Liang Bendao had served as a soldier in the Northern Territory army. Back then, although Xiao Yunlong was not yet the King of the Northern Territory, he already commanded considerable prestige in the Northern Territory Grand Camp, even being considered the foremost figure among the younger generation.
Later, when the old King of the Northern Territory passed away, the highly respected Xiao Yunlong succeeded him. Due to his numerous military achievements and formidable reputation, he single-handedly defended the northern border, earning him the title of King Zhenbei.
At that time, Liang Bendao, while somewhat known in the Northern Territory army, was like an insignificant, peripheral star in the vast sky compared to King Zhenbei, who was the most brilliant and dazzling sun.
It could be said that King Zhenbei was once an idol, even a faith, for Liang Bendao. Although their ages were not vastly different, King Zhenbei's standing was almost at the pinnacle of the Dragon Country's military hierarchy.
However, Liang Bendao later left the Northern Territory due to a recommendation from a prominent figure in the imperial capital, joining a decent department there as a junior officer. In a sense, this was a promotion.
"Father, this matter cannot be joked about. Are you absolutely certain it's King Zhenbei?" Liang Bendao's tone grew serious.
"Absolutely certain. Your father has seen his King's Order!"
Liang Minghui paused, then asked, "Son, I naturally know this is no trivial matter, which is why I've told no one else and called you immediately upon my return. You work in the imperial capital and have access to more information than I do, so Father wants to ask for your advice on what to do next."
Liang Bendao couldn't help but ponder. After a long while, he said, "Previously, everyone in the imperial capital believed King Zhenbei had disappeared and was likely dead. It seems the rumors were untrue. Furthermore, there are other rumors that during the earth-shattering battle outside the capital, King Zhenbei was crippled. Father..."
Before Liang Bendao could finish, Liang Minghui interrupted him sternly, "Impossible! King Zhenbei could never be crippled!"
"On what grounds do you say that? After all, it is said that dozens of Huajin Grandmasters ambushed him in that battle outside the capital, and even experts at the Martial King level were deployed!"
Liang Minghui gave a wry smile. "You know my two trusted guards, don't you? They are both Huajin Grandmaster level experts. Yet, King Zhenbei, with just a chess piece, casually flicked his hand and pierced through their palms from a distance. You call him crippled? How is that possible!"
Liang Bendao immediately asked, "If, as you say, he pierced a Huajin Grandmaster's palm from a distance with a chess piece, then it must be extraordinary. He might have already broken through to the Three Flowers Gathering to achieve the Martial King realm. Such a feat cannot be accomplished without Qi Jin Hua Xing!"
"Qi Jin Hua Xing? What is that?" Liang Minghui asked.
"Qi Jin Hua Xing, as the name suggests, means that after Qi Jin leaves the body, it can transform into a tangible form. Only those in the Three Flowers Gathering Martial King realm can achieve this. But let's put that aside for now. Father, did you personally see King Zhenbei make the move?" Liang Bendao inquired.
"This..." Liang Minghui frowned, then said, "I can't be sure. The rain was too heavy at the time, and it happened in the blink of an eye!"
Liang Bendao pondered for a while before saying, "Father, is there a possibility that the chess piece was thrown by someone else, and King Zhenbei did this merely to deliberately mislead people?"
"Did it deliberately? You mean King Zhenbei has been crippled?" Liang Minghui asked.
"That possibility cannot be ruled out. After all, it is said that in that ambush outside the capital, dozens of Huajin Grandmasters perished. Some saw King Zhenbei severely wounded, fleeing for a thousand miles before being forced to jump into a river!" Liang Bendao said slowly.
Liang Minghui knitted his brows. "Son, originally, I intended for you to return from the imperial capital. He is, after all, the King of the Northern Territory. If he has merely lost power and fallen on hard times, with his strength, he could likely make a comeback. If you were to return and follow him at this time, you would be a meritorious official who followed the dragon. Moreover, you spent time in the Northern Territory back then. Once King Zhenbei returns to the Northern Territory in the future, your status..."
