Xiao Yunlong moved slowly, his casual demeanor making him look like he was merely strolling. He raised his head, his forward-thrusting fist appearing to carry no force.
However, only Xiao Yunlong knew that this punch had already activated three divine kingdoms. On the surface, he appeared unruffled, but in reality, his fist was imbued with the boundless power of the divine kingdoms.
"Seeking death!"
The red-robed, anonymous elder opposite him couldn't help but sneer. He channeled the Yin Nether energy within his body to his palm, which was instantly enveloped by a chilling aura. Under these circumstances, his palm strike was undoubtedly astonishingly powerful.
At this moment, Murong Bai couldn't help but curl his lips into a triumphant smile.
But in the next instant, Murong Bai's laughter abruptly ceased, his pupils widened, and his face was filled with shock and horror.
In a flash, fist and palm met!
With a bang, the red-robed elder's body trembled, a trickle of blood suddenly appeared at the corner of his mouth, and under the stunned gazes of everyone present, this strangely dressed elder in red slowly toppled over.
"You... you actually..."
The red-robed Yin Nether elder pointed at Xiao Yunlong with his finger, but before he could finish speaking, he crashed to the ground, already dead.
It seemed that Xiao Yunlong's punch had not only broken his Yin Nether Divine Palm but had also critically injured his internal organs, killing him on the spot.
"What? You actually killed him, he this..."
The most shocked among those present was naturally the other purple-robed elder. He stared wide-eyed at his fallen companion, his face filled with disbelief.
Xiao Yunlong looked up at him and coldly chuckled, "As a companion, can you bear to let him go on his journey alone?"
"Damn it, you don't even look over twenty-five years old, yet your martial cultivation is already so terrifying. Since you killed him, it means your cultivation must be above that of a Martial King who has achieved the Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown. Such cultivation is insurmountable..."
Before he could finish speaking, this purple-robed Yin Nether elder suddenly sprang up from the ground and lunged towards the nearby wall, attempting to escape.
"Trying to escape under my nose, do you think you can get away!"
Xiao Yunlong sneered and unleashed a palm strike from a distance.
Imperceptibly, everyone heard a whistling sound as the air was torn apart. In the next moment, the purple-robed elder let out a scream and fell from the wall, dead.
After the scream, the entire courtyard fell into a deathly silence. All the members of the Murong family stood frozen in place, their faces filled with terror. The timid ones were already trembling uncontrollably.
Murong Bai felt a chill down his spine, cold sweat breaking out all over his body. Although he tried his best to remain calm, his hands were still shaking.
Xiao Yunlong turned and gave him a cold glance, then walked towards the pavilion and sat in the main seat. He first chose to boil water, then leisurely brewed a pot of new tea, and finally, comfortably savored it alone.
"Top-grade West Lake Longjing. I heard this stuff is hard to come by these days. It has excellent color, aroma, and taste. Not bad, not bad!" Xiao Yunlong clicked his tongue.
Throughout this time, the courtyard remained unusually quiet, the air filled with a suppressed and tense atmosphere. Only the gurgling sound of boiling water could be heard. All the members of the Murong family watched Xiao Yunlong in awe, not daring to speak, let alone breathe heavily.
The patriarch, Murong Feng, could no longer endure the oppressive silence and suddenly knelt before Xiao Yunlong with a thud, wailing loudly, "Mr. Xiao, I was wrong. Our Murong family was wrong. We should never have offended you. We beg you to show mercy and forgive our Murong family's transgression!"
Perhaps catching the contagion, the chief elder, Murong Qi, after a slight hesitation, also knelt before Xiao Yunlong, pleading, "There's a saying in the martial world, 'We don't know each other until we fight.' After this battle, we realize that Mr. Xiao's martial cultivation is heaven-defying. We are convinced, completely convinced. Mr. Xiao, as long as you speak, no matter the condition, our Murong family will agree. We beg you to spare us this time!"
Xiao Yunlong did not speak, nor did he even glance at the two old men kneeling on the ground. He continued to leisurely sip his tea.
Seeing this, Murong Bai's eyes twitched. He knew that the other party was waiting for him to make a statement, but as the deputy commander of the Eastern Domain Camp, he had his status and position. How could he possibly kneel to a beardless youth?
Gritting his teeth, Murong Bai stood tall, staring at Xiao Yunlong and shouting, "Xiao, I admit I misjudged you. You are indeed very strong. As they say, the victor is king and the vanquished is bandit, there's nothing to say about that. But there's one thing I need to tell you: I am the fifth deputy commander of the Eastern Domain Camp!"
Only then did Xiao Yunlong look up at him, a cold smile playing on his lips, "So what? Do you think I wouldn't dare to touch you, the fifth deputy commander of the Eastern Domain Camp, or kill your Murong family?"
