It's so painful! So hard! So difficult!

"The people I'm waiting for have arrived." Bai Lin smiled slightly. The magic light that Nowen had just cast was clearly a good sign of location. If the two cats and one of them were not asleep in a dream, they would definitely gather here. Perhaps they had encountered some trouble, but Bai Lin had clearly heard their footsteps and calls.

"Looks like my people are faster, rats in black sacks." Bai Lin opened her tiger's mouth and made a gesture with her index finger pointing down, but then, a rapid alarm bell rang in her mind. Bai Lin clearly judged that this was a fatal attack. She pushed Fei'er away in panic and strode towards Andel and the others, shouting at the same time,

"Danger, retreat!"

Bai Lin raised his shield once again, barely catching up. A dark shadow, like thunderbolt, plummeted from the sky to the ground at breakneck speed. It brought with it the sharp, circular force of the Grim Reaper's scythe, striking Bai Lin's shield fiercely. Although he managed to hold onto the shield, Bai Lin still took two steps back.

If she had raised her shield a little later, her head would have fallen off. Bai Lin could clearly feel that several trees had fallen down around her at the right time. The shadow that launched the attack turned slightly to the side, then turned his head and looked at Bai Lin, grinning and speaking in an extremely unpleasant and arrogant tone.

"But the reinforcements on our side are stronger."

His short lavender hair covered his eyes, but in this posture, his dark yellow pupils were revealed. Bai Lin, who met his gaze, felt a sudden discomfort in his chest, as if he was being watched as prey, which was extremely unpleasant. Obviously, after meeting him several times, Bai Lin could also determine his identity at a glance.

"Xifa, I remember your name is this. Why, are you here to kill me again this time?"

Bai Lin glanced at the other side briefly, and after confirming that the three teammates who had just arrived were fine, he said this, trying to attract his attention. As expected, Xifa turned around and replied,

"Your voice...as expected, it's you at the office."

"Oh? It seems you're very persistent with me. This is the third time. A man who pursues a girl too persistently will never win her heart."

It seemed that Xifa did know what Bai Lin looked like without his armor, so it was obvious that he was hunting her for some inexplicable reason, and his intelligence chain was very rich. Although Bai Lin had long expected these assassins to have their own intelligence chain, she had not expected that they could lock onto her so accurately.

Xifa didn't react to Bai Lin's provocative waffling. "What an interesting girl. I'm indeed curious about you. How did you survive last time? Let me think..."

"Ah...you are not the legendary immortal, a vampire or something. Thinking about it, the last time I saw you in that magic office was after dusk." Xifa became more and more excited as he thought about it, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. Then he took two steps forward without any murderous intent, spread his hands, and said to Bai Lin,

"I say, you're quite capable, why don't you join us? Just give up your so-called companions—in exchange for the most free and noble job in history. What do you think?"

Bai Lin pretended to retch, raised his hand to the mouth position corresponding to his helmet, and then slowly replied,

"I've always believed that there's a limit to how thick-skinned one can be. If you've come all this way just to provoke me, then let's start the fight right away!"

Her tone became more and more intense, and then she raised her weapon. Xifa laughed and said,

"Don't get me wrong. Whether we're recruiting you or killing you, these are just additional items this time. Our real target is her."

"Her?" Bai Lin looked in the direction of Xifa's finger and saw Fei'er standing beside her. Bai Lin's expression suddenly became serious. She asked,

"what happened?"

"Thank you so much, Hero Bai Lin. I can't thank you enough for bringing my target out after living in the inn for over a year."

Xifa said this to Bai Lin, and Bai Lin's expression became more serious and confused.

Chapter 241 Light versus Dark

"One year... What do you mean? Isn't Faile an adventurer?"

Xifa gave a wicked smile and said, "So, the guy who just arrived in the city is quite calculating. We actually filled out her recruitment information, and she has been living in that house for who knows how long."

What? Bai Lin turned to Fei'er for confirmation. Fei'er understood Bai Lin's confusion and nodded hesitantly.

Damn it, after all the calculations, I'm still the one to blame. Bai Lin felt a headache, she said that after getting along with Fei'er, she didn't think she was a bad person, so why would she prioritize violence right from the start?

