match. On the other hand, Qu’er would be out of your league.”
Yang Kai fell silent for a while before letting out a sigh, “Junior Sister Tao has sacrificed the most in this matter.”
Yu Xiang Die sighed, “She must have thought of it when she decided to obey her Master. Although she’s innocent, she’s not a fool. No fool can ever attain her achievements. Since she didn’t reject it, it means that she’s at least fond of you.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “But it’s different from becoming partners for life.”
“It’s indeed an embarrassing situation for Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, and it’s the same case for you. So, I have to ask you seriously. Are you willing to accept Tao Ling Wan and give up on Qu Hua Shang? In that case, everyone will be happy.”
“Everyone will be happy?” Yang Kai snorted, “I don’t think so. Has anyone asked what Senior Sister Qu thinks about it? What is really on Junior Sister Tao’s mind? What’s my stance on this matter? No one has bothered to ask. Only those from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven will be happy with this!”
Yu Xiang Die breathed a sigh of relief, “Good. Those from the Sect told me to ask you about it. Since that’s what you think, you’ve given me an answer, and I have a reply to them. Although Brother Xu is not around, I won’t allow anyone to bully Qu’er as I had watched her grow up.”
An idea suddenly flashed through Yang Kai’s mind as he examined Yu Xiang Die. She had said that she had cultivated Heartfelt Dao, and she had gone through the same experience as Tao Ling Wan.
Now, she was already in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. In other words, her crisis was resolved when she suffered from cultivation dissonance in the past, which allowed her to break free from her chains. That was why her Small Universe had materialised, and she had ascended to the Seventh-Order.
So, who was the partner she had selected back then? Involuntarily, the image of Xu Ling Gong sprang into Yang Kai’s mind.
After Xu Ling Gong left the Star Boundary in the past, Yu Xiang Die came over to be stationed there, and she had taken good care of Yang Kai. Now, she seemed concerned about Qu Hua Shang.
The average Martial Aunt wouldn’t have gone to such lengths. It seemed to suggest that Yu Xiang Die was very close to Xu Ling Gong and his Disciples.
While Yang Kai was amazed by the revelation, he asked, “What do you plan on doing, Martial Aunt?”
Yu Xiang Die shook her head, “It’s about what you have to do, not what I plan on doing.”
A humble Yang Kai asked, “Please enlighten me, Martial Aunt.”
Yu Xiang Die replied, “The place where Qu’er is cultivating in seclusion is special. It’s a place in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven where a cultivator’s heart is trained. It’s called the Samsara Pavilion. Those who enter it will experience a number of reincarnations, but remain unaware of it. Only when one finds her true love would she be able to break through the fog and retrieve her true heart.”
Yang Kai frowned as he didn’t understand.
Yu Xiang Die went on to say, “The Samsara Pavilion is where many female disciples of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven would select their life partners. Any female disciple who enters the Samsara Pavilion will temporarily lose her memory. She will only remember the things in her current life after the reincarnation. During the rounds of reincarnation, she will come across many people and events while her heart is tempered. The male disciples of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven wouldn’t lose their memories after initially entering. If two people are destined to be together, they will find each other in the Samsara Pavilion. Those from the Sect insisted on getting Feng Cheng Si to be Qu’er’s partner. She’s on her own and powerless to resist it, and she couldn’t dodge the problem with the usual way of cultivating in seclusion. The Samsara Pavilion was the only place she could go. If no one pulls her out of it, she will fall into oblivion for her entire life.” When she finished her words, Yu Xiang Die appeared to be melancholic.
The outsiders thought that the female disciples of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven were loose women who would just bed any man, but they had no idea that these women were actually the most loyal partners of all. That was because almost every female disciple who had found a partner had to go through the tests of the Samsara Pavilion. Only by not giving up on each other through several reincarnations would they remain together forever.
Since time immemorial, there had been countless female disciples who had fallen into oblivion in the Samsara Pavilion because they couldn’t find their partners inside. Yu Xiang Die had a Senior Sister who was just like her real Mother or Elder Sister; however, she had not appeared since entering the Samsara Pavilion.
It was certain that this Senior Sister wasn’t dead but she was still going through rounds of reincarnation in the Samsara Pavilion and would never see the outside world again in her lifetime.
“Has Feng Cheng Si gone to that place?” A glint flashed through Yang Kai’s eyes. It wasn’t hard to figure out. Since those from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven wanted these Core Disciples to get together, Feng Cheng Si would definitely be the next to enter the Samsara Pavilion after Qu Hua Shang. If he could pull her out of the Samsara Pavilion, that would be the outcome those from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven wanted to see.
“Good,” Yu Xiang Die nodded, “He entered the place not long after Qu’er started cultivating in seclusion.”
“That means he’s been inside for a few years already!” Yang Kai let out a sigh, thinking that he was too late to join the race.
Yu Xiang Die raised her hand to motion for him to calm down, “Even though he entered the Samsara Pavilion a few years earlier, it’s not really an advantage. Only with a sincere heart would one find their partner in the Samsara Pavilion. You are the one who occupies Qu’er’s heart, so that’s your biggest advantage. Feng Cheng Si is no match for you in this regard. Moreover… I suppose the Heart Barrier that Qu’er set when she entered the Samsara Pavilion wouldn’t be easy to break. Feng Cheng Si wouldn’t achieve his goal in a short time.”
“Heart Barrier?” Yang Kai asked doubtfully.
Yu Xiang Die explained, “Every female disciple who wishes to enter the Samsara Pavilion to wait for her partner will set a Heart Barrier before she loses her memory. Only by breaking this Heart Barrier can a male disciple bring back her memory and take her out of the Samsara Pavilion. The lowest level of a Heart Barrier is three lives while the highest is nine lives.”
Upon hearing her explanation, Yang Kai asked, “In other words, I have to find her through a minimum of three reincarnations to a maximum of nine reincarnations and win her heart in order to break her Heart Barrier. Am I right?”
“Exactly.” Yu Xiang Die nodded, “Qu’er has temporarily lost her memory after entering the Samsara Pavilion. Others might take advantage of it if the Heart Barrier is too easy.”
Yang Kai nodded, “What level of Heart Barrier do you think Senior Sister Qu has set for herself, Martial Aunt?”
Yu Xiang Die replied, “Three lives would be too easy as others might take advantage of her while nine lives would be too difficult. To be honest with you, the Samsara Pavilion has been in existence for countless eons, but no disciples from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven have ever broken a Heart Barrier of nine lives before. That’s because the more rounds of reincarnation there are, the more difficult it becomes to obtain the other party’s acknowledgement and win her heart. Qu’er is waiting for you, but she doesn’t intend to make things difficult for you; hence, the Heart Barrier she has chosen wouldn’t be too easy or difficult. As for how many lives you must experience, you’ll only find out after you find her.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai grinned and revealed his white teeth, “That’s a pretty difficult challenge.”
Yu Xiang Die snorted, “I hope you’ll still be confident when the time comes. I’ll tell you this, if you can’t bring Qu’er out of there, you should just stay inside forever.”
Yang Kai bowed his head, “Don’t worry, Martial Aunt. I’ll bring Senior Sister Qu out of the Samsara Pavilion safely. However… as an outsider, do I have a right to enter the Samsara Pavilion? I’m afraid Chen Xiu wouldn’t agree to it.”
Yu Xiang Die scoffed, “I’ll handle it. That shameless old fart has used such a dirty trick. I’ll let him know what it means to go for wool but come back shorn.”
Upon finishing her words, she suddenly appeared dejected, “It’s just that Wan’er will have to suffer.”
Yang Kai remained silent as he felt helpless about this point as well. He had been dragged into an improvised plot while he was unsuspecting. Regardless of what the outcome would be, Tao Ling Wan would be hurt.
Yu Xiang Die soon left as she had to get prepared to help Yang Kai enter the Samsara Pavilion.
Not long after she was gone, Chen Xiu arrived with Tao Ling Wan. Upon seeing Yang Kai, he sported a smile and took a seat, “Nephew, it’s thanks to you that my Disciple wasn’t harmed during cultivation dissonance. I initially wanted to thank you, but Junior Sister Yu brought you away in a rush. The only reason we’ve come all the way here this time is that Wan’er wants to personally express her gratitude. I’m sure you’re aware that she’s pretty timid, so I have to come with her.”
Previously, he called Yang Kai ‘Martial Nephew’, but it was ‘Nephew’ now. It seemed that he now regarded the young man to be his family member.
Yang Kai remained calm as he nodded, “Don’t mention it, Martial Uncle. It was the least I could do.”
Chen Xiu waved his hand, “It might be the least you could do, but you have saved Wan’er’s life. Wan’er, you should express your gratitude to your Senior Brother now.”
After taking a step forward, Tao Ling Wan saluted Yang Kai in an elegant manner and said in a hushed voice, “Many thanks for lending me a hand, Senior Brother Yang.”
Strictly speaking, Tao Ling Wan was older than Yang Kai, and she had started cultivating much earlier. She was supposed to be his Senior Sister, but Chen Xiu told her to call him Senior Brother, so his intention was pretty conspicuous.
Yang Kai gazed at her and replied gently, “You don’t have to be overly polite with me, Junior Sister Wan’er.”
He then turned his head and stared at Chen Xiu, “Martial Uncle, to be honest with you, I’m preparing to enter the Samsara Pavilion to look for Senior Sister Qu.”
Upon hearing that, Tao Ling Wan shook a little while the smile on Chen Xiu’s face froze. A moment later, he nodded, “It seems that Junior Sister Yu has told you everything.”
“Yes,” Yang Kai didn’t deny it.
Chen Xiu grunted and ran his fingers through his beard. After giving it a thought, he said, “Nephew, this King didn’t mean any harm by doing this. I had no other choice, so I hope you’ll forgive me.”
Tao Ling Wan was supposed to be the one to decide whether she would forgive Chen Xiu, not Yang Kai; hence, he didn’t respond to him.
“However, Wan’er’s future now hinges on you. I don’t object to you looking for Martial Niece Qu, but what about Wan’er? Are you going to abandon her?”
Yang Kai replied, “There’s a solution to every problem in the world.” He then turned to Tao Ling Wan and spoke gently, “Junior Sister, we didn’t know each other in the past as we just met half a month ago, and you know nothing about me. Are you resigned to being tied to me forever just because of the Secret Art’s influence?”
Faced with his question, Tao Ling Wan hung her head low. A while later, she replied in a small voice, “I’ll obey my Master.”
