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Chapter 476 Benefactor Fang is the Arhat Who Subdues Demons
In the real world, at the Chen Family Manor.

The darkness that enveloped the mansion grew thicker, like a heavy curtain.

The bonfire where Chen Hongye's body had been burned had gone out, leaving only a few wisps of smoke.

A chilling wind blew, swirling the paper money and ashes on the ground around the altar.

In the darkness, the ghostly figures that Fang Cheng had previously forced back reappeared, emitting low hisses.

They lurked in the corners, greedily spying on the presence of the living, seemingly ready to pounce.

In this eerie silence, two figures sat cross-legged, dozens of meters apart.

Four other figures stood upright, scattered around one of the meditating figures, firmly protecting him in the center.

Their eyes were wary as they scanned the surging shadows around them, fearing that evil spirits might approach.

"Sister Xiao Chu, what's going on?"

Bai Ling gripped the dagger, her face tense, and muttered to herself:
"Is the boss... in trouble?"

Lin Chuqiao's eyes shone brightly as she stared at Fang Cheng without saying a word.

The remaining firelight reflected on her face, and in the flickering light, her eyes were filled with undisguised concern, as well as a hint of caution and contemplation.

Fang Cheng remained seated with his eyes closed, but fine beads of sweat had appeared on his forehead, and his face was slightly flushed.

His breathing was sometimes rapid and sometimes long, as if he were caught in some kind of invisible struggle.

"Could it be that Chen Hongye tricked Fang Cheng?"

Pan Wendi, holding a wooden stick he had somehow produced, lowered his voice and said:
"I felt something was off about that old guy's eyes just now. He's about to die and he's still putting on an act."

"Yes!"

Bai Ling nodded vigorously and said:

"Based on my years of experience in disguise, that old monster is likely acting, deliberately feigning weakness, and might be hiding some suicidal plot."

"Fang Cheng just instructed that we should wake him up if anything happens."

Pan Wendi glanced at Chen Hongye, who was sitting lifeless on the ground not far away, and then looked at Fang Cheng, who was equally motionless.

As he spoke, he took two steps forward, raised his hand, and seemed to want to pat Fang Cheng on the shoulder.

"and many more."

Lin Chuqiao suddenly spoke up.

Pan Wendi and Bai Ling looked at her with suspicion.

"I have a feeling..."

Lin Chuqiao's gaze never left Fang Cheng, and her tone became more resolute:

"He should be alright."

"Moreover, I can feel... his aura is rising, getting stronger and stronger, and he may wake up on his own soon."

No sooner had she finished speaking than a strange change occurred.

Peng——

A blinding golden flame suddenly erupted from Fang Cheng's body, engulfing his entire being.

The flames were pure and intense, burning ever brighter, with the flames shooting up more than half a meter high, completely engulfing the person.

In the blink of an eye, Fang Cheng had become a human torch that had been lit.

Then, there were a few "sizzling" sounds.

His clothes and trousers couldn't withstand the high temperature and quickly turned into charred ashes, which were blown away by the wind.

Within the raging flames, that powerful figure appeared and disappeared.

Every muscle line seemed to pulsate in golden flames, exuding astonishing explosive power.

In the end, only one pair of red underwear remained... stubbornly persisting in the flames.

"What's happening here?!"

Pan Wendi was immediately dumbfounded.

Lin Chuqiao and Bailing showed no signs of panic; instead, their beautiful eyes lit up simultaneously.

They remembered instantly.

Back in Misty Mountain, Fang Cheng, bathed in flames, flew over the Lu Family Manor shrouded in dark clouds and shattered the "Golden Benba Bottle" with a single punch.

However, the last flames were crimson red, carrying a hint of violence.

But this golden flame is now so pure it's almost sacred, as dazzling as the sun, making it impossible to look directly at.

Chen Xu'an, who was not far away, had his eyes fixed on his "grandfather's" corpse.

When he saw this scene, he couldn't help but catch his breath, his eyes filled with undisguised shock.

"Cousin, what should we do now?"

Pan Wendi snapped out of his daze and quickly sought advice from Lin Chuqiao.

"Just wait and see."

Lin Chuqiao's tone softened as she explained:

"Fang Cheng's current state is very strange. I can vaguely sense his mood; he seems... unwilling to be disturbed by unexpected events."

What kind of mood?

Bai Ling couldn't help but ask curiously.

Lin Chuqiao's pretty face flushed slightly, and she said in a somewhat strange tone:

"It's... an incredibly exhilarating, incredibly enjoyable feeling, like hitting a punching bag in the gym, a feeling of complete satisfaction and overall well-being..."

"what?"

Pan Wendi and Bai Ling were stunned. They looked at each other, unable to understand.

Just as they were filled with doubt and uncertainty.

"Crack!"

A crisp sound suddenly came from above everyone's heads.

