Eternal Swordmaster
Chapter 54: The Tailor Shop - Part 2

Chapter 54: Chapter 54: The Tailor Shop - Part 2

Lin Xin did not know when it started, but he faintly saw a woman dressed in white in the dark corners of the shop. She resembled an opera singer, her hands and long sleeves fluttering as she raised her arms to the right, motionless, maintaining that pose as she slowly drifted past the doorway.

Yet, Wang Meng, standing right beside him, saw nothing at all.

"Fooling around with ghosts and gods!" A fierce look flashed in Lin Xin’s eyes as he waved his hand. "Light it up! Burn it down!"

"Yes!"

A group of burly men, already losing their patience, heard the command and swiftly took out their flint stones. Others picked up dry sticks nearby, wrapped cloth around them, and lit them with the candles from the lanterns, beginning to set the tailor shop ablaze from all sides.

The fire gradually illuminated the pitch-black streets nearby.

Ever since the tailor shop became notorious for strange occurrences, many nearby homeowners had moved away, and eventually, even the surrounding buildings were demolished, leaving behind only the solitary shop.

Watching the flames grow higher and higher, Lin Xin pulled out more than a dozen Resentment Talismans from his skin pouch, injected Inner Qi into them, and flung them into the side door.

With a rustling sound, the Resentment Talismans were almost instantaneously ignited by the flames and reduced to ashes.

It was at this moment that two figures suddenly rushed out of the tailor shop.

One was unmistakably Shu Luoyi, her face pale and her body, for some unknown reason, now clad in a bright red dress.

The other, Yu Chang, had just dashed out when he fell into unconsciousness.

Lin Xin moved closer and found that this fellow was pierced all over with dozens of white threads. Dense and numerous, they ran through more than a dozen holes in his shoulders, from which blood was seeping out.

Wang Meng quickly stepped forward to help Yu Chang and check on him.

"It’s nothing serious; he’s just lost a lot of blood," he reported, turning back.

Lin Xin nodded, slapped a Poison-Avoidance Talisman and a Sweet Dew Talisman on Yu Chang, then turned to look at the still somewhat lucid Shu Luoyi.

"Well burned!" Shu Luoyi glared hatefully at the tailor shop. "The Four Directions Yin Gathering Formation, quite the craftsmanship! I was almost unable to escape!"

"Four Directions Yin Gathering Formation?" Lin Xin heard this name for the first time; even in the books at the Formation Hall of Law Transmission Forest, he had not come across this formation’s name.

"It’s a very sinister formation. If not for your fire raising Yang energy, and adding on a stack of Resentment Talismans to break an opening in the formation, Yu Chang and I might have been trapped alive inside," Shu Luoyi said, taking out a small bottle and swallowing two vividly red Blood Pills from within.

"Indeed, the Four Directions Yin Gathering Formation... alas..." A sudden sigh echoed from behind them.

Lin Xin turned around to see three young Taoists dressed in Taoist Robes slowly approaching. The one in the lead had a small black moustache, wore a tight black headband, and had a white Longsword on his back, thin as a finger. It would be more apt to call it a spike than a sword.

"I am Zhao Hongtian, Shu Junior Sister, it has been a long time. I hope you have been well," the moustached Taoist greeted with a smile.

"It’s Senior Brother Zhao," Shu Luoyi’s expression shifted slightly as she greeted him with clasped hands. "Senior Brother Zhao, you were deep in closed-door cultivation with your Yu Guang Sword in the Sect; what brings you to Peacock City for a visit all of a sudden?"

"Didn’t I also receive a task related to Peacock City? I took the opportunity to come by and have a change of scenery," Zhao Hongtian replied amiably.

Seeing Shu Luoyi’s demeanor, Lin Xin knew that the person in front of him must be significant, possessing either exceptional strength or a deep background. He quickly clasped his hands in greeting as a sign of respect.