Yang Kai felt sorry for her as he shook her head, “Junior Sister, you’re an adult who is in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so you’re supposed to have your own opinions. To put it bluntly, there will come a day when Martial Uncle Chen passes away. If you only listen to him all the time, what will you do when that day comes? Will you be unable to keep on living?”
Chen Xiu was infuriated upon hearing that. Although he was old, he still had many years to live as a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Yang Kai was practically cursing him and hoping he would die sooner.
[This brat is so resentful of me, but he just doesn’t show it on his face!] Chen Xiu thought.
Yang Kai then turned to look at Chen Xiu, “Martial Uncle, you’ve raised your Disciple wrongly, and you’ll suffer a setback because of it sooner or later.”
Faced with a Junior’s criticism, an embarrassed Chen Xiu flicked his sleeve and rose from the chair, “I don’t agree with what you’ve said, Martial Nephew. I do everything with a clear conscience.”
From his point of view, if Yang Kai could just follow along with his plan, not only would Yin-Yang Cave Heaven be saved from the embarrassing situation, but he could also find a suitable partner for his Disciple. Therefore, there wasn’t a hint of guilt in his tone when he said that.
After Chen Xiu left in a huff, Tao Ling Wan followed him closely. Before that, she looked apologetically at Yang Kai, who put on a smile and waved his hand to motion for her not to mind it.
For the next half a month, Yu Xiang Die was nowhere to be seen.
It wasn’t until twenty days later that she appeared while looking fatigued. When she found Yang Kai, she said, “Everything is ready. I’ll bring you to the Samsara Pavilion with me in three days.”
“Many thanks for your help, Martial Aunt,” Yang Kai expressed his gratitude. Although he was a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven Son-in-Law on paper, he wasn’t from the Sect after all. Since the Samsara Pavilion was the place where the disciples of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven train their hearts, it must be a top-secret Restricted Area. Only their disciples would be allowed to enter.
It took Yu Xiang Die a long time to come back, so it was apparent that she had put in a lot of effort to persuade the Sect’s management to let Yang Kai enter the Samsara Pavilion.
“However, there’s one thing I have to make clear to you.” Yu Xiang Die stared solemnly at him, “Although the higher-ups have agreed to let you enter the Samsara Pavilion, they have a condition.”
Yang Kai replied, “Please go ahead, Martial Aunt.”
“It will all be fine if you’re able to bring Qu’er out and your engagement will still be valid. However, if you fail, you have to get married to Wan’er.”
“Was this Chen Xiu’s idea?” Yang Kai arched his brow.
Yu Xiang Die shook her head, “It’s the managers’ idea.”
Tao Ling Wan was most likely able to make it to the Seventh-Order, but Yang Kai was an indispensable part of that. There was no way those from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven would give up on Tao Ling Wan, so it was expected that they had come up with this condition.
“Understood.” Yang Kai nodded, “I won’t fail.”
“I’m glad that you’re confident.” Yu Xiang Die slightly set her mind at ease.
“There’s something I need to ask you about, though. What is the situation inside the Samsara Pavilion? Since Senior Sister Qu has set up a Heart Barrier and lost her memory, how should I find her? Would her appearance change?”
“No one can be certain whether her appearance has changed. You’ll only find out about the wonders of the Samsara Pavilion after entering it. As for how you’ll find Qu’er, you’ll meet each other if you’re fated to be together. If your destinies are not connected, you’ll not recognise her even if she’s right in front of you. There are no techniques you can use during the heart training session in the Samsara Pavilion. Sincerity is of utmost importance.”
Yang Kai fell into his thoughts. Although he could fully understand what she meant, sincerity was an elusive thing. It was too abstruse.
With that said, he and Qu Hua Shang had experienced life-and-death moments together before. In the past, they were hunted down in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven and they both helped each other to survive. That was when they developed feelings for each other.
For the next three days, Yang Kai focused on cultivating in his own room as demanded by Yu Xiang Die.
Three days later, she brought him to the Samsara Pavilion.
Yang Kai initially thought that the Samsara Pavilion was somewhere like a Grand Hall or a Sealed World, but it wasn’t until he arrived at this place that he realised it was very different from his imagination.
It was a Spirit Province that was densely covered with huge trees. The World Energy that flowed through the entire Spirit Province like a fog was rich and ample.
Even from a bird’s-eye view, one was unable to make out what the Spirit Province looked like.
It was an important place in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, so it was expected that there was an Open Heaven Realm Master who guarded this place. Moreover, the person was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. There was no doubt that this guard and Yu Xiang Die knew each other, and he was aware that she would bring Yang Kai to the Samsara Pavilion on this day. Therefore, after a bit of small talk with Yu Xiang Die, he allowed them to pass.
Upon entering the Spirit Province, they arrived at the edge of the dense forest. Yang Kai could instantly see a large-scale shopping district where many disciples of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven moved around together.
Some of them were unwilling to part ways as they bid each other farewell with loving words. After that, the female disciples would steadfastly enter the forest and disappear while hoping that their partners would find them.
The male disciples would wait for a moment before entering the forest as well.
There were also some men and women who entered the forest on their own.
On the other hand, there was a loving couple who just stepped out of the forest. The woman’s smile was as sweet as honey while the man looked lovingly at her. It was as though she was the entire universe and there was no one else in the world in his eyes.
However, there were also some dejected men and women whose faces were covered in tears.
Looking at the young disciples who entered and left the forest, Yu Xiang Die sighed, “Many couples who think that their love for each other would never change are unable to pass the tests in the Samsara Pavilion, and they have to part ways as a result. This place is where the disciples of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven look for their partners, but it’s also the source of suffering for many of us.”
Yang Kai asked curiously, “Martial Aunt, didn’t you say that a female disciple would fall into oblivion in the Samsara Pavilion if her Heart Barrier is not broken? Why do I see some female disciples leaving the forest while sobbing? I suppose their male partners didn’t manage to break their Heart Barriers.”
Yu Xiang Die explained, “A female disciple will indeed fall into oblivion if her Heart Barrier is not broken. However, if she has only set up a Heart Barrier of three lives for herself, she’ll still be able to retrieve her memory after three reincarnations even if the male disciple is useless. However, this wouldn’t happen if there are more than three incarnations. The more rounds of reincarnations there are in the Samsara Pavilion, the more difficult it would be for the female disciple to recognise herself.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Got it.”
“Go in now. There’s nothing you need to do. Just allow nature to take its course.”
“Yes,” Yang Kai replied and stepped forward and his figure was soon engulfed by the fog.
Yu Xiang Die stayed on the same spot for a while before deciding to leave; however, as soon as she turned around, she saw two people walking towards her.
She frowned and looked doubtfully at them, “What are you doing in the Samsara Pavilion, Senior Brother Chen?”
These two were none other than Chen Xiu and Tao Ling Wan. While Chen Xiu was walking at the front, Tao Ling Wan followed closely behind.
Chen Xiu shot her a dispassionate glance and replied, “What else can we do here?”
Yu Xiang Die took a glance at Tao Ling Wan, who was behind him, and instantly realised what was going on. Her expression changed drastically as she snapped, “Are you out of your mind!? Do you not care about her life or death just because you want to let your other Disciple get all the benefits? Are you even Human!?”
There was an impassive expression on Chen Xiu’s face as he was unfazed by her accusation. He simply turned to Tao Ling Wan and said, “Go in now. Be careful.”
Tao Ling Wan nodded and stepped forward. All of a sudden, she turned around and fell on her knees before gently pressing her forehead against the ground three times in front of Chen Xiu.
After she got to her feet in silence though, Yu Xiang Die blocked her way and persuaded her by saying, “Wan’er, don’t be so foolish. Just tell me if anyone has forced you to do this. I’ll stand up for you.”
Tao Ling Wan hung her head low and shook her head.
“Listen to me. Go back with me, and we’ll have a talk,” Yu Xiang Die said and extended her hand.
Nevertheless, Tao Ling Wan dodged it and replied in a hushed voice, “Please let me go in, Martial Aunt.”
“No!” Yu Xiang Die directly rejected her, “Even if the Ancestors were here to persuade me, I’ll not let you enter the Samsara Pavilion. That’s not a place you should go!”
She then glowered at Chen Xiu, “You’re really a good Master to her, aren’t you? What has Wan’er done to be unlucky enough to become your Disciple?”
Chen Xiu stared calmly at her without any intention to refute her.
Just when Yu Xiang Die wanted to speak further, Tao Ling Wan suddenly looked up and gazed at her, “Please don’t blame my Master, Martial Aunt. This is my decision.”
Yu Xiang Die sneered, “I’m fully aware of your temperament. There’s no way this is your decision. It’s obvious that this old fart has forced you to enter the Samsara Pavilion to achieve his goal.”
Faced with her fierce accusation, Chen Xiu never explained anything and just looked down.
Tao Ling Wan spoke in a firmer tone, “Martial Aunt, this is the first decision I’ve made for myself after all these years. Please don’t make things difficult for me.”
Yu Xiang Die frowned as she darted her gaze between Tao Ling Wan and Chen Xiu. At that moment, she doubted herself.
Furthermore, she had never seen Tao Ling Wan speaking in such a loud voice with a determined gaze before.
She stared fixedly at Chen Xiu in an attempt to find the answer, but he only nodded in silence.
At that instant, Yu Xiang Die was in a dilemma. It took one a lot of courage to decide to enter the Samsara Pavilion. She initially thought that it was Chen Xiu’s order, but it didn’t seem to be the case now.
After giving it a thought, she said, “Wan’er, why do you want to enter the Samsara Pavilion? Yang Boy is looking for Qu’er. Even if you go in, you might not be able to come out again. In that case, you’ll be trapped inside forever.”
Tao Ling Wan spoke in a small voice again, “I’ll be careful.”
“No!” Yu Xiang Die shook her head, “It’s not like you’ll be safe just by being careful. I can’t let you go in. If you enter that place, you’ll end up in a horrible state.”
“Even if I can’t go in today, I’ll do it tomorrow. Even if I can’t go in tomorrow, I’ll do it the day after tomorrow, unless you can stay here forever.” Tao Ling Wan looked into her eyes without the intention to back down.
Yu Xiang Die was lost for words. Every disciple of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven had the right to enter the Samsara Pavilion. It wasn’t like she could stay here forever to block her path. She wasn’t supposed to stop her from entering the place to begin with.
If she was doubtful just now, she was now 100% certain that Chen Xiu hadn’t forced Tao Ling Wan into this. It was indeed her own decision to enter the Samsara Pavilion.
While she was in a dazed state, Tao Ling Wan suddenly dashed forward. When Yu Xiang Die came to her senses, she quickly extended her hand.
