"Master repeatedly warned us not to touch evil arts. Have you forgotten?" Li Yusheng reminded him.
"Alright, brother, stop nagging," Li Yurou pleaded with a touch of spoiled affection. Then she immediately added, "Quickly tell me, where is Lin Fan?"
Li Yusheng smiled mysteriously. "The Zheng family gave us a large sum of money yesterday. We didn't have it on us. Where do you think he'd go?"
"Oh, right!" Li Yurou suddenly understood. He was a little money-grubber; he'd definitely go back for the money.
--
At Yu Suxin's residence, another manor belonging to the Zheng family.
A quiet teahouse at the foot of the mountain.
Lin Fan sat in a corner by the window. Two large chests were placed beneath his table. He sipped his tea, occasionally glancing out the window, clearly waiting for someone.
"Oops!"
A female server tripped over something, staggering precariously. The tray in her hands slipped, flying directly towards Lin Fan.
"Be careful!" The server cried out in alarm, quickly reaching to catch the tray. But she was a step too slow, watching as it was about to crash onto Lin Fan.
However, in the next second, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Without even turning his head, Lin Fan had smoothly caught the tray.
"Sir, I am truly sorry." The dark-skinned server hurried over, looking at Lin Fan with surprise and apologizing in very broken Mandarin.
"It's fine," Lin Fan said with a gentle smile.
A shy smile appeared on the server's face, followed by a strange sound that puzzled her. She glanced towards a chest under the table.
The chest was shaking from side to side; it was clear something alive was inside.
"Ahem!" Lin Fan raised an eyebrow and quickly sent a mental command.
The swarm of gu insects finally calmed down, and the chest stopped shaking.
"Sir..." The server pointed at Lin Fan's feet with a peculiar expression.
"I'm in the herbal medicine business. The chests contain live specimens I've collected, like scorpions and turtles," Lin Fan explained, his mind racing.
The server jumped back a few steps, startled.
Lin Fan made a shushing gesture. "Don't worry, they won't get out. I'm waiting for a friend and will leave soon. Please don't tell anyone."
After considering for a moment, and in consideration of Lin Fan's earlier help, the server reluctantly nodded.
After the server left, Lin Fan muttered, "If you cause any more trouble, I'll fry you all when we get back home."
Buzz!
The chest shook briefly, then fell silent.
"What a nuisance," Lin Fan said, draining his teacup.
When he had gone to the manor to collect the money earlier, he had left the swarm of gu insects in the woods at the foot of the mountain.
He never expected that in just twenty minutes, upon his return, he would be enraged to find that many animals had fallen victim.
From the remaining remains, it was evident that in that short time, the gu swarm had devoured two monkeys, three red-crowned cranes, and one python.
Other small animals had been reduced to mere bones.
The Ironhead Gu had an astonishing appetite and incredible digestive capabilities. If they attacked as a group, even an elephant would likely be completely consumed.
Lin Fan fretted, wondering how he would feed them in the future.
"Brother Lin," the Li siblings entered at that moment.
"Brother Li, you've finally arrived." Lin Fan smiled and gestured for the siblings to sit.
Li Yurou stared intently at the chests at their feet, clearly very curious about what was inside.
Fearing she might disturb the Ironhead Gu, Lin Fan placed a hand on top of the chest.
"Inside are..." Li Yusheng started to say, then suddenly fell silent.
"Yes, it's that thing," Lin Fan nodded emphatically.
Li Yusheng instinctively shrank his neck. It was this thing that had gnawed a living person down to bare bones. Being this close made him feel uneasy.
"Lin Fan, let one out for me to see," Li Yurou said with a bright smile, her large eyes crinkling at the corners.
"No," Lin Fan refused.
"Why not? Just one," Li Yurou pouted, looking very cute.
Lin Fan still shook his head.
Li Yurou rolled her beautiful eyes. "Don't you want to understand them?"
"Miss Li, do you understand the art of witchcraft?" Lin Fan asked, half-believing.
"No, but I read a lot, and perhaps I can discern something," Li Yurou said proudly, pointing to her bright eyes.
"Sister, stop being foolish," Li Yusheng said sternly. He couldn't imagine the consequences if the gu swarm got out of control in a busy teahouse.
Lin Fan hesitated for a moment, then said, "It's fine. I'm here, they won't act up." He then unlatched the chest and slowly opened a small gap.
Buzz!
An Ironhead Gu flew out.
Lin Fan immediately closed the chest and reached out to catch the Gu.
"So beautiful!" Li Yurou stared, mesmerized, at the intricate patterns on the Gu's body, its translucent wings, and its scarlet compound eyes.
This little creature possessed an evil beauty that made it impossible to look away.
Li Yusheng tugged at his sister's arm, reminding her for the second time, "Don't forget Master's dying words."
"I know, I'm just looking," Li Yurou replied without turning her head. Then she asked Lin Fan, "Can you let it fly over to me?"
Hearing this, Li Yusheng yanked his sister's arm forcefully, angry. "If you keep this up, I'll tell Uncle Master, and he'll punish you!"
"Brother Li, it's alright. Your sister won't be in any danger," Lin Fan said with a smile.
Under Lin Fan's control, the Ironhead Gu crawled step by step across the table towards the Li siblings.
Li Yusheng, a little scared, leaned back in his chair.
Li Yurou, gathering her courage, lowered her head to observe closely.
After a long moment, Li Yurou exclaimed, "I know what it is!"
"Long Pu has really gone to great lengths," Li Yurou said with a complex expression.
"What is it?" Lin Fan asked curiously.
"This Gu is called the Ironhead Gu. Don't think that just because it's called 'Ironhead' it's not powerful. Its ancestor was the incredibly famous..." Li Yurou glanced around to ensure no outsiders were present before continuing, "Golden Silkworm Gu!"
"What?" Lin Fan's heart skipped a beat. Did that thing really exist? Besides, this didn't look like it! It wasn't that powerful at all!
The Golden Silkworm Gu was perhaps the most renowned among all Gu insects, legendary for its immense power, invulnerability to weapons and immunity to fire and water.
Lin Fan stroked his chin. This thing looked like a flying, man-eating ant. Could it really be that mythical?
"The Golden Silkworm Gu is extinct," Li Yurou sighed. "According to the records in my master's library, the last recorded appearance of the Golden Silkworm Gu was in the late Qing Dynasty. The one who raised it committed a major crime, slaughtering several villages. After that, it was never seen again."
"Oh," Lin Fan mused, thinking it had likely been lost to time.