"Here we go!"

Finally, the gathering began. Xu Fan had everything ready in advance, opened the door, and greeted Jiang Wu as he walked out.

"Mr. Jiang, shall we set off?"

Jiang Wu had recovered his spirits after some rest and gave Xu Fan a bitter smile, "Mr. Xu, what about Miss Gongsun? Isn't she with you?"

Xu Fan was taken aback, "No, is there no one in her room?"

Jiang Wu gave a wry smile and spread his hands, "I knocked twice, but there was no response."

Xu Fan nodded, closed his eyes, and extended his divine sense, infiltrating Gongsun Qin's room.

The bedsheets were neat, the chair hadn't been moved, and everything on the table was as it was, with no sign of being touched.

Did this girl really run off to play after I told her not to wander around?

"Could Miss Gongsun have been kidnapped?"

Upon hearing Jiang Wu's words, Xu Fan immediately recalled the eerie feeling of being watched last night and couldn't help but feel worried.

Could the person watching be affiliated with the Huang Family? Has this girl been taken by them too?

Just as the two were about to investigate and search for clues, Gongsun Qin emerged from the elevator with an ice cream in hand, unhurried.

Seeing Xu Fan and Jiang Wu, Gongsun Qin tilted her head, seeming to remember the afternoon gathering, and showed an embarrassed expression, "Xu Fan, I went down to buy you ice cream. Here, Mr. Jiang, one for each of you."

Looking at the obviously licked ice cream handed over by Gongsun Qin, Xu Fan was so angry that he gritted his teeth. Gongsun Qin also seemed to realize that her words were not very convincing, and forcibly defended herself, "Mr. Jiang's ice cream, I didn't eat it, but Xu Fan's ice cream looked too delicious, I couldn't resist, so I tried a bit. It was indeed very delicious..."

If Jiang Wu wasn't present, Xu Fan would have spanked Gongsun Qin right then, though only in his mind. Given Gongsun Qin's temper, she might have fought back with a kitchen knife.

Seeing their expressions of disbelief, Gongsun Qin bowed her head and confessed, "Alright, I couldn't resist running down to play. I met a naive foreign girl, and we hit it off, chatted for a long time, which caused a bit of delay..."

The words "naive foreign girl" coming from Gongsun Qin's mouth left Xu Fan thoroughly flabbergasted. Could there really be someone more naive than Gongsun Qin in this world?

"Mr. Xu, the gathering is about to start. We should hurry."

Xu Fan nodded, and the group took the elevator downstairs, hopping into the car and speeding towards the gathering location.

Jiang Wu discovered his brother Jiang Wen's notes seven years ago and had been obsessed with this place ever since, visiting annually, hoping to find a trace of his brother, but always returning empty-handed.

At this moment, Jiang Wu was advising Xu Fan and Gongsun Qin, "Mr. Xu, this gathering is part of your world. Many things can be bought with money, but some require bartering. It's just like a normal people's market with stalls, goods for sale, and people maintaining order, but..."

At this point, Jiang Wu's expression turned serious, "But, Mr. Xu, you must never fight at this gathering! I don't know the background of this gathering, but I witnessed someone being killed on the spot by the Law Enforcement Team for fighting. That person seemed to have a significant background, yet the gatherings continue year after year..."

"Mr. Xu, you understand what I mean, right?"

Jiang Wu's meaning was clear: the forces behind this gathering are enormous and not to be provoked.

Xu Fan solemnly nodded in agreement.

As long as no one provokes Xu Fan, he has no interest in provoking others. The Huang Family and the Baron are more than enough for Xu Fan to handle.

"One more thing, Mr. Xu, fighting is forbidden at the gathering, but outside, no one intervenes. So people often lie in wait outside or resolve disputes there. We must avoid trouble and be wary of hunters outside the market."

Jiang Wu had previously been alone, bought nothing, sold nothing, and had nothing to worry about. But now, with Xu Fan and Gongsun Qin along, he naturally had to explain the rules and insights.

"Here are some masks; to avoid conflict, it's best to wear them."

Jiang Wu said, pulling out some masks he had prepared ahead of time and handing them over.

Xu Fan was slightly startled, put on the mask, and asked Jiang Wu, "What, has something happened before?"

Jiang Wu nodded, "Conflicts are inevitable. Many are powerful individuals, and a disagreement can quickly escalate to a fight. So there became an unwritten rule: attendees must wear masks. Security has improved significantly in recent years."

Upon hearing this, Xu Fan understood. In the cultivation world, experts care little for money but covet treasures. With so many treasures at the gathering, it's easy to become a target. Masks are merely a method of self-preservation.

Jiang Wu looked at Xu Fan wearing the mask with determination in his eyes.

Xu Fan is now Jiang Wu's hope of finding his brother. Naturally, Jiang Wu hopes nothing happens to Xu Fan, and he has a feeling that this young man named Xu Fan, with his calm demeanor, is destined for greatness. His future achievements are certain to be extraordinary.

This was the real reason Jiang Wu invested in Xu Fan.

Though Xu Fan might not be at his peak now, he's still young!

In another ten or twenty years, it wouldn't surprise Jiang Wu if the entire Western World were under Xu Fan's influence.

Xu Fan had no inkling of Jiang Wu's thoughts. If he knew, he'd undoubtedly be embarrassed. Jiang Wu seemed more confident in Xu Fan's future than Xu Fan himself...

In what seemed like no time, they had driven to the outskirts, where the landscape was serene, with far fewer people.

In a large, fenced open-air yard, Jiang Wu parked the car. The yard was almost full of cars, but fortunately, there were a few spots left. They were quite lucky.

After parking, Xu Fan and his companions continued on foot.

They followed a narrow path which opened up to reveal a vast estate.

At this, Jiang Wu pointed excitedly to the estate and said to Xu Fan, "That's the market! Last year it wasn't this grand; it seems to have been renovated and expanded this year."

Quickly arriving at the market entrance, a lazy gatekeeper sat there, whose presence radiated a surprising power: a gatekeeper with Entering Dao Realm strength!

At this, Jiang Wu respectfully bowed to the gatekeeper, "Mr. Huang, I'm Jiang Wu, here for the gathering."

The gatekeeper lifted his eyelids, seeing Jiang Wu's respectful demeanor, and sighed, "Jiang boy, your brother is not here. Stop coming. I used to make exceptions for you, but I can't let you in this time."

"Jiang boy, accept it; you and the people here are worlds apart!"

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