Chapter 1638: Red Sleeve Strikes Again

"No!" Lvzhu cried, closing her eyes in agony, unable to bear the sight of Jiang Fan's impending demise.

How could Jiang Fan possibly withstand the overwhelming pressure of the Five Heavens' Decline? He would be instantly crushed into a bloody mist.

However, the anticipated explosion never came. Instead, her body suddenly lost balance, and the world spun around her.

When she focused her gaze, she saw that the arm of the Black Sun King, which had been gripping her, had been severed by an unparalleled sharp weapon. A stunning woman in an elegant, dignified black gown appeared out of nowhere, pulling her from the Black Sun King's grasp. She then teleported back to Jiang Fan's side.

Staring at the girl who looked exactly like her, Lvzhu exclaimed in surprise, "Hongxiu? Is that you?"

Hongxiu set her down, casting a dismissive glance. "You only cause me trouble!" If Lvzhu died, she might die too. That's why she had been hidden in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to act.

Lvzhu was not grateful. "Who asked you to save me? If you think I'm too much trouble, then don't save me! How absurd!" She didn't realize that all her sensations were synchronized with Hongxiu, always thinking Hongxiu was intentionally difficult with her.

Once rescued, she didn't check her own injuries; instead, she immediately turned to Jiang Fan: "Are you alright?"

Jiang Fan was unharmed. He smiled and said, "Thanks to your sister's timely arrival, I'm perfectly fine." He paused, then teased, "You just said you'd be my wife in the next life, serving me for eternity?"

Hongxiu's fair face instantly flushed crimson, and her gaze quickly darted away from Jiang Fan. She instinctively wanted to deny it, but her mind replayed Jiang Fan's words about giving up hope of escape and staying to accompany her, along with his solitary standing figure.

She lowered her head, bashfully nodding her fair chin. "Yes, I'll keep my word. I'll be your wife in the next life."

"Heh," Hongxiu scoffed, shaking her head mockingly.

Lvzhu immediately became indignant. "What does my agreement with Jiang Fan have to do with you? You don't understand what he and I have been through!"

Hongxiu glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, shaking her head repeatedly. "You are truly gullible. He tricked you into being his wife in the Celestial Realm, and now he's even tricked you into being his wife in the next life. How can I have such a foolish sister?" She rubbed her temples and let out a soft sigh.

Lvzhu froze, then asked suspiciously, "He tricked me? How did he trick me?"

Hongxiu cast a sidelong glance at Jiang Fan and said, "Do you think he's the kind of person who would sit idly by and let others butcher him?"

Uh—

Lvzhu was filled with doubt; in her memory, Jiang Fan was indeed not that kind of person. Even if he faced death, he would find a way to take a piece out of his enemy. How could he simply abandon all hope of survival and stand there waiting to die?

Hongxiu answered her doubt: "He had long suspected I was nearby, waiting for an opportunity to strike. That's why he feigned a willingness to die for you, pretending to have no desire to live, waiting for the Black Sun King to let down his guard. Only then could I succeed with one strike and rescue you."

Lvzhu was stunned and shifted her gaze to Jiang Fan, finding that he averted his eyes. This indirectly confirmed Hongxiu's words. Everything he had said and done just now was to deceive the Black Sun King!

She immediately felt a surge of anger, grabbing Jiang Fan by his collar and saying furiously: "When you said I was your wife from the Celestial Realm, and if you didn't save me, who would, were you saying that for the Black Sun King to hear?"

Jiang Fan opened his mouth, unable to explain. The situation was critical then; he had no intention of deceiving Lvzhu. It was all to make the Black Sun King believe his words and actions.

Seeing Jiang Fan remain silent, Lvzhu felt a pang in her heart. She pressed her lips together and reluctantly asked, "So all those heartfelt words you spoke—saying I was pathetic being alone, and that you'd accompany me to the Yellow Springs—were also just to deceive the Black Sun King?"