"I really want to see what expression you have under your helmet, Bai Lin."

Bai Lin gritted her teeth in anger. No matter what, she had been the one who had pulled Fei'er out. Although she didn't know why she was targeted, she certainly had some responsibility. Besides, this group of people weren't the kind that could be solved by simply handing Fei'er over. They would eliminate all witnesses, something she was very familiar with.

"Your face is definitely not worse than when you were punched several blocks away by Kong. But you should stop talking nonsense after defeating me once."

Bai Lin raised his sword and shield, ready to fight at any time. The opponent had two people in the open, and an unknown number in the dark. The tactics seemed very simple at the moment.

Concentrate on fighting and prioritize elimination. Although this is a very safe tactic, if the team members are dispersed, it will only lead to an even more embarrassing situation.

"Don't you understand yet? Your ridicule is meaningless. It's better to maintain some image to complement your own identity. Even if I was defeated by Kong, so what?"

Although his words were still firm, Xifa's tone gradually began to harden. With his free hand, he brushed the hair away from his right eye. The ominous dark yellow iris startled everyone, as if they had glimpsed a ferocious beast in the darkness, leaving them feeling apprehensive.

"I've been warned countless times that the lady boss is a dangerous figure shrouded in mystery. Now it seems she's nothing more than that. You know, the mission you're doing now was commissioned by someone I arranged. In the end, she was just a pawn in my trap. How do you feel now, hero?"

Xifa's smile gradually became more sinister. Although the word "brilliant" wasn't quite right, he looked genuinely happy. He was very strong, both in terms of information and strength, and gave Bai Lin an extremely overwhelming sense of oppression, but how to put it...

This clichéd villain confession was a far cry from the previous one. To be honest, it was a bit off-key. Perhaps he was stimulated by something. Bai Lin didn't have much mood to think about the opponent's inner thoughts. She continued Xifa's dialogue and replied,

"My feelings are still the same as before... Why, are you so confident? I brought reliable people with me this time, but I..."

Xifa released his hand, and his tone became gentler, but it made people feel more dangerous. He said slowly,

"Then you have to take good care of this team that has only been formed for two or three days, Captain Bai Lin. Don't just watch them fall apart."

Apparently, Xifa was also very proficient in taunting, but Bai Lin didn't pay much attention to it. Her inner thinking was that the fewer teammates, the better. Against such an opponent, their team's actions would be difficult to achieve, and a momentary slackness would likely result in casualties.

If she had died alone, she would have died, no big deal. But whether it was her teammates who trusted her so much or the two cat spirit guests, she didn't want to see anyone die.

"He looks down on you, brothers." Bai Lin shouted, "What are you going to do?"

"Needless to say, Captain, of course we should beat all these guys to pieces!" Qinuofu was even in the mood to interrupt at this time, as if she had no fear at all.

"Yes, I agree. Brother Nowen, now it's your turn to use the spear."

After agreeing with Qinofu's words, Grell teased Nowen. Nowen, who had a bit of fear on his face, swallowed his saliva, then tightened his grip on the weapon in his hand and replied,

"Well, I also have a lot of passion to vent."

Bai Lin was very satisfied with this situation. At least none of them asked questions like "Can we sacrifice Fei'er if she was the one who was stabbed?" She looked at Xifa and said,

"It seems that my teammates are much more powerful than your ragtag group."

Xifa glanced at everyone approvingly, "That's true, but how long can your enthusiasm last?"

As he spoke, a sinister gust of wind blew up from behind Xifa, and a gloomy feeling gradually spread from the darkness. The shadow dissolved in the darkness gradually grew larger, then took shape, revealing its claws and body.

A shadowy figure, like a wolf, appeared behind Xifa, its arms folded, swept by the wind. Bai Lin fully realized that this meant a battle was about to begin. Grell drew a short knife from his back; this wasn't the right place for a bow and arrow. Norwen prepared his spear, and Andel and Fei'er drew their swords simultaneously.

