Seeing that Xiao Yunlong merely sat there playing chess without any reaction, Chu Huaimin, the City Lord of Jiangdong, remained kneeling on one knee with his hands clasped in a respectful gesture. A hint of nervousness, even panic, flickered across his face, fearing that the Zhenbei King might blame him.
Despite Chu Huaimin's status as the City Lord of Jiangdong, his position was far inferior when facing the King of the Northern Territory.
Especially since his subordinates, Deputy Commander Sun Lihu and Deputy City Lord Liao Huachen, had both attempted to kill the Zhenbei King. If Xiao Yunlong were to pursue this matter relentlessly, Chu Huaimin knew all too well that he, as the City Lord, would inevitably bear responsibility.
It was precisely for this reason that upon receiving the token from Tang Tianbao, he had rushed over without hesitation to confess his guilt!
The two personal guards behind him, perhaps unwilling to see Chu Huaimin in such a state, attempted to help him up.
"Get lost, this has nothing to do with you!" Chu Huaimin snapped. As the lord of a city, his words and demeanor still carried some authority.
After making his move, Xiao Yunlong finally looked up and glanced at him, saying, "You are Chu Huaimin, the City Lord of Jiangdong!"
"Replying to Your Highness the Zhenbei King, it is indeed I!"
Chu Huaimin nodded slightly, then continued, "Your Highness the Northern King, regarding the attempted assassination by Sun Lihu and Liao Huachen, I was on a business trip in the Eastern Region recently and was completely unaware of this. Otherwise, I would not have allowed them to act so recklessly. I take responsibility for this matter, and I humbly request Your Highness the Northern King to punish me!"
"Rise and speak. The two of them are already dead, and this matter ends here!" Xiao Yunlong waved his hand dismissively.
"Thank you, Your Highness the Northern King!" Chu Huaimin immediately breathed a sigh of relief and stood up.
Xiao Yunlong then continued playing chess, paying no further attention to the City Lord of Jiangdong.
The spacious courtyard fell silent once more. Aunt Ni Hongyan and the others had already been shocked beyond words and had yet to recover, making them unable to speak.
Of course, among those present who felt shocked was also eldest cousin Tang Bowen. He stared at Xiao Yunlong with wide, unblinking eyes, his heart churning like a stormy sea. He was even trembling from sheer excitement. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
The atmosphere seemed to grow a bit awkward. Chu Huaimin could tell that His Highness the Northern King was deliberately keeping him waiting. After some thought, he had to brace himself and ask, "May I ask Your Highness the Northern King, you summoned me using the royal decree today, what are your orders?"
Xiao Yunlong did not turn his head to look at him, merely remarking with a faint sarcasm, "The voices in the imperial capital calling for the abolishment of my title as the King of the Northern Territory are growing louder. Moreover, the Zhang family from the Northeast has already sent vanguard forces into the Northern Territory. I am now like a tiger fallen to the plains, a solitary figure. Do you still recognize me as the Zhenbei King?"
Chu Huaimin gave a wry smile and said, "Your Highness the Northern King jokes. As long as the Dragon Country's decree to depose the king has not been issued, you are still the King of the Northern Territory, and I naturally recognize you!"
This statement was impeccably phrased, using the highest authority of the Dragon Country, leaving Xiao Yunlong with no room for criticism.
Of course, while he tried his best to maintain composure outwardly, Chu Huaimin was inwardly trembling. The current status of the Zhenbei King was too precarious and sensitive. To say he was still the King of the Northern Territory, yet in reality, he was a solitary figure whose power had been usurped.
However, if he were to say he was no longer the Northern King, the Dragon Country had never officially issued a decree to depose him. And as long as Xiao Yunlong still held the title of Zhenbei King, he possessed the ultimate power of life and death. Therefore, Chu Huaimin had to tread carefully.
"You are quite perceptive!" Xiao Yunlong smiled faintly, then suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, what do you know about the Jiangdong Martial Alliance Leader? I heard he hails from the Kunlun Hidden Sect in the Western Regions?"