"Father, I understand what you mean, but this matter is too significant, the risk is too great!" Liang Bendao said.
"Risk is often proportional to reward. The greater the risk, the more immense the reward if successful. You must know, King Zhenbei was on the verge of entering the Tian Ce Mansion. If he successfully returns, he will undoubtedly become the War God of Tian Ce, the foremost figure in the Dragon Country's military. At that time, we..."
Hearing this, Liang Bendao quickly interrupted, "Father, please stop. Don't get carried away. It seems you don't know that recently, a voice has emerged in the imperial capital, especially from the Tian Ce Mansion. Someone has proposed deposing King Zhenbei."
"What did you say? Depose King Zhenbei? That's unlikely. After all, King Zhenbei has made brilliant military contributions. How could he be deposed!" Liang Minghui exclaimed.
Liang Bendao gave a cold laugh. "Times have changed. The relationships in the imperial capital are complex. Some people do not want King Zhenbei to enter the Tian Ce Mansion. Otherwise, why would there have been that shocking ambush outside the capital over two months ago!"
"But deposing him must have a reason, right?" Liang Minghui clearly still couldn't accept it.
"If a reason is needed, it's not that difficult. King Zhenbei has been missing for over two months. Some people in the imperial capital are even spreading rumors that King Zhenbei colluded with the enemy and sold out the country. As the saying goes, three people talking about a tiger make it real. Initially, perhaps no one believed it, but with repeated rumors, ordinary people will believe it."
Liang Bendao paused, then continued, "Didn't the historically renowned Yue Fei, who made numerous military contributions, eventually get killed on a fabricated charge? Also, Father, recently there are whispers that the Zhang family in the northeast is stirring, especially that Northeast Tiger King, who is even planning to enter the Northern Territory and seize control of the Northern Territory army!"
Upon hearing this, Liang Minghui sighed slightly and fell silent. Fortunately, he had called his son, and fortunately, his son held a position in a crucial department in the imperial capital. Otherwise, he, as the local City Defense Commissioner, would have no access to such high-level information.
"Then, son, what should I do?" Liang Minghui asked.
"Do as you normally would. As the saying goes, a starving camel is still bigger than a horse. As long as he is not officially deposed, he is still King Zhenbei. Father, you must show him sufficient respect and absolutely not be negligent. What if he makes a comeback in the future, right?" Liang Bendao said.
"Understood. And you, son? Do you still want to come back? Or perhaps take a gamble?" Liang Minghui asked again.
Liang Bendao pondered for a long time. "This matter is too significant. If I gamble correctly, I will be a meritorious official who followed the dragon. In the future, when he enters the Tian Ce Mansion, I might even have a chance to aim for the King of the Northern Territory. Our Liang family could then leap to become a prominent clan in the Dragon Country. But if I choose the wrong side, it will be eternal damnation, even leading to the annihilation of our clan!"
Liang Minghui fell silent again. Yes, this matter was indeed too significant.
After thinking for a moment, Liang Bendao said, "However, such a good opportunity, if not utilized, would be a true pity. Father, give me some time to think carefully and strive to devise a foolproof plan. I should be returning then."
Liang Minghui said earnestly, "My son, you have grown up now. After years of training in the army, you are capable of handling matters independently. Moreover, among the younger generation of our Liang family, you are the most promising, and your resourcefulness and strategy are the best. Therefore, Father believes in you. Once you make a decision, go for it with all your might. Your father and the Liang family will support you!"
"Alright, Father. I will definitely not let you and the family down. By the way, this phone call today must not be known to anyone, not even the elders of the family. Furthermore, King Zhenbei must not know about it!" Liang Bendao said solemnly.
"Don't worry, your father is, after all, the City Defense Commissioner. I have this awareness. If there's nothing else, I'll hang up. Your father awaits your news!"