Unfortunately, the weapons of the two cat girls are still with me. I have to find a suitable opportunity to give them to them. Bai Lin saw that everyone was ready for battle. As the captain, the most important thing he should do is,

Pre-war mobilization and issuing orders,

"Everyone, listen!" She shouted in an extremely resolute and heroic voice, "The tactics are—"

"with full force!"

Almost instantly, no one stood still. The werewolf's shadow met the two men, and the assassin farthest away also lunged forward, trying to join the fight.

With a clang, the assassin's blade was blocked, and his sword collided violently with the unknown substance, producing a large amount of sparks. When the assassin looked closely, he found that it was a hand holding something, attacking him.

Fei'er stared at the assassin with her calm blue eyes, and with a force of her arm, she pushed him away. This time, she held the knife in her backhand, and the blade and the corners of her eyes simultaneously shone with moonlight. She held a different demeanor than usual and declared,

"Your opponent is me."

"Oh?" The assassin was puzzled for a moment, then raised his blade and said with interest, "Since you dare to stop me, you must be able to please me well, right?"

Faile didn't answer, but she leaned down, signaling her fighting spirit. The assassin narrowed his eyes, as if trying to see through something, but ultimately, he caught nothing. He vanished, and battled with Faile.

Chapter 242 Group Fight

Almost the moment she sensed the murderous intent, Bai Lin had already left her spot again, breaking free and dashing towards her teammates. Unsettled, Bai Lin barely managed to block Xifa's blade with her shield, but in her haste, she was unable to block his next blow, breaking her defensive stance.

Xifa then slashed at Bai Lin with another sword strike. Bai Lin gritted her teeth. Although she didn't have time to block with her shield, if she retreated to dodge, her teammates would be stabbed. So, she raised her sword and switched from defense to offense. Although her injuries might be more serious than Xifa's, this exchange of blood tactics could at least buy her teammates some time.

With a thud, Bai Lin's armor deflated. The heavy, sharp sword didn't pierce her armor, but it did cause her to groan. The intense pain in her flank prevented Bai Lin's attack from hitting her. She was already inferior to Xifa in speed, and because of her physical condition, he left her further behind.

But, to Bai Lin's surprise, she didn't feel Xifa's pursuit. When she looked up, she saw Xifa holding a dagger in his other hand, thrusting it towards Qinoli, who stood calmly. Qinoli raised his hand high, as if in a defensive position.

"Stop, hurry..." Bai Lin was about to scream at the top of her lungs to stop Qinoli when the collision was complete. A grinding metal-on-metal sound echoed from Qinoli's arm. Looking closely, the connection glowed a green light similar to her eye color.

That light wasn't meant to illuminate the surroundings, but rather a fluorescent main body, more like a technological skeleton. The fluorescent green light covered Qinoli's arm, and the area where Xifa's dagger came into contact was blocked by some unknown black metal.

Qinoli's eyes were the same as usual, as if he didn't take Xifa's attack seriously. Xifa, on the other hand, seemed to be gritting his teeth. He didn't use the sword in his other hand, but insisted on using his dagger to break through this layer of defense, as if he was fighting a battle.

How is this possible? Is this cat girl even more powerful than me? Bai Lin couldn't help but wonder. With the help of the green light, she grasped the secret of the connection. The black metal continued to produce debris, mixed with sparks, and continuously collided with Xifa's sharp blade.

It wasn't that Xifa's strength was inferior to that of the cat girl, and that she couldn't penetrate, but that the strange metal was constantly regenerating, thus resisting Xifa's blade. Obviously, Xifa, the person in charge, hadn't figured this out yet. Bai Lin quickly took advantage of this opportunity to issue orders.

"Qinuofu, can you observe all the surrounding environment and information?"

Qinuofu nodded and said, "No problem, leave it to me." Then she began to chant.

Seeing that something was wrong, Xifa loosened his grip, then pulled out a few hidden weapons from his sleeves and hurled them at Qinuofu with a shrill cry. Bai Lin rushed forward with a knife in hand, unleashing the energy she had just accumulated, and reluctantly wrestled with Xifa.

Andel stood up and waved her hand lightly. All the hidden weapons fell to the ground with clanging sounds.

