Eternal Swordmaster

The sky was getting dark, and soon Kong Yuhui and another returned, finding two rooms next to everyone else.

They gathered together again, using branches and straw from the courtyard to light a fire by the carriage, settled their meal, and then each went back to their rooms to rest and recuperate.

The sky turned gloomy and quickly became completely dark.

Lin Xin couldn't wash up, and as a modern person accustomed to daily hygiene, he really felt uncomfortable here.

But there was no helping it; the water in the pond was too dirty to use.

He lay on the bed clothed for a while, the decaying wooden bed creaking as if it might collapse at any moment.

Looking at the faint moonlight spilling through the window, he tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

He got up, went to the wooden door, and peered through the tattered window into the courtyard.

The carriage was tied up in the right corner of the courtyard, the horses standing still and quiet, not moving an inch, with a faint red glow coming from the campfire beside the carriage.

Huh...

Lin Xin exhaled, this mission was one he had carefully chosen—it had a low threat level but offered a handsome reward of twenty Jade Money. Plus, joining the team could earn him some experience points.

Gah...

A soft crow's caw suddenly came from the distance.

"This place really is kind of eerie," Lin Xin gripped the hilt of the sword that was always by his side. This sword was an array weapon he had painstakingly created, named for its limited usage and unknown, formidable power.

The smooth hilt offered him a slight sense of security.

Turning back, he groped his way to the bed in the dark, planning to lie down for a while longer.

Suddenly a shadow flashed past outside, caught by the corner of his eye.

Lin Xin spun around and hid by the tattered window, looking out obliquely.

He saw a figure in black, moving slowly along the pond toward the gate. The figure seemed to be wearing a long skirt and walked very slowly. With their back to Lin Xin, there was no way to make out their appearance.

Lin Xin squinted at the figure, thinking it looked somewhat familiar.

"Who could it be at such a late hour?" If he hadn't been wide awake and happened to get up, he never would have noticed the shadow.

The figure moved slowly but without a sound; they seemed to float rather than walk.

All along the way, he had a sense that there was something off about Kong Yuhui in the group, who, despite seeming aloof, always gave the impression of hiding something.

"Could it be Kong Yuhui?" he frowned slightly, and just as he saw the figure about to turn and look this way, he quickly turned his head back towards the room, his gaze falling on the wall.

The room was pitch black, he couldn't see a thing.

After pausing for a moment, Lin Xin once again peeked out from the edge of the window.

!!!!

Suddenly, a pale face was pressed right against the window, staring intently at him.

Ah!

Lin Xin was startled, jumping away while gripping the hilt of his sword, nearly drawing it, but when he blinked and looked again, there was nothing outside the window, only the faintly glowing campfire in the courtyard.

Huff... huff... huff...

The intense sound of his own breathing was the only thing in the room.

"Damn it!" Lin Xin checked carefully again, seeing no further trace of the face or the person in black from the courtyard.

He calmed his breathing with some effort, his arm tense as he gripped the sword hilt and slowly opened the door.

Squeak...

The somewhat decayed door made a soft noise as Lin Xin stepped out cautiously, quickly scanning his surroundings. The corridors to his right and left led to darkness and shadows, silent and still.

He looked specifically at the room on the right; there was no sound coming from it, that was Ouyang Qing's room.

"With the noise just now, with their hearing, it's impossible they didn't hear it," Lin Xin moved carefully, trying not to make a sound, and stepped over to Ouyang Qing's window to peek inside.

He could see someone lying on the bed, back to him, only a silhouette visible in the darkness.

After thinking it over, he decided not to disturb them. He couldn't be sure whether what he saw just now was real or if his eyes were playing tricks on him. However, the scare earlier had definitely raised his vigilance.

"It seems there really is no such thing as a free lunch in this world. A mission with low threat but high reward, and only we disciples of the First and Second Layer would take it—it definitely doesn't make sense."

A thought crossed his mind.

"But it's likely that many in this team who dared to accept this mission have their own hidden strengths and are thus fearless."

Including himself.

