Aftermath

The Zhou Family old house.

After Zhou Tong's death, it had been reduced to ruins and became a gathering place for beggars and hoodlums.

But after Zhou Wenwu returned, he immediately regained control of the place and made it his base.

Even late into the night, the lights in the manor were still on.

Zhou Wenwu, dressed in mourning clothes, respectfully offered incense to a row of spirit tablets. "Father... please rest assured, I will definitely restore the Zhou Family's prestige..."

After the ceremony, he pushed open the door and looked at the somewhat dilapidated manor, feeling a wave of melancholy.

Compared to before, this vast courtyard immediately seemed much lonelier and more desolate.

'The Lin Family's master is an old fox. Even though I'm using the Gui Ling Sect as a shield, he probably won't fall for it. His backing is much stronger than mine. Do I still have to start with the Zhang Family and the Guo Family? But that won't be easy either...'

Zhou Wenwu looked up at the moonlight, a trace of worry surfacing in his heart.

The Zhang Family had accumulated strength over time, their influence deeply entrenched, like a turtle, difficult to attack.

As for the Guo Family, their style was overbearing and their martial prowess exceptional. To subdue them would require strong support.

"It's a shame that Doctor Fang is unwilling to intervene, and the promised financial aid from several distant relatives has been delayed... Alas, and my little sister! I don't know if she's alive or dead, it's truly worrying..."

Zhou Wenwu sighed softly, and suddenly, his expression changed.

A commotion erupted from the direction of the Guo Family mansion, sounding exceptionally jarring in the quiet night.

"The Guo Family... something happened?"

He climbed the courtyard wall and saw the sky ablaze with lights in that direction, the sounds of people shouting filling the air, mixed with crying. He became even more puzzled.

Although he wanted to investigate, he knew that the Guo Family was currently a desperate force, extremely on edge, and it was best not to provoke them.

"Perhaps... this is my opportunity..."

Zhou Wenwu pondered carefully, a glint flashing in his eyes. "I just wonder what happened to the Guo Family's ancestor..."

"He's naturally dead!"

A voice interjected, right beside him, startling Zhou Wenwu into stumbling.

"You are... Doctor Fang?"

The voice was exceptionally young yet familiar. Zhou Wenwu paused, finally realizing, and exclaimed with joy.

However, upon seeing Fang Yuan dressed in a nightsuit, his expression turned serious again.

The other party sneaking into the city at this hour, coupled with the events at the Guo Family, could it be...?

"No need to guess. The Guo Family's ancestor, as well as the family head Guo Jing, are no longer alive..."

Fang Yuan said in a deep voice.

"Ah!"

Even though he had vaguely suspected it, Zhou Wenwu couldn't help but cry out in surprise, then he knelt heavily and kowtowed. "Thank you, Divine Doctor, for your help. I will be your loyal servant from now on..."

Fang Yuan waved his hand. "No need for thanks yet. I came out of seclusion to help you, and there will naturally be times when I'll need your assistance!"

In reality, his infiltration of the Guo Family was initially intended to establish his authority and gather information.

But plans couldn't keep up with changes. After overhearing secrets and then erupting in fury, killing the Guo Family father and son, Fang Yuan immediately decided to maximize his gains.

After all, he could just say he was invited by Zhou Wenwu to help. Who could expose him? Not only would it be effortless, but he could also gain a wave of gratitude.

Especially since, from now on, he would have an outer force in the city, saving him a lot of trouble.

"The Guo Family's ancestor was a master of the Martial Dao Six Stages, an Inner Family Master. Guo Jing was a Five Stages Warrior... These two were the Guo Family's highest martial strength. I've eliminated them for you. Next, you should know what to do, right?"

Fang Yuan glanced at Zhou Wenwu, his tone carrying a subtle warning.

"The Guo Family's ancestor, Martial Dao Six Stages?!"

Indeed, upon hearing this, Zhou Wenwu first gasped, relieved that he hadn't acted rashly. Then, his gaze towards Fang Yuan was filled with deep reverence.

Even an Inner Family Master had died by his hand. What unfathomable realm had this Divine Doctor's martial arts reached?

"Yes, the remaining members of the Guo Family are not worth mentioning. If you can't even handle this aftermath..."

Fang Yuan said gravely.

"Then I will immediately cripple my own martial arts and never speak of reviving the Zhou Family again!"

Zhou Wenwu patted his chest, clearly confident, and then asked greedily, "What about the Zhang Family?"

"Hm?"

Fang Yuan turned around, his eyes fixed on Zhou Wenwu, his expression a half-smile.

"I was reckless..."

Under his gaze, Zhou Wenwu immediately broke out in a cold sweat and quickly apologized.

"With the Zhou Family's current foundation, one Guo Family is enough. Adding the Zhang Family, you might choke!"

Fang Yuan said calmly.

He had to admit, the Zhang Family was quite sensible, which didn't leave him with much ill will.

And, given the Zhou Family's current scale, it's no longer realistic to expect them to dominate Qingye City as they did in the past.

The best outcome would be to quietly absorb the Guo Family's share and establish a new tripartite balance with the Zhang Family and Lin Family.

Zhou Wenwu should have understood these principles, but his mind was previously filled with desires for revenge and expansion. After Fang Yuan's brief explanation, he was filled with admiration.

This divine doctor Fang is not only a master of Medical Skill, with unfathomable martial arts, but also so adept at understanding human affairs. Could it be that some people are born with innate knowledge?

