Back at the Gu family's residence, Lu Fan remained sleepless, holding the Dragon Country Elder Token. For him, it was a symbol of honor and a heavy responsibility.
After a sleepless night, as dawn broke, the group departed from Zhongzhou under the watchful eyes of the Gu family head and others.
Having been away from Chuzhou for several months, Lu Fan sent the Qingyun Sect disciples on their way and then specifically went to a flower shop to buy a bouquet.
"Master, these flowers are for Miss Lin, aren't they?" Han Qiushui chuckled. "I didn't expect Master to be so thoughtful!"
"Don't be so talkative!" Lu Fan shot him a glance, then happily headed towards the Riverside Villa. Having been away for months, he felt a sense of unfamiliarity.
Upon arriving at the Riverside Villa, Lu Fan saw Lin Ke asleep on the sofa, her computer still open, suggesting she had been working for a long time.
"Silly girl, why push yourself so hard!"
Lu Fan looked at her with affection and gently kissed her forehead.
Lin Xiaojia and Han Qiushui quickly averted their gazes, their faces flushing. They hadn't expected Lu Fan to be so tender.
Lu Fan carried Lin Ke back to her room and quietly closed the door.
Han Yunhai coughed, his face momentarily awkward. "What are you still doing here? Soon, the Master will be heading to the outer battlefield. You mustn't be a burden to him!"
"Don't worry, we won't be!" Han Qiushui smiled. "I'm a Grandmaster now."
"That's right, I'm about to become a Grandmaster too!" Lin Xiaojia chimed in. "We won't disgrace Master!"
Han Yunhai nodded but said no more, heading towards the back garden.
If they were already Grandmasters, reaching higher levels would require sufficient destiny. Venturing into the outer battlefield would undoubtedly greatly enhance their strength.
Meanwhile, in Jiangnan, within a ruined courtyard, a man clad in battle armor stood firm, his eyes filled with determination, a faint cold glint flickering within them.
"Commander, it has been confirmed. The Qin family was annihilated not long ago!"
A man bowed his fist. "As for the remaining members of the Qin family, they are in the Jiangnan slums!"
"The Qin family was destroyed?"
The man in battle armor's eyes flashed with coldness. He had been training in the outer regions for years, even becoming a commander of a major stronghold with supreme authority. To return home and find such a scene filled him with rage.
In the slums, Qin Shilong stood, looking at a few men. These were members of the Qin family, but they were in a state of utter destitution.
"Are you Young Master Shilong?" one man asked uncertainly.
"How could the Qin family have fallen to this state?"
Qin Shilong spoke coldly, "Who is responsible for this?"
"Young Master, you've finally returned!"
Several Qin family members immediately wept. When the Qin family was annihilated, they had tried multiple times to contact Qin Shilong, but he was in the outer battlefield, and communication was impossible.
Qin Shilong's expression was cold. "Where is my grandfather?"
"The Patriarch is dead!" one man stated. "This was all done by Lord Lu of Jiangnan!"
"Lord Lu of Jiangnan?"
Qin Shilong's anger surged. He now held a position in the outer battlefield, serving as a guardian of a stronghold.
He was supposed to return home in glory and be the pride of his family, but he never expected the Qin family to be annihilated.
"The Qin family offended Lord Lu, and the Patriarch along with many elders of the Qin family were ambushed and killed!" the man explained. "Only the younger generation managed to escape!"
"This is outrageous!" Qin Shilong's fury intensified. "Where is Lord Lu of Jiangnan now? I will make him pay the price!"
"We don't know the specifics. The Qin family's assets were confiscated, and our information is limited!" the man admitted. "However, someone connected to Lord Lu is the owner of Tianquan Villa!"
"Tianquan Villa?"
Qin Shilong narrowed his eyes and, with a group of experts, headed towards Tianquan Villa.
Among the five great families of Jiangnan, the Qin family was the most prominent. Now that they were destroyed, Qin Shilong would not let it go.
Led by the man, Qin Shilong and his group arrived at Tianquan Villa and surrounded it completely.
Inside Tianquan Villa, Uncle Fu was fishing when a man rushed towards him. "Uncle Fu, bad news! Someone has surrounded the villa!"
"Who dares to be so bold?" Uncle Fu's brow furrowed. "Who dares to act so presumptuously at Tianquan Villa?"
"I heard it's someone from the Qin family!" the man stammered.
"The Qin family?"
Uncle Fu's expression changed. He knew very well that the Qin family of Jiangnan had been annihilated long ago, so how could Qin family members be here?
As he pondered this, Qin Shilong strode forward and looked coldly at Uncle Fu. "Old man, were you involved in the destruction of the Qin family?"
"Who are you?" Uncle Fu retorted coldly. "How dare you intrude upon Tianquan Villa? Are you not afraid of Lord Lu's wrath?"
"The eldest grandson of the Qin family, Qin Shilong!"
Qin Shilong stated coldly, "If I were afraid, I wouldn't be here!"
"The eldest grandson of the Qin family?" Uncle Fu's expression shifted, and he felt a sense of apprehension, especially noticing the battle armor Qin Shilong wore.
Uncle Fu was well aware that within the entire Dragon Country, besides martial arts experts, there were also internal figures of the Dragon Country. These people could not be easily offended.
"Tie up this old man. If Lord Lu of Jiangnan does not appear in three days, this old man will be sacrificed to the Qin family!"
Qin Shilong's expression was icy. As a commander of the outer battlefield, he would not let this matter rest.
"Big Brother, should we investigate first?"
The deputy commander spoke up. "I seem to have heard of this Lord Lu before. He might not be simple!"
"No need!" Qin Shilong said coldly. "Even if it were the King of Heaven himself, I would make him pay the price!"
The deputy commander's face flushed with embarrassment and he said no more.
After all, the deep-seated hatred of a clan's destruction was not something anyone would easily abandon, especially not Qin Shilong, who was a commander.
Not long after, the news quickly spread throughout Jiangnan, attracting considerable attention. Few had imagined that the Qin family of Jiangnan had such a figure.
It was known that those who became commanders of strongholds were no ordinary individuals and had boundless prospects in the future.
If Qin Shilong had returned earlier, such matters would not have arisen.
"By the way, go prepare a gift for me!"
Qin Shilong instructed, "I've come to Jiangnan this time, and I must maintain proper etiquette! I intend to pay a visit to the City Lord of Jiangnan!"
The deputy commander quickly nodded, not daring to delay in the slightest.
The City Lord of Jiangnan was a Grandmaster expert and the ruler of the city, wielding considerable power in Jiangnan. If he could gain the City Lord's approval, then no matter what trouble arose in Jiangnan in the future, it would not be an issue.
Some time later, Qin Shilong arrived with a gift.
Inside the City Lord's mansion, an old man was leisurely fishing. Upon hearing that someone sought an audience, he instructed his men to let them in.
"Your junior, Qin Shilong, pays his respects to the City Lord!"
Qin Shilong cupped his fists. "My Lord, you truly have a refined taste, to be fishing here!"
"Commander Qin of the outer battlefield!" the City Lord of Jiangnan chuckled. "You gained fame by killing three Grandmasters and possess formidable might in the outer battlefield!"
"You flatter me, City Lord of Jiangnan!" Qin Shilong quickly clasped his fists. "I have returned to the city today, and the Qin family has been annihilated, so I have specifically come to pay my respects!"