"As a fellow assassin, let me avenge my comrades' deaths this time." Andel took a deep breath. Although her tone was calm, the words were filled with heaviness. She rolled over and simultaneously flung a hidden weapon from her right hand in a feint attack.

She was not worried at all about accidentally hurting Bai Lin, after all, she was wearing heavy armor, but Xifa was different. Not to mention how much skin was exposed, at least it looked like he was only wrapped in a layer of cloth. No matter how powerful he was, he should be afraid of the toxins of hidden weapons.

Xifa, who was currently engaging Bai Lin, raised his head and exerted a powerful force, knocking Bai Lin back two steps. He then raised his dagger and engaged Andel's dagger with a short hilt, then raised his longsword. Bai Lin, his hands numb, seized the opportunity, lowered his shoulders, and with a powerful, unstoppable kick, he perfectly knocked Xifa's sword out of his hand, though a hole was opened in his leg armor, leaving him injured.

But how could this little injury stop Bai Lin? Xifa, with a frown on his face, had just repelled Andel when Bai Lin's torrential rain of attacks came towards him.

Frenzy Slash

The unpredictable and chaotic attack pounded Xifa fiercely. Although it was a difficult move to dodge, Xifa still scoffed at it. With such absolute strength overwhelming Bai Lin, he only needed to concentrate a little to break the move.

Bai Lin was of course well aware of this. So she suddenly disappeared at the climax of her attack.

Secret Law Circle

After reaching a certain level of mastery in the secret technique, she was finally able to use it against Xifa. A hint of panic crossed Xifa's face. In a fierce fight, the sudden disappearance of an opponent was truly terrifying. His blade stabbed into the air, and Bai Lin reappeared in an unexpected manner.

"I got you!" Bai Lin dropped her knife and, with a lower center of gravity, grabbed Xifa with both hands. Although Bai Lin's current physical condition was not good, her strength and speed had already widened to a point where Xifa was far behind. But with just a moment's negligence, Bai Lin still managed to complete the move.

Xifa's only option now was to pierce Bai Lin's brain with the dagger in an instant, but it was obvious that before he could do so, his lower limbs had already left the ground. The fear of his body hanging in the air made him temporarily forget about counterattacks, and instead he immediately wanted to step back to get his feet on the ground.

His struggle was clearly too much for Bai Lin to handle. Even if he managed to throw Xifa to the ground, Bai Lin would still be seriously injured. So, the moment Xifa's waist bridge formed, Bai Lin released his right hand.

Another moment of imbalance allowed Bai Lin to land three jabs, striking Xifa's forehead, nose, and jaw, effectively knocking him unconscious for half a second. Bai Lin's combo wasn't over yet! She shifted her stance, releasing her left hand and delivering a powerful punch to Xifa's face.

Suddenly, a massive roar echoed from the ground. The cracked earth and shattered weeds rebounded, lifting Xifa's upper body. Bai Lin delivered a magnificent kick, directly striking Xifa in the back of the head. With a terrifying thud, Xifa's body, along with his head, rolled several meters away.

Bai Lin took the opportunity to pick up the blade, and after taking a moment to catch his breath, he continued to chase.

Chapter 243 Cross-linking Hands

Although her breathing wasn't stable enough and her body wasn't in good enough condition to execute an optimal attack, Xifa's condition certainly wasn't optimistic. Bai Lin was certain her attack had inflicted significant damage on Xifa, which was why she had dared to drop her weapon earlier.

At this moment when neither the enemy nor us are in good health, giving our all to pursue the enemy is the most likely opportunity to win. Bai Lin swept the knife across the shield, and the ignited fire illuminated the surroundings, allowing her to accurately discover Xifa's location.

Her expression suddenly froze, and Xifa, who had fallen to the ground, suddenly revealed a strange smile. But Bai Lin still did not hesitate at all and swung the blade directly.

The flames appeared, sweeping across the forest. The blinding light made everyone's eyes turn white, and the roaring sound gradually turned into a humming sound in their ears. Before Bai Lin's ears were completely invaded by the sound, she heard a low humming sound like the whisper of a Xifa demon, which occupied her entire brain.