Chen Xiu instantly appeared in front of her and pushed out his palm. Both of them were sent flying away for several dozen metres.
Yu Xiang Die glowered at him, “Do you want her to die?”
Chen Xiu replied in a grim voice, “She wants to go in to find her own answer. Do you think I didn’t intend to stop her? None of you actually know what she’s like. Once she has made a decision, no one can change her mind. I took her on as a Disciple when she was just a baby and raised her all by myself. She may be my Disciple, but she’s also like a Daughter to me!”
Yu Xiang Die was rendered speechless.
She now recalled that Chen Xiu had indeed always treated Tao Ling Wan like a precious treasure. If not for him overly doting on her, she wouldn’t have grown up to be such a timid and inexperienced person despite being a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Certainly, such a Master who loved his Disciple so much wouldn’t sacrifice her one day for the sake of another Disciple.
“Yang Kai is a talented young man who is a good match for Wan’er. She’s an adult now, and it’s impossible for me to stay by her side forever. Over the years, I found quite a few potential partners for her, but none of them were to my liking. Yang Kai is not bad. It will be perfect if Wan’er can marry him. However, it seems that I’ve done something wrong.”
There were countless ancient trees in the Samsara Pavilion. Every tree was covered with leaves, and each was so huge that it would take several people to hug it. A white fog flowed through the entire forest. While walking through it, one might think that he was lost in a dream.
Yang Kai sauntered through the forest in silence.
Millions of branches hung low from the ancient trees. Although there was no wind, they swayed gently as though they were welcoming the guests who visited this place.
Most of the trunks were fully sealed. Only some of the trunks had gaps in them, which looked like tree caves that could accommodate people.
There were two types of trees that corresponded to different genders. Other than the ancient trees with sealed trunks, some of the trees had gaps that were near the roots while some of the gaps were in the middle of the trunks.
All of the disciples who entered this place had to enter a tree cave and stay inside the tree of their choice. With the help of the forest’s mysterious power, they could enter the real Samsara Pavilion and go through reincarnations to train their hearts.
Previously, Yu Xiang Die had told Yang Kai about the things he had to take note of in the Samsara Pavilion.
Hence, he knew that the gaps that appeared in the middle of the trunks were for the female disciples while the tree caves near the roots were for the male disciples.
Although they appeared similar on the outside, they were starkly different inside. If one had selected the wrong tree cave, they were unable to enter the real Samsara Pavilion.
The difficulty of the Heart Barriers that the female disciples of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven setup had something to do with the locations of the ancient trees. The further they went, the more difficult the Heart Barrier they would be able to set up.
Those who just wanted a Heart Barrier of three lives could just find an ancient tree in the periphery. They didn’t have to go further into the forest.
However, the Heart Barrier that Qu Hua Shang had established must be more than three lives, so Yang Kai reckoned that he should travel deeper.
For the male disciples, the locations of the ancient trees didn’t matter, but Yang Kai wanted to get closer to Qu Hua Shang, though he had no idea which ancient tree she was in.
One hour later, Yang Kai arrived at the depths of the forest where he was blocked by a certain ancient tree. There was a gap near the roots of the ancient tree that had formed a tree cave that could accommodate a person. The branches that hung low kept swaying back and forth. Just when Yang Kai was ready to go further, he suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned to look at his own shoulder.
Above his shoulder, there was a curly branch that seemed to have turned into a petite hand and hooked his clothes at some point.
Yang Kai decided to stop moving forward; instead, he turned around and shuffled towards a nearby tree cave.
The Samsara Pavilion was a place where hearts were trained, and sincerity was of utmost importance. Yu Xiang Die had told him to let nature take its course, and he was ready to follow her advice.
Upon entering the tree cave, Yang Kai sat down with his legs crossed.
The tree cave was pretty big, so he didn’t feel cramped while sitting inside. After he emptied his mind for a bit, the tree cave suddenly started squirming and closing until he was fully covered by it.
From the outside, there didn’t seem to be any traces that suggested there was once a tree cave here.
Upon realising that his thoughts were running wild, Yang Kai quickly pulled himself together and stopped resisting.
There came a moment when his Soul seemed to have left his body as it passed through a colourful passage and reached for an unknown place.
Everything was going just like what Yu Xiang Die had described, so Yang Kai just waited patiently.
A moment seemed to have passed, but it also felt as if millions of years had gone by. Finally, a glimmer of light came into sight at the end of the colourful passageway.
The light rapidly expanded until Yang Kai could no longer see anything else.
In the meantime, he realised that his Soul finally landed on the ground, and he was equipped with a new body.
He could hear the sounds of weapons clanging with each other. The place was bustling with noise, and the people around him were clearly cheering.
Yang Kai looked around and realised that he was standing close to an arena. He was basically sandwiched among a group of people. On the stage, two figures were locked in an intense battle as they wielded their weapons.
After a moment of observation, Yang Kai realised that even though their techniques appeared sophisticated, they were really just flashy without much power.
With a frown, he examined himself and realised that there was a special power flowing through his meridians. This was not World Energy, though it was similar.
What he found unsatisfactory was that the power was far too weak, equivalent to maybe an Initial Element Realm Third Stage cultivator.
Before he could familiarise himself with the situation, the crowd was heard cheering again as there was a winner on the stage.
This didn’t seem to be a life-or-death battle. One person was obviously more powerful. While the loser cupped his fist and conceded defeat, the winner responded to him with respect. The atmosphere was harmonious.
This was the real Samsara Pavilion, which could also be called the Samsara World.
There were innumerable Samsara Worlds in the Samsara Pavilion. The Samsara World every person entered could be different. Only two people whose hearts were connected had a chance to enter the same Samsara World and go through reincarnations together.
From the looks of it, Yang Kai reckoned that the Martial Dao of the Samsara World he had entered was quite low, but that didn’t matter. The reason he was here was to look for Qu Hua Shang, unlike his previous experience in the Small Source World where he had to rise to become an overlord of that world.
Hence, the low Martial Dao wasn’t a big deal.
He was certain that Qu Hua Shang was also in this Samsara World. As for where to look for her, he was clueless.
Certainly, he wasn’t interested in the battles on the stage. The most pressing issue at hand for him was to find out more about this world and look for Qu Hua Shang.
Just when he turned around and was ready to leave, an old man with a goatee appeared on the stage with a piece of yellow silk cloth. After sweeping a glance over the people around the stage, he announced, “The next fight. Yang Kai versus Luo An Guo!”
Yang Kai turned to look at the stage and arched his brow.
A burly figure emerged from the crowd and walked up the stage in a few steps. His heavy build caused the stage to shake a little. The man, who looked like a bear, swept a condescending glance over the crowd and ripped his top apart, which revealed his hairy chest. He then demanded provokingly, “Where’s Yang Kai? Come out so I can destroy you!”
Yang Kai put on a smile, thinking that this was what Yu Xiang Die meant by allowing nature to take its course.
The way a cultivator was trained in the Samsara Pavilion was similar to that of the Small Source World. After he entered this Samsara World, he was given a new identity, it was just that his name was never changed as he was still ‘Yang Kai’.
Just now, he had no idea where to look for clues that would help him find Qu Hua Shang. Now, it seemed that the fight on the stage might help him with it.
He turned around and ambled towards the stage.
The crowd took the initiative to separate to the sides.
When he reached the stage that was around waist height, he pressed his hands against it and leaped up. Seeing that, the crowd broke into laughter.
Everyone who went on stage would do their best to show off their prowess. The different skills and movements would elicit applause from the crowd. It was the first time they saw someone clumsily climb up onto the stage like what Yang Kai had done.
On the stage, Luo An Guo gaped at the frail Yang Kai, whose limbs seemed as thin as twigs, and put on a grin, “Are you Yang Kai?”
Yang Kai placed his left hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist. He had just discovered that there was a sword hanging there. It was then he realised that he was supposed to be a swordsman in this Samsara World.
As such, he decided to play along. Even though he had never cultivated the Sword Dao before, with his vast experiences and high cultivation, he could just use any weapon fairly well.
With his left hand on the sword, he put on a gentle smile and nodded, “Yes.”
A ferocious glint flashed through Luo An Guo’s eyes as he bellowed, “I’ll destroy you with just one move!”
The moment he started speaking, his burly figure dashed forward. By the time he finished his last word, his huge fist was already coming right at Yang Kai’s face.
It was the first time Yang Kai arrived in this Samsara World, so he knew nothing about this place. He had the intention to find out the difference between his own Martial Dao and the other man’s, so he didn’t attempt to dodge the attack.
To the onlookers, he seemed to be stunned and rooted to the spot.
Following a loud boom, the entire stage shook a little.
Luo An Guo’s devastating attack didn’t destroy his opponent though. Faced with the fist that could kill a tiger, Yang Kai rapidly extended his fist and directly met the attack.
As a result, Yang Kai couldn’t help but stagger backward until he reached the edge of the stage. He quickly stomped his foot on the ground to stabilize himself. Upon impact, cracks started appearing on the wooden floor around his foot.
On the other hand, Luo An Guo only staggered backwards for a bit before he managed to stabilize himself. He then gazed at Yang Kai with surprise.
In the meantime, the onlookers broke out into a clamour. Those who laughed at Yang Kai earlier were staring at him in shock.
The two people on the stage were starkly different when it came to their builds. The onlookers initially thought that the winner would be revealed with just one move, and the loser might even lose his life. Unexpectedly though, Yang Kai, who appeared thin and frail, managed to fend off Luo An Guo’s attack. Although he appeared a bit discomforted, he had still managed to succeed.
To the onlookers, only when two opponents were equally matched would the fight be interesting. It was boring to watch a battle where one could easily defeat the other party. Seeing that Yang Kai was defiant, they immediately cheered for him to keep him motivated.
Luo An Guo frowned as he was embarrassed at the fact that he was unable to smash Yang Kai with only one move just like what he had boasted. He then snorted, “You’re indeed something, brat. You’ve successfully fended off my attack once. Let’s see whether you’ll be able to ward off my second and third attacks!”
The next moment, he dashed towards Yang Kai with his feet thudding on the ground.
After the exchange of moves, Yang Kai had a better understanding of his own strength. There wasn’t a huge gap between his power and Luo An Guo’s. The only difference was that his physical strength was weaker than the other party’s, which was why he suffered a setback just now.
At that instant, he was torn between laughter and tears. Over the years, he had never suffered a setback when it came to his raw physical strength. It was a new experience for him in this Samsara World.
