KOF: Rise of the King of Fighters

Yan Yue knew very well that this incident truly involved the entire country of China, especially with the involvement of the NESTS organization making things even more complicated. Although he lied and said that NESTS was involved, the fact was that Dragon's betrayal was indeed directly related to NESTS.

However, Yan Yue was unsure of the exact time of the village massacre, and the Flying Thieves Sect's operations were extremely secretive; only rumors about them circulated in the martial arts world. Yan Yue only remembered that the Flying Thieves Sect's address was in the Cangzhou area of ​​Hebei. After discussion, it was decided that Tang Fulu and Yan Yue would go to Cangzhou first, while Zhen Yuanzhai would be responsible for sending the others back to their sect.

Because Yan Yue is mature and possesses exceptional sensory abilities—capable of gathering intelligence, sensing killing intent, and displaying malice—and is also quite strong, Tang Fulu did not refuse Yan Yue's request and took him on a journey to Cangzhou, hoping to secretly locate the village first. Meanwhile, after escorting his disciples home, Zhen Yuanzhai will secretly seek the help of other grandmasters to jointly thwart the NESTS's conspiracy against China.

At this time, Yan Yue and Tang Fulu rented an old building in Cangzhou. Yan Yue would disguise herself and go out on the street to sense the people around her and see if there were any members of the Flying Thief Sect. Tang Fulu would disguise himself as an old man selling tea eggs and push his cart to keep a low profile.

More than ten days later, Yan Yue only learned that the Flying Thief Sect had some connection with the local gangs.

"Grandpa, do you know anything else about the Flying Thief Sect?" Yan Yue was still worried and asked Tang Fulu to see if he had any more clues.

At this moment, Tang Fulu was sitting in his room, drinking tea and resting. Hearing Yan Yue's question, he recalled past events. Tang Fulu put down his teacup and slowly said, "I've only heard some things about the Flying Thief Sect. More than ten years ago, the leader of the Flying Thief Sect was an elderly man like me. Later, he passed away due to illness. It's said that the Flying Thief Sect was managed by four Heavenly Kings, divided into the Eastern Heretic Sect, the Western Poison Sect, the Southern Emperor Sect, and the Northern Beggar Sect. The techniques and abilities of the four sects are all very strange, and the relationships between them are quite complex. As for the newly appointed leader, Long, I know nothing about him."

Yan Yue nodded, deep in thought. He felt that to uncover the secrets of the Flying Thief Sect, he needed to find a member of the Flying Thief Sect to follow as soon as possible. Just as Yan Yue was thinking, Tang Fulu looked out the window with a solemn expression.

Yan Yue noticed his unusual behavior and quickly asked, "Grandpa, what's wrong?" Tang Fulu lowered his voice and said, "I feel that this matter is not so simple... Maybe I'm overthinking it. Yan Yue, we need to be careful."

"Yes." Yan Yue's expression was serious and resolute.

……

That night, Duolong received an urgent mission and needed to go out to carry it out. He packed his bags and prepared to leave. Just then, Xiaolong suddenly appeared. He learned that Duolong was leaving and immediately came to see him off.

Xiaolong hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to tell Duolong what Yanyue had said. He took a deep breath and said, "Third Prince, I have something very important to tell you."

"What is it?" Duolong stopped and looked at Xiaolong with a puzzled expression.

“Third Prince, recent events have been making me uneasy. Yan Yue told me before that a very powerful organization has its eyes on our village,” Xiao Long said worriedly.

A hint of surprise flashed in Duolong's eyes, and he stopped in his tracks.

"Are you sure that's what he said?" Duolong pressed.

Xiaolong nodded, a worried look on his face. He then said, "After I took him back that day, when I was about to leave, Yan Yue looked very serious. He said that someone had been watching us since the day of the martial arts tournament, and that a very powerful person had infiltrated our village. He was a high-ranking figure, and he told us to be careful."

Duolong was initially silent with a sense of doubt, but then, recalling Yan Yue's extraordinary perception, she nodded. She patted Xiaolong's shoulder reassuringly, "Don't worry too much, I'll be careful."

"Because the Lord has been in seclusion for a month now and hasn't come out yet, things are very strange. The village also feels that something is wrong. Third Prince, please be very careful," Xiaolong solemnly instructed.

After thinking for a moment, Duolong replied, "If high-ranking personnel have indeed infiltrated, then we must be even more careful not to alert them. Be cautious and wait until I return to discuss everything."

After saying that, Duolong turned and left, disappearing into the night. Xiaolong watched his departing figure, her unease growing stronger. She touched the pager hidden on her body, her expression grave.

Xiaolong recalled the many questions Yan Yue had asked him that day, the most important of which concerned Long, his father. Connecting these points, Xiaolong pondered the answer she least wanted to hear. "Could it really be that something has happened to my father?"

……

three days later

The Thief's Forbidden Zone.

In a dark mountain cave, a mysterious and oppressive atmosphere permeated the air. There was a special area for meditation and cultivation, with ancient stone slabs paving the ground and dim oil lamps flickering around, as if they might go out at any moment.

In the center of the arena, a middle-aged man dressed in the attire of the Flying Thieves Sect sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, his posture as still as a statue. His long black hair was tied into a long braid, hanging down over his broad shoulders. His skin was unusually pale, even somewhat bluish, giving him a cold and eerie feeling. His face was covered with a black cloth, completely obscuring his features, making it impossible to see his true expression and eyes.

The man wore a loose, wide-sleeved, classic black robe embroidered with dragon patterns and red lines, which swayed slightly with his breath. Dark purple energy swirled around him like smoke, flowing slowly as if to devour everything. This energy sometimes coalesced into dark clouds, and sometimes dispersed, swirling around the man. The whole scene was eerie and chilling.

A low rumble resounded as the cave entrance slowly opened. Two dark figures appeared in the doorway, their faces obscured by darkness, but a powerful aura emanated from them.

One of the shadowy figures spoke in the voice of an adult woman: "Dragon, awaken... it is time." Her voice was full of authority and indifference.

"Hahaha... Hurry up and set off, I'm ready to lend you a hand, hahaha..." The other dark figure was a middle-aged man, whose laughter was arrogant and cruel, as if it carried endless malice.

Just then, the dragon, who had been sitting on the ground, slowly opened its eyes, which became strangely eerie. The whites of its eyes were completely black, like a bottomless abyss, while its pupils turned blood red, emitting a chilling light. Its entire eye looked extremely ferocious and terrifying, sending shivers down one's spine.

As the dragon awoke, a powerful force erupted from him, instantly engulfing the entire cave. He stood up, his body trembling slightly, seemingly not yet fully accustomed to the power. But his eyes were filled with anticipation, a murderous anticipation.

……

Xiaolong lay quietly on the bed, the pager Yan Yue had given her beside her pillow. She had been too stressed and exhausted these past few days, so she had gone to bed early. Xiaolong was already getting sleepy.

"Creak..." The door to the next room was pushed open.

The room next door is the mistress's (Duolong's mother) room. At this time, it should be the lord (father) who opens the door... Xiaolong was thinking when he suddenly became puzzled. At this time, the lord should not go directly to the mistress's room to sleep after coming out of seclusion.

"!" Xiaolong shuddered and immediately got up, leaning against the window and breathing softly.

"Ugh..." Suddenly, a scream rang out. Xiaolong recognized the voice all too well; it was the mistress's voice. A chill ran down Xiaolong's spine. Despair and fear gripped his entire body, and he trembled, too terrified to move.

"Hehehe..." Long Zheng went mad and killed his wife.

……