Chapter 125: Come Out! (Thanks to the generous patron “ks Matcha” for becoming this book’s first grand patron.)

"First Snow!"

Just as two assassins from the Dugu Demon Sect were stealthily closing in to strike Hu Shuang, Jiang Lin’s thoughts flickered. The translucent blade, First Snow, streaked past Youyou’s side.

No thicker than an embroidery needle, First Snow pierced through the center of the assassin's forehead in an instant!

Caught off guard by the passing sword aura, Youyou tipped over to the side.

"That sword is so pretty... but... First Snow? Are you Snake?"

Youyou, lying on the ground, finally caught up—her reaction time could circle the Wutong Continent twice. She peered at Jiang Lin from left to right, two question marks appearing above her head. "But why have you become so ugly?"

Jiang Lin: "..."

"Kill them!"

Although Jiang Lin desperately wanted to hang this Cheng Huang spirit beast up and spank her, more black-clad assassins were pouring into the courtyard. Most were of the Bone Tempering or Furnace Building realms, with few at the Cave Dwelling level, and certainly none at the Sea Viewing realm—likely because the enemy knew Qian Sanniang, a master of the Dragon Gate realm, was present.

In an instant, the courtyard descended into chaos.

Once she realized this stranger was indeed Jiang Lin, Youyou joined him in battle. She used her sharp, dual horns, which resembled a kris dagger, to repeatedly pierce the assassins in their most vulnerable areas—a sight that made Jiang Lin wince in phantom pain.

Amidst the fray, several assassins rushed toward Qian Sanniang, attempting to untie her. But whether they used blades to cut or fire to burn, the rope simply would not break!

Jiang Lin stepped toward Hu Shuang. "Wait! Miss Hu Shuang! I know what you’re about to say—yes, I am even more handsome than before, but I am still Snake. The situation is complicated; get inside the house and hide!"

"Young Master Si?"

"Exactly! It's me!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than an assassin lunged at him with a dagger!

Jiang Lin took a deep breath, shifted his stance, and instinctively threw a punch. The blow sent the assassin flying into the courtyard wall, embedding him so deeply that he couldn't be pried loose.

Even Jiang Lin was stunned.

Although the opponent’s realm was low and assassins were inherently glass cannons, this punch felt a bit too exaggerated...

It felt...

Quite satisfying...

"Watahhh!"

Like a man possessed by a martial arts legend, Jiang Lin unleashed a kick, sending another man soaring through the air.

"Miss Hu Shuang! Your injuries haven't healed! Get into the room and don't come out! Whatever you do, don't come out!"

With that, Jiang Lin grabbed Hu Shuang with one hand and Little Fatty with the other, tossing them straight into the room without a shred of chivalry.

He then pulled a piece of calligraphy written by an old blind man from the Sun-Moon Sect out of his storage pouch.

Honestly, Jiang Lin wasn't even sure if the man was truly blind or just pretending; regardless, he spent every day at the Sun-Moon Sect setting up a stall to sell his calligraphy. He wrote, and his granddaughter sold the works for one low-grade spirit stone per character.

Jiang Lin thought the writing was decent (and his granddaughter was truly beautiful), so he bought a piece. When the girl handed over the scroll and whispered "Thank you," her shy expression had made Jiang Lin and the others quietly wipe their noses.

Sometimes Jiang Lin would chat with the old man, who always boasted that his writing could repel an entire army. Jiang Lin, of course, didn't believe his nonsense!

However, it must have had some merit. After all, when he once tried to steal a few eggs from the home of the Supreme True Monarch, a scroll inscribed with "Those who steal my poultry shall suffer hemorrhoids" had left Jiang Lin sleeping on his stomach for two weeks...

"Guard!"

Jiang Lin bit his fingertip and smeared a drop of blood across the Regular script characters on the scroll.

The scroll contained only one word: [GUARD]

He tossed the scroll toward the house, and it stuck to the paper window like a medicinal plaster.

Several assassins tried to rush the house, but they were repelled by an invisible force!

