As the saying goes, a single stone can stir a thousand ripples. Lin Xiao's words instantly sent the entire Du Family into an uproar.

A filthy beggar—and one with some fighting skill, no less—had dared to demand that Du Shaolong kneel. Didn't he know that Du Shaolong was a member of the Martial Alliance?

"You filthy beggar, you fucking dare tell Shaolong to kneel? You must be tired of living!" Du Shaojie roared.

Du Shaokun chimed in, "Exactly! A maggot-like piece of trash dares to order Shaolong to kneel. Shaolong, just kill this loser!"

"To think he'd bully the Du Family right on our own doorstep. He's really courting death!"

"Just kill him already!"

The angry shouts continued.

Du Shaolong remained silent, squinting his eyes as he stared at Lin Xiao.

Just then, Du Junwei spoke coldly, "Kid, it's not too late for you to be the one to kneel!"

Lin Xiao couldn't be bothered to waste words on them. He simply pulled a palm-sized token from his pocket and tossed it to Du Shaolong. The word 'Command' was inscribed on the front, while the back was engraved with a lifelike dragon. The entire token looked extraordinary.

It was, indeed, the Alliance Leader's Command.

"Since you're from the Martial Alliance, take a good look and tell me if you recognize this," Lin Xiao said with a cold laugh.

Du Shaolong caught the token, but before he could even examine it, Du Shaojie snatched it away. He threw it on the ground and even stomped on it for good measure.

"You filthy beggar, who are you trying to scare with this piece of fucking junk? You think we scare that easily?" Du Shaojie shouted arrogantly.

Du Shaokun added, "Exactly! Look at yourself. You think you can intimidate us by waving around some piece of trash?"

Hearing the crowd's jeers, Du Shaolong sneered contemptuously. "You filthy beggar, you really are courting death. Fine. Since you're so determined to die, I'll grant your wish!"

At these words, the Du Family members erupted with excitement, especially Du Shaojie and Du Shaokun. They were as ecstatic as a widow who had just been blessed with a son. This was understandable, as Lin Xiao had put both of them in their place before, and their hearts were filled with resentment. If they hadn't been so completely outmatched, they would have killed Lin Xiao long ago. Now that Du Shaolong was finally about to make his move, how could they not be thrilled?

The words had barely left his lips when Du Shaolong prepared to strike. As he did, a terrifying killing intent surged from him.

Lin Xiao merely smirked in disdain. "Du Shaolong, are you sure you don't want to take a closer look at that token?"

"What, trying to trick me with that piece of junk?" Du Shaolong scoffed. "Do you take me for a three-year-old?"

Despite his words, his eyes swept disdainfully over the token on the ground. He was about to speak again when his gaze froze, caught by the dragon engraved on the back.

"Huh!" Du Shaolong gasped in surprise. He quickly bent down and picked up the token. It felt heavy in his hand, substantial. But that wasn't what mattered. What mattered was the lifelike dragon carved into it.

Du Shaolong's hand began to tremble slightly, his breathing growing ragged. He stared at the dragon for a few moments before flipping the token over. The simple, inscribed word 'Command' came into view.

Though it was just a simple word, Du Shaolong looked as if he had seen a ghost. His face paled instantly, and his hand holding the token started to shake violently. The next second, as if it were a hot potato, he tossed the token back to Lin Xiao.

Lin Xiao caught it with a sneer. "What's the matter? Recognize it?"

Du Shaolong didn't answer. His face had turned a deathly white. His eyes, wide with shock, were fixed on Lin Xiao as he asked in a trembling voice, "Where… where did you get this token?"

"What do you think?" Lin Xiao shot back with another cold laugh.

Du Shaolong fell silent. It wasn't that he didn't want to speak; he didn't dare. He did, in fact, recognize the token. When he first joined the Martial Alliance, the very first task was to learn to identify the Alliance Leader's Command. It was, after all, the symbol of supreme authority within the entire Alliance. To not recognize it would be a huge embarrassment for any member.

Moreover, the Martial Alliance had an ironclad rule: seeing the Alliance Leader's Command was the same as seeing the Alliance Hierarch himself. One was required to kneel.

But Du Shaolong had never dreamed he would one day see the genuine article. Back then, he had only seen it in a picture. Even so, he had memorized every single detail. He knew, without a doubt, that the token in Lin Xiao's hand was real.

When the rest of the Du Family saw Du Shaolong's reaction, they were all stunned. They had never seen the Alliance Leader's Command, but judging from his behavior, the object in the beggar's hands was clearly no ordinary item. Otherwise, Du Shaolong would never have reacted so strongly.

"Long'er, are… are you all right?" Du Junwei asked cautiously. Even though he was the family head, Du Shaolong was a member of the Martial Alliance, a status far above his own.

Du Shaolong didn't answer. He just stared warily at Lin Xiao.

"What are you standing there for? When you joined the Martial Alliance, did they not teach you the rules?" Lin Xiao's voice was like ice.

BOOM!

The words struck Du Shaolong like a vicious slap, leaving him seeing stars, his breath catching in his throat.

The next second, he dropped to his knees before Lin Xiao with a heavy thud.

BOOM!

The scene shocked the entire Du Family. No, it was more than shock—they were stupefied. Everyone knew Du Shaolong was a prestigious member of the Martial Alliance. He was the leading figure of their family's third generation. To think that he would actually be kneeling to a beggar!

What in the world is going on?

But no one could provide an answer.

"Who… who exactly are you?" Du Shaolong asked, his voice shaking.

Lin Xiao replied with a sneer, "Take a guess."

Du Shaolong looked at Lin Xiao cautiously as a piece of information flashed through his mind. I recall my senior brother once mentioning that the Alliance Hierarch has an exceptionally powerful disciple known as the Dragon Lord. Could it be him? Otherwise, how could the Alliance Hierarch possibly entrust the Alliance Leader's Command to him? It isn't just a token; it's a symbol of absolute power and status.

As this realization dawned on him, an overwhelming wave of fear washed over him, and his entire body began to tremble.

Just then, Du Shaojie spoke up in frustration, "Shit, Shaolong, he's just a filthy beggar! Don't let him fool you!"

"Exactly!" Du Shaokun chimed in. "This loser is just a beggar. Shaolong, you're with the Martial Alliance! What's there to be afraid of?"

Before he could finish, Du Shaolong barked furiously, "Shut up! All of you, get on your knees!"

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