You Can Run Today

"Grandpa, what's wrong?"

Beside him, a petite and lively girl with smiling eyes and shallow dimples at the corners of her mouth asked in confusion.

Bai Chenxiang tugged blankly at Bai He's sleeve and pointed at the Heavenly Ranking.

"Grandpa, look! I made the ranking!"

Seeing his granddaughter's innocent expression, Bai He felt the bitterness in his heart about to overflow.

My foolish granddaughter...

Just then—

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Three figures descended hurriedly into the courtyard amid sharp gusts of wind.

They were the three Soul Sage elders of the Bai Family.

Every one of them looked alarmed, not even bothering with formalities.

"Patriarch!"

"Quite a few people are rushing toward us!"

"People have already arrived at the gate, claiming they're here to visit Eldest Miss."

Bai He sneered, his eyes filled with fury. "Visit?"

"We're all old foxes. Who are they trying to fool with that innocent act?"

He turned and looked at his bewildered granddaughter. "Xiangxiang, listen to Grandpa."

"We need to leave this place immediately and hide somewhere for a while."

Bai Chenxiang was frightened by the way her grandpa looked. "Grandpa... where are we going?"

"Anywhere is fine, as long as we don't stay here!"

Gritting his teeth, Bai He looked at the three elders. "Take the clan members and hold them off for a while. Tell them I've entered seclusion and won't see anyone."

"Say Xiangxiang isn't home either."

"If you really can't hold them back... disperse and run for your lives."

"Xiangxiang and I will leave Luode City first and hide in some remote mountains for a while."

The three elders exchanged looks, but they knew this was the only option. They could only grit their teeth and nod. "Take care, Patriarch!"

Bai He did not waste another word and directly released his Martial Soul.

Possessed by the Sharp-tailed Swallow, he grabbed the still-dazed Bai Chenxiang and transformed into a streak of light, frantically speeding toward the distant mountains.

The wind howled past their ears.

Bai He's heart had long since sunk to the bottom. He wasn't afraid of thieves stealing from him—he was afraid of thieves setting their sights on him.

Those old monsters who had reached the rank of Titled Douluo had likely already targeted them.

However—

In several places across the Star Luo Empire, people had long since locked onto his trail.

"Heh heh, running?"

"Grandpa, we didn't do anything wrong. Why are we running?"

Bai Chenxiang blinked her clear Big Eyes, her face full of confusion.

In midair, Bai He looked at his sheltered little granddaughter and let out a long sigh, his face filled with helplessness and sorrow.

"You foolish girl..."

"This Heavenly Ranking has openly displayed your current effects for everyone to see."

"Not only can it directly raise someone by one level, it can even increase the age of Soul Rings!"

Bai He's eyes reddened. "Do you know what that means to those old monsters who have been stuck at bottlenecks their entire lives, and to those madmen who will stop at nothing to grow stronger?"

"Do you?"

"It means you're nothing but a tool for raising their strength. They won't treat you like a person!"

"They'll capture you and forcibly unite yin and yang with you!"

At those words, Bai Chenxiang's little face turned deathly pale.

She might have been innocent, but she was not stupid.

The thought of being treated like an object, casually seized and used by others, made her entire body go cold, as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.

Bai Chenxiang's voice trembled with tears. "Grandpa, where can we hide?"

Bai He gritted his teeth, a trace of resolve flashing through his eyes. "We're heading for Star Dou Forest!"

"Only there will make them wary enough that they won't dare search too openly."

The Speed Clan excelled most at speed. Once they took to the air, there truly were not many people in this world who could catch them!

But—

Those who could catch them were all people he could not defeat...

Worship Hall.

After seeing the new information on the Ranking List, Qian Daoliu pondered for a moment. "Old Six and Old Seven still haven't sent back any news."

"We can't let this one go either."

"Make arrangements. Have the branch hall in the Star Luo Empire send people to watch the Speed Clan."

"Then send Old Five, Guang Ling, over to bring her back."

Golden Crocodile Douluo frowned in confusion. "The two of them should have arrived by now, shouldn't they? Did they run into some trouble?"

So much time had passed, yet there had been no news at all.