It was like a mirror being smashed to pieces; the sound was penetrating, drilling straight into the heart through the ear.

Everyone suddenly looked up.

The "curtain" that had been obscuring the night sky and creating an oppressive atmosphere suddenly cracked open from the very center.

Immediately afterwards, the crack spread rapidly in all directions like a spider web.

The cool moonlight and dazzling starlight, which had been blocked for nearly an hour, finally pierced through the cracks and fell on the earth again.

The dense fog that had previously enveloped the manor, making it impossible to see anything, was rapidly dissipating at a visible speed.

The howling, swirling, and bone-chilling wind suddenly stopped.

The ghostly figures lurking in the darkness seemed to have encountered their most terrifying natural enemy, letting out a series of extremely shrill screams.

In the blink of an eye, it receded like the tide, disappearing without a trace.

The ancient and solemn outline of the Chen family mansion reappeared under the moonlight.

Not far away, the lights of other houses in the villa area seemed to have been wiped clean of dust, and one by one they were lit up.

Everything seemed to have returned to normal.

"Hey, Fang Cheng opened his eyes!"

Suddenly, Bai Ling cried out in delight.

Upon hearing this, Lin Chuqiao and Pan Wendi immediately withdrew their gazes from observing their surroundings and looked at Fang Cheng together.

The blazing golden flames on Fang Cheng's body were noticeably weakening.

They seemed to be sucked into an invisible black hole, quickly rolling back under his pores along his skin.

In just a few seconds, he, who had been shining like a human torch, returned to normal.

Fang Cheng slowly opened his eyes.

Under the moonlight, those eyes were as calm as a deep pool, yet they seemed to reveal a certain sense of satisfaction.

"Fang Cheng, how is the situation?"

Lin Chuqiao was the first to step forward, her pretty face showing concern.

But as she got closer, she slowed down and asked in a low voice, afraid of disturbing him.

"Yeah, bro."

Pan Wendi quickly followed, still carrying the wooden stick on his shoulder:
"Did that old monster resort to any underhanded tactics? Did you reach an agreement inside?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Xu'an, who was not far away, held his breath in tension and dared not make a sound.

Fang Cheng was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.

A deal has been reached? It must have been a complete rout.

He didn't answer immediately, but shook his head and exhaled a long breath. This breath lingered, like a white arrow, shooting straight for several meters before slowly dissipating into the cool night.

When everyone saw him shake his head, their hearts tightened.

Fang Cheng, however, continued in a tone of exhilaration, as if he had just finished exercising:
“I personally dealt with him in his spiritual realm. If nothing unexpected happens, that evil spirit should already be… completely destroyed.”

"Pretty!"

Upon hearing this, Pan Wendi slapped his thigh:
"I knew that with you in charge, no matter what kind of demons or monsters they are, they'd all have to kneel down!"

"yeah--"

Bailing excitedly waved her little fist, making a "KO" gesture like in the game:

"That kind of pervert should have been killed sooner rather than later, so he wouldn't be able to wreak havoc on humanity!"

Lin Chuqiao's tightly furrowed brows finally relaxed completely at this moment.

She breathed a sigh of relief, her smile faint yet as gentle as the first melting of snow.

"Mr. Bai, thank you!"

Chen Xu'an, who was standing not far away, could no longer contain himself and rushed over with great joy.

"Really... thank you so much! I misunderstood you before, I deserve to die! You are a great benefactor to our Chen family!"

"From now on, whatever your orders are, even if it means going through fire and water, our Chen family will obey without question!"

He was so excited that he was incoherent, and his voice was even trembling.

Even when faced with the terrifying scene of her "grandfather" coming back to life, she didn't seem to have lost her composure like this before.

"Young Master Chen, you're too kind."

Fang Cheng waved his hand and stood up from the ground.

As soon as he stood up, his red underwear, which had miraculously survived the golden flames, was exposed to everyone's view, making it particularly conspicuous.

Pan Wendi burst out laughing, almost choking on his own accord. He pointed at Fang Cheng, his shoulders shaking violently.

"No...no, brother, can't we...can't we at least put our pants back on?"

"The Chen family manor is already haunted, and now there's a naked hunky man..."

"..."

Fang Cheng glanced expressionlessly at his slightly charred red underwear, then pointed expressionlessly at Pan Wendi.

"Take your pants off and let me wear them."

"Uh--"

Pan Wendi's taunts stopped abruptly.

Seeing their awkward expressions, Chen Xu'an quickly tried to ease their predicament:

“Mr. Bai, I’m wearing long underwear. May I give you my outer pants to change into?”

Upon hearing this, Fang Cheng nodded slightly, indicating that he could.

crackle.

The embers of the fire emitted their last sound.

"Well... my head hurts..."

"What just happened?"

Just then, the monks of Cuicheng Temple and members of the Chen family who had previously been unconscious around the altar began to wake up one after another.

"What happened? How did I fall asleep?"

