Ninth In the World

Panda Novel

Di Jiu did not return to his residence, as the house was leased and he did not want to have any interaction with Di Ziheng. The Di Clan’s manufacturing business seemed very powerful, but Di Jiu did not care about that. He was very clear that he had no relation to Di Wencheng whatsoever.

As he carried his bag and stepped onto the busy streets of Luo Jin once again, Di Jiu wondered where he would go now.

He was unaware of how long he had been walking or thinking, when a telephone number suddenly flashed across his mind. It had to be a number he had dialed often in his previous incarnation whenever he got into trouble.

Although the person who picked up the phone sounded exhausted, when he heard Di Jiu on the line, his voice immediately lifted and he exclaimed, “Zimo, where are you? Why haven’t you contacted me in one year?”

A familiar name popped up in Di Jiu’s brain. It was You Huli, a rather strange name that sounded like ‘fox’ in Chinese. Apparently, Di Jiu and You Huli must have been very close. You Huli anxiously told him to wait right where he was before he hung up the phone in a hurry.

Di Jiu did not have to wait long. In just half an hour, a taxi came to a halt in front of him.

A plump, short young man stepped out of the car. He seemed average-looking and his hair was disheveled, but his face glowed with heartfelt joy. Di Jiu could tell right away that this was You Huli.

“Where have you been for the past year, Zimo? Why didn’t you give me a call?” You Huli shouted before he had even reached him.

“I wanted a distraction, but when I came back, I did not even have a place to stay. Oh, I also changed my name to Di Jiu,” Di Jiu said.

“Why would you change your name for no reason? Let’s go to my place. It’s big and comfortable,” said You Huli happily as he patted Di Jiu on the shoulder. He was not treating him like an outsider by any means.

Although You Huli had claimed that his place was big, it was actually barely 20 square meters. This did not matter, though. What was more vital was that there was also a woman in the house.

There was no need for an explanation. It was obvious that the woman was You Huli’s girlfriend. She looked pretty good, and her figure was fine.

“Ling’er, this is my best buddy, Di Zimo. Oh, no! He changed his name to Di Jiu recently.”

You Huli looked at Di Jiu happily. “Little Jiu, this is my girlfriend Teng Ling’er. She just moved here not too long ago.”

Teng Ling’er, who was not as hospitable as You Huli, eyed the backpack Di Jiu was carrying and told You Huli uncertainly, “Don’t tell me that you are letting him stay here?”

“That’s right. This place is very big. We could just use a partition or something…”

Di Jiu did not wait for You Huli to finish speaking before he addressed him by his nickname. “I just came here to see you, Fox. I’ll be leaving in a minute.”

Teng Ling’er’s face brightened up when she heard this.

You Huli’s face darkened when he noticed her attitude. However, before he could utter a single word, his phone started to ring. He barely managed to hold in his anger before he answered it. The first thing he said was, “Brother Hu, I’m so sorry. I had something to do today, that’s why I didn’t come to work. I will not be going back to the Medicine Hall anymore… Yes, I am planning on trying my luck at North Luo University… Alright, thank you. Thank you!”

You Huli hung up the phone, took a deep breath and looked at Teng Ling’er with a stern expression in his eyes.

Di Jiu could guess what You Huli wanted to say, but he did not want the couple to fight because of him. Based on what he could see, it was probably You Huli who had wooed Teng Ling’er. His friend had probably had a difficult time wooing her, so Luo Yunyang did not wish to be the reason they broke up.

As he stood in front of You Huli, Di Jiu chuckled and said, “Fox, you mentioned before that you were working at the Medicine Hall, right?”

“That’s right. Haven’t you been to the Apricot Lake Hall before? I have always worked there. I run some errands and try to pick up some skills. Now that the Apricot Lake Hall has closed though, I’m actually just a watchdog.”

“Why did you quit then?” Di Jiu asked.

The question seemed to shock You Huli, whose eyes were shimmering as he asked, “Oh, Jiu. You do know that the Fairy Planet is about to be open to the public, right? Pretty soon, everybody will get a chance to visit the planet. I have no power or connections, so the only way I can get in is by entering the Institute of Martial Arts at North Luo University. Even Elder Tan’s granddaughter, Tan Yueyue, from the Apricot Lake Hall has left to learn martial arts at North Luo University.”

