Eternal Swordmaster
Chapter 288 - 281 Start 1

Chapter 288: Chapter 281 Start 1

The Seal Decision was a palm-sized figure akin to a clock, with a point of red light at its center that flickered continuously between brightness and dimness. After floating in mid-air for a while, it suddenly burrowed into the ground.

Lin Xin stood quietly in the alley, waiting.

At the entrance of the alley, Ling’er and Xiao Liu, clueless about the situation, simply followed his instructions and stood guard.

Soon, a man in a grey-white robe with a mask over his face drifted slowly down to the entrance of the alley.

Without a word to the two at the alley’s mouth, the man walked straight in.

"Is this the contact point? Are you the one who sent the contact Seal Decision?"

He asked Lin Xin directly.

Turning around, Lin Xin nodded slightly.

"I am Honghua, newly arrived here, planning to visit the local branch."

"I am the Ling Mouse responsible for Ding District Yi Domain. To take you to the branch, does that count as a task?" The other, however, spoke without a hint of emotion, only asking indifferently.

"Yes, it does." Lin Xin nodded.

"How much is the payment?"

"Go by the standard rate."

"Alright, then. Two pieces of Jade Money, or three pieces of Shell Gold."

"No problem." Lin Xin was somewhat displeased, thinking, for such a trivial matter as leading the way, was this person really going to charge him such an outrageous sum? Could he be so desperate for money that he had lost all shame?

Seemingly catching Lin Xin’s irritation, the man paused slightly before speaking.

"Daoist, since you’re new here, this place operates on the rule that everything has its price. Many customs here may be unfamiliar to you, but the reality is they only recognize money, not people. As for the so-called righteousness and valor you see in other branches, that doesn’t work here."

"Thank you for the advice," Lin Xin said indifferently, "Please lead the way."

The man nodded and turned to walk towards the exit.

Lin Xin followed with Ling’er and Xiao Liu close behind.

The four made their way through the streets and soon arrived at a sloping street district where the entire street was filled with shops selling various dolls and inflatable toys.

Every few shops, one could see a large black turtle lying asleep on the ground, its nostrils much larger than a typical turtle’s and consisting of only a single hole from which gusts of air poured out.

Each of these large black turtles was over two meters in length and more than a meter wide. They were mostly sleeping, and even the few that were awake appeared mild-mannered, hanging their heads motionless. Only forceful prodding would prompt them to move slightly.

Lin Xin and his companions observed many shopkeepers step out with inflatable dolls or balloon-like skins in hand, which they then placed over the turtle’s nostrils. The skins and balloons inflated rapidly, expanding to over a meter tall in just a few breaths.

The cheers of children were endless. The entire street was bustling with excitement, mostly parents bringing their kids for fun.

Their guide led Lin Xin and the other two up the slope to the largest house on the street, which bore no sign or plaque. The only feature was a giant black balloon, over five meters in diameter, tied with thin lines in the open courtyard, floating in the air and bobbing in the breeze.

The door to the house was wide open, with numerous people coming and going. The man stopped at the entrance and turned around.

"This is the place. Go in on your own. I’ve got other matters to attend to, so I’ll be leaving now."

Lin Xin nodded, took out some Jade Money from his Storage Bag as payment, and handed it to the man, who left without another word.

Many people were entering and exiting the building, some blatantly wearing decorations with the word ’Radiance’ on their chests. Looking from outside to inside, one could see a small table in the courtyard, surrounded by people asking questions, while the person seated seemed to be patiently answering in a rather poor Central Prefecture dialect.

Lin Xin, together with the two companions, walked in and headed towards the main hall in the rear courtyard just like many others.

Once in the main hall, people were bustling about, some in line, each speaking and registering in front of a plump middle-aged woman.

"Thirty gold!? According to the rules, I should get fifty gold! Du Sanniang, I don’t mind you skimming a bit on normal days, but I urgently need money right now. Isn’t it a bit mean to do this?" One individual seemed to be arguing about money with the plump woman, his voice unintentionally rising.

"Me, skimming off you? As if your bits and pieces are worth my special attention! Wang Xiaozi, don’t you think too highly of yourself," the plump woman retorted loudly, "These are the rules here. If you abide by them, come in; if not, there’s the door—you can roll out! The Radiance branch can do without someone as penny-pinching as you."

"Me, penny-pinching?!"

The man was instantly enraged, starting a quarrel with the plump woman.

The two bickered loudly in the hall, the dispute revolving around trivial matters of haggling over prices.

Lin Xin glanced around and then made his way to an elderly man leisurely drinking tea at a small round table to the right. In front of the old man was a small sign that read: Inquiry.

"I’ve come from another division and would like to ride the airship from this division. I’m unsure..." His voice precisely entered the old man’s ears.

His eyes, originally slightly squinted, opened a bit wider. He sized Lin Xin up and down.

"Where to?"

"To the far west."

"There are fifty-three destinations you can choose from in the far west. Which one do you want to go to?"

"Uh..." Lin Xin was suddenly taken aback. Realizing that his preparation was far from sufficient, he fell silent for a moment before asking, "Do you have a map of that area?"

