At that moment, Ki Qinyin looked toward Wong Qifu and smiled. "Sister-in-law, I've kept you waiting!"

"Ever since Xu Ke joined the Northern Dragon Guard, we've been one family."

Wong Qifu's expression changed. She subconsciously glanced at Xu Ke before smiling back. "If that's the case, our two families should visit each other more often."

Ki Qinyin smiled. "Alright, then we'll take our leave now."

"Isn't Xu Ke leaving with you?" Wong Qifu was taken aback.

Hearing this, Ki Qinyin shook her head and then looked at Xu Ke. "Let Xu Ke explain it himself. We're leaving first!"

"Okay." Wong Qifu suppressed the confusion in her heart and nodded.

Xu Ke smiled. "Take care, then."

You Jinlong, standing nearby, was also taken aback and wanted to ask why Xu Ke wasn't leaving with them. But seeing that Ki Qinyin was already preparing to depart, he decided it wasn't appropriate to say anything more. He simply nodded slightly at Xu Ke and left with Ki Qinyin.

After Ki Qinyin was gone, Wang Qiya, Wang Wu, and the others all turned to look at Xu Ke. Among them, Wong Qifu's gaze was the most puzzled.

Wasn't Xu Ke planning on not joining the Northern Dragon Guard? Why has he joined now? And after joining, he doesn't have to leave? What in the world is going on?

Moreover, what puzzled Wong Qifu the most was the red mark on Ki Qinyin's forehead and Xu Ke referring to her as Sister Ki…

Seeing the confusion on Wong Qifu's face, Xu Ke smiled. "It's a long story. Let's talk about it when we get back." At the same time, he glanced around and asked, "Are Alliance Leader Chen and Vice Alliance Leader Yuan not here?"

He planned to tell them about his new position as a Seasoned Envoy for the Northern Dragon Guard. He also remembered that since he had won the championship in the Martial Alliance's selection competition, Chen Xiong's promise to let him access the Martial Alliance Treasury and get medicinal herbs from an old friend could now be fulfilled.

"They went to deal with the matter concerning Peng Hetong," Wong Qifu said.

"Alright then, let's go," Xu Ke replied. "I'll explain everything once we're back. The walls have ears here."

He was implying that just because Peng Hetong had left didn't mean the Ye and Huang Families no longer had informants around.

Wong Qifu and the others naturally understood and nodded slightly.

「...」

Soon, everyone was back at the Wang Family estate.

"Here's the situation. I did indeed join the Northern Dragon Guard," Xu Ke said, looking at the group. "However, I don't need to leave Tianhai. As of today, I am the Class Monitor of the Northern Dragon Guard's Practical Training Class 1. It's an external position also known as Seasoned Envoy."

At these words, the expressions of Wong Qifu and Wang Wu changed. Being worldly and wise, they knew exactly what this meant.

Wang Qiya, however, was stunned. "What does that mean?"

"In other words, I'll be responsible for some of the Northern Dragon Guard's assessment missions from now on!" Xu Ke explained with a smile.

Wang Qiya was shocked. "Why so sudden?"

Xu Ke is a newcomer. Isn't it a bit too abrupt for a newcomer to take on such a position? And wouldn't it be difficult for him to command respect?

Noticing their confusion, Xu Ke smiled. "This was also Madame Yu's idea. They were very keen on recruiting me, but I didn't want to leave Tianhai for the northern borders. So, as a compromise, they decided to let me stay in Tianhai as a Seasoned Envoy. That way, even if someone from their ranks objects, they'll have to come all the way to Tianhai to challenge me!"

Hearing this, Wang Wu burst into laughter. "It seems the Northern Dragon Guard truly values you, Mister Xu. It's indeed rare for them to go to such lengths to accommodate your requests. If those people who are scrambling to get into the Northern Dragon Guard knew about this, their eyes would probably pop out of their sockets."

Although Wang Wu was surprised, upon reflection, he didn't find it unreasonable. Setting aside Xu Ke's true identity, the strength he had demonstrated today alone was more than enough to warrant such treatment from the Northern Dragon Guard. This was an investment in a future powerhouse. Back in the day, Wang Jiangnian had "invested in" and recruited Wang Wu in much the same way.

Beside them, Wang Qiya nodded eagerly and chuckled. "That's right, brother-in-law! This way, you don't have to leave Tianhai."

Xu Ke smiled and nodded.

Now that their questions were answered, Wang Wu and Wang Qiya naturally didn't pry any further. They were so elated that Xu Ke had joined the Northern Dragon Guard and received such favorable treatment that they completely forgot their earlier doubts—especially Wang Qiya, who had just been wondering about the thudding sounds in the meeting room.

But just then, Wong Qifu said to Xu Ke, "Come upstairs to my room."

She still had some questions to ask. Xu Ke was somewhat puzzled but quickly followed her.

Seeing this, Wang Qiya and Wang Wu exchanged knowing winks, assuming that after so long, the couple was finally going to have some private time to themselves.

「...」

Once they were in the room, it was just the two of them.

"What's the matter?" Xu Ke asked as he walked in, confused.

"I have to ask," Wong Qifu said, her brow furrowed, "why would Ki Qinyin go to such lengths for no apparent reason?"

It wasn't that she was overly suspicious; she was afraid the Northern Dragon Guard might have designs on Xu Ke. But seeing how overjoyed Wang Wu and Wang Qiya were, she didn't want to dampen their spirits, so she had pulled Xu Ke aside to ask him privately.

Hearing her question, Xu Ke chuckled. "So that's what you wanted to ask. Actually, it's a long story..."

"Then make it short," Wong Qifu said flatly.

Xu Ke couldn't help but find the situation amusing. "Because I did her a great favor, and she wants to repay the debt."

"What?" Wong Qifu's expression changed.

"It's like this..."

Xu Ke recounted the incident from three years ago, revealing that the girl he had saved using the Heaven-Defying Fate Change Technique was none other than Ki Qinyin's daughter. He also mentioned that he hadn't known Ki Qinyin's identity back then and had almost failed to recognize her when they met again today.

After listening to Xu Ke's explanation, Wong Qifu finally understood. "So that's what happened."

"So the sounds from the meeting room earlier and the red mark on her forehead... that must have been from her kowtowing to you?" Connecting the two events, it wasn't hard for Wong Qifu to guess the origin of the red mark. After all, if someone had been able to save Wang Jiangnian's life back then, she certainly would have kowtowed with sincere gratitude as well.

Xu Ke nodded. "Yeah. She gave three loud kowtows the moment she walked in."

"With a connection like that to the Northern Dragon Guard, it all makes sense..." Wong Qifu breathed a sigh of relief. At the very least, the likelihood of them scheming against Xu Ke was much lower now.

Xu Ke grinned. "Yeah, she said that from now on, we're like family to them. She considers herself my sister, and the Northern Dragon King is my brother-in-law. I never expected to suddenly gain two new relatives."

But upon hearing this, Wong Qifu's relieved expression suddenly soured. "You're happy to have an extra sister, are you?"

Xu Ke didn't immediately catch on and joked cheerfully, "Is that a bad thing? With such a powerful backer, I could strut around the northern borders."

Wong Qifu, however, suddenly sneered. "So I suppose you think my backing isn't strong enough!"

Seeing the change in her expression, Xu Ke finally realized something was amiss. His own face paled. "That's not what I meant at all..."

His mind raced as he frantically tried to figure out what he had said to provoke her.