Zhao Hongtian amiably introduced the two disciples behind him, one named Ling Chun and the other Ling Yun, who were cousins. However, by their respectful demeanor, it was clear they were trusted subordinates.

Shu Luoyi also introduced Lin Xin, as well as Yu Chang, who was still unconscious on the ground.

By now, the blazing fire had attracted the attention of Peacock City’s officials and soldiers. In the distance, shouts from those rushing to fight the fire could be heard approaching.

"This isn’t the best place to talk; let’s find somewhere else," suggested Lin Xin.

"Indeed."

Zhao Hongtian nodded his head.

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

The group found a restaurant and settled into a large private room.

As it was nighttime, not many people were coming in and out for drinks and meals, so the restaurant was quiet and desolate, making it a suitable place for conversation.

After ordering a table full of dishes and drinks from the waiter, Lin Xin requested a pot of plum blossom honey drink, opting not to drink alcohol and savoring it slowly on his own.

Yu Chang, now awake, was sitting in a chair with his eyes closed to regulate his Inner Qi. The threads that had been stitched through his shoulder were removed, and it took him three Poison-Avoidance Talismans to cleanse the residual Yin poison.

"With Wang Meng and the others watching outside, we can talk freely," Lin Xin began.

Zhao Hongtian glanced at Shu Luoyi, his face revealing a slight smile.

"The Four Directions Yin Gathering Formation, eh... Junior Sister, did you stumble upon some treasure? Otherwise, knowing your character, you wouldn’t have ventured into such a peculiar formation," he said.

Shu Luoyi replied with a cold smile.

"Senior Brother Zhao should be well aware that the greater the benefit, the greater the risk. You probably also know what I want. It’s just that I’m afraid if I spell it out, you might not have the courage to obtain it," she said as she picked up a cup of plum blossom honey drink in front of her and drained it in one gulp.

"Now that the Four Directions Yin Gathering Formation has emerged, the matter has already escalated. This is a densely populated area; if anything serious happens, no one will be able to bear the consequences. Therefore, the sect should be informed very soon. What we need to do now is to gain a head start before the sect arrives!"

"After all the talk, Junior Sister is indeed more decisive. What exactly do you want?" Zhao Hongtian asked with a half-smile, half-serious expression.

"Ren Mian Guo!" Shu Luoyi didn’t beat around the bush this time and directly named something Lin Xin had never heard of.

At the mention of this name, Zhao Hongtian and Yu Chang’s complexions changed on the spot, while Lin Xin and the other two had no idea what it was. But judging from the expressions of the few, they knew it must be no ordinary treasure.

"For anyone below the Fifth Layer of Qi Refinement, regardless of the circumstances, it can forcibly enhance the user’s Inner Qi Realm. And that’s just the ordinary Ren Mian Guo; if you encounter a twin-headed Ren Mian Guo... it can enhance even more!" A glint of fervor flashed in Shu Luoyi’s eyes.

Lin Xin’s heart was stirred at this moment.

He was currently stuck at the threshold of Innate and couldn’t make progress. The cultivation of Inner Qi through the method of Blood Pills was slower than that of ordinary disciples; even the effects of Yin Blood fell short.

Although he wasn’t facing a bottleneck at the moment, considering his current pace of cultivation, he was unsure if he could break through to Qi Cultivation and stay within the sect in the remaining nine and a half years.

The Small Return to Origin Technique must be practiced to the peak of the Ninth Layer to break through to the Tenth Layer of Perfection and enter Qi Refinement.

Not to mention the method of Blood Pills, even for some genius disciples, breaking through this barrier is extremely difficult, and it is common for them to be stuck for a year or two.

If he reached this stage and wanted to break through, the difficulty would be unimaginably great.

"Once Inner Qi is abundant, it naturally nurtures a trace of Innate Inner Qi. Only after entering Innate can one rely on this trace of Innate Qi to begin transforming the body’s own structure, preparing for a further transformation to a new realm of Spiritual Energy during the Qi Refinement Stage," Yu Chang said with a longing look in his eyes. "If I had a Ren Mian Guo... Legend has it that it contains a trace of Innate Qi. Even if we only share it, we could easily break through to Innate!"

