"Dragon Lord! I swear I’ll never cross you again! Please, spare my life!!!"

In the prison yard of Suolong Island, the so-called "Grim Reaper," a notorious king of assassins, was now kneeling before a young man, his face twisted in terror.

"Next time, keep a low profile. Who do you think you are, trying to take my place the moment you step in here? Did you really think I’d let that slide?"

With a swift motion, Long Jiuchen swung his blade.

The assassin king was cleaved in two, blood splattering across the ground.

"Gulp!"

Thousands of hardened criminals swallowed hard, their souls seemingly fleeing to the heavens in sheer fright.

Long Jiuchen tossed the blade to the ground and cast a cold gaze over the trembling newcomers. "From now on, when you see me, keep your heads down and stay in line. Got it?"

"Yes, Dragon Lord!"

Just then, heavy footsteps echoed through the yard.

A female general with sharp, commanding features and an air of authority strode in, her combat boots thudding against the ground. She stopped beside the prison warden and declared in a firm, resounding voice, "Long Jiuchen, you’re free to leave!"

The warden’s face lit up with relief. "Congratulations, Dragon Lord! Rejoice, Dragon Lord! You’ve regained your freedom!"

*Slap!*

A sharp, stinging blow landed across the warden’s cheek.

The female general barked sharply, "You're the warden, for heaven's sake! How could you call a criminal 'Dad'? This is a disgrace to the official image!"

Long Jiuchen stepped out from the crowd of convicts, his face twisted in displeasure. "Qin Ziqing, even when you hit a dog, you should consider its owner. Beating my man right in front of me—are you itching for a fight?"

Qin Ziqing's expression turned icy. She strode up to Long Jiuchen, her voice low and dangerous. "Say that again if you dare!"

Long Jiuchen smirked. "What? You want to hit me?"

"You got that right!" Qin Ziqing raised her hand, ready to strike.

A group of convicts immediately closed in, their eyes blazing with anger. They shouted in unison, "If you want to hit our Dad Long, you’ll have to go through us first!"

A flash of fury crossed Qin Ziqing's eyes. To avoid inciting a riot, she clenched her teeth and lowered her hand, her fist tightening at her side. Through gritted teeth, she spat out, "Be on the ship within ten minutes!"

With that, she turned on her heel and stormed away.

Long Jiuchen turned back to the convicts and called out, "Listen up, my boys! I’m leaving now. After five years together, even a dog would grow attached, let alone you flesh-and-blood men. After I’m gone, you better behave yourselves. Listen to the warden, no escaping, no fighting, no causing trouble. Got it?"

"We hear you, Dad Long!" Thousands of convicts responded, their eyes red with emotion.

"Dad Long," one convict shouted, "I’ve got over a billion dollars in Citibank. I’ll probably never get out of here. The password is six zeros. Please, Dad Long, spend it for me. Don’t let the bank keep it!"

The world's largest arms dealer, Joe Lace, approached Long Jiuchen with a reverent demeanor, presenting a supreme black card with both hands.

"Don't worry, old Joe, I'll make sure to spend it all," Long Jiuchen quipped as he pocketed the black card with a sly grin.

"Father Long, this is the Hung Mun Token. Seeing this token is like seeing the Grand Master himself. Please, take care of the Hung Mun for me, and don't let it fall into decline!" Chen Tiannan, the Grand Master of Hung Mun, offered a gleaming golden dragon-head ring with a solemn expression.

"Even though you, old Chen, got caught expanding your influence in Great Xia, I can see from our years together that your heart is in the right place. So, I accept," Long Jiuchen said, slipping the ring onto his thumb with a nod of approval.

"Father Long, I have over a hundred properties across the country, all luxury estates worth more than a hundred million each. I’m giving them all to you. Please, look after the Emperor Group for me, and if possible, clear my name!" Lin Zhendong, a hidden tycoon framed for drug involvement, handed over a hefty set of keys with a pleading look.

"Don’t worry, old Lin. Given that you’ve donated thirty billion for poverty alleviation, I’ll definitely clear your name and restore your freedom," Long Jiuchen assured, attaching the large set of keys to his belt with a determined air.

"Father Long, I’ve kept over a hundred beauties on Sakura Island, all skilled and independent. They must be so lonely since I’ve been locked up. If you have time, please go and comfort them. Here’s the Sakura Token, seeing it is like..." Before Sato Taka, the captured Japanese sword king, could finish, Long Jiuchen kicked him to the ground, laughing and scolding.

"I’m not like you, you wild dog, mounting anything that moves, male or female," Long Jiuchen teased, sparking a round of thunderous laughter from the onlookers.

"I’ll take care of these major tasks for you first," Long Jiuchen declared, then turned to the warden with a softer tone. "I won’t go see old Yang. I’m afraid he won’t want to let me go. Please, say goodbye to him for me."

Old Yang, a mysterious master, had been confined to Suolong Island for fifty years, marking his territory as if it were his own prison.

Five years ago, Long Jiuchen, the esteemed heir of the Western Liang, was framed and thrown into prison. Powerful figures wanted him dead, so they locked him up in this maximum-security prison filled with the most dangerous criminals. If it weren't for Old Yang's protection and the skills he taught him, Long Jiuchen would have been killed long ago.

"Don't worry, Dragon Father, I'll pass your message to Old Yang," the warden said, his eyes brimming with reluctance.

"Alright, it's time for me to leave. Goodbye, my children!" Long Jiuchen waved his hand, turned around, and strode away.

Thousands of inmates, their eyes misty with tears, shouted in unison, "Farewell, Dragon Father!"

...