With this realization, Lin Xin didn't dwell on it further. If the face was real, and they wanted to harm him, they would certainly come for him again. If it was just an illusion, then naturally there would be no issue.

```

After coming to a decision, he stealthily returned to his own room, locked the door without bothering about anything else, and simply lay down on the bed fully clothed to sleep.

But his hand was always gripped tightly around the hilt of his sword.

In such an environment, he didn't dare trust the people in his team and had to remain alert at all times.

Gradually, he felt himself drift into a drowsy sleep, and the sky outside slowly brightened with the first light of dawn.

He had no idea how much time had passed.

Knock, knock, knock.

The sound of knocking made Lin Xin abruptly open his eyes. He leapt from the bed, his hand on the sword hilt nearly unsheathing the blade.

"Who is it!"

"It's me, Disciple Lin, time to head out," Ouyang Qing's voice held a hint of surprise, as if puzzled by Lin Xin's wariness.

"Oh... I got it. Coming out right away." Only then did Lin Xin breathe a sigh of relief. When he looked outside, the courtyard was bathed in gold, the sun fierce, indicating the warmest time of the day.

Hurriedly arranging his attire, Lin Xin stepped out to see the rest of the group had already gathered in the yard.

The Shi Family brothers were yawning incessantly, and both Jiang Yue'er and Cheng Ruofei had slight dark circles under their eyes, evidently not having rested well either.

Conversely, Ouyang Qing and Kong Yuhui seemed unperturbed, especially Kong Yuhui, who carried a small black cloth bag in his hand, its contents a mystery.

"The mission is to take out the Yin Blood Birds, but these birds only appear in graveyards, so we're going to scout the surroundings. There is an unclean presence around here, so I've chosen to set out when the yang energy is at its strongest at noon. No objections, I presume?" Kong Yuhui always had a stern face, which, if he had been on Earth in a previous life, would have fit the description of a classic case of resting indifferent face. Coupled with handsome looks, an air of nobility, an extraordinary background, and a leader's charisma.

Lin Xin couldn't help but feel a bit displeased inside, as if he was being overshadowed by the other.

"No problem, but I heard Sister Ouyang isn't on this mission for the first time?" Cheng Ruofei suddenly asked.

Ouyang Qing smiled and nodded.

"Yes, this is my third time participating in this mission."

"Hasn't the Yin Blood Bird been completely eradicated yet?" Jiang Yue'er asked.

"Every once in a while, a large number of Yin Blood Birds gather here, so we have to come periodically to clear them out. Don't worry, they are just a flock of vicious birds. With so many of us, the mission should be easy," Ouyang Qing explained with a smile. "The only difficulty is that the mission is time-consuming. Just traveling back and forth takes more than a month, not to mention the wait for the right moment for the Yin Blood Birds to appear. The reward isn't particularly generous for the more skilled fighters, so it's just assigned to us lower-level disciples to complete as a team."

Lin Xin and the Shi Family brothers all nodded in agreement. Indeed, what she said was the reason Lin Xin dared to join the team alone.

"However, everyone should be careful," Kong Yuhui's voice was always so cold, "people have died on recent missions. The task is easy if it's easy, but difficult if it's difficult."

The group acknowledged his warning, then checked their equipment, before setting out from the residence under the lead of Kong Yuhui and Ouyang Qing, walking towards the outskirts of the town.

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

The winter side of the town was a yellow-green wilderness slope, with a chaotic mix of grasses and sparse stones, producing a faint whistling noise when the breeze blew.

The seven people ascended the slope, only then noticing the densely packed gravestones covering it—some stone, some decaying wooden markers.

Lin Xin crouched down and wiped a somewhat clearer gravestone, causing a layer of white stone powder to fall. The inscriptions were no longer legible.

"It's strange. This town was abandoned less than thirty years ago. Why have the gravestones weathered so severely?" he murmured under his breath.

His guard was up, significantly heightened after the frightful incident the night before.

"It's common for the gravestones to appear this way in areas where the Yin Blood Birds are found, often accompanied by potent toxins," Ouyang Qing replied softly from beside him.

"Sister Ouyang, do you know the circumstances of this town?" Lin Xin asked offhandedly.

"Yes, I know a bit," Ouyang Qing's expression turned solemn. "Once, this place was a reclusive haven for a noble family concealing their identity. Later, an incident occurred, leading to... watch out!"

Suddenly, before she could finish her sentence, she unsheathed her sword with a swift motion and hurled it forward, striking fiercely at the empty space behind Lin Xin.

Hisss!

The blade seemed to hit something, emitting a sharp sound.

Lin Xin only felt Jiang Yue'er behind him cry out in alarm, as if hit by something, and he quickly turned around.

"Move aside! I've got this!" Before he could see what had happened, he heard Kong Yuhui's voice cutting through the air coldly.

In a flash, the Red Pine Sword Technique of the Sword Sect was deployed, a sword thrust coming from the side aimed precisely at a black object of some unknown substance that was lunging at Jiang Yue'er.

The thing, tumbling toward Jiang Yue'er, was struck by the sword and let out a ghastly scream before vanishing in the blink of an eye!

Jiang Yue'er drew her sword and held it in her hand, her face pale. The clothing on her chest was slightly torn, showing she was nearly grasped by that black thing just now.

Her clothes were shredded at the sides, as if torn by some sharp, fierce claws, as though the creature had tried to rip open her entire thorax in one swipe. Now, through the torn dress, one could see the undergarment was also torn apart, revealing the curved outline of her ample chest.

Had it not been for the timely intervention of Ouyang Qing and Kong Yuhui, Jiang Yue'er likely would have faced a gruesome fate.

Lin Xin and the Shi Family brothers hadn't managed to draw their swords from start to finish; the whole episode had ended too quickly. The creature was so fast that if not for the astonishing speed of swordsmen like Kong Yuhui and Ouyang Qing, the situation could have turned dire.

Lin Xin's forehead was covered in cold sweat. If that thing had attacked him...

```