Eternal Swordmaster
Chapter 144 - 138 Earth Fire Golden Plum Part 2

Chapter 144: Chapter 138 Earth Fire Golden Plum Part 2

The Taoist in white robes furrowed his eyebrows. His face was distinctive, featured by its thin and elongated shape, resembling a horse, with both cheeks deeply sunken, seemingly lacking in Essence Qi and vigor.

From his fluttering white robes, it was clear that his body had little flesh on it, looking as if a child was wearing adult’s clothes.

"If we can’t find it, let it be. Without Sun Spring, even with good talent, one cannot enter Foundation Establishment. At most, they’d reach Qi Cultivation, so there’s no talk of future trouble. But what did Su Wan say?" the Taoist in white asked, squinting.

"There’s no response from the Wind-Riding Sect, presumably Sister Su thinks the timing isn’t yet ripe..." the Taoist replied softly.

"Ripe? How many times has she used that excuse? No wonder she hasn’t broken through Foundation Establishment, without the Sect’s support. Even with great talent, it’s just as useless!" the Taoist in white sneered. "Forget it, call Junior Sister Huang for me, I have questions for her."

"Yes..." the Taoist was about to turn and leave.

"Wait."

"What else would you instruct, Teacher?"

"That Suppressor from Ultimate Bliss, the issue with the Luminous Talisman Sword, how was it handled?" the Taoist in white suddenly asked.

"The people we sent deliberately made it difficult, but the other party still complied and the profits have been delivered; everything went smoothly."

"Is that so? But of course, what could a small fry who hasn’t even entered Qi Cultivation do," the Taoist in white shook his head.

"Small fry? Teacher, you might be underestimating Spirit Heart Manor. Their annual income reaches over a million Jade Money. Talisman Sword sales aren’t much, but their main product is the Talisman Stone, which is easy to refine and has a good market. Many can afford it. Also, the Luminous Talisman Sword, many within our Sect have bid up to ten thousand Jade Money per sword. They are very effective for missions involving spiteful spirits, and they’ve reduced casualties among our Outer Sect disciples significantly."

"Over a million Jade Money..." the Taoist in white was slightly shocked, this was not a small sum for him; it was enough to buy a Magic Artifact.

"No wonder... No wonder Teacher specifically instructed to keep an eye on this small fry."

"Teacher, I suspect that Spirit Heart Manor might be behind the rescue of Elder Yu’s two grandsons," the submissive Taoist whispered. "And it’s very likely that the people we lost in the fishing village were taken out by this manor."

"You’re sure?" the Taoist in white asked indifferently. "He only has the Seventh Layer of Innate; does he have such capability?"

"What if remnants are hiding within the manor? Then it’s highly possible."

"Possible? I do not need possible. Go and investigate yourself. Having stayed on the mountain for so many years, it’s time to move around a bit."

"What if I find it to be true, Teacher?"

The Taoist in white hesitated slightly.

"True? Then secretly send someone to wipe out the manor, kill everyone, and capture Lin Xin back. Isn’t there a new batch of the Banned Divine Records? It would end any future developments, but we gain security."

"Teacher is wise. Afterwards, we can blame it on the Demon Path, and it will leave no trace."

The Taoist in white smiled faintly.

"The higher-ups are still too conservative. With such benefits, we should seize the opportunity when there’s even a slight possibility."

The young Taoist also began to laugh.

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

The sky was overcast, thick dark clouds engulfing the entire horizon, with the massive body of Yue Lin Mountain visible from afar, appearing like a typical living volcano.

From the small circular summit, huge clouds of white smoke billowed continuously, and around the mountainous terrain, dense forests interspersed with plains. Sprouting from the plains were columns of white steam jetting into the air, each column representing a small hot spring lake.

In the warm lakes, some red-faced macaques and black-and-white-striped leopards tumbled and frolicked in the water, coexisting peacefully in their baths.

Lin Xin and his party galloped past the small lakes, immediately causing the macaques to screech in alarm and the leopards to leap out of the water, ready to attack.

He glanced sideways at these small hot spring lakes.

"This place is a natural hot springs spot; it’d be nice to soak here if we get the chance," he laughed.

"This Yue Lin Mountain is a well-known volcano, usually erupting slightly each year, though not intensely. Still, many people and animals live around it," Liu Zong chuckled. "If you would like to soak in the hot springs, we could completely take this land to manage as our own territory."

"Is that possible?" Lin Xin wondered.

"Of course, there’s only one Yue Lin Blade Sect here, the Sect Leader is a guy named Chen who just broke through to Innate and is already in his eighties. He’s a well-known figure among several towns here," Liu Zong said mildly. "We just need a small workforce to take over here. Other Immortal Sects simply disdain this place because it’s too barren and sparsely populated, with no other special products, hence it remains unclaimed."

"Forget it, it’s too far from us, no need to create unnecessary complications," Lin Xin shook his head. His face had already changed from his original appearance to that of a stern, dignified middle-aged man, unrecognizable as the former Lin Xin.

