Chapter 119: Entered His Chest (Please Subscribe, Completed at the Fifth Watch)

It hurts... Damn it... This is real pain.

Looking down at his stomach, which had been run through, Jiang Lin truly never expected that he would one day be the victim of a sneak attack from behind.

This technique of his, the "Thunderous Half-Moon Slash," was a move he had created by combining the Sun-Moon Dual Cultivation Heart Method, further refined with the help of Xiao Hei, Diao Da, and the others. Although ferocious and possessing stunning visual effects, it was not meant to be lethal as long as he controlled it properly. While the sword would pierce the fox demon before him, Chuxue would shift from physical to ethereal at the moment of impact, causing only severe injury rather than death. After all, he still needed her alive to gather information about the Dugu Demon Sect.

But now... the opponent was fine, yet Jiang Lin felt as if he were about to kick the bucket.

He looked down at the white, long tail protruding from his abdomen. His blood was gradually staining the snowy white fox fur, seeping into it endlessly.

"Squelch..."

With a wet sound, the white tail was withdrawn from his stomach. Jiang Lin spat a mouthful of blood onto Qian Sanniang, who stood before him, still wearing a look of utter bewilderment. Jiang Lin leaned on his sword, kneeling as his consciousness began to blur and his pain began to numb.

[Damn it, looks like I’m going to die!]

No! I can't die yet! Wait! Actually, maybe I can die! I can still get information out of her before I go. After all, isn't that what happens in movies—the villain starts talking too much when their opponent is about to die?

[Ding...]

Just as this thought crossed Jiang Lin’s mind, the system’s voice rang out once more.

[Detected that the host is about to die again: Achievement Task triggered.]
[Achievement—Slain by an Immortal Realm Expert (0/1): Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox Bai Juyi is of the Immortal Realm! Even if the host goes all out, victory is impossible. Please, host, do your best to have Bai Juyi personally deliver the final blow, and say the following line: "So it was you... that's wonderful..."]
[Achievement Reward: 1. 6,000 Reputation Points. 2. A ten-pull summon, plus one bonus for a total of eleven pulls. (PS: The Ea/Sword of Rupture probability is UP tonight; tomorrow’s gacha preview—Star-Burst Stream Slash probability UP.)]
[If this achievement is failed, it will be missed forever; there is no penalty...]

The system’s voice slowly faded as Jiang Lin’s consciousness drifted further away. Honestly, Jiang Lin suspected that this stingy system had taken the wrong medicine tonight. Not only did it give him a discount, but this achievement reward was incredibly generous! Isn't it just a final blow? That’s too easy!

"This junior pays respects to the senior!"

On the other side, even though Jiang Lin was nearing his end, the fox demon ignored him entirely, bypassing him to kneel before the woman. Jiang Lin trembled as he forced himself to stand, turning to look at the woman who had put a hole in his gut.

"This little one pays respects to the Young Master."

As soon as Jiang Lin turned, he heard that familiar voice. Before his eyes stood the maid, Jiujiu, who had vanished since the afternoon. Of course, judging by the nine long tails behind her, Jiang Lin now realized that was never her name. Strangely enough, he didn't know why, but when he had heard the name "Jiujiu," he felt an inexplicable sense of intimacy. It was like those moments in life when you suddenly feel a strange sense of familiarity with a scene.

Jiujiu dispelled the illusion on her body. In the blink of an eye, she transformed into a graceful, tall woman. She was still veiled, and a bamboo skewer, resembling a candied hawthorn stick, was still tucked into her silver hair. But what was different was... in those silver eyes, which were still hauntingly beautiful, two lines of tears were slowly rolling down.

This was so strange. Did this girl cry every time she killed someone?

Then again, why would a Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox of the Immortal Realm disguise herself as a woman with a ruined face to approach him? Was she "observing the Dao"—seeking enlightenment by watching the Great Dao of others? It was actually possible. He had heard that some experts in the upper five realms, when hitting a bottleneck, liked to disguise themselves as little boys or girls and wander around to observe the minor Daos of junior cultivators to enlighten their own. Since they had high cultivation, they weren't afraid of running into any "culprits."

