Eternal Swordmaster
Chapter 262 - 255 Chaos Part 2

Chapter 262: Chapter 255 Chaos Part 2

The moon shone brightly, sparse stars twinkling above, as a small patrol team advanced along the riverbank.

"With it being so cold, what’s the point of coming out for a patrol? Before I left, I had a five-spice large dog stew simmering away, small dishes prepared, everything ready except eating."

"You’re still better off, my wife was half-willing on the bed, just as good things were about to happen, I was called out by that damn relocation office to patrol the river! If it weren’t for the fact that I can’t beat Feng Shiyu, I would have slapped him right there and then!" Another person was seething with frustration, with nowhere to vent his anger.

"Feng Shiyu, ever since that kid entered the relocation office, he’s become more and more arrogant. I heard from Brother Sun that a while back he pursued the Red Fairy but failed. He then tried to force himself on her, only to be caught by a senior sister from the Aerial Sect, and she beat him so badly... I didn’t expect him to be out and about so soon."

"He’s got connections at home, the senior sister who hit him also got transferred to a distant mission. If I had that kind of power, I would have taken him down with a single Longsword strike, then fled far away!"

"With that courage of yours?"

"What about it?"

The two leaders were walking in the front, complaining bitterly.

Suddenly, as they reached a part of the riverbank, they saw several large brightly lit riverboats, with black flags flying high in the wind, displaying a huge ’Black’ character.

"That’s... Black Wolf Gang’s riverboats! Why are they passing through here so late at this time?" one of the leaders exclaimed in confusion.

The other person, along with the rest of the team, was also puzzled and was about to speak up.

Unexpectedly, a long laugh came from the night sky.

A flatboat shot down the river like an arrow, and a tall swordsman stood at the bow. The laughter resonated across the river surface, vibrating the eardrums of the patrolling team, causing them pain even from dozens of meters away.

"Black Wolf Gang has only sent you, Xiao Zhi of the Black Wolf Fang?"

"Just me is enough to stop you!"

From the riverboats, a group of people came out, each bending their bows and readying their arrows; among them, a burly man wearing a Black Fox Fur Coat spoke coldly.

"The journey to Lindu is unpredictable; your sworn brother’s safety is in jeopardy, and if you go, there won’t be a second path!"

"Huang Yuerong covers the sky with one hand, the Righteous Path of the Central Prefecture withers, Demonic Flame soars to the sky, the Life and Death Knife concerns the common people of the world. As a Sect Master of the Righteous Path, if I do not go, on what grounds can I stand and identify myself!"

"Sect Master Meng, your righteousness is admirable, but sadly you and the rest of the Orthodox Sect will never understand the Sect Leader’s grand vision of saving the world. The suffering and sins of the people are profound; if you foolishly think that without any sacrifices one can bring peace and disperse the dark clouds, how is that different from a bloodless battle?" the burly man retorted, word by word.

"Forcing others to sacrifice is the Demon Path!" mocked Sect Master Meng with a cold laugh.

"Old-fashioned!" The burly man waved his hand and immediately, the archers behind him stepped forward, bending their bows, and each arrowhead glinted with faint Rune white light, evidently not ordinary.

"One more question, Sect Master Meng, if you return to the Sect today, Black Wolf Gang will act as though nothing has happened," spoke Xiao Zhi with a chilling voice.

"How could your Shooting Demon Arrows possibly affect me!?" Sect Master Meng leapt into the sky from the flatboat, shouting out loud. The shout was like thunder, causing the several riverboats to tremble slightly.

All the archers instantly slowed down a bit.

Piercing through the air with a hissing noise, a large number of arrows, sparkling with white light, swarmed towards Sect Master Meng like locusts.

"Spilling Sea Technique!"

Sect Master Meng, in mid-air, rapidly formed several Dharma Seals with his hands and combined them into a fierce palm strike.

A vast expanse of blue water Void Shadows emerged in the sky, turning into a high wall to shield him.

A deluge of arrows hit the sea wall and instantly disappeared as if dropping into a bottomless pit, causing no disturbance whatsoever.

"Go!"

Under the command of his will, the sea wall surged towards the riverboats.

The massive blue wave almost doubled the size of the riverboats, resembling an enormous blue cloth about to completely cover them.

"Clear the way!"

Xiao Zhi on the riverboat pushed everyone aside, and from his waist, a streak of black light shot out into his hand — it was a pitch-black Longsword.

"Furious Extreme Slash!"

Amidst a roar tinged with a hint of madness, he appeared above the bow of the boat as if he had Teleported, striking downward with his weapon.

The blade energy condensed into form, suddenly creating a Blade Gang over a hundred meters long.

The strike landed on the sea wall.

Boom!!!

The land and water’s surface shook tremendously.

Countless waves of water splashed up, turning into raindrops scattering in all directions.

On the side of the Kunlin Sword Sect, a group of blue-robed white Sword Cultivators rapidly ascended into the sky, one among them with flowing white hair and a full beard, holding a white Longsword shaped like a cylinder, surrounded by a faintly twisting distortion.

As soon as this person appeared, he was recognized by the Sword Sect’s disciples, causing a stir among everyone.

Innumerable pairs of eyes turned their gaze here, and many divine thoughts converged on this place.

"A Daoist Master from the heavens! It is the Supreme Elder!"

"It’s truly the Daoist Master in person..."

"Teacher! Why have you come?" a few disciples gathered around the Daoist Master.

"Elder brother."

Another person came flying from afar, with clear brows and handsome eyes; however, there was a trace of vicissitudes hidden in his gaze—he was a youthful-looking Confucian scholar. Yet, embroidered on his sleeve was a black and white Yin Yang Taiji diagram, and circling around him was a small, satellite-like cyan-green pill furnace. This man was none other than the Sect Master, Daoist Master Tianse.

