Chapter Ninety-Three: All Because of a Candied Hawthorn Skewer

In Eastwood City, inside a pavilion, a veiled woman and two maidservants slowly entered an empty grand hall.

The hall was exquisitely appointed, with the refined air of scholars and men of letters. Incense burners filled with the fragrance of underworld flowers stood scattered throughout the chamber.

"I humbly request an audience with the Lord of the Demon Sect of Dugu."

Facing the empty hall, the tall and graceful woman inclined herself in a bow. Her lips did not move, yet a voice of enchanting allure drifted through the quiet expanse.

Though the white fox sisters behind her were deeply unwilling, they too bent their heads in reluctant salute.

No sooner had the woman's words faded than a mass of black mist appeared before her.

When the mist dispersed, an assassin in a mask and form-fitting night attire, unmistakably a woman, knelt on one knee before her.

"The sect lord is resting. If you do not mind, please allow me to lead you there."

"I appreciate your trouble."

"You honor me."

The female assassin rose and led the three of them to the seat of honor in the main hall. She thrust a dagger into the chair, and a hidden door slowly opened.

Passing through the secret entrance, the four descended step by step down a staircase. After the time it took a stick of incense to burn, they reached the bottom and found before them a vast square.

A massive formation had been carved into the ground. Along its grooves flowed dark crimson blood, as though it would never dry.

At the center of the formation was a cloud of black mist. Aside from the woman, the white fox sisters, who were skilled in illusion arts, could only sense that someone was within it; they could not tell whether it was male or female.

The female assassin bowed once more and withdrew as black mist.

Like a snow maiden, the woman in white also gestured for her attendants to remain where they were.

She stepped forward and entered the formation. Atop her silver-white hair sprouted two adorable white fox ears, and nine tails danced through the air like ribbons of silk.

Dressed in a white skirt, she seemed to leave a white lotus with every step, her embroidered shoes never once touching the blood-red formation beneath.

"Foxes are born to love purity. This place is too filthy. If you dislike it, you should not have come."

As the tall woman stood before the black mist, a voice spread out from within it. Its sex could not be discerned; neither male nor female could be made out.

"You are my best friend," the woman said softly, gazing at the figure within the mist. In her eyes were pity, regret, and a trace of helplessness. "Will you truly not stop?"

"What, are you afraid I'll fall into damnation beyond redemption?" the figure in the mist laughed softly. The mist stirred slightly, as if she had lifted her head. "You've already grown nine tails, and you still care so much about the mortal world?"

"I am a fox, after all," the woman replied with a gentle smile. "Foxes often prove themselves amid the mortal world."

"Is that so? My little darling?" the mist teased. "Even as a nine-tailed celestial fox in the immortal realm, how do you plan to step into the ascension realm?"

The woman's veil fluttered slightly. A faint smile curved her lips, her tone bright and light. "We've known each other for so many years. What do you think?"

"Do you want me to capture him alive?"

"No need to be so deliberate. Alive is fine, dead is fine too. But if possible, kill him. It is no matter."

"If I kill him, can you truly untie the knot in your heart?"

"Who knows?"

"And if he dies, yet the knot in your heart still cannot be undone, then what?"

"Then..." She thought like a little girl, silver-white eyes lifting adorably upward. "Then I will search for him life after life. At worst, I'll just kill him again and again."

"Why don't you do it yourself now?"

"For now... I don't really feel like it..."

Looking at the peerlessly beautiful woman beneath the veil, the one hidden in the black mist then turned her gaze to the woman's snow-bright hair. A wooden skewer was woven through the strands, which cascaded down like a waterfall. She could not help but shake her head.

"All for a candied hawthorn skewer?"

"Mhm."

Beneath the veil, the woman smiled brightly, her eyes crescenting like moons, enough to intoxicate a man. Her tone was playful, as though she would never grow up.

"All for a candied hawthorn skewer."

...

"Damn it, I'm exhausted."

At last arriving in Eastwood City, Jiang Lin flung himself onto the bed.

Last night, Jiang Lin felt as though he had borne a weight his age and cultivation should never have had to bear.

First, he fought that pair of white fox sisters to a stalemate, and then some girl above the Nascent Soul realm suddenly appeared to save the day. No, anyone who had cultivated to that level, apart from a genius like his own master, ought to be over a thousand years old already. So she should probably be called an old auntie.

Though he had been caught in an illusion from the start and had not been physically exhausted, his spirit was worn to the bone, and on top of that he had to spar wits with his senior sister.

Lying on the bed, Jiang Lin rubbed the corners of his eyes and, for the first time, felt that life was truly hard.

Ding...

Just as Jiang Lin closed his eyes to rest, the system's voice rang out.

[Detected that the host has entered Eastwood City and infiltrated the inner circle of Dragon Gate Sect. Mission complete. 6,000 infamy points have been credited, along with 3 hours of system training field time.
PS: The Eastwood City incident has been triggered. Missions will be issued at any time. Please keep an eye out.]

The system voice disappeared, and Jiang Lin sat up from the bed.

Since the system task was already complete, why was he still lingering in Dragon Gate Sect? Every extra second meant another fraction of a second of exposure risk.

Besides, the system never said he had to stay with the Dragon Gate Sect team forever, and he still had to meet the informant arranged by Aunt Lin.

Then leave it is!

Jiang Lin grabbed the dog, who was still gnawing on the chew stick he had exchanged from the system.

Clutching the chew stick, the husky looked cross-eyed at the human who had treated it rather well and was practically half its master.

[What is this master planning now?]

"Come on, doggy! Your master is taking you to the land of men’s dreams!"

With that, Jiang Lin carried the dog to the window, stepped onto the sill, and was about to fly out on his sword.

"Brother Si, should we go out for a stroll?"

Just as Jiang Lin was about to open his sealed spiritual apertures and release his life-bound flying sword, the door crashed open. Qian Xiao's voice came in from outside, and beside him stood two junior sisters from Dragon Gate Sect.

"Young Master Si, don't!"

"Young Master Si, don't do anything rash."

Seeing Jiang Lin on the verge of leaping from the window as if to take his own life, the two junior sisters went pale. They rushed over at once and hugged him, trying to drag him down from the sill.

It was as though Jiang Lin had been urinating in the wild, only to be seen by a girl, and in his fright had forced himself to stop halfway through. His opening spiritual apertures once again slammed shut.

With the sudden clash of energies, Jiang Lin's throat turned sweet, and blood leaked from the corner of his mouth.

"Brother Si, why have you come to this!"

"No, Brother Qian, listen to my explanation."

"Young Master, what hardship could drive you to this? Why would you be so desperate?"

"I'm not being desperate."

"Young Master, you're so handsome. If you die like this, what a pity that would be!"

"Wait! I'm not trying to kill myself... could you at least let go of me first..."

Jiang Lin, held fast by the three of them, was on the verge of tears, while only the dog remained there calmly licking its chew stick.

In the neighboring room, the woman who had sent the three of them to invite Jiang Lin out for a stroll was flipping through a book. Hearing the faint uproar drifting over, she could not help but smile gently.

"Idiot! Let's see if you dare lie to me again!"