"By the way, I just received a mission. There are still a few days before admissions begin anyway. Do you want to get out and look around?" Qian Heaven asked Fan Daoyi what he wanted to do.
Fan Daoyi thought for a moment. "Can I refuse?"
"Of course." Qian Heaven felt no regret at Fan Daoyi's refusal. "[Eight Trigrams] is very free, without that many necessary restrictions, but you can hear me out and decide whether it interests you."
Fan Daoyi nodded, and the group moved over to the sofa to talk.
It had started when they went to seal off the Wang Family based on information recorded within Guixu. But Wang Haotian shamelessly refused to acknowledge it and wouldn't let them set foot inside the Wang Family residence to search it.
For now, Xia Baoguo had led a team to surround the Wang Family and keep them from escaping. They wanted [Eight Trigrams] to send that shameless fellow over to trade barbs with Wang Haotian.
"Hey, that old geezer practically named me. Does he really think I'm his pack mule?" He Piaojian pursed his lips, his tone full of complaint.
"Isn't the video alone enough to move against the Wang Family?" Fan Daoyi asked, puzzled.
After all, when he had dealt with He Piaojian earlier, He Piaojian had casually threatened to convict him using surveillance footage. He had thought that would be enough to kill with a borrowed knife.
"They argued that the flying insect had been damaged as soon as it entered Guixu, so it was too suspicious for the video to show normal recordings afterward. They suspect someone deliberately tampered with it, so it can't be used as key evidence to find them guilty," Qian Heaven said.
Fan Daoyi looked thoughtful and continued, "Isn't that reasoning a little far-fetched?"
"That's why Xia Baoguo's people detained Wang Haotian for twenty-four hours. They also searched the Wang Family residence with a warrant. Unfortunately, they found nothing."
After pondering for a moment, Fan Daoyi said, "I am quite interested, so I'll take it. Admissions start in a few days anyway, so I'll be staying in Azure Cloud City for now."
"Mm." Qian Heaven turned to glance at He Piaojian. "What about you, Little Jiajian? They all but asked for you by name."
"What else can I do? I've got the most free time. It's just arguing with someone and seeing who's more shameless. I'll treat it as a little relaxation after the college entrance exam."
Fan Daoyi searched for the Wang Family's location on his phone and casually rested a hand on He Piaojian's shoulder. Qian Heaven was just about to give them a few more instructions when the two vanished before his eyes.
They arrived at their destination in the blink of an eye, and He Piaojian looked especially excited. "Hey, this is really fun."
The sudden appearance of the two put the Azure Dragon Guards on alert. He Piaojian rummaged through his pockets and realized he hadn't brought the token that proved who they were.
"Who are you?"
These Azure Dragon Guards didn't know He Piaojian, much less Fan Daoyi, who had only just joined [Eight Trigrams].
He Piaojian took a deep breath and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Comrade Old Xia, the shameless guy you asked for is here to make a nuisance of himself—"
After that shout, not a crow or sparrow made a sound. There was no response.
He Piaojian blinked and said to the dumbstruck Azure Dragon Guards, "Uh, is Old Xia not here?"
"Seize him first!" someone shouted.
"Hey, hey, hey, it's a misunderstanding! Dao Yi, let's go somewhere else first." He Piaojian held his hands out in front of him and turned to look beside him, only to find that Fan Daoyi had disappeared at some point.
When something interesting was happening, Fan Daoyi usually liked to have a hand in it from behind the scenes. He enjoyed the thrill of pulling the strings.
So he went straight inside the Wang Family residence.
The Azure Dragon Guards had kept watch outside through the night, while inside, the singing and dancing went on. Wang Haotian wasn't afraid in the least.
He drank red wine and cut his steak, enjoying a delicious lunch. With a casual wave, he signaled the butler beside him to go outside and taunt them.
The butler left to carry out his orders, and before long, his arrogant voice rang out from outside.
Just then, however, Wang Haotian looked up in shock. Someone was sitting across from him, wearing a mysterious mask, with a bamboo staff resting casually at his side. A steak and a glass of red wine had appeared before him as well, and he was skillfully cutting the steak with the knife and fork in his hands.
"Wang Haotian, I trust you've been well." A faint chuckle came from beneath the mask, as though he were greeting an old friend he hadn't seen in years.
Fan Daoyi plunged his knife into a piece of beef he had cut off, then raised it upright between his eyes.
"You seem to have forgotten something."
Wang Haotian grew wary at the baffling words. His gaze fell on the bamboo staff, which seemed vaguely familiar.
He couldn't help wondering: had they really met before?
"Who are you, sir? It isn't polite to barge into someone's home," Wang Haotian said, keeping his composure.
"It seems you intend to renege on your debt."
The figure in his field of vision disappeared. By the time he sensed danger again, a knife was pressed against his neck.
The touch of the knife's tip was real. Wang Haotian swallowed, doing his best to appear harmless as he secretly activated his ability.
"Could there be some misunderstanding between us? I'm only a businessman."
Fan Daoyi pressed harder. "Then it seems your memory isn't very good for a businessman. How could you forget our transaction?"
What transaction?!
Wang Haotian realized he couldn't use his ability and immediately panicked, searching his memory over and over.
On the surface, as the head of the family, he remained expressionless. "Could you give me a hint, sir?"
"You really are an important man with a short memory." Fan Daoyi bent slightly and leaned close to Wang Haotian, speaking in a low voice. "Here's a hint: Sacrificial Artifact."
Wang Haotian curled his fingers almost imperceptibly, his mind in turmoil.
He struggled to keep a clear head, suspecting it was a trap, and denied it. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Have them leave first. This is a conversation between the two of us." Fan Daoyi caught sight of the people nearby, itching to make a move, and continued his threat.
His unusable ability and the steadily increasing pressure against his neck told Wang Haotian that his time was running out.
After a long while, Wang Haotian relented. "All of you, leave."
They had only just left and hadn't even had time to close the door when Fan Daoyi released Wang Haotian and sat back down across from him.
That was the perfect moment for Wang Haotian's guards to attack all at once.
But they didn't.
"A very wise choice." Fan Daoyi rested his cheek on his hand and toyed with the knife in his other hand.
"Threatening me so openly, I could report you to your superiors. You have no evidence against me." Wang Haotian assumed he was someone sent by the authorities.
Fan Daoyi held his belly and burst out laughing. Once he had laughed enough, his tone turned cold. "Who's talking to you about that? Don't tell me you're playing dumb because you don't have enough Sacrificial Artifacts to pay the price?"
Wang Haotian's breathing grew heavier, revealing his nervousness. He couldn't tell whether the person before him had been deliberately sent by the authorities or... was from that side.
"How about you do something for me, and the price owed to that side will be wiped clean?" Fan Daoyi coaxed.
Wang Haotian continued to deny it. "I don't understand what you're saying. Please leave immediately."
Fan Daoyi threw the knife in his hand, and it grazed Wang Haotian's cheek. The blade embedded itself in the wall, and the oppressive weight of death instantly closed around Wang Haotian's heart.
"I'm not discussing this with you." Fan Daoyi's voice was cold and resolute, leaving no room for negotiation.