Flashback –
Mu-Lian: Xiao-Tong, we were born into a very poor family. Since childhood, I never liked being trapped within the chains of family life, so I chose the path of faith and abandoned worldly life. Meanwhile, our parents gave everything they had to educate Xiao-Yiyao and married her into a good family. Xiao-Tong, your father Xiao-Wen belonged to a noble family.
Xiao-Tong said in shock,
My father... Xiao-Wen?
Mu-Lian nodded his head up and down and said,,,
Yes, and the Xiao clan possessed not one, but two inheritances of the ancient Golden Dragons.
Hearing Mu-Lian's words, Shi-Han was also stunned and said in disbelief,,,
Shi-Han: Golden Dragons!
Mu-Lian replied calmly----
Yes.
The true secret of their wealth was hidden within the inheritance of those two dragons. And no one even dared to speak the name of the rest of their riches.
For many years, the Xuan Gang had kept their eyes on the Xiao family in order to seize that fortune.
After hearing the whole truth from Mu-Lian, Xiao-Tong's hands and feet turned cold. He had read in history about the ancient Golden Dragons. Any family that possessed even one Golden Dragon was feared by everyone. Where there is wealth, power comes naturally. Xiao-Tong had struggled since childhood and worked hard to grow up, yet hearing that his family once owned such enormous wealth left him speechless. With great wealth comes enemies as well. From hearing only this much, Xiao-Tong already sensed a deep mystery.
Shi-Han: Xuan Gang! The Xuan Gang that exists now... was it the same Xuan Gang from so many years ago??
Mu-Lian: No one can say for certain in which countries the Xuan Gang exists, or how many people belong to it. Until now, no legal force has ever been able to completely destroy the Xuan Gang.
★★★
As Mu-Lian spoke, old memories surfaced in his eyes. A huge luxurious palace. Merely looking at it was dazzling. In one of the palace rooms, children's toys were scattered everywhere. In the middle of the room, a seven or eight-month-old baby was swinging in a cradle.
The child's mother suddenly heard sounds of destruction from the drawing room. Leaving the baby behind, she rushed there and saw several men dressed in black had stabbed Xiao-Wen in the chest.
Blood was flowing down Xiao-Wen's cheek. Pressing the knife embedded in his chest with one hand, he stretched the other hand toward Xiao-Yiyao and said in a trembling voice,,,,,,
Xiao-Wen: Take Xiao-Tong and run! Don't come here, Xiao-Yiyao!
If any wife were to suddenly see her husband stabbed in the chest while he was still alive, she would naturally try to save him. Likewise, Xiao-Yiyao rushed toward Xiao-Wen. But before she could reach him, the masked men tightly grabbed her delicate hands.
They said: Where is the Golden Dragon? Give it to us, or today will be the last day of the Xiao family.
Xiao-Yiyao: Let go! Let me go, Xiao-Wen! Help, someone,,,,.
Xiao-Yiyao screamed for help, but one of the masked men covered her mouth and said,,,,,
"You have quite the spirit. Though for beauties, such spirit is only natural."
As he spoke, he shamelessly ran one finger across Xiao-Yiyao's face and stopped at her neck. Xiao-Yiyao shook her head fiercely, spat on his face, and said,,,,,
Xiao-Yiyao: Coward! Do you feel no shame touching another man's wife? If you have courage, then let me go. We will fight in the open field, face to face.
The man wiped his face and let out a silent devilish laugh. Then he said—
"I'll let her go. Come, let us fight in the open field."
As soon as he said that, the masked man holding Xiao-Yiyao released her hand. Xiao-Yiyao rushed toward the sword hanging on the wall. But the leader of the masked men shot her hand from behind.
Xiao-Yiyao groaned in pain. Even so, she kept moving toward the sword. Seeing this, the heart of the dying Xiao-Wen trembled. Xiao-Wen crawled to the man's feet and said,,,,,
Xiao-Wen: I'll tell you... I'll tell you about the Golden Dragon,,,
Just after saying that much, Xiao-Wen looked toward Xiao-Yiyao and gasped for breath. At that moment, Xiao-Yiyao felt pain as if death itself had pierced her heart. Suddenly, she threw herself at the masked gang.
Amid the chaos in the drawing room, Xiao-Wen's mother came out of her room. She quickly fled and sent out a signal for help. But even that was of little use. While she sent the signal, several gang members were already chasing after her.
When all the gang members pursued Xiao-Wen's mother, Xiao-Yiyao went to Xiao-Wen, fell to her knees, and began to cry. What could she possibly say at that moment? Her words were gone. Only heartbroken sobs remained.
