As Leng Qian, who had just taken off her high heels, looked down, she saw a dark, grimy bug crawl out of the floor where she and Qin Xuan had been standing.
Then, the same bugs began to emerge all over the courtyard.
The black bugs were completely dark, their appearance somewhat resembling maggots, but several times larger, looking incredibly disgusting.
Leng Qian was covered in goosebumps at the sight.
"How can there be so many bugs!" Leng Qian instinctively took a step back, positioning herself behind Qin Xuan.
Although she was a martial artist and wouldn't feel a shred of fear even when facing stronger practitioners, she was also a woman. These disgusting insects were like a deadly weapon to women.
Qin Xuan also got goosebumps looking at the bugs.
The smell emanating from the air felt strangely familiar to Qin Xuan, as if he had smelled it somewhere before.
Gu Clan!
The two words instantly sprang to his mind.
When he had gone to Dongyong City before, in Wang Yuyan's car, the voodoo doll hanging there had emitted the exact same smell as the one he was smelling now.
Coupled with the attire of the person he had seen on the surveillance feed abducting Qin Lin, Qin Xuan immediately thought of people from the Gu Clan.
Qin Xuan couldn't fathom why these Gu Clan members would target Qin Lin. Was it because he had broken the่ (gu) curse on Wang Yuyan last time? Or perhaps it was the Gu Clan members hired by Jin Gong?
As the bugs converged, they all turned and crawled towards Qin Xuan and Leng Qian.
The lawn they passed was instantly corroded, leaving only bare earth.
Seeing the dense swarm of insects, Leng Qian's face turned pale, and her hand involuntarily gripped Qin Xuan's arm.
"Qin... Qin Xuan, what do we do now?" This was the first time Leng Qian had felt so helpless in her life.
Although Qin Xuan was also disgusted, he remained much calmer.
Looking at the approaching bug army, Qin Xuan bent down and struck out with his palm.
A surge of energy rushed outwards.
It directly tore a wave of bugs to shreds, their green innards splattering everywhere.
Seeing this, Leng Qian gagged from sheer disgust.
Despite the death of a wave of bugs, it didn't deter them.
A moment later, the bugs regrouped, and a continuous stream of them emerged from the ground, crawling towards Qin Xuan and the two of them.
Qin Xuan frowned.
"These bugs seem to lack self-awareness; they appear to be controlled by someone. Only by finding the person controlling them can we make these bugs retreat."
Leng Qian paid no attention to Qin Xuan. She was already so terrified that she was beside herself, wishing she could cling to Qin Xuan entirely, completely losing the demeanor of a Xiantian martial artist.
Qin Xuan shook his head speechlessly.
He had thought bringing Leng Qian would be of some help, but now it seemed he was just carrying a burden. He couldn't count on her.
His gaze fell on the swarm of bugs. Qin Xuan activated his Dragon Core, and a large amount of Dragon Power surged out.
Qin Xuan moved in one fluid motion, clenching his right fist, channeling all his Dragon Power to his right arm.
"Open!" Qin Xuan roared, and a punch was unleashed.
The fist aura, carrying immense Dragon Power, slammed into the bugs. The force of the punch ripped up the floor, tearing a path through the center of the courtyard.
A large number of bugs were torn into pieces.
But the next second, countless bugs began to regroup again.
Seeing this, Qin Xuan quickly scooped up the still-stunned Leng Qian and leaped, landing at the entrance of the main house.
Behind them, the bugs had regrouped once more and also turned to crawl rapidly towards Qin Xuan.
Qin Xuan hadn't expected the bugs to regroup so quickly. He swiftly kicked open the main door and, holding Leng Qian, rushed inside the house.
As Qin Xuan and Leng Qian just entered, the main door slammed shut. The swarm of bugs, upon reaching the entrance, dispersed.
Qin Xuan activated his spiritual sense, scanning the surroundings. He then put Leng Qian down and whispered in her ear,
"Be careful, there are quite a few people in this house."
Qin Xuan's hot breath brushed against Leng Qian's earlobe, instantly bringing her back to her senses. She mustered her full attention, operating at 200% mental capacity.
"Clap, clap, clap..." Suddenly, a round of applause echoed through the entire hall.
"I didn't expect my Myriad Maggot Gu to be unable to deal with you. You've truly exceeded my expectations!"
Qin Xuan instantly turned his gaze towards the source of the sound, behind the curtain in the hall.
A man wearing a headscarf and with strange markings on his face emerged from behind the curtain.
Upon seeing the man's appearance, Qin Xuan's expression sharpened. This was the person who had taken Qin Lin away.
"Are you from the Gu Clan?" Qin Xuan asked with a cold face.
The man smiled without speaking, implicitly confirming it.