Chapter 810: Gu Xing'er’s Resentment

"What, do you want me to do it myself?"

The Hell Beast stared indifferently at Jiang Fan, as if looking at an insect. If it wished, it could easily crush him.

Jiang Fan cleared his throat and said, "Senior, my spirit beast has been captured."

The Hell Beast's eyes showed amusement. "No need to play games with me. I know how cunning you are. I watched when you poisoned that Nascent Soul cultivator. Honestly, I admire you; it's the first time I've seen a Nascent Soul poisoned in such a way."

Jiang Fan felt helpless. He pulled open his clothes, showing them inside and out. "If it were on me, Senior, you would surely sense it."

The Hell Beast frowned. It closed its eyes to sense, and indeed, it couldn't detect the presence of the small spirit beast. However, there was a faint, almost imperceptible sensation coming from the direction of the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets.

"It truly isn't on you," it said. "It seems to be in a very sealed place." The Hell Beast lowered its gaze, falling into thought.

But Jiang Fan sensed murderous intent—the intent to kill someone who had lost their usefulness. He subtly retreated a few steps and cautiously said, "Senior, every wrong has its perpetrator, every debt its owner. If you're looking for it, just go find my spirit beast." He hoped that when the Hell Beast went to the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets, it would coincidentally encounter the Pavilion Master and the Canghai Demon Emperor, and simply slaughter the spirit beast on the spot.

The Hell Beast nodded slightly. "'Every wrong has its perpetrator, every debt its owner.' You're absolutely right. So, you broke my finger, and I take your life—that's only fair, isn't it?" It suddenly raised its head, a cold sneer appearing in its eyes. Then, it flicked a finger, and a terrifying blast of energy shot towards Jiang Fan. Given its nature, how could it easily let Jiang Fan go?

*Swoosh!* But what froze its smile was Jiang Fan transforming into a bolt of lightning, streaking into the sky. He then stepped onto a lightning dragon and instantly vanished into the distance.

"Lightning Evasion?" The Hell Beast flicked its finger at empty air and laughed wryly. "I let a mere insect fly away after all. Well, I'd like to see how far you can fly."

At the edge of the sky, Gu Xin'er flew unhurriedly, humming a cheerful tune. "Ding-er lang ge dang, ding-er lang ge dang, ding-er..." *Swoosh!* A lightning dragon suddenly shot over her head, dissipating before her. A figure stood suspended before her, stepping on a purple sword. Staring intently, Gu Xin'er was stunned. Jiang Fan? No, how... how did he suddenly appear in front of her?

The hairpin's residual soul was also astonished. *You're not hiding, but instead, you're appearing right in front of Gu Xin'er? She was just thinking of an unexpected encounter with you. Are you delivering yourself?*

Jiang Fan cupped his hands and said, "Senior, we meet again."

Gu Xin'er instinctively clasped her hands. "Oh, oh, it's been a long time..." "Wait!" She quickly dropped her hands, her beautiful eyes wide. *What kind of greeting was that?! This cursed man actually dared to appear before her! If she didn't break every bone in his hand, it would be an injustice!*

"Senior, please calm your anger!" Jiang Fan said before she could erupt. "To be frank, I'm here to save you! You've already been targeted by the Hell Beast, and I risked my life to inform you. Please take care, I'll be leaving now!" With that, he summoned another lightning dragon, preparing to escape.

How could Gu Xin'er believe his nonsense? To call it "ghost talk" would be an insult to ghosts; ghost talk usually has a kernel of truth to deceive people. This man, however, never uttered a single truthful word!

"Trying to leave? Stay right there!" Gu Xin'er was thrilled; Jiang Fan had actually delivered himself to be beaten! This wasn't like throwing meat buns at a dog... *Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey.* It was a lamb entering a tiger's den! And she was that tiger, a tigress! Wielding her Nascent Soul power, she raised her hand, draining the surrounding air and condensing it into a materialized palm, which she fiercely slapped towards Jiang Fan.

But from within her embrace, the hairpin's residual soul issued a grave warning. "Be careful! There's a true beast coming from behind! This aura... it's really the Hell Beast!"

