Nine Nether Dragon Emperor

Chapter 534 I’m inexperienced, so I can’t help but be a bit paranoid!

Dali Realm Capital, the He Family.

Ning Xuan and his entourage had just arrived when the eight men accompanying him took one look around and, without a word, turned and fled. Before the He Family’s main gate stood a crowd of furious young experts. If they didn’t run, they would surely be beaten to death.

Dark lines appeared on Ning Xuan’s forehead.

He Zhi, struggling to suppress his laughter, stopped a few of the men. "You’re from the Domain Lord’s Mansion. They wouldn’t dare lay a hand on you!"

Hearing this, the eight men instinctively straightened their spines. One of them cleared his throat and said, "Elder He, you’ve misunderstood. We were just testing whether Ning Xuan is qualified to inherit this place. That’s all."

The other seven nodded vigorously. Then, all eight turned around in unison. The smile on He Zhi’s face grew wider.

But a moment later, they all froze. Ning Xuan was smiling and waving at them. Meanwhile, the members of the younger generation He Zhi had instructed to put Ning Xuan in his place were all lying on the ground.

"Holy shit, what happened?!"

"How long has it been? We didn’t even hear a single scream, and they’re all down?!"

The eight men murmured to each other, their faces filled with disbelief.

"Well, gentlemen? Am I qualified or not?" Ning Xuan asked, his timing impeccable.

This left the eight men looking utterly embarrassed. Is this guy for real? Not only did he take down all of the He Family’s young experts in an instant, but he also managed to eavesdrop on our conversation!

"Ning Xuan, what is the meaning of this?!" He Zhi demanded.

Ning Xuan returned the question. "Old He, didn’t you see?"

He Zhi looked completely baffled. "See what?"

"They were trying to kill me! It’s a good thing I’m reasonably strong, or I would’ve been a dead man before even taking possession of the estate! Wait a minute! This wasn’t your arrangement, was it?!" Ning Xuan feigned a look of lingering fear, followed by a sudden, dawning horror.

He Zhi’s voice shot up an octave. "How could that be! If anything happened to you, I’d be held responsible! Why would I possibly arrange for someone to kill you!"

He inwardly cursed the useless bunch to high heaven. Damn it! So many of them, all in the Holy Realm, and they were all taken down without so much as a scream. What an absolute disgrace!

"Forget it. Actually, I should probably thank you," Ning Xuan said, his voice deceptively kind. "If you hadn’t reminded me just now, I wouldn’t have been on my guard. They might have actually succeeded."

His friendly tone made He Zhi so frustrated he could have vomited blood. God damn it. So now this is my fault!

Just then, He Zhi’s expression stiffened. He could feel dozens of gazes fixed on him. The young experts, who had been bafflingly defeated by Ning Xuan, had heard his words and were now all directing their anger toward He Zhi.

Rage welled up inside him. These idiots! They can’t even recognize when someone is trying to sow discord! Hopeless!

"Haha, of course! Young Master Ning, shall we? Your new estate is quite large; it will take some time to tour it all," He Zhi said, stepping forward without a single glance at the pathetic figures on the ground behind them.

"No need to rush. I’ll explore it on my own time later. For now, just shout and tell everyone to move out," Ning Xuan replied as he walked.

He Zhi’s expression froze for a second, but he didn’t hesitate. He opened his mouth, and his voice boomed in all directions.

In less than half an hour, the entire He Family, over a thousand strong, was gathered together.

"Young Master Ning, everyone is here," He Zhi said, his posture like that of a servant.

Ning Xuan, however, wasn’t about to treat him like one. This guy is definitely scheming something.

"You can handle your family’s affairs first. Where is the Secret Vault?" Ning Xuan sidestepped the trap and asked directly for the treasure.

He Zhi’s teeth clenched in hatred, but his face remained impassive. "To be perfectly honest, it was robbed. It happened yesterday. Otherwise, I would never have gambled my entire family." For Ning Xuan to want the treasure in the Secret Vault is simply wishful thinking!

"What? Robbed?"

Hearing the shock in Ning Xuan’s voice, He Zhi rejoiced internally. You little bastard. Trying to play games with me? You should learn your own limits!

Outwardly, however, his face was a mask of embarrassment, anger, and heartbreak.

"Take me to see it," Ning Xuan said flatly.

The simple command left He Zhi dumbfounded. Based on the timing, my men can’t possibly have finished emptying the Secret Vault yet. He had hoped to stall for more time, but Ning Xuan wasn’t giving him any opportunities.

However, where there was no opportunity, he could create one.

With a single meaningful glance from He Zhi, a fierce-looking, powerful, middle-aged man stepped forward to challenge Ning Xuan. "You little bastard! Who do you think you are? Do you know where—"

Before he could finish his sentence, a bloody hole appeared between his eyebrows.

"My name is Ning Xuan, and this estate now belongs to me. For details, you can ask He Zhi." Ning Xuan’s cold voice cut through the air, and the crowd fell into a dead silence. No one had expected him to be so ruthless and decisive.

"Gentlemen, could you do me a favor?" Ning Xuan suddenly asked two of the eight men he had borrowed, a grin on his face. He had chosen them carefully; both looked like troublemakers. To top it off, as he spoke, he handed each of them a bag of Divine Crystals.

One moment he was a killer, the next he was this polite. The two men felt they couldn’t refuse—nor did they dare to—and immediately agreed.

"It’s nothing major. Just keep an eye on things for me. I don’t want to see any of these people, so make them scram. Quickly."

It was indeed a small favor. The two men let out a sigh of relief and thumped their chests loudly in assurance.

"Old He, can we go now?" Ning Xuan asked, turning back to He Zhi.

"Ah? Oh, yes! Right away!" He Zhi complied this time. Those people had been scared witless by Ning Xuan’s strike; they wouldn’t dare make another move. He couldn’t place his hopes on them anymore.

Leading the way, He Zhi watched as the rear garden grew closer, a cruel smile spreading across his face. Ning Xuan, oh Ning Xuan, you can die with pride, knowing it was at the hands of my uncles!

"What are you so happy about?"

Ning Xuan’s sudden question nearly scared He Zhi’s soul out of his body. Unsure if Ning Xuan had truly sensed something or was just testing him, he quickly composed himself and retorted, "Do you think I have any reason to be happy?"

Ning Xuan ignored the question. "This path is winding and deserted. You haven’t arranged an ambush for me here, have you?"

He Zhi’s face turned green. Damn it! Is this guy for real? Are his Six Senses that sharp? I don’t even know where my four uncles are!

"They’re still following us. Do you really think I’d do something so foolish?!" He Zhi forced himself to act normally, turning to challenge Ning Xuan.

Ning Xuan glanced at the six men following a short distance behind, then scratched his head in embarrassment. "My apologies. I’m not used to such grand situations; it tends to make one a bit paranoid."

"Understandable." Although He Zhi knew Ning Xuan was spouting nonsense, he didn’t call him on it. He simply nodded and continued walking.

Suddenly, a furious roar echoed through the garden. "Young Master, watch out!"

Before the six men behind Ning Xuan could even process what was happening, they saw He Zhi himself go flying backward.