Murong Bai's face was grim. He said in a deep voice, "This is Gusu City, belonging to the Eastern Domain. If you dare to touch me, the Eastern Domain Camp will definitely not let you off. Even if you escape the Eastern Domain, the Eastern Domain Camp's law enforcement guards will pursue you."
Having said that, Murong Bai let out a cold laugh and continued, "Perhaps you don't know what a deputy commander means, but I can tell you clearly: if I am killed, not only will the Eastern Domain pursue it, but it will even alarm the imperial capital. You should think carefully about the consequences!"
Xiao Yunlong smiled and shook his head, "A mere deputy commander, truly speaking with such arrogance. Those who don't know would think you are the king of this Eastern Domain!"
Murong Bai thought he had intimidated the other party and couldn't help but smile slightly, snorting coldly, "I am merely stating facts. Of course, if Your Excellency is willing to show leniency, feel free to state any requirements or conditions. As long as our Gusu Murong family can fulfill them, we will certainly comply!"
Tu Fu, standing beside him, couldn't help but snort, "You dare to threaten and warn without even knowing the identity and background of my master. What an ignorant fool who thinks too highly of himself!"
Zhuge Wushuang also sneered, "Such an arrogant fellow truly deserves to die!"
Murong Bai's heart suddenly sank. Indeed, even at this point, he still didn't know the identity and background of the young man with short hair in front of him.
"What is your background?" Murong Bai gritted his teeth and asked.
"Heh, you finally remember to ask about my identity and background? Fine, let me let you die with clarity!"
As Xiao Yunlong spoke, he took out the Northern King Token he carried and tossed it onto the tea table.
Because Xiao Yunlong usually appeared wearing a bronze mask, even Murong Bai, a general of the Eastern Domain Camp, could not recognize him. However, he certainly could not fail to recognize this Northern King Token.
With just one glance at the Northern King Token on the tea table, Murong Bai was struck as if by lightning. His entire body froze in place, and then he began to tremble like a sieve.
Suddenly, with a thud, Murong Bai's legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground. His face, pale as paper, was filled with despair.
"I didn't expect you to be... to be the Northern King, the legendary King of Zhenbei!"
Murong Bai muttered in disbelief, repeatedly murmuring to himself, "I should have thought of it earlier, I should have thought of it earlier. How could I be so stupid? To have such terrifying martial cultivation at this age, and with Zhuge Wushuang returning from the Northern Territory, I should have realized it earlier..."
This time, not only him but all the members of the Murong family around were greatly shocked.
"North... King of Zhenbei? He's actually the legendary God of Faith, the King of Zhenbei?" Patriarch Murong Feng exclaimed.
"It's over. The Murong family has kicked a steel plate. The entire Murong family is completely finished this time!" The chief elder, Murong Qi, sighed powerlessly.
Of course, Murong Ya Bie was equally shocked. He stared wide-eyed at Xiao Yunlong in front of him, his face filled with shock, as well as excitement. He couldn't help but roar inwardly, "My heavens, he, he's actually the King of Zhenbei! I've dreamed of seeing his peerless demeanor my entire life, and it turns out to be him!"
Xiao Yunlong retrieved the Northern King Token and said coldly, "Murong Bai, do you still think I don't dare to kill you now?"
Murong Bai felt his mouth go dry. He suddenly knelt on the ground and repeatedly kowtowed, begging for mercy, "I was wrong, Your Highness the King of Zhenbei, I know I was wrong. I beg you to show leniency. As long as you promise not to kill me, I am willing to surrender and become a dog by your side from now on!"
"You are not even qualified to be a dog by my side!"
Xiao Yunlong said, slowly standing up, and righteously declared, "From the moment you said that your Murong family is the law, and you are the king of Gusu City, you have been destined to die. Your Murong family is also destined to bear the consequences!"
"However, considering that Gusu Murong is an old aristocratic family, and the Murong family also contributed to the country during the national crisis last century, as long as the main perpetrators of evil among you commit suicide as atonement, I can show leniency to the rest!"
"Is that true?" Patriarch Murong Feng quickly looked up and asked.
"A king's word is his bond!" Xiao Yunlong said decisively.
"Good, at least my Gusu Murong can preserve its lineage. I admit defeat this time!" Murong Feng then bit his tongue and committed suicide.
The chief elder let out a long, powerless sigh, and finally gathered his strength to strike his own face.
Murong Bai, on the other hand, was still struggling, seemingly trying to find a way to survive.
Xiao Yunlong glanced at him and sneered, "You are, after all, a general, and Gusu Murong is a prestigious family. Show some last bit of dignity for your family, otherwise, don't blame me for wiping out your clan!"
