The Removal of the Gu from the Mass Grave and the Purge of Han Family Fortress

As dawn broke, Li Xian stood alone by the window of the inn.

The threatening letter had been clutched in his palm all night, the edges of the paper soaked with sweat. The withered bone man's handwriting was sinister, like a ghost's scribbles, every stroke exuding chilling malice.

"Are you really going?" Miss Chunmeng's voice came from behind.

She had changed back into her usual crimson dress. Now that the poison had been completely removed, her complexion had returned to its former radiance, though her eyes held a hint of melancholy. Beneath her left sleeve, her newly formed skin was as white and tender as snow, and the terrifying black markings had vanished without a trace.

"I have to go." Li Xian didn't turn around. "Although Bingwei and I... aren't exactly in love, she's ultimately implicated because of me. Besides, the Bone Master is using her as bait; not going would be a sign of weakness."

Miss Chunmeng walked to his side, remained silent for a moment, and whispered, "That night in Peach Blossom Valley, I shouldn't have..."

"This is none of your business," Li interrupted. "Linghan Palace's target has always been me; Bingwei is just a pawn."

He turned around and looked at the people in the room.

Peng Shitao was organizing her medicine box, packing the newly prepared "Gu-expelling Powder" into bottles. This girl barely slept last night, managing to make thirty bottles of the powder.

Han Jinan, Xiao Lingshan, Elder Feng, and Elder Peng were all present. Elder Feng was able to walk again, although his power had only recovered to 30%, his eyes were as sharp as ever.

"Young Master Li, I will go with you," Han Jinan said in a deep voice. "The old ghost of withered bones is cunning and treacherous; there must be an ambush at the mass grave."

"No." Li Xian shook his head. "Master Han, you, Elder Feng, and Elder Peng should set off immediately and secretly return to Han Family Fort. Since Cao Yan and Tian Heng have been controlled by Gu, the situation inside the fort is extremely precarious. Go back and observe secretly first. After I rescue Bingwei, I will join you."

He looked at Xiao Lingshan: "Miss Lingshan, you should also go back. You are familiar with the terrain inside the fortress and are skilled in wood-based tracking techniques, which can be of great help to Lord Han."

Xiao Lingshan bit her lip: "Then you..."

"I have them," Li Xian said, pointing out the window.

Five drones hovered under the eaves, their indicator lights flashing in the morning mist. Superman's robotic arm had been modified overnight, fitted with a high-frequency oscillating blade and miniature incendiary bombs. Da Ya and Er Ya's steel needle cases were filled with specially made needles—the tips of which were dipped in "anti-poison liquid" prepared by Peng Shitao.

"And me," Miss Chunmeng said calmly.

"Your Gu poison has just healed; it is not advisable to use force."

"Who said I was going to resort to violence?" A cold glint flashed in Miss Chunmeng's eyes. "I know the orthodox techniques of the Demonic Sect best. I might not be unable to break the Gu technique of the Old Ghost of Dry Bones."

Li Xian looked at her and finally nodded: "Okay. But follow my instructions."

"Listen to you?" Miss Chunmeng raised an eyebrow. "What about the 'manager' inside you? Does he listen to you?"

That's a sharp question.

Li Xian paused for a moment, then called out in his mind, "Manager."

"Yes." The voice was languid, with a husky quality from just waking up. "What, you need me?"

"Today's battle is extremely dangerous. I need your strength, but... I must lead the charge."

The manager chuckled: "Alright. But remember our deal—70% of the energy goes to me. And, that new condition..."

"If you succeed in the future, you'll completely restore my freedom," Li Xian replied. "I remember."

"Just remember that." The manager said no more.

Li Xian looked at everyone and gave his final instructions: "Superman, Dark Knight, come with me to the mass grave. Batman, Daya, and Erya, you escort Lord Han and his group back to Han Family Fortress. Keep watch along the way, and if anything unusual happens, send a message immediately."

"Received!" the five drones responded in unison.

As the morning light fully bathed the streets, the two groups of people parted ways.

The mass grave in the west of the city truly lives up to its name.

This place was once an ancient battlefield of a previous dynasty, and later became a dumping ground for unclaimed corpses. The graves are scattered haphazardly, with broken tombstones and steles leaning precariously among the weeds, and the air is filled with the mixed smell of rotting earth and decaying wood.

Noon was approaching, but the sun could not penetrate the thick fog on the hill.

