Eternal Swordmaster
Chapter 108 - 106: Good Affinities, Part 2

Chapter 108: Chapter 106: Good Affinities, Part 2

"Daddy!" In the snowy landscape over there, Lin Zhen, tired from playing, called out crisply as he ran into the pavilion, plunging into Lin Xin’s embrace without bothering to dust off the snow covering him.

"Zhen’er, are you cold?"

"Not cold." Lin Zhen’s chubby little face was tender and rosy, exceedingly adorable. "I was cold at first, but after seeing Daddy, I’m not cold anymore."

Lin Xin and Gongsun Li couldn’t help but laugh.

"This kid is so young yet already so sweet-tongued. What’s he going to be like when he grows up? Who knows how many girls he’ll deceive?"

Lin Xin said with a laugh.

"The Young Villa Master is naturally talented, something ordinary people cannot learn," Gongsun Li said as he reached out to pull his granddaughter, who had also walked into the pavilion, to sit down.

"Xue’er, come warm up by grandfather’s side, so you don’t catch a cold."

"Okay." The girl was already around fifteen or sixteen years old, in the bloom of youth. Her tight little red cotton jacket faintly outlined her graceful curves.

She sat down beside Gongsun Li with a flushed face, stealing glances at Lin Xin. She had been both curious about and a little afraid of the Villa Master all her life.

Lin Xin glanced at Xue’er, then at his own son, a vague idea forming in his mind. He smiled, about to speak, when—

Pfft pfft...

Suddenly, a blue shadow flew through the air in the forest.

The blue shadow moved at an incredible speed, like an arrow, and in the blink of an eye, it landed next to Lin Xin and perched steadily by his hand.

It was a tiny pigeon, the size of a palm, entirely sky-blue, and very well-behaved.

"Treasure Blue Pigeon, a letter from the Sect," Lin Xin said, as his smile momentarily paused. He quickly grabbed the pigeon and took off a light yellow bamboo tube tied to its leg.

Opening the tube, he pulled out a scroll of light yellow paper and gently unrolled it.

The paper was as thin as a cicada’s wing, extremely soft. A scroll no thicker than a little finger unfolded to be over a meter long. It was densely packed with tiny characters.

’Three days ago, disciples from the Four Sects clashed with the Demon Sect at Kongtong Gorge in a decisive battle with the Vermilion Bird Holy Court. The casualties were severe. When Inner Qi was exhausted, thanks to the Talisman Sword, many brothers and sisters were saved. From one sister, we learned information about the Plum Blossom Sect’s Snow Shadow Sword.’

Lin Xin’s heart skipped a beat as he continued to read.

’Snow Shadow Sword An Ying, two years ago she entered Qi Cultivation and was favored by her masters. She survived Blood Mist Cliff and somehow adopted two baby girls, then returned to the Sect and has been in secluded cultivation ever since. Her current cultivation level is uncertain, but it is estimated that she has reached the Second Layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm.’

"As expected of junior sister... In such a cruel world, her enjoyment of killing is precisely what fits this environment...." Lin Xin let out a sigh.

He himself hadn’t made no progress over the years, but compared to An Ying, he was far behind. The sequela of the Blood Pill technique were now gradually emerging, and in the past two months, he had hardly seen any improvement in his cultivation.

There was more to the letter.

’....Furthermore, Dongyue from within the Sect has disappeared, the Shu Family has collapsed, the Family Head Shu Mengxia was killed by Huang Songzi, and the remaining disciples have scattered and fled. The Sect has issued an Ultimate Kill order.’

"The Shu Family... Shu Luoyi, Shu Ruoyun..." Lin Xin reminisced about old events from years past, feeling slightly emotional.

’....Lastly, the Dugu siblings entered the Foundation Establishment Stage... But just after their Foundation Establishment, they were ambushed by a masked assailant, one died, one injured, the Sect is furious.... Brother is thoroughly investigating this matter, and may need to travel to the border of the Wind-Riding Sect in the Ancient Mountain Country, a journey that will take at least a year. Do not worry. — Huangshan’

Packing up the scroll, Lin Xin threw it directly into the charcoal brazier used for boiling tea, watching it ignite with yellow flames and quickly turn into black ash.

