Vehicles, one after another, centered around the Zheng family manor, turned around and sped back from all directions.
Half an hour later.
Zheng Xingchao and his group were the first to step into the manor. The sight that greeted them was the main residence, now reduced to ruins, with discarded shoes scattered everywhere and trash carelessly thrown about.
A gust of wind blew, and the main gate creaked.
Instantly, Zheng Xingchao and the others broke out in a cold sweat.
"Patriarch, I'll scout ahead."
With his superior martial arts and courage, Meng Wang volunteered.
"Scout what? Come in quickly." A graceful figure emerged from around the corner, speaking indifferently.
"Ayue!" Zheng Xingchao exclaimed, overjoyed. His daughter was alive!
"Dad." Zheng Yue's tone was cold.
"Where is Master Lin?" Xie Wei craned his neck, looking around.
"Come inside with me. Lin Fan is unable to come out at the moment." Zheng Yue beckoned and walked ahead.
Zheng Xingchao and the others exchanged glances, then cautiously followed.
Meng Wang walked at the front, his muscles tensed, ready to fight at any moment.
Along the way, they could see the mess left by the hurried evacuation of personnel.
Seeing a place emitting white smoke in the distance, Zheng Xingchao's heart tightened, and he stopped. He feared that Long Pu was not dead and was performing some dark art.
"The chef forgot to turn off the stove when they left, and a fire broke out. Lin Fan and I worked hard to put it out," Zheng Yue said impatiently.
"Oh." Zheng Xingchao finally breathed a sigh of relief and continued forward.
Soon, the group arrived at the previous location.
"Ah!" Xie Wei let out a startled cry, pointing at the white bones on the ground. His face turned pale, and he retreated rapidly.
Although he had seen these white bones on his phone, seeing them in person had a different visual impact, especially the skull, which looked terrifying with its honeycomb-like appearance from the gnawing of the Gu worms.
"Xiao Fan, my father and the others are back," Zheng Yue called out.
"Heh heh." Lin Fan, after changing into a servant's outfit behind a large tree, walked out with a chuckle.
Zheng Xingchao hurried to meet him. "Thank you for eliminating evil and helping our Zheng family escape this disaster. I was blind before, deceived by that fake monk Long Pu. Master Lin, you are the true enlightened master!"
Xie Wei sidled up and said with emotion, "Only strong winds reveal strong grass; only turbulent times reveal loyal ministers. Master Lin, we were wrong to you before!"
Meng Wang observed the red dots on Lin Fan's body, filled with curiosity. The Iron Head Gu was no trifling matter; it ate people. How could he be unharmed?
Buzz, buzz, buzz…
A strange sound echoed.
"Oh no!" Xie Wei shrieked and immediately fled.
The others followed suit.
"Come back, come back, don't be afraid," Lin Fan called out, extending his hand.
Zheng Yue added, "Dad, don't be afraid. They are obedient to Lin Fan now and will not hurt anyone."
Hearing this, Zheng Xingchao and the others, half-believing, slowed down and looked back. They saw that the dense swarm of Gu worms did not fly towards them, finally easing the tension in their hearts.
Poor Xie Wei, at his age, twisted his ankle while running in haste.
Meng Wang helped Xie Wei up, and they hopped along, limping.
"Sorry, I forgot to tell you just now. Long Pu's Gu worms have been subdued by me," Lin Fan said, pointing a short distance behind him.
There stood a steaming basket, half as tall as a person, used for steaming buns. Crackling sounds emanated from within, and the lid occasionally jumped, clearly indicating restless occupants.
"Behave!" Lin Fan roared, and the incessantly shaking basket immediately quieted down.
This sight astonished Zheng Xingchao and the others.
Long Pu's Gu worms were actually obeying Lin Fan!
"Master Lin, you should eliminate all evil completely. Why didn't you just burn these wicked creatures?"
"Yes, Master Lin, why are you keeping them? Just looking at them is chilling. What if something goes wrong..."
Zheng Xingchao and the others gritted their teeth in hatred, as they had nearly become food for these Gu worms.
Lin Fan gave an awkward smile. He had expended considerable spiritual energy to subdue these Gu worms; how could he burn them all away?
"There is no good or evil in the law; it all depends on the user," Lin Fan said softly.
Zheng Xingchao chuckled sheepishly, "Master Lin speaks wisely."
"Your cultivation is profound; you will surely not let them cause any more harm," Xie Wei interjected.
Looking at their fawning expressions, Zheng Yue felt nothing but disdain.
More and more people were returning, and the manor, bustling with activity, gradually became lively again.
During their escape, some had pushed others, some had been trampled, and some had even stolen others' cars... in short, a complete mess.
Now that they were safe, it was time to settle accounts.
Zheng Xingchao and Xie Wei were overwhelmed, trying to mediate fights here and pull people apart there. Conflicts erupted everywhere, and they couldn't resolve them.
Lin Fan sat on a large rock, watching them quietly.
"Xiao Fan, what are you thinking about?" Zheng Yue asked, walking over.
"Ayue, do you think they can achieve great things?"
"I... I don't know."
Zheng Yue lowered her head. Since childhood, she had been taught that the throne rightfully belonged to her Zheng family, but the ancestors of the Rama family had broken their promise and seized it through despicable means.
Every member of the Zheng family, as long as they had a breath left, had to do everything they could to reclaim the throne.
Looking at the chaotic crowd now, she felt this was an unlikely dream.
"I plan to return to China tomorrow," Lin Fan suddenly said.
Initially, he naively thought that as fellow Chinese, bound by blood, helping the Zheng family reclaim the throne was not impossible.
However, his thoughts had now changed.
With so many suffering poor citizens, what they needed were officials who truly cared for them, a king who could change their situation, not power-hungry individuals like the Zheng family, who were filled with schemes and obsessed only with family honor.
"If you leave, what will become of me?" Zheng Yue's voice was filled with reluctance.
"Long Pu is dead. I believe your father has the ability to protect you," Lin Fan said.
Zheng Yue's eyes flared with anger. She glared fiercely at Lin Fan, "You're abandoning me!"
"What?" Lin Fan was taken aback. He hadn't even begun anything, so how could he be abandoning her?
Their gazes met – one filled with unyielding hatred, the other with helpless pleading.
"Lin Fan!" Just then, a crisp voice called out.
Zheng Yue turned to see the Li siblings running towards them.
She glared fiercely at Li Yurou, startling her.
"You wait!" Turning back to Lin Fan, she huffed and then left.
Lin Fan smiled bitterly.
Li Yurou walked up to Lin Fan and yelled angrily, "You two can fight, but why are you taking it out on me? What did I ever do to deserve this?"
As soon as she finished speaking, she heard a buzzing sound.
The Iron Head Gu sensed Li Yurou's hostility, its wings vibrating and the steaming basket rattling noisily, eager to fly out and protect its master.
"Ah!" Li Yurou's face turned ashen with fear, and she cried out.
Li Yusheng quickly stood in front of his sister and asked anxiously, "Brother Lin, what's going on?"
"Don't provoke me, and they won't do anything," Lin Fan said, glaring back. The steaming basket fell silent again.
Li Yurou's eyes lit up. "You subdued Long Pu's Gu worms?"
"Yes," Lin Fan nodded.