KOF: Rise of the King of Fighters

Yan Yue could only perceive the girl's general outline, but she could tell that the girl in front of her was a gentle and lovely young girl, whose clothes and hairstyle were similar to Duo Long's. She should also be a disciple of the Flying Thief Sect.

"No need to thank me, I'm actually very grateful to you for taking care of me all this time," Yan Yue said gratefully, touching the bandages and gauze on her body.

"Can I call you Xiaolong's little sister?"

"Hmm," Xiaolong replied with a smile.

Yan Yue tried hard to recall information from her previous life, but she couldn't remember anything about Xiao Long.

So Yan Yue tentatively asked, "I remember I was fighting against Duolong before, where is he now?"

Xiaolong suddenly paused, then lowered his head and said, "The Third Prince... he was also slightly injured..."

"The one I called earlier?"

"Yeah, it seems he left on his own last night." The girl said dejectedly, but then suddenly looked up at Yan Yue and said seriously, "He apologized yesterday, please don't blame him! He also asked me to thank you."

Recalling what happened last night, Yan Yue nodded and said, "Yes, I can roughly guess. Duolong had a strong killing intent at the time. It must be that she didn't control her cultivation technique well and lost her mind..."

Sensing Xiaolong's worried expression, Yanyue smiled warmly, gently patted Xiaolong's head, and said in a kind tone, "Don't worry, Duolong seems like a good person. Although he's a bit arrogant, he's not a bad person at heart."

Hearing Yan Yue's words, Xiao Long's mood brightened instantly. She looked at Yan Yue gratefully and whispered, "Yan Yue, thank you..."

At this moment, Yan Yue began to think about the people related to the Flying Thief Sect. He remembered that there seemed to be a master of poison named Lin, and also Duolong. In addition, he also remembered a person named Long who had betrayed the Flying Thief Sect and joined the Sound Nest, and it was said that he was the leader of the Flying Thief Sect.

“Duolong, Xiaolong, Long…” Yan Yue fell into deep thought.

"The Flying Thieves Sect will be wiped out by the Dragon Sect..."

Suddenly, as if he had thought of something, he turned to look at Xiaolong and asked, "Little sister Xiaolong, may I ask you some questions?"

Xiaolong nodded, looking at Yanyue with curiosity.

Yan Yue then asked, "Is the leader of the Flying Thief Sect named Long?"

When Xiaolong heard Yanyue mention Duolong's father's name, a look of surprise appeared on his face. He stared at Yanyue with wide eyes and asked in confusion, "Yes, how do you know the master's name?"

Yan Yue casually made up a lie: "My grandfather told me that he was the grandmaster of the Bajiquan school of Wudang Mountain."

Xiaolong frowned slightly, seemingly deep in thought, but ultimately nodded. Yan Yue breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that her lie hadn't been exposed.

Seeing that Xiaolong seemed to believe her, Yanyue pressed her advantage and asked curiously, "Duolong is the son of a dragon, right?"

Xiaolong nodded slightly and replied calmly, "Yes."

Then Yan Yue pressed on, "So what is the relationship between Sister Xiaolong and Duolong? Why do you call him the Third Prince?"

Upon hearing this, Xiaolong's face suddenly darkened, and an indescribable sadness filled her eyes. She lowered her head, as if she had something difficult to say.

Yan Yue noticed Xiao Long's change in mood and immediately realized that she might have asked a question she shouldn't have. She hurriedly said, "I'm sorry, Xiao Long, please forgive me if my words upset you."

Xiaolong raised his head, forced a smile, and said softly, "It's alright, it's just that there are some things I don't know how to bring up..."

Yan Yue vaguely sensed that Duo Long and Xiao Long were somewhat like siblings, but Xiao Long's gentle and mild-mannered personality seemed completely different from the Flying Thief Sect's style. She wondered if Xiao Long was disliked by the other members of the clan for some reason.

Yan Yue quickly interrupted her, saying gently, "Never mind, let's not talk about this anymore. You can tell me anytime if you want. Let's go out now; my companions are probably still worriedly looking for me."

Xiaolong glanced gratefully at Yanyue and nodded in agreement. Yanyue then blindfolded herself, and Xiaolong helped her up, slowly leading her out of the woods.

Meanwhile, Yan Yue was contemplating the impending annihilation of the Flying Thief Sect.

……

At the hotel entrance, Athena and Kensou were fretting over something when they unexpectedly encountered Engetsu and Xiaolong. Seeing Engetsu covered in injuries and accompanied by a beautiful, unfamiliar girl, they were filled with curiosity.

Athena stared wide-eyed at Yan Yue with a gossipy look on her face, and said with a grin, "Yan Yue, what's going on here? Who is this beautiful little sister?" A hint of mischief was in her eyes.

