Xu Ke remembered that at first, he was reluctant to participate in the Martial Alliance selection competition. It was only because of the conditions Chen Xiong proposed that he was tempted to participate. As for why things had turned out this way, it was all thanks to Wong Ting sending someone all the way over here.

"I have time."

Xu Ke immediately smiled. After dealing with Kang Chenghua's matter, he finally had some free time. He had originally planned to check on his newly renovated medical clinic today. But since Chen Xiong was taking him to choose a treasure, that was certainly the priority.

Yuan Shang, who was standing to the side, clapped his hands. "I told you so. This kid is always free, no matter what."

Chen Xiong nodded with satisfaction. "Good, as long as you're free. We'll go over together in a bit."

Xu Ke nodded with a smile.

"At first, I promised you any one treasure of your choosing, plus twenty million, and to take you to my old friend's place to select three medicinal herbs, right?" Chen Xiong opened a notebook at his side and looked it over carefully.

Seeing that Chen Xiong had written it all down, Xu Ke couldn't help but chuckle. "That's about right, Grandpa Chen. You don't have to be so meticulous."

"No, that won't do." Chen Xiong waved his hand dismissively. "I must keep the promises I made to you."

Yuan Shang added from the side, "You only say that because he's taking it seriously. If he weren't, I reckon you'd be fighting him tooth and nail for it."

Xu Ke was speechless. "Am I that kind of person?"

"Pretty much. Don't the people from the Ye and Huang Families say you hold grudges?" Yuan Shang nodded earnestly.

Xu Ke was even more speechless. "I helped you get revenge for nothing, you ungrateful wretch."

Yuan Shang glared. "How dare you insult me? I was just teasing you a bit..."

Chen Xiong glanced at Yuan Shang and interrupted, "You're at this age, don't you know how to be a little more serious? Still bickering like a young man."

Yuan Shang fell silent.

Xu Ke let out a laugh, then said, "Grandpa Chen, let's just forget about the twenty million. The Martial Alliance needs money for everything, so it wouldn't be right for me to take twenty million all at once."

As for the treasure, there was no way Xu Ke was letting that go. After all, it was just gathering dust in the Martial Alliance Treasury; it would be better if he put it to use. The twenty million, however, wouldn't help him much personally and would only strain the Martial Alliance's finances. It was better to forget about it.

But Chen Xiong chuckled. "Don't worry about that." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"We took first place. Even if the people from the main alliance can't stand us, they still have to give us tens of millions."

"Twenty million is no problem."

Relieved to hear the main alliance was paying, Xu Ke agreed. "Alright, then!"

It was the main alliance's money, after all. It'd be a waste not to take it.

Chen Xiong then flipped back a couple of pages in his notebook and said thoughtfully, "I also remember Xiao Fu mentioning the Imperial Tomb Relic, right?"

"Ah, right!" Xu Ke was a little surprised.

Chen Xiong even wrote this down...

"Alright, I'll have someone find all the related items and send them here. That'll save us the trouble of looking for them ourselves."

"If you don't find what you want among the items related to the Imperial Tomb, it won't be too late for us to go to the treasury then," Chen Xiong said with a chuckle.

Xu Ke nodded. Since Chen Xiong had already made the arrangements, he certainly had no objections.

Chen Xiong turned to Yuan Shang. "Vice Alliance Leader Yuan, have the finance department transfer the money to Xu Ke."

Yuan Shang nodded and left the room. Chen Xiong then made a phone call. A little while later, Yuan Shang returned.

The three of them waited in the office for the relics from the Martial Alliance Treasury to be delivered.

As they waited in silence, Chen Xiong decided to start a conversation to break the quiet atmosphere. "Xu Ke, I heard Madame Yu returned to the Northern Territory."

"Oh..." Surprised, Xu Ke didn't know what to say. Why did Chen Xiong suddenly bring this up?

