socalfunplaces Chapter 1326 Family Meeting (Part 2)
Chapter 1326 Family Meeting (Part 2)
Chapter 1324 Family Meeting (Part 2)
Ningguang stopped what she was doing when she heard the sound, turned around with the broom in her hand, and looked surprised.
She picked up the broom and shook it, asking in confusion, "I'm cleaning the study. I noticed there was a lot of dust in there, so I thought I'd clean it while no one's using it."
"What's wrong? Is there anything I can help you with?" She thought Shao Yun wanted her to do some other housework and had no idea what was going to happen next.
“I’m not asking you to do chores,” Shao Yun waved his hand and ordered firmly, “Put down the broom and come over here. We’re having a family meeting, and we need you to join us.”
"A family meeting?" Ningguang was completely dumbfounded, and the broom in her hand almost slipped from her grasp.
She glanced subconsciously at her apron, then at the people sitting in the restaurant, her face full of confusion and embarrassment.
In her mind, no matter how good Shao Yun's family was to her, she was, strictly speaking, more like a "female slave" in this family.
She even felt that she didn't even qualify as a "human being," so why was she suddenly asked to attend a family meeting?
"Do...do I need to participate too?" Ningguang hesitated. "It shouldn't concern me, right?"
"Just come over when I tell you to. Why all the nonsense?" Shao Yun's tone remained firm, but there was no malice in it.
"You've lived on the ranch for so long, you know about Little Dragon's situation, why don't you listen to what's going on?"
“Maybe you can even offer some suggestions when we discuss the route.” As he spoke, he beckoned to her, “Come and sit down, don’t waste any time.”
Seeing Shao Yun's resolute attitude, and then looking at the gazes cast by Ying and Shen He, Ning Guang finally decided not to refuse again.
She carefully leaned the broom against the corner of the wall, awkwardly sat down in an empty seat at the long table, her hands nervously resting on her knees, her mind filled with doubt.
Why was I even invited to this family meeting? I'm practically just a "female slave"...
While Ningguang was still feeling conflicted about attending the meeting, Shaoyun cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention to the meeting's content.
Without any unnecessary preamble, he got straight to the point, concisely explaining the key points:
"I'll keep it brief. This meeting is mainly about Xiaolong. Our Xiaolong is sick, and it's not a minor illness. He needs to go to Mount Nata Santo for a 'name-washing ceremony' to be completely cured."
Upon hearing that it was for Xiaolong's treatment, Kong Yi pressed for details.
"So what exactly do you need us to do?"
Following up on Kong's question, Shao Yun further explained: "Simply put, Ying and Paimon need to take the little dragon to find the legendary 'Dragon Heart Token' that was split in two. Then, they need to take the token to the Holy Volcano and complete the ritual to save the little dragon."
At this point, he changed the subject, his tone becoming serious.
"But there's a problem. We're still unsure if Alice is still lurking in the shadows. Ying took Xiaolong out this time, making her too obvious a target. I must ensure her safety and not give Alice any opportunity."
Immediately afterwards, Shao Yun turned to look at Ying, his eyes filled with helplessness and even a little grievance, and complained, "But my wife doesn't like me going on adventures with her."
"Therefore, the important task of protecting Ying and Xiaolong can only be entrusted to everyone. However, the family can't be left unattended, so I'll assign tasks."
Upon hearing this, Ying's cheeks flushed slightly, and she gave Shao Yun a gentle glare, but did not refute him.
Shao Yun stopped dwelling on the minor incident between the couple and focused his gaze first on Kong, saying solemnly:
"Brother-in-law, you have plenty of manpower on your side. Could you please spare some people to secretly follow Ying?"
"You don't need to show yourself. Your main task is to keep an eye on the surroundings. If you spot any trace of Alice or if there is any other danger, notify me immediately and make sure she doesn't have a chance to harm Ying and Xiaolong."
Although Sora was unsure whether Alice was truly lurking in the shadows waiting to strike, he knew that his younger sister Ying's safety was of utmost importance, and he immediately agreed without hesitation.
“Okay, no problem! Din helped me coordinate a lot of manpower before, so I have a lot of spare subordinates available. I will select the most reliable people and have them protect me secretly throughout the process to ensure that nothing goes wrong.”
Seeing that Kong had made all the arrangements, Shao Yun turned to look at Yuan Shang, who was standing next to Kong.
“Yuan Shang, you will come along too. You will stay by Ying’s side and be mainly responsible for her overt safety, as well as using your intelligence to assist Ying in her adventures.”
"If you encounter any problems that you can't solve, notify me immediately, and I will rush over to help you at any time."
Yuan Shang immediately stood up and readily agreed, also expressing his loyalty.
"Yes, Mr. Shao Yun! This is my duty! I will stay by her side at all times and protect Her Highness the Princess and Xiaolong to the death!"
Loyalty! Gratitude! These are the mottoes of Yuan Shang.
Shao Yun saw that Kong and Yuan Shang readily agreed, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.
Immediately afterwards, Shao Yun wanted to ask Skirk to also protect him secretly.
But just as he was about to speak, Skykirk interrupted him first.
