Eternal Swordmaster
Chapter 79 Intentions Part One

Chapter 79: Chapter 79 Intentions Part One

Xiao Lingling ran toward Lin Xin, fuming with anger.

Behind her, Ye Shuyun’s face turned from red to purple, clutching her own face tightly.

"Xiao Lingling! You little slut! How dare you hit me!?"

She screamed out loud.

But Xiao Lingling did not look back and instead joined up with Lin Xin, and the two of them hurried toward the cave river.

Lin Xin could not be bothered with the shrew-like woman behind him. He now had more than twenty Blood Beast skulls, and over twenty skull fragments bundled together were quite a handful. He thought that if he was lucky and could team up with Kong Yuhui and others to kill some silver skull fragments, making them easier to collect and carry, then this trial could be satisfactorily concluded.

The two of them bypassed several fighting groups still in combat and quickly reached the riverbank, ignoring the cries for help from the disciples there.

"How do we get across?"

Xiao Lingling whispered.

Lin Xin looked around and saw a grey stone arch bridge not far away.

"Over there!" He rushed toward the bridge.

Mother!

A horse-like creature suddenly roared, lunging at him from the right.

Lin Xin’s sword blade vibrated as he quickly infused it with Inner Strength and deftly dodged to the left, stabbing the horse creature in the neck from the side.

The strike was clean and swift, immediately drawing the attention of several nearby fighting groups.

"Brother, lend a hand! There will be rewards afterward!"

"This brother, my elder brother is from the Innate Sect. As long as you can help...."

"Brother, please wait... This young lady is willing to pay with Jade Money..."

Voices rose and fell one after another.

Lin Xin looked around and saw there were not too many black-haired horse creatures to warrant concern, so saving these people would be an easy task.

"Wait here for me," he said to Xiao Lingling. He turned and burst out into action, killing a horse creature with a few sword strikes. In just a matter of moments, he had killed three or four around him, collecting their skull fragments. After exchanging names with those he saved, Lin Xin returned to Xiao Lingling’s side.

"With these people getting their breath back and joining other fighting groups, this area poses no threat. We should go meet up with my friend first."

"Okay!" Xiao Lingling nodded.

The two went up the stone bridge and ran toward the other side.

"Brother, please wait."

Suddenly, a pair of imposing middle-aged man and woman rushed out from the opposite side of the bridge.

"Innate!" Xiao Lingling gasped softly, covering her mouth, recognizing their cultivation level right away because they lacked Lin Xin’s Concealment Formation Technique.

With her as a human radar, Lin Xin immediately had an understanding of the situation.

"Why do you two stop me? What can I do for you?" He cupped his hands and said in a clear voice.

"We are also disciples of the Sect, and as Innate fighters, why not join forces? If we encounter silver-haired horse creatures, we can have each other’s back, right?" The middle-aged man said calmly, with a slight smile.

"Indeed, I saw brother handling the horse creatures with concise and clear movements. If you could join us, it would be a great help, and we can split the skull fragments evenly, how’s that?" The middle-aged woman chimed in.

"I’m sorry, but my junior sister and I have other plans and cannot join you here. Please forgive us," Lin Xin replied in an equally mild tone.

But the middle-aged man seemed unconcerned. "I know your surname is Lin, first name Xin, Brother Lin Xin. Are you aware that Brother Song Jing has put the word out, suggesting he has a bone to pick with you? If you do not join us, I’m afraid you won’t get far..."

"What do you mean?" Lin Xin’s heart turned cold; this did not sound like language intended to woo someone to join.

"It would be best if you could hand over the skull fragments you have to us. Our elder brother has some connections with Brother Song Jing. If we ask him to mediate, perhaps we could turn this enmity into friendship..."

The middle-aged woman laughed lightly.

"So you’re after my Blood Beast skulls because I kill the creatures swiftly," Lin Xin’s expression turned cold. "I’ll deal with Song Jing myself, but who do you two think you are, daring to demand my skulls right to my face?"

