Ninth In the World

“Ah…” The man in gray exclaimed in surprise and immediately understood. Di Jiu wanted to go to the Shan Family.

He also realized that the young man in front of his eyes did not have a good temper. If he had been any slower, he would have been burnt by a fireball.

“Yes, yes…” the man in gray promptly said without the slightest hesitation, “The Shan Family is in Yu Ning, but they have a garrison in Honor Parade City…”

“What are you waiting for? Go to the Shan Family’s garrison in Honor Parade City.” Di Jiu kicked him and the man in gray stumbled before leading the way downstairs without any delay.

Di Jiu followed him and silently admired Shan Xiuqi. She had certainly run away from the Shan Family but dared to stay in Honor Parade City, where they had a garrison. She made use of the principle that the most dangerous place was the safest. However, she was still far from safe and could not stay for long.

…

Di Jiu stayed in a hotel far east of Honor Parade City, which was considered a border zone. The Shan Family’s garrison in Honor Parade City was located in the most bustling central zone.

Despite having one garrison, the Shan Family still had a big building in Honor Parade City that looked like an auction house from the outside.

There were actually only two floors in their building, but not all the floors were used. Most matters were handled in the first-floor hall, where they had previously held an auction.

Inside the first floor hall, seven people were sitting at the moment. A middle-aged man was sitting in the highest seat among them. One of his eyes was big and one was small, and the corners of his mouth were somewhat crooked.

His name was Shan Youzhi, and he was the Shan Family’s martial arts assistant head instructor. His strength had reached the late-stage Earth Tier. Someone as insignificant as Shan Xiuqi naturally was not a reason for Shan Youzhi to come here. He had come to Honor Parade City because two days ago, a glaring flare had appeared outside the city. Even though this flare was short and very few people had seen it, it could not escape the Shan Family.

Heavy snow poured that night, which had not happened in Honor Parade City for a very long time. This string of matters was linked together. The Shan Family suspected that there might be a treasure outside the city, so Shan Youzhi had come to investigate this matter. He had found Shan Xiuqi, as too many people from the Shan Family came to Honor Parade City. Thus, they had suddenly found and recognized her.

She’d had nowhere to escape, as she had been recognized.

A young man named Shan Beihe was sitting on the left side below Shan Youzhi. He was considered outstanding among the younger generation of the Shan Family and had broken through to the late-stage Black Tier before turning 30 years old.

He had come with Shan Youzhi to investigate the matter outside Honor Parade City as well as to attain the Earth Tier.

Shan Beihe knew Shan Xiuqi, as she was the top beauty of the Shan Family.

Besides Shan Youzhi and Shan Beihe, the others were basically nothing in comparison, except for the two people who had gone out to capture Di Jiu.

“I don’t even know you guys. What right do you have to capture me?” Fei Yuelan’s angry voice could be heard. She had already been brought to the hall.

Fei Yuelan quietened down upon seeing Shan Youzhi sit in the highest seat in the hall. She knew him. He was the assistant head instructor of the Shan Family. At the Global Ancient Martial Arts Competition, she had seen Shan Youzhi once back when he had still been a member of the judging panel.

Since she had been captured by someone from the Shan Family, the crime she had committed was not related to the person she had previously killed.

“What’s your name?” Shan Youzhi’s gaze landed on Fei Yuelan, and his tone was very flat.

“I’m Fei Yuelan. I’ve never offended the Shan Family, so what is the point of bringing me over here?” Fei Yuelan asked calmly. She knew very well how powerful the Shan Family was. If they did not let her go, there would be no point in begging again.

Shan Youzhi snorted. “Did you bring someone to Honor Parade City yesterday? Who is he?”

“You mean Di Jiu?” Fei Yuelan was dumbfounded. She then understood that she had been captured because of Di Jiu.

“He’s called Di Jiu? That’s right, it’s him. Where did he come from? Why did he come here?” Shan Youzhi asked softly.

Fei Yuelan shook her head. “I don’t know. I only met him occasionally in Honor Parade City. He didn’t have any money, so I lent him 100…”

Shan Youzhi snorted. “Take her away and make her spill the truth. Otherwise, she doesn’t have to speak anymore.”

Two men stepped forward and each of them dragged her by her arms and took her away.