Upon hearing Athena's words, Xiaolong blushed shyly and lowered his head. Yan Yue shook his head helplessly. Knowing Athena's personality, he could only explain simply, "Last night, I had a private duel with a disciple of the Flying Thief Sect in the woods and ended up getting a little injured. Later, this little sister Xiaolong gave me some basic treatment and sent me back to the hotel."

Upon hearing this, Chui Quan Chong frowned and asked, "The Flying Thief Sect? The legendary assassination sect! Yan Yue, why did you fight against the disciples of the Flying Thief Sect without permission? This is too dangerous!" His tone was filled with worry and reproach.

Yan Yue replied with a wry smile, "Don't worry, the Flying Thief Sect is a reputable sect. I just wanted to improve my strength, and I learned a lot from this battle."

Athena continued to tease Yan Yue: "Oh dear, Yan Yue, you're such a brave person! But be careful next time, don't get hurt again, or Xiaolong will worry."

Xiaolong also realized Athena's meaning, blushed and hurriedly took a few steps back, wanting to stay away from Yanyue.

Yan Yue was puzzled. Athena was only 12 years old. How could she know so much? Yan Yue never expected that the innocent, lively and cute Athena would have such a gossipy nature.

Afterwards, Kensou treated the three of them to breakfast, which of course consisted of his favorite steamed buns. During their conversation, they learned that Tang Fulu and Chin Gentsai had been drinking all night and were still asleep, while Shun'ei and Tomorrow-kun had been having a bit too much fun the night before and were also still asleep.

Upon hearing this, Yan Yue felt aggrieved and thought, "This master and junior brother are really a jerk! I disappeared late at night and no one even came to look for me! I can't stay in Wudang Mountain for another day..." He couldn't help but pout.

Athena came over to chat with Xiaolong, and the two got along very well, laughing constantly. Meanwhile, Kensou brought up the past incident involving Kyo Kusanagi and Engetsu, which Xiaolong listened to with great interest, frequently bursting into cheerful laughter, covering his mouth and chuckling – this was the happiest Xiaolong had ever laughed in a long time. However, good times always pass quickly, and in the end, Xiaolong decided to say goodbye to the three of them.

With a hint of disappointment in her voice, she said, "Now that Yan Yue has arrived safely, I should return to the village. Kensou, Athena, thank you."

Yan Yue asked curiously, "Are we leaving now?"

Xiaolong nodded, but did not answer.

She sighed inwardly, for the Third Prince was likely returning to the village soon, and if she couldn't get back in time, she would be punished. She thought to herself how wonderful it would be if she could be this happy in the village…

Yan Yue also knew that judging from the Flying Thief Sect's style, there must be quite a few rules, so Duo Long looked very serious, while Xiao Long always looked sad.

"Slaughtering the Flying Thieves..."

Suddenly, a thought flashed through Yan Yue's mind. She remembered that there were people from NESTS at the previous conference, who had mentioned the Flying Thief Sect and that the Dragon Queen had betrayed and joined NESTS, slaughtering the entire village.

Combining her memories from her previous life, Yan Yue connected the dots, and the annihilation of the Flying Thief Sect occurred during this period.

Oh no! Xiaolong and Duolong are going to die!

The thought that this gentle and kind young girl in front of him might also be killed made Yan Yue tense up. No, this is too dangerous!

The cruel scene kept replaying in his mind.

"What should we do? Try to keep Xiaolong here? We definitely can't. But Xiaolong is too strong; even Grandpa might not be able to beat him..."

Yan Yue anxiously considered various possibilities, but none of them seemed feasible. His brows furrowed tightly, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Just then, Yan Yue sensed that Xiao Long was looking at her with a puzzled expression.

"Yan Yue?"

Yan Yue realized what was happening and hurriedly said to Xiao Long, "Xiao Long, come here for a moment, I have something important to tell you."

Regardless of Kensou and Athena's expressions, he pulled Xiaolong aside and whispered, "Xiaolong, no matter what happens in the future, you must protect yourself. If you encounter danger, run immediately and don't worry about others. Got it?"

Looking at Yan Yue, who had lost her sight but remained upright and kind, Xiao Long nodded in agreement without the slightest doubt.

"Okay, don't worry, Yan Yue, I'll take good care of myself."

Then Xiaolong said firmly, "When I return to the village this time, I will become an apprentice at the Western Poison Sect. By then, I will definitely have the strength to protect myself."

Yan Yue shook her head inwardly. It was probably too late. It was likely during this time that the Dragon Society betrayed them. On the day of the martial arts tournament, other thieves were indeed plotting something in the shadows. However, Yan Yue didn't say it outright, since even if she told Xiao Long about the leader's betrayal, he wouldn't believe it.