Jiang Lin gasped for air, and the woman in white slowly walked up to him. Seeing the tears silently streaming down her face from up close, Jiang Lin didn't know why he felt a faint ache in his heart! It must be because she was too beautiful and he was too kind-hearted to watch a beautiful girl cry... Sigh, he couldn't help it... he was just too much of a gentleman.

"Do you hate me?"

Finally, the woman beneath the veil "spoke." Even though her lips didn't move, her voice echoed in the room. Jiang Lin, panting, didn't forget to roll his eyes at this rare Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox. He was about to be killed by her, and she was asking if he hated her... Was there something wrong with this girl's head? Or was it that once you reach the Immortal Realm, everything you say has to be so philosophical?

But as for hate, Jiang Lin felt it was alright. He had a resurrection coin, so aside from the pain, everything else was fine. He could finish the achievement later. Besides, they were on opposing sides; it was either him or her, so what was there to hate?

"I don't really hate you," Jiang Lin said slowly. "I just don't understand."

"What don't you understand?"

Jiang Lin coughed up some blood. "I don't understand why a Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox would associate with the Dugu Demon Sect. And for something as filthy as the Blood-Name Array." Looking into her eyes, which were still fixed on him, Jiang Lin wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "Even for a dying man, can you not provide an answer?"

Bai Juyi shook her head. "The Blood-Name Array was not set up by me. It was a friend of mine, the Sect Master of the Dugu Demon Sect."

"Just to find one person?"

"Just to find one person."

Seeing Jiang Lin's puzzled expression, Bai Juyi continued. "In my eyes, she is a silly fox, chasing after one person for hundreds of years. Of course, I'm not really in a position to say that about her..."

"Although I don't fully understand, the cultivators who came to Donglin City and died—you helped with that, didn't you?"

"No. Whether it is an ordinary fox demon or a white fox, everyone must cross the barrier of love on their own. No one will interfere. From beginning to end, I have never meddled in the affairs of the Blood-Name Array, nor have I helped Xiao Ye kill anyone. Once I kill you, I will leave, and I will not interfere in anything that follows."

"..."

Jiang Lin really wanted to complain. Why was this girl lying through her teeth? Or was she insulting him—was he not even a person because he was dying? And what did she mean by "once I kill you, I will leave"? Why did it sound like she had come to Donglin City specifically to kill him? When had he ever offended this girl?

"Why are you so insistent on killing me? Do we have some sort of grudge?" Exercising his fine quality of asking when he didn't understand, Jiang Lin asked.

However, she did not answer.

"Forget it. If you don't want to say, so be it. Please, see me off on my final journey. It is my honor to die by your hands." Jiang Lin looked at the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox as if he were finding liberation in death, waiting for her to deliver the final blow so he could finish the achievement and run away with his resurrection coin.

But who would have thought that the woman before him would slowly raise her slender hand, look straight at Jiang Lin, and yet hesitate for a long time? Jiang Lin even saw her fair, sharp-clawed fingers trembling slightly.

Finally, the woman lowered her hand and turned to leave. "You, go and see Young Master Jiang off."

[Huh?]

As soon as the woman’s words fell, Jiang Lin’s heart skipped a beat! Why was this girl not playing by the rules?!

"Yes..."

Just as Bai Juyi lowered her hand and the other fox demon began to rise to deliver the finishing blow to Jiang Lin, Jiang Lin decided to turn passive waiting-to-die into active seeking-of-death!

Suddenly, Jiang Lin used the last of his strength, as if in a final flash of life, to grab Bai Juyi’s hand.

"Senior Heavenly Fox!"

"Pfft..."

As soon as Qian Sanniang’s words ended, Jiang Lin spat out his last mouthful of blood. When Bai Juyi regained her senses, her hand had already pierced through his chest.