Eternal Swordmaster
Chapter 47 New Mission Part 1

Chapter 47: Chapter 47 New Mission Part 1

After another task, Wang Chong, due to his bold and somewhat reckless nature, was recruited by the Spirit Beads Gang.

Xiao Lingling, on the other hand, was recruited because of her useful Perception Ability.

It was when the Spirit Beads Gang was actively expanding and taking in new members; otherwise, neither of them might have been able to join.

"The two who led the team just now are Executors from our Spirit Beads Gang, both of them at the Third Layer. In our gang, we have designated Executors who guide everyone to complete tasks, allowing them to more easily obtain tasks with less danger.

The tasks displayed outside on the wall are leftovers picked by other gang leaders, so joining a faction is the best guarantee for safety."

Xiao Lingling explained concisely and clearly.

"I won’t hide it from you, I also benefit from introducing you to the gang, and I don’t want to deceive you. We’re friends, after all, and we’re bound to meet in the future," Xiao Lingling said candidly, "but if you agree to let me sponsor you into the gang, I’ll remember your kindness... in the future... there will surely be a reward."

Towards the end, her voice grew softer and somewhat flirtatious, as she lowered her head with a slightly blushed face, apparently quite shy.

"She definitely still doesn’t know about Brother Lin’s achievements, hehe." Dongyue watched from the side with a cold eye.

At this moment, the three of them had reached the stone monument at the center of the town. Xiao Lingling’s hand occasionally swung by, touching Lin Xin’s hand.

Her actions seemed deliberately seductive to him.

Although joining the gang had its benefits, Lin Xin was considering his small group with Kong Yuhui and the four of them, where Kong Yuhui and Cheng Ruofei both seemed to hold remarkable statuses. Perhaps he could consult with them before making a decision.

"There’s no rush, let’s talk about it after I return from this task," he casually responded.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Lingling felt a bit disappointed, but even if she couldn’t pull him into the gang, watching Lin Xin’s rapid progress, having advanced to the Second Layer in just half a year, fostering a relationship with a potential future powerhouse to protect herself was also not bad.

She glanced at the stone monument, which listed the lecture times for the mage.

Calculating the time, she must leave for a task soon, so she could only attend the lecture next time she returned.

Feeling a bit regretful, Lin Xin had yet to attend a lecture by the mage since entering the Sect.

The task he took was not solo but rather a small team structure; the meeting point was right here. After checking the time, Lin Xin said goodbye to Xiao Lingling.

"Let’s put the matter of joining the gang aside for now; I need to go back and prepare for the task. If you need something, you can find me in room 1103," he said, then left alone with Dongyue.

After all, Xiao Lingling and he were barely acquainted.

"Room 1103?" Xiao Lingling was momentarily stunned; could someone who just advanced to the Second Layer really reach a ranking around one hundred so quickly?

She wondered if she had misheard, but seeing that Lin Xin and Dongyue had already turned and left, she wanted to chase after them for clarification. However, considering his rather cold attitude, she hesitated.

"If what he said is true, following this guy might promise a more promising future than staying in the Spirit Beads Gang..." she muttered to herself as she watched Lin Xin’s retreating figure.

She looked down at her outfit, unconvinced that with her beauty, there could be any man she couldn’t charm.

Wasn’t she saving her virginity just to find the best potential future to invest in?

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

One week later...

The gloomy sky was filled with heavy dark clouds, interspersed with thin blue arcs of lightning.

The thick clouds, like enormous black cotton, weighed oppressively over the entire land, somber and heavy.

Beneath the clouds, the ground looked like a vast yellow cloth scattered with broken yellow earth.

The yellow earth formed small piles of black and yellow chaotic rocks here and there, with only a crooked yellow dirt road running through the center.

As the storm approached, three fast horses trotted along the road.

The two white horses and one black horse stood out like three dots among the small hills—one black and two white—quite eye-catching.

Two males and one female, all dressed in robust attire, rode the horses, cloaked in gray capes to shield from the dust.

The short-haired man riding one of the white horses laughed as he talked to the beautiful woman beside him, but she seemed indifferent, occasionally responding nonchalantly.

This male and female were riding the white horses, leading the way.

The one on the black horse was a young man in his twenties with a cold expression, carrying four long objects on his back. It was Lin Xin, who had left the Sect several days ago.

Lin Xin rode the horse, and although he had a saddle, his buttocks felt sore from the bumpy ride, with the muscles on the inner sides of his thighs burning.

He looked ahead at the two people in front and then up at the sky.

"Sister Shu, Brother Yu Chang, the weather looks bad; we should find a place to take shelter from the rain as soon as possible."

"I remember there are a few tea shops up ahead. Don’t worry, Brother Lin; I know this road very well, having traveled it many times," the short-haired man flirting with Sister Shu called back with a smile, "Follow me; I guarantee you won’t get lost."

