Eternal Swordmaster
Chapter 239 - 232 Layout - Part 1

Chapter 239: Chapter 232 Layout - Part 1

Lin Xin had resided in the Manor for dozens of years, holding a high position and dealing with all sorts of Secret Techniques, confidential data, and advanced knowledge. With his profound cultivation, he was already a legendary Qi Cultivator, a figure straight out of the myths to ordinary people, with an understanding of some of the laws of nature due to his practice and also a master of Formation Talismans.

Just standing in front of others, he naturally exuded a certain demeanor.

Although he was a bit older, his temples graying only made him appear more mature and stable, and also more capable of instilling a sense of safety in others.

Therefore, it was unexpected yet reasonable for Qiuqiu to be captivated by him.

The more she looked at him, the more obvious her feelings became, her cheeks flushing an embarrassingly bright red. She hadn’t considered this aspect before, but today it was as if she had an epiphany, and she suddenly thought of it. She was becoming quite infatuated.

Lin Xin also noticed her thoughts and hurriedly made an excuse to have her go back to rest first.

Ma Qiuqiu had no choice but to get up and leave reluctantly.

After seeing her off the ox cart, Lin Xin was just about to go back to his room when he noticed someone abruptly blocking the way on the corridor ahead.

It was a young lad with dark skin, sporting a black leather belt around his waist from which hung a curved black dagger.

"Are you the poor scholar who’s trying to deceive Qiuqiu?"

The sturdy frame of the young lad blocked the entire passage completely.

Lin Xin felt a moment of amusement.

"Yes, I am the poor scholar you speak of, but I’m not the one trying to deceive Qiuqiu," he replied.

"Heh, do you think I would believe you?" the youth sneered disdainfully. "I’ve seen many like you who are all talk and never admit fault. I’ve come today to expose your true face!"

"True face? What’s that?" Lin Xin, having nothing else to do, decided to tease the young fellow.

"Do you have the guts to have a match with me!?" the youth shouted.

Just then, the sound of the wind was fierce outside, and many people were huddled in their rooms, not coming out except for meals and nature’s call. So naturally, no one heard his voice.

He must be the son of some team leader in this group, fond of Ma Qiuqiu, hence he noticed her unusual behavior.

Lin Xin guessed the situation almost immediately.

"But I don’t like Ma Qiuqiu, so why should I compete with you?" Lin Xin asked calmly. "Your affection for her is your business; what does it have to do with me? You should be looking for her, not me."

"But Qiuqiu likes you!" the youth’s face turned red.

"It’s like this, if someone likes you, should you be responsible for dealing with that person’s suitors? If everyone in the world did that, then the person who is liked would go crazy, wouldn’t they?" Lin Xin spoke in circles, confusing the youth all the more.

"If when someone likes you, you are expected to deal with their suitors, what about the person you like? That’s Qiuqiu’s logic. Is there something wrong with being liked by someone?"

"Well... yes," he scratched his head, thought deeply for a moment, and the antagonistic atmosphere he had earlier lightened. "So, what should I do then?"

This guy was easy to mollify, and Lin Xin chuckled to himself.

"What you should do, you need to ask your own heart. Not me," said Lin Xin mysteriously, "In this world, only your own heart won’t deceive you. What do you think?"

He casually walked past the young lad and entered through the door, leaving the youth standing on the corridor deep in thought.

The people of this era were simple, due to the lack of cultural dissemination, even many cultivators were simpletons, let alone these young, inexperienced, and single-minded youths.

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

In the midst of a sky filled with flying snow.

The thick snow suddenly echoed with crisp footsteps, the sound of boots sinking deep into the snow, one after another.

Mushroom trees at a slight distance were no longer visible, and only the vague figure of someone in a black cloak could be seen.

Snowflakes kept colliding with the figure as they fell, yet not a single flake seemed to accumulate on the shoulders, walking with ease and composure as if on level ground, exceptionally steady.

"Could it be Huang Mengxian in person?"

Suddenly, amidst the wind and snow a voice uneven and ghostly floated over, sounding like a man’s yet shrill like a eunuch’s, ephemeral and eerie.

"Has ’Dispersed of the Five’ from the Broken Sentence Clan arrived as well?" The cloak wearer stopped, warily scanning the surroundings.

"Entering with the Heaven Stitching Garment, Huang Mengxian really is a woman of decisive actions. Admirable, truly admirable."

The voice rang out again.

Instantly, five individuals wearing white camouflage cloaks and masks materialized, forming a circle and trapping the figure in the black cloak in the middle.

"This place doesn’t allow the use of Spiritual Energy like the outside world, Sect Leader Huang. If you were to fall here alone..." One of the white-clothed figures chuckled sinisterly, the speaker being the same one who had conveyed his voice earlier.

"Fall? Just with you lot?" The cloaked figure laughed coldly. With a sudden flick, the black cloak spun off her body.

Shh-shh-shh!

Dozens of fine, hair-like silver needles were launched, flying in all directions.

The ’Dispersed of the Five’ reached out simultaneously, and amidst a clattering sound, all the silver needles were magnetically drawn to adhere to their gloves.

"Locking Gold Hand?!" The cloaked person suddenly produced a spear, its origin a mystery, and now as she shook it, it emitted a fierce tremor, sweeping out a black circle in all directions.

The ’Dispersed of the Five’ each reached for the spear, all wearing thick white gold gloves.

Clang clang!

After a series of intense collisions, five figures were swiftly scattered apart. Among them, one was approached by the cloaked figure, who struck with a palm that showed a faint red, reminiscent of cinnabar.

