Chapter 319: The Incident

Yang Chen's mind was unable to process what had just happened; the sudden and dramatic turn of events was beyond his comprehension!

First of all, why had Seventeen stabbed his heart with a dagger?

Secondly, how could his body be so easily pierced?

Moreover, he had felt no sense of impending danger whatsoever!

Even in a completely unguarded state, his keen senses should not have allowed anyone to have the time to pull out a dagger and stab him!

"Lord Hades, has it been so long since you last felt the sensation of being wounded?" Seventeen mocked, gently wiping away the tears from the corner of her eyes. "How does it feel to have your heart pierced? Quite an experience, isn't it? Truly fitting for someone deemed a 'god'—even with your heart pierced, you're still standing."

Yang Chen snapped to his senses and, looking at the woman whose expression had completely changed, roared, "You're not Seventeen!"

"Hahahaha!"

'Seventeen' laughed hysterically, bending over and back in fits of laughter as if she had heard the most ridiculous thing in the world.

"Of course, I'm not that wretched woman. That woman was knocked out and thrown into the sea over a year ago. Who knows where she sank to," the woman said smugly.

Yang Chen's lips began to turn pale. The dagger plunged into his heart evidently had some sort of potent chemical on it.

What terrified Yang Chen even more was that his body's super-strong regenerative abilities were weakening!

In the past, even if his heart was pierced, he could have normally recovered. This was due to the powerful body he had gained after being exposed to the "Divine Light," coupled with the miraculous functions from practicing the "Wang Nian Derivation Sutra." But now, Yang Chen clearly sensed that his body was recovering very slowly. Because of this, if he rashly pulled out the dagger, his blood wouldn't be able to clot quickly enough. The high pressure inside his heart would certainly cause a massive spurt of blood!

As a result, his body might be utterly destroyed!

However, compared to his own dire situation, hearing the woman say that the real Seventeen had already died was a far more devastating blow to Yang Chen!

From heaven to hell—perhaps this was what it felt like!

He had just seen Seventeen alive and well, and had been filled with inner joy. But no! It was all a trap! A trap set to lure him in and assassinate him!

Yet, even so, there were too many questions in Yang Chen's mind. After all, pulling off such an intricate scheme to catch him off guard required much more than just acting skills.

Here is the translation of the provided Chinese novel excerpt:

How could this fake "Seventeen" track me without being noticed? She managed to follow my movements three times in a row, appearing just at the right moment and then hiding perfectly—this is definitely not simple.

And how does she know so much about Seventeen, impersonating her so convincingly?! She even knows about everything that happened between us in the past?

What's even harder to believe is why I couldn't keenly sense her movements to assassinate me? What kind of drug weakened my ability to heal myself? For me, ordinary toxins pose absolutely no threat! It definitely can't be just a simple poison!

And when was I poisoned?!

"I know you must have many questions. Before my partner arrives, I can answer some for you," the fake Seventeen giggled, stepping three feet away from Yang Chen and casually turning around.

In the blink of an eye, the girl who had just been dressed in a light blue dress as "Seventeen" transformed.

"Kawana?" Even Yang Chen, as composed as he was, widened his eyes.

Kawana giggled, "Mr. Yang, do you now understand why I can track your movements while you cannot find me?"

Yang Chen suddenly realized. No wonder when Kawana was explaining to his group, he never saw "Seventeen," but whenever they went to the mall alone, he encountered the fake Seventeen!

Today at Nijo Castle, Kawana pretended to bring tea to the driver—it was all premeditated! She deliberately turned into "Seventeen" with a reason to lure him and track him!

Thinking about it, the excuse that there was no one outside this courtyard was also arranged long ago.

It's just that Yang Chen's longing for Seventeen and various excited emotions made him unwilling to think too much about these strange details. Plus, subconsciously, he didn't think anyone would threaten him, so he became more relaxed and less vigilant!

"Your disguise is perfect, but how did you...?"

"How did I know so much about that despicable woman and your past? Is that what you want to ask?" Kawana smirked coldly.

"You better watch your mouth." If the current situation weren't so unclear, Yang Chen would have wanted to step forward and deal with Kawana, though he didn't know how many layers of his strength he could still use.

Kawana pretended to step back with a "fearful" expression, chuckling, "Lord of the Underworld, do you remember a year ago, on the small island in the Pacific, the woman you killed, who had a striking appearance?"

Yang Chen narrowed his eyes, recalling it instantly—the woman who laughed heartily and triggered the bomb to explode!

"What's your relationship with her?" Yang Chen had already sensed something.

The smile on Kawana's face vanished, replaced by a cold, ruthless tone. "That was my sister, Yuki-Onna. I'm her younger sister. You can call me Kyuubi."

Yang Chen suddenly woke up. "Takamagahara, Kyuubi the Nine-Tailed Fox!"

"Oh, I didn't expect that Lord of the Underworld would actually know my name," Kyuubi clapped her hands and, with another turn, in an instant, "Kawana" was no more. Instead, there stood a glamorous woman in a pink Sakura-style kimono, with a fox fur scarf around her neck. With every gesture and expression, she exuded a natural charm.

"Takamagahara, so you were also involved in that incident," Yang Chen said with a bitter smile. If the Yatagarasu were Sakura's most powerful ninja organization, then the extremely rare "Takamagahara" were another formidable group known for their exceptional covert abilities within Sakura.

The legendary Takamagahara was where the Sun Goddess resided in the divine realm. After the Emperor's death, they were believed to ascend to Takamagahara. In reality, Takamagahara was a group composed of "yokai" with certain supernatural abilities. Though few in number, each member possessed extraordinary capabilities.

Yang Chen had heard of the "Nine-Tailed Fox" before. Their specialty lay in illusions, perfectly impersonating various characters down to their voice and appearance. What was even more terrifying about this woman was her ability to "read minds"; she could understand some of the memories even of those she impersonated.

A glint of determination flashed in Yang Chen's eyes as he asked, "Since you were able to mimic Seventeen so convincingly that I couldn't recognize you, I suppose you've read Seventeen's memories?"

Kyuubi the Nine-Tailed Fox didn't mind at all, smiling triumphantly. "Exactly. I'm not afraid to tell you. When my sister Yuki-Onna gave the order, I was the one who controlled the bomb detonation. In fact, even before that, I had been watching over your woman. So yes, I've read quite a bit of Seventeen's memories."

"So you're the one who directly executed the orders," Yang Chen smirked.

Kyuubi looked mockingly at Yang Chen. "Lord of the Underworld, it seems you still don't understand. Your woman died because you killed too many people you shouldn't have. You've become an enemy to all of us, a threat to everyone. Moreover, you hold the God Stone and refuse to hand it over, obstructing everyone's path. So you are the executioner who caused the death of your woman."

As she finished speaking, the courtyard's main gate slowly opened, and several men and women dressed in various outfits walked in at this moment.

A proud expression appeared on Kyuubi's face. "You're rather late. Were you worried I couldn't handle it?"

Yang Chen turned around, giving them only a brief glance, his expression growing several shades graver.