"Junior brother, since when did the Black Wolf Gang dare to run wild here?!" Daoist Master Tianse said with an ugly expression.

"The Sect Master of Jiujiang Daoist Sect, Meng Hui, wants to head north to Lindu to aid our sworn brother, Yuan Qiuque. The issue isn’t just with the Black Wolf Gang," Daoist Master Tianse shook his head. "The Black Wolf Gang is no longer the same Black Wolf Gang—it pledged allegiance to the Red Spine Sect half a year ago."

"The Red Spine Sect?!" His expression changed slightly, and the anger in Daoist Master Tianse’s eyes gradually subsided, replaced by seriousness.

The two most powerful experts from the Sword Sect looked out over the fierce battle taking place on the water, both feeling a dilemma of whether to advance or retreat.

Although the nearby waters were freely accessible to other forces, they still fell within the influence of the Sword Sect, close to home.

For the Black Wolf Gang to so unreasonably come to someone’s doorstep and start a fight was simply too disrespectful to the Kunlin Sword Sect.

Thousands of disciples were watching this unfold, and if they couldn’t come up with an appropriate response, the sect’s reputation would surely suffer a heavy blow.

It would also be a serious strike to the prestige and fame they both held within the sect and on the Taoist path.

"Senior brother... What do you think...?" Daoist Master Tianse said, troubled.

"You are the Sect Master; you make the decision at such a time!" Daoist Master Tianse said gruffly.

Daoist Master Tianse fell silent, only able to ponder.

"By right, Jiujiang Daoist Sect is also part of our Righteous Path and we should assist, but our sect has always maintained neutrality. If we rashly join the conflict between righteous and demonic forces, we may invite disaster."

"So what are you planning to do? Bow your head and stay out of it?" Daoist Master Tianse asked.

"The Red Spine Sect is powerful, and our sect is weak; I fear we cannot shoulder this responsibility..." Daoist Master Tianse also felt helpless. "Even Tianyun Dao is shutting its doors and turning a blind eye, let alone our small sect..."

At that moment, on the water’s surface, blades clashed, and Xiao Zhi and Meng Hui were fighting to a stalemate. The void around them twisted, one black and one white, colliding fiercely.

Waves exploded outwards, and one of the tower ships had been completely destroyed.

"The Life and Death Knife... truly a Calamitous Demon Knife... It’s hard to believe that Yuan Qiuque, who was once the foremost expert of the Shen Luo Mansion, would meet the doom of his sect’s destruction and be pursued for thousands of miles by the Red Spine Sect. And now, even his brother is being ambushed..." Daoist Master Tianse sighed.

"With Huang Yuerong uniting the Demon Path, and Tianyun Dao being weak, Demonic Flames run rampant. Yuan Qiuque also possesses a priceless treasure.

It is said that the Life and Death Knife, if one can unravel its secrets, can turn death into life, and direct one toward the ultimate realm. It’s no wonder conflicts arise."

As they spoke, the battle below was nearing its conclusion.

Xiao Zhi, assisted by the Black Wolf Gang members’ Shooting Demon Arrows, continuously drained Meng Hui’s cultivation, gradually suppressing him.

They continued to fly toward the far reaches of the water surface, and the surroundings of the Sword Sect could only faintly see two clusters of black and white light clashing.

The black light gradually began to overpower the white, and amidst it loomed a giant black wolf howling up to the sky.

Just a few more moments could have seen Meng Hui taken down, but inexplicably, the black light suddenly retracted, speeding back toward the tower ship.

In an instant, he landed on the deck, revealing Xiao Zhi’s slightly pale complexion.

"Retreat!"

His gaze was serious as he uttered a low command.

Suddenly, the crew on the ship exerted force in unison, turned the ship’s helm without a word, and with those they had rescued from the water earlier, headed swiftly into the distance.

Meng Hui’s white light suddenly shot far away, quickly escaping.

The onlookers were all baffled, not understanding why the Black Wolf Gang, having come so ferociously and seemingly about to succeed, would suddenly retreat without any achievement.

Daoist Master Tianse and his companion were just as surprised, but even more so relieved. Had the two sides determined a victor and the Sect Master of Jiujiang Daoist Sect been captured, they—as members of the Orthodox Sects who stood by without acting—would have tarnished their reputations if word got out.

As for why the sudden retreat, that was a matter for later investigation. For now, the most important thing was to soothe the emotions within the sect.

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

Several days later.

Outside the Kunlin Sword Sect, in Kunlin Town.

Lin Xin walked alone on the streets of the town, having practiced cultivation in solitude for too long. These past few days, he had left the secluded mansion to get some fresh air.

The Ming Zhen technique had drained much of his energy, and without proper recovery, he feared it might affect his subsequent cultivation practice.

Therefore, before attempting a breakthrough with the Law Lotus, he needed to adjust both his body and mind.

Walking along the street, the town bustled with people and traffic, brimming with prosperity. The location at the gates of the Sword Sect attracted numerous merchants to set up shop here, with Sword Sect disciples and experts coming and going, many not lacking in money. And with life and death in the hands of fate, they spent freely without scrimping.

This contributed to the bustling scene.

Turning a corner in the street block, a rich aroma of lamb wafted from a tavern ahead.

’Fragrance for Ten Miles.’

This was written on the gray flag outside.

Lin Xin faintly remembered seeing this tavern in the Southern Prefecture. Seeing it again here sparked a sense of familiarity. The tempting smell from inside stirred his hunger.

He stepped into the unassuming gray and black double-story tavern, going with the flow of people entering and exiting.

"Guest, have you also come for the gambling fights?" As soon as he entered, a waiter came up to greet him. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)