But Ki Qinyin simply smiled. "Dr. Xu, you don't need to think of our Northern Dragon Guard as being so destitute. Our daily expenses are indeed enormous, but thanks to the spoils of war, we still have access to a considerable amount of funds."

Xu Ke shook his head. "Even the greatest fortune can't withstand reckless squandering. If we buy a pile of Imperial Tomb Relics only for me to inspect them and find they aren't Dragon Essence Items, wouldn't that be a total waste of manpower, resources, and time?"

Ki Qinyin raised her eyebrows. "Worst case, we just sell them again."

Xu Ke gave a wry smile. "Let's stay calm, calm. If someone with ulterior motives were to report this to the higher-ups, it would inevitably cause trouble."

If the Northern Dragon Guard keeps doing this and the higher-ups mistake them for being involved in some clandestine operation, it's going to be a huge problem…

Seeing Xu Ke persistently advising against it, Ki Qinyin chuckled, her gaze suddenly turning subtle. "So, since Dr. Xu thinks buying blindly could lead to problems, doesn't that mean we need to be discerning before we buy anything?"

Listening to Ki Qinyin's statement, which essentially said nothing new, Xu Ke uttered, "Indeed, that's true!"

"But since we can't be discerning, we'll have to rely on you to make those judgments, right?"

Xu Ke uttered again, sensing something was amiss, but he still nodded. "That's correct!"

Seeing Xu Ke nod, Ki Qinyin finally broke into a smile. "In that case, why don't you come directly to the Northern Dragon Guard and join us in searching the Northern Territory for these lost ancient relics?"

Xu Ke's eyes instantly widened.

Ki Qinyin took such a roundabout path just to bring this up?

Ki Qinyin smiled. "For one, it saves you the trouble and exhaustion of traveling from Tianhai to the Northern Territory. If you lived in the Northern Territory, I could have You Jinlong and the others accompany you to search for relics every day.

"Secondly, you yourself said that you greatly admire the Northern Dragon Guard.

"Joining the Northern Dragon Guard would not only save you trouble but also fulfill your wish…"

At this point, Ki Qinyin clapped her hands excitedly. "Two birds with one stone!"

Xu Ke wanted to slap himself on the head to see if it was full of water. He had been so engrossed in talking with Ki Qinyin about what happened three years ago that he completely forgot he had entered this meeting room specifically to refuse joining the Northern Dragon Guard.

Now that the matter of the Dragon Essence was settled, Ki Qinyin was definitely going to pressure him into joining.

No… He couldn't go…

Xu Ke hurriedly tried to voice his refusal.

But Ki Qinyin waved her hand grandly. "You are definitely joining the Northern Dragon Guard. However, the position you'll hold is a matter worthy of discussion.

"To give you a legitimate reason to have You Jinlong and his men accompany you daily in your search, you'll need a decent position. Otherwise, it might be difficult to win everyone over if a mere soldier is going out and about every day."

As she spoke, Ki Qinyin actually began to seriously consider what kind of official position to give Xu Ke.

Seeing this, Xu Ke could only smile bitterly. "Madame Yu…"

"What?" Ki Qinyin asked, looking up at Xu Ke, stunned.

Xu Ke had no choice but to be honest. "I'm sorry, but I never actually considered joining the Northern Dragon Guard."

Ki Qinyin's expression immediately froze. "But… you said you greatly admire the Northern Dragon Guard…" she stammered.

"I apologize," Xu Ke said, his face a mask of apology. "What I said at the gym was an excuse. I was sure I wouldn't pass the test from Mr. You and his men, so I said that to save you some face."

His heart was full of regret… He vowed to never be so impulsive with his words again.

Seeing Xu Ke being so frank, Ki Qinyin sighed. "Never mind then. To be honest, I also didn't think you would join from the start, but Kangan specifically instructed me on my way here to try and recruit you for the Northern Dragon Guard.

"He even said that if you joined, the position of the Northern Territory Dragon King could be yours in the future!"

Xu Ke was shocked. "I only saved your daughter once. There's no need for this, is there?"

Yu Kangan already "owed" him a life. And now he was offering him the future position of Northern Territory Dragon King? No matter how powerful the Heaven-Defying Fate Change Technique was, it didn't warrant such an extravagant offer. As for whether Yu Kangan was joking, Xu Ke felt the Northern Territory Dragon King was unlikely to be so frivolous.

Ki Qinyin shook her head. "He didn't say that just because you saved Han Han. It's because he truly hopes you'll join the Northern Dragon Guard.

"You would make a very good successor!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Ke fell silent.

Anyone else who was "hand-picked" by Yu Kangan as his successor would probably be going wild with joy right now. Where else could one find such a golden opportunity?

