Numerous dignitaries and high-ranking officials alighted from their vehicles.
Li Maocheng, the head of the Li family, stood at the entrance of the building with his only son, Li Jiaze, to welcome them. It was arguably the most glorious moment for their Li family.
Suddenly, a camouflage military SUV slowly drove into the premises. The crowd's scalps tingled as they noticed the distinctive white license plate.
The National Military Defense Department! And judging by the plate, it was definitely a high-ranking official from the department.
"Uncle Li, Jiaze, congratulations on the official inauguration of Huanglong Association! This is my gift to you," a young military officer emerged from the camouflage vehicle, displaying a hint of pride under the stunned gazes of the crowd.
"Xiao Le, you're here. In the future, Jiaze will need your guidance as the top general in the 'Tiandao' of the official world," Li Maocheng said with a chuckle as he watched the approaching youth.
"Brother Le! Please take care of your little brother in the future," Li Jiaze, standing behind Li Maocheng, quickly greeted him.
"You speak as if we're family. Come on, let's go inside, I'll back you up," Li Yue patted Li Jiaze on the shoulder and pulled him inside.
"Xiao Le, a very important guest hasn't arrived yet. Jiaze will have to wait a bit longer," Li Maocheng said jovially to Li Yue.
"An important guest? Who?" Li Yue was astonished.
He, a Lieutenant General, felt he was already stooping very low by attending such a private organization's event. If it weren't for the distant familial ties between him and Li Maocheng, he wouldn't have bothered coming. Now, Li Maocheng mentioned another important guest, which made him truly surprised.
"It's the newly promoted General from the Dragon Palace!" Li Maocheng said with a smile, looking at Li Yue.
"I spoke with your father last time. He specifically asked me to invite this person. How was it? Did you witness the demeanor of a celestial being during your previous conflict?"
"Uh... Uncle Li, I have some urgent matters to attend to, so I'll be taking my leave..."
Upon hearing this, Li Yue's face turned pale. He quickly found an excuse to leave. Last time, he had gone to the Dragon Palace to cause trouble, but he was detained for two days, and his steward, who was skilled in dark energy, along with over a hundred men, lost their lives. Even then, his family had to pay nearly a hundred billion in compensation, and his grandfather and father dared not utter a word.
Now, the mere thought of that young man's face gave him nightmares. He often felt fortunate to be alive after offending such a celestial being.
"Oh? Are you talking about me?" Suddenly, a voice rang out unexpectedly beside them. They all looked up to see a young man, wearing a thin short-sleeved shirt in the middle of winter, standing there and looking at Li Yue.
"Who are you?! Security, security! What are you guys doing, letting anyone in here?!" Li Jiaze exclaimed, seeing the man. He thought, "Good heavens, can't even afford clothes?"
Ye Yun's appearance instantly drew everyone's attention.
"Didn't you invite me here? What, are you backing out?" Ye Yun asked, a playful glint in his eyes as he looked at Li Yue beside him and a man and woman standing not far behind them.
"Jiaze, don't be rude!"
"Young man, you claim we invited you? But I, Li, don't seem to recognize you," Li Maocheng chided his son and then turned to ask with confusion.
Despite being the richest man, he lacked the sharpness his son possessed, appearing excessively gentle.
"Ye Yun? How could he be here?" Mu Yun, standing not far behind Li Jiaze, saw Ye Yun's appearance and her face turned pale. She couldn't fathom why Ye Yun would be here.
"Liu Shaowei, get rid of him quickly! Otherwise, if Young Master Li finds out about my past relationship with him, we'll both be in serious trouble!" Mu Yun whispered to Liu Shaowei, who was also shocked.
"Young Master Li, I know this guy. He's a terminal cancer patient. He probably knows his days are numbered and has lost his mind, wanting to extort some money."
Before Ye Yun could speak, Liu Shaowei sprinted over, blocking the space between Ye Yun and the Li father and son.
"Ye Yun! I'm telling you, this is not a place you should be. Go back where you came from! Don't you just want money? Fifty thousand! Is fifty thousand enough?" Liu Shaowei hissed at Ye Yun in a low voice.
"Heh heh, it's fine if the richest man, Li, doesn't recognize me. Ask the eldest young master of the Li family, Li. We're quite familiar with each other," Ye Yun said with a smile to Li Maocheng, seemingly oblivious to Liu Shaowei.
"Oh? Xiao Le?" Li Maocheng turned and noticed that Li Yue had lost his earlier confidence. His eyes were filled with fear as he looked at Ye Yun.
"Li Yue of the Li family in Modu greets the Palace Master of the Dragon Palace! And greets the esteemed official!" Despite his fear, Li Yue had no choice but to step forward and salute formally.
Ye Yun's image was deeply etched into his memory. After leaving the Dragon Palace, his father had ordered him to kneel outside the Dragon Palace building for a full day and night.
He would never forget the scenes of them scrubbing the ground, the pools of dried blood that took over a dozen people two days to completely wash clean.
"Palace Master? Esteemed official?" Li Jiaze was bewildered by Li Yue's words.
"Presumably, you are General Ye of the Dragon Palace. Haha, indeed, the dragon king's temple has been flooded by the dragon king's own. My apologies," Li Maocheng, worthy of being the richest man, used a hearty laugh to instantly diffuse the awkwardness between them.
Being called an esteemed official by a Lieutenant General, combined with the title "Palace Master," allowed Li Maocheng to quickly deduce Ye Yun's identity.
"No, Young Master Li, Uncle Li, don't be fooled by them. This guy is a pauper, a liver cancer patient, I can guarantee it. Ye Yun! What the hell do you want?!" Liu Shaowei was almost hysterical as he glared at Ye Yun.
He wasn't afraid of Ye Yun asking for money; he was afraid Ye Yun would expose the affair between him and Mu Yun. With Li Jiaze's personality, they would both suffer a terrible fate.
"Heh heh, Young Master Li, you know how to act like a soldier now? Not bad, not bad. As for this person, heh heh, I almost forgot if you hadn't mentioned it. You two scoundrels, you scammed me out of so much money and now you think fifty thousand will do?"
Ye Yun first nodded at Li Yue, then turned to look at Liu Shaowei, who was sneering, revealing his pearly white teeth.
"General Ye, is there some misunderstanding here?" Li Jiaze's face turned pale upon hearing Ye Yun's words.
"Young Master Li, there's no misunderstanding. Do you think I would personally attend the opening ceremony of your humble Huanglong Association, turning down invitations from national family alliances and international organizations?"
"Oh, and by the way, pigeon's blood can be quite useful sometimes."