Chapter 57: Dust Settled, Return to the Apocalypse World
After everything ended, Gu Fan looked at the mess on the ground and helplessly waved his hand, releasing streaks of black flame.
Once all the corpses were turned to ashes, he struck out with his palm again.
In an instant, the entire Gu Residence appeared as if nothing had ever happened.
Lin Yi stood to the side with a look of satisfaction, clearly having thoroughly enjoyed the slaughter.
“By the way, Brother Gu, why did you just now have the Nalan Family’s assets distributed among all the city’s powers?”
Gu Fan glanced at Lin Yi.
This fellow had become much more proactive with his questions lately, directly asking when something puzzled him.
“This is also a kind of social tact. If I were staying in Huiyun City, it wouldn’t be an issue, but now that I’m leaving, I naturally need to establish a positive relationship to secure the Gu Family’s position.”
“Lin Yi, sometimes we demonic cultivators don’t always need to fight to the bitter end. Be cautious of pushing too far and causing a rebound. In situations like today’s, we give up a portion of our benefits to ensure the city remains stable.”
Lin Yi shook his head, honestly admitting that he didn’t understand.
Seeing this, Gu Fan could only explain further,
“Think about it—just the two of us acted and destroyed the Main Bloodlines of two major families. Naturally, others would feel threatened. By dividing the Nalan Family’s assets, I was actually telling all the powers: don’t provoke me and I won’t cause trouble. At the same time, I’m willing to coexist peacefully with everyone. With that, no power would want to make enemies of us for no gain.”
Hearing this, Lin Yi suddenly realized, muttering repeatedly, “Brother Gu is truly a genius!”
At that moment, the Soul Puppet also returned to the Gu Residence carrying Gu Ling.
When she jumped down, Gu Ling genuinely felt like she was dreaming.
She wasn’t stupid.
Although she had stayed in the secluded courtyard just now, the chaotic noise from the main compound had been loud.
She vaguely guessed something must have happened on Gu Fan’s side.
Until the Soul Puppet appeared and directly carried her away, she had thought the marriage had fallen through and Gu Fan was planning to elope with her.
“Brother Gu Fan, why are we back at the Gu Residence? Weren’t we going to escape? And why is there no one here?”
“Ling’er, don’t worry. We’re not escaping!”
Facing his kin, Gu Fan wore a kind and gentle smile.
Seeing that Gu Fan had no intention of hiding anything, Lin Yi quickly recounted the entire series of events.
Only when Gu Ling finally learned that the two of them were actually the Demonic Path Twin Stars, and that the Nalan Family’s person was an impostor, did she let out a long sigh of relief.
“To think the famous Twin Stars would turn out to be my younger brother. What a strange and wondrous fate. Oh right, where are the people of the Gu Residence? Now that your identity is known, I believe the Main Bloodline will let Uncle and Aunt return to live here.”
Lin Yi’s expression turned somewhat odd.
Gu Fan, however, remained calm.
“Ling’er, the three primary branches of the Gu Family will no longer appear in Huiyun City. Don’t ask about the rest. From now on, the Gu Family will be managed by you and my parents together.”
Gu Ling opened her mouth, then looked at Gu Fan with words at the tip of her tongue.
She was kind-hearted, but not foolish.
After hearing what Gu Fan said, she realized that the people of the Main Bloodlines were most likely gone.
However, she didn’t feel much grief.
Thinking back to what those people had done, their deaths weren’t undeserved!
Afterwards, Gu Ling led the two of them to the temporary lodging of Gu Fan’s parents.
At that moment, Lin Yi, who followed Gu Fan, actually sensed a trace of different emotions from him.
As Gu Fan looked at the increasingly close dilapidated mud hut, an inexplicable tension and guilt welled up in his heart.
In the end, the hardship his parents had suffered during this time was all because of him.
If not for this mission to the Great Qian Dynasty, who knew how much longer they would have had to endure hardship and toil.
“Uncle, Aunt!”
Hearing Gu Ling’s voice, two middle-aged people walked out from the hut.
Perhaps because of their difficult life, they appeared older than others of their age.
“Ling’er, you’re here! We still have food from the last time you came. There was no need for you to—”
Before they could finish, they saw Gu Fan standing behind her.
