"Master Liu is too kind; there's no need for this!"
Xiao Yunlong quickly reached out to stop him from kneeling. After all, the elder was of advanced age and a veteran soldier who had shed blood on the battlefield, someone Xiao Yunlong had always deeply respected.
Liu Hongguo, unable to hide his excitement, said, "I truly never imagined that in my lifetime, I would have the honor of personally witnessing the peerlessly brilliant King Zhenbei. This is truly, truly a life without regrets."
He was so animated that tears were close to welling up. Xiao Yunlong could only wave his hand, signaling him to sit down.
"By the way, Your Highness King Zhenbei, why are you here in the Southern Border instead of commanding the northern frontier? Also, I heard from Ruyan that you were seriously injured a month ago. What happened?" Liu Hongguo quickly inquired again.
The matter of the attack in the capital had not been publicly disclosed by the Dragon Country, so very few people knew about it, certainly not the general populace.
Xiao Yunlong then briefly recounted the events.
"Detestable! These old clans and powerful families in the capital are truly audacious, daring to ambush King Zhenbei! They are utterly despicable!" Liu Hongguo was filled with righteous indignation and fury upon hearing this, clenching his fists so tightly that his veins bulged.
Xiao Yunlong merely smiled faintly and said, "Elder Liu, let this matter end here for tonight. The implications are too vast. Once it spreads from your lips, you should understand what that would entail."
Liu Hongguo nodded repeatedly, "I understand. King Zhenbei, please rest assured, I will absolutely keep your identity a secret. Even if I die, I will not reveal a single word!"
Even now, Liu Hongguo could not calm down. After all, the person sitting before him was the youngest king of the Dragon Country, the peerlessly brilliant King Zhenbei who had conquered the Xiongnu, and who was even on the verge of entering the Imperial Capital's Tian Ce Mansion to serve as the Tian Ce War God, commanding the Dragon Country's forces.
It could be said that King Zhenbei was not only an idol for countless young men and women of the Dragon Country but also the faith in the hearts of the Dragon Country's soldiers!
"It's getting late. Elder Liu, you should go back and rest early," Xiao Yunlong said.
"Then I shall not disturb you further, Mr. Xiao."
Liu Hongguo stood up and cupped his hands. As he turned to leave, he suddenly remembered something and quickly added, "Oh, Mr. Xiao, I have a small request regarding Ruyan. I wonder if you could grant it?"
"Speak," Xiao Yunlong replied.
Liu Hongguo first sighed, then said, "Mr. Xiao, you know the current situation of our Liu family. My old bones probably won't last much longer. Ruyan is still young, innocent, and inexperienced. Although she was adopted and is not a direct descendant of our Liu family, I have treated her as my own granddaughter all these years. If, in the future, I am no longer here, I wonder if Mr. Xiao could look after her to the best of your ability?"
Xiao Yunlong did not answer immediately. Instead, he slowly stood up, put his hands behind his back, and gazed up at the deep and vast night sky. After a long pause, he said, "Elder, please rest assured. Not only did she save my life, but she also bravely stepped forward without hesitation when I was at my weakest and most vulnerable."
As he spoke, he couldn't help but smile slightly, his words firm and resonant, "As long as I am alive, I will protect her completely in this life!"
"Good, good, good!" Liu Hongguo happily said "good" three times, then sighed, "Ruyan's background is not good, but her destiny is fortunate. By chance, she saved Mr. Xiao and forged such a connection with you. I am truly happy for her."
"By the way, Mr. Xiao, when Ruyan was adopted as a child, there was something left in her swaddling clothes. This might be related to her origins. I have always kept it with me. Now, I will give it to you for safekeeping."
As Liu Hongguo spoke, he took out a handkerchief from his embrace.
Xiao Yunlong raised an eyebrow. He knew this was essentially Elder Liu entrusting Ruyan to him.
After a moment of serious consideration, Xiao Yunlong extended his hands and solemnly accepted the silk scarf, saying, "Elder, please be assured, I will do my utmost to protect her for life!"
Liu Hongguo nodded, patted his hand, and said no more before turning to leave.
Xiao Yunlong carefully examined the handkerchief. It was pure white and very soft, appearing to be for an infant. However, on the handkerchief, two characters, "Shangguan," were written in what looked like blood, starkly conspicuous and crooked.
"It's confirmed this was written in blood. It seems Ruyan's parents must have met with misfortune at the time. These two characters, 'Shangguan,' might be her original surname!"
