This scene was simply farcical.

They had thought Huang Zhendong's self-recommendation might divert Ki Qinyin's attention, potentially causing Xu Ke to lose his spot in the Northern Dragon Guard. They never expected Ki Qinyin to be so utterly dismissive!

The sight of Huang Zhendong, who thought he was so elegantly introducing himself, sticking his neck out only to be shot down by an enraged Ki Qinyin was utterly ridiculous.

A monkey in a crown! Wang Qiya laughed heartily to herself, a perfect idiom coming to mind. It described Huang Zhendong's current appearance to a tee.

But Huang Zhendong was also a man who knew when to bend. If he had been treated this way on any other day, he would have flown into a rage. But not now. The Northern Dragon Guard was one of the nation's top powers; even the current Wong Ting was not qualified to stand on equal footing with the Northern Dragon King. For someone like him, who relied on the power of the Wong Ting, what did a little mockery from Ki Qinyin matter?

After a brief flash of embarrassment, he quickly composed himself and put on a smile again. "It's quite alright, Madame Yu. Our Huang Family is just a minor household, and I am a nobody. It's only natural that you wouldn't recognize me." Even if it meant losing face, he had to make Ki Qinyin see Huang Sheng. Perhaps their Huang Family might even get a chance to connect with the Northern Dragon King. Then, by playing both sides, they could even counterbalance the Wong Ting. No one wants to be a dog forever. Using another power to balance the scales and become the master for once was a very appealing prospect.

Seeing this spectacle, the crowd snickered.

Yet Ki Qinyin remained unyielding. "You're right about one thing. I have indeed never heard your name."

Hearing this, Huang Zhendong's expression stiffened again. The crowd laughed secretly. Wasn't she obviously targeting him? No one in their right mind would believe that the wife of the great Northern Territory Dragon King hadn't researched the six great families of Tianhai. Ki Qinyin certainly knew of the Huang Family; she was just saying this on purpose.

But they were a little confused. Why was she targeting Huang Zhendong so aggressively? The Huang Family didn't seem to have offended her.

Then, someone suddenly had a realization. It could be because of the Wong Ting! The Huang Family was close to the Wong Ting, which was operating in the Southern Territory, yet now they were trying to send someone to the Northern Territory Dragon King. Wasn't this a classic case of weathercock behavior? How could Ki Qinyin not be annoyed?

In reality, they had it wrong. There were two reasons for Ki Qinyin's poor attitude toward the Huang Family. Firstly, she was in a bad mood, and these two had just run right into her line of fire. Secondly, she had done her research and knew the Huang Family and Xu Ke did not get along. Why would she possibly give them the time of day?

After being ridiculed once more, Huang Zhendong forced himself to remain calm. "Well, it's not too late to get acquainted today. This is my humble son, Huang Sheng!"

Huang Sheng stepped forward, looking somewhat nervous. "Madame Yu."

Ki Qinyin casually scanned Huang Sheng from top to bottom, then lifted her eyelids slightly. "If you want to join the Northern Dragon Guard, how does your strength compare to Xu Ke's?"

At her question, Huang Sheng froze. Huang Zhendong froze as well.

Strength? How could Huang Sheng possibly compare his strength to Xu Ke's?

Now, Xu Ke and the others were thoroughly enjoying the show. What do you call this kind of behavior from Huang Zhendong and Huang Sheng? Weren't they just asking for trouble and bringing humiliation upon themselves?

After hemming and hawing for a moment, Huang Sheng mumbled, "I'm not as good..."

Huang Zhendong quickly interjected, "But my son's..."

He had wanted to praise Huang Sheng for being calm and measured, convinced that with a bit of training, he could certainly become part of the Northern Dragon Guard's think tank. Huang Zhendong knew that those who devised strategies for the Northern Dragon Guard received far better treatment than the regular elite. A top-tier military strategist could even hold a position of equal standing with the Northern Territory Dragon King. It was precisely because he knew this that he had brought his son, who lacked strength, to recommend himself.

But Ki Qinyin cut him off with a scoff. "With insufficient strength, how could he last in the Northern Dragon Guard? You should just go home!"

At her words, Huang Zhendong and Huang Sheng's faces immediately flushed crimson, stinging with shame. Weren't they just being kicked out?

Wang Qiya's shoulders were already shaking with silent laughter. What a slap in the face!

In the distant spectator area, some people even laughed out loud, looking at Huang Zhendong as if he were a clown.

But even knowing Ki Qinyin was driving him away, Huang Zhendong didn't give up. "Madame Yu, although my son's strength is not on par with Xu Ke's, he has a talent for strategy. I know Lord Dragon King has a great need for such talented individuals."

Ki Qinyin said flatly, "For every additional member in the think tank, do you know how many more experts we must assign for their protection? Do you think these experts by my side would willingly protect your son? How will you prove he is worthy of being protected?"

As she spoke, the eight impassive Northern Dragon Guard members beside her calmly turned their gaze upon Huang Sheng and Huang Zhendong. In an instant, their unified aura pressed down on the father and son. They didn't activate their True Qi or reveal any killing intent; they just stared quietly at the two.

But Huang Zhendong and Huang Sheng's expressions changed drastically, and they instinctively took two steps back. The aura of these eight men was too powerful. Though silent, it wasn't a peaceful calm. It was the quiet before a storm, the desperate tranquility under dark clouds threatening to crush a city.

Huang Sheng's face turned white as a sheet. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

At this point, Shi Hongda could no longer stand by and watch. He stepped forward, his body erupting with True Qi, shielding the father and son from the pressure of the eight men's aura.

After this silent confrontation, the eight guards withdrew their gaze. Their leader lowered his head and said softly, "Madame, we are unwilling."

Ki Qinyin's lips curled into a mocking smile that wasn't quite a smile. "Do you understand now?"

Huang Zhendong and Huang Sheng's faces turned livid, their chests filled with humiliation, and their eyes blazed with venomous hatred. They had brought this humiliation upon themselves!

The onlookers sneered in secret. These two had truly overestimated themselves.

Xu Ke and Wang Wu, however, shook their heads slightly, feeling a bit of pity for the pair. They weren't strong to begin with. Facing the combined gaze of eight men—especially eight elite Northern Dragon Guards who had fought their way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood—it would have been a miracle if they hadn't lost face.

But Shi Hongda was having none of it. His expression darkened. "Madame Yu, I respect you as the Madame Dragon King, but aren't you taking things too far? Proving that Huang Sheng is worthy of joining the Northern Dragon Guard and being protected by your elites should be tested through other means. Instead, you deliberately targeted his weakest area—his strength. Isn't that going too far?!"

Shi Hongda couldn't tolerate it any longer. He had come to the stadium and suffered setbacks with the Huang Family for two days straight. Now he had to watch Ki Qinyin use her position to bully them. He definitely had to vent. How could a dignified Innate Great Perfection master endure such frustration?

So, even though she was the wife of the Northern Territory Dragon King, he spoke his mind without restraint. After all, his status as an Innate Great Perfection master was more than enough to back up his words to Ki Qinyin.