His words were unceremonious, immediately causing a change in the pair’s expressions.

"Don’t think that because the Formation Hall looks kindly upon you, you can act so brazenly... as two Innate fighters, we do not fear a single one like you..."

"Step aside." Lin Xin interrupted him directly. Since their intentions were hostile, he was not going to be polite.

Disciples of the Sect were forbidden from fighting with each other, and the rules were clear. However, as long as it was not in front of a large public gathering, it was fine as long as the head of the Sect did not see it.... Therefore, in such a crowded situation, neither side would really dare to strike.

"Very well... very well!" The middle-aged man’s eyes turned cold. "My name is Peng Yan. You will soon hear this name again..."

Not daring to act, they stepped aside.

Lin Xin snorted and, with Xiao Lingling, briskly passed by them.

"Come after me if you wish to die." He whispered a cold laugh as he passed Peng Yan.

Peng Yan’s face twitched but was pulled back by the woman beside him.

"Why waste words on a dead man? He will soon have plenty to cry about," the woman said with a look of contempt. "How long can someone who has offended that person live?"

Lin Xin did not care to pay attention to the two of them. Although he could tell there was an insinuation in their words, he could not figure it out for the moment.

After crossing the stone bridge and rushing past the opposite riverbank, he quickly arrived at the cave wall, with a pitch-black entrance to another large cave.

"This should lead to other tunnels. Should we go up?" Xiao Lingling asked softly.

Lin Xin looked around and saw another smaller passage with many chaotic footprints at its entrance, clearly many people had already gone through it.

"Let’s go this way!" He led Xiao Lingling into the smaller passage.

The tunnel walls were covered with pale blue ice, and the walls and ground were overgrown with a kind of moss that glowed blue.

Some stone walls also bore deep sword and knife marks.

Lin Xin reached out and touched one of the knife marks.

"Very new, must have been left here not long ago."

Suddenly, Lin Xin thrust his sword toward the side of Xiao Lingling.

"Be careful!"

The tip of the sword arrived before the warning did.

With a hiss, the tip of the sword impaled a pale blue maggot.

This maggot had no eyes or nose, only ferocious mouths at both ends, filled with densely packed black, pointed teeth.

"Tha... Thank you, Senior Lin..." Xiao Lingling was startled; the creature was so fast, and had Lin Xin not acted, she likely would have been struck by the creature.

It seems Senior Brother has always been looking out for me at every moment...

A warm current surged through her heart.

"Be more careful, your sensory abilities are strong, but this thing is fast and has explosive power. Even if you detect it, it’s still hard to deal with," Lin Xin explained nonchalantly.

"Understood."

The two of them continued along the tunnel.

The journey lasted for several days on end.

When they grew tired, they used torches and some dry moss to make fire for rest. The moss here was able to catch fire easily due to the cold dryness.

If they were thirsty or hungry, they made do with cakes and Satiation Pills, relying on cooked broth to stave off hunger.

Xiao Lingling cooked their meals every day and gradually began to think that it wouldn’t be so bad to keep going on like this.

Another five days passed...

When the two became tired, they carved out a recess on the side of the tunnel, squeezed in to start a fire and cook something.

After eating the food and drinking the hot soup, the two sat down to adjust their Inner Strength.

The tunnel was quiet and soundless, not a single person in sight, and hardly any horses or men encountered. The strange insects from before had also disappeared, perhaps cleared out by those ahead.

After sitting for a while, both felt somewhat warmer.

"Senior Lin," Xiao Lingling suddenly spoke.

"What is it?" Lin Xin opened his eyes and saw Xiao Lingling’s face across the firelight, delicate and dripping with allure, her cheeks fiercely red.

Xiao Lingling’s heart had long been planted on Lin Xin through their time together. Flustered by his direct gaze, she shyly lowered her head.