"Take this." Yan Yue took a small box from Athena and handed it to Xiao Long.

"What is this?" Xiaolong looked at the intricately crafted mechanical box in front of him and quickly refused, "I can't accept such a valuable gift."

"Here, this is a pager, similar to a telephone. I asked Athena to buy it for me yesterday." Cell phones weren't common in this era, and they were too expensive. Yan Yue didn't have that much money, but to facilitate communication, she could only use her remaining allowance to buy a pager. A pager could only send a few small words. For Xiao Long's safety, she had no choice but to give her the pager.

"This has my junior brother's number recorded on it. Please keep it with you at all times. If you are in danger, call the number on it and send what you want to say. This is the battery..." Regardless of whether Xiaolong accepted it or not, Yan Yue continued to explain how to use the pager to Xiaolong: "Press this button to speak, and press it again to send. The person on the other end will receive your message."

Xiaolong looked at the pager in her hand, still puzzled: "But why give it to me..." She knew that Yan Yue was thinking of her, but she still didn't quite understand Yan Yue's intentions.

Yan Yue took a deep breath and began his deception: "Because you're being watched..."

"Huh?" Xiaolong was even more puzzled, his brows furrowing tightly.

Yan Yue continued, "Kyo Kusanagi, me, and your Flying Thief Clan are all being watched. During the Martial Arts Tournament, my perception range was very wide, and I sensed a powerful aura. It must be someone secretly observing us. Therefore, having a way to contact me at any time is very important."

Xiaolong's eyes widened, and he asked incredulously, "What kind of aura is that?"

Yan Yue shook her head: "I don't know, but it feels very powerful. It might be a mysterious organization. They might be interested in our strength, or they might have other purposes. In any case, we need to be vigilant."

Xiaolong nodded, his expression turning serious: "Okay, I understand. Thank you for telling me all this."

Yan Yue looked at Xiao Long, unsure if he truly understood her meaning, but still gave him a final instruction: "This matter depends on the situation before deciding whether to inform Duo Long. As the Third Prince, he frequently contacts the higher-ups, because they seem to have infiltrated the Flying Thief Sect's upper echelons."

After careful consideration, Xiaolong nodded solemnly, indicating that he would do as Yanyue said.

"Remember to turn off your pager when you're not using it and keep it with you. If you encounter any danger, turn it on immediately and send us a message. Try to avoid staying in the village alone on weekdays..." Yan Yue said seriously. Xiao Long listened attentively to every word.

The perceptive Xiaolong could naturally tell that Yan Yue truly cared about her. Since her mother's passing, no one had ever shown such concern for her safety.

"Yan Yue, thank you..." Xiao Long said to Yan Yue with a look of gratitude in his eyes.

"You're welcome. We're friends, after all. Looks like you took it to heart..." Yan Yue patted Xiao Long's head one last time.

He joked, "This pager isn't a gift for you, you'll have to return it to me next time we meet."

Yan Yue's expression suddenly turned fierce as she said, "If I find out you encountered danger and didn't call for help, I'll turn against you!"

"In short, you and Duolong should be careful!"

"Well, Athena, Kensou..." Xiaolong took one last look at Yan Yue, engraving her gentle and beautiful face in his heart. "And Yan Yue, goodbye."

……

The three watched Xiaolong's departing figure.

Yan Yue thought to herself: I hope this little girl will be safe and sound.

Athena sighed softly and remarked, "What a strong and lovely girl."

"It's a pity Yan Yue can't see it. Xiao Long is so beautiful!" Athena teased again.

Kensou nodded in agreement, feeling that the two of them were quite a good match. He didn't know what unspeakable difficulties Xiaolong had, but he could sense that Xiaolong, like Yanyue, was a person who could remain gentle and kind even when faced with various hardships.

Yan Yue returned to the hotel. She confiscated (embezzled) Shun Ying's and Ming Tianjun's pagers...

……

On Xiaolong's way back, Duolong had been waiting for him for a long time.

Xiaolong was surprised to see that Duolong had been waiting for her to return together: "Third Prince?!"

"Is it all done? Let's go back." Duolong's expression softened, and a smile appeared on her face instead.

"Hmm, so the Third Prince is a gentle person after all."

The Third Prince didn't refute anything and walked ahead of Xiaolong. He asked the same question again: "Xiaolong, can Father's strength really be surpassed?"

"Hasn't the Third Prince's state of mind changed?"

"Yes, the battle with Yan Yue made me realize that it's not just strength that can be surpassed."

Xiaolong thought about Yan Yue from earlier. Yan Yue was truly an amazing person; even his brother was slowly changing. He also seemed to be pondering Yan Yue's words…

The two gradually drifted apart...