You Huli lowered his voice to a whisper. “You must have heard that a lot of special herbs and top-notch minerals were found on the Fairy Planet, right? I even heard that the Earth Union discovered a mysterious technique for immortal cultivation. Do you know why every university around the world is seeking permission from the Union to set up an Institute of Martial Arts? Because after the Union approves its application, it will pass on the immortal cultivation technique to the university. Why else do you think everybody would be trying so hard to get into the institute and learn martial arts?”

Di Jiu laughed silently. He did not believe in any immortal cultivation techniques. Best-case scenario, there would just be a few new martial art techniques. If they had been found on the Fairy Planet, then it was clear that the Fairy Planet was similar to the Yalun Continent. The reason it had appeared next to the Earth remained unknown, though.

Di Jiu hardly cared about this kind of martial arts. The Di Clan’s Seven Sabers, which had been the best martial art in the Ji Nation, was currently in his backpack, so why would he go somewhere else to look for more techniques?

“What you said is true, but I heard that it is very difficult to get into North Luo University’s Institute of Martial Arts. Even if you have money, you might still not be able to get in. You might be wasting your time by going there. In fact, you would be losing your job for no reason.” Di Jiu was baffled as to why You Huli was so confident that he would be able to get in.

The zeal on his friend’s face faded away as he sighed. “Oh, Jiu… Even though I’ve never had the opportunity to enter the top ranks of society, I still have a sound judgment. I am sure that once the Fairy Planet is open, we will no longer need to remain students of the martial arts faculty. Plus, it is possible that there will be a mass migration to the Fairy Planet. When that happens, it will probably be too late for us to reap any of the benefits. All the good stuff will already have been taken away by others. Our presence there might only result in a new Earth. That might be considered optimistic, though. Worst-case scenario, we might not even get a chance to create this new Earth.”

“I might have a slim chance of getting into North Luo University, but I still have a chance. I wouldn’t mind working at the canteen, or even as a security guard, as long as I got in. Then, I would be able to hear any news concerning the Institute of Martial Arts as quickly as possible. What if I manage to get admitted, though? I am a licensed chef, you know.”

You Huli’s words made Di Jiu feel a little guilty. In the Ji Nation, there had been no one above the Di family besides the King himself. Ever since Di Jiu had suffered this setback though, he had been fooling around every day as he waited for death. He had never had any aspirations like You Huli. “If one lacks long-term plans, imminent trouble always comes their way.” This saying was right indeed.

Now his family had been destroyed and Di Jiu had escaped from the Yalun Continent. If it hadn’t been for the gray stone that had attracted that flash of golden lightning, he wouldn’t even exist anymore.

“Oh, Jiu. I know that you aren’t optimistic about my abilities…”

Di Jiu slapped You Huli against his shoulder. “Fox, I respect you and I know that you do not have to work as a cook or a guard. You can enter the Institute of Martial Arts on your own merit.”

“Oh…” You Huli looked at him with a surprised expression. He was confused about what Di Jiu meant.

Di Jiu took the blue card out of his bag and said, “This is a token that you will need when you register at the Institute of Martial Arts of North Luo University. If you have this, you will be enrolled straight away.”

You Huli grabbed the Martial Arts faculty’s entry token swiftly and raised it up to the light. He could not believe his eyes as he asked Di Jiu in shock, “Where did you get this? I have heard of these before, and this one is definitely real. If you are able to see the floating Fairy Planet when you raise it to the light, then it’s real.”

“It doesn’t matter where I got it. Just take it and go register.” Di Jiu stopped You Huli. “Don’t ask me why I don’t need it myself. I currently have no interest in it. Just don’t forget about me when you become successful.”

“But… But…” You Huli was at a loss for words. This was his dream come true, but he had no intention of robbing Di Jiu of his right to enter the North Luo University Institute of Martial Arts. Besides, this entry token was priceless.

Di Jiu smiled. “No buts. You would actually be doing me a favor. I have been studying medicine lately, so maybe you could recommend me to the Apricot Lake Hall, now that you are no longer working there!”