When Wen Yuxian saw Yan Qiu appear, the heavy burden on her shoulders suddenly felt lifted.
Even as a mother, Wen Yuxian was on the verge of collapse at this moment.
Lü Jing had died tragically before her eyes, and her child had almost fallen victim to the poison. If Yan Qiu hadn't arrived at the critical moment, Wen Yuxian would have been burdened with endless guilt and might have even willingly sought reincarnation.
After crushing the head of the blood-sucking bat, Yan Qiu stared intently at the Black Bat Fort Master.
Upon seeing his true archenemy, the Black Bat Fort Master felt an inexplicable fear.
Twenty years!
For a full twenty years, the Black Bat Fort Master had lived under Yan Qiu's shadow.
He had bided his time, cultivated diligently for many years, and believed the time had come for revenge. He thought that when he faced Yan Qiu again, he could do so with composure and no fear.
But when he truly confronted Yan Qiu, painful memories surged back, and the shadow in his heart grew larger once more!
He was no longer the Black Bat Fort Master of the past, and Yan Qiu was not the Yan Qiu of twenty years ago…
The current Yan Qiu was far more powerful than he had been back then!
Fear instantly overcame the Black Bat Fort Master's reason. He didn't even mourn the bat whose head Yan Qiu had crushed. He turned and attempted to flee the lotus pond!
But how could Yan Qiu let him escape?!
Yan Shouyi stomped his foot, and a massive compass formation instantly appeared beneath his feet!
The compass spun rapidly, then erupted with dazzling light, completely sealing off the lotus pond!
As the Black Bat Fort Master was about to flee, he was engulfed by the light. By the time he recovered his senses, he was trapped within the lotus pond, unable to leave!
"I should have killed you twenty years ago!"
Yan Qiu's expression was cold as he appeared behind the Black Bat Fort Master.
The Black Bat Fort Master's hairs stood on end, and he immediately threw a punch behind him.
Yan Qiu unhurriedly raised his hand, blocked the Black Bat Fort Master's punch, and then unleashed countless strikes upon him in an instant!
Bang bang bang bang bang!
His fists rained down on the Black Bat Fort Master like a storm, causing him to spit blood on the spot!
By the time Yan Qiu had finished venting, the Black Bat Fort Master's meridians were all severed, and his bones were shattered. The broken bone fragments pierced his internal organs, causing him immense agony.
After twenty years, despite the Black Bat Fort Master's cultivation having improved, he was still no match for Yan Qiu!
Or rather, Yan Qiu had become so much stronger that the Black Bat Fort Master barely registered in his sight!
If it were Li Genmiao, Yan Qiu might have given him a chance to speak.
But when it came to the Black Bat Fort Master, Yan Qiu disdained to engage in conversation!
He didn't want to hear the Black Bat Fort Master's grievances about his twenty years of hatred, nor did he want to hear about how miserable his life had been or any regrets he might have.
He had witnessed Lü Jing die at the hands of the Black Bat Fort Master, and he had seen the Black Bat Fort Master attempt to harm Yan Shouyi and Lin Zhitong's child.
This was enough to sentence him to death!
"Die!"
Yan Qiu roared, bringing his right index and middle fingers together like a sword. He instantly pierced the Black Bat Fort Master's heart!
His two fingers, like sharp blades, plunged deep into the Black Bat Fort Master's chest. Simultaneously, the Black Bat Fort Master's back exploded, revealing a bloody hole.
The Black Bat Fort Master's eyes remained filled with terror, staring fixedly at Yan Qiu.
But that fear was now frozen forever.
Yan Qiu kicked the Black Bat Fort Master's corpse out of the lotus pond and then, with sharp eyes, looked towards a corner of the pond.
He picked up the short sword dropped by Lü Jing and threw it forcefully towards the corner. A sharp scream was heard, and a blood-sucking bat, hidden in the shadows with the short sword stuck in its head, painfully fell out.
The short sword had pierced the bat's skull. It did not struggle for long before its life was extinguished.
This was the Black Bat Fort Master's contingency plan. If the Black Bat Fort Master was repelled or killed, when everyone let down their guard, this blood-sucking bat would suddenly emerge to complete the Black Bat Fort Master's plan.
However, Yan Qiu's vigilance was too high; he had detected the presence of this blood-sucking bat much earlier.
Therefore, immediately after killing the Black Bat Fort Master, he had eliminated this hidden threat without hesitation.
Only now was the lotus pond truly safe.
"My child…"
Wen Yuxian pursed her lips, tears streaming down her face.
Yan Qiu, holding the lotus, turned to look at Wen Yuxian, his cold expression replaced by tenderness.
"Sect Leader Lü Jing… this is all my fault…" Wen Yuxian blamed herself immensely.
Yan Qiu stepped forward to comfort her, "This is not your fault. Sect Leader Lü Jing sacrificed himself to protect the child… If anyone is to blame, it should be me, as the Black Bat Fort Master came seeking revenge on me."
"But with this outcome, how can I face Zhitong?"
"She… will understand."
Yan Qiu was not skilled at expressing himself and didn't know how to comfort her at this moment. He could only place the lotus into Wen Yuxian's arms.
Wen Yuxian, holding the child's soul, softened slightly. She hugged the lotus and sat by the edge of the lotus pond, weeping softly.
Yan Qiu sighed.
He approached Lü Jing's body. Lü Jing's eyes were still wide open, gazing towards the center of the lotus, as if he had died with his eyes open, still worried about the child's safety.
"The Black Bat Fort Master is dead, and the child is safe. Rest in peace."
Yan Qiu spoke, then reached out to close Lü Jing's eyes. The hot-tempered elder of the Lü Mountain Sect finally closed his clouded eyes.
Yan Qiu remained silent for a moment, then took out his phone and relayed the news to the dog-like Taoist.
…
In the central training ground of the Folk Research Society, everyone was still immersed in the joy of Yan Shouyi's great victory.
Tian Jue'er, Zhuge Lian, and Zhuge Ji approached Yan Shouyi.
Tian Jue'er actually knelt directly before Yan Shouyi.
Yan Shouyi quickly stopped her, "What are you doing?"
"Thank you, Brother Yan, for saving me from the clutches of the Red Flower Society…" Tian Jue'er said with tear-filled eyes. "I no longer have to live in fear."
Yan Shouyi smiled slightly, "From now on, you can live here at the Folk Research Society. It's safe here, and no one will harm you again."
"Th-thank you, Brother Yan!" Tian Jue'er was deeply moved.
Zhuge Lian crossed her arms, pressing the soft flesh of her chest into a noticeable cleavage. She smiled at Yan Shouyi,
"President Yan, my brother and I also plan to join the Folk Research Society. We will need to rely on you a lot in the future."
Yan Shouyi waved his hand, "We're all family here, no need for formalities. Later, I'll have Old Wang arrange accommodations for you. There are plenty of good residences in the Folk Research Society; first come, first served."
The socially awkward brother could only say thank you, while the socially adept sister said, "As a token of my loyalty for joining, I'd like to give you some good news, President."
"Oh? What news?" Yan Shouyi asked curiously.
The Zhuge siblings were quite peculiar, seeming to harbor certain secrets. However, since they weren't revealing them, Yan Shouyi didn't intend to pry.
As long as they weren't bad people, Yan Shouyi would never try to uncover their secrets, even if they kept them their whole lives.
Zhuge Lian smiled mysteriously, "President, you still don't know if your wife's child is a boy or a girl, do you?"