"Truly a time of troubles...." he murmured with a slight sigh.

As for how exactly to enter Qi Cultivation, he still had no clue to this day. In recent years, due to his financial resources, he had collected over a dozen items similar to Yin Blood, even many that were far more potent, and consumed them, but each proved to be weaker than the last.

Even after he’d obtained several High-Level Spirit Pills that the Sect rewarded him with, and despite spending a fortune on Treasure Pills for the Qi Cultivation Realm from Elixir Hall’s Ji Lu, none had any effect when ingested.

Lin Xin had already run out of ideas on how to enhance his cultivation; he had no clue what to do.

"Daddy..." Lin Zhen nestled in his arms and called out, "Can you play with me and make a snowman later...?"

"You should be practicing your swordplay," Lin Xin said gravely. In such a cruel world, if one’s strength were lacking, they wouldn’t be able to control their own fate.

Lin Zhen had better aptitude than him—though not a genius, he was certainly not mediocre. His cultivation practice The Return to Origin Technique was progressing exceptionally well, having already reached the First Layer. With such good conditions at a young age, plus an abundance of miraculous elixirs, it was natural for Lin Xin to want to cultivate his son into a true top-level expert.

After ensuring that Lin Zhen practiced his sword diligently for a while, Lin Xin packed up the tea stove and returned to the manor with Gongsun Li.

As usual, he studied the Formation Path until it got dark. After having dinner with Xiao Lingling and his parents, Lin Xin watched Xiao Lingling teaching Lin Zhen about characters, literature, and the history of the mythical era.

It wasn’t until late at night, when he was tired and sleepy, that he let Lin Zhen be taken back to bed by a maid. After washing up, Lin Xin also went to rest with Xiao Lingling.

*****************

In the middle of the night, Lin Xin faintly heard some noise outside as if in a daze.

He slowly opened his eyes; above him was the dark and shadowy mosquito netting.

Xiao Lingling slept beside him, her breathing steady and sweet.

Without disturbing her, Lin Xin gently uncovered the blankets and frowned as he looked outside the room. Through the window, he could vaguely see a dark shadow lingering outside.

"How could the servants of the manor be so inconsiderate? Making such a noise so late at night... It looks like I’ll have to replace some people tomorrow."

With that in mind, he got out of bed, walked to the door, and opened it.

Creak...

The door slowly opened.

The moon outside was unusually round, and even seemed slightly red, as if stained with blood.

Lin Xin looked to the left and right but saw none of the servants that should have been on night watch.

Quiet and profound stillness surrounded him, only the archway of the courtyard casting a shadow; beyond its gate, there was only darkness.

Ding-ling-ling...

A black carriage, silent and without warning, emerged from the dark archway on the left and drove forward. The carriage was over two meters tall, and the two black horses pulling it were pitch black without a single spot of another color, even their footsteps were in exact synchronization.

The carriage slowly approached Lin Xin and stopped right in front of him.

The black carriage door softly slid open to the right, revealing pitch darkness from within.

The carriage seemed to be waiting specifically for him to board.

Lin Xin’s expression changed slightly, and he slowly roused his inner qi.

"Which friend would play such a joke on me?" he asked loudly, his inner qi fully summoned.

His voice spread far and wide, echoing as if it were reverberating through a profound valley.

No one responded.

The manor was like the dead, a large manor with hundreds of people, yet not a single noise could be heard—not even the sound of the wind or the rustling of leaves!

He strained his eyes, looking into the carriage, but he could only see darkness, as if it were infinitely deep.

"An illusion?" He hardly believed that someone could play such a joke under suppression points unless it was someone at the Foundation Establishment Stage. But a senior at that stage wouldn’t bother playing this kind of trick on a junior with innate abilities. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your vote for recommendation, monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)