He was already on the edge of the stage, so if he kept moving backwards, he would fall off. Therefore, faced with Luo An Guo’s strike, he bolted forward and met him head on.
With his left hand on the hilt, he unsheathed the sword as a glint flashed through the weapon and dazzled the onlookers. After the two figures brushed past each other, Yang Kai slowly sheathed his sword.
The boisterous crowd abruptly fell silent as they looked dazedly at the two figures on the stage.
Most of them didn’t have a sharp vision, so they were unable to make out the abstrusity of the exchange of moves just now.
Only a small number of the onlookers narrowed their eyes and gazed at Yang Kai with serious expressions.
There was now a winner on the stage!
There were no restrictions when it came to the battles today. It didn’t matter whether one would like to use a weapon or fight with his bare hands as long as he could win the battle; hence, Yang Kai didn’t break the rules by using his sword.
Luo An Guo didn’t collapse, but when he touched his throat, he realised that it was wet. When he looked down, he saw that his hand was covered with blood.
It wasn’t until this moment that he felt a pain coming from his neck.
A myriad of expressions came over him. He knew that the other party didn’t intend to kill him; otherwise, he would have been beheaded instead of getting cut slightly. Despite that, this kind of outcome was still unacceptable for him.
During the exchange of moves just now, he didn’t even manage to make out how Yang Kai unsheathed his sword.
He didn’t have a chance to counterattack as the other party’s attack was too fast for him to even perceive.
The old man with a goatee seemed to have received an instruction as he quickly went on stage and announced, “The winner is Yang Kai!”
Following that, he told the two of them to leave the stage and spoke no further.
For the next half a day, more people jumped on stage to fight. Some of them were weak cultivators with only flashy moves while some of them were truly powerful.
As Yang Kai observed it, he realised that there seemed to be a selection process going on here, though he wasn’t sure what it was for.
Fortunately, the people around him were talking among themselves, so he could deduce what was going on from the chatter.
The Meng Family ran one of the largest businesses in White Jade City, so it was expected that they were extremely wealthy; however, their wealth was coveted by many people as a result. Just a few days ago, the mountain bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak demanded that the Meng Family give them 100,000 silver coins and 10 beautiful maidservants every month; otherwise, they would destroy the Meng Family.
Hidden Treasure Peak was initially occupied by a small group of mountain bandits, and they didn’t pose any real threat at all. Some time ago though, a lot of fugitives came over and joined Hidden Treasure Peak, which significantly strengthened their ranks. In order to make a name for themselves, these new members of Hidden Treasure Peak decided to target the wealthy Meng Family in the nearby city.
Although there was a City Lord in White Jade City, who had his own soldiers, the Meng Family wouldn’t dare to entirely rely on others. Hence, they decided to set up an arena on this day and offered attractive salaries to hire some powerful private guards to protect them.
As Yang Kai listened to the people around him, he soon realised the situation he was in. Supposedly, he was there to apply for a job.
[Is Senior Sister Qu in the Meng Family?] Yang Kai couldn’t help but have this speculation; otherwise, he couldn’t explain why he had to take part in a selection battle right after entering this Samsara World.
Considering all this, he started looking forward to what was ahead of him.
It wasn’t until evening that the competition ended.
There were some powerful cultivators from the Meng Family who were hidden from the crowd here to watch the battles on the stage and make their judgments. Those who were qualified would be brought back to the Meng Family Manor while those who were not good enough would be given some money and told to go home.
Yang Kai had performed pretty well, so at the end of the day, the old man with a goatee called out to him and announced that he had passed the test.
Luo An Guo, who was defeated by Yang Kai, was also accepted. Although he had lost the battle, his power could not be underestimated. It was just that he had come across a stronger opponent named Yang Kai.
The powerful cultivators from the Meng Family had acute eyesight, so they didn’t accept the candidates solely based on the results of the battles; instead, they made their own judgments.
Those who were knocked out didn’t have any complaints as they were fully aware of their true strength. The reason they even took part in the competition was to get some money from the Meng Family. Now that they had achieved their goal, they were more than thankful.
There were many people left as there were forty to fifty of them. With a servant clad in green clothes leading the way, they entered the Meng Manor through a side door and arrived at a courtyard.
They would receive some training in this place for half a month. The Captain of the private guards would tell them where they could and could not go in the Meng Manor. He would also tell them the rules they had to follow and the consequences of breaking them.
On the first day, someone broke the rules. Perhaps he had lost his way while looking for the restroom, so he wandered into the nearby inner court. Seeing that, the personal bodyguards in that place immediately captured him.
The Captain had the intention of punishing this man to serve as a warning to everyone else. After this person was brought to him, he crippled him and threw him out of the manor right in front of everyone’s eyes.
The new batch of private guards were horrified. It wasn’t until this moment that they realised it wasn’t so easy to earn the attractive salaries the Meng Family offered. In this place, rules were everything, and one would end up in a horrible state by not following them.
The Meng Family was wealthy, so it was expected that their manor was huge; however, Yang Kai and the others could only stay in the same courtyard. Since the incident on the first day, no one dared to walk about as they pleased.
There was a test three days later, and more than ten people were eliminated.
After familiarising himself with this place for three days, Yang Kai decided to take action. He wasn’t interested in becoming a private guard in the Meng Manor. Since he had speculated that Qu Hua Shang might be in the Meng Family, he had to look for her.
Qu Hua Shang was likely a female member of the Meng Family. Although Yang Kai had no idea about her identity in the Meng Manor, she must be living in the inner court as she was a woman.
When darkness descended, he walked out in silence and headed to the inner court.
There were many private guards who were hidden in different corners of Meng Manor; however, Yang Kai could easily detect them and avoid getting caught.
Just when he was ready to enter the inner court, he realised there was a problem. The security in the inner court was obviously much tighter. He could detect that there were many pairs of eyes in the periphery of the inner court that were paying close attention to the surroundings. It was impossible for him to sneak into the inner court without getting caught given his current power.
He waited patiently for two hours but still couldn’t find a chance, so eventually, he decided to take it slow and come up with a plan first.
Just when he was preparing to leave, he caught a glimpse of a figure flashing past in the darkness. The person seemed to have the same intention as him. Since there was no chance for him to get into the inner court, he had no choice but to give up.
However, this man gave up earlier than Yang Kai did, which was why Yang Kai noticed him.
Although it was pitch-black in this place, it still couldn’t conceal his burly figure.
Yang Kai frowned as he recognised this person and he wondered, [What is he doing here? When did he come?]
Yang Kai was careful with every movement he made, so he was certain that this other intruder didn’t notice him.
After the person was gone, he silently left.
When Yang Kai returned to his place, he jumped through the window and entered the room. His roommates were still sound asleep and no one realised that he had left and returned.
In the morning, they still had to receive training. The Captain of the private guards became even more demanding; as a result, some of the arrogant candidates were beaten up and thrown out of Meng Manor.
There were initially forty to fifty people, but presently, only about thirty were left.
At night, Yang Kai pretended to be sound asleep as he waited patiently. Last night, regardless of what the intention of that person was, he hadn’t achieved his goal, so he would definitely take action again tonight.
As expected, in the middle of the night, Yang Kai heard a faint noise. If he hadn’t paid close attention to the surroundings, he wouldn’t have heard it.
Upon making sure that his roommates were still fast asleep, Yang Kai got up in silence.
After leaving the courtyard, he saw the burly figure dexterously navigating the darkness and heading straight to the inner court.
Yang Kai followed him closely; however, he still couldn’t figure out the person’s intention tonight. Just like last night, the person remained hidden and observed the surroundings for two hours before leaving.
For the next half a month, other than receiving training every day, Yang Kai couldn’t discover anything. He hadn’t even managed to sneak into the inner court.
After this period of time, only twenty people remained, which was less than half of the initial number.
On the other hand, the Captain was pleased with that. Standing in front of these twenty people, he swept a stern glance over them and said, “Since all of you are still here, it means that you’re pretty strong. Those who are weak have all been chased away. Moreover, we’ve looked into your backgrounds, and no problems have been found. Since you’ve passed the test, you are now members of the Meng Manor. As long as you’re loyal to the Meng Family, you’ll not be mistreated. As private guards, we have to always be ready to protect the Meng Family even if we have to lose our lives. Those who don’t have the determination to do so can leave now. I won’t blame you.”
Certainly, no one left.
Regardless of their reasons for wanting to become private guards, the salaries offered by Meng Manor were attractive. They couldn’t get a better job elsewhere.
As expected, the Captain was satisfied while he nodded lightly, “It seems that none of you are willing to leave. Good. I have one last question. Does any one of you have any ill intentions against Meng Manor? Just be honest with me. I promise not to kill you.”
When the Captain saw that no one responded to him a moment later, he went on to say with a smile, “It seems that you’re not willing to admit it.”
He then turned his head and gazed at a stern-looking young man, “Lin Xiao Shan, how are the Managers on the mountain doing?”
As soon as he finished speaking, the private guards, who were behind him, instantly surrounded Lin Xiao Shan.
A sense of fluster flashed through Lin Xiao Shan’s face as he stared at the Captain, “What are you doing?”
The Captain replied impassively, “You know what we’re doing.”
Lin Xiao Shan frowned, but he soon put on a relieved smile, “How did you find out?”
The Captain slowly shook his head, “We have our own ways.”
Lin Xiao Shan nodded, “It seems that the Managers have underestimated the Meng Manor. Since you’ve found out about it, you can just kill me as you please.”
The Captain replied, “I certainly hope to kill you and send your head to those on the mountain; however, Master doesn’t like to shed blood unnecessarily, so he has ordered that you be allowed to leave this place alive. However, you have to pass on his words to the Managers.”
“Go ahead,” Lin Xiao Shan said in a calm and collected manner.
The Captain replied, “Master has said that the Meng Manor is a business entity, and he doesn’t want to offend the people on the mountain. So, let us be friends instead.”
Lin Xiao Shan grinned, “What can you offer, then?”
The Captain clapped his hands, then someone came over with a package. He took the package and tossed it at Lin Xiao Shan, “This is what the Master can offer, and the same amount of money will be sent to you all every month.”
Without hesitation, Lin Xiao Shan opened the package and saw a lot of banknotes. After some calculations, he realised that they were worth about 20,000 silver coins.
After examining the banknotes in the package, Lin Xiao Shan frowned, “It’s too little. The Managers want 100,000 silver coins, and there’s a lack of women on the mountain.”
The Captain of the private guards shook his head, “This is what Meng Manor can offer. We won’t give you any more or any less.”
