One hour later.
Fu Yuanxuan’s car finally exited the highway, and streetlights began to appear on both sides of the road.
Lin Yuanyang specifically checked the road signs; they had reached the town near Jiuming Mountain.
Because of a famous cemetery and memorial hall here, the area was less desolate but still much quieter than typical towns.
Fu Yuanxuan drove the car into the guest house near the base and booked two rooms for the three of them.
"The guest house provides three meals a day, but the timing is fixed. You need to be mindful not to miss a meal. I’ll pick you up at 8 AM tomorrow." Fu Yuanxuan helped Bai Xiaotang settle her luggage and instructed them both.
Bai Xiaotang nodded obediently and hastily locked the door after he left.
"Phew—finally gone."
While packing her luggage, Ji Ning looked up and asked, "Are you afraid of him?"
Bai Xiaotang was slightly startled and nodded honestly, "Brother Fu has been formidable since he was young. He’s known as a living King Yan in the circle. It’s said that at ten, he could already knock an adult down in Beijing, and no one dares to offend him there."
"If you train well, you could knock him down too," Ji Ning replied.
Bai Xiaotang quickly shook her head in fear, lowering her voice, "I wouldn’t dare. He’s from the Fu Family; hitting him could land me in jail."
"In jail?"
"Yes, the Fu Family is one of the three top noble families in Beijing. Most Fu Family members hold positions in major bases across the Hua Continent. The family head is also the general controller of all bases in Hua Continent. Someone once didn’t know Fu Yuanxuan’s identity and injured him; they ended up in jail and supposedly will never get out..."
Ji Ning raised an eyebrow, "Did you witness it firsthand?"
Bai Xiaotang looked nervously secretive, whispering, "No, but I have inside sources."
Ji Ning chuckled and stood up to freshen up.
"Sister Ning, don’t doubt me; the Fu Family is really not to be trifled with. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have ended up with another... umm..."
Bai Xiaotang’s words were cut off as Ji Ning covered her mouth.
"Shh—"
Ji Ning’s eyes scanned cautiously out the window.
She then released Bai Xiaotang, quietly approached the window, and reached toward her waist.
Bai Xiaotang, kneeling nervously on the bed, gulped while covering her mouth, fearing any sound.
Suddenly—
Ji Ning yanked open the curtains and swiftly opened the window to leap out.
"Sister Ning—"
The guest house where Ji Ning and Bai Xiaotang were staying was twelve stories high. Their room was on the upper-middle floors. Ji Ning jumped out without any protective gear, seemingly a death wish?
Bai Xiaotang’s face turned pale as paper; she didn’t even know how she got to the window, peering down.
But the pitch-black ground revealed no trace of anyone.
"Ning..."
"Don’t call, I’m fine." A figure dangled down face to face with her; Bai Xiaotang’s pupils dilated in shock, instinctively shutting her eyes and collapsing backward.
Ji Ning swiftly maneuvered back through the window, tapping Bai Xiaotang a few times, channeling white light from her palm into Xiaotang’s heart until her breathing steadied.
Ji Ning picked her up, gently laid her on the bed, covered her with a blanket, and once more left through the window.
***
Rooftop of the guest house.
As soon as Ji Ning’s hand appeared, a cold glint shot toward her hands at breakneck speed.
But Ji Ning moved even faster, evading the attack and leaping onto the rooftop as light as a swallow, using the wall’s protrusions.
In the moonlight, a few figures in black outfits and masks stared menacingly at her.
Each of them bore a formidable aura, faintly resonating with energy waves.
Ji Ning was a bit surprised, leaning back against the rooftop railing, teasingly said, "Why not all come at once?"
Their gazes were cautious, assessing her closely rather than attacking.
Ji Ning yawned nonchalantly, "If you’re not going to make a move, I’ll go back to sleep."
While speaking, she began to turn away.
Just then—
A crouching assassin leaped forward, flicking his arm to send several silver streaks toward Ji Ning’s rear head.
But surprisingly, Ji Ning didn’t dodge, shocking the men. They watched the Silver Blade immerse in Ji Ning’s body, only to hear a "clang," and her figure instantly vanished.
It was merely an afterimage?!
Their hearts trembled, quickly spreading out, vigilantly scanning the surroundings, but Ji Ning seemed to have vanished into thin air.
Until one of the assassins looked up...
"Congratulations, too bad there’s no reward..."
Ji Ning descended like a celestial being, stomping on that person’s shoulder while sweeping across, kicking off the masks of two nearby assassins to reveal their faces.
Their gazes turned fierce, immediately drawing their respective weapons to attack Ji Ning.
Blade-sharp daggers thrust toward Ji Ning’s vital points at an eerie angle, their movements clean and efficient, suggesting professional training.
Ji Ning raised an eyebrow, spinning her body, using the man beneath as a weapon. The duo saw this but didn’t retract, stabbing their sharp blades straight into their comrade.
"Kid, you’re ruthless."
Using the "human shield," Ji Ning faintly executed a feint and flipped over one’s head, dislocating his arm directly.
"Ah––"
A painful cry echoed instantly.
Ji Ning dropped him, clawing her fingers and attacking another, also dislocating his arm.
The other assassins became more aggressive at this scene.
They unleashed their full arsenal, but none affected Ji Ning.
She was like a massive BUG, impossible to hit despite their best-coordinated efforts.
In contrast, she incapacitated them one by one, leaving them with broken arms and legs.
After knocking down the last person, Ji Ning straightened and looked toward a spot, indifferently asking, "Do I need to invite you out?"
As soon as she finished speaking, two silhouettes slowly emerged beside the tall wall.
One tall, one short.
Backlit, their faces were unclear.
Ji Ning wasn’t surprised, brushed off the dirt from her hands, gave a faint smile to one, teasingly saying, "Kid, you’re quite daring."
The person halted, reached up to remove his mask, revealing a very ordinary face.
"Ji Ning, your identity is a mystery. You suddenly appeared in the famous mansion garden, picked up by Bai Family heiress Bai Xiaotang, and integrated into Anhe Middle School through the Bai Family. During the special admissions test, it showed your physique as A9 and spiritual power as A1, but your true strength is unfathomable... you were the one who injured me that day, right?"
Ji Ning smiled, answering a question with another question, "Aren’t you afraid of being captured?"
The man’s face froze for a moment, continuing to ask, "Are you an air superpower user?"
His eyes like hawks fixed unblinkingly on Ji Ning’s face, trying to discern any micro-expression revealing an answer. But the girl’s face remained unchanged, smiling slightly, as her right hand tossed a hidden weapon ball she’d seized from his subordinate, again and again.
The man tentatively said, "It’s alright if you don’t answer; I greatly value your abilities. How about joining us?"
"Not interested."
"I can give you absolute freedom. You needn’t depend on others, enjoying the respect a superpower user deserves."
"I don’t like making poisons."
"Rest assured, we won’t let you touch poison-making."
"I’m going to sleep; don’t come again."
Ji Ning’s voice was lazy as she yawned, ready to leave.
The man’s face changed slightly, fingers just about to move, when Ji Ning’s voice suddenly turned icy cold not far away: "Tell your backers I’m not interested in getting involved in your affairs, but I am very protective and can’t stand seeing harm come to those around me. If I find you dare to touch my people, I won’t hesitate to eradicate..."
The man’s eyes widened abruptly, a metallic plate he was holding dropped to the ground with a crisp clang.
And the silhouette not far away was already propping herself up on the railing, lightly leaping, flipping down swiftly, vanishing into the night sky...