Exile Holy Flame

Bai Lin's body suddenly flew outward, her armor blasted with large holes and scattered with charred debris. Her eyes were tightly closed, clearly unconscious. The burns on her body, though not deep, covered a large area of ​​her skin. She fell heavily to the ground in the distance, unconscious.

"Bai Lin!" After Andel raised her hands to protect herself, she saw the figure flying out in the black smoke. She wanted to rush to Bai Lin's side, but the opponent in front of her made her even more wary.

Aundair knew very well that she couldn't let her emotions get the better of her. She raised her eyes and looked ahead, only to see Nasifa's arms stretched stiffly from the ground. His limbs were mechanically standing up, relying solely on his legs to support his waist. This posture made Aundair frown.

Is this guy a monster? Judging from Bai Lin's previous attack, even some knight commanders would not be able to escape unscathed after swallowing it completely. How could an assassin like him achieve such a level?

Suddenly, there was another "bang," and a dark shadow slammed into Xifa, who was about to stand up. He fell to the ground again. Andel's face turned into shock. After the dark shadow had regained its balance, it immediately turned around, raising its leg high, not afraid of exposing itself, ready to strike down.

The swift figure that suddenly erupted was an unexpected character. Unarmed and tattered, their seemingly frail bodies gave the impression, despite the fact that their identities were clearly stated, that they were not particularly adept at fighting.

The catgirl, Qinoli, was striking the fallen Xifa with her limbs, hammering at him with a speed comparable to Bai Lin's. With two loud bangs, Xifa, looking slightly panicked, rolled to his feet, his fist colliding with Qinoli's following swinging punch.

Qinoli's fist was defeated, and she turned to connect with a jab, but was hit in the face by Xifa. The latter followed up the attack and thrust the dagger directly into Qinoli's abdomen. Qinoli jumped away to avoid it and resumed her stance.

"That's a bit tricky... Among humans, you must be an extremely powerful person. Why do you choose a career like assassination?"

Qinoli's cold green pupils emitted a strange light in the moonlight. She looked at Xifa and asked calmly.

"You can't easily judge the human world, little kitten. Tell me, if I kill you here, will your kind find out? Will they seek revenge? If they do, I'll be in trouble."

As if Qinoli was subtly criticizing Xifa for his dishonorable profession, Xifa said with a hint of sarcasm, "Let me offer a constructive suggestion. How about it? If you two kittens are willing to leave these humans, I promise not to hunt you down anymore. How about that?"

"Tsk, don't underestimate the Cat Spirits." Qinoli said with disdain. Although she always appeared to be a very calm type, facing this kind of opponent, she was a little helpless for a moment.

"It's rare for me to show mercy, but you don't appreciate it... I have no choice but to clean up after you all."

Xifa shook his head helplessly, scooped up the black medium-length sword from the ground with his foot, and held it in his hand, facing Qinoli. Qinoli raised his fists and confronted him without any fear.

At this time, Bai Lin also struggled to get up from the ground. She walked over slowly with her weapon raised with some difficulty, and said with a slightly sarcastic tone,

"I didn't expect you could cast spells, holy light spells at that. I'd like to ask you, why do you do this? Is the salary high?"

Xifa's eyes narrowed, and he passed through his hair and made eye contact with Bai Lin. He seemed a little impatient and said with murderous intent,

"Watch out for your own life, brave man. Although I already expected that you wouldn't take much damage from that blow, I can cast as many spells as you want."

Bai Lin wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and regained her stance. Indeed, the injury had left her unconscious for a few seconds, but that was only due to the sheer force of the impact. This level of trauma and pain alone wouldn't disable Bai Lin.

Now that he knew that the other party was quite skilled in magic, Bai Lin felt that Xifa in front of him had become even more difficult to deal with. Although his emotions were obviously fluctuating, it was obvious that this was not an opponent that could be shaken by provocation alone. He still had to seize more opportunities to defeat him. At this time, Qinuofu behind him also made progress and shouted,

"There are only two enemies around, Captain. Is there anything else you want me to do?"