The "banquet" to welcome me back was held within the Hidden Dragon Temple estate.
It’s called a "banquet," but in reality, it was just Fatty Luo cooking some simple home-style dishes by himself. There was no grand ceremony, exactly as he said... this was his personal "welcome and cleansing feast."
No outsiders were present.
"Fatty... take a look at this," Gu Nanfeng said as he pulled a small mechanical part out of his chest pocket, holding it between two fingers to show.
It was an extremely tiny component that only someone deeply engrossed in mechanical research could possibly identify its function.
"An Earth Worm part," Fatty Luo identified it at a glance, immediately frowning. "Young Master... you’ve encountered an Earth Worm?"
"I ran into it on my way here, and it tried to attack me, so I crushed it," Gu Nanfeng explained calmly. "Although I left in secret, I still couldn’t fool them. On my journey back, I was detected from above by ’Wind Eyes’ and from below by ’Earth Worms’... It seems that many people in Changye are paying close attention to my movements."
"No... that’s not right..."
Luo Yu fell into deep thought upon hearing this and shook his head after a moment, "If it were those newcomers’ doing... why would they use an Earth Worm as a detector to attack you? They would rather the Earth Worm stayed hidden as deeply as possible."
Earth Worms could burrow hundreds of meters underground.
And investigating beneath the ground was not something Lan Qie was good at.
Gu Nanfeng narrowed his eyes, "What do you mean?"
Fatty Luo replied gravely, "Young Master, in my view, this doesn’t seem like an attack... it’s more like a warning. Perhaps someone in Changye City wants to remind you that they have always been keeping an eye on you, much earlier than you think, even earlier."
Using an Earth Worm to surface held no real value.
"No one can stop you from returning," Fatty Luo said slowly. "So... before making their official move, the new faction won’t show their hand, not a single card."
After a moment of reflection, Gu Nanfeng said, "Fatty, my return this time... is for the matter of the bill."
In front of Gu Shen and Lu Nanjin, Gu Nanfeng didn’t hide anything and got straight to the point.
"You also know about the Angel Envoy incident. Da Du has already officially opposed the bill... I think Changye also needs to make a stance. On the matter of the bill, Changye needs to have a talk with Da Du."
Fatty Luo was stunned for a moment.
He awkwardly picked up some vegetables with his chopsticks and said, "Let’s eat first... eat first..."
Gu Nanfeng looked into Luo Yu’s eyes and said, "But the bill is an urgent matter that can’t afford the slightest delay. The Family Head didn’t see me immediately upon my return; instead, you played this role... what does this mean?"
"The Family Head didn’t want to avoid you; it’s just that he was really tied up..."
Fatty Luo reluctantly responded with an apologetic smile, "And Young Master, you also know that after leaving Changye for eight years and coming back to involve yourself with the bill... although you are the Tomb Guardian’s designated future Family Head, it still doesn’t work like that..."
Gu Nanfeng continued to look into Luo Yu’s evasive eyes and said solemnly, "Didn’t you just say... the Family Head has always been looking forward to my return?"
Fatty Luo sighed deeply, "What he wanted was for you to return safely and peacefully, not to stir up trouble. There was a fierce conflict eight years ago. Now that everyone has taken a step back, there’s relative peace. Peace... is not easy to come by."
The conversation had made things crystal clear.
Gu Nanfeng understood.
Gu Shen and Lu Nanjin exchanged a look, also understanding.
Relying on Qingzhong and the lingering influence of Gu Changzhi, the old faction still possessed considerable power, but it seemed like they were in decline now, not desiring to fight for more.
Gu Nanfeng was indeed the prospective Family Head of the Gu family in name.
But this title, compared to real power, was more like a "crown of vanity" perched upon a castle in the air.
If people from the old faction clung to this crown, it was equivalent to upholding the doctrine they believed in... The Tomb Guardians in Qingzhong, being the messengers of Gu Changzhi, naturally followed his designated will, and therefore at the height of the conflict, they sent Gu Nanfeng off to the North Continent without hesitation, in order to protect their beliefs.
But now... the struggle was over.
Not only did the new faction not want to see Gu Changzhi return to Changye.
Those who once gathered around the crown also did not want to see this "future Family Head" come back.
This was a very chilling... fact.
There was no particular reaction on Gu Nanfeng’s face, still calm, "No wonder, it’s only you."
Earth Worms, Wind Eyes.
Gu Nanfeng knew that countless people in Changye were watching him... Yet, upon his actual return, only Fatty Luo came to greet him.
Fatty Luo felt a bit awkward.
He spoke with difficulty, "As for the bill, the Family Head has already convinced them... not to oppose, nor support it. I’ve come today to inform you... Young Master, please don’t bring it up when you see him tomorrow."
This was the reason for Changye’s declaration of neutrality... Gu Shen silently listened, deep in thought. That mysterious "Family Head," Gu Nanfeng’s granduncle, seemed to be the current holder of significant power within the old faction.
To get the aggressively progressive new faction to give up making a statement about the bill was no easy feat.
"Young Master, you must keep your composure..."
Fatty Luo said gritting his teeth, "After being away for eight years, whatever you plan to do upon your return, there must be a process..."