When everyone heard that name, their gazes instinctively drifted towards the doorway, where a youth entered with a smile, announcing, "Whatever you all have conspired today has nothing to do with my Ye Family. So, whatever you announce later, absolutely do not drag the Ye Family into it, otherwise...!"

"Wait!" Shangguan Qingyun spotted the youth and inquired, "Ye Han, have you become the head of the Ye Family already?"

"Ye Han?" The youth turned, looking at Shangguan Qingyun, and chuckled, "My apologies. I am indeed the head of the Ye Family, but I am not Ye Han!"

"You are not Ye Han?" Everyone stared at the youth in utter disbelief. Looking closer, they truly felt this young man was different from the one they had seen before; aside from a slight resemblance in appearance, everything else was entirely distinct.

"You say you are not Ye Han? Then who are you?" asked the former head of the Nangong family.

"Who I am is unimportant. What matters is that I am the head of the Ye Family." Having spoken, the youth walked out.

The people from the Xuanyuan and Dongfang families also followed them out, their minds swimming with confusion. For some reason, this youth felt vaguely familiar, yet distinctly different from the Ye Han they had previously met.

"Could it be...!" Gongsun Ce spoke up then, "He must be Ye Han's twin brother, Ye Xiaohou!"

"Twin brother?" Shangguan Tengfei was jolted by the words and exclaimed, "No wonder that feeling was so familiar just now. It seems he is indeed Ye Xiaohou from the Black God Gang!"

"That's right. I only heard whispers about it before, but could never confirm. It seems this is indeed true; the Ye Family has two heirs," Gongsun Ce stated.

"This explains why Ye Han tried to win us over using those various identities," Shangguan Qingyun waved his hand. "Gentlemen, since you agree, I will make the announcement later, how about it?"

"Since Brother Shangguan is willing to undertake the task, we brothers certainly have no objection," the assembly responded.

The time for the invitation meeting had not yet arrived, but the crowd was gradually swelling. Yang Yi and his companions entered and casually found a place to sit, surveying their surroundings. Fortunately, the attendance seemed high, yet nothing particularly drew the eye—except that gold, no matter where it is placed, shines; at least on the second floor, two groups had already noticed them.

"It's been three years, and that boy has grown up, matured considerably," Qin Feng murmured, his eyes narrowed as he looked downstairs, amazement churning within him.

It was at this moment that Long San appeared from an unknown location and addressed Qin Feng, "Sir, they are ready. You need to go over there."

"En," Qin Feng nodded and followed Long San, who led the way.

On the other side, a youth, accompanied by two burly men in black suits, descended from upstairs and headed directly toward Yang Yi's location. Yang Yi, who had been deep in thought, softly nudged Xuanyuan Bing: "Yi, look who's here."

"En?" The moment Yang Yi looked up, the approaching party called out, "Boss, you're all here?"

"Fourth Brother, Fourth Brother!" Lin Pangzi and Xu Ming both stood up and walked over to Ye Xiaohou, exchanging a friendly punch. Their camaraderie remained as strong as ever.

"Second Brother, Third Brother, you guys..." Ye Xiaohou looked slightly surprised, asking, "I didn't expect you to come along with the Boss too!"

"Alright, we can catch up later. Fourth Brother, come here; I have something to ask you," Yang Yi said with a slight smile, rolling his eyes playfully at the other two.

"Got it!" Ye Xiaohou waved a hand, signaling the two large men behind him to stand aside. He walked over and sat down beside Yang Yi. Seemingly aware of what Yang Yi wanted to know, he surveyed the area and said in a low voice, "Boss, this situation is very troublesome."

"Troublesome?" Yang Yi heard this, gave a faint smile, and whispered, "How so?"

"Ye Han had approached the members of the Eight Great Families..."

"You don't need to tell me about that; I already know. What I want to know is about your Ye Family situation." Before Ye Xiaohou could finish, Yang Yi cut him off. "It seems you are the head of the Ye Family now?"

"En!" Ye Xiaohou replied without false modesty.

"Damn, not bad, Fourth Brother," Lin Pangzi raised his thumb in approval.

Xu Ming, standing nearby, simply smiled faintly and nodded. "Fourth Brother, the Boss wants to know what Ye Han is truly trying to accomplish."

"That probably relates to the Four Great Sects and the power behind him," Ye Xiaohou mused seriously. "I wonder if you all have heard of the Heavenly Ghost and Heavenly Dragon lineages?"

"The Heavenly Ghost and Heavenly Dragon lineages?" Everyone present was stunned by these words, hearing these new terms for the first time today. Ye Xiaohou then recounted the matters of the Heavenly Ghost lineage and the recent events within the Ye Family to Yang Yi.

