After hearing Lin Bai’s words, everyone except Yang Yi’s expression shifted in that instant. However, there was no panic in their movements, only looks of confusion directed at Lin Bai.

“Who are these people?” Yang Yi also felt a pang of suspicion. Who would know he arrived in Hangzhou today and come directly here to find him?

“Eight foreigners.”

“Eight foreigners?” Yang Yi mused, a sinister smile suddenly stretching across his lips as he said, “Bring them in.”

“Yes!” Although Lin Bai had no idea who those foreigners were, upon hearing Yang Yi’s command, he immediately turned and headed towards the door.

“Boss, eight foreigners, who are they?” Xu Ming asked.

“Yeah, Big Boss! Who are those people?”

“Ugh!” Hearing them, Yang Yi felt a mixture of amusement and frustration, genuinely wanting to give the two clowns a light swat. Damn it, one moment they call him ‘Old Boss,’ the next ‘Big Boss,’ and now outright ‘Gang Leader.’ He sighed helplessly, “Who they are, you’ll know when they arrive, won’t you?”

Before long, the eight foreign men and women were led into the larger room where Yang Yi and the others were gathered by Lin Bai. The moment the eight figures stepped across the threshold, three sudden gusts of wind swept past, and three elegantly dressed Burmese women suddenly clung to Yang Yi, crying out, “Oh! My dearest Young Master, Irene has finally seen you.”

“Young Master, Allen misses you.”

“Young Master, Aisha misses you too.”

The three women rubbed insistently against Yang Yi’s face, their chests pressing against him from various angles, rendering the others—who hadn't quite processed the scene—stunned and staring blankly at Yang Yi. Except for Xuanyuan Bing, the rest had completely forgotten they were drinking; their cups remained frozen near their lips.

“Your subordinates pay their respects to the Young Master!” Their extremely elegant and captivating noble etiquette left everyone momentarily bewildered, perhaps still unable to fully grasp the situation.

“Mmm, you all made it?” Yang Yi suppressed the impulse stirring in his mind, body, and even in his spirit, saying to the three women hanging on him, “Alright, you three, come down now. You’re about to squeeze the air out of me.”

“Yes!” The three women obediently slid off Yang Yi and stood to the side.

Undoubtedly, these eight were the Eight Grand Dukes of the British Bloodlines. Their presence here indicated that matters in Britain were settled. Yet, Yang Yi felt a touch of contempt for himself. Blast it, the Eight Grand Dukes of the Bloodlines—these people possessed incredibly strong life forces. They had been locked away in dungeons for thirty years. Now released, the men looked no older than thirty, and the women around twenty-three. They all appeared so young, but who could know their true ages?

Link was the oldest among them, over one hundred and thirty years old. Chad, Charlie, Ollie, and Leo were all somewhere between one hundred and twenty and one hundred and twenty-seven. Irene, Aisha, and Ellen were only just over one hundred years old. It was clear these eight monsters had ages that defied imagination; ordinary people would have died countless times over by now.

“Have your matters been sorted out?” Yang Yi knew the question was redundant, but glancing sideways at the people nearby, he felt compelled to ask.

“Yes, we have completely refurbished our Bloodline castle and have been vigorously expanding our influence within the Vatican. According to the limitations stipulated by the Young Master, no member of the Bloodline within the Vatican is permitted to step so much as half a step outside the Vatican without the direct command of a Bloodline Prince,” Link reported.

“Mmm, well done,” Yang Yi said, his gaze lingering with amusement on Fatty Lin and the others.

Indeed, as soon as Yang Yi finished speaking, a barrage of questions erupted from them in a rush.

“Boss, they are the Bloodlines?”

“Brother Yi, I truly envy you, those three…”

“Big Boss, you are truly my idol, I worship you so much.”

“Alright, you few…!” Yang Yi tapped his forehead in mild distress. “They are the Eight Grand Dukes of the Bloodlines. Uh, perhaps now they should be called the Eight Bloodline Princes.”

“Bloodline Princes?” Hearing this, everyone gained some understanding.

However, Xu Ming looked quite surprised. “Boss, I never thought you were the one behind the mess in Britain. Haha, you are truly an astonishing figure, worthy of being my boss! You know, over at the official side, those old guys racked their brains trying to figure out who the hell exposed the ugliness of Six Carat and the former British royalty, and it turns out it was you!”

“Exactly, Big Boss, you’re the best! We admire you more and more. Our reverence for you is like the endless flow of a great river… (Ten Thousand Words Omitted!)!” The two praised Yang Yi to the heavens and the earth, then suddenly shifted their tone, “So, Big Boss, take us on as your followers.”