Li Xian and Miss Chunmeng stood at the foot of the hill, looking up. In the mist, they could vaguely see shadowy figures and flickering, eerie green lights.

"The Myriad Gu Formation." Miss Chunmeng's expression was grave. "That old ghost withered bones has brought out all his trump cards. This formation is based on a hundred Gu worms, which mutually generate and restrain each other, forming a cycle. Breaking one formation will create another. Unless we find the core of the formation, otherwise..."

"Where is the core of the formation?" Li asked first.

Miss Chunmeng closed her eyes and sensed for a moment before pointing to the deepest part of the mist: "It's there. But the strongest Gu worms must be guarding the center of the formation."

"Let's go." Li took a step first.

As soon as I stepped onto the hill, the soil beneath my feet suddenly churned! Dozens of black beetles burst from the ground and swooped down!

"Corpse Puppet Insects!" A red silk ribbon flew out from Miss Chunmeng's sleeve, sweeping like a serpent and shattering all the beetles!

But when the insect corpses fell to the ground, they turned into black smoke, which then condensed into new beetles! Their numbers doubled!

"It really is a cyclical energy generation array." Li Xian pressed the sonic vibrator.

"Buzz—!"

The sound waves of a specific frequency spread, causing the beetle to momentarily freeze. But the next second, a sharp whistle rang out from the mist!

The shrill whistle clashed with the sonic oscillator. The beetle broke free and pounced again!

"I'll do it," the manager's voice rang out.

A dark red light flickered in Li Xian's eyes.

He raised his hand, palm facing upward. The surrounding air suddenly distorted, and the free energy frantically converged, condensing into a dark red sphere of light in his palm.

"Energy extraction range: fifty zhang," the administrator said indifferently.

The sphere of light exploded! An invisible suction force spread out from Li Xian as the center! The Gu worm energy inside those beetles was forcibly extracted, their bodies instantly shriveled, and they turned into ashes upon landing!

The flute music in the mist abruptly stopped.

"Who?!" The angry shout of the withered bone master came from the depths.

The manager didn't answer, but strode forward.

Wherever it went, all the Gu worms were wiped out. Poisonous snakes that crawled out of the ground, poisonous bees that flew in the air, poisonous toads that jumped out of the grass... all the Gu worms' energy was drained, turning them into dried corpses.

Miss Chunmeng followed behind, her heart pounding with fear. Was this the true power of the Administrator? Pure energy manipulation, ignoring all sorcery and trickery?

The fog gradually dissipated.

Deep within the mass grave, a clearing was revealed.

Three wooden stakes stood in the center of the open space. The two on the left and right were empty, while Bingwei was tied to the middle one.

Her white clothes were stained with blood, her long hair was disheveled, and she hung her head, her fate unknown. Her wrists and ankles were bound by black gold chains, which were engraved with curse runes.

The Bone Master stood before the stake, holding an ebony cane, his face ashen. Behind him stood five people—the newly refined Five Elements Corpse Puppets, but this time, each puppet was covered in Gu worms, their aura several times stronger than when they were at Wangjiang Tower.

"Boy, you've arrived." The withered bone master grinned, revealing black teeth. "And you brought a helper? Spring Dream girl, the Gu poison has been cured? It seems that 'friend' inside you is quite capable."

The administrator—who controlled Li Xian's body—said calmly, "Release him."

"Release them?" The withered skeletal master chuckled strangely. "Fine. In exchange, use that thing inside your body."

"Are you worthy?"

Upon uttering those three words, the expression on the withered bone monk's face changed drastically!

He slammed his cane on the ground, and the five elemental corpse puppets pounced out simultaneously! The golden corpse's ten fingers were like hooks, piercing straight into Li Xian's throat; the wooden corpse's arms transformed into vines, wrapping around his legs; the water corpse spewed venom; the fire corpse's palms burned with raging flames; and the earth corpse burrowed underground to hide!

Ambush from five sides!

Instead of retreating, the managers advanced.

He made a grasping motion with his left hand, and five dark red threads appeared in the air, precisely wrapping around the necks of the five corpse puppets! The threads tightened, and the corpse puppets froze!

He raised his right hand, and the magnetic beam knife was already in his palm.

"Haven't you learned your lesson from last time?" the manager said calmly. "Then I'll teach you again—what it means for technology to crush metaphysics."

A flash of light!