Jiang Fan sighed softly, "I didn't mean to deceive you; I only wanted the Black Sun King to lower his guard."

Lvzhu's hand, still clutching his collar, trembled slightly, and her vision blurred with tears again. The Black Sun King took Jiang Fan's words seriously. But she had taken them seriously too. She truly believed there was someone in the world who would die for her. She had even been touched, naively promising to be Jiang Fan's wife in the next life to repay him for eternity! In the end, it was another massive deception. And this time, she had been deceived along with her sister!

Several times, she clenched Jiang Fan's collar tightly, then silently loosened her grip, looking up with a tear-streaked face at the man standing right before her: "Why do you give me hope again and again, making me feel there's someone in this world I can cherish, only to repeatedly plunge me into despair? Have I done something wrong? Why do you treat me like this?"

Jiang Fan was startled, not expecting such a strong reaction from Lvzhu. He hadn't intentionally deceived Lvzhu either time. However, when he considered how Lvzhu had been targeted by Hongxiu since childhood, enduring immense suffering, then driven out of the village, forced to wander to the Black Sun Royal Court, and held captive by the Black Sun King—her life had been dark and unfortunate. Jiang Fan's appearance was like a ray of sunshine, bringing her warmth. Yet, each time she gathered the courage to grasp it, it dissolved into an illusion. Time and again, it finally led her to despair.

Jiang Fan took her by the shoulders and said softly, "I'm sorry, I disappointed you. But I didn't mean to..."

Lvzhu's shoulders trembled, shaking off Jiang Fan's hands. The last glimmer of hope in her eyes faded, completely dimming. She took a few steps back, wiped away her tears with her head bowed, and spoke in an unrecognizably distant voice: "No need to apologize. You only resorted to this tactic to save me. I should be thanking you. I owe you two lives: one from the Celestial Realm, and one from today. Now, I'm returning both to you. We no longer owe each other anything..."

With that, she turned and charged towards a distant battlefield where a Four Heavens' Decline expert and a Four-Star Giant King were fighting.

Jiang Fan's expression changed. How could Lvzhu, a Three-Crowned Asura King, possibly intervene in a Four Heavens' Decline battle? She was throwing her life away!

Hongxiu rubbed her forehead: "You don't understand women at all. She wasn't waiting for your explanation. She was waiting for you to give her hope, even false hope, and she would have tricked herself into believing it. But you, of all people, extinguished her last bit of hope." Hongxiu paused, a trace of guilt appearing in her eyes: "Still, you can't be entirely blamed. She lacks love in her heart, which is why she particularly cherishes everyone who treats her kindly. And that's my fault."

Seeing Lvzhu, who had lost all will to live and was intent on dying, Hongxiu leaped forward, wanting to rush to her side. But then, a terrifying wave of primordial energy swept towards them. Hongxiu's expression hardened. She decisively pulled out a bone fan and unleashed a vast expanse of sacred light, neutralizing the primordial energy. She staggered back several steps from the impact. Looking up, she saw the Blood Moon King and the Black Sun King standing side by side.

The Blood Moon King roared furiously, "How dare a mere Asura meddle in our affairs? Black Sun King, you deal with this Asura. I'll personally kill Jiang Fan!" He simply couldn't stand it any longer. A mere newly ascended Venerable of the First Heavens' Decline, and two Five-Star Giant Kings hadn't managed to kill him after all this time! It was an utter humiliation!

The Black Sun King, his eyes brimming with shame, overflowed with killing intent: "No! Killing Jiang Fan would be letting him off too lightly! I want him to suffer a fate worse than death!" A star on his forehead rotated, releasing a wisp of Lvzhu's soul. He seized it in his palm, his face contorted in a grimace. "You vile pair! I'll kill Lvzhu first, to make you regret it, and then I'll kill you!"

This time, he didn't hesitate, decisively clenching his hand.

Jiang Fan sneered, "Try to kill her, and the Crimson Princess won't live either!"