"Is he your dad?"
Ye Ling looked at Zuo Yuan in surprise, momentarily confused about what was happening.
Zuo Yuan stared intently at the man driving the car, gritting his teeth, "That's right! He's my dad! I wouldn't mistake him!"
As he spoke, Zuo Yuan was about to rush out, but Ye Ling pulled him back, calming him, "Don't rush. Tell me the situation. Didn't you say your parents sacrificed themselves?"
Held back by Ye Ling, Zuo Yuan calmed down slightly and said to Ye Ling, "That's right... I attended my parents' funeral, even personally sent them for cremation, but..."
At this moment, Zuo Yuan's mind was in chaos. He couldn't understand why his father, who was supposed to be dead, had suddenly come back to life and seemed to have become part of the four great families.
Ye Ling asked again, "Are you sure you saw their bodies clearly back then?"
Zuo Yuan nodded affirmatively, "There was no mistake. I remember my dad had a deep knife scar on his forehead, even penetrating his skull. I will never forget that scene. Emperor, look! That scar is still on my father's forehead!"
Hearing Zuo Yuan's words, Ye Ling looked at the man driving the car and noticed that there was indeed a scar on his left forehead, though it was hidden by a scorpion tattoo and not very obvious.
"This is interesting... resurrection of the dead? This is not a power ordinary people can possess," Ye Ling murmured softly, then made way for Zuo Yuan, "Since he is your father, you go ahead."
Seeing that Ye Ling wasn't stopping him, Zuo Yuan was taken aback and asked, "Emperor, you're not stopping me?"
Ye Ling smiled, "Why would I stop you? He is your biological father, and I am not some villain. I can't possibly stop you from meeting your father, can I?"
Ye Ling's jest finally made Zuo Yuan completely calm down. Looking at his father, who had gotten out of the jeep, through the hidden barrier Ye Ling had set up, a trace of doubt flickered in his eyes. "However... I feel like my dad is a bit different from before. I suddenly have a premonition that if I go out now, I might get shot a few times."
Around the convoy, many fully armed mercenaries had already disembarked, guarding the giant truck behind the convoy. Zuo Yuan wasn't foolish; if he went out in such a formation, he would be sending himself to his death.
Seeing that Zuo Yuan wasn't planning to go out, Ye Ling shook his head and smiled, teasing, "It seems you're not completely thick-headed. At least you know going out now would be suicide."
In this situation, regardless of whether the tattooed man was Zuo Yuan's father, he was an enemy. Either he had betrayed them, or he had been brainwashed. If Zuo Yuan truly rushed out, it would be a near-certain death.
Ye Ling had already saved Zuo Yuan once. If Zuo Yuan insisted on seeking death, Ye Ling would not save him a second time.
Zuo Yuan also realized this and scratched his head awkwardly, "I'm sorry, Emperor. I was impulsive just now and didn't grasp the situation. I hope you can forgive me this once."
Ye Ling smiled, "Being able to realize your mistake in time shows that you are a promising talent. Stay here and watch, and we can discuss other matters after we understand the situation."
"Yes..."
Zuo Yuan replied respectfully and then stood quietly behind Ye Ling, looking at the convoy.
After the tattooed man got out of the car, the iron gate of the Dragon Base slowly opened. Wei Bingbing, dressed in a black combat suit, walked out, surrounded by the cultivators of the four great families, and asked the tattooed man, "Zuo Feilong, did you bring that thing back?"
Zuo Feilong patted his chest and grinned, "Don't worry, it's right behind us. You can come and inspect the goods."
Wei Bingbing nodded slightly and walked with Zuo Feilong to the rear of the convoy, stopping in front of a large truck covered with a thick cloth.
Wei Bingbing said lightly, "Uncover it."
"No problem."
Zuo Feilong smiled and then signaled to a nearby armed mercenary, gesturing for the mercenary to remove the thick cloth.
Behind the large truck was a huge cage.
Inside was a Qilin, covered in wounds and on the verge of death.
Coincidentally, this Qilin was the same one Ye Ling had met before at the Sun family in Shanghai.
"A Qilin?"
Seeing a Qilin caged inside, Zuo Yuan's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief.
The Qilin was a mythical beast, a creature of auspiciousness. Zuo Yuan never imagined he would see a real Qilin one day!
He also never imagined that this Qilin had been captured by his father!
Ye Ling's eyes flickered with surprise as he saw the Qilin in the cage, murmuring, "It's this fellow... I remember its name was Miao Rui. It broke through the ninth-grade realm last time, I didn't expect it to be captured by humans."
Although Ye Ling had spent countless years in the Unnamed Void, he could still vaguely remember the Qilin in the cage. When he had gone to trouble the Sun family in Shanghai, this Qilin had happened to be at the Sun family looking for its child.
Memories flooded back, and Ye Ling shook his head with a smile. He then looked at Wei Bingbing and Zuo Feilong, wondering what the four great families intended to do by capturing such a Qilin.
Although Miao Rui was only ninth-grade and far inferior to the true divine beasts of the Primordial Era, it was still a divine beast. Its flesh and blood contained immense energy. The patriarch of the Sun family had gained the title of Medicine King simply by capturing Miao Rui's son.
Now that the four great families had captured the adult Qilin, and with the Shadow Hall behind the four great families, even Ye Ling had to take this matter somewhat seriously.
After confirming it was a Qilin, Wei Bingbing said to Zuo Feilong, "Well done. Take it to the lowest level."
Zuo Feilong smiled and asked, "Sister Wei, I've completed the task you gave me. What about the things you promised me?"
Wei Bingbing chuckled, "Don't worry, everything you want is ready. Come inside first."
"Got it!"
Upon hearing Wei Bingbing's words, Zuo Feilong's face lit up with joy. He quickly beckoned the convoy to drive into the Dragon Base.
As Zuo Yuan watched the Dragon Base gate slowly close, his expression turned extremely grim.
He simply could not accept that his father, whom he had always admired, a hero of the Dragon Base, had now become a lackey of the four great families, working for them!
Seeing Zuo Yuan's tightly clenched fists, Ye Ling patted his shoulder and comforted him, "There might be other hidden reasons behind this. Let's follow them and see."
Zuo Yuan asked, "Then we're not waiting for Brother Wang and the others?"
Ye Ling smiled, "No, we're not. Let's go in and take a look first. I've met that Qilin before, and I don't want it to fall into the hands of the four great families."
As he said this, Ye Ling looked at the closed gate of the Dragon Base again, a strange glint in his eyes.
He had noticed Wang Liren's peculiar gaze at Zuo Yuan earlier. It was clear that Wang Liren must know about Zuo Feilong's affairs and was hiding something.
Zuo Feilong's appearance with the Qilin this time had steered the situation in an unknown direction.
"Liren... what are you hiding from me?"