In that moment, both elders froze in place.
“Father, Mother, your son has returned.”
……
The sorrow of a father and son reunion needed no elaboration.
After Gu Fan had comforted his parents’ emotions one by one, he brought them back together to the Gu Residence.
On the way, Gu Fan explained a few things, merely stating that he had acknowledged a powerful master in the sect.
Now that the Main Bloodline of the Gu Family had been abolished, the Gu Family would henceforth be led by the Eighth House.
Upon hearing this, the two elders’ first reaction was that they were dreaming.
Only when they returned to the Gu Residence and saw it completely empty did they begin to believe it.
After that, all the members of the original collateral Eighth House were summoned back.
In truth, they were all relatives and elders of Gu Fan.
The collateral lines of the other houses were also called back in full, allowing the entire Gu Residence to function normally once more.
Of course, Gu Fan didn’t personally concern himself much with these affairs. Everything was handed over to Gu Ling and his parents.
In a family like this, naturally there were no foolishly kind individuals.
The methods of the two elders were not something their son needed to worry about.
….
Apocalypse World.
Half a month later, Gu Fan descended here once again.
With the time differential of fivefold, a full two and a half months had passed here.
Now it was autumn. Standing on the hospital rooftop, Gu Fan could already see waves of golden yellow rippling through the new ward block.
Those were ripe stalks of rice.
Nearby were also vegetables and melons, and he even saw a few greenhouses for cultivation.
These things were originally very ordinary in modern society.
But now, appearing in this post-apocalyptic world, they gave off a strange sense of incongruity.
The corners of Gu Fan’s mouth lifted in a smile as he turned and entered the building.
The entire top floor of the old building had now been designated as Nurse Xia Yan’s personal residence and storage for restricted items.
Such as collected zombie crystal cores, firearms, bullets, and so on.
These items had all been gathered by Gu Fan during spare moments and were usually managed by Nurse Xia Yan.
As he went downstairs, the number of people gradually increased.
With one sweep of his divine sense, Gu Fan found that the population had unknowingly expanded to nearly a hundred.
It seemed some more survivors had been taken in recently.
Arriving at the Blood Pool, the Evil Lotus immediately sensed Gu Fan and extended a vine to nuzzle his face.
Gu Fan could sense the Evil Lotus’s emotions.
It was similar to a spoiled gesture, as if saying, ‘Why did you take so long to come back!’
“Hehe, wasn’t I earning Spirit Stones for you? This time I’ll let you eat your fill.”
Seemingly understanding Gu Fan’s words, the Evil Lotus swayed excitedly.
Gu Fan opened the Storage Pouch.
In an instant, nearly twenty thousand Spirit Stones appeared in the Blood Pool.
At once, the Evil Lotus could no longer be bothered to fawn over Gu Fan.
Countless tiny root tendrils split off and began absorbing the Spirit Stones!
As the spiritual energy was replenished, a vast amount of sealed spiritual energy rebounded into Gu Fan.
Unprepared, Gu Fan could only sit down at once.
He activated his cultivation technique, constantly digesting the surging energy.
With a burst of compression and eruption, a great upheaval surged within Gu Fan’s body!
Then his aura abruptly soared!
Seventh-layer Spirit Sea Realm!
“Finally at the late stage of the Spirit Sea Realm. But this is far from the end—keep breaking through!”
At once, the Evil Lotus continued absorbing Spirit Stones, while also channeling the devoured flesh and blood energy stored within its body to feed back into Gu Fan!
Just like that, in the span of a single hour,
when Gu Fan rose again, his strength had already reached the ninth layer of the Spirit Sea Realm!
Just as he was about to enjoy the surge of power,
a surprised voice sounded behind him.
“Boss?”
Gu Fan turned around and saw it was none other than Chi Manman, whom he had rescued from the university last time.
“Boss, you’re back?”
“Yeah. Where’s Nurse Xia Yan?”
Chi Manman paused for a moment, then quickly answered:
“Sister Yan went to attend the survivor base meeting.”
“Survivor base meeting?”
Gu Fan repeated, realizing that quite a few things must have changed in the city over the past two and a half months...