Chapter 223: Holding Hands
One hour later.
"helicoptor, helicoptor…"
As the helicopter landed, the previously quiet atmosphere in the inner area of the Star Dou Great Forest was broken by the loud sound of a towering tree snapping. After a moment, once the helicopter cleared a large area and came to a complete stop, the noise that had stirred roars from distant beasts also gradually faded.
"Squeak."
At the same time, a soft sound echoed as the helicopter door opened. Shen Fan and Jiang Nannan stepped out.
"Nannan," Shen Fan said.
"This is already the inner area of the Star Dou Great Forest. There are many high-aged soul beasts here. Don't stray too far from me."
"Didn't you say that these stockings can block a full-strength attack from a Titled Douluo-level powerhouse for at least 30 minutes?" Jiang Nannan teased, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. "If that's true, you might be the one in more danger than me."
"Ah…"
Shen Fan had been solely focused on protecting Jiang Nannan and had completely forgotten about the stockings. Seeing his dazed expression, Jiang Nannan chuckled.
"Don't worry," she said.
"I'll stick with you and won't wander. Let's not use that powerful treasure unless necessary. Even if it's only triggered once, that soul-hunting tool is still a major loss."
Even though Jiang Nannan was no longer short on money, her money-conscious nature hadn't changed.
"You can't look at it like that," Shen Fan replied. "If it comes down to your safety, I don't care if the entire stocking gets destroyed."
Noticing her expression shift slightly, Shen Fan stopped talking, stored the helicopter, and changed the subject. "Let's go."
"Mm."
Jiang Nannan didn't object and simply followed Shen Fan quietly as they began exploring. It wasn't long before they encountered their first soul beast of the trip.
"This should be a 10,000-year-old Earth-Splitting Dog," Jiang Nannan offered, trying to be helpful in case Shen Fan didn't recognize it.
"A 10,000-year-old Earth-Splitting Dog?"
Shen Fan looked it up and down and then casually waved, "Go away. Don't block the road."
"Woof!"
The Earth-Splitting Dog seemed to understand and barked angrily, charging straight at him.
Shen Fan calmly pulled Jiang Nannan behind him with one hand. With the other, he picked up a small rock from the ground, aimed, and flicked it lightly at the soul beast's weak spot.
"Ouch!"
The Earth-Splitting Dog's fierce gaze froze. It let out a wail and collapsed about a meter in front of Shen Fan.
Patting its head as he walked by, Shen Fan smirked and said with some mischief:
"Don't worry. I didn't use much strength.
It'll just hurt a little—won't affect your future chances of finding a wife or having puppies. Your happiness is intact."
Then, with Jiang Nannan's hand in his, Shen Fan walked past the dazed dog. The Earth-Splitting Dog, eyes filled with tears, could only watch them disappear.
Jiang Nannan, who had been walking hand-in-hand with Shen Fan for a few minutes, finally asked softly, "Why haven't you let go yet?"
Shen Fan smiled awkwardly, just about to release her hand, when another soul beast approached. Without hesitation, he held on tighter and shielded her again.
"This is the Netherworld Spirit Cat," Jiang Nannan whispered, peeking out. "Looks like it's around 30,000 years old."
"Yeah," Shen Fan said, eyeing the cat carefully. He looked around for a weak spot, like the Earth-Splitting Dog had, but found none. The Spirit Cat's "artifact" wasn't obvious.
Unaware of Shen Fan's thoughts, Jiang Nannan kept reminding him, "It's really fast and way stronger than the Earth-Splitting Dog. Be cautious if it attacks first."
Before she finished, however, the Netherworld Spirit Cat seemed to sense something—it stared at Shen Fan warily, then slowly backed away. Once it felt the distance was safe, it turned and fled swiftly.
"Let's go," Shen Fan said with a chuckle.
"Seems this cat is very sensible."
Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that when the Spirit Cat left, it looked at him with more than just wariness—was that… shame and annoyance?
"Did that ghost cat somehow know I wanted to hit her?" he wondered.
"But wait… she's a female. She doesn't have a dandan…"
Puzzled, Shen Fan shrugged and moved on.
From that point on, Shen Fan continued holding Jiang Nannan's hand as they explored deeper into the forest. Countless high-aged soul beasts emerged in their path, keeping Jiang Nannan too stunned to mention the hand-holding again. Time slipped by unnoticed.
"Nannan," Shen Fan said eventually, "It's almost afternoon. Let's rest and eat something."
"Okay," Jiang Nannan replied, stomach growling slightly. They found a safe-looking spot and stopped.
"Can you let go now?"
Even while setting the cloth and unpacking the food, Shen Fan still hadn't released her hand. Jiang Nannan gave him a side glance.
"Haha, force of habit," he replied, chuckling as he finally let go and began arranging the dishes.
The two began their lunch while chatting, but not long after, the scent of the food began to attract nearby high-aged soul beasts.
Realizing the danger, they quickly wolfed down a few bites before Shen Fan knocked away a beast with his Sea God Trident, and the pair swiftly evacuated the area.
"Shen Fan," Jiang Nannan asked as they moved, "Were those dishes just now… treasures?"
"I noticed the soul beasts staring straight at the food."
"And after I ate some, I feel like my body's a bit stronger."
Jiang Nannan knew the answer, but had to ask to avoid seeming suspicious.
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