"How is this possible?"
Long Pu was shocked to discover that the mysterious connection between him and the蛊虫 (gǔ chóng) had vanished.
His mind was a blank, utterly clueless as to what was happening.
*Snap!*
As the蛊虫 (gǔ chóng) drew closer, Long Pu could only suppress his confusion and wave his hand, swatting dead the Ironhead Gu he favored.
*Snap, snap, snap!*
Red welts appeared on his palm where the Ironhead Gu had impacted, each blow sending a sting of pain.
The Ironhead Gu, as its name suggested, had a shell as hard as iron, its sharp teeth capable of gnawing through gold and silver. They were incredibly destructive, fiercely ferocious, and utterly fearless.
Even in death, they would take a bite out of their enemy!
Dark, black blood dripped from Long Pu's hands.
He looked at the dead蛊虫 (gǔ chóng) on the ground, a pang of heartache in his chest.
From collecting the original worms, to fighting them, refining them… over thirty processes, a full eight years of time had been spent nurturing these little creatures. Each one was the culmination of his hard work and dedication.
*Buzz, buzz, buzz…*
Long Pu looked up, aghast to see another dozen or so蛊虫 (gǔ chóng) flying towards him.
"What in the world is going on?"
This time, Long Pu was truly panicking.
If it had happened once, he might have dismissed it as an accident, perhaps some蛊虫 (gǔ chóng) had gone awry during refinement, causing them to betray him.
But for it to happen twice in a row, this could no longer be called an accident.
There had to be some unimaginable reason.
"Hmph!" Long Pu snorted coldly. With a sweep of his broad sleeves, he used his monastic robes to deflect the attacking蛊虫 (gǔ chóng), preventing them from gathering to assault him. Simultaneously, he dodged and weaved, swatting them dead one by one.
After finally finishing this task, the buzzing sound began again.
Long Pu instinctively looked at Lin Fan. The young man was still standing, unmoving. This was far too abnormal. The repeated betrayal of the Ironhead Gu had to be connected to him!
His gaze fell upon Lin Fan, and Long Pu nearly popped his eyeballs out.
Beneath the dense mass of蛊虫 (gǔ chóng), the innermost worms were desperately trying to claw their way out. Any fellow worms blocking their path were being savagely bitten.
The inherently ferocious蛊虫 (gǔ chóng) naturally retaliated, attacking each other, tearing into a frenzy.
The Ironhead Gu that surged from the lower levels were exceptionally fierce, often fighting against overwhelming odds. Once they broke through the swarm, they would immediately fly into the air and pounce towards Long Pu.
"Lin Fan, why are you still alive?"
Long Pu screamed in terror, as if he had seen a ghost.
His reply was a chorus of buzzing and a swarm of蛊虫 (gǔ chóng) lunging at him.
With no time to hesitate, Long Pu turned and fled.
Meanwhile, the number of蛊虫 (gǔ chóng) on Lin Fan's body gradually decreased, revealing a tattered, hole-ridden garment and an upper body covered in red marks.
From the beginning, Lin Fan had known the formidable strength of the Ironhead Gu. Therefore, he had used most of the spiritual energy within his body to protect his lower half, as that was the more vital area.
As for his upper body, suffering some minor injuries was inconsequential; it wouldn't impede the main objective.
"Hiss!" Lin Fan cried out in pain, opening his eyes, which now glowed with a purple light.
He jumped up and shook himself, and all the蛊虫 (gǔ chóng) on him fell to the ground.
These were the fellow worms that had been bitten to death by the蛊虫 (gǔ chóng) he had turned to his side. Some still showed signs of life, crawling on the ground with their mangled limbs.
*Thump, thump, thump…*
Lin Fan stomped them all to death, one by one.
A few of the more intelligent Ironhead Gu, like dive-bombing bombers, swooped down, using their sharp claws to slice open the most vulnerable bellies of their brethren.
Afterward, they circled Lin Fan in the air, clearly seeking praise.
"Good worms!"
Lin Fan chuckled with delight.
In the courtyard, Long Pu darted around frantically, a picture of chaos.
There were simply too many蛊虫 (gǔ chóng). With just a slight lapse in concentration, he would be bitten several times, the pain making him yelp.
"Lin Fan, I will see you dead!"