Xiao Yunlong frowned. There were many people with the double-character surname Shangguan within the Dragon Country. Investigating events from over twenty years ago would undoubtedly be difficult, so it would have to wait for later.
After some thought, Xiao Yunlong decided to wrap his token with the handkerchief. This way, he wouldn't have to worry about losing it. He then turned and walked into the bedroom.
It was already late at night. The manor was very quiet, and occasionally the croaking of frogs from the nearby lake could be heard.
Xiao Yunlong's state of mind gradually calmed. He sat cross-legged on the bed and entered a state of cultivation, practicing the "Three Thousand Divine Kingdoms Technique" for the second time.
This technique was profound and mysterious. He had been repeatedly contemplating and studying it for the past two days and had finally made some headway.
Soon, three different colored halos appeared above Xiao Yunlong's head. This was the phenomenon of "Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown," a mark of a Martial King. He was channeling all his internal energy to impact the first Divine Kingdom within his body.
If an outsider were to witness this moment, they would surely be greatly shocked. Xiao Yunlong, who was originally sitting cross-legged on the ground, slowly began to float upwards. A faint red light flickered at the center of his brow, an incredibly peculiar sight.
After an unknown amount of time, a rumbling sound suddenly echoed from within Xiao Yunlong's body, as if something had been broken through.
With the three-colored energy and the flickering red light, Xiao Yunlong slowly opened his eyes. He felt an immense sense of comfort throughout his body, as if he had inexhaustible strength. Moreover, his entire being seemed to have become lighter.
"I've finally broken through the first Divine Kingdom! I can feel that the internal energy in my dantian has more than doubled, my strength has significantly increased, and even my movement speed has improved considerably!"
Xiao Yunlong was incredibly excited. This meant his combat power had once again been greatly enhanced!
"This Three Thousand Divine Kingdoms Technique is truly extraordinary. Just breaking through the first Divine Kingdom has brought such a massive increase. If all three thousand Divine Kingdoms are opened and cultivated to the Great Perfection stage, the results are simply unimaginable!"
Xiao Yunlong sighed inwardly. Suddenly, he smelled a foul odor. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was emanating from his own body.
"I just took a bath, how could this be..."
As he spoke, Xiao Yunlong suddenly recalled four words he had seen in some scattered ancient martial arts manuals: "Washing essence and purging marrow!"
"It seems so. This is the impurity being expelled from my body. I never imagined this supreme divine technique could also wash the essence and purge the marrow, transforming my physique!"
Xiao Yunlong sighed inwardly. At this moment, his expression became slightly serious, as this Three Thousand Divine Kingdoms Technique seemed far more powerful and miraculous than he had imagined!
If it weren't for the inconvenience, he would have been unable to resist testing how powerful his current combat strength had become.
After briefly familiarizing himself with the outrageously powerful force within his body, Xiao Yunlong's excited emotions subsided, and he once again entered a state of cultivation.
Xiao Yunlong knew very well that if he wanted to seek revenge and reclaim everything he had lost, he had to patiently lie low and cultivate diligently.
As the saying goes, three years of silence, then a thunderous announcement; three years of not flying, then a soaring ascent!
Xiao Yunlong believed that after three years, he would surely return as a king, and at that time, the entire Dragon Country would be shocked!
The night passed without incident. The next day, after breakfast, Liu Hongguo, along with Xiao Yunlong and Liu Ruyan, headed to the Liu family's group headquarters building to attend the company's board meeting.
Liu Jianmin's family also followed in their car, as they too had to attend the meeting today.
"What should we do, Jianmin? Once this board meeting starts, not only will my position as CFO be gone, but your acting president position will also be lost. On the other hand, that useless son-in-law named Xiao will soar to the heavens and become a special advisor to the board!" Huang Tingting said in the car, looking extremely agitated.
"Yes, Dad, hurry and think of a solution! If that son-in-law named Xiao becomes the group's special advisor today, he might become the acting president tomorrow. Then, we won't have any good days left. Don't let this scoundrel snatch away our entire Liu family group!" Liu Guohao and Liu Feiyan also said through gritted teeth.
Perhaps because the conversation involved some sensitive matters, Liu Jianmin did not call for a driver but drove himself. He snorted ominously, "Trash is trash. He thinks he can soar to the heavens and become a phoenix? Let him be smug for a couple of days. I'll deal with him sooner or later!"