After that, the father and son hung up the phone.
Meanwhile, in the Liu family manor that afternoon, a quiet atmosphere prevailed. After leaving his study, Xiao Yunlong gave a few instructions to Jun Bufan and then went up to the attic, intending to go into seclusion for cultivation.
Now that his identity was gradually being exposed, Xiao Yunlong knew very well that the imperial capital would find out sooner rather than later. He didn't believe the imperial capital would take no action. Even some dark organizations from abroad might seize the opportunity to strike.
After all, there were too many people in this world who wanted him, King Zhenbei, dead!
Therefore, whenever he had time, Xiao Yunlong would cultivate, striving to improve his strength as much as possible. Being chased like a stray dog in that ambush outside the capital was an experience he never wanted to repeat. He absolutely would not allow it to happen a second time!
Jun Bufan was also continuously practicing the Bagua Youlong Palm in the courtyard, aiming for greater fluidity and reaching the realm of perfection as soon as possible, so that he could achieve Qi Jin leaving the body and become a true Huajin Grandmaster.
Xiao Yunlong's move of flicking a chess piece in the pavilion that afternoon had truly shocked Jun Bufan. At this moment, he was already completely in awe of Xiao Yunlong's martial arts!
Time flowed by quietly. In the blink of an eye, night fell. Since Liu Ruyan had said she would cultivate in the study and not come out for dinner, Xiao Yunlong stayed in the attic and did not go down.
Seeing how dedicated the couple was, Jun Bufan naturally had no reason to slack off and continued his practice.
Two days passed in a flash. On the noon of the third day, Xiao Yunlong, who was still in seclusion, was suddenly disturbed by the commotion from the courtyard below. Listening carefully, it sounded like Liu Ruyan's voice. It seemed she had emerged from seclusion.
"Finally decided to come out of the study. I wonder how her cultivation is going." Xiao Yunlong smiled slightly and then went downstairs.
As soon as he reached the main hall downstairs, Liu Ruyan rushed over, saying in an extremely excited tone, "Yunlong, you're down! I was just about to come up to find you. I succeeded! I've sensed it!"
"You sensed the internal energy in your dantian?" Xiao Yunlong was surprised, his expression even changing slightly.
It was important to note that the internal energy in Liu Ruyan's dantian was not something he had infused; it was something that had existed there originally, and it was incredibly powerful and overbearing.
"Yes, I sensed it!" Liu Ruyan nodded.
"Tell me quickly, what color is it?" Xiao Yunlong immediately asked, wanting to confirm if Liu Ruyan had made a mistake.
"Silvery white, like a ball of cloud, quietly suspended in my dantian!" Liu Ruyan replied.
Xiao Yunlong finally confirmed that she had not made a mistake and had indeed sensed it.
Liu Ruyan continued, "But Yunlong, I've only sensed it, I can't reach it. It feels like the moon in the water or a flower in the mirror. I can see it, but I can't touch it or mobilize it. I feel like I've failed quite a bit!"
Xiao Yunlong couldn't help but roll his eyes. "You're being a bit too modest. To sense it in three days, your talent is already exceptionally outstanding. How can you call that a failure!"
One should know that even Xiao Yunlong himself took three days to sense it, and that was the internal energy infused into his dantian by the mysterious old man. However, Liu Ruyan's dantian contained a strange silver energy. The concepts were different.
In other words, Liu Ruyan's talent was even stronger than his!
"Then, Yunlong, why can't I touch or mobilize this internal energy in my dantian, no matter how I try?" Liu Ruyan asked.
"That's because you have only learned the method of sensing, but not the method of circulating the energy. Naturally, you cannot mobilize and drive it. Next, I will teach you the method of cultivation. Once you can fully mobilize the internal energy to complete a great circulation, you can then practice specific martial arts techniques!"
Xiao Yunlong said.