"Innate?" Zhao Hongtian’s eyes flashed with a hint of disdain. "The greatest benefit of Ren Mian Guo is not to break through the mere Innate, but to break through Qi Cultivation."

"How so? Elder Brother Zhao isn’t the least bit tempted?" Shu Luoyi looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"Hehehe... Ren Mian Guo, who wouldn’t want it? Junior Sister, if you need my help, just give the word!" Zhao Hongtian eagerly promised, patting his chest.

"I need Elder Brother Zhao’s help right now," Shu Luoyi said, with a hint of mockery in her eyes. "I’ve caught a Six-Winged Honeybee and am preparing to use it to find the person behind the beekeeping! With Elder Brother Zhao’s strong cultivation, you can lead us!"

Zhao Hongtian’s previously beaming face froze instantly when he heard the words Six-Winged Honeybee.

The swift change even surprised Lin Xin, a well-informed modern man.

"Six-winged... Honeybee...?" Zhao Hongtian’s voice sounded as though it was squeezed out of his throat. "Shu... Junior Sister Shu, you certainly have quite the audacity..."

"You flatter me, Elder Brother," Shu Luoyi scoffed.

Zhao Hongtian looked uncomfortable; he had just confidently assured her, but upon hearing "Six-Winged Honeybee," he deflated like a frosted eggplant.

A silence fell over the room for a moment.

Zhao Hongtian’s companions seemed to have heard of the Six-Winged Honeybee as well, turning a bit pale at this point.

"Zhao Bro... shouldn’t we return to the sect? This matter is too serious, beyond what we can decide on our own..." one of them said in a low voice.

"Return to the sect... Yes, yes, this matter should be decided by the senior members of the sect. If we get involved rashly, I’m afraid it will bring us no small trouble," Zhao Hongtian said, nodding in agreement.

He stood up and paced the room a few times.

"There’s no time to lose; I’ll set off for the sect right away. Junior Sister Shu, I advise you, it’s best not to act rashly. This matter is too great; it’s not something you and I can handle," he said.

Shu Luoyi merely sneered.

Yu Chang, however, seemed somewhat frightened, showing a hesitant expression.

Lin Xin was by then roughly understanding some things.

Clearly, although this matter involved great risks, before the high-ranking members of the sect joined in, and before the situation escalated further, taking the initiative now couldn’t be faulted.

Shu Luoyi obviously wanted to play for this timing difference. Later, when the sect demanded answers, she could argue that she didn’t know the situation would escalate so quickly. As long as the situation was managed well with the superiors, there shouldn’t be much of a problem.

The old saying goes, fortune favors the bold, and even if she didn’t use the Ren Mian Guo herself, trading it with Qi Refinement Stage elder disciples could lead to a considerable profit.

Shu Luoyi was willing to take the gamble, but Zhao Hongtian didn’t even have the courage to do so, no wonder she looked down on him.

Zhao Hongtian hastily left with his two companions.

Lin Xin and the others didn’t see him off; they remained in the room to rest.

"Zhao Hongtian’s parents are both in the Foundation Establishment Stage of the sect and are Stewards of the Sword Hall. His strength has been artificially boosted by his family’s various means. Now he is also around the Fifth Layer, and within the Innate, he is somewhat a noted figure. A pity, though, that he lacks guts," Shu Luoyi said with disdain.

"What’s next?" Lin Xin asked with a frown. "And if there’s only one Ren Mian Guo, how do we divide it?"

"It’s impossible for there to be only one Ren Mian Guo. There are generally five, arranged according to the Five Elements formation; you can be assured of that," Shu Luoyi explained confidently. "As for what to do next, let’s see where our little honeybee takes us."

She lifted the Six-Winged Honeybee that had never left her side, speaking with profound meaning.