It wasn't a slash, nor a thrust, but rather it traced a profound and mysterious trajectory. Wherever the trajectory passed, space seemed to be torn apart, and the Gu worms within the five corpse puppets simultaneously emitted shrill, mournful cries!

"Pfft pfft pfft..."

Blood mist burst from the joints of the corpse puppet! The Gu worms were directly shattered by the high-frequency magnetic field of the magnetic beam blade! Without the control of the Gu worms, the corpse puppet froze on the spot, turning into five real corpses.

The skeleton monk's pupils constricted sharply: "You... how could you possibly..."

"Why not?" The manager sheathed his sword and slowly stepped forward. "Your Gu technique is essentially energy parasitism. Parasitism creates energy nodes. Find the nodes, and you can break through them with a single blow—it's that simple."

He walked up to the wooden stake and looked at Bingwei.

Bingwei raised her head, her face stained with blood, but her eyes were clear. She looked at Li Xian—or rather, at Li Xian under the control of the administrators—her lips trembling, but she could not utter a word.

"Bear with it." The manager cut the chains and lifted her down.

The manager paused slightly the moment he touched her body.

This body... is so soft. It has warmth, a heartbeat, and... a trembling of fear. Is this what human touch is like?

He looked down and saw tears rolling down Bingwei's face.

Hot tears fell onto the back of his hand.

A strange feeling. The manager frowned, suppressing the unease. He examined Bingwei's injuries—mostly superficial wounds, but seven types of Gu worms, all of which controlled the mind, had been implanted in her body.

"Does the withered old ghost want to turn you into a Gu slave?" the manager asked.

Bingwei nodded, her voice hoarse: "He said... my sister is in his hands. If I don't comply, he'll make sure her soul is destroyed..."

"Your sister is still alive?"

"In the ice cellar of Linghan Palace... it was worse than death..." Bingwei sobbed uncontrollably.

The manager was silent for a moment, then raised his hand and placed it on her forehead.

Dark red energy surged in, precisely locating the seven Gu worms within her body. The magnetic beam blade made seven virtual taps, and with each tap, a Gu worm was peeled off and sealed away.

Seven breaths later, all the Gu worms in Bingwei's body were eliminated.

"Thank...thank you..." she said weakly.

"No need." The manager turned to the skeleton, "It's your turn."

But the withered bone monk laughed.

His laughter was eerie, his laughter was insane.

"You think you've won?" He slowly backed away, his cane drawing a line of blood on the ground. "You think these are all the tricks I have?"

The bloodline glowed with a scarlet light!

The entire mass grave suddenly trembled! Countless graves cracked open, and skeletons crawled out! Green will-o'-the-wisps danced in the eye sockets of the skeletons, and they made strange "clucking" sounds from their mouths!

"The Hundred Ghosts Devouring Souls Formation!" Miss Chunmeng exclaimed in horror. "He actually used a living person as a sacrifice to awaken the vengeful spirits that have lingered here for centuries!"

The white bones surged forth like a tide!

The manager frowned: "Troublesome."

Just as he was about to unleash his full power, Li Xian in his consciousness suddenly said, "Let me handle this."

"you?"

"I have a way," Li insisted.

The manager paused, then conceded, "Alright. But only thirty breaths."

The dark red light in his eyes faded, and Li Xian regained control of his body.

Faced with the surging army of skeletons, he took a deep breath and took out a small speaker from his pocket—this was the "infrasound resonator" that Superman had urgently made last night.

"Miss Chunmeng, protect Bingwei!" Li Xian shouted.

He flipped the switch.

"Buzz—"

A low, almost inaudible sound spread out.

But this sound was fatal to the skeleton—it resonated precisely with the vibrational frequency of the vengeful spirits remaining within the skeleton!

"Click click click..."

The army of skeletons froze, the ghostly flames in their eye sockets flickering violently! Then, the skeletons began to disintegrate, breaking apart inch by inch at the joints, shattering into a pile of bone fragments!

In thirty breaths, the army of skeletons was completely annihilated!

The withered skeleton looked on in disbelief: "This... what kind of evil magic is this?!"

"Science." Li Xian put away the speaker and said coldly, "Now, it's your turn."

The Bone Master gritted his teeth, suddenly pulled out a small black banner, and slammed it to the ground!

"boom!"

Black smoke billowed up, obscuring visibility!

"He's trying to escape!" Miss Chunmeng exclaimed urgently.

Li Xian remained motionless, only gazing into the depths of the black smoke.

