C.4406
Translator: Silavin & Jon
Translation Checker: PewPewLazerGun
Editor and Proofreader: Leo of Zion Mountain & Dhael Ligerkeys
“We’re willing to be loyal to you until death!” All of them pledged in unison.
Usually, if these people asked to join Twin Spirit Island, Hua Yong would’ve been elated. There had never been a change in the status quo in the Shadowless Cave Heaven over the years. The cultivators from the three great forces would never hop to a different one. Therefore, in order to strengthen one’s great force, they had to wait for newcomers to come into the Shadowless Cave Heaven and immediately lure them in.
For example, as soon as Yang Kai arrived, he came across Ma Tian Yuan who right away tried to recruit him.
Although the powers of these people in the hall varied as they were in the Third, Fourth, and Fifth-Order, they were all still Open Heaven Realm Masters in the end; hence, they could increase Twin Spirit Island’s overall strength.
With that said, there were rarely any newcomers in the Shadowless Cave Heaven. There would usually only be a newcomer every eight to ten years. That was the reason there were only such a small number of cultivators in the Shadowless Cave Heaven.
Zhang Shun and the others wanted to join Twin Spirit Island, but Hua Yong didn’t feel pleased one bit as he was still reeling from the shock of the fact that Profound Yang Mountain had been destroyed, Yun Fei Bai was killed, and Mao Zhe was injured. If he was previously wary of Yang Kai and Lan You Ruo, he was now terrified of them.
Furthermore, Yang Kai had some grudges against those from Profound Yang Mountain. If Hua Yong accepted these people, would Yang Kai be displeased?
The worries in Hua Yong’s mind made him feel apprehensive.
Seeing as a myriad of expressions came over Hua Yong, Shu Mu Dan knew what was on his mind, so she called out gently, “Husband.”
It was then Hua Yong came to his senses and took a glance at Zhang Shun and the others before waving his hand, “Have a rest first.”
He didn’t express whether he agreed to let Zhang Shun and the others join Twin Spirit Island.
The Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master nodded and led the worried Zhang Shun and the others out of the hall.
While Hua Yong was still anxious, someone rushed into the hall and cupped his fist, “Island Masters, Madam Lan wishes to meet you to thank you for allowing her to stay.”
“What!?” Hua Yong stood straight up, “Madam Lan is coming? Is she on her own? Or is she coming with her subordinates?”
The man had no idea why the Island Master appeared so alarmed, but he still replied honestly, “Madam Lan has her three subordinates with her.”
Hua Yong’s face stiffened. Yang Kai alone was terrifying enough, and now Lan You Ruo was coming as well.
Shu Mu Dan asked, “Why do you look so anxious, Husband? Although Yang Kai is a powerful man with incredible methods, we have never offended him. In fact, we’ve given him a hand. He probably won’t harm us.”
There was a bitter smile on Hua Yong’s face as he replied, “I understand what you mean, but you’re fully aware of the situation in the Shadowless Cave Heaven. No one has ever left this place before. If Lan You Ruo and Yang Kai stay on Twin Spirit Island, there won’t be a problem in the short term. However, will they still be willing to act as subordinates in the future?”
Shu Mu Dan said with a frown, “Perhaps you’re overthinking, Husband.”
Hua Yong shook his head, “I think we have to put our guard up.”
His anxiety infected Shu Mu Dan as she said worriedly, “What should we do, then? Are we not going to meet them?”
“They’re already here on Twin Spirit Island, so it’s not like we can avoid meeting them forever.” Hua Yong knitted his brows for a moment before he gritted his teeth, “I guess we have to play it by ear and find out their intentions first. If they insist… We’ll have to give up our positions to them.” He sighed.
Then, he waved his hand and told his subordinate to welcome Madam Lan in before taking a seat.
A moment later, the Proprietress led Yang Kai and the others into the hall while Hua Yong and Shu Mu Dan rose from their seats. After they greeted one another, they sat down.
Hua Yong asked with concern, “Your injuries were fairly serious, Madam. But now, you look glowing. It’s obvious that you’re on the mend.”
The Proprietress replied with a smile, “Many thanks for your concern, Island Master Hua. My injuries have stabilized, so I just need some time to recuperate.”
Hua Yong said smilingly, “Although Twin Spirit Island isn’t big, it is quite peaceful. You can just stay here to recuperate.”
The Proprietress smiled faintly, “I’m worried that we’ll bother you both.”
Shu Mu Dan shook her head, “There’s no need to be so formal with us, Madam Lan. There are rarely visitors on Twin Spirit Island. We’re honoured to have you here.”
Both of them were women, so they had some common interests and soon entered into a jovial chat.
Hua Yong stole glances at Yang Kai from time to time and realised that the latter remained standing silently behind Lan You Ruo as though he was really just a subordinate.
He was shocked as he wondered how charismatic Lan You Ruo must be that someone like Yang Kai was willing to work under her. They didn’t look like a couple either so a romantic relationship seemed unlikely.
It seemed that Lan You Ruo was the leader, so as long as Hua Yong could appease her, things would be easier.
After they chatted for a bit, Hua Yong suddenly asked, “What are your future plans, Madam Lan?”
Upon hearing that, the Proprietress put on a bitter smile, “To be honest with you, Island Master Hua, it has only been a year since this Mistress arrived in the Shadowless Cave Heaven, so I know little about this place. Now, I just want to recuperate, so I don’t have any plans yet.”
Hua Yong probed, “If you’re fine with it, why don’t you join Twin Spirit Island? There are only a small number of safe places in the Shadowless Cave Heaven, and Twin Spirit Island is one of them. By staying here, you’ll be safe from the Astral Wind.”