But in truth, neither Yu Kangan nor Ki Qinyin felt that letting Xu Ke inherit the position of Northern Territory Dragon King was a great favor to him. Rather, they felt they were the ones getting the better end of the deal!

Yu Kangan's words were not spoken lightly but were the result of careful deliberation.

First, Xu Ke had saved their daughter's life, so their relationship was naturally beyond just "good."

Second, Xu Ke's talent was exceptional, a point that needed no further explanation.

Third, with Xu Ke joining the Northern Dragon Guard, it would also bind the future of the Northern Dragon Guard to the Medical Saint, which was like securing a powerful patron.

With such a patron, and with the boundlessly talented Xu Ke at the helm, wouldn't the Northern Dragon Guard's future also be limitless? He, Yu Kangan, could retire on the spot with complete peace of mind!

At the same time, Yu Kangan knew that if the Medical Saint found out about this attempt to poach Xu Ke, he would be a dead man…

But fortunes favor the bold!

That was why he sent Ki Qinyin to recruit Xu Ke.

Unfortunately, Xu Ke himself was unmoved.

…

After a moment of silence, Xu Ke gave a bitter smile. "I'm sorry, Madame Yu, but I have to politely decline your kind offer."

Ki Qinyin knew better than to force someone against their will and nodded. But after a moment, her brows furrowed, unwilling to give up. "May I ask why you don't wish to join the Northern Dragon Guard? Did the Medical Saint place some restriction on you, or does joining another faction feel too constraining?"

Xu Ke's resolve not to join was firm. But for a veteran like Ki Qinyin, her determination to recruit him was even firmer!

If a direct approach didn't work, she would find out his reasons for refusing, adjust the conditions accordingly, and achieve her goal.

If Xu Ke won't change, then the Northern Dragon Guard will change for him!

If outsiders, especially Huang Sheng—who had just been stared down by You Jinlong and his men—knew the lengths Ki Qinyin was going to recruit Xu Ke, they would probably die on the spot from sheer fury…

Hearing her question, Xu Ke pondered for a moment. "Well…"

One key reason for not going to the Northern Territory was that Xu Ke knew joining the Northern Dragon Guard would not benefit him much personally.

First, he wanted to build his own faction, not lead the Northern Dragon Guard. Yu Kangan said he would let him inherit it, but it was still just "inheriting." What Xu Ke wanted was to build his own force that he could command like an extension of his own body. Otherwise, he wouldn't have kept Tang Yingchang around.

Second, Xu Ke believed that as long as he stayed in Tianhai, Wong Ting and the Long Capital Martial Alliance would be hesitant to act due to the powers overseeing them. The fact that Wong Ting, despite wanting to kill him in violation of the rules, still had to abide by the regulations of the Martial Alliance and send in so many contestants was the best proof of this. But in the Northern Territory, outside the country's borders, Xu Ke believed he would face a relentless series of attacks from Innate Great Perfection assassins. The trouble would be constant and would negatively affect the Northern Dragon Guard. This was the same reason he had struck down Ye Fan without hesitation after he went out to sea.

Third, the key to improving his strength lay in finding Imperial Tomb Relics. Asking the Northern Dragon Guard to search for them was just a hope of finding the few that were scattered about. It was self-evident whether most Imperial Tomb Relics were located within the country or abroad, and where they would be easier to find. After all, emperors in ancient times weren't going to trek across mountains and rivers just to carve a mausoleum in the far north for themselves.

Of course, he couldn't say any of these three reasons out loud. Xu Ke was sure that if he did, Ki Qinyin would find a way to convince him.

So, he had no choice but to give another, even more important, reason…

"Hm?" Ki Qinyin prompted, waiting.

Xu Ke said, "I have too many things that need my attention in Tianhai, and also… Qi Fu and I just got together. A long-distance relationship wouldn't be appropriate.

"So, I don't want to leave Tianhai."

Hearing this, Ki Qinyin was first taken aback, then her eyes widened in surprise. "That's the only reason?!"

Xu Ke nodded.

Ki Qinyin burst into laughter. "I thought it was some serious matter! Isn't that simple?"

At those words, Xu Ke's eyes widened.

What does she mean by that? Does that mean my fear of a long-distance relationship with Qi Fu is an easy problem for her to solve? Is she going to kidnap Qi Fu and take her to the Northern Territory?!

Xu Ke's mind was a mess of chaotic thoughts.

But Ki Qinyin was laughing heartily. "And here I thought you didn't want to join the Northern Dragon Guard."

Hearing this, Xu Ke was even more baffled. "But I really don't."

"No, you do!" Ki Qinyin insisted earnestly.

Xu Ke: "???"