You... You actually... You're despicable!

"Young Master Jiang! No!"

The girl named Xiao Xueli cast aside her bamboo hat, tightly embracing Jiang Lin in her arms, her slender fingers gently stroking the blood at the corner of his mouth.

At this moment, the villain who had just ambushed them seemed to lag out, staring at the sentimental pair.

"Miss... I... uh... I..."

Jiang Lin raised his hand to touch Xiao Xueli's cheek... but his strength gave out, and his arm fell limp...

"Why would you go this far for a stranger like me, Young Master?"

Tears dripped onto Jiang Lin's face, her pale, delicate features taking on an even more fragile beauty.

"Though the Sun Moon Sect is... is a Demon Sect... I, Jiang Yida... though I am... a disciple of the Demon Sect... I still have my principles. Seeing injustice on the road, I lend a hand... that is my... Jiang Yida's principle... uh..."

Jiang Lin coughed up another mouthful of blood. At this moment, he felt like he was about to die again, but before dying, he had to finish his speech.

"Young Master Jiang, don't speak anymore, don't speak anymore... Xueli will surely heal you."

"No, it's... it's too late now..." Jiang Lin grasped the girl's soft, boneless hand, his eyes deep and affectionate, "Pity that I... Yida can no longer protect you, Miss... Miss... I'm... sorry..."

Jiang Lin's hands fell limp, his head rolling to the side from the crook of the girl's arm, even the regretful, unwilling tone of his final words perfectly delivered...

But...

"Young Master Jiang, you are not allowed to die!"

Just as Jiang Lin planned to die quickly and respawn far away, the girl closed her eyes and struck a palm into Jiang Lin's body.

"Hmm???"

Jiang Lin was already ready to see his life flash before his eyes, but a warm current protected his heart meridian. Not only that, this warmth began to repair his injuries from the inside out.

In less than three breaths, Jiang Lin actually felt his condition stabilize.

Holy crap! Isn't this too much of a cheat?

Sensing something off about the girl's state and Jiang Lin's condition, the Black-Clad Leader finally reconnected, thrusting a sword at the girl and Jiang Lin.

Jiang Lin sensed the sword aura, but his injuries were too severe to open his eyes or move, making it impossible to truly block that strike for Xiao Xueli.

Just as the sword was about to touch the girl, her eyes snapped open, and a massive shockwave sent the Black-Clad Leader flying, even messing up Jiang Lin's hair...

"You... you are..."

Jiang Lin felt himself being gently set down, then a flash of overwhelming sword intent, and then... all sound vanished... the Black-Clad Leader lay dead ten meters away.

"This man is quite handsome, maybe he'd suit that little lass Xueli well."

A cool, smiling voice sounded beside Jiang Lin. Though he knew it came from the girl's mouth, the timbre and tone were completely different.

Could it be...

This made Jiang Lin think of the old man lurking in the protagonist's ring or the old grandma possessing the protagonist...

"So young and already at the peak of the Cave Mansion Realm, not bad, not bad. Pity that little lass Xueli still has important matters to attend to, can't let romantic entanglements hinder her cultivation."

Feeling a soft hand reach into his chest, it seemed his clothes were being undone?

Just as Jiang Lin was thinking about refusing, another warm current flowed into his body, feeling like a full-body massage, extremely comfortable.

By the time this warm current had cycled through two minor circuits, most of his injuries had healed.

Jiang Lin slowly opened his eyes; he could actually move...

"Thank you, Senior, for saving my life."

Jiang Lin struggled to stand, cupping his fist in salute.

"Senior? Why not call me 'miss' anymore?" Xiao Xueli's lips curled slightly, a playful gaze sizing up Jiang Lin.

"This junior wouldn't dare. Had I known that Senior was protecting this young lady within her, I wouldn't have overstepped my bounds."

"Knowing it was impossible yet doing it anyway—good, young man. Regardless, you saved her with your life. This Seat and that little lass Xueli owe you a favor. This Seat grants you one request. Even if it can't be fulfilled today, it can be later. Speak, what do you want?"

"Contributing to a better society is what this junior ought to do. Seeing injustice on the road and roaring out, striking when it's time to strike—that is also my principle. Though I am a member of the Demon Sect, I have the heart of a model youth, so this junior..."

[Ding...]

Just as Jiang Lin was about to cement his glorious, towering image as a model youth, the system's prompt rang out again in his mind! Jiang Lin, mid-sentence, nearly choked. Honestly, if he weren't afraid of mutual destruction with the system, he'd really want to send it a few burning incense sticks.

[Quest Triggered: The Strong Soul hidden within the protagonist Xiao Xueli has appeared. How can the Host, aspiring to become the world's great villain, stand still?]

[Quest: 1. Due to healing the Host, the target's spiritual power is detected to be depleted. This is the best opportunity. Please tackle the target and use your tongue to wildly lick her face, showing her what it means to be a man! 2. The target has offered repayment. Please shamelessly demand that she give herself to you in return!]

[Choose! 3... 2... 1...]

"System! You're ** (Vulgar Language) done for!"

Jiang Lin cursed wildly in his mind, but the countdown had already begun...

Detecting that the Host has not made a choice, the Host will be forcibly controlled to execute Option One. Please be mindful, Host...

No good!

"Senior!"

At the system's final second, Jiang Lin's body uncontrollably performed a Heavenly King Covers Earthly Tiger dive to the ground, a genuine head-first crash that startled the girl's delicate frame into a shudder.

"Young Master Jiang, there's no need for this. Please, rise and speak."

"No! If you won't agree, Senior, I won't get up!"

"Young Master Jiang... Could it be that the Sun Moon Sect holds some leverage over you, forcing you to join against your will? Do you want me to help you escape them?"

"No, the Sun Moon Sect's people are simple and honest. I joined of my own free will."

"Then does Young Master Jiang have an enemy you cannot coexist with, someone you need my help to deal with?"

"No, I've been an orphan since childhood. I can't even remember what my parents looked like..."

"Then what is it, Young Master Jiang?"

"Senior! I—!"

Suddenly, Jiang Lin lunged forward. Before the other could react, he transformed into the River Lord and frantically used his Q-skill on her.

Slap! A crisp sound rang through the street. Jiang Lin's right cheek bore a stinging handprint.

He looked up. Xiao Xueli was staring at him, her face flushed crimson. "You... you actually... you're despicable!"

With that, Xiao Xueli covered her mouth and flew far away...

Touching his burning cheek, watching the girl's receding figure, Jiang Lin felt deeply melancholy... Not just melancholy—his first kiss was gone, lost on this very night.

He let out a soft sigh and looked up at the moon...

He had truly provoked the protagonist. No matter how he explained, it was hopeless. This was the end.