The Mighty Mage-Chapter 386: Returning The Beasts

Gu Jin continued to stare at him.

Long Yifan hesitated before answering, his hands tightening around the box he held. He took a deep breath and finally blurted out,

"I wanted to ask you out on a date."

Gu Jin stared at him blankly for a moment, then without a word, she slammed the door in his face.

The loud bang echoed in the hallway, leaving Long Yifan standing there in stunned silence.

His confident demeanor crumbled as he sighed helplessly.

He hesitated for a moment, then knocked on the door again.

Knock. Knock.

There was no response.

He knocked again.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Still nothing. Frustration creeping in, Long Yifan raised his voice. "Gu Jin, I have something very important to give back to you!" frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

The door finally opened, and Gu Jin stepped out, her expression as cold as ever. She crossed her arms and glared at him.

"If this isn’t serious, I swear I’ll punch you."

Long Yifan gave her a wide, charming smile, though it did little to melt the icy wall between them.

He held out a storage ring toward her.

"Here," he said. "This is for you."

Gu Jin frowned and didn’t take it.

Her suspicious eyes darted from his hand to his face.

"What’s in it?" she asked.

Long Yifan’s smile didn’t waver. "Beasts," he said simply.

Gu Jin blinked. "Beasts?" Her voice dripped with disbelief.

"That’s your big, important thing? That’s the lamest joke I’ve heard all week."

"I’m not joking," Long Yifan said, shaking his head. His expression turned serious, which only made Gu Jin more suspicious.

"Beasts from the Forgotten Elemental World," he added.

Gu Jin raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, sure. And let me guess—they’re Supreme Rank beasts, right?"

"Semi-Supreme Rank," Long Yifan corrected, his tone calm and steady.

She rolled her eyes, clearly not believing him but deciding to humor him for now.

"And how exactly did you put beasts in a storage ring? Are they... chopped up into meat or something?"

"No," Long Yifan said with a shake of his head.

"They’re alive. This storage ring is special—it’s designed to hold living creatures. It has oxygen inside to keep them alive."

Gu Jin froze for a moment, startled by his serious tone.

Her instincts told her he wasn’t joking, which immediately put her on alert.

"Why are you giving this to me?" she asked, her voice sharp and cautious.

Long Yifan looked directly into her eyes.

"Because they’re yours," he said plainly. "You were the one who tamed them. They belong to you."

Gu Jin’s frown deepened, confusion flickering across her usually composed face.

"When exactly did I tame these so-called beasts? Are you trying to manipulate me, Long Yifan?"

Her voice was rising now, edged with anger. She stepped back toward the door, ready to shut it in his face again.

But Long Yifan quickly raised his hands in a placating gesture.

"Wait! Please, just listen to me!" he said, desperation seeping into his tone.

"I’m telling the truth this time. You’ve misunderstood me once before, haven’t you?"

Gu Jin paused, his words hitting a nerve.

She had misunderstood him once before and had ended up feeling guilty about it.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she decided to give him one last chance. "Fine," she said coldly.

"But if this is some kind of trick, you’re going to regret it."

Long Yifan smiled faintly, relieved. He handed her the storage ring.

"Here. See for yourself."

Gu Jin examined the ring carefully, then pricked her finger with a small blade.

A drop of blood fell onto the ring, and it glowed faintly as it recognized her as its owner.

She closed her eyes and sent a trace of her spiritual energy into the ring to see what was inside.

When she saw what was stored within, her eyes widened in shock.

More than ten massive beasts were inside the storage ring, each of them radiating a terrifying aura.

They were all Semi-Supreme Rank—powerful creatures that most cultivators could only dream of encountering.

Some had shimmering scales that glowed with elemental power, while others had fur that crackled with electricity or glowed faintly in the dark.

Gu Jin’s hands trembled slightly as she pulled her spiritual energy back. She looked at Long Yifan, her cold expression faltering for the first time.

"How... how did you get these?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I didn’t," Long Yifan said simply. "You did. You tamed them. I just retrieved them for you."

