Chapter 91: Can’t Go Home

CRASH—

A sudden, loud noise.

Debris rained down from the wall, and people scrambled back, momentarily stunned and unsure how to react.

At the same time, the little bird that had been huddled in the young woman’s arms suddenly poked its head out. It immediately spotted an ice-blue crystal among the swirling dust and debris.

Before anyone could react, it struggled free from her embrace, flapping its wings as it shot straight up into the air.

To everyone’s astonishment, it snatched the shard in its beak, then flew back down and landed steadily on Wen Qian’s shoulder.

"Well done," Wen Qian praised in a low voice, her face alight with joy.

The little bird immediately puffed out its chest, looking proud and capable.

The men who had been lurking in the shadows, itching to make a move, froze. They hadn’t expected Wen Qian to be hiding a bird in her arms.

Without orders from their superior, none of them dared to step forward. They could only marvel in secret at the unspoken understanding between the human and the bird.

Wen Qian reached out and caught the shard as it fell from Li Jiu’s mouth.

Unlike before, this time she felt a power flowing at her fingertips. It was slightly cool, yet it gave her a strange sense of peace.

The men in the corner also saw the shard, their eyes filled with curiosity and confusion. But before they could get a clear look, Wen Qian closed her palm around it.

She turned and shot Yin Zhi and the others a look, signaling that it was time to leave.

This time, however, they were stopped by men in black before they even reached the stairwell.

Wen Qian seemed to sense something. She glanced back and her eyes met those of a man holding a cane. A jolt of alarm went through her; he clearly had no intention of letting them leave so easily.

"Folks, might I have a look at what’s in your hands?" The lead man offered a faint smile, but his eyes held an indescribable danger.

Wen Qian frowned and was about to speak when Yin Zhi stepped in front of her, shielding her.

His amber eyes narrowed slightly, his tone dripping with disdain. "No."

Without waiting for the man’s reaction, he shoved him aside and led Wen Qian out of the Beast Fighting Arena.

After leaving the Beast Fighting Arena, they all quickened their pace in unspoken agreement.

They each had a premonition that this wasn’t over.

Since that man knew about Chi Heng’s special constitution, it was likely no secret that he possessed the Critical Stone...

As if remembering something, Wen Qian turned to look at Chi Heng’s wrist. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that the cross-shaped pattern had vanished.

As soon as they exited the nightclub, Ling Xuan pulled the car around.

Wen Qian, Yin Zhi, and Gu Mian got into the car one after another.

Chi Heng stood by the entrance, waiting for Chi Ye to bring their car, his gaze locked on the men in black not far away.

It was the same group that had stopped them earlier. It seemed they weren’t going to give up so easily.

In his car, Chi Ye called Ling Xuan, telling him to take a detour and check if they were being followed. Ling Xuan did as he was told, taking a side road and making two turns before spotting two familiar cars.

"We’re being followed," Ling Xuan concluded.

Everyone wore an expression that showed they had expected this. Only Li Jiu was pecking restlessly in Wen Qian’s arms.

Wen Qian almost laughed but managed to restrain herself. She lifted him and placed him on her head, treating it as a head massage.

The car turned onto a deserted side street. The road was dimly lit, illuminated mainly by their headlights. Wen Qian’s sense of foreboding grew stronger. She glanced in the mirror and saw the other cars getting closer and closer...

"We’re on the side street now. Are you guys close?" Ling Xuan asked Chi Ye over the phone.

Chi Ye’s voice came back quickly. "Almost there—"

But the next second, their car was violently rammed.

Wen Qian was thrown forward. Thank god she was wearing her seatbelt, or she would have been flung from the car.

Wen Qian scooped up Li Jiu, who had been thrown against the window by the inertia, and stroked his feathers soothingly before hugging him to her chest again.

Ling Xuan tried to restart the car, but a second later, the driver’s side window was smashed with a baseball bat. Shards of glass showered over him, stinging as they hit his skin.

"So you wouldn’t listen to reason, huh?" The man slung the baseball bat over his shoulder and spoke with a sinister drawl.

Wen Qian recognized him. It was the same man who had blocked their way at the stairs.

At the same time, several more men appeared behind him. Yin Zhi’s heart tightened. Worried they would hurt Wen Qian if they continued, he decided to get out of the car.

He grabbed one of the men by the collar, slammed him to the ground, and then glanced back to order Ling Xuan, "Drive."

Just then, Chi Ye’s car pulled up.

Chi Ye and Chi Heng got out of the car in one smooth motion. They quickly opened the trunk, pulled out an iron pipe, and tossed it to Yin Zhi.

Ling Xuan started the car as soon as he caught sight of Chi Ye, his expression grim the entire time.

Their opponents were clearly not ordinary people.

Worried there might be another ambush ahead, Gu Mian had Ling Xuan change routes again. His voice was low and held an authoritative tone that left no room for argument. "To be safe, we can’t go back to any of our homes until we figure out who we’re dealing with."

Since these people knew about Magic, Elf tails, and Werewolves... figuring out their identities and addresses would be a piece of cake.

"Let’s go to the Shen Family’s place," Ling Xuan said after a moment of thought.

The residence of the Shen Family’s young master, Shen Muqing, was now a safe house for the Tiger Clan. The property wasn’t in his or Yin Zhi’s name, so it shouldn’t be discovered anytime soon.

Gu Mian furrowed his brow in thought but didn’t object.

Gu Mian only breathed a small sigh of relief once the car was safely inside the underground garage.

He got out of the car in one fluid motion. Just before turning away, he remembered to tell Ling Xuan, "Take care of her."

"Where are you going?" Ling Xuan asked, confused.

Gu Mian lowered his eyes. "The shards are still at my place."

Their pursuers didn’t find what they wanted on the road, nor did they catch who they wanted to catch. The next logical step would be to lie in wait at their homes.

It seemed there were no Inspection Envoys among them, or the shard from the wall wouldn’t have been left behind.

But they definitely know about the Critical Stone and have seen its shards before. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be this persistent...

"Qianqian, give me the keys," Gu Mian said calmly, looking up.

It took Wen Qian a moment to register, then she quickly fumbled in her pocket for the keys. At the same time, Ling Xuan handed his car keys to him. "Be careful on the road."

Gu Mian nodded without another word, turned, and drove away from the villa.

The lights flickered.

"Who’s here so late at night?" Just as Gu Mian left, a man emerged from the villa, yawning. He was wearing dinosaur pajamas and looked half-asleep. Then he saw Ling Xuan and immediately greeted him, "How come it’s just you?"

Wen Qian was baffled. ’What the... Am I not a person?’

As if sensing something, the man tilted his head. His expression immediately turned fierce. "You brought a female here?"