Their party, aside from him and Liu Zong, included over a dozen other assistants developed by the Radiant Sun Sect. Each was just an ordinary skilled hand, mainly there to help search and perform other miscellaneous tasks.

Everyone hastened along the road, and as it was getting dark, everyone thought they might have to spend the night in the wilderness, until finally a small gray town appeared ahead.

Hurrying their horses, Lin Xin and the others quickly approached the town and then slowed down as they were about to enter it.

The town was quite lively, with a constant bustle from another highway of carriages and horses entering and leaving, and many burly men with full beards standing by the roadside selling some sturdy horses. There were also some shops labeled "Horse Dealer," and it seemed that the whole town was primarily focused on the sale of horses.

Lin Xin and his group came from a more remote direction, not the safer, official roads. Those who dare to take remote paths in the wilderness are not ordinary characters.

As soon as they entered the town, Lin Xin felt many curious gazes sizing up his group from all directions. Obviously, this town might not see many strangers usually.

"Rest for the night, we’ll make a move tomorrow morning," Lin Xin instructed.

"Yes."

The group dismounted and entered an inn.

There were some guests in the inn, sitting and eating or drinking. Lin Xin and his friends occupied two tables and ordered the inn’s specialty dishes along with some vegetarian stir-fried vegetables.

"Big brother, how about some wine?" Liu Zong asked Lin Xin with a smile; they had agreed to call him big brother when they were outside.

"No. I rarely drink," Lin Xin shook his head. Even in the Manor, a safe place, he rarely drank. Alcohol can dull the nerves, and he was already aggravated by illusions; drinking might make it worse.

Liu Zong and the others did not abstain, each ordering a small jar of wine and starting to chat while they drank.

However, Lin Xin was observing other tables in the inn.

The inn’s business was good; almost all the seats were occupied.

Lin Xin surveyed the room, focusing spiritual energy in his ears, and first noticed a table of guests. They were two street vendors from Jianghu, laughing and chatting.

"... when the river rose that high, I just saw something push behind Liuye, and with a splash, he fell in. The people behind him, no matter how hard they tried, couldn’t pull him up, and then later...."

Lin Xin then shifted his attention to another table. There were several young women with swords, each dressed in light green and white looking like young ladies but with rough skin and visible calluses on their hands, with uniform "an" character engraved on the sheaths of their curved swords.

"... and then I slapped that scoundrel twice! Back then I was still young and caused trouble, running back home, but there was nothing my family could do. Later, they sent me to....."

A girl was vividly narrating her past experiences.

Moving his gaze again, Lin Xin closely observed several other tables, but found no valuable information.

Soon, the food arrived. The grain was not rice but a black, sticky type similar to glutinous rice.

After tasting it, there was a hint of sesame aroma. The dishes were stir-fried bok choy, boiled meat slices, and braised pork, which were quite good for such a small place.

As they ate, a few more people entered the inn; they were Tibetan monks in red robes, each with a crew cut, robust in build, and among them was a young girl with skin like cream and long black hair hanging down to her waist, wearing a tight red miniskirt showing much of her thighs, and the skirt was very short, so when sitting down, one might even see under it.

The girl’s eyes contained a hint of seductiveness. As she and the few Tibetan monks sat down, they immediately started clamoring for food and drink.

The host quickly brought some mixed cold dishes to their table.

Lin Xin noticed these people.

"These are monks from the Red Zen Sect, formally known as the Blissful Cloud Zen of the Dusty World. It’s a minor heretical faction active among the Immortal Sects," Liu Zong whispered to him.

"How do you know that?" Lin Xin asked casually.

"I’ve killed a few of these monks before. This heretical sect doesn’t have many experts, but it’s popular and isn’t picky about recruits, unlike regular sects that have strict requirements for innate talent, so many ordinary people are willing to join," explained Liu Zong with a smile, sipping his drink.

"They don’t seek longevity, they practice for joy, aiming for ultimate bliss, and therefore they’re bound not to develop much nor do they need many resources. All they need is for men and women to cultivate together to advance. They’re famously known as the Almsgiving Bodhisattvas."

He gestured towards the monks with his mouth.

"There, that woman is likely an Almsgiving Bodhisattva, willing to spend the night with anyone for some money."

"Almsgiving of the body, to ferry the suffering masses to the world of ultimate bliss," he added, "That’s their philosophy. Once, I even tried their so-called almsgiving with a couple of them, and indeed, it was more thorough than those you find in brothels. If you wish, big brother, and don’t mind the filth, you’re free to try...."

Lin Xin was just listening quietly at first, but then he noticed that the woman was staring intensely at Liu Zong, her expression turning from an initial smiling face to a darker, more resentful look.

"She can hear you, watch your tongue," Lin Xin interjected hastily, stopping Liu Zong who was about to continue.

Hiss!

Before he could finish, a void shadow suddenly targeted Liu Zong’s right temple.(To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to visit qidian.com to vote and support me. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com. Thank you.)