"Holy crap! It actually works!" A bold idea formed in Jiang Lin’s mind.

When he got back, he would have the old blind man write two more characters: [POTENCY]!

...

On the other side of the courtyard, Youyou, a Cave Dwelling realm cultivator, had been backed into a corner by the Dugu Demon Sect. Though she growled incessantly, her body was visibly trembling.

Jiang Lin clutched his forehead.

While different professions have different combat capabilities—for instance, a medical cultivator of the Cave Dwelling realm might have less offensive power than a Furnace Building sword cultivator—she was still a Cheng Huang, a legendary spirit beast, and two realms higher than her opponents. How could she be losing?

"Eat this, you bastards!"

Just as a few assassins stepped forward to claim Youyou's head, Jiang Lin leaped into the air and dropped four eggs between the assassins and Youyou!

"Oh~ Ji, you are so beautiful~ Ji, why are you so beautiful~"

The eggs shattered, and a dozen roosters wearing white suspenders appeared, dancing and singing while shaking their shoulders...

The assassins had never seen such a maddening sight and stood frozen in shock.

"First Snow, you are the most beautiful!"

In that moment of hesitation, Jiang Lin gripped First Snow and plunged the blade into the ground! The sword sang!

In an instant, with Jiang Lin at the center, ice crystals from First Snow spread outward, rapidly freezing the assassins' feet to the ground!

Seeing the opening, Youyou charged forward, using her horns to pierce their thighs, though she avoided any lethal strikes. It seemed this Cheng Huang had never killed anyone before...

Jiang Lin was not so "merciful." Though he was usually laid back, battles between cultivators were no child's play; once one drew a weapon, they had to be prepared to die.

First Snow sensed Jiang Lin's intent. A flash of white light crossed the yard, and several heads fell to the ground as blood sprayed into the air.

Seeing the carnage, Youyou felt nauseated.

"You get inside too, you idiot!"

Jiang Lin grabbed the Cheng Huang by her hind legs and tossed her straight into the room. The [GUARD] scroll seemed to recognize her as an ally, allowing her to pass through.

"Young Master Si! Come in quickly!"

"You beast, stop stalling and get in here!"

Inside the house, Hu Shuang and Youyou were calling out anxiously, though Jiang Lin felt like they were being suggestive...

"Ice Seal the Nine Heavens!"

Ignoring the calls from within, Jiang Lin gulped down a blue potion from the system shop, reversed First Snow, and pointed his sword toward the heavens!

He drew his fingers along the crystal-clear blade with practiced ease. Frost rapidly enveloped the sword, and the surrounding water vapor condensed into tiny ice crystals!

"Come forth! My Great Dragon!"

A dragon’s roar shook the sky. The ice crystals coalesced, guided by spiritual energy into a massive ice dragon that coiled above the courtyard!

The ice dragon swept through, smashing and tearing apart assassin after assassin. Blood, already blurred by the scene, sprayed everywhere. Hu Shuang and Youyou turned away, unable to bear the gruesome sight.

Blood stained Jiang Lin’s white robes.

The ultimate move was exceptionally effective for crowd control.

In less than five minutes, all the remaining assassins were dead.

The blood that splattered onto the ground seemed to be sucked dry by the earth, soaking in rapidly. Even the blood dripping from Jiang Lin’s own wounds seemed to be pulled toward the ground, where it was absorbed and vanished.

Jiang Lin realized, if he wasn't mistaken, that the Blood Name Array had begun to activate, and all the blood shed in tonight's battle would serve as fuel for the formation.

"Stay inside, don't wander off, I..."

Just as Jiang Lin warned them not to move, he hadn't even finished his sentence when a massive shadow seemed to loom over him...

Hu Shuang and Youyou, inside the house, looked up at the sky in the distance, their eyes trembling in terror.

Jiang Lin slowly turned around...

"Holy shit," he blurted out.

Not far away, an eight-tailed black fox was growing larger and larger! Eventually, it blotted out the sun and moon, as if it could swallow the red moon in a single gulp...