Chu Huaimin replied truthfully, "The Jiangdong Martial Alliance Leader, Hua Xiaorong, indeed hails from the Kunlun Hidden Sect in the Western Regions. However, I am unaware of the specific sect or force he belongs to. Although I have some acquaintance with him, he has always been discreet and rarely discusses matters of the Western Regions' hidden sects in public."
"By the way, Your Highness the Northern King, why do you inquire about Hua Xiaorong's origins?" Chu Huaimin added after a pause.
Xiao Yunlong smiled faintly and said, "It seems you haven't received the news yet. The Martial Alliance Leader Hua Xiaorong has issued a challenge to me, and we are to fight in two days, on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, the Dragon Boat Festival!"
"What? Hua Xiaorong issued a challenge to you?" Chu Huaimin's eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly calmed down.
Since Hua Xiaorong was backed by the Kunlun Hidden Sect, his background and support might not be inferior to the King of the Northern Territory. Especially in recent years, the various hidden sects of Kunlun in the Western Regions had increasingly interfered in worldly affairs. It could even be said that many influential families and powerful figures in the imperial capital had the shadows of Western Regions' hidden sects behind them.
"What do you think of this matter?" Xiao Yunlong asked.
Chu Huaimin carefully considered the situation before replying, "Replying to Your Highness the Northern King, although the Jiangdong Martial Alliance falls within my jurisdiction, due to the peculiar nature of the Martial Alliance, many things are not under my control, especially its leader. Therefore, even if I wanted Hua Xiaorong to abandon the challenge, I would likely be powerless. He might not listen to me."
"Alright, since that's the case, do not interfere in this matter!" Xiao Yunlong waved his hand.
Chu Huaimin sighed helplessly. Although he was the City Lord of Jiangdong, lacking a powerful background, he was often unable to even mobilize the Martial Alliance, which was truly frustrating.
"There's nothing else. Take your people and withdraw!" Xiao Yunlong flicked his hand.
"Yes, Your Highness the Northern King!" Chu Huaimin turned to leave, but paused before departing. He clasped his hands and said, "By the way, Your Highness the Northern King, as the host, it is my duty to welcome you to Jiangdong. I plan to host a banquet at Wangdong Tower this noon. Would Your Highness the Northern King honor us with your presence?"
"I have nothing else to do today, so let's do it this noon!" Xiao Yunlong nodded.
Chu Huaimin was overjoyed. The fact that the Zhenbei King agreed to the banquet meant that he truly did not intend to hold him accountable.
"Thank you, Your Highness the Northern King, for gracing us with your presence. I will then lead the important members of the City Lord's Mansion to await your arrival at Wangdong Tower!"
After saying this, Chu Huaimin turned, waved, and left with his retinue of guards.
The courtyard fell silent again. Just as a game of chess concluded, the morning sun had become quite intense.
To break the awkward silence, Tang Zengshou waved his hand and ordered, "What are you all standing around for? Your Yunlong and I have been playing chess all morning, and we haven't even had a cup of tea. Hurry up and tell the servants to make some!"
The third aunt was the first to react and quickly said, "I'll go, I'll go right away!"
She then hurried into the house. In reality, the tea had long been prepared by the servants, but it had not been brought out without an order.
This time, the third aunt personally carried a tray to Xiao Yunlong.
Before the third aunt could pour the tea, Ni Hongyan quickly snatched the teacup and said, "Let me pour the tea."
"This is fine tea we brought from Chuan City. Please try it!" Ni Hongyan said with a smile.
Xiao Yunlong did not speak and took a sip from the teacup.
The eldest aunt and the third aunt exchanged glances, then suddenly bent their knees as if to kneel.
"Yunlong, it was our fault before. We were blind and repeatedly offended and disrespected you. We beg you..."
However, before they could kneel, Xiao Yunlong waved his right hand from a distance, and an invisible force gently supported them.
"What are the two aunts doing? I am the junior, and you are the elders. Doing this would be an insult to me," Xiao Yunlong said.