With this thought, his attitude became even more respectful: "Thank you for your guidance, divine doctor. I understand."

"Very good. Next, I have a few small matters for you to handle..."

Fang Yuan's eyes flickered, and he chuckled.

What happened to the Guo Family naturally did not escape the notice of those who were paying attention.

The next day, the Guo Family withdrew from the county town in large numbers, retreating to their original villages. They didn't even bother with the shops and properties they had recently acquired through underhanded means. They recalled their personnel from all directions, completely adopting a posture of accepting defeat and making a swift exit.

Seeing the Guo Family's sensible retreat, Zhou Wenwu naturally accepted most of the spoils left behind by the Guo Family, finally able to become self-sufficient and re-establish a foothold in Qingye City.

However, he was clear-headed, secretly sharpening his weapons and preparing to utterly destroy the Guo Family so they could never rise again.

Just like the Guo Family, for his own Zhou Family to rise again, they needed a significant target. Looking across all of Qingye City, there was no better target than the Guo Family.

Meanwhile, the Guo Family suddenly discovered that after losing their greatest source of military strength, their shallow foundations were starkly exposed.

At this time, even the Lin Family and Zhang Family drew closer to the Zhou Family, showing no intention of helping the Guo Family.

At the same time, a shadow loomed over all the prominent families, making them no longer dare to harbor any thoughts about the Secluded Valley...

Of course, Fang Yuan was no longer very interested in all of this.

How Zhou Wenwu cleaned up the mess was his own affair.

He had already returned to the Secluded Valley. After a brief rest, he took the Flower Fox Ferret and went to the Qingfeng Spiritual Land.

"Chirp chirp!"

A flock of Red-eyed White Birds flew overhead, led by a Red-eyed White Bird King that resembled a roc.

Fang Yuan, hidden in the shade of the trees, watched this scene with a hint of helplessness on his face.

"This flock of birds has become increasingly vigilant. They're difficult to deal with!"

The existence of this flock of Red-eyed White Birds was the biggest obstacle to his control of the Spiritual Land, and it even caused him considerable difficulty in his daily life.

To say nothing of other things, even fetching Spirit Spring Water and stealing Spiritual Fertilizer required him to be extremely careful to avoid a full-scale attack from the crazed Red-eyed White Birds. Each time, the amount he obtained was not very substantial, and even the Flower Fox Ferret had been chased and cornered several times.

"If I don't get rid of them, I can't even mine Spiritual Fertilizer to my heart's content..."

Fang Yuan glanced at the white sandy area next to the pool: "Anyway, the more Spiritual Fertilizer accumulates, the better it is over time, and this beach has a huge reserve. I can't worry about killing the goose that lays the golden eggs..."

He estimated that the truly effective Spiritual Fertilizer that could promote the growth of Spiritual Plants would require at least several decades of accumulation to have good efficacy.

With that much time, wouldn't he be able to grow any Spirit Seed by utilizing the Spiritual Land?

"It's just... the other Spiritual Beasts and white birds are one thing, but this Red-eyed White Bird King is truly difficult to deal with..."

Of course, the hunts of these past few days had not been without results.

At the very least, the number of Red-eyed White Birds had significantly decreased, no longer enough to patrol the entire Spiritual Land. This gave Fang Yuan more opportunities to sneak into the Spiritual Land and collect Spirit Spring Water and other precious Spiritual Plants.

Whoosh!

He circled to the other side of the cliff, his body transforming into a black shadow, and in an instant, he lunged into the bushes.

"Ordinary Red-eyed White Birds are as good as dead when they meet me. Even spiritual birds can be fought..."

Fang Yuan arrived at a mountain spring and leisurely filled his bamboo tube with Spirit Spring Water. "This time... perhaps I can go a little deeper!"

In his heart, he had long considered the entire Qingfeng Spiritual Land to be his own.

"Gulp! Gulp!"

The mountain spring water was bone-chillingly cool and carried spiritual energy. Fang Yuan felt refreshed after drinking his fill. He called out to the Flower Fox Ferret and slowly began to explore the depths of the Secluded Valley.

"Hmm, it's truly incredible within the Spiritual Land..."

Although he didn't find any Spiritual Plants, the lush vegetation around him, as well as the numerous flowers blooming out of season and branches laden with fruit, filled Fang Yuan with a sense of emotion and deep regret.

"Wasteful! Such a waste!"

He looked at a slope covered in weeds, his face contorted with pain. "If this were all planted with Spirit Grain, it would be enough for the Flower Fox Ferret and me to eat for a year. Damn Red-eyed White Birds..."

Even now, his voice was very quiet.

After all, if he alerted the main flock of spiritual birds and they surrounded him, it would be very troublesome.

"Normally, in such a deep mountain Spiritual Land, there should be one or two Spiritual Plants... why aren't there any?"

After venturing further in, Fang Yuan's brow furrowed. He then approached a large pit and slowly squatted down, his brow locked in a frown. "The spiritual energy here is more concentrated than in the surrounding area; it's a node. Judging by the terrain, there should have been a plant here, but it's been dug up..."

He sighed, finally understanding where those Spiritual Plants had gone.

If nothing unexpected happened, they were most likely all in the Red-eyed White Bird King's nest!

As Spiritual Beasts, their hoarding tendencies for Spiritual Plants were no less than those of humans.

"Huh?"

Just then, Fang Yuan's expression changed, and he hid in the nearby grass.

"Chirp!!!"

Accompanied by a cry that pierced the sky, a black dot appeared in the sky outside, growing closer and closer.