"He is your sworn brother?"
As they entered the main hall, a voice rang out. A middle-aged man stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on Lu Fan.
"That's right, this is Brother Lu," Tao Mao Cheng nodded. "This is my father, and the head of the Tao family!"
"Uncle Tao!"
Lu Fan cupped his fists slightly, feeling a surge of nervousness. In front of this middle-aged man, he felt as if he were being seen through, a sensation so intense it made him uneasy.
The head of the Tao family's mere glance could inspire awe, hinting at the profound level of his strength.
"From now on, you will reside in my Tao family. Since you are Cheng'er's sworn brother, you are one of us!"
The Tao family head smiled. "If anyone dares to trouble you in the future, my Tao family will not stand idly by!"
"Thank you, Uncle Tao!"
Lu Fan bowed, a warmth spreading through him. Since arriving in the Spirit Realm, he had been without support. Tao Shaozhu's words touched him deeply.
"No need to thank me. You are my sworn brother, and thus a member of my Tao family."
Tao Shaozhu smiled. "I truly didn't expect there to be such a good person within the Eighteen Gates of Jiuzhou who could release you!"
"He is also a brother from the Eighteen Gates of Jiuzhou," Lu Fan chuckled. "If it weren't for his help, I wouldn't have been able to leave."
"Brother Lu truly makes good friends!"
Tao Shaozhu smiled. "Let me show you around my Tao family."
Lu Fan nodded slightly, not refusing the offer.
Meanwhile, at the Eighteen Gates of Jiuzhou, Old Master Chen was quite anxious. Chen Xian'er's sudden disappearance had understandably worried him.
"Grandpa Chen, don't worry. Xian'er is a Saint; she'll be fine!"
Xu Fei said, "I'm sure she'll be back before long!"
"Leaving the Eighteen Gates of Jiuzhou at this time is not a good omen!"
Old Man Han remarked, "You young ones, hurry and search outside. Don't let Xian'er come to any harm."
The younger disciples nodded, not daring to delay further. At the same time, Sister Zhao and Xu Fei exchanged glances, a hint of suspicion in their eyes.
"I saw Chen Xian'er earlier, heading out of the Eighteen Gates of Jiuzhou. Could she have gone after Lu Fan?"
Xu Fei voiced his thoughts, "If that's the case, how will we ever find her!"
"Regardless, we should go out and look!" Sister Zhao shrugged. "Perhaps Xian'er is out there."
Xu Fei nodded and led the disciples of the Eighteen Gates of Jiuzhou to search outside, but they found no trace of Chen Xian'er.
"It seems Xian'er isn't here. Let's head back!" Xu Fei said with a wry smile. He was now suspecting that Chen Xian'er had left with Lu Fan, otherwise, why would she be missing?
"Here, Miss Xian'er has met with an accident!"
A startled cry rang out. Following the sound, everyone looked and saw a figure lying on the grass not far away, covered in blood.
Xu Fei rushed forward and examined her carefully. His face immediately turned grim. "How could this happen? What exactly happened?"
"Xian'er!"
Sister Zhao cried out loudly, her face filled with disbelief. Chen Xian'er was a prodigy among their generation, with countless admirers in the Eighteen Gates of Jiuzhou. They never imagined she would meet such a tragic end.
Everyone present gasped, their hearts filled with grief and anger. They didn't know who was responsible, but if possible, they would make the perpetrator pay.
"Could it be Lu Fan?"
Sister Zhao frowned. "If that's true, then he's caused immense trouble. The Eighteen Gates of Jiuzhou will never let him off!"
"It's all my fault. I shouldn't have acted on my own and let him go!" Xu Fei said in anguish. "Otherwise, Chen Xian'er wouldn't be dead!"
"But we haven't investigated thoroughly yet, so we can't conclude it was him!" Sister Zhao stated directly. "I don't think Lu Fan is that kind of person!"
"Who else could it be? This is the territory of the Eighteen Gates of Jiuzhou. Who would dare to be so presumptuous!"
Xu Fei said coldly, "Xian'er must have wanted to bring him back to the Eighteen Gates of Jiuzhou, and he, being displeased, struck her down!"
Sister Zhao remained silent. At this point, even she was confused and unsure of what to do. This was the direct descendant of the Chen family, now dead. How could Old Man Chen let this go?
"Xian'er, my Xian'er!"
Old Man Chen rushed over, his eyes filled with sorrow. Seeing Chen Xian'er lying on the ground, he was overcome with grief. Someone had dared to act within the territory of the Eighteen Gates of Jiuzhou. How could they accept this?
"This..."
Old Man Han and the others arrived, their brows furrowed. They had never expected things to escalate to this point, it was truly unforeseen.
"Who is responsible? They are truly audacious, daring to lay hands on someone from our Eighteen Gates of Jiuzhou. They will pay the price!" Old Man Han's expression was icy.
"It was Lu Fan. There's no one else!" Xu Fei's eyes were bloodshot as he addressed the elders.
"Lu Fan?"
Old Master Chen shot to his feet. "Wasn't he confined to the courtyard? How could it have been him!"
"Indeed, that brat is still in the courtyard. How could he be outside the Eighteen Gates of Jiuzhou!" Old Man Han said with slight surprise.
"It's all my fault. If it weren't for me, this wouldn't have happened!"
Xu Fei suddenly knelt, his eyes filled with unwillingness and regret.
"Tell us what happened!" Old Man Han frowned. "Has that brat already left the Eighteen Gates of Jiuzhou?"
"That's right, he's not at the Eighteen Gates of Jiuzhou!" Xu Fei nodded. "To prevent a conflict between the Eighteen Gates of Jiuzhou and the Desolate Ancient Family, I let him go. Xian'er must have witnessed this, which is why she went after him, leading to this incident."
"Presumptuous!"
Old Master Han roared, striking Xu Fei with a palm that sent him flying. "How could you do such a thing? The eighteen sect leaders hadn't made a decision, and you took it upon yourself to release him. Now that you've caused such a disaster, how will you resolve it?"
Old Master Chen's heart was filled with grief, but he was weak. The most tragic thing in this world is for parents to outlive their children. Now that Chen Xian'er had met a tragic end, his heart was filled with a mix of emotions. He had failed to protect his granddaughter.
"This matter started because of me. I will make him pay!" Xu Fei said coldly.
With that, Xu Fei turned and left, not returning to the Eighteen Gates of Jiuzhou. Instead, he prepared to confront Lu Fan to settle the score. He had kindly let Lu Fan go, only for Lu Fan to kill Chen Xian'er. How could he tolerate this?