Three breaths later, the black smoke dissipated.

The withered skeleton had vanished without a trace, leaving only a pool of black blood and a shattered little banner on the ground.

"Blood Escape Technique!" Miss Chunmeng said angrily, "He got away again."

"He can't have gone far," Li Xian said calmly. "He used Blood Escape, so he must be severely injured. Let's go to Han Family Fort first and resolve the internal strife. As for him... he'll reappear sooner or later."

He walked up to Bingwei and knelt down: "Can you still walk?"

Bingwei nodded, struggled to stand up, but her legs went weak and she almost fell.

Li first helped her up.

Eyes facing each other.

Bingwei's eyes held a complex mix of emotions: guilt, gratitude, shame, and a hint of... indescribable feeling. She turned her face away: "I'm sorry... that night I..."

"That's all in the past," Li interrupted. "Now, let's leave here."

Hanjiabao is located 300 li north of Tonghai Prefecture. It is built against the mountain and is easy to defend and difficult to attack.

When Li Xian and his two companions arrived, it was already dusk the following day.

The fortress gates were tightly shut, and there were no guards on the city walls. Only a few thunder flags of Han Family Fortress hung limply in the twilight.

"Something's not right," Miss Chunmeng whispered.

Li gestured for her to step back, then stepped forward and knocked on the door himself.

"Thump, thump, thump."

The three knocks were particularly jarring in the silence.

There was no response from inside the door.

Li Xian frowned, about to knock again, when a head suddenly peeked out from behind the crenellations of the city wall—it was a young disciple with a pale face and empty eyes.

"Who...who is it..." The voice was dazed.

"Li Xian requests an audience with Lord Han."

"The Lord of the Fortress... is not here..." the disciple murmured, shrinking back inside.

Li Xian and Miss Chunmeng exchanged a glance.

"They've been controlled," Miss Chunmeng affirmed. "Their empty eyes and sluggish behavior are signs of the Gu worms eroding their minds."

Just then, the fortress gate suddenly creaked open a crack.

Elder Cao Yan stood behind the door.

His face was haggard, his eyes sunken. Upon seeing Li Xian, he forced a smile: "Young Master Li...you've arrived. The lord and the others...just returned and are in the main hall..."

Before he could finish speaking, his body suddenly swayed, and he almost fell.

Li Xian quickly caught him and touched his wrist pulse with his fingertips—it was chaotic and disordered, and there was a cold and evil energy running rampant in his meridians.

"Elder Cao, you..."

"I'm fine." Cao Yan pushed him away, a hint of struggle flashing in her eyes. "Quick... hurry inside..."

The struggle lasted only a moment before returning to emptiness.

Li Xian understood.

The three entered the fortress.

The scene inside the fortress was eerie: disciples wandered around the courtyard in twos and threes, their movements stiff and their eyes vacant. When they saw Li Xian and the others, they only glanced at them blankly before continuing to wander.

"The entire Han Family Fortress... has been taken over," Bingwei said in a trembling voice.

We've arrived at the main hall.

The hall doors were wide open, and Han Jinan, Xiao Lingshan, Elder Feng, and Elder Peng sat in the hall, all with their eyes closed and silent. Behind them, Elder Tian Heng stood with his hands at his sides, expressionless.

Strange, where did Elder Xiao, Xiao Lingshan's father, go?

"Master Han?" Li Xian called out.

Han Jinan slowly opened his eyes.

His eyes were vacant, just like those of the disciples outside.

"Young Master Li...you've arrived..." the voice said flatly. "Please sit down..."

Mr. Li did not sit down.

He looked around the hall, his gaze finally settling on Tian Heng.

"Elder Tian, ​​you've worked hard," he suddenly said.

Tian Heng's body stiffened, and he looked up at him.

Deep within those eyes, a very subtle fluctuation flickered—it was clarity, it was pain, it was a cry for help.

"You...you noticed?" Tian Heng's voice was hoarse.

"The Gu worms can control the body, control speech and actions, but they can't control that glimmer of light deep in your eyes," Li Xian said calmly. "Elder Cao's struggle at the door, the fluctuation in your eyes right now—you're both fighting against the Gu worms, aren't you?"

Tian Heng gave a bitter laugh: "Yes... but we can't hold out for long. The Gu worms are eating away at our minds every day. In three days at most, we'll become real walking corpses."

"Where's the withered old ghost?"