But Chen Xiong assumed Xu Ke was uncomfortable because of the sensitive name "Northern Dragon Guard," so he cleared his throat and said, "Ahem, it's actually alright."

"In my younger days, I also tried to join some powerful factions, only to be turned away at the door."

"Failure is perfectly normal. Don't be discouraged, and don't take it to heart."

He had brought this up specifically to needle Xu Ke. He wanted to force Xu Ke to face reality and move on from the shadow of this failure.

But Xu Ke was stunned, his gaze instinctively turning to Yuan Shang.

Yuan Shang stared back at him, wide-eyed.

Their eyes met, a silent conversation passing between them.

Xu Ke's eyes widened. He didn't tell Chen Xiong?!

Yuan Shang's eyes widened in return. You didn't tell him?

Xu Ke understood instantly. He guessed Yuan Shang had been too focused on drinking that day to pass on the news to Chen Xiong.

He took a deep breath, looked at Chen Xiong, and said after a moment's silence, "I understand, Grandpa Chen. I won't be discouraged."

Since Chen Xiong hadn't been told about him joining the Northern Dragon Guard, it was best not to bring it up for now. Xu Ke didn't have the Dragon Badge or the card on him, so he worried he couldn't provide any proof. If he argued and Chen Xiong didn't believe him, it would just be a repeat of that unpleasant conversation with Duan Chongfeng. The very thought was vexing. He decided it was better to bring it up later.

Seeing Xu Ke's frank expression, Chen Xiong nodded and smiled. "That's the spirit!"

"Besides, while the Northern Dragon Guard is powerful, the Martial Alliance is no less formidable."

At these words, even Yuan Shang was taken aback. "Alliance Hierarch, do you realize what you're saying? The Martial Alliance is strong, but it's already Wong Ting's territory..."

The reason they had wanted Xu Ke to go to the Northern Territory was precisely because of the Northern Dragon Guard's power. Although Xu Ke unexpectedly reaching the finish line early had caught Yuan Shang and the others off guard, their goal remained the same: for Xu Ke to one day climb the ranks and use the Northern Dragon Guard's power for his own ends.

It was true that the Martial Alliance was not inferior to the Northern Dragon Guard, as Chen Xiong had said. But what was the point of comparing the two now? No matter how strong the Martial Alliance was, Xu Ke could never climb to the top. After all, wasn't Wong Ting already designated for that spot? For Xu Ke to truly join the Martial Alliance now would be no different from courting death.

But Chen Xiong just laughed. "Who says?"

Xu Ke was also stunned.

"Even if Martial Alliance Leader Yan Xuehai is Wong Ting's master, that doesn't mean the Martial Alliance is their personal domain."

"Wong Ting already commands the army of the Southern Territory's War God, and now he might even inherit Yan Xuehai's position."

"Many within the Martial Alliance might be willing to accept that, but do you think as many people outside the Martial Alliance are?"

"If those two great powers unite, the Martial Alliance will become unprecedentedly strong. How many people do you think would be content with that?" Chen Xiong said meaningfully.

Xu Ke's expression flickered. "Are you saying..." He immediately guessed who wouldn't be willing.

"Some things are better left unsaid." Chen Xiong smiled faintly. "But even within the Martial Alliance, not everyone is on the same page."

"There are some who don't want the already-powerful Wong Ting to rise to the top."

"In fact, the position of Martial Alliance Leader is something you can genuinely contend for."

Xu Ke looked thoughtful. "But wouldn't that be exceedingly difficult?"

"I'm just giving you something to consider, that's all." Chen Xiong smiled. "Initially, I only told you this to help you move on from the shadow of your failure with the Northern Dragon Guard. But on second thought, the Martial Alliance is another path you could consider, even if it is a bit more difficult."

"However, with your current title as the regional champion of the Martial Alliance selection competition, it's perfectly justifiable for you to vie for the position of Alliance Hierarch."

"So, what's wrong with contending for the leadership of the Alliance?"