Trying to Play Dumb? One VIP Seat Inside the Eight Trigrams Furnace!

Hearing the name Tang San, Xiao Wu's body trembled uncontrollably once more.

"Y-you... what are you talking about? What Tang San? I don't know anyone by that name..."

Although Xiao Wu had already resolved not to have anything to do with Tang San any longer, that was one thing. Personally killing someone she had once cared for was something she simply could not bring herself to do.

So, in her desperation, she directly resorted to playing dumb, hoping to muddle through.

Unfortunately, that trick did not work on Jiang Xuan.

"Heh, trying to play dumb? Then explain why you have a portrait of me on you. Who gave you that portrait? Ever since I was young, I've mostly stayed within my sect. Very few outsiders have seen what I look like. The only stranger who had seen my face recently and held some grudge against me was that brat called Tang San!"

"And when we first met, you seemed to mention that I had injured your Third Brother... didn't you?"

The moment those words came out, Xiao Wu froze.

How had she forgotten about that?

The portrait of Jiang Xuan on her had been drawn by Yu Xiaogang at her request before she left Nuoding Academy. Its purpose had been to help her recognize the culprit who had hurt Tang San.

Yet now, that portrait had instead become evidence she could not use to clear herself of suspicion...

While Xiao Wu racked her brains over how to explain herself, Jiang Xuan's patience had already reached its limit.

"You pretend to submit, yet your mouth is full of lies! It seems the lesson I gave you was not enough. You still dare put on an act and play dumb before me. Unless I give you a painful enough lesson, you will never understand what true submission means!"

At those words, the fear in Xiao Wu's eyes reached its peak. She immediately tried to beg for mercy, but Jiang Xuan gave her no chance. He directly controlled the prison to seal her mouth, then threw her back into the Eight Trigrams Furnace.

This time, Jiang Xuan decided to burn all four of the rabbit's limbs away and refine them into fresh blood essence. With the White Bone Flesh-Regenerating Pill, as long as she still clung to a breath of life, he could save her.

He acted immediately. Jiang Xuan had no reason to be softhearted toward a soul beast.

However, to his surprise, both Dugu Yan and Qian Renxue, who were watching from the side, showed traces of pity in their eyes.

Dugu Yan was one thing, but Qian Renxue had clearly been reprimanded by him earlier. Why was she still making such a mistake?

Sensing Jiang Xuan's gaze and facing his sharp eyes, Qian Renxue guiltily turned her head away, no longer looking at the scene inside the Eight Trigrams Furnace.

After a moment of silence, Dugu Yan actually gathered the courage to question him.

"Even if she is a soul beast, don't you think your methods are a little too cruel?"

Those words startled Dugu Bo, who had been recalling Jiang Xuan's pill-refining process. He hurriedly rose, grabbed his granddaughter's arm, and covered her mouth while apologizing profusely to Jiang Xuan.

"Young Master, please do not take offense. My granddaughter is still young and ignorant. She merely spoke nonsense in the heat of the moment. Please do not take it to heart."

After witnessing Jiang Xuan's alchemical methods, Dugu Bo no longer felt the slightest burden in addressing him as "Young Master."

But Jiang Xuan did not spare him any face.

"Let go of her. Let her speak."

"Uh..." Knowing his granddaughter's temperament, Dugu Bo was clearly caught in a difficult position.

"You say your granddaughter is young. Am I supposed to be very old, then? I'm only nine this year. How many years older is your granddaughter than me? Even I understand this principle, yet your granddaughter does not. Is she stupid, or is there something wrong with your family's way of educating people?"

Those words shocked Dugu Bo even more.

The methods Jiang Xuan had displayed earlier, along with his calm and composed bearing before him, had made Dugu Bo subconsciously assume that the boy was about the same age as his granddaughter, merely younger-looking.

He had never expected Jiang Xuan to be only nine years old!

Only nine years old, yet already possessing level 40 Soul Power and alchemical methods impressive enough to earn the admiration and respect of even a Title Douluo like him.

What kind of monster was this?

More importantly, this monster had a Super Douluo-level powerhouse protecting him!

There might even be more than one...

It could be said that it was only a matter of time before this monster rose with the wind and dominated an era!

At that thought, Dugu Bo's eyes immediately lit up.

He had to cling tightly to this future Super Douluo-level pillar, no matter what! He firmly believed that as long as he could board this ship, the Dugu Clan's future achievements would reach unprecedented heights!

But while he was thinking about all that, the hand covering Dugu Yan's mouth loosened unintentionally, allowing Dugu Yan to break free. She then glared at Jiang Xuan indignantly.

"What right do you have to call me stupid?!"

"Tsk, tsk... Not only stupid, but too stupid to realize it."

"You!"

"What about me? Fine, then I'll make things clearer for you, idiot! Tell me, today you feel pity for a soul beast that appears incapable of resisting. But if, one day, you were completely powerless before a powerful soul beast, do you think that soul beast would pity you?"

Those words left Dugu Yan speechless.

At sixteen, after studying at Heaven Dou Royal Academy for many years, she knew perfectly well what soul beasts were like.

Her temperament urged her to argue back.

But the knowledge she had learned stopped her from doing so.

Soul beasts and soul masters were natural mortal enemies. There was no possibility of reconciliation between them.

Seeing her remain silent, Jiang Xuan immediately lost interest.

"See? You clearly know how soul beasts regard us soul masters, yet you still pity one. Tell me, if that isn't stupidity, then what is?"

Dugu Yan took a deep breath, then said nothing more. She turned and left directly.

It looked as though she was going to find somewhere deserted to brood in silence.

Dugu Bo wanted to stop her, but Jiang Xuan was currently refining soul beast blood essence. Such a rare sight would be far too regrettable for him to miss.

After some thought, Dugu Bo simply called out a reminder.

"Yan'er, don't go too far. Be careful!"

After saying that, he refocused his spiritual power on the Eight Trigrams Furnace and carefully observed Jiang Xuan's technique.

A quarter of an hour passed in the blink of an eye. At this moment, Xiao Wu's consciousness had already fallen into a coma from the extreme pain, and her life aura was as faint as a thread, as though it could disperse at any moment.

After storing the refined fresh blood essence in a jade bottle, Jiang Xuan fed Xiao Wu another White Bone Flesh-Regenerating Pill.

Just as before, the pill melted the instant it entered her mouth. It rapidly strengthened Xiao Wu's life aura and repaired the limbs that had been burned away and refined.

However, because her injuries were too severe, only half of her wounds were restored this time.

Yet Jiang Xuan was overjoyed at the sight.

Because that meant he could "gift" another White Bone Flesh-Regenerating Pill!

He could refine blood essence once yet receive double the Merit Points. What a killing!