The two aunts thought Xiao Yunlong did not forgive them and stood there awkwardly, forcing themselves to say, "Yunlong, we know we were wrong. We truly didn't know you were the Zhenbei King, which is why we repeatedly offended and disrespected you. Let this cup of tea be our apology. We beg you..."
"Alright, I'll drink this cup of tea. We are all family, and there's no need to dwell on the past!" Xiao Yunlong took the teacup and drank it down in one gulp.
"Really? Yunlong, you're not tricking us, are you?" Ni Hongyan asked.
"Cousin Yunlong, we've agreed on this. You're not allowed to mention the past again. I hope you'll keep your word," Tang Wenya also stepped forward and said.
Seeing this, Tang Zengshou waved his hand and said, "Are you all done? Yunlong is the Zhenbei King, how could he be so narrow-minded? He wouldn't bother with you. If he truly wanted to deal with you, you would have died countless times already!"
His words made Ni Hongyan and the others lower their heads in shame, wishing they could dig a hole and disappear into it.
"Alright, you all go to the side. Yunlong will be attending the banquet at noon, so there's no need to prepare anything. However, prepare a decent family dinner for tonight. Invite Shan Bao and Fourth Sister and their families. Let's all celebrate together," Tang Zengshou ordered.
Ni Hongyan immediately nodded, "Old Master, you are right. We should indeed celebrate properly. I never imagined Yunlong would be the Zhenbei King. Our family has produced such a remarkable figure. Now we can finally hold our heads high. Yunlong's mother would also be comforted if she knew."
Xiao Yunlong could only offer a bitter smile at these words and said nothing more.
"Hurry up and prepare, stop dawdling!" Tang Zengshou waved his hand.
The two aunts nodded with smiles and turned to enter the main hall. Tang Wenya had wanted to say something more to Xiao Yunlong, but considering their respective statuses, her mind suddenly went blank, and she even lacked the courage to speak to him directly.
Eldest cousin Tang Bowen had been staring at Xiao Yunlong. It was only now that he suddenly asked, "Yunlong, are you truly our Dragon Country's Zhenbei King?"
"Genuine and authentic!" Xiao Yunlong turned to look at him.
"I should have realized it long ago. Although the Zhenbei King always wore a golden mask in public, it was said that he was not old. Combined with your performance these past few days, I should have figured it out earlier. Look at my intelligence; all these years of studying military and Yin-Yang texts have been in vain."
Tang Bowen shook his head repeatedly, looking regretful.
Suddenly, without any warning, Tang Bowen stood up from his wheelchair, his face filled with excitement, "I still can't believe you, Yunlong, are the Zhenbei King. He is a god in my eyes, the belief I have pursued my entire life. To think that this person is right beside me, and I didn't know. This is truly..."
It was evident that Tang Bowen was very excited, even speaking incoherently.
Tang Wenya, however, widened her eyes and exclaimed, "Big Brother, you... you can stand up! What... what is going on?"
"I can stand up?"
Even Tang Bowen himself had not realized it. Hearing his cousin's shout, he looked down and was stunned, "I can stand up! I can really stand up!"
Tang Wenya quickly turned and shouted into the house, "Auntie, Big Brother's legs are healed! He can stand up! Come out and see!"
"What did you say? Bowen's legs are healed?"
Ni Hongyan, who was inside, heard the shout and rushed out. She then saw Tang Bowen standing still, covering her mouth and exclaiming, "It's true! Bowen, your legs are really healed, you can really stand up! Thank heavens!"
Tang Zengshou was also very happy, but he said sternly, "Bowen can stand up because you should thank Yunlong, not heaven. If it weren't for his help, Bowen would likely have spent his life in a wheelchair."
Ni Hongyan nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, Father, you are right. This time we really need to thank Yunlong properly. Bowen can stand up again and is no longer a cripple. This is simply giving him a second life."
Even Tang Bowen himself looked bewildered. After a moment of stunned silence, he asked, "Yunlong, what exactly is going on? My legs..."
Xiao Yunlong, though his face was calm, was also quite surprised. He smiled faintly and said, "Your legs are not actually healed, but congratulations, cousin. You have broken through."
