On the street, the two sides stared daggers at each other, trading looks as if to say, What are you looking at? I'm looking at you, so what? For a moment, they fell into silence.
"Brother Jiang! This is a good deal! You're a shrewd man—could it be that you have another plan?"
Middle Five Realm cultivators could use Heart-Lake Transmission. Fang Chaoqun looked at Jiang Lin in bewilderment.
How had this fellow, who had once stolen and sold undershorts with him, suddenly started playing the good guy?
Jiang Lin: "Brother Fang! There's something you don't know. I came here after accepting the [Disrupt the Sect Competition] mission, and I have a grand plan. This person is my stepping stone. I have to help him first."
"A grand plan?" Fang Chaoqun looked at Jiang Lin and carefully examined his feminine attire. He had been too shocked to notice it before.
But now that he took a closer look, he had to admit—it had a charm all its own. Suddenly, Fang Chaoqun understood!
Brother Jiang had definitely come to Black Tortoise City to disrupt the Sect Competition. And Brother Jiang intended to disguise himself as a woman and infiltrate Dragon Gate Sect, using his beauty to sow discord between the sect's senior and junior brothers, even driving them to draw their blades against each other for a "beauty," thereby ruining their Dao hearts!
Fang Chaoqun sighed inwardly and used Heart-Lake Transmission: "As expected of Brother Jiang! Your schemes are so meticulous! I can only think of the ruse of staging an accident. I'm truly ashamed."
"No, no, no. Earlier, I merely mentioned 'staging an accident' to Brother Fang in passing. But I never expected you to wield it with such consummate skill. I'm truly impressed. Still, I'll have to trouble Brother Fang to cooperate with me a little this time."
"Since it's Brother Jiang asking, I certainly won't refuse. But as for the future division of the undershorts..."
"I'll take four, you take six!"
"Hahaha, since Brother Jiang has put it that way, then I, Fang Chaoqun, will definitely help you with this!"
Just as the two stared at each other, nearly sparking flames between them, Fang Chaoqun swept out his wide sleeve.
"Girl, let's go!"
"Eh? But, big brother..."
"There are no buts. For the sake of Jiang... this girl, let's go..."
Fang Chaoqun said no more and hurried away. Although his sister was still utterly bewildered, she followed him all the same.
None of the onlookers understood what had happened. Qin Xiao could only guess that the girl might have just spoken to him telepathically, but he had no idea what she had said. Still, this girl had truly helped him. This was a debt of gratitude!
"Miss, I'm Qin Xiao of Dragon Gate Sect. Thank you very much for coming to my aid." As the crowd dispersed, Qin Xiao cupped his hands in salute. "If you don't mind, may I invite you to have a cup of tea as a token of my gratitude?"
Jiang Lin put on a look of astonishment, his "beautiful eyes" widening dramatically. "Qin Xiao? Dragon Gate Sect? Could you be the Brother Qin that my elder brother often mentioned?"
"Your elder brother is?"
"Alas... my elder brother... Jiang Lin..."
Inside the teahouse, Jiang Lin, dressed as a woman, sat facing Qin Xiao at a tea table by the window. Meanwhile, Chen Jia had taken Nan Xiaoman back to the inn at Jiang Lin's instruction.
"Alas... I never thought, Girl Jiang, that your elder brother would actually be... Alas... What a pity... What a tragedy..."
Upon hearing that this girl named Jiang Xin was Jiang Lin's younger sister, Qin Xiao's eyes couldn't help growing moist.
Although he had spent less than a year with Jiang Lin, the memories of catching wild rabbits together, discussing swordsmanship together, playing Flying Chess together, and admiring the moon together on the roof of the female cultivators' dormitory were still vivid.
It could be said that it was Jiang Lin who had livened up the atmosphere in Dragon Gate Sect in the span of a single year.
But who could have imagined that Jiang Lin would turn out to be a member of the Demon Sect, steal the Dragon Vein, and finally die by Senior Sister Lin's sword?
Listening to Qin Xiao's sighs, "Jiang Xin" wiped away a tear, her voice mournful.