"I remember, the old patriarch seemed to have come back to life, he... ah, a ghost!"

One of the clansmen had just woken up when he saw Chen Hongye's corpse not far away, and was so frightened that he almost fainted again.

"Xu'an, what just happened?"

As soon as Elder Chen Dehai woke up, he saw Chen Xu'an and others standing nearby and immediately spoke up to ask a question.

"Three grandpas!"

Chen Xu'an quickly went over and helped Chen Dehai up with both hands.

"Don't worry, it's all over."

He spoke rapidly, explaining as he went:
"Thanks to Mr. Bai and the others, they just executed the evil spirit that stole my grandfather's body on the spot!"

"what?!"

Upon hearing this, the Chen family members were first pleasantly surprised, then somewhat incredulous.

They all looked at Chen Hongye, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground, and found that he was indeed not moving at all, as if he had turned into a corpse again.

More importantly, the terrifying dark red runes on his body disappeared.

Several clansmen with awakened abilities were still not at ease, so they used their spiritual eyes to get closer and observe carefully.

Overjoyed, they shouted:
"It's true! There's really no more breath! That evil energy has completely disappeared!"

"Amitabha Buddha... Excellent, excellent..."

At this moment, Master Yuanjue, supported by two monks, stood up shakily.

He clasped his hands together, his face full of compassion, and chanted a Buddhist prayer:
"Previously, this old monk sensed that this beast was ferocious and could not be saved by ordinary people, so he immediately entered meditation, his spirit traveled to the vast emptiness, and sought help from the Buddha..."

"It must be that Buddha sensed my sincere prayers and could not bear to see the Chen family suffer such a calamity, so he descended with divine power and destroyed this scoundrel!"

The old monk glanced at Fang Cheng, who was not far away and wore only red underwear, with an incredibly fit physique, and then changed the subject:
"And this benefactor Bai is strong and healthy, with vigorous blood and energy, and his whole body is radiating a brilliant golden light... He must be the Arhat who personally came from under the Buddha's seat... to subdue demons!"

Upon hearing this, Pan Wendi and Bai Ling almost couldn't help but laugh, and couldn't help but purse their lips.

That old monk really knows how to pat himself on the back...

However, many members of the Chen family seemed to believe it to be true, and their eyes were filled with awe and gratitude when they looked at Fang Cheng.

After briefly explaining the situation to the clansmen, Chen Xu'an returned to Fang Cheng, who had already put on his trousers, and respectfully asked:

"Mr. Bai, what should be done with my grandfather's body?"

Fang Cheng glanced at the soulless "empty shell," pondered for a moment, and then said:
"Continue the cremation immediately, in case that evil spirit leaves any other tricks in this body."

"Also, have the monks of Cui Temple perform a water and land ritual again to pray for the souls of the dead."

What he was thinking about was the unkillable ghoul king, Jiang Chen.

When dealing with monsters that have lived for hundreds of years, you can never be too cautious.

"Yes!"

Chen Xu'an, seeing that the other party was truly obedient, immediately nodded and ordered the servants who had just woken up:
"Quickly! Prepare more firewood and do as Mr. Bai instructs immediately!"

Soon, a new pile of firewood was erected, and Chen Hongye's body was moved back onto it.

The roaring flames shot into the sky again, illuminating half the sky and reflecting on the faces of everyone in the manor.

The crowd stared at the burning bonfire, their expressions varied.

There is the relief of surviving a disaster, the joy of getting revenge, and also the uncertainty about the future.

Fang Cheng's pupils reflected the flickering firelight, his face seemingly calm and expressionless.

But his slightly clenched fists revealed the unease in his heart.

"Fang Cheng, are you alright...?"

Just then, a soft, delicate hand gently covered his fist and grasped it.

Fang Cheng turned his head to look.

But then he saw Lin Chuqiao standing side by side with him.

The moonlight shone on her exquisite profile, and her clear eyes were looking at him, full of tenderness and concern.

"I am fine."

Fang Cheng shook his head slightly at her and smiled nonchalantly.

Lin Chuqiao smiled sweetly, but instead of letting go, she inserted her five fingers into his, interlocking their fingers.

Fang Cheng felt the soft touch and faint fragrance emanating from the person beside him, and his mind inexplicably relaxed completely.

Killing an enemy did not make him ecstatic.

More importantly, we need to find the whereabouts of the remaining traitors in "Ideal Land," thoroughly investigate the past, and clear my father's name.

Furthermore, the whereabouts of the uncle and the professor are currently unknown.

Although there are still many things weighing on my mind.

But this battle, the exhilarating fight in the "Soul Devouring Domain," truly gave him many new insights and he gained a lot.

And of course, there's the woman beside me... who just took my hand.

Fang Cheng gripped that soft hand tightly in return, a sense of peace settling over him, and a greater certainty about the future.

(End of this chapter)