"I broke through?" Tang Bowen finally came to his senses. He frowned, and with a thought, wisps of energy, invisible to ordinary eyes, appeared on his surface.
"I can't believe I actually broke through, reached that realm. This also means that from now on, I can at least walk like a normal person!"
Tang Bowen let out a long cry to the heavens. Suddenly, his figure flickered, and he leaped high into the air.
As a gust of wind swept across everyone's faces, Tang Bowen landed on the courtyard wall.
This completely shocked Ni Hongyan and the third aunt and others who had rushed out upon hearing the commotion. Their mouths hung open, their faces filled with profound shock.
"Haha... Good, this is too good! Thank you, Yunlong, this time!"
Tang Bowen said loudly, then moved his body and approached Xiao Yunlong. He clasped his hands and said with a loud voice, "Your Highness the Northern King, I have now cultivated to the level of a Grandmaster of Hua Jin, and I have some strength. From now on, I wish to follow you. Please give me this opportunity!"
"You wish to follow me?" Xiao Yunlong asked in surprise.
"Yes, to be honest, the Zhenbei King is like a god to me, my faith. I have always wished to follow him and achieve something. I suppose it was because I was extremely excited upon learning your identity just now that I broke through the bottleneck!"
Having said this, Tang Bowen directly knelt on one knee and clasped his hands, "I implore Your Highness the Northern King to give me this opportunity!"
Xiao Yunlong saw the resolute determination in his eyes and said solemnly, "You should be well aware of my current predicament. I will undoubtedly face attacks from various quarters. Following me means immense danger, and it's very possible that I will be completely suppressed and unable to return. Have you considered all of this?"
"I have certainly considered it. I am not afraid of any of this. Of course, I also believe that Your Highness the Northern King will eventually return. I am willing to follow Your Highness the Northern King for the rest of my life, at your command, even if it means death without regret. Moreover, my second life was given by you!" Tang Bowen said.
Xiao Yunlong finally nodded.
Seeing this, the third aunt quickly said, "Zijun, what are you still standing there for? Hurry up and let Yunlong accept you. Follow Yunlong from now on. With the Zhenbei King covering for you, you will surely achieve great things in the future, or at least secure an official position."
Saying this, the third aunt prepared to pull Tang Zijun over.
Tang Zengshou said sternly, "Enough. Don't cause trouble with Zijun's mediocre skills. Yunlong is the Zhenbei King. Do you really think he accepts just anyone?"
The third aunt became anxious and exclaimed, "Father, how can you say that? Zijun is also your grandson. Besides, Zijun has been practicing Taekwondo for many years and has learned some martial arts. His skills are not bad."
After speaking, the third aunt turned to Xiao Yunlong and said, "Yunlong, Zijun is also your cousin. We are like siblings. Why don't you accept him too? Let him follow you from now on, okay?"
Xiao Yunlong smiled and said, "I can accept him, but I have a condition."
"What condition?" the third aunt asked.
"As long as cousin Zijun can also leap onto the city wall from the spot like eldest cousin, remember, no running start. This condition should not be difficult for a martial arts master like Zijun, right?" Xiao Yunlong said.
"Zijun, what are you still waiting for? Hurry up and move!" the third aunt urged. However, Tang Zijun remained rooted to the spot, his face flushed red.
Seeing this, the third aunt was stunned and finally understood.
"Third Aunt, it's not that I'm showing favoritism. You heard me just now, following me is always fraught with extreme danger. There are many people in this world who want me dead. With Zijun's skills and intelligence, following me might not be a good thing. It might even cost him his life."
Xiao Yunlong paused and then continued, "How about this, let him follow Sixth Uncle from now on. With my help, Sixth Uncle has achieved some success."
The third aunt still seemed unwilling, but Tang Zengshou made the final decision, "Do as much as you are capable of. It's settled!"
The third aunt and the others said no more.
However, at this moment, Xiao Yunlong's phone suddenly rang. It was from Foy.
As soon as the call connected, Foy said anxiously, "Mr. Xiao, something has happened to Miss Liu!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yunlong's brow immediately furrowed.