Eternal Swordmaster
Chapter 119 - 115: Take Action - Part 1

Chapter 119: Chapter 115: Take Action - Part 1

"How’s the situation?" Lin Xin asked from atop his horse, addressing Ou Yinghong.

"I found this." Ou Yinghong handed over something that seemed to be a small piece of paper.

Lin Xin took it, unfolded it, and saw it was written in blood.

’If you want to see him, come alone to Moon Gorge. Tomorrow night.’

He merely glanced at it before squeezing and rubbing his palm, turning the paper to dust and scattering it.

"Can you guess which force might be involved?"

Ou Yinghong shook her head slightly.

"However, it’s most likely the people from the Demon Path’s Star Calamity Hall. Ten years ago, our Villa Master was targeted in an assassination attempt by them, but it was unsuccessful. Only they would dare to offend the Sword Sect behind the Villa Master so openly."

Lin Xin nodded in agreement.

"I’ll handle this matter myself; you continue with the previous task. Also, Flying Shadow Evil is here, notify him to visit the Sword Sect and report the situation here."

"Understood," Ou Yinghong nodded.

"Zen Master, I’ll need you to temporarily take charge of the manor in my absence," Lin Xin then said to Sanyuan Zen Master.

"Rest assured, Villa Master." Sanyuan Zen Master had also reached the second layer of the inner Qi under the massive supply of resources, which was also his limit. His talent was not as good as Lin Xin’s, and reaching this level was already a miracle.

Once everything was arranged, Lin Xin and his party returned to the manor, imposed martial law, and dispatched a large number of people to investigate the situation.

He then informed Xiao Lingling and his mother that he was going into seclusion before diving into a secret chamber. Apart from changing into a longer set of clothes, nothing else changed.

It wasn’t until the evening that he emerged, visibly exhausted. Then, without stopping, he entered the elixir room until midnight before returning to the inner court.

As he approached the courtyard door, a guard came up to greet him.

"Villa Master, the lady asked about you thirteen times today," he said softly.

Lin Xin nodded. "You may go down; let the next shift take over. Go get a reward."

The guard respectfully withdrew.

Entering the courtyard, Lin Xin saw Xiao Lingling from a distance sitting under a tree, cradling a brown ancient zither, lost in thought.

Lin Xin just stood at the door, watching Xiao Lingling in white. The two, one seated and one standing, unknowingly lost track of time.

"Husband..." Xiao Lingling suddenly spoke up. "Has something happened?"

Lin Xin adjusted his mood and expression, trying to soften his demeanor before he stepped towards her.

"Don’t worry, as long as I’m here, nothing serious can happen at the manor."

He walked behind Xiao Lingling and took off his coat to lightly drape it over her.

"The night is cold; be careful not to catch a chill."

"I’m fine," Xiao Lingling smiled, revealing small dimples. "I’ve found that I haven’t been ill for many years now, I don’t know why."

She reached out and held Lin Xin’s hand.

"I really wish... I could always stay by your side," she said, her tone suddenly somber.

"What are you talking about? Aren’t you always by my side?" Lin Xin tightened his grip on her hand. "We will always be together..."

Xiao Lingling just smiled and gently rested her face against the back of Lin Xin’s hand.

Her features hadn’t changed in a long time; the years had left no trace on her face, still cunning and delicate as in her youth.

Lin Xin gently embraced her, squatting down to hold her in his arms.

"Husband... I want to go back and rest," Xiao Lingling said with a hint of coquetry. "I want you to hold me..."

Lin Xin chuckled.

"Alright." He picked her up, along with the zither, and headed towards the bedroom.

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

Hiss...

Lin Xin opened his eyes and slowly stood up inside the carriage.

He glanced at the corpse of a man in white sitting beside him, suddenly feeling an inexplicable dread.

"Buddy, are you like me, entering this carriage because of collecting Demon Talisman Seeds... then why did you die here..."

"Your family? Your friends?" He murmured to himself as if the corpse were still alive.

He drew out the Red Flower Sword, its blade faintly glowing with a soft red halo.

Underneath the glow, the contour of the corpse was illuminated.

Lin Xin was startled the moment he saw the corpse.

The corpse was staring back at him with open eyes and a smile! The corners of its mouth curled up eerily, as if it was still alive.

"You!!"

Lin Xin took a sharp step back.

He distinctly remembered the corpse was originally open-mouthed with an expression of immense fear when it died. But now... now...!

Swoosh!

Lin Xin thrust his sword at the corpse.

Clang.

The body, as tough as refined steel, didn’t permit the blade to penetrate at all.

The red glow on the molten iron sword gradually dimmed.

Lin Xin’s heartbeat slightly accelerated. He knew the carriage was strange from the beginning, and now, this corpse was definitely more bizarre.

He slowly sheathed his sword.

"Buddy, if you died with your eyes open, whatever you want to accomplish, just tell me, and I’ll help as much as I can," he said.

The words slowly echoed in the carriage, followed by silence.

Lin Xin took a deep breath, then again channeled his Inner Qi into the Red Flower Sword, and the molten iron slowly brightened with red light.

Instantly, the carriage brightened up again.

Indeed, the corpse had returned to its original state, its mouth agape in desperation.

Phew...

Lin Xin slowly exhaled.

Hiss...

The carriage door opened slowly. He walked out with his sword on his back.

"Tonight, enter the Ninth Layer at the fastest speed! Then find the core Magic Artifact of the Heart Blood Sacrificial Refinement, achieve the small Return to Origin at the quickest, and step into Qi Cultivation!"

He made a silent resolution in his heart.

Once he exited the carriage, his view was met with wide stretches of pale yellow wild grass.

He was standing on a rural lane bordered by fences on both sides, with pale yellow rolling hills to the left and right.