"He's in seclusion in the back mountains... healing his injuries." Tian Heng gritted his teeth. "He said... once he emerges, he'll transform Han Family Fortress into a 'Gu Soldier Camp,' using the fortress's three hundred disciples as soldiers to sweep across the martial world..."

"Wishful thinking," Miss Spring Dream scoffed.

Li Xian looked at Han Jinan and the others: "Them..."

"The Lord of the Fortress, Miss, Elder Feng, Elder Peng... as soon as they returned, Cao Yan and I tricked them into drinking tea laced with poison." Tian Heng closed his eyes in pain. "We didn't want to... but the poison worms controlled our bodies, we had no choice..."

"Where's the antidote?" Bingwei asked.

"There is no antidote." Tian Heng shook his head. "Unless... we find the mother Gu, or... we forcibly remove it like you did."

Li Xian paused for a moment, then asked in his mind, "Can the administrators be saved?"

"Yes," the manager answered readily, "but with over three hundred people, the workload is too great. I need you to work continuously for six hours straight without interruption."

"as a result of?"

"You will be exhausted and may be unconscious for several days. As for me... I will absorb a large amount of energy, which will advance the crystal repair process to 40%."

"make a deal."

Li Xian looked up and said to Tian Heng, "Take me to the well."

There are three wells in Hanjiabao: one in the front yard and two in the back yard.

The well water has been contaminated by Gu worms, and all disciples who have drunk from the well water have been infected with Gu worms.

Li Xian stood by the well in the front yard, looking at the deep, dark water.

"Manager, it's your turn."

A dark red light shone in his eyes.

The administrator took over the body, first taking out a stardust crystal, crushing it, and scattering it into the well. The crystal powder dissolved upon contact with water, and a pale golden light spread throughout the well.

"These are 'energy markers'," the manager explained. "They mark the energy characteristics of the Gu worms, making them easier to track."

He closed his eyes, and his spiritual power spread out like a net, covering the entire Han Family Fortress.

Three hundred and twenty-one people.

Each person has Gu worms inside their body, ranging in number from one to ten. The location of the Gu worms, their degree of integration with the host's meridians, their energy strength... all this information is clearly presented in the mind of the administrator.

"Let's begin."

He raised his hand, and the magnetic beam knife hovered in front of him.

The blade trembled, splitting into 321 imperceptible threads of light! Each thread was as thin as a hair, yet it shot precisely at every person inside the fortress who was under the control of the Gu!

The light rays penetrated walls, doors, and windows, ignoring all obstacles, and precisely pierced into the body of each host!

Peeling begins.

This was a silent, yet breathtaking surgery.

The manager stood by the well, eyes closed, concentrating intently. Under his control, 321 strands of light simultaneously performed precise operations: locating the Gu worm, severing the connection, peeling away the worm's body, sealing its energy, and repairing its meridians...

Sweat seeped from his forehead and slid down his cheeks.

Miss Chunmeng and Bingwei stood guard on both sides, deeply moved by what they saw.

Is this what a manager's true ability is? To perform over 300 microscopic surgeries simultaneously, each requiring precision down to the millimeter?

Time passes little by little.

One hour, two hours...

As dusk faded, night fell.

Changes began to appear within the fortress: the disciples whose eyes had been vacant gradually regained their sparkle; their stiff limbs began to soften; their blank expressions became more lively…

"Did...it was a success?" Tian Heng asked in a trembling voice.

The manager did not respond.

His entire focus was now on the operation. The more than 300 surgeries had reached the most critical stage—energy repair after the separation.

Finally, in the sixth hour, when the moon was high in the sky, the manager opened his eyes.

The dark red light in his eyes faded, and Li Xian regained control of his body.

His legs buckled, and he nearly collapsed to his knees. Miss Chunmeng and Bingwei quickly helped him up.

"It's...it's over..." Li Xian's voice was hoarse. "All the Gu worms...have been removed from their seal...and the host's meridians...have been repaired..."

He pointed to a jade altar beside the well—the altar was sealed with a dense array of Gu worms, all of them offspring Gu, which were now frantically crashing against the altar walls.

"These Gu worms... are still connected to the mother Gu of the withered bone ghost... we can trace them in reverse..."

Before he could finish speaking, Li Xian's vision went black, and he fainted.

Mr. Li had a very long dream.

In his dream, he stood in a blood-red void. Before him lay a dark red crystal, its cracks mostly healed, its surface shimmering with an eerie glow.