Lin Xiao Shan stored the package, “Got it. I’ll bring this back to the Managers. However, as for what decision they’ll make, I have no right to interfere.”
Upon finishing his words, he leaped onto the roof and stepped on the tiles in light steps. He soon left the place.
The personal bodyguards of Meng Manor didn’t intend to stop him as they watched him leave.
In fact, Meng Manor had offered them a lot of money; nevertheless, if those from Hidden Treasure Peak were not satisfied with it, the conflict would still be irresolvable. Therefore, they didn’t dare to fire any more personal bodyguards.
After half a month of training, new private guards that included Yang Kai were given some tasks.
Yang Kai hoped to be stationed inside the inner court. In that case, it would be easier for him to gather information in the inner court and look for Qu Hua Shang.
With that said, he knew that it was an unrealistic idea. Regardless of anything else, they were new private guards whose loyalty was not time-tested. They would be given some tasks, but they would not be stationed in important places.
As expected, Yang Kai was told to watch over some courtyards in the outer court, and he had a veteran private guard named Yin Zhi Yong as his partner. Another four people were going to work with them. There were three shifts in a day, and two of them would respectively guard the place for eight hours.
The task was neither difficult nor simple.
They familiarised themselves with each other and came up with a passcode for changing shifts, after which Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong hid in a corner and monitored their surroundings to prevent any ill-intentioned people from barging in.
It would be peaceful for the next three days.
When they were not on duty, Yang Kai would buy some wine and food to share with Yin Zhi Yong. Certainly, Yin Zhi Yong was pleased with Yang Kai’s tactfulness, so he became more amiable to him.
Therefore, barely three days later, Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong became good friends.
One day, Yang Kai brought back some wine and food again. They were seated across from each other while drinking and chatting.
Thinking that it was about time, Yang Kai pretended to be drunk as he said, “Brother Yin, I know nothing about the Meng Manor since I’m new. You’ve been a private guard here for more than ten years. Do you have any advice for me?”
Yin Zhi Yong stuffed some peanuts into his mouth and looked smilingly at him, “Of course I have a lot of advice for you, but it’s not like I can say it all at once. Just stay here for a few more years, and you’ll get the hang of it. The Meng Manor is a good place. There’s practically no risk we have to face as private guards, and the salaries are attractive. Countless people scramble to get in here every year.”
Yang Kai filled the cup with wine for him, “Just tell me anything, Brother Yin. I’m all ears. It’s just between you and me.”
Over the past few days, Yang Kai had bought him a lot of delicious food and wine, so it was hard for Yin Zhi Yong to turn him down. After giving it a thought, Yin Zhi Yong decided to tell him some basic information.
According to him, the Meng Family started out as salt sellers, and they gradually branched out into different businesses. Their properties were all over the world, and their revenue was counted in the millions of silver coins every year.
Presently, the Meng Family Patriarch, Meng De Ye, was fifty years old. He had more than ten Wives, four Sons, and three Daughters. The family businesses were practically managed by the Sons while two out of three Daughters were married to men who were equal matches in terms of their statuses.
“Only the Eldest Young Lady has been giving the Patriarch a headache.” Yin Zhi Yong frowned at the mention of the Eldest Young Lady.
A sensitive Yang Kai asked, “What’s going on with the Eldest Young Lady?”
All of a sudden, Yin Zhi Yong looked around. Still feeling worried, he rose from the chair and opened the door. Upon making sure that no one else was around, he took a seat and said to Yang Kai in a small voice, “In the Meng Manor, the Eldest Young Lady’s affairs are a taboo. You must not mention it as you please.”
With a solemn expression, Yang Kai nodded, “Don’t worry, Brother Yin. I won’t.”
Yin Zhi Yong took a sip of the wine and said, “In the Meng Manor, the Fourth Young Lady and the Fifth Young Lady are married, but the Eldest Young Lady is still single. Don’t you think it’s weird?”
Appearing to be shocked, Yang Kai asked, “The Eldest Young Lady is still single? How old is she now?”
Yin Zhi Yong shook his head, “I’m not sure, but I suppose she’s twenty-six or twenty-seven years old.”
[Twenty-six or twenty-seven years old?] A thought flashed through Yang Kai’s mind.
He asked in a hushed voice, “Is no one interested in the Eldest Young Lady because she’s… ugly?”
A flabbergasted Yin Zhi Yong quickly placed a finger on his own lips and anxiously looked around, “Are you sick of living? How dare you slander the Eldest Young Lady? Don’t drag me into this!”
Yang Kai hurriedly patted his own mouth.
After pulling himself together, Yin Zhi Yong went on to say, “I’m telling you, the Eldest Young Lady is not ugly. Rather, she’s incredibly beautiful.”
A curious Yang Kai asked, “How do you know, Brother Yin?”
Yin Zhi Yong replied with a smile, “I’ve been a private guard in the Meng Manor for more than ten years, after all. When I was still a rookie here, the Eldest Young Lady was just a teenager, and she was already beautiful at that time. There’s no way she’d be ugly after maturing fully. Since many years ago, the Eldest Young Lady has rarely stepped out of the inner court. Even when she does, she’d be wearing a veil and a hat. However, three years ago… Yes, it was exactly three years ago when I caught a glimpse of the Eldest Young Lady’s face. She was truly stunning. This Yin can be considered an experienced person and I once spent a lot of money to bed the most beautiful woman in a famous brothel in this city. She could be considered alluring, but she was in no way comparable to the Eldest Young Lady.”
Yang Kai didn’t seem to believe him, “Are you serious, Brother Yin? It sounds unbelievable.”
Yin Zhi Yong seemed to be thinking back to that time with fondness when he heard what Yang Kai said. He impatiently waved his hand and snapped, “It’s fine even if you don’t believe me. It’s the truth regardless.” He wasn’t willing to keep talking about the Eldest Young Lady’s beauty, as though it would be blasphemy to do so.
Yang Kai thus took the initiative by asking, “Since the Eldest Young Lady is so beautiful, why is she still single? Could it be that she had extremely high standards when it comes to men?”
Yin Zhi Yong shook his head, “Who knows? Maybe. In any case, the Meng Manor is wealthy, so even if she really was ugly, many men would still propose to her. Moreover, the Patriarch has been looking for suitable men for her since she came of age. Over the years, he has found a lot of talented young men who are from wealthy families as well, but the Eldest Young Lady wasn’t interested in any of them.”
Yang Kai nodded, “She must be demanding when it comes to men, then.”
Yin Zhi Yong chuckled, “Rumour has it that the Eldest Young Lady once told a maidservant the reason she’s not married up until now isn’t that she thinks those talented young men are not good enough; instead, she’s been waiting for a man who is destined to be with her. Pfft, destiny, what nonsense.”
Since he was tipsy, Yin Zhi Yong began spouting nonsense. He lamented that life was unfair to him. Despite being powerful, he wasn’t given any important tasks. He had been loyal to the Meng Manor for more than ten years, but he was still a mere guard.
On the other hand, Yang Kai’s eyes lit up.
It was very likely that the Eldest Young Lady of the Meng Manor was Qu Hua Shang.
In this Samsara World, the Eldest Young Lady of the Meng Manor was already twenty-six or twenty-seven years old. The Patriarch had been looking for potential partners for her since she came of age, which was about ten years ago. Qu Hua Shang had entered the Samsara Pavilion at around the same time.
Furthermore, she had been waiting for a man who was destined to be with her.
After entering the Samsara Pavilion, Qu Hua Shang set up a Heart Barrier and reincarnated into this Samsara World. Although she had lost her memory, the Heart Barrier was real. Under the influence of the Heart Barrier, she would do things that were true to her heart.
Yang Kai reckoned that he had to go to the inner court and see the Eldest Young Lady of the Meng Manor. Only by doing so could he be certain whether she was the real Qu Hua Shang.
While he was lost in his thoughts, a flustered voice was heard shouting from somewhere in the Meng Manor, “Fire! There’s a fire!”
Yang Kai looked out the window and indeed saw a tinge of redness.
A shocked Yang Kai quickly got up and opened the door before leaping onto the roof. As he looked around intently, he saw that a particular place in the Meng Manor was on fire while everyone was flustered and in a panic. A lot of servants rushed over with buckets of water in an attempt to put out the blaze.
A tipsy Yin Zhi Yong appeared beside him and frowned as he had a bad feeling.
“Brother Yin…” Yang Kai turned to look at him.
“Don’t make any rash moves without orders.” Although Yin Zhi Yong was slightly drunk, he was still clear-headed. As a person who had worked for the Meng Manor for a long time, he knew that it was a taboo to be absent from one’s duties without permission during a crisis. The best way to deal with the situation was to stay where they were supposed to be.
Just when Yang Kai was about to nod his head though, he suddenly felt his chest tightening. When he turned his head, he saw that over ten people had appeared on a higher roof with bows in their hands.
Under the night sky, cold glints flashed off the arrows from the fire in the distance.
“Enemy attack!” Yang Kai growled and tackled Yin Zhi Yong down from the roof.
The next moment, several arrows struck the place where they were standing just now. The violent force directly broke the roof.
Yin Zhi Yong instantly sobered up as he got to his feet and nodded at Yang Kai as a form of gratitude.
Nevertheless, before they could compose themselves, they felt gusts of wind coming from both left and right sides.
Instinctually, Yang Kai unsheathed his sword with his left hand and slashed it across the person behind him.
A short shriek was heard as the attacker behind him was killed. Another sword brushed past his chest and cut his clothes open.
An agile Yang Kai stepped forward and wielded his sword as shrieks were continuously heard.
When he finally stopped, six people had already collapsed to the ground behind him. All of them were respectively killed with a single stroke. Blood could be seen dripping from the sword and dyeing the ground crimson.
A dumbfounded Yin Zhi Yong gazed at Yang Kai. Just now, by the time he unsheathed his sword, the enemies had all fallen to the ground. A moment later, he praised the young man by saying, “Little Brother, you’re incredible!”
As soon as he finished speaking, Yang Kai came right at him with the sword as murderous intent was written all over his face.
Yin Zhi Yong felt his legs trembling as he instinctively raised his sword. Yang Kai dodged it and pressed his hand against the older man’s shoulder. Upon impact, Yin Zhi Yong was forced to whirl around. It just so happened that he dodged an arrow that was coming from behind as a result.
Yin Zhi Yong was drenched in cold sweat. He knew that Yang Kai had saved him once again.
In just a few breaths’ time, Yang Kai had saved his life twice. Feeling embarrassed, he quickly raised his sword and fought against the enemies alongside Yang Kai.