It turned out that when the Ye Family heir was supposed to fulfill the Five-Year Pact, Ye Han abdicated, handing the entire Ye Family over to Ye Xiaohou, and simultaneously announced his departure from the family, severing all ties. No one knew the reason for this action, nor could anyone guess. Moreover, after he left the Ye Family, various latent forces began to emerge wildly.

Most importantly, before leaving, Ye Han informed Ye Xiaohou that he never cared about the position of Ye Family Head because he had already become the Sect Master of the Heavenly Ghost lineage, one of the two supreme lineages in the world, wielding a power that surpassed even the combined might of two Ye Families.

The Heavenly Ghost and Heavenly Dragon lineages were legendary clans, evolving from the descendants of the Divine Physician Hua Tuo. These lineages comprised individuals who forged themselves into supreme martial artists by relying on superior cultivation techniques to temper their meridians. However, due to the passage of time and inherent issues within the lineage system itself, the so-called Heavenly Dragon and Heavenly Ghost factions emerged.

"Ye Han's ambition is not small. He intends to use the affair of the Eight Great Families to intimidate the government; this will make whatever they plan to do in the future much smoother. As for what that plan is, I believe, Boss, I don't need to explain it further to you," Ye Xiaohou concluded.

"I never realized that besides the Four Great Sects, there are two other major lineages existing in Huaxia," Yang Yi felt a sense of shock. Whether it was Ye Han's matters or the affairs of the two lineages, things were becoming increasingly complicated.

"However, Boss, tonight he will surely come looking for you, because he mentioned previously that he is eagerly anticipating a confrontation with you, and that goal is not simple."

Hearing this, Yang Yi merely smiled faintly and said, "Originally, everyone had ulterior motives. But I'm curious to learn more about the Heavenly Ghost and Heavenly Dragon lineages. Tell me, at least let me be somewhat prepared."

"Indeed. If Fourth Brother hadn't revealed this today, none of us would have known that there are forces in this world that surpass the Four Great Sects," Lin Pangzi remarked. Indeed, in the eyes of the lineage members, the Four Great Sects were akin to a mere branch, controlling only about half their power.

The group spent time talking as the venue filled up. The banquet was about to commence, and many important figures began to emerge. Yang Yi and the others knew the banquet was starting, and the true "Hongmen Banquet"—a treacherous feast—was imminent. What would happen next, no one could predict.

"Yi, I need to leave for a moment," Xuanyuan Bing told Yang Yi after spotting her father.

Ye Xiaohou did the same. Yang Yi naturally understood they needed to go up to the main stage, as they were members of the Eight Great Families. In an instant, only Yang Yi and Lin Pangzi remained downstairs. Xuanyuan Bing walked to Xuanyuan Hao's side; Ye Xiaohou took his own designated spot; and Xu Ming stood beside his father, Xu Guang. Evidently, even representatives from the Four Major Military Regions were present. Furthermore, the three Princes of the Northern Underworld had also appeared, and they were standing on the main stage—which, as the name implied, signified their extraordinary status.

"Boss, over there is the Dragon Lord of the Black God Gang," Fang Kai said to Ling Feng.

Ling Feng looked toward Yang Yi, a subtle smile playing on his lips. "The Dragon Lord of the Black God Gang. It seems the time for us to become acquainted is drawing near."

"However, Boss, Ye Han also seems interested in the Dragon Lord of the Black God Gang; look over by the entrance!" Mo Leng pointed toward the doorway and commented.

Ling Feng and Fang Kai followed his gaze and saw Ye Han approaching, flanked by two middle-aged men in tailored suits with long hair. Their hearts sank slightly. "Dragon Ranking masters?"

"Those two should be the legendary Heavenly-tier masters," Mo Ran stated.

"It seems the main event of this Hongmen Banquet isn't us!" Ling Feng let out a wry smile, sensing something. For the three Princes, Yang Yi alone was a handful; with Ye Han added to the mix, even the Four Major Military Regions might be outmatched. However, given Ye Han's tenuous connection with the Four Major Military Regions, Ling Feng didn't dwell too much on it, only feeling a slight sense of reluctance about potentially having to submit to Ye Han's orders.

"Hmph? Finally appearing, are we?"

In their first glance, the two had never met before, yet in this single moment, they recognized each other instantly. Whether it was Yang Yi or Ye Han, both perceived the other immediately. Yang Yi watched the youth advancing from the doorway, his heart seized with awe, recognizing him as Ye Han from that very first look. Ye Han, too, stared at Yang Yi, ignoring everyone else, as if only the two of them existed in the entire hall. An ineffable aura instantly swept outwards.

Both seemed to instantly forget everything else, gazing intently at the other.