Thump!

A muffled sound followed, and the man’s face beneath his mask flushed red as a mouthful of blood sprayed out. Devoid of spiritual energy and relying purely on physical strength, he sustained severe injuries from a single blow. He staggered back several steps, only to discover that the cloaked figure had eerily slid close to the snowy ground, swiftly passing by his side, and struck him from behind with another palm.

Thump!

The speed, angle, and timing of this strike were all grasped at the exact moment when his palm force was weakest, right when he was transitioning his breath.

"How is this person able to keep fighting without taking a breath?" With this terrifying question in mind, his back was pierced through with a single strike.

With a splat, blood splattered, and the body fell to the ground.

The cloaked figure withdrew his hand and charged towards the remaining few.

"Second brother!!" Their sorrow and rage reached a peak as they regrouped to attack once again. They became much more cautious, engaging the cloaked figure in combat.

Having expended too much energy in his previous outburst without the need to breathe, the cloaked figure’s breathing had not yet fully recovered when he was surrounded by the four men. Caught in a relentless struggle, he got no rest as they took turns pounding him like gears meshing in unison.

The snowy ground was filled with incessant booming sounds.

"Hahaha! The well-known Five Scatterers have become four today. An old man merely passing by chance gets to see such an entertaining play; it’s truly worth it!"

Meanwhile, an aged laugh came from a distance.

Soon after, an elderly man in white robes appeared, his long beard reaching his abdomen. His white hair billowed out, giving him the air of a reclusive hermit, yet the large Wolf Fang Club in his hand spoiled this demeanor.

"In my southwest corner, all the elite masters gather today for what purpose, as if you, the farmer, do not know?" Another middle-aged woman’s voice came piercingly through the wind and snow from afar, fierce and intense.

Quickly, another woman in black with a cloak lightly landed not far from the four Scatterers.

"Knowing or not knowing, what difference does it make?" the old man dressed as a farmer said with a smile.

"The Green Fish Lantern may not be much, but the great secret hidden within is even tempting to my master!" the woman spoke indifferently, "Perhaps we all could step back. If my Tian Qing Sect succeeds, there will be a generous reward."

"Are you saying that even Old Ancestor Tian Qing couldn’t resist personally coming out?" The previously smiling and calm farmer-like elder suddenly showed a slight change of color.

"If you have the guts, say those three words again in front of my master." The middle-aged woman said coldly.

The farmer-like elder immediately stopped talking and turned to watch their surroundings vigilantly.

The four Scatterers also sensed danger at this point and, with their brother’s body, appeared to be contemplating retreat.

Huang Mengxian, the cloaked figure, had barely caught his breath when he was wounded in the ongoing assault. Hearing that Old Ancestor Tian Qing would also be coming, his expression changed dramatically, and he began looking for ways to escape.

"Since Old Ancestor himself is at play, it is only right for us to step aside." The farmer-like elder bowed respectfully but with an unchanged expression. Immediately, he shot backward like an arrow, disappearing into the snow and wind.

However, before the others could react, he had already returned to his original position, facing away and staring at the direction from which he’d come, his expression greatly altered.

"Brother Tian just arrived but now wishes to leave. Could it be that you’re looking down on me, Dongye Zi?"

A leisurely voice came drifting with the wind from amid the snowstorm.

Soon, not only did the farmer-like elder come back, but the four Scatterers who had quietly left were also forced to return. All five had troubled expressions.

Everyone was watching the surrounding area, alert for Old Ancestor Tian Qing, who could appear from any direction.

"Flowers in the cup, wine in the paintings, moon in the clouds, stream in the water. Brother Huang, do you still remember the move I used to chase your pitiful disciple for a thousand miles thirteen years ago?"

The cloaked figure’s face changed drastically, and he suddenly turned to look behind himself, only to see a gaunt, pale-faced older man with white stubble at his chin, already standing behind him at some point.

One hand was already pressed against the small of his back.

"You old monster....!" His words were cut off abruptly.

With a ripping sound, the gaunt old man’s palm now held a blood-drenched heart, and the body standing before him slowly kneeled before dissolving into a pool of thick blood.

"Even Old Ancestor decided to come personally, it seems this Green Fish Lantern has indeed gathered the mightiest...." The farmer-dressed elder said with a slight change in expression, eyeing the other warily as if facing a formidable enemy.

The gaunt old man tossed aside the heart, his hand still as flawless as white jade.

"Even without using spiritual energy, they’re nothing but a bunch of common hens and clay dogs. A gathering of the mighty? After so many years, Brother Tian, you’re still stuck in the same place, not advancing is as good as retreating; truly disappointing."

"I’m no match for Old Ancestor’s extraordinary gifts..." The farmer-like elder laughed dryly a few times.

"I’m determined to seize the Green Fish Lantern; those who obstruct me have only one path to take," said Old Ancestor Tian Qing indifferently. "Brother Tian is a wise man; surely, he won’t fail to appreciate kindness."

"Please, Old Ancestor, have your way..." The farmer-like elder’s face twitched. "It’s just that the Green Fish Lantern is immensely powerful, not easy to deal with... Old Ancestor should be careful not to hurt yourself or damage your cultivation."

"You needn’t worry about that," Old Ancestor Tian Qing said indifferently.

Although the words were polite, both knew that if spiritual energy could be used here, likely all outsiders present would have died on this site.

With Old Ancestor Tian Qing’s murderous nature, no one present could be left alive.

The rulers of the Western Region, each a brutal and overbearing figure, would never allow anyone to act recklessly under their watch. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)