“Understood,” Skyker met Shao Yun’s gaze and said in a cool and firm tone, “I will keep a close watch on Ying’s condition throughout. I understand.”
With that, the arrangements for protecting Ying were complete. Shen He continued to stay home to take care of the baby, and Ning Guang continued to do odd jobs at home...
After everything was arranged, Ying took the map out of her backpack, carefully unfolded it on the table, gently touched the starting point marked on the map with her finger, and tentatively suggested:
"Well... now that the manpower and responsibilities have been determined, shall we set off first thing tomorrow morning according to the markings on the map?"
"The sooner we set off, the sooner we can find the 'Dragon Heart Token' and prevent Xiaolong's illness from recurring."
Shao Yun's gaze swept across the winding route on the map, then turned to look at everyone present, asking in a calm tone:
"Is everyone okay with the arrangements for leaving tomorrow? If there's anything we need to prepare, please let us know now, and we can start preparing right away."
Kong shook his head first, indicating that he had no objection. After all, how could he dare to complain about something that concerned his sister's safety?
Even so, he couldn't help but take the opportunity to complain to Shao Yun.
"But then again, couldn't you have just had Yuan Shang inform me about this? Was it really necessary to call me back from the Kingdom of Night God and hold such a grand family meeting?"
"I thought something terrible had happened, it scared me so much my heart was pounding."
Shao Yun patted Kong on the shoulder and explained, "This concerns Ying's safety. I can only feel at ease if we explain it in person, and it will also allow us to coordinate manpower in a timely manner."
"Furthermore, holding a family meeting is also to let everyone know the purpose and risks of this trip, so as to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings in the relaying of information."
After listening, Kong just shrugged helplessly and didn't dwell on it anymore.
I'll just go with whatever my brother-in-law says; it's no big deal to make an extra trip.
Skirk crossed her arms and didn't seem to care about the departure time.
Anyway, Shao Yun has already dealt with the extremely vicious riders, and she doesn't have anything urgent to do for the time being, so she can just take a break and go with you guys.
"However, I have an idea regarding the bodyguards: let's treat it as a practical training exercise for Ying. Let her handle ordinary dangers she encounters on the road herself, and I will absolutely not intervene unless absolutely necessary."
Upon hearing this, Ying's eyes lit up. This would allow her to solidify the swordsmanship skills she had learned and improve her adaptability in actual combat. She immediately nodded in agreement.
"Great! I want to test whether I can handle danger!"
Yuan Shang, still maintaining his righteous indignation, assured him, "Please rest assured, Mr. Shao Yun! If Alice really dares to ambush our princess, I'll kill her!"
"You really think I'm a joke? I have many tricks up my sleeve!"
Although Yuan Shang usually acts like a comedic character, don't forget, he's a high-level abyssal monster! He's very dangerous!
Shen He gently patted the baby "Xi" in his arms and assured Ying:
"Ying, you don't need to worry about the child at all. I will take good care of the baby at home. You can focus on helping everyone get rid of Xiaolong's illness and don't need to worry about home."
Ningguang, who had been sitting in the corner, saw that everyone had a clear task. She didn't know what she could do, so she could only do some logistical work to the best of her ability.
Ningguang quickly stood up, and said somewhat awkwardly but earnestly:
"As for me... although I can't be of much help, I can prepare some dry food and dried meat for the journey."
"I'll take care of the house cleaning and the daily tidying up of the ranch, so that when you come back, the house will still be spotless!"
The matter was settled: Sora, Skykirk, and Fuchigami would accompany Ying and Paimon, along with the little dragon "Potato Pancake," to find the "sacred relic that was split in two" according to the map, and then head to the sacred volcano to complete the "name-washing ceremony."
Shen He stayed home to take care of the baby, Ning Guang was in charge of logistics and daily ranch duties, and Shao Yun served as the "emergency support force" and "backbone" to coordinate the overall situation.
Despite having arranged the manpower and division of labor, Shao Yun still felt uneasy looking at Ying, who was about to embark on an adventure the next day.
He walked behind Ying, placed his left hand on her right shoulder, and asked again, "Are you sure you don't need me to come with you?"
Looking at Shao Yun's worried face, Ying felt a warmth in her heart and smiled sweetly.
"Just stay home and take good care of the children and the ranch, and make sure nothing happens."
"If you come with me, what if Alice sneaks in while you're not there and does something to the baby or the ranch? We'll have no one to turn to for help then!"
"Besides, the family needs a pillar of support; we can't let everyone leave."
She paused, took Shao Yun's hand, and said with considerable confidence, "Besides, I'm not the silly girl I used to be anymore."
“Skirk taught me a lot of swordsmanship skills, my brother and Yuan Shang are protecting me from the shadows, and Paimon and Xiaolong are with me. With so many supporters, there will definitely be no problems.”
Seeing that Ying had already said this much, Shao Yun could only offer his blessings: "Alright, with so many people protecting you, it's still best to be careful..."
Ying smiled knowingly as she watched Shao Yun repeatedly mention her safety, and said, "Don't worry, just wait for me to bring Xiaolong home healthy."
……