Chapter 7389
Refusal
In her panic, Zhou Keying's first thought was of Xiao Chen. In this situation, perhaps only Xiao Chen could help her.
He was able to kill Ao Tianchen and also kill Duanmu Jue on the Life and Death Arena; his martial arts cultivation was far from ordinary. However, Xiao Chen's biggest weakness was that he lacked a true martial arts foundation of his own!
No matter how strong Xunjiang Group is, it is just a business, a tool for making money. It is no match for a family like the Lü family, which has been rooted in martial arts for decades and has a deep foundation. Moreover, the Lü family has a living legend from Zhongnan Mountain behind them!
Zhou Keying felt utterly confused, as if a huge rock was pressing on her chest, making it difficult to even breathe. She forced herself to calm down, but the more she thought about it, the more desperate she became. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she bit her lip hard to keep them from falling.
After hanging up the phone, Zhou Keying walked out of the bedroom absentmindedly. Looking at Xiao Chen sitting quietly in the living room, her lips moved, but she couldn't say a word.
"You're hiding something." Xiao Chen looked up at her, his tone calm but with an undeniable certainty.
Zhou Keying froze abruptly, then hurriedly shook her head: "No... I'm fine."
But the glint in her eyes couldn't escape Xiao Chen's notice.
"Speak," Xiao Chen leaned back slightly, tapping his fingertips lightly on the table. "If you really consider me a friend, then don't hold back. I'll help if I can; and I won't pretend to be capable if I can't."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Keying's delicate body trembled violently, and her tense emotions instantly crumbled. She hesitated for a full half minute before tentatively speaking, her voice barely audible: "Xiao Chen... just how strong are you?"
Xiao Chen raised an eyebrow, not expecting her to ask this. After a moment of contemplation, he asked in return, "Have you heard of the Dragon Kingdom's Celestial Ranking?"
“I’ve heard of it!” A glimmer of light suddenly appeared in Zhou Keying’s eyes, and she nodded quickly. “I’ve heard my father say that it’s the highest ranking in the martial arts world of the Dragon Kingdom, and those who can make it onto the list are all top experts!”
“If we’re going by that ranking list, I just killed Duanmu Jue, who was ranked 100th.” Xiao Chen said casually, as if he were talking about a trivial matter. “As for my actual combat strength… I haven’t fought against many top experts, so it’s hard to say.”
He paused, then asked, "Why are you suddenly asking this?"
The glimmer of light in Zhou Keying's eyes dimmed instantly... A hundred strong individuals were indeed formidable, but the master of the Lü family was rumored to be able to rival the top ten on the Heavenly Ranking! The gap was like an insurmountable chasm.
She quickly concealed the sadness in her eyes and forced a faint smile: "It's nothing, it's just that someone was talking to me about the Life and Death Arena, and I was a little curious. Let's not talk about this anymore, I'm going back to the Su family to get some things, I'll be back later."
Xiao Chen didn't ask any more questions and nodded slightly.
Watching Zhou Keying's hurried departure, Xiao Chen lightly tapped the table with his fingertips, frowned and pondered for a moment, then instantly understood... It was most likely that the Lü family and their group were coming back.
He immediately stood up and summoned the Yin Ancestor: "From today onwards, your primary task is to secretly protect Zhou Keying. No matter what happens, you must ensure her safety."
"At all costs!" Xiao Chen added, his tone icy.
The Yin Ancestor knelt on one knee and replied in a deep voice, "Your subordinate will obey your command!"
With his cultivation level, he could suppress almost everyone on the Dragon Kingdom's Celestial Ranking, except for a handful of those at the very top. With him secretly protecting her, Zhou Keying would have no danger to her life. After giving his instructions, the Extreme Yin Ancestor flashed and disappeared from the villa like a ghost.
Xiao Chen sat back down on the sofa, sorting through the series of events that had recently occurred, and mentally anticipating possible future changes.
While Zhuang Yuan was deep in thought, his communication suddenly came through.
Xiao Chen assumed it was a follow-up to the New Martial Arts Association and casually answered the call, but he didn't expect Zhuang Yuan to drop such a bombshell as soon as he spoke: "Mr. Xiao, the chief in the central government... wants to see you!"
Xiao Chen's movements suddenly stopped, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes.
He hadn't seen the old man for many years. But right now, he didn't want to see him… The secrets of the Prison Clan were too complex; the more people who knew, the greater the risk. It wasn't that he didn't trust the old man, but rather that it was better to avoid trouble; there was no need to actively seek out problems that could be avoided.
"Mr. Xiao, could you please leave for Beijing immediately? The leader's special envoy has already set off and is on his way to your villa!" Zhuang Yuan's tone was extremely solemn.
He simply didn't believe Xiao Chen would refuse... This was an incredible opportunity!
Although the old man does not directly rule the martial arts world, as long as the martial arts world remains within the territory of the Dragon Kingdom, he holds the ultimate say! Moreover, the fact that the old man specially dispatched his close attendants to personally welcome him is a clear signal to the New Martial Arts Association: Xiao Chen is someone I protect, and anyone who dares to touch him should first consider their own weight!
"Please thank the commander for his kindness." Xiao Chen's voice remained calm. "However, I am indeed tied up with important matters recently and cannot leave the Northwest even for a moment. I am afraid I will have to disappoint the commander's kindness this time."
On the other end of the communication, Zhuang Yuan's mind went blank, and he was completely dumbfounded!
Xiao Chen actually... refused?!
Refusing a personal summons from the top leader?!
Has he gone mad?!
For decades, since that leader held central power, no one in the Dragon Kingdom, from martial arts masters to military and political officials, had ever dared to refuse his personal summons! Was Xiao Chen about to set a precedent for the entire nation?!
Zhuang Yuan knew Xiao Chen was proud and had the right to be arrogant, but why be so stubborn in front of that old man? That old man was clearly saving him!
The conflict between him and the New Martial Arts Association has now escalated to a whole new level. Without the support of the central government, no matter how strong he is or how much Yin he has around to protect him, he will ultimately be unable to hold on alone. There are at least three experts in the top ten of the Heavenly Ranking within the New Martial Arts Association, one of whom is firmly in the top five!
Zhuang Yuan felt a throbbing pain in his temples. He wanted to offer some words of comfort, but he didn't know where to begin.
"Mr. Xiao, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!" His voice was hoarse, almost pleading. "If you go to the capital, the New Martial Arts Association will not dare to act rashly, at least not in the short term. Please... think it over!"
“No need to think twice.” Xiao Chen’s answer was firm. “I really can’t get away right now and have to stay in the Northwest. If I go to Beijing in the future, I will personally visit you to apologize to the leader.”
This was his bottom line. He and the old man were old acquaintances, and they would meet when the time was right; now was clearly not the right time.
"Sigh!" Zhuang Yuan sighed deeply, unable to utter another word, and the communication abruptly ended.
Three minutes later, the communication ringtone sounded urgently again; it was Zhuang Yuan again.
“Mr. Xiao, I have already conveyed your intentions to the leader.” Zhuang Yuan’s tone was as heavy as lead. “Since you are unable to go to Beijing, the leader cannot use this to put pressure on the New Martial Arts Association… You will have to deal with the New Martial Arts Association’s retaliation on your own.”
He paused, then lowered his voice: "To fight the entire New Martial Arts Association alone is tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock!" (End of Chapter)