The reason the Proprietress brought Chef and Accountant to Twin Spirit Island was precisely for securities’ sake. At that time, Yang Kai was unconscious, and she was unable to deal with Yun Fei Bai, Geng Qing, and Zhou Ya on her own; therefore, she wanted to seek refuge in Twin Spirit Island.
Although Hua Yong didn’t immediately accept her, she had expressed her intention to join before, so now that Hua Yong mentioned it again, she would appear capricious if she turned him down.
Before coming to this place, the Proprietress had already pondered on this matter; therefore, upon hearing Hua Yong’s words, she smiled and nodded, “Many thanks, Island Master Hua. This Mistress is more than happy to join Twin Spirit Island.”
Hua Yong guffawed, “It’s wonderful that you’re willing to join Twin Spirit Island. Just like my Wife and I, you are a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so we’d like to appoint you to be the Third Island Master.”
Just when the Proprietress was about to agree to it, Yang Kai, who had remained silent for a long time, suddenly said, “I don’t think it’s appropriate.”
Hua Yong’s face stiffened as his smile froze. Shu Mu Dan was also anxious as she stared fixedly at Yang Kai.
The Proprietress kept a faint smile on her face, but she didn’t ask why Yang Kai turned them down. He must have his own reason for saying that.
After a gulp, Hua Yong stared at Yang Kai and asked, “What do you mean, Brother Yang?”
He called Yang Kai ‘Little Brother’ the last time they met, but now it was ‘Brother Yang’. Apparently, Yang Kai’s status in his mind had changed over the past few days, but no one cared about that small detail at the moment.
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “Twin Spirit Island got its name because there are two similar-looking islands. In that case, there should only be two Island Masters. Why is there a need for a Third Island Master?”
Upon hearing that, Hua Yong felt his heart sinking as he asked in a bitter voice, “What do you think we should do about it then, Brother Yang?”
Yang Kai batted his eyes, wondering why this man even asked such a question.
As their eyes met, Hua Yong looked away and gazed at his Wife’s bulging belly, then he let out a long sigh, “Good. Since you have such an intention, Brother Yang, we’ll grant your wish. I hope that you’ll give us a place to stay on this island, considering that my Wife is still pregnant.”
His words puzzled Yang Kai.
A befuddled Proprietress stared at Hua Yong and asked, “What do you mean, Island Master Hua?”
The furious Hua Yong thought that they were trying to usurp his great force, and now they were even taunting him like this? Since Yang Kai had said that there shouldn’t be a Third Island Master, he apparently didn’t want to be under anyone. Hua Yong wasn’t a match for him, and he had to take care of his Wife and unborn child, so he had no choice but to give in.
While he remained silent, Yang Kai suddenly realised something and asked with a frown, “Are you misunderstanding something, Island Master Hua?”
A dejected Hua Yong stared at him and questioned, “What do you think I’ve misunderstood, Brother Yang?”
Yang Kai burst into laughter, “Are you thinking that since I’ve said there should only be two Island Masters on Twin Spirit Island, it means Proprietress and I want to take over your positions?”
Hua Yong balled up his fists, “Isn’t that what you meant?”
It was then that Chef and Accountant realised what was going on. As they exchanged glances, they smiled helplessly.
Yang Kai shook his head, “You’re overthinking things, Island Master Hua. This Yang doesn’t have such an intention. By saying that there should only be two Island Masters, I mean the Proprietress is not going to join Twin Spirit Island, nor will she become the Third Island Master. It’s not what you think.”
“You’re not going to join Twin Spirit Island?” Hua Yong widened his eyes.
Yang Kai said, “This Yang just hopes that you’ll give us a place to stay while we look for the exit of the Shadowless Cave Heaven; after all, we won’t be staying here forever.”
An embarrassed Hua Yong blushed heavily.
He couldn’t be blamed for having such a misunderstanding, for he had always worried that the arrival of Yang Kai and Lan You Ruo would change the current affairs in Twin Spirit Island. That was why he was overthinking. Furthermore, Yang Kai’s words were pretty ambiguous, which naturally aroused some suspicions.
Now, Hua Yong finally realised that he was reading too much into things.
However, he was still a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master so he was able to regain his composure quickly as he said with a solemn expression, “Are you going to look for the exit of the Shadowless Cave Heaven, Brother Yang?”
“En.” Yang Kai nodded.
Hua Yong sighed and explained, “It’s not that I want to discourage you, but I’m worried that no exit to the Shadowless Cave Heaven exists. It has been over 10,000 years since we arrived in this place, and the Head Mountain Lord of Profound Yang Mountain Mao Zhe and the Three Chiefs of Unrivalled Guild have been around for about as long. If there really was an exit, we would’ve discovered it by now.”
“That’s right. We’ve been looking for the exit for countless years, but we haven’t found a clue yet,” Shu Mu Dan said.
“There’s no harm in trying.” Yang Kai smiled faintly.
Hua Yong bit his tongue when he saw the young man’s expression and nodded, “Since you’re so determined, this Hua will stop dissuading you.”
In fact, he had met many people like Yang Kai before. Every newcomer to the Shadowless Cave Heaven was determined to find the exit at first, but after several tens to hundreds of years, they would lose hope and accept their fate.
“If you can really find the exit, please bring my Wife and I with you when you depart.” Hua Yong cupped his fists with a serious expression.
Yang Kai nodded, “En. If I can find the exit, and both of you are willing to leave with us, we can take care of one another on the road.”