"Brother Yu Chang, since your home is in Peacock City, you must be confident about our mission this time, right?" Sister Shu casually inquired.

"Could you tell us about the surroundings of Peacock City and point out anything we should be aware of?"

The two chatted leisurely in front of him.

Lin Xin reminded them that since Yu Chang said it was fine, they must be nearing the teahouse where they could take shelter from the rain.

One of them was named Yu Chang, and the other Shu Luoyi; they were his teammates on this search mission.

Lin Xin pulled out the mission scroll again and unrolled it to take a look.

’Meet a disciple from the Outer Sect named Duan Qi at West Street in Peacock City and escort her back to the Sect.’

Below was a colorful portrait of Duan Qi, very lifelike, nearly comparable to photos from Lin Xin’s past life. She was an ordinary woman about thirty years old, with no notable features except for a prominent black mole on her forehead, as big as a fingernail cap, which was quite conspicuous.

After storing the scroll, Lin Xin stopped talking and continued on the road.

The conversation of the two ahead occasionally reached him.

The wind was getting stronger... whistling as if something were whispering in his ears.

The sky gradually darkened, and a small double-story wooden house appeared on the yellow horse path ahead. The inside of the house was pitch dark; no light was visible through the windows.

Outside the house was a sizable teahouse, which was also shrouded in darkness, with nothing visible. Only the oil lantern hanging on a nearby column swayed back and forth, clearly displaying the character for "tea."

The wind became increasingly strong, mixing with a few drops of rain.

The three slapped their horses’ rears, hurriedly dismounted, and moved towards the teahouse.

"It seems it’s getting late; the old tea vendor has closed up," Yu Chang said as he led his horse into the shop, fumbling to remove the halter and tying it to a thick post in the teahouse stables.

Their three horses were quickly taken to the specialized stables on the right side of the shop, with the reins tied together on several posts.

Lin Xin removed a leather pouch from the rear of his horse and glanced right towards the dark double-story building; it was utterly silent inside as if nobody lived there. A window on the second floor was creaking in the wind without anyone to close it.

"Strange, people were living here when I passed by last year," Yu Chang muttered as he sat down on a bench in the teahouse, reaching out to wipe the table, which was covered in dust.

"This is so dirty." Shu Luoyi, who had just sat down, quickly stood up again, prompting an immediate apology from Yu Chang, who hastily helped wipe down the bench for her with a hand towel.

Lin Xin casually dusted off another bench and sat down facing the double-story building.

Touching the contents of his leather pouch, he quietly took out a Resentment Talisman and held it in his hand.

Ever since he was frightened by a vengeful spirit, he had become alert whenever he encountered such a gloomy environment.

The wind grew stronger, and some raindrops had started hitting the benches inside the shop. Fortunately, they chose a spot close to the building, which shield protected them from the rain.

"Since there’s no one here, why don’t we go in and stay the night inside this house?" Yu Chang suggested.

"Then let’s go. It’s all your fault; if it weren’t for your insisting on leading the way, we would be settled in the previous inn by now!" Shu Luoyi complained.

"Yes, yes... my fault," Yu Chang reluctantly apologized, "Once we reach Peacock City, I’ll make sure to compensate you properly, Senior Brother."

While the two were talking, Lin Xin noticed something strange about the spot where they were sitting.

They were sitting at the only table in the entire shop that was not getting wet and windy.

However, this table was directly facing a broken wooden window on the first floor of the double-story building.

The window was in shambles, leaving almost only the wooden frame, and from outside, one could see nothing but darkness inside.

"Brother Lin? Brother Lin?"

Lin Xin suddenly snapped back to reality and saw Yu Chang and Shu Luoyi both staring at him.

"What’s wrong?" he asked with slight surprise.

"Do you have a flint on you?" Yu Chang repeated.

"Sorry, I was lost in thought." Lin Xin apologized with a smile, leaned over, and started searching for the small bag of flint in his pouch.

The clouds were thick, and the moonlight was completely obscured, making it very dark, so Lin Xin had to lean in closer to search.

Suddenly, he felt light-headed, as if he had stood up too quickly after squatting for a long time, his vision blurring and his eyes numbing with white spots obscuring his sight.

He rubbed his eyes vigorously, and soon his vision cleared. He continued to search for the flint.

For some reason, he suddenly felt a silence around him.

Looking up, he saw Yu Chang and Shu Luoyi staring blankly at him, their eyes unblinking.

"Junior Brother Yu?" Lin Xin furrowed his brow, feeling somewhat uneasy.

Yu Chang’s expression remained unchanged, as if frozen, still staring blankly at him as if he hadn’t heard anything.

Snap!

Suddenly, a flash of lightning streaked by, and Lin Xin quickly clutched the Resentment Talisman, only to find that it had already burnt halfway through without him noticing, and the rest was rapidly continuing to burn.