Since he had been a private guard in the Meng Manor for more than ten years, he was naturally strong. The experiences just now made him feel furious, so he was especially ruthless when dealing with the enemies.
The attackers were mostly weak, but there were a lot of them, and they had hidden themselves in darkness earlier. Now that they had been exposed, there was no way they could defeat the two of them.
A moment later, all the attackers were either killed or running for their lives. Soon, the courtyard fell into silence.
Despite that, they could hear the sounds of intense battles coming from other parts of the manor.
Just then, a high-pitched whistle was heard. The Captain of the private guards was trying to gather his subordinates together.
Yin Zhi Yong shouted at Yang Kai, “Come with me!” With blood still dripping from his sword, he leaped over the wall and led Yang Kai to another courtyard.
More than thirty private guards had gathered together in this place. All of them were covered in blood while some people were badly injured.
Since they were in a perilous situation, the Captain didn’t have time to explain anything in detail as he said, “Those from Hidden Treasure Peak are here, and there are a lot of them. However, all of you don’t have to worry. I’m sure those from the City Lord’s Mansion have gotten wind of this and will send some people to help soon. We just have to persevere for a while, and we’ll all be safe. Now, we’re on the same boat. If we can’t fend off the enemies, all of us will be killed.”
He then started giving orders.
Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong were still partners. They were told to guard a route that the attackers must pass through if they wanted to leave the Meng Manor. The bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak had snuck into the Meng Manor. Regardless of what their goal was, they definitely had to leave after achieving their objective. It was a chance to weaken the power of those from Hidden Treasure Peak, so the Meng Manor would never want to miss it. Other than fending off the enemies, they also wanted to work with the City Lord’s Mansion to destroy the bandits.
The others were also given some tasks.
Upon receiving the order, Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong left the courtyard.
On the roof of a tall building, they crouched down and waited patiently. They were like the shadows in the darkness. No one could detect their presence without taking a closer look.
Some of the bandits passed by this place from time to time, but before they even realized it, they had already lost their lives.
Yin Zhi Yong increasingly admired the strength that Yang Kai had showcased.
The chaos in the Meng Manor continued. Yang Kai stared intently at the inner court. Noises of intense battles could be heard coming from over there, but they were all in the periphery.
The core area of the inner court was serene, and all the lights were off.
A moment later, a large group of bandits tried to escape out of the Meng Manor. The private guards, who had been waiting at the important routes, appeared and hacked them to death.
The place Yang Kai and Yin Zhi Yong were in was especially bustling with noises. While Yang Kai was still fine, Yin Zhi Yong felt immensely pressured. His thigh was injured as it was now covered in blood.
However, with Yang Kai around, he seemed able to easily ward off the attackers. As long as it wasn’t dozens of bandits coming at him all at once, he could effortlessly kill three to five people at the same time.
Presently, more than twenty corpses had been piled up on the roof.
Meanwhile, the anxiety in Yang Kai’s heart intensified as he felt that something was off.
After killing another bandit, he suddenly realised what was amiss.
When they had gathered together just now, he didn’t see Luo An Guo’s burly figure. Luo An Guo was also a new private guard. Unless he was already killed, he was supposed to have joined them earlier. Nevertheless, he was nowhere to be seen.
Yang Kai instantly looked at a particular spot in the inner court where Luo An Guo had been hiding for several nights in the past.
As the fire flickered in the distance, he saw a burly figure leaping over the wall from the inner court and heading to a place where security was weak.
There seemed to be some helpers over there as they quickly left the place with the burly figure.
Yang Kai immediately jumped off the roof. An astounded Yin Zhi Yong called out in alarm, “Where are you going, Little Brother?”
He didn’t get any response from the young man. On the other hand, some bandits came at him from the side as they intended to flee.
Yin Zhi Yong couldn’t help but shudder. His thigh was injured. Without Yang Kai working with him, he would be killed by those bandits.
However, he would be considered to be absent from his duties if he left just like that. After the dust settled, he would be punished by those from the Meng Manor.
Between death and punishment though, Yin Zhi Yong steadfastly chose the latter. He quickly leaped off the roof and followed Yang Kai.
At the front, Yang Kai ran after the burly figure on the roof and soon left the Meng Manor.
A large group of people could be heard coming from behind. Supposedly, the support from the City Lord’s Mansion had arrived.
On the other hand, Yang Kai stared fixedly at the burly figure ahead. It wasn’t until this moment that he realised there was something on the sturdy figure’s shoulder. Despite that, it didn’t affect his agility as the towering figure remained as dextrous as a rabbit.
Around him, his companions were seen charging forward.
Sensing that there was someone running after him, Luo An Guo turned his head to take a look without stopping in his tracks. Meanwhile, two of his companions turned around and dashed towards Yang Kai.
Their gap soon shortened. Barely thirty metres away, those two people lifted their weapons and came at Yang Kai from both sides.
Yang Kai directly brushed past the two of them as a glint flashed from his sword.
When Yin Zhi Yong arrived at this place, he saw two corpses lying on the roof.
Although the gates of White Jade City were closed, it couldn’t stop a powerful cultivator like Luo An Guo from fleeing as he was well prepared. With the help of a claw hook, he climbed up the wall and soon jumped off to the other side under the night sky.
When Yang Kai arrived, two of Luo An Guo’s companions were still climbing up the wall.
He leaped into the air like a bird and hovered above the two of them for a moment before landing a kick on the one nearest to him. The person crashed into his companion as they fell to the ground together.
Upon landing on the top of the wall, Yang Kai sported a dark expression, for he could hear the sound of a horse neighing. Looking down, he saw that Luo An Guo was mounting up.
Luo An Guo looked up at Yang Kai and grinned. Then, he made the horse turn around and gallop off.
Yang Kai took a deep breath and leaped off the wall before rushing forward. However, even though he was fairly powerful in this Samsara World, with such low cultivation, he could never be as quick as a horse.
Despite seeing that Luo An Guo was getting further away from him, Yang Kai didn’t give up. Instead, he raced after him following the horse’s hoofprints.
About a cup of tea’s time later, Luo An Guo was nowhere to be seen while Yang Kai was feeling extremely anxious.
Just then, a horse could be heard galloping towards him from behind.
He turned his head and saw Yin Zhi Yong rushing towards him on horseback. The horse stopped in front of Yang Kai as Yin Zhi Yong panted and said, “The Eldest Young Lady was captured!”
When he saw Yang Kai leaving the Meng Manor to chase after someone just now, he still had no idea what was going on. But soon, the Meng Manor descended into chaos because while they were locked in an intense battle with the bandits, someone snuck into the inner court and abducted the Eldest Young Lady.
Yin Zhi Yong immediately thought of the person that Yang Kai was running after. With no time to report the matter to the higher-ups, he took a horse from the stable and dashed off in the direction of Hidden Treasure Peak. He faced an obstacle when trying to pass through the city gates, for they were already closed. The people guarding the gates were from the City Lord’s Mansion, and a mere private guard from the Meng Manor had no authority to make them open the gates.
Fortunately, Yin Zhi Yong was friends with the leader of the guards on duty, and he told him what was going on. He also promised a reward from the Meng Family before he was allowed to pass through the gates.
He believed that if his speculation was right, Yang Kai was just in front of him.
Just as he had expected, he soon found Yang Kai.
Following that, he leaped off the horse and said grimly, “Only you can save the Eldest Young Lady, Little Brother. If you’re able to do it, we won’t have to worry about money ever again.”
He had seen Yang Kai’s true strength just now, so he had confidence in him. Moreover, there was only one horse, and he was injured; therefore, he wasn’t willing to follow him to slow him down.
“Don’t worry,” Yang Kai nodded and jumped onto the horse. After clenching his thighs, he galloped off in a hurry.
Yang Kai wasn’t sure where Hidden Treasure Peak was exactly, but fortunately, Luo An Guo had left behind some traces while escaping.
Furthermore, Luo An Guo was a burly man, and he had to carry the Eldest Young Lady with him; therefore, it was expected that Yang Kai could outpace him on his horse.
At the break of dawn, Yang Kai had a feeling that he was getting closer to his target.
After galloping a few more kilometres, he indeed saw Luo An Guo.
The noise from behind alerted Luo An Guo, and when he turned his head and saw someone chasing after him, he was astounded.
The distance between them was getting shorter. Luo An Guo turned his head several times and finally made out Yang Kai’s face. Instantly, he burned with murderous intent.
He could never forget about the humiliation inflicted upon him by Yang Kai, who defeated him with his sword on the selection stage. Nevertheless, he didn’t show it on his face over the past few days; after all, he was on a mission in the Meng Manor, so he didn’t have time to settle the score with Yang Kai.
However, when he saw Yang Kai relentlessly pursuing him at this moment, he was infuriated.
Since Yang Kai’s horse could apparently run faster, there was no way he could flee. After giving it a thought, Luo An Guo slowed his horse down and turned around, choosing to wait on the same spot in silence.
A moment later, Yang Kai stopped at a spot a few dozen metres away from him.
As their eyes met, Luo An Guo put on a grin while Yang Kai remained calm and collected.
“Brat, you’re pretty bold. How did you have the gall to chase after me on your own?” Luo An Guo cracked his neck.
Yang Kai took a glance at the horse and saw a black cloth bag. There seemed to be a person who was squirming in the cloth bag. Perhaps her mouth had been sealed, so she could only grunt.
“Do you want to save the damsel in distress?” Luo An Guo sneered.
“Release her!” Yang Kai placed his left hand on the hilt of his sword with a cold expression.
Luo An Guo scoffed, “You just joined the Meng Manor recently, why are you pretending to be loyal? Brat, you’re pretty strong. Why don’t you follow me to the mountain? You can get all the money and women that you want. It’s better than working as a private guard in the Meng Family.”
“Release her!” Yang Kai repeated his words dispassionately.
The smile on Luo An Guo’s face disappeared, “I wanted to offer you an opportunity since you’re quite talented. However, since you refuse a toast, you must drink a forfeit. Don’t blame me for being rough with you!”
As soon as he finished speaking, he leaped into the air. The horse was unable to bear the impact as all its legs broke while it neighed in pain.
While in mid-air, Luo An Guo bellowed, “Do you seriously think you’re more powerful than me just because you beat me back then? I’ll show you my true power!”
In the next instant, his fists turned into countless shadows that rained down on Yang Kai.
Like an eagle descending towards a rabbit, Luo An Guo came right at Yang Kai from above. His towering figure gave off immense pressure to his opponent. If a timid person was faced with such a violent attack, he would be scared out of his wits before even making a move. In that case, he wouldn’t be able to defeat him even if they were equally matched.