"You, come here!" As soon as Long Jiuchen boarded the ship, Qin Ziqing called out with a cold expression.

Long Jiuchen sauntered over lazily, glanced at the four marriage contracts on the table, lit a cigar, crossed his legs, and exhaled a puff of smoke. "Just out of prison, and you want me to juggle four women? Have you considered my feelings?"

Qin Ziqing shot him a fierce glare and explained coldly, "Your father sent me to fetch you and bring these four marriage contracts. You're to choose one."

"If you choose me, Qin Ziqing, you'll stay in the Eastern Territory and join the military."

"If you choose Chu Zixuan, you'll go to the capital and practice medicine."

"If you choose Fang Shiyun, you'll head to Shanghai to pursue business," one voice suggested.

"If you pick Ye Qingmei, you'll go to Guangzhou to train in martial arts," another chimed in.

"I suggest you don't choose me," a sharp, disdainful voice cut through, "because I can't stand the sight of a spoiled brat like you, the epitome of a playboy!"

"Without your grandfather Long Ao and your father Long Xiao, you, Long Jiuchen, wouldn't even be fit to shine my shoes!"

Long Jiuchen's eye twitched as he pointed towards the prison, "Do you know who's locked up in there?"

"Of course," came the reply, "the king of assassins, a world-class drug lord, leaders of terrorist organizations, martial artists, warlords, and so on."

"Then are you deaf? Haven't you heard them calling me 'Dad'? If even these people call me 'Dad', where do you get the audacity to act so high and mighty in front of me?"

Qin Ziqing, visibly frustrated, retorted, "I bet it's because you, the so-called 'King of the Road', cater to their tastes, feeding them daily with stories of the over a thousand girls you've been with. They probably love it, getting their daily dose of your so-called 'spiritual nourishment', hence the 'Dad' title. Am I right?"

She knew all about Long Jiuchen's sordid past.

She was convinced that the reason he was so adored by the inmates, all protecting him and calling him 'Dad', was because of his tales of conquest.

After all, men love to hear such stories.

"Your imagination is so vivid, it's a shame you're not writing novels instead of joining the army," Long Jiuchen said, half-amused, half-exasperated.

Qin Ziqing declared proudly, "I, Qin Ziqing, join the army seeking only to die on the battlefield for my country, with no need for a horse blanket to wrap my corpse!"

"Fang Shiyun pursues business, aspiring to build thousands of mansions to shelter all the poor scholars under heaven, bringing them joy!"

"Chu Zixuan is dedicated to medicine, aspiring to bear the world's worries before others and enjoy its joys after them!"

"Ye Qingmei pursues martial arts, dreaming of soaring to great heights and even daring to laugh at the likes of Huang Chao for lacking true ambition!"

"Through relentless effort, I became a general at just twenty-seven, and all three of them have achieved remarkable success."

"And you? A reckless playboy obsessed with car stunts and speeding, landing yourself in jail. Without your father’s support, you’d probably starve on the streets. What makes you think you’re worthy of marrying any of us?!"

"That’s why I’m breaking off our engagement!"

"Chu Zixuan, Fang Shiyun, and Ye Qingmei have all asked me to relay this message: don’t even think about choosing any of them!"

Qin Ziqing delivered her speech with the poise and authority of a queen passing judgment, her words flowing effortlessly yet cutting deep.

"Fine, I’ll grant your wish."

Long Jiuchen, visibly irritated, clenched a cigar between his teeth and snatched up the four engagement letters. With a series of sharp *rips*, he tore them to shreds.

With a flick of his arm, he sent the fragments scattering into the air like confetti. Then, pinching the cigar between two fingers, he turned to Qin Ziqing, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Happy now?"

*Bang!*

Qin Ziqing slammed her hand on the table, her face flushed with fury. "Who do you think you are, tearing up our engagement letters?"

"And who do you think *you* are, acting so boldly in front of me?" Long Jiuchen shot back, his tone unyielding.

Qin Ziqing felt as if her lungs were about to explode. "Jun Dao!" she barked. "Take this insolent playboy and knock him to the ground!"

"Yes, sir!" A tall, muscular man clad in camouflage gear clenched his fists and sneered, "I love putting spoiled brats like you in their place. Are you ready to get schooled?"

Long Jiuchen flicked the ash off his cigarette and replied coldly, "I suggest you back off before you regret it."

The soldier scoffed, "Dealing with a spoiled brat like you is as easy as kicking a dog!" With that, he charged forward.

Just as he was about to reach Long Jiuchen, a thunderous roar erupted. "On your knees!"

An overwhelming aura, as heavy as Mount Tai, pressed down on the soldier. "Ahhh!!!" he screamed in agony, his knees buckling involuntarily. He crashed to the ground before Long Jiuchen, his forehead hitting the floor with a sickening thud, blood splattering everywhere.

Qin Ziqing stood frozen in shock!

Long Jiuchen placed his foot on the soldier's head, looking down at him with icy disdain. "So, are you going to behave now?"

"Yes, yes, I will!" the soldier stammered.

"And will you ever dare to show off in front of me again?"

"Never again, I swear!" the man pleaded, his voice trembling with fear.

"From now on, you better behave when you see me, got it?" Long Jiuchen's voice was cold and commanding, his eyes piercing like a hawk's.

"Yes, yes, I got it!" the man stammered, nodding frantically.

"Get out of my sight!" With a swift kick, Long Jiuchen sent the man sprawling across the ground. He then turned his gaze to Qin Ziqing, his presence dominating the space around them. "And you," he said, his tone dripping with authority, "do you still dare to act recklessly in front of me?"