Seeing the蛊虫 (gǔ chóng) he had raised for many years swarming around Lin Fan, Long Pu's face contorted with hatred, wishing he could flay Lin Fan alive.
"Give me back my蛊虫 (gǔ chóng)!" Long Pu roared.
"What are you talking about, *your*蛊虫 (gǔ chóng)?" Lin Fan said with a deliberately provocative expression. "These are *my*蛊虫 (gǔ chóng)."
"Go, beat him up!"
With Lin Fan's command, countless Ironhead Gu surged forward like a dark cloud, descending upon Long Pu.
Zheng Yue, hidden behind the well, had been trembling in fear at first. Hearing Long Pu's terrified shouts, she realized the situation had taken a turn.
She cautiously peeked her head out, only to witness a comical scene.
Long Pu, like a large black rabbit, was running wildly in front.
Behind him, a dense, dark cloud pursued relentlessly.
"Ouch…"
Long Pu let out a series of pained cries and was soon engulfed by the army of蛊虫 (gǔ chóng).
"Ah…"
A wail that was not entirely human pierced the air, sending a shiver down one's spine.
The dense mass of蛊虫 (gǔ chóng) ferociously gnawed at Long Pu's body. Visibly, the figure writhing on the ground was shrinking.
"Gulp, gulp, gulp!" Zheng Yue's teeth chattered audibly. Her whole body shook violently, clearly in the throes of extreme fear.
Watching a living person being slowly devoured by insects, even if he was an enemy, was incredibly difficult for a young woman to stomach.
"Miss Zheng, you can come out now," Lin Fan beckoned.
"Oh." Zheng Yue ran over and looked at Lin Fan's upper body, which was covered in red marks. She asked anxiously, "You're injured, where are you hurt? Is it serious?"
"Just superficial wounds, nothing life-threatening," Lin Fan said with a smile.
In reality, Lin Fan was not in a good state. A significant amount of his spiritual energy had been lost, and it was a permanent loss, likely siphoned off by the蛊虫 (gǔ chóng).
"Look at you, you're covered in wounds…" Zheng Yue's eyes welled up with tears. Her gaze inadvertently drifted downwards, and her face instantly flushed crimson.
Because Lin Fan's lower half was left with only a strip of cloth hanging from his leg.
Zheng Yue turned away, playfully chiding, "Hurry and find some clothes to put on."
Lin Fan finally realized his embarrassing predicament and quickly ran towards the main hall.
Zheng Yue secretly glanced back, a shy smile gracing her lips as she watched Lin Fan's retreating figure.
A short while later, Lin Fan emerged, draped in a curtain.
At the same time, the army of蛊虫 (gǔ chóng) had distended bellies. Some had eaten so much they could barely fly.
On the ground lay a gleaming white skeleton, surrounded by bloodstains.
"Miss Zheng, I'll perform a magic trick for you."
Lin Fan, a faint smile on his face, extended a finger.
As his finger moved, the army of蛊虫 (gǔ chóng) buzzed and flew into the air, quickly forming a ring, which then slowly transformed into the shape of a heart.
"Wow!" The unparalleled visual spectacle instantly lifted Zheng Yue's spirits, largely dissipating her fear from moments before.
"Why do they listen to you?" Zheng Yue asked, full of curiosity.
Lin Fan chuckled, "Because… I'm handsome."
"Hmph, fine, don't tell me then," Zheng Yue said, feigning annoyance.
—
On the highway outside the Zheng family estate, a Maybach honked its horn as it overtook a car ahead.
The driver of the smaller car felt indignant but, seeing the Maybach in his rearview mirror, could only swallow his pride and steer to let it pass.
Inside the luxurious Maybach, Zheng Xingchao took a deep breath and said, "Meng Wang, gather all the family guards. Prepare plenty of firearms and ammunition. Find a way to acquire as many flamethrowers as possible, along with gasoline and other such items. Don't worry about the trouble, don't shy away from the cost."
"Yes, Patriarch," Meng Wang replied, his eyes fixed on the rear window, his nerves on edge at even the slightest cloud drifting across the sky.
"Alas!" Xie Wei sighed. "We all misjudged him. I never expected Long Pu to harbor such wicked ambitions and secretly practice dark arts."
"I wonder if others managed to escape. I truly hope no one died in large numbers."
Everyone present was a valuable asset.
If they suffered heavy casualties, it would undoubtedly be a devastating blow to the Zheng family.