Nevertheless, Luo An Guo was surprised at the fact that Yang Kai remained calm and collected. Yang Kai leaped into the air and unsheathed his sword with his left hand as a glint flashed through his weapon.
As the two figures brushed past each other, they landed on the ground with a thud and grunted.
Luo An Guo widened his eyes and covered his neck with his hands. Blood could be seen spurting out through the gaps of his fingers. Disbelief was written all over his face.
In the past, he had hidden his true power on the stage, so he was unresigned after he was defeated by Yang Kai with a sword. Therefore, when he saw Yang Kai racing after him just now, he intended to show his true power to the other man.
Nevertheless, he never expected that this would be the outcome.
Just like what had happened on the stage, he was defeated by Yang Kai with a single slash once more.
However, the attack was even quicker this time, and he was completely unable to ward it off.
The difference was that Yang Kai didn’t intend to kill him on the stage back then, but this time, he had sent him to Hell.
Luo An Guo still hadn’t figured out how Yang Kai managed to defeat him. It was supposedly impossible for Yang Kai to unsheathe his sword from that angle, and the timing at that moment was beyond a Human’s control. However, he really did it.
As a result, Luo An Guo’s blood was rapidly leaving him as he felt cold all over his body. He didn’t understand why Yang Kai wanted to be a private guard in the Meng Manor since the latter was such an expert in martial arts.
Regardless of how hard he tried, Luo An Guo was unable to stop his blood from spurting out as he gasped in pain. Nevertheless, he wouldn’t die so soon. He fell on one knee with a thud as he was engulfed in the fear and pain of death.
Yang Kai put his sword back into the sheath and shuffled forward without sparing him a glance.
However, after just taking a few steps forward, he staggered and almost fell to the ground.
He wasn’t sure about the level of Luo An Guo’s power according to the standards in this Samsara World, but he reckoned that the latter couldn’t be considered weak.
In comparison, his current cultivation was weaker than that of Luo An Guo. The battle on the stage some time ago had proven it.
A cultivator with Yang Kai’s current strength, born and bred in this place, would undoubtedly be defeated by a powerful cultivator like Luo An Guo.
Nonetheless, Yang Kai reincarnated into this world as a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so his skill and vision were far greater than the limits of this world. The chance that was impossible to grasp in Luo An Guo’s eyes could easily be captured by Yang Kai. That was why he could defeat the other party despite being weaker.
With that said, it wasn’t without a price to pay.
Three of Yang Kia’s ribs must have been broken after his chest was struck by Luo An Guo. He could even feel that his throat was filled with blood.
Yang Kai forcefully choked down the sweet liquid and stabilised himself before walking up to Luo An Guo’s horse.
The horse’s limbs were broken after it bore the impact of Luo An Guo leaping into the air. Presently, it was lying on the ground and wailing. The person in the cloth bag was still squirming on the horseback as she groaned and grunted.
Yang Kai opened the bag and revealed an alluring face that was covered in tears. The bumpy ride had caused her hair to become a mess and she must have cried for a long time as her eyes were all red, which could easily arouse a man’s sympathy.
Looking at this familiar face, Yang Kai smiled.
[I’ve finally found you, Senior Sister Qu!]
Her current identity was the Eldest Young Lady of the Meng Manor.
The Eldest Young Lady was originally flustered and horrified, but upon seeing the man’s soothing smile, she instantly calmed down. She stared fixedly at Yang Kai while a sense of confusion flashed through her eyes.
She found the man before her eyes familiar, but she was sure she had never seen him before. This feeling made her doubtful.
Yang Kai took out the cloth from her mouth and drew a deep breath, “Don’t be afraid, Eldest Young Lady. I’m a private guard from the Meng Manor. I’m here to save you. The bandit who captured you is dead.”
It was only then that the Eldest Young Lady saw the corpse kneeling on the ground up ahead. The puddle of blood horrified her as the colour drained from her alluring face. She exclaimed and instinctively crashed into the oddly familiar guard’s arms.
Yang Kai grunted as blood leaked out of his mouth.
Some of his ribs were broken to begin with, and this impact exacerbated his injuries.
Upon hearing his groan, the Eldest Young Lady looked up and saw that her rescuer seemed to be in pain, so she asked caringly, “Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine.” Yang Kai helped her up, “We shouldn’t stay here any longer. We have to get back to the Meng Manor as quickly as possible.”
The Eldest Young Lady nodded repeatedly.
Yang Kai led her to his own horse and helped her get on. Just when they were preparing to leave though, he heard some noises coming from the distance.
Yang Kai turned his head and saw some dust rising in the air. There seemed to be some horses coming right at them.
Quickly making a decision, Yang Kai pointed in a particular direction and shouted, “Eldest Young Lady, ride in that direction. Don’t ever stop!”
The Eldest Young Lady looked down at him, “What about you?”
Yang Kai flashed a smile at her, “I’ll get some rest before leaving.” Upon finishing his words, he unsheathed his sword and slapped the horse’s bottom with the back of the weapon.
The horse then neighed and galloped off with the Eldest Young Lady on its back.
Following that, Yang Kai turned around and took the sword with his right hand as he waited in silence.
Luo An Guo’s helpers from Hidden Treasure Peak had arrived. The dust rising in the distance was surely caused by those bandits.
Perhaps they had agreed to meet up in a particular place, but since Luo An Guo hadn’t shown up after a long time, they decided to look for him.
More than 100 horses came into Yang Kai’s sight as he licked the blood around his mouth while feeling excited and high-spirited.
In this place, he couldn’t rely on Space Principles or his powerful Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation. All he had was the powers given to him in this Samsara World and his own experiences.
Despite his profound skill, it was impossible for him to deal with more than 100 people in his current condition. Although he supposedly didn’t have a chance to survive, it had ignited his fighting spirit and fierce nature.
What would happen if he was killed in this Samsara World? Yu Xiang Die never told him about it.
However, Yang Kai knew that he must not die. Before the Heart Barrier of Senior Sister Qu was broken, she wouldn’t be able to move into the next reincarnation.
Just then, Yang Kai heard the sound of a horse galloping towards him from behind. With a frown, he turned around and saw that the Eldest Young Lady had returned.
Her beautiful face was pale as she was terrified to see that more than 100 horses were coming at them. Despite that, she still summoned her courage and didn’t hesitate to come back.
The Eldest Young Lady apparently had some excellent riding skills as she accurately stopped the horse in front of Yang Kai. With a furious expression, she snapped, “Liar!”
This was giving Yang Kai a headache as he asked, “Why did you come back?”
“I-I don’t know…” the Eldest Young Lady stammered. She had no idea why she decided to come back just now, but she instinctively turned around when she heard the noises from behind.
Yang Kai gritted his teeth and took the reins before leaping onto the horse. He said beside her ear, “Hold on tight!” He then turned the horse around and rushed towards White Jade City.
It was unrealistic to tell the Eldest Young Lady to leave on her own now, for the other party had seen her already. If they separated to chase after her, she would be in a perilous situation.
In that case, Yang Kai reckoned that he had to take matters into his own hands and protect her personally.
On the horse, the Eldest Young Lady hung her head low while blushing.
She had never come into such close contact with a man before. The bumpy ride caused her back to rub against the man’s chest from time to time. The panting she heard from the man made her feel flustered while she felt as if there were butterflies in her stomach.
More than 100 horses arrived at the place where Luo An Guo was killed soon after. Someone examined the figure that was kneeling on the ground, and upon confirming that Luo An Guo was dead, all of them were agitated as they chased after Yang Kai and the Eldest Young Lady.
The reason Yang Kai was able to catch up to Luo An Guo earlier was that his horse could run faster. After all, Luo An Guo had a heavy build, and he had to bring the Eldest Young Lady with him. On the other hand, Yang Kai was on his own.
That was the reason he could reach Luo An Guo.
Nevertheless, it was the opposite now. While Yang Kai had to bring the Eldest Young Lady to safety on a single horse, more than 100 bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak riding down on them.
The distance between them was shortening while the sounds of hooves thudding on the ground became louder.
The Eldest Young Lady was no longer in the mood to let her thoughts run wild. For a moment, a sense of anxiety flashed through her face; however, she seemed to recall something all of a sudden as she soon calmed herself down.
Right then, the sound of something breaking through the air was heard. The distance between both parties was short enough, so an expert in archery among the bandits from Hidden Treasure Peak shot an arrow at Yang Kai. However, he missed his target as the arrow landed on a spot that was ten metres away from the left of Yang Kai.
More arrows came from behind as the sounds of breaking through the air were continuously heard.
Most of the arrows were not threatening at all, and for the ones that posed a risk, Yang Kai turned his head and accurately slashed across them.
Behind him, a person with a hooked nose at the front of those bandits was dumbfounded by this sight, for he had never expected Yang Kai to be so strong and skillful. It was only then that he realised it wasn’t just bad luck that Luo An Guo was killed.
Yang Kai was apparently an expert in martial arts given his dexterity and eyesight.
The hooked nosed man had his interest piqued as he didn’t know that there was such a powerful cultivator in the Meng Manor. Since Luo An Guo was dead, the losses could be made up for if they could make Yang Kai join them.
The prerequisite was that they had to capture him alive.
As the gap shortened, more arrows were seen flying. Although Yang Kai had tried his best to ward them off, his defence wasn’t impenetrable.
An arrow jabbed right into the horse’s thigh and almost caused it to collapse, but a nimble Yang Kai quickly tightened the reins and used his force to help the horse stabilize.
It was obvious that they were unable to flee.
They couldn’t run as fast as the other party to begin with, and the fact that the horse was injured exacerbated the situation.
Nevertheless, it would still take them four to five hours before they could return to White Jade City.
Yang Kai initially hoped that those from the Meng Manor or City Lord’s Mansion could send some people to help so that the two of them could stand a chance to survive, but they were still nowhere to be seen.
Left with no choice, Yang Kai could only save himself and the Eldest Young Lady. He went through the route he had taken to reach this place in his mind in an attempt to find a useful place.
The sounds of breaking through the air were heard again. Although Yang Kai warded off some of the arrows, one of them still jabbed into the horse’s stomach.
The horse that had helped Yang Kai flee for the entire night collapsed to the ground after running for another kilometre.
The Eldest Young Lady, who was seated at the front, exclaimed while Yang Kai promptly wrapped his arm around her waist and stomped his feet on the horseback. They leaped into the air and then stably landed on the ground.
“Wrap your arms around me!” Yang Kai ordered.