Gu Jin’s mind raced. She didn’t remember taming any beasts, let alone ones of this caliber.

Was Long Yifan lying? Or was there some truth to his words?

Her sharp gaze locked onto him.

"What proof do you have?"

Long Yifan hesitated for a moment when Gu Jin asked for proof.

Then, he said calmly, "Your brother, Gu Jihu, was there when it happened. He can confirm it."

The mention of her brother made Gu Jin’s eyes narrow. She didn’t waste any time. Pulling out her phone, she quickly dialed Gu Jihu’s number.

It only took a few rings before the call connected, and a cheerful voice answered on the other end.

"What’s up?" Gu Jihu greeted.

"Second Brother, answer me seriously," Gu Jin said in her usual cold tone. "Did I ever tame beasts in the Forgotten Elemental World?"

There was a brief pause on the line before Gu Jihu responded, his voice suddenly more serious.

"Yes, you did."

Gu Jin’s grip on the phone tightened as her mind reeled. Her brother didn’t sound like he was joking.

"Explain," she demanded, her voice sharp.

Gu Jihu sighed on the other end.

"You really don’t remember? After you broke through, your cultivation increased severalfold, then you woke up. After waking up, you used brutal force to suppress all the beasts and then tamed them. You even gifted me and your protector 2 beasts."

Gu Jin’s breath hitched.

"Why didn’t you tell me about this earlier?" she asked, her tone laced with frustration.

Gu Jihu chuckled nervously.

"Because I thought it would be better if you don’t know and don’t stress about the unknown."

Gu Jin was silent for a moment, processing what her brother had just said.

"Fine," she said curtly. "That’s all I needed to know."

Before Jihu could say anything else, she ended the call and lowered the device, her expression unreadable.

She turned her attention back to Long Yifan, who had been silently watching her the entire time.

"So," she said slowly, her voice as icy as ever. "You were telling the truth."

Long Yifan gave her a small, satisfied smile.

"I told you I wouldn’t lie about something like this," he said calmly.

Gu Jin studied him, her sharp gaze making him feel like she could see right through him.

"Why did you go out of your way to return these beasts to me?" she asked, her tone suspicious.

Long Yifan’s expression softened slightly.

"Because they belong to you," he said simply. "And... because I wanted to help you."

Gu Jin’s eyes narrowed, clearly not convinced by his reasoning.

"You’re not the type to do things without expecting something in return," she said bluntly. "So, what’s your real reason?"

Long Yifan hesitated, his confident demeanor wavering under her piercing stare.

Finally, he sighed and scratched the back of his head, looking almost sheepish.

"Fine," he admitted. "I wanted to do something for you. Something that would make you... notice me."

Gu Jin’s cold expression didn’t change, but her heart skipped a beat at his words.

"So, this was just a way to get my attention?" she asked, her tone unreadable.

"Partly," Long Yifan said honestly.

"But I also thought it was the right thing to do. Those beasts are yours, Gu Jin. They’ve been waiting for you. I just brought them back to where they belong."

Gu Jin stared at him for a long moment.

This time, he had proven himself useful, at least a little.

"Fine," she said finally, slipping the storage ring onto her finger. "I’ll take them back."

Long Yifan’s expression brightened slightly, but before he could say anything, Gu Jin continued.

"But don’t think this means anything. You’ve earned a little trust, but that’s all. Don’t push your luck."

Long Yifan chuckled softly, his usual confidence returning.

"I wouldn’t dream of it," he said with a sly smile. "But I’ll take what I can get."

Gu Jin rolled her eyes and turned back toward her room.

"Goodnight, Long Yifan," she said firmly, her tone signaling the end of the conversation.

Long Yifan watched her go, a small smile lingering on his face.

"Goodnight, Gu Jin," he murmured under his breath before walking away, feeling a strange sense of accomplishment.

Gu Jin slammed the door shut and this time Long Yifan didn’t knock on the door.

At least Gu Jin said ’good night’ to him. It was a huge progress.

’One day, she will even give me a good night kiss.’ Long Yifan thought, his face suddenly turned red.