Screams quickly turned hoarse.
The Iron-Head Gu was far more lethal than Han Jiayun had imagined.
Last time, Lin Fan had first fed the swarm of Gu worms before attacking the couple.
Furthermore, Lin Fan had ordered the swarm not to kill, so they had only inflicted minor bites on the couple.
This time was different; the Iron-Head Gu had been starving for a long time, thus they were exceptionally ferocious.
Even though Han Jiayun clutched his head and writhed on the ground, he couldn't escape.
Some Gu worms burrowed into his body through his orifices, quickly breaching his defenses and rendering Han Jiayun completely helpless.
Lin Fan listened to the crunching sounds of gnawing and couldn't bear to watch. He circled around before entering the quarry.
At this moment, Xu Zixin woke up.
The smell of urine permeated the air. Xu Zixin's body trembled slightly, and she clenched her fists tightly, seemingly understanding that she was in grave danger.
Lin Fan looked closely and noticed that the bleeding from Xu Zixin's wrist had slowed considerably.
Seeing that her life was not in immediate danger, Lin Fan cautiously retreated, not wanting her to discover his presence.
The chilling crunching sounds were particularly jarring in the empty quarry.
Xu Zixin listened to the sounds not far away and gritted her teeth tightly.
She had been woken by the screams. Upon opening her eyes, she saw Han Jiayun covered in black and yellow worms. The bright red blood was licked clean by the worms before it could even flow down.
She managed to suppress a scream.
Xu Zixin fearfully covered her mouth, and then she saw a cut on her wrist, instantly understanding everything.
With the constant threat of being discovered by the worm swarm, she hesitated for a moment before deciding to play dead.
On one hand, she knew she couldn't outrun these flying insects.
On the other hand, it seemed like a divine presence had aided her last time, allowing her to escape.
This time, the worms hadn't bitten her, leading her to believe that a divine being was still protecting her.
"All you gods, please protect me and keep me safe. I will never forget your immense kindness, humble woman that I am..."
Xu Zixin murmured inwardly, praying for divine mercy and protection.
Lin Fan was amused and helpless. People said that good deeds are rewarded, but he never expected that after saving Xu Zixin twice, she would be sincerely thanking the deities of Luofeng Mountain.
Was she perhaps praying to the wrong gods?
Lin Fan waited quietly.
Until much later, when the sky had completely darkened.
The swarm of Gu worms had completely devoured Han Jiayun, leaving behind only a skeleton.
Buzzing...
A few Iron-Head Gu worms, seemingly not having eaten their fill, suddenly flew towards Xu Zixin.
Hearing the flapping of wings getting closer and closer, Xu Zixin held her breath, too terrified to even exhale.
She now had only two options: either get up and flee, or continue to play dead.
She was so anxious that tears welled up in her eyes, but in the end, she chose to resign herself to her fate.
If the gods protected her, she would live; otherwise, she would surely die.
Not far away, Lin Fan quickly stopped these Gu worms, ordering them to turn and fly towards the edge of the quarry.
"Hoo..."
Xu Zixin heard the flapping of wings recede and let out a long sigh of relief.
She had almost jumped up just now, but thankfully she had held back.
At the same time, her belief solidified: the gods or the mountain deity of Luofeng Mountain must be protecting her from the shadows!
Five minutes later.
Xu Zixin, mustering her courage, squinted and scanned her surroundings.
The sky was completely dark, and she couldn't make out much.
After listening for a moment, the surroundings were silent.
Just as Xu Zixin was about to get up, she felt something on her lips and quickly reached out to touch it.
Six dry twigs, arranged in a row, covered her mouth.
Seeing this, Xu Zixin immediately understood: this was a message for her to keep silent.
She got up from the ground, enduring the aches and pains in her body, and knelt in sincere reverence towards the depths of the mountains.
"Great Mountain Deity, please rest assured, I swear I will keep today's events a complete secret. If I break this oath, may lightning strike me and may I die a terrible death!"
Xu Zixin's face, eyes, and heart were filled with utmost sincerity.
Lin Fan heard this and nodded with satisfaction.
She was teachable, and his efforts were not in vain.
Xu Zixin knelt on the ground, anticipating the appearance of the mountain deity. However, after a few minutes, the surroundings remained quiet, with no divine phenomena occurring.
"Great Mountain Deity, you have saved my life many times. I swear I will find a way to build you a temple and offer continuous incense."
Xu Zixin kowtowed a few times, and then, dragging her weary body, descended the mountain.
The mountains were desolate, and the cold wind was biting.
Luofeng Mountain in the darkness seemed like an ancient beast lying on the earth, majestic and vast, making one feel insignificant.
Lin Fan stared at the skeleton on the ground, lost in thought.
"How should I deal with Han Jiayun's remains?"
"This is not Siam; if someone finds out, it could cause huge trouble."
Buzzing...
The swarm of Gu worms, having been dismissed by Lin Fan, flew back, circling around him.
"You all disperse and search the vicinity for a cave, a very deep one."
Lin Fan tried his best to make these silly little creatures understand his intention, then waved his hand.
The swarm of Gu worms scattered with a roar, flying in all directions, systematically searching for caves.
Relying on Lin Fan alone, and in the middle of the night, it would have taken him a very long time to find one.
With hundreds of these flying Iron-Head Gu worms, it was much more convenient.
Lin Fan calmed himself and began to consider how to dispose of the evidence.
"Forget it, burning it wouldn't be reliable. I'll just bury you under a large rock."
Having made up his mind, Lin Fan looked around and his gaze fell upon a giant rock about half his height.
He vaguely recalled that Xu Zixin had leaned on this very rock earlier while engaging in amorous activities with Han Jiayun.
Han Jiayun would probably never know that he had sought pleasure here in life, only to be crushed by this rock in death.
Lin Fan circled the giant rock, simultaneously gathering spiritual energy in his dantian and stretching his limbs.
A normal person wouldn't consider wrestling with such a large rock. Judging by sight alone, even if it wasn't a full ton, it would weigh around seventeen or eighteen hundred catties.
The current world record for weightlifting is two hundred sixty kilograms, which is five hundred twenty catties.
If Lin Fan could lift this giant rock and cover Han Jiayun's remains with it, what would people think?
"Hiss!"
He didn't delay. Lin Fan found a spot where he could exert leverage, and slowly wrapped his arms around the giant rock.
He widened his stance slightly, lowered his center of gravity, and suddenly bent his waist.
"Hoo!"
A surge of immense power erupted!
The tendons and bones in Lin Fan's palms bulged, and the muscles in his arms tensed like steel wires as he gradually tightened his grip.
"Ha!"
Feeling the giant rock loosen, Lin Fan heaved with all his might, his face turning red from the effort.
The giant rock, weighing around a ton, wobbled. As Lin Fan straightened his legs, it was lifted higher and higher.
Soil from beneath the rock rained down. The centipedes, millipedes, and other small creatures hiding underneath, unable to fathom that their sturdy home was being destroyed, scurried away in panic.
Lin Fan's embrace felt like holding a large water vat. Gritting his teeth, he took strenuous, splayed steps, leaving deep footprints with each one, moving in the direction he remembered.
If this thing were to fall and crush his foot, even with his spiritual energy protecting him, he might not be able to withstand it!