A flustered Eldest Young Lady nodded and quickly draped her arms around the young man’s neck to stabilize herself.
While holding his sword with one hand, Yang Kai placed his other hand on the Eldest Young Lady’s body to support her weight before rushing forward in a particular direction with all the speed he could muster.
The Eldest Young Lady’s vision shook. As she looked over the shoulder of this young private guard, she could see more than 100 horses chasing after them. The faces of the horsemen were hideous and gave off a horrifying feeling.
Nevertheless, she had never been calmer than at this moment.
The scene and the feeling were somehow familiar to her, as though she had experienced it before.
However, she had always lived in the Meng Manor, and she had never stepped out of White Jade City before. When had she ever experienced getting hunted down while she was protected by a man?
Did it happen in a dream? Was it an experience from her previous life?
She was supposed to feel uncomfortable in such close contact with a man she didn’t know, but at this moment she was drowned in happiness as she exerted more force with her arms around the young private guard’s neck. It was as though she was trying to merge into his body.
She knew that this man wouldn’t abandon her even if he had to lose his life.
When she saw more than ten arrows coming right at them, she exclaimed, “Watch out!”
Then, her eyes were dazzled by the glint from a sword. Yang Kai didn’t whirl around as the Eldest Young Lady was in front of him. If he turned around, she would be struck by the arrows. Instead, he accurately slashed across the arrows without turning at all, as though there were eyes on the back of his head.
Most of the arrows were warded off, but one of them pierced right into his shoulder.
The Eldest Young Lady stared fixedly at that arrow, which was about the length of an arm. While it was deep in the man’s flesh, not much blood had streamed out. Nevertheless, she felt her chest tightening at the sight of it.
She reckoned that the young private guard must be in pain, but he never even grunted.
More arrows were coming at them while Yang Kai zigzagged to dodge them. The gap between both parties was shortening rapidly, and it was expected that they would be surrounded by their enemies in no time.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai turned left and rushed forward as there was a col over there. Perhaps he could make use of the terrain.
Soon, he dashed past the col with the Eldest Young Lady in his arms. It was a lucky day for him as he soon saw that there was a cave at the bottom of a mountain wall.
The cave wasn’t big as it could accommodate one person.
Yang Kai rushed over and put the Eldest Young Lady down, “Get inside, now!”
The Eldest Young Lady nodded and climbed into the cave on all fours and tried her best to curl up inside it.
When she looked up, she saw the young private guard standing in front of her like a mountain that could fend off all storms.
“What’s your name?” She asked.
“Yang Kai!” He raised his hand to grab the arrow stuck in his shoulder and snapped the shaft off, leaving the tip inside his flesh. He then turned his head and flashed a smile at her, “My name is Yang Kai.”
The Eldest Young Lady repeated it as though she was trying to imprint the name in the deepest part of her mind. She extended her hand to adjust her messy hair and put on a charming smile, “My name is Meng Ru.”
Yang Kai nodded his head, “A beautiful name!”
The sounds of hooves stepping on the ground were heard as more than 100 horses arrived at this place. The man with a hooked nose raised his hand, after which all of the horses stopped in their tracks. These bandits then stared fixedly at Yang Kai.
As their eyes met, the man with a hooked nose could barely contain his admiration for Yang Kai as he sized him up, “Brat, did you kill Luo An Guo?”
Yang Kai replied grimly, “Yes.”
With a gloomy expression, the man with a hooked nose said, “Luo An Guo was the Second Manager of Hidden Treasure Peak. You’ve formed a grudge with us by killing him.”
“He shouldn’t have kidnapped the Eldest Young Lady of the Meng Manor then,” Yang Kai shook his head, “Anyone who dares to harm her must die.”
The man with a hooked nose sneered, “You’re indeed loyal, but you’re also extremely foolish. Luo An Guo was weaker than you, so he only had himself to blame for getting killed. However, he was still the Second Manager of Hidden Treasure Peak. Since you have killed him, I have to avenge his death as the Head Manager.”
“How are you going to do that?” Yang Kai asked solemnly.
The man with a hooked nose grinned, “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. How do you think I’m going to avenge his death?”
Yang Kai replied impassively, “If you want my life, you’re welcome to try to take it. Let’s see if you’re capable of doing that.”
The man with a hooked nose scoffed, “Compared to your life, I’m more interested in you. Why don’t you give the woman behind you to us as a gesture of sincerity and follow me back to the mountain? Our grudges will be resolved then.”
Yang Kai frowned and lowered his gaze. After giving it a thought, he replied, “I can follow you back to the mountain, but I can’t pass the Eldest Young Lady to you. Let her go back to White Jade City, and I will agree to your demand.”
The man with a hooked nose shook his head, “No. We have spent a lot of effort to get her. Many of our Brothers were killed, including the Second Manager. It was so hard for us to get this woman out of the Meng Manor, so how could we let her go? Don’t worry. After you follow me back to the mountain, this woman will belong to you.”
Yang Kai said steadfastly, “I only have one request. The Eldest Young Lady must safely return to White Jade City!”
The expression of the man with a hooked nose darkened. He had paid Yang Kai due respect and expressed his willingness to let him join Hidden Treasure Peak, but the other party rudely turned him down.
“I’ll go to the mountain!” The voice of the Eldest Young Lady Meng Ru was suddenly heard coming from behind.
“Don’t speak nonsense!” Yang Kai snapped.
“En,” Meng Ru obediently shrunk back into the hole.
“It seems that there’s no room for discussion, then.” The hooked nosed man found it to be a pity as he waved his hand and ordered, “Kill!”
Upon realising that he was unable to make Yang Kai join them, he immediately ordered his death. There was no doubt that he was a decisive person.
More than ten archers were already well prepared as they pulled the bows taut. The next moment, a dozen or so arrows came at Yang Kai from different angles.
However, everyone soon became dumbfounded.
That was because Yang Kai wielded his sword and easily fended off all of the arrows. He didn’t even seem to have moved as he stood in front of the Eldest Young Lady of the Meng Manor like a wooden stake.
The man with a hooked nose was stunned.
He knew that Yang Kai was an expert in martial arts since the latter could kill Luo An Guo. Yang Kai’s performance during their pursuit also confirmed his speculation.
Nevertheless, it wasn’t until this moment that the Head Manager realised that he had still underestimated Yang Kai.
If he were faced with the same situation, he could have warded off those arrows as well, but he could never have done it so effortlessly. It was also impossible for him not to move a single step.
These archers were flushing as they felt embarrassed. Before the Head Manager even gave the order, they started shooting arrows at Yang Kai again.
Just like before, Yang Kai easily fended off all the attacks.
The archers became furious. Instead of shooting arrows at the same time, they did it intermittently so that they could find a chance to impale him.
An incense stick later, these archers helplessly lowered their bows as their faces were all red. The mockery from their companions made them hang their heads low.
There were more than ten archers, but after twenty rounds of shooting at Yang Kai, the man still wasn’t harmed one bit. On the other hand, they had no more arrows left.
The Head Manager sported a gloomy expression as well. He reprimanded the people who were laughing and pointed at Yang Kai before giving the order, “You guys over there, go kill him.”
The smiles of those who were ordered to kill Yang Kai froze as they sported bitter expressions; however, they could not disobey the Head Manager, so they had no choice but to drive their horses forward.
At the very least, they knew that they had to work together. They separated and surrounded Yang Kai from different directions.
As they exchanged glances, one of them suddenly charged towards Yang Kai and hacked at him with a sword while the others seized the chance and dashed forward.
Yang Kai lowered his figure to dodge the attack and unsheathed his sword as a glint flashed across his weapon.
The second person extended his sword while the third person, who had excellent riding skills, leaned far off his horse and swept his sword at Yang Kai’s legs while brushing past him.
The others showcased their skills and launched fatal attacks on Yang Kai.
With Yang Kai as the centre, several horses criss-crossed each other.
However, many fell off their horses and collapsed to the ground, apparently dead. Only two of them survived, and when they turned their heads, their faces instantly paled.
Yang Kai remained on the same spot. His top had been cut open as the flesh around his wounds rolled up. His figure was already covered in blood.
Nevertheless, he didn’t seem to care about it one bit.
Blood dripped from his sword and made some pattering sounds on the blood puddle, which was piercing to the ears.
The Head Manager had never been more embarrassed in his life as he growled, “Wastes! You can’t even kill a single person?! All of you, go get him! You don’t have to follow me back to the mountain if you can’t kill him!”
The death of their companions left the others fuming with fury. Although Yang Kai appeared powerful, he was all alone after all. There was no way they were unable to kill him when there were more than 100 of them.
They drew their weapons at the same time and drove the horses forward. They appeared as intimidating as a storm.
Yang Kai tried his best to stabilise his breathing and pulled off his tattered top from his body. He then fastened it around his sword-holding hand so he wouldn’t drop it.
As soon as he was done with that, 100 or so horses came charging towards him from all directions and engulfed him.
Following a guttural roar, Yang Kai slashed his sword as blood was seen spurting out from his enemies. Shrieks were continuously heard.
There was an upside as well as a downside when he told the Eldest Young Lady to hide inside the cave. The upside was that he didn’t have to worry about her safety. As long as he stood steadfastly in front of her, he could ensure that she wouldn’t be harmed.
The downside was that he was unable to move around freely. Once he revealed the woman behind him, those from Hidden Treasure Peak might be able to capture her. Once that happened, Yang Kai wouldn’t be able to save her despite being stronger than these bandits.
It was the same case for those from Hidden Treasure Peak.
While they were pleased to see that the Eldest Young Lady was confined to a spot by Yang Kai, they were unable to freely deal with him in such a small place.
Yang Kai only had to face seven or eight of them at the same time while the others could only circle around in the periphery. There was nothing they could do.
As more people were killed, the spot in front of the cave began running red with blood. The smell of blood was nauseating; however, the Eldest Young Lady, who was hiding in the hole, realised in shock that she wasn’t afraid of such a situation.
She couldn’t figure out what was going on as it was the first time she saw dead people. Any other Young Lady would have passed out in this situation, but she remained clear-headed while she was still able to monitor the young private guard’s condition.
All of a sudden, a corpse collapsed in front of her. It was a bandit who tried to capture Meng Ru while Yang Kai wasn’t paying attention. As soon as he reached this place though, Yang Kai directly killed him with his sword.
It was apparent that the bandit was horrified before his death. Presently, the corpse was right in front of the Eldest Young Lady.
She shot a glance at the corpse before snatching the sword from his hand. While clenching the hilt with both hands, she pressed the tip against her chest.