"Perhaps they encountered interference from another faction. The two brothers are working together, and Old Three is there to support them as well. Let's wait a little longer."

Qian Daoliu did not think much of it. After all, who would dare openly disrespect Spirit Hall?

Star Luo Empire, Imperial Palace.

Dai Yutian looked at the elderly man standing beside him. He was an eighty-ninth-level Soul Fighting Douluo Venerable of their empire.

"Since she's in our Star Luo Empire, we can't let outsiders have her."

"I'll have to trouble Elder Eagle to make the trip personally and bring her back!"

Elder Eagle, whose gaze was sharp, nodded. "That Old White Bird is fast, but he's timid as well."

"He has probably already fled the residence with her. I'll see if I can catch up."

With that, the elderly man released an eagle-like Martial Soul. Wings appeared on his back, and he flew into the distance.

Dai Yutian sneered coldly and immediately dispatched troops to Luode City, preparing to surround the Bai Family.

You could run today, but could you run forever? What a joke.

Just as the situation across the continent grew turbulent, the golden scene in the sky changed once more.

[Memory Recall · Activated · Bai Chenxiang]

The previously still image began to move, drawing everyone's attention—including that of the fleeing grandfather and granddaughter.

Within the scene—

A vast mountain range towered high, with sheer cliffs piercing the clouds.

Bai He focused his eyes. Wasn't this a mountain range near the Speed Clan's former residence, before they had moved away?

Wild winds howled, and the air currents were exceptionally chaotic.

A little girl who looked no more than ten stood stubbornly at the edge of a cliff.

It was Bai Chenxiang in her younger years.

She wore training clothes. Though her little face was grimy, her eyes were filled with defiance.

Opposite her sat another familiar "Vague Man."

"My mother! Why is he here again?"

"Is he some kind of time-management Grandmaster? Every girl who's made the ranking so far has crossed paths with him?"

"How did he manage to split his attention four ways?"

The Vague Man lay beside a huge boulder, yawning lazily in boredom.

"Hey! You!"

Little Chenxiang planted her hands on her hips, pointed at the Vague Man, and shouted fiercely in her childish voice.

"Didn't you say you were fast?"

"How dare you claim, right in front of the Speed Clan, that you're the fastest in the world?!"

"I challenge you!"

"If we're simply competing in speed, my Sharp-tailed Swallow Martial Soul is inferior to no one!"

The Vague Man lazily turned his head toward her, then rolled over and presented his back to her.

"Not interested."

"Little brat, go home and drink milk. The wind is strong here. Be careful it doesn't blow you away."

"You! Who are you looking down on?"

Little Chenxiang puffed out her cheeks in anger. She was the clan's genius girl!

"Hmph! Let me tell you, the air currents in this Chaotic Wind Canyon are the most chaotic. Ordinary Soul Masters can't even fly steadily here."

"Let's compete and see who can reach that mountain peak first and pick the red flower growing there!"

"If you lose, you have to apologize to me and treat me to something delicious!"

Apparently unable to endure her nagging any longer, the Vague Man slowly sat up and stretched lazily.

"Fine, fine. You win. I'm scared of you."

"What if you lose?"

Little Chenxiang raised her chin, her face full of pride. "I won't lose!"

"If I lose... then I... I'll call you Brother!"

The Vague Man smiled helplessly. "Just once? At the very least, it should be for a whole day, shouldn't it?"

"Bleh, bleh, bleh! No way!"

"Start!"

This Little Girl was clever too. The moment she finished speaking, she shot out with a whoosh.

Her entire body transformed into a streak of light and rushed forward.

She darted left and right through the violent winds. Though her body swayed somewhat, her speed truly was impressive.

As the mountain peak ahead drew closer and closer, Little Chenxiang glanced back.

Yet she could not see the Vague Man anywhere.

"Hmph! Idiot! The wild winds must have blown him away!"

A smug expression appeared on Little Chenxiang's face as she turned back, ready to make her final dash for the flower.

I've got this in the bag!

However—

At the very instant her hand was about to touch the red flower—

A slender hand reached it before her and lightly plucked the flower.