Eternal Swordmaster
Chapter 174 - 167 Exchange Part 1

Chapter 174: Chapter 167 Exchange Part 1

"At least this number." Lin Xin held up a finger.

"Ten pieces? You’re dreaming!" The man’s face turned cold. "Do you know how many people are fighting for Demon Talisman Seeds? Do you realize how precious they are?"

"I don’t know, I only know that we’re trading, so I want this price," Lin Xin stood firm.

The man’s gaze darkened, staring intently at him.

"You’re asking for the moon," he said.

Lin Xin smiled. "If there’s another kind of compensation, that’s also possible, actually."

"Compensation, what kind of compensation do you want? Demon Talisman Seeds are too precious, I can give you something else instead," the man said, his tone easing as he spoke softly.

"I want high-level materials, I want a complete set of cultivation techniques, from Qi Cultivation to Nascent Soul."

"No," the man flatly refused. "I don’t have the cultivation techniques for Qi Cultivators like you. Our cultivation techniques are very different from yours; your Nascent Soul Stage is equivalent to our Five Elements Realm. We don’t focus on Qi Cultivation; our techniques are primarily for Body Refinement."

Lin Xin’s eyes lit up at that. Body Refinement? That was exactly what he was lacking.

"That’s fine too! I’ll take as many as possible, complete sets of Body Refining Techniques, and I can trade things with you for them."

Unexpectedly, these words made the man’s eyes widen, betraying a hint of surprise.

"You... What could you trade? Could it be that you’re willing to bring things down from above?"

Lin Xin smiled and chose not to answer. He had already discovered that he was different from others documented in the booklet; he could take things in and out of reality, but it seemed difficult for others. For others, they could only bring things in, not take them out, making the items here in this netherworld relatively insignificant to them, except for some consumable treasures and resources. The rest was not contested.

But Lin Xin was different.

The Heaven’s Will Sword had given him a taste of the benefits; it was perfect that he now had a good partner who understood the ghostly script. If he didn’t take the opportunity to exchange knowledge now, it would be a missed opportunity.

"What would you do with our stuff up there? You can’t use it," the man questioned.

"That’s for me to worry about; I just need you to provide it. What do you want?" Lin Xin quickly grasped that this was a clear and abundant path for exchanging resources and asked swiftly.

"I also urgently need high-level materials. I can give you a complete set of cultivation techniques, but I can’t guarantee that you can cultivate them. Our pills are like poison to you, useless. Besides those, I can offer you formations, Taoist scrolls. These are what I can give you," said the man, his expression serious, clearly recognizing the importance of this channel.

If the two could successfully connect, it would be a significant source of wealth for him and for Lin Xin.

Although he held a high position and had considerable power, he still had enemies he couldn’t oppose on his own. If he could get what he needed from Lin Xin...

After pondering for a moment, he said earnestly,

"What I need is, your Spirit Jade!" he said, pausing after each word.

"Spirit Jade." Lin Xin’s heart trembled slightly. Spirit Jade was also a strategic resource, extremely expensive in reality; even he had only about twenty pieces, which were very difficult to come by. He was reluctant to use them for cultivation. Inside the Pine Forest Sword Sect, no one would lavishly use Spirit Jade for cultivational purposes; most used it as currency to buy things. The extraction of Spirit Jade from mines was so limited that getting a few pieces a year was considered good, and its consumption in various formations also represented a huge number. This kept the price of Spirit Jade continuously high.

"I can agree to that, but the price of Spirit Jade is also extremely precious where we are."

"I can buy it at ten times the price!" the man declared resolutely.

At this point, even the matter of assassination they had been worried about earlier was put out of mind. Compared to assassination, the current trade and exchange of interests were much more important.

"I am Pudu Sheng, if this deal can be struck..."

"Then there will definitely be a second and a third time," Lin Xin said with a smile, continuing the conversation. "I am called Red Flower."

Both knew that neither was using their real names, but that didn’t matter.

Lin Xin wanted the various Body Refining Techniques here to perfect his Heart Eye Sword Path. He lacked understanding and knowledge of higher-level cultivation decisions. The sect’s Return to Origin Code also strictly controlled such scriptures, as did other sects, and no Loose Cultivator had such high-level techniques. So, even if the cultivation techniques of this ghostly region differed from theirs, they still had certain reference value.

All he had was the Extreme Yang Scroll, which recorded top-level cultivation decisions up to the Nascent Soul Stage. But it lacked the method for Longevity, so he dared not cultivate it. If he could synthesize the strengths of many, with Lin Xin’s modern perspective and years of accumulated research, he would surely create a top-level cultivation technique perfectly suited for himself.

Only the path best suited to oneself could lead to the highest pinnacle.

This was something Lin Xin firmly believed.

As Pudu Sheng left, he gave him a small sachet, from which a faint fragrant aroma subtly emanated.

"This can suppress the Mysterious Tracking Fragrance on your body to prevent others from tracking you by the scent. We’ll talk about the assassination later. The cultivation books and Taoist scrolls you need, I will soon have in my possession. Additionally, in half a month’s time, I will be initiating an operation nearby Huan Ning City in Wu Shen Valley. Remember to bring the Spirit Jade."