"Although my elder brother was a member of the Demon Sect, he truly did love Dragon Gate Sect. It was only a pity that he had sunk too deeply into the game and could no longer turn back. Stealing the Dragon Vein was also an order from his sect. I believe my elder brother's heart must have been deeply conflicted. And to die by Fairy Lin's sword... I think that was my elder brother's dearest wish..."
As she spoke, Jiang Lin's tears began to patter down. Qin Xiao also lowered his head and wiped away his tears.
Just as Qin Xiao raised his head, wanting to say something to comfort this "girl," a woman as ethereal as an immortal appeared behind Jiang Xin without him noticing.
The girl wore a long gauze dress of pale green. Her jet-black hair was coiled into a bun, then spilled down her back like black silk, reaching just above her waist. Her exquisite face bore no makeup, yet remained flawless, while her delicate curves wound gracefully like a meandering stream.
At that moment, the woman's eyes were already faintly red.
"Senior Sister Lin..."
Qin Xiao hurriedly rose and saluted.
At the same time, Jiang Lin—who had been covering his face with both sleeves while smearing onion juice into his eyes—was also startled.
Damn it! I got too deep into the act and didn't even notice Senior Sister Lin arrive!
"Fairy Lin, I'm Jiang Xin."
Jiang Lin rose and bowed to Lin Qingwan with reddened eyes.
"You're Jiang Lin's younger sister?"
Lin Qingwan looked at Jiang Lin, her eyes already brimming with tears.
"Yes."
"Your brother was killed by me. A life for a life. Kill me." Lin Qingwan held out her long sword and calmly looked at Jiang Lin.
In her eyes, Jiang Lin saw deep sorrow and regret, along with despair toward the mortal world...
Jiang Lin accepted the sword and looked at Lin Qingwan's fair neck. He shook his head, tossed the sword aside, and pulled a letter he had prepared long ago from within his sleeve.
"Fairy Lin, just as I said, my elder brother's death at your hands was his dearest wish. But if Fairy Lin's Dao heart shatters because of my elder brother, leaving you forever cut off from the Great Dao, that would be the last thing he wished to see. Please read this letter. My elder brother asked me to deliver it to Elder Sister Lin."
At the sight of the envelope, the ever-cold Lin Qingwan's eyes trembled, as if she were about to burst into tears the next moment.
She slowly tore open the envelope. Familiar handwriting once again appeared before the girl's eyes:
[Senior Sister Lin, by the time you read this letter, I think I will already have left. But please, Senior Sister, don't grieve. Don't hate the Demon Sect, and don't hate everything in this world. Senior Sister Lin, you are the most beautiful girl I have ever met, and also the gentlest. If there is a next life, I will definitely still be your junior brother.
Senior Sister, do you know? What I love seeing most is the way you look when you teach me swordsmanship. Unfortunately, in this life, Jiang Lin cannot ascend hand in hand with you. But please carry what belongs to Jiang Lin with you, and live well.
—Jiang Lin]
"Jiang Lin... Jiang Lin... Jiang Lin..."
Clutching the letter to her chest, the girl sank to the ground like an unfolding lotus. Her peerless face was twisted with grief, so heartbreaking that it made one's heart ache...
"Please, Fairy Lin, carry my elder brother's share with you and work hard to live well!"
Seeing how deeply the other woman grieved for him, Jiang Lin was moved as well. But prolonged pain was worse than a quick cut. Rather than let her smash open the Demon Sect's gates and scatter his ashes to the winds, it was better for them to become strangers scattered to the ends of the earth.
However, just as Jiang Lin was about to leave, the mission's voice suddenly rang out.
[Detected that the host toyed with the feelings of the protagonist, Lin Qingwan. Notoriety Points +1000. Hidden mission "Go One Step Further" triggered.] [Hidden Mission—Go One Step Further: 1. Remove your women's clothing, laugh loudly at Lin Qingwan, and shout, "I was only messing with you, you little fool!" 2. Admit that you are Jiang Lin, then viciously insult Lin Qingwan, making her lose all face, and take advantage of her!] [Host, please choose. If no choice is made after three seconds, the system will force the host to carry out one of the options.] [3... 2... 1...]
"System! I ***(vulgarity)"
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