Everyone believed that with so many influential figures searching for Joe Di, he would soon appear before the public eye. Yet, Joe Di vanished—no one knew where he had gone. The last place he was seen was at the gate of Jinhai Martial Arts Academy. After that, he simply disappeared.
It was said that Joe Di had visited Jinhai Martial Arts Academy, and even the academy's dean publicly announced that if Joe Di came, he could choose any department or mentor he wished. Despite this, Joe Di still vanished without a trace.
Whether it was Jay Family Village, where Joe Di once lived, or various train and bus stations, there was not a single trace of Joe Di.
There was only one person in the whole world who might know where Joe Di had gone—Paul Pang.
Paul Pang knew that the place Joe Di most wanted to go was Tianhuang District. Joe Di's appearance at the gate of Jinhai Martial Arts Academy was already a sign.
However, Paul Pang hesitated and did not share this information with the chairman. He knew very well that even if he told the chairman, the Zeng Family Group might not be able to find Joe Di. In the end, it would only expose Joe Di to more investigations. Now that no one could find Joe Di, it was clear that Joe Di had changed his approach.
Joe Di changing his approach naturally meant he sensed danger. Once exposed, even the Zeng Family Group could not protect him. Paul Pang was not surprised that Joe Di knew he was in danger. For someone with such extraordinary medical skills, calling him a fool—well, perhaps the real fool is the one who says that.
Looking toward the direction of Tianhuang District, Paul Pang sighed. Helping him, even just a little, was the least he could do.
......
Huangyuan City—when it comes to prosperity, it's nowhere near Jinhai. But in terms of population, it's certainly not inferior to Jinhai.
Huangyuan City gets its name from being so close to Tianhuang District. Many wandering martial artists come here to try their luck; once they reach a certain level, they can go to Tianhuang City for a martial arts test. If they pass, they earn a pass to enter Tianhuang District.
Besides those wandering martial artists hoping to reach Tianhuang District, even more merchants travel here.
These merchants mainly do business with martial artists from Tianhuang District. When those martial artists leave, they usually head for Tianhuang City. The top treasures they obtain in Tianhuang District are sold in Tianhuang City. But some lesser items that are hard to sell there end up with merchants in Huangyuan City. These merchants also import various supplies from all over the world—everything from weapons and consumables to medicines.
Joe Di had never heard of Huangyuan City. It was only after he got off the freight truck that he realized he had arrived there.
When Joe Di learned that Huangyuan City was just one city away from Tianhuang District, he was immediately excited. His next step was to head for Tianhuang City and seek a chance to enter Tianhuang District.
Who says you have to graduate from the Martial Arts Academy to enter Tianhuang District?
There were countless inns in Huangyuan City, and most of them were full. Joe Di didn’t mind; what he liked was that staying in an inn here was completely different from Jinhai. In Jinhai, you needed ID to check in, but in Huangyuan City, all you needed was money. And it didn’t even matter which country’s currency it was—ninety percent of the world’s currencies were accepted here.
After wandering around Huangyuan City for nearly an hour, Joe Di finally found an inn. It wasn’t that the inn had a vacant room—it was that four people were about to check out.
Seeing people checking out, Joe Di waited quietly on the side. As soon as the four finished, he checked in and began to inquire for details.
“Marlon, everyone knows about the Rainfall Squad recruitment. Are you sure we’ll make it in time if we go now?” The woman was handling the checkout, while the slightly overweight man addressed the tall man standing before him.
Before the tall man could reply, the long-haired woman beside the checkout counter spoke up: "Whether we make it in time or not, we have to go. Every opportunity matters—none can be missed."
As she spoke, the long-haired woman turned her head. Joe Di's heart skipped a beat for no reason—he felt as if he had known this woman long ago.
Even though the woman was wearing a mask, her eyes were strikingly familiar. Joe Di was certain—these were the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. Though he seldom made friends and had few close acquaintances, years at school had introduced him to many beauties. Yet, never had he seen eyes as stunning as those of the masked woman before him.
At that moment, the woman at the counter finished checking out. She gathered her things and turned back, saying, "Cassie, you're right. Whether we succeed or not, we have to go this time."
The long-haired woman named Cassie Cao noticed Joe Di. She was momentarily stunned—Joe Di looked ordinary enough, and in Huangyuan City, there were countless dusty merchants like him. Yet she felt Joe Di was different, as if they had once been teammates long ago.
"Are you here to stay at the inn?" Cassie Cao asked Joe Di, somewhat puzzled.
Joe Di suddenly replied, "I'm not really here to stay. I just wanted to find out if there's any way to get to Tianhuang District, so I came here to try my luck."
A passing man overheard Joe Di and couldn't help but chuckle. Realizing it was impolite, he quickly hurried away.
The other three people with Cassie Cao all stared at her in surprise. She had been with them for some time, but this was the first time Cassie had ever taken the initiative to speak to a stranger.
"We're planning to go to a nearby teahouse for some tea and snacks. Why not join us?" After speaking to Joe Di, Cassie Cao felt the sense of familiarity grow stronger. She couldn't help herself and extended the invitation.
Cassie Cao's companions were surprised, but none objected. Among their group, Cassie was the most clever and resourceful—she was the team's decision-maker.
(This chapter is not finished yet~.~ Please click next page to continue reading the exciting content ahead!)
"Alright." Joe Di agreed to Cassie Cao's invitation almost without hesitation.
......
Half an hour later, the five of them were seated in a private room at a teahouse.
"Have you ever practiced martial arts?" Cassie Cao asked as soon as they sat down.
Joe Di shook his head. "I really admire martial arts, so I came to Tianhuang District this time to seek a way to cultivate it."
The tall, burly Marlon Mao smiled and said, "That probably won't work. Everyone wants to practice martial arts, but let me tell you—the odds of actually getting a chance are one or two in a hundred thousand. And to truly touch the core of martial arts, it's less than one in ten million. Besides, at your age, it's a bit late to start."
Cassie Cao didn’t introduce Marlon Mao and the others to Joe Di, but continued, "Marlon is right—we’re also just circling the fringes of martial arts. Earlier, Anhou mentioned Rainfall Squad, which is actually a small martial arts team. There are many such teams in Tianhuang District. They restock in Tianhuang City, then head for Tianhuang District. There’s a road between Tianhuang City and Tianhuang District, but it doesn’t go directly in; so they hire laborers to transport supplies for them."
"So you’re hoping to get a job helping transport supplies to Tianhuang District?" Joe Di understood.
Cassie Cao nodded, "Yes, but even supply jobs only get you to the edges of Tianhuang District. Once there, we have to come straight back. Most people never make it back—you might think they sneak into Tianhuang District, but they actually die on the return journey. We're hoping to land a job with Rainfall Squad and then sneak into Tianhuang District..."
Marlon Mao and the others stared at Cassie Cao in shock. What was wrong with her today? She was sharing such a secret plan—if anyone found out their real purpose, they’d never be allowed into Tianhuang City again.
(That's all for today's update. Good night, friends!)