"Senior Lin... what do you think of me as a person?" she asked in a low voice, her expression seemingly odd.

"What do you mean by ’what do I think’? You’re fine, pretty, gentle, with strong sensory skills, and you also handle matters appropriately," Lin Xin replied with a gentle smile while inwardly thinking that this woman always liked to seduce and use men, and now he wondered what she was plotting.

He had heard about Xiao Lingling’s various ambiguous affairs with many men from Dongyue and other channels. He was instantly a bit annoyed by her current behavior, but his shrewdness had grown over the years, so he remained calm and collected on the outside.

"Really?" Xiao Lingling’s eyes brightened as she raised her head to look directly into Lin Xin’s eyes. "Do you really see me that way, Senior Lin?"

"Of course, even though there were some negative rumors about you back in Tingjian Valley, I choose to believe those are just baseless gossip." He himself felt that what he said lacked conviction.

However, Xiao Lingling’s cheeks revealed a radiant smile. Her face flushed, she lowered her head again.

"Senior Lin, I’m going to freshen up..."

"Okay, go ahead." The act of freshening up meant relieving oneself, just expressed a bit more elegantly here, somewhat euphemistic. "Be safe, and just call out if you run into any trouble."

"Alright." Xiao Lingling stood up, with a slightly coy smile, and headed outside the recess. On the other side, there was a toilet recess they had purposely carved out. It was only a few meters away, so the distance did not pose much of a safety issue.

Lin Xin continued to sit and adjust his Inner Qi.

Time slowly slipped by, and before he knew it, about half an hour had passed.

He had already completed his daily practice of Inner Qi, but Xiao Lingling had not returned yet.

"Could something have happened?" Lin Xin frowned inwardly. Xiao Lingling’s sensory abilities were strong; she could detect others’ cultivation levels, which was very useful. It would be a pity if she died.

He quickly got up and turned around, only to see Xiao Lingling leaning on the entrance of the recess, silently watching him with a sweet smile on her face. He didn’t know how long she had been standing there.

"Why are you so silent? I thought you were in danger and was about to come looking for you!" Lin Xin couldn’t help but feel annoyed. Was there something wrong with this woman’s head?

But Xiao Lingling had wanted to see if Lin Xin really cared and worried about her. Now validated, her heart felt as though it could drip with sweetness. She wasn’t angered by Lin Xin’s scolding; instead, she obediently walked in and sat down by the now-dimmed bonfire.

"I... I was wrong, Senior Brother, I won’t dare to do it again..." After sitting down, Xiao Lingling kept apologizing.

"There better not be a next time!" Lin Xin was a bit angry, closed his eyes to rest, and ignored her.

But Xiao Lingling, still infatuated, watched as Lin Xin closed his eyes to rest again, and gently pulled out a red, gold-embroidered, flower-decorated pouch from her chest pocket.

This was a pouch her mother had sewn for her since she was little. She had worn it close ever since, always as a memento of her late mother.

It was the most precious thing in her heart.

For many years, she had carried this pouch daily and nightly, and with it, it felt as if her mother was always by her side. Whenever she forced a smile and schemed to use men, despite not feeling the thrill of walking a tightrope, just having the pouch made her feel at peace.

"Senior Lin."

"What is it?" Lin Xin did not open his eyes.

"This... I’m giving it to you." Xiao Lingling stood up, moved to his side, then crouched down and handed the pouch over with both hands.

Lin Xin faintly smelled a subtle fragrance, opened his eyes, and saw Xiao Lingling extending a red, gold-embroidered pouch to him.

Trying to seduce me again? A hint of annoyance flashed through his mind. He glanced at the pouch.

"What’s this?"

He took it with a poker face.

"This is a pouch my mother sewed for me. It can bring good luck. I’m giving it to you, Senior Lin, as an amulet," Xiao Lingling sweetly replied. "And as an apology for making you worry just now."