“Mmm-hmm!” Yang Yi waved his hand and shook his head. He didn’t want his future life to become miserable. Changing Xu Ming and Ye Xiaohou was already tiring enough; adding two more people now was something he would avoid. Thus, he refused with a shake of his head. The latter two wore looks of dejection, sitting aside with downcast heads, appearing rather pitiful. Yang Yi paid them no mind; it wasn’t cruelty, but he knew that if he softened his heart even a little, it would lead to true harshness later.

“However, Third Brother, those old men from the official side you mentioned, could it be…!” Seeing Xu Ming nod with sudden seriousness, Yang Yi couldn’t help but offer a wry smile before continuing, “It is as I suspected. Alas, I knew the purpose of this Hongmen Banquet wasn’t simple, but hearing the real objective still managed to catch me off guard.”

“Boss, in my opinion… this whole thing wasn’t orchestrated by the current family head. Previously, Second Brother reached cooperation agreements with the Shangguan, Gongsun, and Xuanyuan families, and I believe they won’t easily go back on their word. The only one capable of pulling off something like this would be someone with greater capability than the current family head,” Xu Ming’s words were somewhat cryptic, but Fatty Lin and Xuanyuan Bing seemed to grasp the meaning, their complexions changing dramatically.

“Yi, could it be…” Xuanyuan Bing asked, disbelief etched on her face.

“Mmm,” Yang Yi nodded solemnly. “This is not your fault; you were kept in the dark too.”

“Among the Eight Great Families, the Dongfang Family and the Xuanyuan Family likely had no part in this. But the Shangguan, Gongsun, Nangong, Ximen, and Tang families have all reached consensus with the state, demanding protection. Aside from official power, no other force can move against them now; any action will result in severe legal punishment. That’s a very clever move, completely cornering the Boss into an indefensible position,” Xu Ming stated, a cold edge to his voice.

Guo Qing chimed in, saying, “To ensure their families aren’t annihilated by outsiders, nor controlled by anyone, these families chose to cooperate with the state, essentially becoming national treasures under guardianship. In return, the lineage of the family will receive the state’s protection—which is precisely what the authorities need. After all, the martial power within these families is truly earth-shattering in this modern age.”

“Third Brother, are you saying what you mean?” Fatty Lin’s face darkened the most upon hearing this. Seeing Xu Ming nod, his heart sank. “How could this be? Damn it, I should have wiped them out back then!”

“In short, the purpose of this Hongmen Banquet hosted by the Eight Great Families is this. Truthfully, I don’t really care about most of it, as I have absolutely no interest in the influence of the Eight Great Families. However, there is one family that causes me considerable worry,” Yang Yi said.

“The Ye Family?” Xu Ming inquired.

“Mmm. The Ye Family has a fifty-fifty chance of participating in this Hongmen Banquet, and a fifty-fifty chance of opposing it.”

“Boss, your analysis is sound, but the Eight Great Families have been passed down since ancient times, generation after generation continuing the bloodline. Some families might not willingly submit to state management. But perhaps this arrangement is for the best; once those families are affiliated with the state, no other family will dare threaten the nation in the future, and no one will oppose us. This outcome might be the best one,” Xu Ming reasoned.

“So! I think this incident is related to Ye Han too.”

“I’ve heard a little about this matter,” Xuanyuan Bing said. “I recall my father mentioning a few days ago that Ye Han had sought out the former heads of the Eight Great Families, not as the heir of the Ye Family, but using a rather peculiar, multi-layered identity.”

“A peculiar, multi-layered identity?!” Hearing Xuanyuan Bing say this, both Yang Yi and Xu Ming frowned, asking in unison, “What identity?”

“Sect Master of the Dragon Gate, Sect Master of the Carefree Gate, and Sect Master of the Demon Gate! As for what he discussed with the former heads of the Eight Great Families, my father didn't elaborate.”

“That punk!” A cold glint flashed in Yang Yi’s eyes. “I know what he’s trying to do.”

“Brother Yi, is he trying to unite the Eight Great Families?”

“Don’t be foolish. That’s impossible. The Dongfang Family among the Eight Great Families is affiliated with our Xuanmen; their deep-rooted connection isn’t something Ye Han can simply unify. Besides, didn’t the Xuanyuan Family already respond?” Yang Yi narrowed his eyes, taking a sip of red wine. “It seems Third Brother is right; we need to be cautious about this Hongmen Banquet. Since Ye Han is behind this—no, to be precise, he was forced into this.”