The manager emerged from the crystal, his form much more solid than before.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I'm tired," Li Xian said truthfully.

"Stripping over three hundred Gu worms at once is indeed very energy-intensive," the manager nodded. "However, the gains are also quite good—I absorbed seventy percent of the energy, and the crystal has been repaired to forty percent. After a few more of these 'feasts,' I will be able to initially solidify into a physical form."

Li Xian looked at him: "What will your physical form look like?"

"Not necessarily." The administrator smiled. "It could be humanoid, it could be beastoid, or it could be... a form you've never seen before. After all, I am an energy consciousness entity, and my form is entirely at my command."

He paused, then looked at Li Xian: "You performed well this time. Therefore, I have decided to revise our transaction terms."

"Revise?"

"The original third condition—that I will fully restore your freedom if I succeed in the future—remains unchanged," the administrator said. "But I'm adding an extra condition: you can use my power at any time before I materialize, without any additional cost."

Li Xian was taken aback: "Why?"

"Because we need each other," the manager said earnestly. "You need my strength to protect yourself, save others, and fulfill Boltzmann's last wish. And I... need your body as a vessel to experience everything about humanity, collect energy, and ultimately achieve my own fulfillment."

He reached out, and a new contract rune appeared in his palm: "This is a more equal contract. We coexist, each taking what we need. The day I succeed will be the day you are free—how about it?"

Li Xian stared at the rune and remained silent for a long time.

Finally, he reached out his hand.

With palms pressed together, a new contract is established.

The manager smiled, a smile that, for the first time, had warmth in it: "Well then, it'll be a pleasure working with you, Mr. Li."

"It was a pleasure working with you... Manager."

The dream shattered.

When Li Xian woke up, he found himself lying in a guest room in Hanjiabao.

The sun shines brightly outside the window, and birds sing and flowers bloom.

Miss Chunmeng was asleep by the bedside, tears still clinging to her eyes. Bingwei sat at the table, brewing medicine. Peng Shitao… that girl was actually playing with the drones in the yard, her laughter ringing out.

The door was pushed open, and Xiao Lingshan came in carrying a bowl of porridge.

Seeing that he was awake, her eyes lit up: "You're awake! How are you feeling?"

"It's alright." Li sat up, took the bowl of porridge, and said, "Inside the fort..."

"Everything is alright." Xiao Lingshan smiled brightly. "The Gu poison has been removed from all the disciples, and Father and the elders have recovered as well. Elder Cao and Elder Tian felt so guilty that they volunteered to spend three years in solitary meditation in the back mountain. As for the withered old ghost..."

Her eyes turned cold: "Elder Feng traced the connection between those venomous insects and found his hiding place—in a secluded cave in the back mountains. Father has already led men to surround and eliminate him."

Li Xian nodded and looked at Miss Chunmeng: "She..."

"I've been watching over you for a whole day and night, and I just fell asleep," Xiao Lingshan said softly. "Miss Bingwei did the same, she's been brewing medicine for you the whole time. And that girl Shitao, she almost emptied out the Han Family Fort's pharmacy."

A warm feeling welled up in Li Xian's heart.

He scooped up a spoonful of porridge and suddenly asked, "Lingshan, where's Han Yunyang?"

Xiao Lingshan's smile faded slightly: "He...he's awake, but his memory is damaged, and he can't remember many things. However, the doctor said that with proper care, he can gradually recover."

She paused, then whispered, "The first thing he said when he woke up was, 'Where is Ling Shan?' I told him I was here. Then he smiled and said, 'That's good.'"

Li Xian looked at her and said, "You..."

"I will take care of him." Xiao Lingshan looked up, her eyes clear. "Childhood sweethearts aren't something you can just let go of. But Brother Li..."

Her face flushed slightly: "You're a very important person to me too. So... so let's take it slow, okay?"

Li Xian smiled and said, "Okay."

Just then, hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the window!

Elder Feng rushed into the courtyard, his face grave: "Young Master Li! The Fortress Master and the others... are trapped in the cave! That old ghost of withered bones actually set up the 'Ten Thousand Gu Annihilation Formation' in the cave, and none of those who went in have come out!"

Li put down the porridge bowl, a flash of dark red light disappearing from his eyes.

The manager woke up.

"Looks like it's time for some post-dinner exercise." The manager's voice was laced with amusement. "Let's go, Mr. Li. Let's go meet that... clueless old fox."