I, Jiang Yida, Will Die for You, My Lady!

Black, pixelated blood sprayed from the wound on Jiang Lin's neck.

Along with Jiang Lin's pixelated head rolling to the ground, his unblinking eyes were filled with bewilderment and a black person question mark.

His body died and his Dao perished; Jiang Lin, already a Cave Mansion cultivator, transformed into countless specks of spiritual light, returning to nature...

The next moment, several black-clad men appeared before the woman.

"You! She has no grievance with you—why strike her down without mercy!"

The woman in the bamboo hat clutched her chest, blood slowly seeping from the corner of her mouth. Gazing at the dissipating corpse on the ground, her eyes brimmed with guilt, and her hatred for the black-clad men burned even fiercer.

"Heh, anyone connected to the Carefree Sect must die! What's more, she just saw your face!"

"You! I swear to cultivate the Thousand Autumns Grand Dream! I will avenge my clan's annihilation!"

"Avenge? You won't get the chance."

"That's right—if you behave and let us have our fun, we might let you die quickly."

One of the black-clad men licked his lips, step by step closing in.

Ding...

Just as the woman was about to burn jade and stone together with them, a crisp sound rang out from the night sky over Black Tortoise City, like a copper coin hitting the ground.

Jiang Lin, who had just revived on a nearby pavilion, was hiding on the eaves, covertly eating melons, when a streak of sword light flew straight toward him.

Jiang Lin dodged with the flow, landing gracefully.

"MMP, if I weren't so curious, I'd have revived farther away."

At this moment, Jiang Lin had donned a mask to conceal his handsome face.

But he had changed into a white robe for men. Under the moonlight, his slender figure still carried a few traces of elegance.

"Sir, do you intend to interfere?"

Looking at Jiang Lin, who now stood in white robes under the moonlight, exuding maximum presence, the black-clad man raised his sword, killing intent bared.

"Interfere? Actually, I'm just passing..."

"Sir, go quickly! You're no match for them! Even if I have to burn jade and stone together with them, I, Xiao Xueli, won't let them touch my purity!"

Jiang Lin: "???"

"It seems you really do want to play the hero saving the damsel."

"No, actually, I don't..."

"Take this!"

[I freaking—can't anyone let me finish a sentence?!]

Watching the sword light rushing toward him, Jiang Lin wanted to curse.

Wasn't he just eavesdropping and eating some melons? Were all villains in this world this decisive now? No extra chatter, just straight to fighting?

At that moment, the long sword was only 0.01 centimeters from Jiang Lin.

He thought about dodging, thought about getting killed again and respawning farther away—after all, this wasn't his business.

But...

A spring breeze lifted the girl's bamboo hat.

The moment he saw her face...

The mission... arrived.

[Ding...]

[Protagonist plot triggered: Protagonist Xiao Xueli, Direct Disciple of the Carefree Sect, gifted with extraordinary talent and a natural Supreme Bone. Her sect was destroyed by the Undefeated Demonic Sect, and she is now being hunted. Within a hundred years, protagonist Xiao Xueli will bloodwash all demonic sects across the Nine Provinces. Xiao Xueli will kill Host multiple times and scatter his ashes before attaining enlightenment and Ascension.]

"Clang!"

Just as the sword tip touched the fine hairs on Jiang Lin's brow, Jiang Lin grasped a flying sword and flicked the black-clad man's long sword away.

The flying sword was entirely translucent, like snow and ice, hovering beside Jiang Lin, radiating a brilliant, clear glow under the moonlight.

"A Natal Flying Sword! You're a Sword Cultivator!"

The black-clad man shouted, looking at the white-robed man gazing up at the moon.

Cultivators were divided into three types: ordinary cultivators, Sword Cultivators, and Pure Martial Warriors—who weren't technically cultivators but still were.

Sword Cultivators were the most lethal, the most unreasonable, and the hardest to qualify for among the three.

"Does it matter whether I'm a Sword Cultivator or not?"

Tilting his head forty-five degrees to look at the clear moonlight, Jiang Lin felt like crying.

Why was this happening?

Why could he run into a protagonist just by taking a walk? And even if he did, why did every protagonist have to wipe out all demonic sects, eventually dragging the Sun Moon Sect into it?

Sure, the Sun Moon Sect was a demonic sect, but their motto was "Attack the heart, don't kill the innocent," alright?

Did the Sun Moon Sect eat your rice or something?

"Since you're a Sword Cultivator, then state your name—I don't slay nameless nobodies!"

"Sun Moon Sect, Twin Pearl Peak, Jiang... Jiang Yida!"

Withdrawing his gaze from the sky, Jiang Lin looked back at the pale, delicate girl behind him.

"Sun Moon Sect? Hahaha, so you're that disciple of the Sun Moon Sect who only plays with people's hearts and never kills anyone? Hahaha, also a member of the Demon Sect, sure your Sun Moon Sect is a bit of an oddball, but since when did you start playing the righteous hero?"

The Black-Clad Man twirled his sword with a flourish, dripping with cringe.

"Kid, out of respect for being in the same trade, I'll spare you today. Get lost now, don't mess up my big plan!"

"Big plan?"

"Of course! My Skyfire Cannon is about to blow, you know? Scram, or do you want a piece of the action too? That's not impossible—one hundred Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, and I'll let you go second."

"Boss, no way, I want to go second."

"Nonsense! Boss, I'm the one going second."

"All of you, shut up!" The Black-Clad Man barked, and his underlings instantly fell silent. He looked at Jiang Lin with a slight smile. "What do you say?"

Jiang Lin shook his head, looking at them with sympathy, as if they were idiots: "You won't touch her."

"Why not?"

"Because! I'm here! Though I'm of the Demon Sect, my heart is set on justice!"

Jiang Lin gripped the snow-white, Clear Longsword in hand, his long hair flowing, quite the Manifestation of Sainthood.

Since ancient times, which protagonist ever got defiled by some random villain underling? Which one didn't counter-kill across realms, find life in desperate straits, then suddenly comprehend something and explode through a breakthrough...

But all this, Jiang Lin could only keep bottled up inside—he couldn't say it out loud, and even if he did, they wouldn't believe him.

Jiang Lin felt that what he could do was, before this protagonist awakened, quickly farm some favorability.

"What did you say?"

"Kid, our boss was nice enough to befriend you, and you don't know when to quit!"

"Take him out!"

"Go!"

Jiang Lin was about to spout some more cringe, justice-overflowing lines when the Black-Clad Man's three underlings didn't give him the chance—they charged straight at him.

"Miss! Remember! Not everyone in the Demon Sect is a villain! I, Jiang Yida, am willing to die for you!"

"Young Master, don't!"

"Kill!"

Jiang Lin shouted as he charged forward. Holy crap! This was way too cringe, but...

He glanced sideways at the girl kneeling on the ground, her eyes full of worry—seemed like the effect wasn't bad.

"Clang... clang... bang... bang..."

"Muda... muda... muda... muda..."

Jiang Lin gripped his sword and clashed fiercely with the Black-Clad Man's three underlings. All at the Cave Mansion Realm, the three Black-Clad Men and Jiang Lin fought in a stalemate that was once very intense.

But after ten breaths, Jiang Lin emerged victorious. And just as he was about to throw out a few more lines, a palm struck out in a sneak attack, slamming into Jiang Lin's back.

Jiang Lin spat blood and collapsed in front of the girl...