Murong Bai finally realized that his chances of surviving this day were slim, so he committed suicide.
Xiao Yunlong couldn't be bothered to look any further. He walked towards the exit. Just as he stepped down from the pavilion, he suddenly remembered something and pointed at the remaining two personal guards, instructing, "Send the bodies of Murong Bai and the two Yin Nether elders back to the Eastern Domain Camp, and tell the King of the Eastern Domain and the Grand Commander that I killed them!"
The two personal guards were so scared their lips trembled and they couldn't speak, only nodding repeatedly.
Xiao Yunlong no longer paid attention to the Murong family members around him and walked straight out of Yanziwu. Tu Fu, Zhuge Wushuang, and the others followed closely behind.
In fact, the reason Xiao Yunlong deliberately instructed them to take back the bodies of Murong Bai and the two Yin Nether elders, and even specifically told the King of the Eastern Domain and the Grand Commander that he was the one who did it, was due to his own considerations.
Because Xiao Yunlong vaguely sensed that the current Eastern Domain was unusual, especially the King of the Eastern Domain, he wanted to observe their reactions to make his next move.
As they reached the parking lot at the main entrance, Zhuge Ya Bie quickly caught up, knelt on one knee, and cupped his fists, saying, "I am Zhuge Ya Bie, a junior commander under the fifth commander of the Eastern Domain Camp. I pay my respects to Your Highness the King of Zhenbei. I was unaware of Your Highness the King of Zhenbei's identity earlier, which led to some disrespect. I beg Your Highness not to blame me!"
Xiao Yunlong smiled slightly and waved his hand, "As the saying goes, ignorance is no offense. Get up, there's no need for this!"
Zhuge Ya Bie then got up, his face still unable to hide his excitement. He sincerely exclaimed, "To be honest, Your Highness the King of Zhenbei, I still find it hard to believe that the idol I admire most in my life is standing right in front of me. I even thought I was dreaming."
Tu Fu, hearing this, couldn't help but tease, "Then you can slap yourself and see if it hurts. If it hurts, it means you're not dreaming."
Zhuge Ya Bie naturally did not do so, only giving a dry laugh.
Xiao Yunlong looked at the vast Yanziwu in front of him and couldn't help but ask, "Now that the main figures of the Murong family are dead, it is a time of leaderlessness. The Zhuge family is the most powerful in Gusu City. What are your plans next?"
Although it seemed like a casual question, the nerves of the Zhuge family, including Old Master Zhuge, all tensed up.
Zhuge Ya Bie naturally knew that the King of Zhenbei in front of him was testing their Zhuge family. At this juncture, they could not be careless with their words, nor could they lie.
After careful consideration, Zhuge Ya Bie cupped his fists and replied, "Reporting to Your Highness the King of Zhenbei, although the main figures of the Murong family are dead, a starving camel is still bigger than a horse. The Murong family still has its foundation. Our Zhuge family only wants to guard our own territory and will not arbitrarily covet the property of others."
"Furthermore, 'an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.' Our Zhuge family will not take advantage of the situation to fall into the well, nor will we violate martial ethics. Moreover, my ambitions are not here!"
After speaking, Zhuge Ya Bie looked directly at Xiao Yunlong.
"Well said, 'ambitions are not here.' If my guess is correct, your ambitions are in the Eastern Domain Camp, aren't they?" Xiao Yunlong laughed heartily.
Zhuge Ya Bie then breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, "Your Highness the King of Zhenbei indeed has keen eyes. Nothing in my heart can be hidden from you!"
"Alright, no need to flatter me. You are not that kind of person!"
Xiao Yunlong waved his hand and said, "Since your ambitions are in the Eastern Domain Camp, take me there tomorrow!"
"Your Highness the King of Zhenbei wants me to take you to the Eastern Domain Camp?"
Zhuge Ya Bie was very surprised, but he quickly reacted, bowed, and cupped his fists, "I am willing to serve as a vanguard. Thank you, Your Highness the King of Zhenbei, for your support!"
In fact, at this level, everyone understood clearly. Zhuge Ya Bie knew very well that in this situation, once he personally brought the King of Zhenbei to the Eastern Domain Camp, he would naturally be labeled as a subordinate of the King of Zhenbei.
Xiao Yunlong said no more, opened the car door, got in, and drove away.
As dusk fell, the victorious Zhuge family naturally held a grand banquet to entertain Xiao Yunlong, the King of Zhenbei.
The night passed without incident. The next day, after breakfast, Xiao Yunlong and his entourage drove, led by Zhuge Ya Bie, directly towards the Eastern Domain Camp.