Di Jiu had not been to the garrison of the Shan Family before. His Spiritual Force scanned Fei Yuelan, who had been hung up. A man in gray held a gray wooden basin in his hands, while the other man held a boning knife.

“Your mission has been completed.” Di Jiu lifted his hand to send a fireball toward the man in front before turning him into dust.

When he was about to save Fei Yuelan, Di Jiu saw another young man hiding in the corner. Di Jiu knew he was the one who had warned him to escape, so he should be friends with Fei Yuelan. At the moment, the young man had a triple-edged bayonet and looked like he was going to sneak an attack on the two men in gray, who were prepared to torture Fei Yuelan.

Di Jiu shook his head. The young man’s strength seemed to be weaker than Fei Yuelan’s. It would be impossible for him to sneak an attack on those two men.

Di Jiu would not let him lose out now that he had met him.

Almost at the moment when the young man charged forward, Di Jiu’s two nomological blade flares struck between the eyebrows of the two men in gray.

“Pfft!” The young man rapidly stabbed one of the men with his triple-edged bayonet in the middle of the back.

He was stunned by this simple course of events. The other party did not resist at all, so he had succeeded. He very soon reacted and pulled out his triple-edged bayonet to stab the other man in gray in the middle of his back.

The two men in gray fell to the ground and did not make any more sounds.

“This is not right…” The young man subconsciously looked at the triple-edged bayonet in his hands and then looked at the two men in gray laying in a pool of blood. He found this a bit strange, as it had gone too smoothly. No matter how fast he was, they were unlikely not to react in time.

“Hu Huai… Why are you here?” Fei Yuelan wanted to tell Hu Huai to quickly leave but immediately saw the two men in gray that he had killed.

Hu Huai came back to his senses and hurriedly drew out a dagger to cut off the rope hanging her up.

“Hu Huai, how did you kill both of them? They’re very strong…” Fei Yuelan looked at Hu Huai in pleasant surprise.

She was a Yellow Tier warrior after all, yet when the men in gray had bound her up earlier, she had not had any ability to resist.

Hu Huai put away his dagger and promptly said, “Let’s leave quickly. I came from the underground garage. Let’s leave through there first.”

Fei Yuelan also came to realize that they should leave quickly at the moment. As for how Hu Huai had killed those two, maybe they had not noticed his sneak attack and had therefore been killed.

Di Jiu’s Spiritual Force scanned Fei Yuelan and the young man, who left, before he walked into the Shan Gamily’s garrison.

“Who are you?” When Di Jiu entered the hall, Shan Youzhi stared at him with a frown. Although their garrison was not heavily guarded, nobody dared to enter casually like him.

“You guys sent a few helpers to find me. I was worried it would be too tiring for you, so I took the initiative to come.” While he said that, he scanned the place with his Spiritual Force. After Fei Yuelan and the young man escaped, there were only five people in the hall.

He was not in a hurry to make a move. He planned to burn this place after Fei Yuelan and that young man left Honor Parade City. Thus, he set aside some time for them to escape.

“You’re Di Jiu?” Shan Youzhi stood up all of a sudden and pointed at Di Jiu, emitting strong killing intent.

Di Jiu had gone there alone and those who had gone to capture him were missing. Even an idiot would know what that meant.

…

Shan Xiuqi did not go far after leaving Honor Parade City. She once again stopped in her tracks.

She did not feel at ease leaving like this and was still hoping the Shan Family would not bother Di Jiu and would let him off.

However, she knew better than everyone else the Shan Family because she was part of it. She was certain that if she left like this, the members of her family would definitely not let Di Jiu off. It would be strange if Di Jiu would still survive after being captured by them.

She was the one who had invited Di Jiu to stay in the hotel, and he had been captured by the Shan Family because of her. If he was killed, how could she feel at ease?

This would not do, she had to go back.

Shan Xiuqi decided to go back and take Di Jiu away. If he was unwilling, she would knock him out and take him to another city.

Shan Xiuqi returned to the hotel as fast as she could. It was like she had thought. Di Jiu was not in the room anymore.

Shan Xiuqi hurriedly rushed to the front desk on the first floor and asked a staff member, “Can I ask where the guest staying in 523 went?”

“A man in gray took him away and he has not returned yet.” The staff member had seen Di Jiu and a man in gray leave.

Shan Xiuqi’s heart sank. She had been too slow.