"Five pieces of metal each."

"Also, information about this division’s situation and an introduction to the operating methods here. Could you please explain them to me in detail?" Lin Xin quickly produced several pieces of Jade Money and gently pushed them across the table.

The old man collected them without changing his expression and nodded slightly.

"The rule of this division is trade."

He pinched the three-inch goatee on his chin.

"You take on tasks and exchange them for compensation. You issue tasks, pay the compensation, and we take a cut in the middle. As for the types of tasks, they can involve finding people, entrusting wishes, or any other strange and unusual things, and may even include hiring hitmen. Of course, there are certain requirements for the targets; most are evildoers or those with blood on their hands. No need to worry about that."

"What else? I’ve heard that this division is confronting the Red Clothes Cult, which is why I made a special trip here."

"The Red Clothes Cult? Sooner or later they’ll be dealt with. There’s nothing in this world that money can’t fix," said the old man indifferently. "Go have a look at the task board."

"Alright, then where can I see these tasks? And how can I ensure my interests won’t be damaged..."

Lin Xin decisively changed the topic and started inquiring about other matters.

Ling’er and Xiao Liu stood respectfully off to the side, not daring to make the slightest noise. Everyone coming in and out here was a tough cookie, each one emitting the faint aura of at least a Heart-Level expert. This made Ling’er, in particular, feel somewhat apprehensive. Occasionally, individuals with auras as unfathomable as the Abyss would come and go, behaving just like ordinary people, and astonishingly, no one paid them any mind.

Their only reliance was to stick close behind Lin Xin, not daring to utter any unnecessary words.

After Lin Xin had inquired in detail, he had initially thought that he would be able to meet the person in charge of this division.

However, he hadn’t expected that the division head had left for a meeting at the Central Prefecture headquarters in Naxi many days earlier; this place was merely a subdivision in the city district.

From the old man, Lin Xin learned that there were more than ten such subdivisions in Naxi. He also got a rough understanding that in Naxi, the subdivisions had degenerated into merely platforms for task distribution and handover, and that the Radiance Society’s fundamental ideological pursuits were no longer evident here.

This was quite in line with what he had anticipated; those inexplicable notions of justice meant nothing to him. All he wanted was to break through his limits, to first ensure his own wellbeing, which was of the utmost importance. As for helping others, he was fine with lending a hand when he had the resources to spare, but that was contingent on having those extra resources.

According to the old man’s introduction, joining the Radiance Society here was easier; you paid some money and got a badge in return, which then allowed you to freely issue and accept tasks at any division.

The completion of tasks was not limited to a certain number of people; multiple individuals could work together on a single task, and whoever finished first would receive the reward. The operation mechanism was simple and brutal, yet there was a secretive method of review in place.

Subdivision members were as common as hairs on an ox, and most of them were part of more than one organization. Whether it was the Di Xiu Society, the Common Society, whatever identity it may be, it was all just a means to facilitate taking on tasks and earning money.

Additionally, Lin Xin learned another piece of information: the Radiance Society here had no requirement for one’s spirit to join the Universal Heavenly Venerable.

What the old man had said was:

"Universal Heavenly Venerable? That’s a privilege only for core members. With the protection of the Universal Heavenly Venerable, if one makes significant contributions to the society, one can directly summon a fragment of the Heavenly Venerable’s spirit for assistance. The light of the Heavenly Venerable is omnipresent."

In his mind, Lin Xin now had a clear notion of his status. Obviously, most of those who joined the Radiance Society here were just ordinary peripheral members, whereas he had been specially invited to become a formal core member due to his unique skills and being the leader of a power. This set him apart. Another concern he had held was that back in Huagu Valley, he had been ready to provide assistance but ended up killing people from his own society as well, which might result in punishment by the Universal Heavenly Venerable.

Yet so far, there had been no abnormal signs.

He guessed either that this supposed punishment was nothing more than a scare tactic, or some accident had prevented them from finding him.

After initially understanding the situation, he obtained a map of all the subdivision locations in Naxi from the old man and found the location of the Naxi headquarters on it.

After acquiring all the information he wanted, he registered his code with the old man and then left the subdivision with Xiao Liu and Ling’er.

Wandering around the city for a while, the three found an advertisement for a house for sale on a notice on a street wall. Following the address listed on the advertisement, they asked for directions along the way and found the place selling the house.

"Fifteen pieces of Black Gold, non-negotiable," said the old woman selling the house, her voice whistling through gaps in her teeth. This old fellow held a bright white lantern with a large character for "death" on it. It looked exceptionally eerie. Clearly, she was a cultivator.

After some casual haggling, it was Ling’er who stepped forward to bargain and managed to reduce the price to two-thirds of the original asking.

The Jade Money that Lin Xin had plundered from those he had killed was now down to only a dozen or so pieces, with one piece of Black Gold being equivalent to a floating price of several thousand to ten thousand Shell Gold. When converted to Spirit Jade, the difference was about the same. This expenditure had drained Lin Xin of the little Spirit Jade he had left.

The remaining money was clearly not enough for them to live on for long, considering the cost of living here. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)