"What kind of exchange?" Lin Xin asked in a low voice.

"How do you think we should exchange?" the other person answered indifferently. Though trying hard to suppress it, the overwhelming desire in the tone was still unmistakable.

"One Spirit Jade for a complete code of law!" Lin Xin pondered for a moment, his face showing a pained expression, "That’s the lowest price I can offer!"

Pu Du Sheng’s face twitched. Although there are not many book sects in the Two-Faced Kingdom, dozens can still be found, given the vast territory where traveling from one end to the other can take years.

"One piece... isn’t that a bit too little..." he said, while his heart couldn’t help but leap with joy, thinking how worthwhile the deal was. Those codes could easily be passed off as belonging to declining small sects. There were many lost cultivation techniques that could hardly ever be mastered, all meeting the other party’s standards. Thus, he could obtain dozens or even hundreds of Spirit Jades!

"It’s not too little at all! I also want some high-level materials!" Lin Xin stated solemnly. "If you have rare high-level materials here, you can also trade them with me."

"Certainly!" Pu Du Sheng nodded earnestly.

The two exchanged glances, both inwardly delighted but keeping their expressions unchanged.

After setting the time and place for their next meeting, both left separately. Lin Xin used his Spiritual Energy to dry his clothes and casually killed a two-faced man along the way, summoning his carriage and disappearing.

Pu Du Sheng also left with a few other Foundation Establishment cultivators, quickly vanishing into the horizon.

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

Opening his eyes, Lin Xin lay silently on the bed. The bedding still held the lingering scent of Xiao Lingling’s body. Reaching out habitually, he still couldn’t feel the soft and familiar body beside him.

He sat up silently, withdrew his hand, took a deep breath, but forcefully suppressed a trace of sadness in his heart and got dressed neatly.

White light streamed in through the gaps in the curtains. At this time, Xiao Lingling might have already asked the servants to prepare hot water for washing and dressing. Perhaps even breakfast was ready.

Lin Xin stood up and walked to the corner of the room.

"Eh?" He was surprised to see a wooden basin in the corner already filled with hot water, the willow waist flower on the windowsill freshly watered, and the Formation codes he had reviewed last night neatly arranged.

Creak.

The room door opened, and Lin Xinyuan walked in, showing a slight smile upon seeing him up.

"Big brother, you’re awake. Come, have some breakfast. Here are your favorite Yue Xin buns and black soybean milk."

She placed the tray with the items on the table, pretending not to notice Lin Xin’s astonished and stunned expression.

"Yuanyuan... how come?" Lin Xin looked at the familiar setup. When Xiao Lingling was still here, she used to prepare like this for him every day. He felt an indescribable feeling in his heart. Over the years, Lin Xinyuan had always silently followed him, supporting him and striving to improve herself. Lacking sufficient martial talent, she focused on enhancing her managerial skills. The manor was managed impeccably under her supervision, and her contributions were indispensable.

Lin Xinyuan, now in her thirties, still looked merely in her early twenties due to her Internal Cultivation level and various nutritious medicinal ingredients and foodstuff, possibly also because of the intense Spiritual Energy from the Manor’s Spirit Gathering Array. Her black hair cascaded down her shoulders, her skin fair, her nose dainty, her face lovely, and her figure curvaceous. She always liked to wear tight-fitting attire, accentuating her figure.

As for Lin Xin himself, some white had mixed into his hair at his temples. Although his face wasn’t old, it bore the appearance of a middle-aged man.

"Why go to such lengths..." Lin Xin murmured quietly.

"I promised Sister Lingling to take good care of you, and besides, I want to do this myself," Lin Xinyuan answered openly and honestly.

Lin Xin was at a loss for words.

He saw Lin Xinyuan’s intentions clearly; for twenty years, she had not desired to marry someone else. Those pursuing her came wave after wave, but she had no intentions of being moved, always standing by Lin Xin’s side like a man, managing the manor.

It could be said that the only people in the manor truly adept at managerial skills were the two of them, one being her and the other Gongsun Li. But Gongsun Li, being older, didn’t have much energy, leaving the true burden of the manor on Lin Xinyuan’s shoulders.

The two sat down and silently ate breakfast. Lin Xin didn’t ask how Lin Xinyuan came to have the key to his room; he could guess without thinking that it must have been Xiao Lingling who gave it to her.

After the meal.

"Big brother... Sister Lingling has gone, but she had no regrets. All these years, you have stayed by her side, and she saw everything you did," Lin Xinyuan spoke softly.

"......"

"She also told me that she was always trying to find Miss An Ying, but she just couldn’t locate her. She couldn’t learn anything about her from the people of Golden Jade Sect, only hearing that she was secretly in closed-door cultivation somewhere," Lin Xinyuan looked at Lin Xin earnestly, "Sister Lingling said, if there’s any news of her, please be sure to bring her over."

Lin Xin felt increasingly heavy-hearted. He indeed had thought of looking for An Ying, but compared to what Xiao Lingling had left behind, he felt somewhat ashamed.

"I have let Lingling down..." he said softly. (To be continued. If you like this book, you are welcome to vote for it at Qidian (qidian.com), buy monthly tickets, and support me. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)