Seeing Xiao-Yiyao in that state, the dam of Xiao-Wen's tears broke. Xiao-Wen slowly raised his blood-covered trembling hand and touched Xiao-Yiyao's cheek.
Xiao-Yiyao held Xiao-Wen's hand and burst into tears. Both of them knew that Xiao-Wen would not survive, and their only descendant, Xiao-Tong, had to be saved.
Xiao-Wen: I... I know that whether they get the Golden Dragon or not, they will kill us all. Xiao! Xiao-Yiyao... save my child. Run away. Don't think about me.
Xiao-Yiyao: No! How can I leave you behind, Xiao-Wen?
Amid the violent uproar, baby Xiao-Tong was crying in the cradle. At that moment, to father Xiao-Wen, the heartbreaking cries of his flower-like innocent child pierced his ears like arrows. Gathering all the strength left in his body, Xiao-Wen said to Xiao-Yiyao,,,,,
Xiao-Wen: Put aside your emotions. You know very well I will not live more than a few moments. Please save my child. Before I die, I want at least to know my baby is alive. Go now, before they reach Xiao-Tong's room. Take the child and run.
Cruel fate, and what a tragic ending it brought. After saying only that much, Xiao-Wen collapsed into Xiao-Yiyao's arms. As soon as Xiao-Wen died, Xiao-Yiyao embraced him and cried.
★★★
One by one, the servants in the palace who came to help the Xiao family were killed by the masked men. During the intense gunfight, one bullet accidentally struck a gas cylinder in the kitchen. In an instant, the magnificent palace of the Xiao family burst into roaring flames.
Everyone fears death. Before the fire spread through the whole palace, the masked gang fled one after another. But Xiao-Yiyao, wounded in the hand, could not escape with Xiao-Tong. Somehow, dragging her body, she reached baby Xiao-Tong's room. The flames had nearly reached the door. At that moment, Xiao-Yiyao could no longer carry her own body any further.
Xiao-Yiyao somehow reaches Xiao-Tong, stumbling and hitting the walls, table, and corners. Due to the intense heat of the fire and continuous crying for a long time, the baby's entire body is drenched in sweat. With tear-filled eyes, Xiao-Yiyao hugged the girl and placed her final affectionate kiss on her forehead.
A single tear rolled down Xiao-Yiyao's cheek and fell onto baby Xiao-Tong's face. Xiao-Tong was still crying. Holding the girl tightly, Xiao-Yiyao said,,,,
Xiao-Yiyao:- Don't cry anymore, my child. I have come. I will definitely keep the promise I made to your father. I will save you.
Saying this, Xiao-Yiyao carried the child toward the door, but the moment she took another step, the burning door collapsed in front of her. Instantly, Xiao-Yiyao stepped back reflexively. She understood that escaping through this door meant certain death.
Xiao-Yiyao tried to open another door of the room, but as soon as she opened it, she again instinctively turned back. At that moment, a blast of fire struck her back. Her back caught fire. But the child was in her arms. How would she save the girl now? Was there really no other way?
Xiao-Yiyao:- Oh cruel fate! Even after promising a dying father that I, as her mother, would save her—will I still not be able to protect my daughter?
Saying this to herself, Xiao-Yiyao ran toward the balcony. That seemed to be the only way left—jumping from the balcony.
As Xiao-Yiyao reached the balcony, her eyes saw Mu-Lian crawling and crying in front of the burning palace. And she heard Xiao-Yiyao's voice calling and shouting.
Actually, Xiao-Wen's mother had earlier sent a distress signal to Mu-Lian through the firework system, asking for help. Mu-Lian arrived too late. By the time he reached, everything in the palace was already being destroyed.
Seeing Mu-Lian as the last hope for the child, Xiao-Yiyao gathered all her strength and called out. But at that moment, a loud and terrifying explosion echoed in her ears. Surely, some flammable object inside the room had caught fire and exploded. Xiao-Yiyao slowly began collapsing onto the floor.
She no longer had the strength to stand against such a massive blast. Baby Xiao-Tong slipped from her arms and floated in the air. At this moment, if Mu-Lian makes even the slightest mistake, the Xiao lineage will end.
★★★
Suddenly, Mu-Lian shuddered. Tears rolled down Xiao-Tong's eyes. As Xiao-Tong listened to Mu-Lian, the scenes formed in her imagination, and she collapsed onto the floor. The ground beneath her feet seemed to disappear. It felt as if the entire sky of the world was collapsing above her head.