"What?" Gu Xin'er jolted. She decisively spun around, slamming the condensed air palm fiercely behind her. Even from a thousand feet away, the air palm still unleashed considerable power. However, the Hell Beast merely waved its hand, splitting the palm in two and tearing through the air as it charged forward.

The hairpin's residual soul's pupils contracted. "Fourth-Aperture Nascent Soul Realm! You're no match; run!"

Gu Xin'er's scalp tingled. A Fourth-Aperture Nascent Soul? Many sect masters of divine sects from outside this domain might not even be at the Fourth-Aperture Nascent Soul Realm. Even the Pavilion Master of the Jiangshan First-Grade Pavilion was only a Fifth-Aperture Nascent Soul! She, a freshly awakened Nascent Soul, was no match at all. Terrified, she turned and fled.

At this moment, a hand reached out. "Senior, I'll take you!" Gu Xin'er saw that it was Jiang Fan. She couldn't help but be slightly taken aback. This guy actually came to save her. He kindly warned her about the Hell Beast chasing her and even risked his life to help her escape. For a moment, she felt a little dazed. Was the righteous Jiang Fan before her truly the same person as that rogue?

Considering Jiang Fan's lightning dragon's extreme speed, she pursed her red lips slightly, grasped his outstretched hand, and whispered, "Thank you."

The hairpin's residual soul wiped its face and let out a long sigh. "My foolish girl! You actually believe his nonsense! It's obvious the Hell Beast is chasing *him*; he just wants to use you to escape. And you're even thanking him?" It saw everything, distressed but unable to intervene. It wanted to warn her, but then reconsidered: *Isn't this the tempering it wanted for Xin'er? The more she suffers setbacks, the more she'll mature.* So, it pretended not to know anything.

"You're too kind, Senior," Jiang Fan said politely.

Gu Xin'er raised her eyes, somewhat puzzled. "You... aren't you afraid I'll retaliate against you?"

Jiang Fan frankly replied, "Of course, I'm afraid. I also know that Vice Pavilion Master despises me. However, the grievances between us are, at best, personal. The current rampant Hell Beast is a common enemy of humanity. With this external threat before us, I ask Senior to temporarily put aside our animosity. After we deal with this external enemy, it won't be too late for you to settle accounts with me."

Such a noble declaration of racial solidarity rendered Gu Xin'er speechless, unable to express any anger. For the sake of humanity, Jiang Fan was risking death to save his enemy, her. How could she continue to demand violence? She nodded lightly and said, "Alright, we'll settle our accounts later."

The hairpin's residual soul just shook its head. It worried that one day, Jiang Fan would sell Gu Xin'er, and Gu Xin'er would happily help him count the money.

Jiang Fan said, "Good, then hold on tight." Holding her hand, Jiang Fan rode the lightning dragon away. After this cultivation of the Lightning Path, his Cloud Shadow technique could be used twelve times, allowing him to escape for nearly four hundred miles. After the twelfth use, the lightning dragon dissipated, and Jiang Fan sighed. "Senior, my lightning power is limited. I can only teleport us this far. From here on, it's up to you."

Gu Xin'er asked, "What about you?"

Jiang Fan was silent for a moment, then said, "I'll lure away the Hell Beast, to buy you a chance to escape. Regardless of whether I survive this, I ask that you, Senior, consider what happened today and let our grievances be cleared."

In reality, Jiang Fan already had a medium-grade Dustless Talisman ready in his sleeve. This talisman could block the senses of a Nascent Soul expert. He simply needed to hide. When the Hell Beast tracked his lightning trail, it would then inevitably track Gu Xin'er, allowing him to escape his predicament.

"You..." Gu Xin'er's red lips slightly parted. An indescribable feeling welled up in her heart. She clearly wanted to beat this man to death, but now, she was moved by him. For a moment, she felt he wasn't so hateful after all. She even began to wonder if the problem lay with her. If she hadn't disguised herself as Liu Qingxian, perhaps such a misunderstanding would never have occurred.