Baa...

A sheep’s bleat caught Lin Xin’s attention, and he looked toward the sound.

On the left hillside, there was a sparse flock of grey-white sheep. The flock slowly moved, grazing on the wild grass and bleating intermittently.

A noodle-like person was sleeping on the slope with his legs crossed, a straw hat covering his face.

Lin Xin frowned.

"This place looks sparsely populated... it could be troublesome," he murmured.

Ignoring the shepherd who was just an ordinary person, and killing him wouldn’t matter anyway, he was pressed for time, so he deployed his qinggong to the fullest, unleashing his Sky Soaring Cloud Decree.

Instantly, he felt as light as if he were soaring, charging ahead at full speed.

The wind fiercely beat against his face.

Suddenly, a caravan composed entirely of noodle-like people appeared before him.

One of them, carrying a long sword, was talking to others in the caravan. Hearing the noise, the noodle-like person turned around, saw the rapidly approaching Lin Xin, and immediately jumped off the cart.

This person took a careful look at Lin Xin, pulled a scroll from his embrace seemingly to compare images.

Soon, a trace of greed flashed across his face, he put away the scroll, and drew his long sword.

By then, Lin Xin had already reached the rear of the caravan.

Without uttering a word, he struck with his sword.

Swish!

Sword Qi shot from the tip of the sword, instantly extending the blade, and slashed diagonally at the noodle-like man.

Amplified by his Innate Eighth Layer inner Qi, both strength and speed had surpassed the limits of normal human reaction.

It was just a single exchange.

The noodle-like swordsman’s face still held traces of greed as he was bisected diagonally by the sword.

A warm flow surged into his body, and Lin Xin, without hesitation, charged toward the rest of the panicked and screaming noodle-like people.

One sword per person, blood and water splattered everywhere, and one by one, the considerably taller noodle-like people fell down, clutching their throats tightly.

A few guards-like noodle-like people drew their swords and charged at him, faces ferocious and screaming as they attacked.

Whoosh!

It was merely a half-circle stroke of his sword, a white arc formed by the Sword Qi suddenly appeared, flashing across several noodle-like people.

These individuals, along with their swords, were all split in half, blood and viscera spraying forth.

Some blood stained Lin Xin’s cheek, he gently wiped it off with his hand, expressionlessly flicked the blood from his sword blade.

Looking around at the more than ten noodle-like people scattered and running.

He held the Red Flower Sword horizontally.

"Yin Mantuo," he intoned.

The sword blade flickered with a red glow.

Hiss, hiss, hiss!

Suddenly, more than ten thick black vines with silver patterns burst from the ground. Like tentacles, they fiercely wrapped around each person who had not escaped far enough, binding them tightly.

The surface of the vines sprouted countless sharp spikes, which fiercely pierced into the bodies of the people. In no time, these people were drained of their substance, leaving behind only their skins, which were thrown onto the ground.

Lin Xin, holding the Red Flower Sword, slowly walked among the roots of the vines, making his way to each of the large boxes escorted by the convoy.

The boxes were covered with a black cloth and seemed to have faint movements inside.

He flipped the black cloth open with his sword.

Inside were naked men and women, all ordinary humans just like normal people!

"Save us... save us..." One of the women, still relatively conscious, was continuously crying, her tears and snot flowing. Seeing Lin Xin appear before her, she immediately pleaded.

Lin Xin glanced at her pupils and knew that she had been drugged, beyond saving, and that it was a kind of stimulant that harshly forced out all potential in a short time.

He noticed the collars on these people’s necks, the symbol of slavery.

All these people were already out of their senses, turning into foolish figures; only the woman still had a bit of consciousness left, but she was beyond saving. Becoming an idiot was only a matter of time.

"It’s a slave transport team..." Lin Xin sighed softly, looking at the people in the boxes who were treated like chickens and ducks, a trace of pity flashing through his eyes.

"Living is also a pain for you, let me help you be free..."

He raised his hand and released a Sword Qi.

With a flash of white light, the entire box was split in two.

The human slaves inside were instantly cut in half by the sword, their blood and inner organs splattering everywhere.

The roots of Yin Mantuo greedily wrapped around, beginning to absorb the blood meal.

Lin Xin sat down cross-legged, took a Qi Transforming Elixir, and replenished the energy consumed by summoning Yin Mantuo.

After getting up, the roots had nearly dealt with the blood-soaked corpses. He packed up the summoning, searched around, found a Demon Talisman Seed, and then hurriedly continued forward.

Soon, another convoy of noodle-like people appeared before him.

Lin Xin leapt forward, the blade summoning Yin Mantuo, while he himself swiftly dealt with each noodle-like person with his sword.

There was no pity, only slaughter.

The roots swung rapidly, binding and absorbing any noodle-like person trying to escape.

A large amount of warm current continuously flowed into Lin Xin’s body, and he clearly felt his cultivation level rapidly rising.

Soon there was a feeling of fullness inside him. He quickly circulated the Ninth Layer Decree of the Return to Origin.

With a hiss, it was like a bursting balloon inside his body, suddenly breaking through the constraints and incorporating new meridians into his Inner Qi circulation system. But with the ongoing slaughter by Yin Mantuo, more warm currents continued to flood into his body.

A sensation akin to drug-addiction kept rushing into his mind with the warm currents.

Rise! Elevate! Constantly elevating!

Is this really good?

Suddenly, a flash of caution crossed his mind, and the tragically dead corpse in white in the carriage flashed before his eyes.

But under the continuous influx of warm currents, he quickly cast this thought aside.

Before long, everyone in the convoy had been slaughtered.

Lin Xin stood in the pool of blood, his body slowly radiating white light, countless Innate Qi swirling and dancing around him, almost boiling out from within him. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)