Eternal Swordmaster

After all, Bo Yunzi was also a person wandering the Jianghu, with endless tricks up his sleeve, and he had no shortage of despicable methods, which let Lin Xin and the others experience what cruelty and unpredictability were really about.

However, the upside was that after learning the Red Pine Sword Technique, especially for Lin Xin, his courage significantly increased. Having been dragged into the forest to hunt some game and seeing blood, he had become much more composed.

"Just in time, the Lantern Festival is in a few days. I need to go home once, Apprentice Sister, you should come with me, you two will stay here to look after the house," Lin Xin instructed.

"Oh..." Lu Yun and his sister replied listlessly.

"I'll bring gifts back for you," Lin Xin added.

Suddenly, the two of them cheered up.

"Thank you, Senior Brother!"

Shaking his head and after eating, Lin Xin made some arrangements for An Ying, reminding her what to prepare and what to pay attention to, before he returned to his own room.

He continued to practice the Red Pine Sword Technique diligently. The Red Pine Sword Technique actually only had three moves: Pine Sun Needle, Great Pine Sun Needle, and Stabilizing True Sun - three ultimate moves. All the others were just basic sword techniques, such as thrusting, stabbing, slicing, picking, and lifting.

The footwork that accompanied it was the Red Pine Steps, which had a steady and dependable style.

Standing in his room, Lin Xin glanced at the attribute panel. The three moves of the Red Pine Sword Technique were all listed there. These were the perfect sword techniques he had figured out through constant practice; just by selecting them, he could execute the most perfect standard model of the movements.

"It's a pity that I can't practice the Lesser Return to Origin Technique..." Lin Xin lamented as he looked at the secret technique on the desk, which Uncle-Master Bo Yunzi had returned. It included the complete cultivation technique for the Lesser Return to Origin up to the Fifth Layer.

Lin Xin focused his mind and continued to practice the Red Pine Sword Technique. Although he had already mastered the techniques, the practice time had been short, and it would take a long time to turn them into bodily instincts.

After practicing several times, he was panting and sweating all over, both hands aching terribly.

Sitting down to rest at the desk, he casually picked up the secret technique to flip through, as he was already very familiar with the Lesser Return to Origin detailed within.

Unexpectedly, after flipping through a few pages, he suddenly noticed that there was another small booklet inside. It was yellowish and seemed worn and wrinkled, as if it had been frequently browsed.

"What's this...?" Lin Xin picked up the small booklet.

On the cover of the booklet, the words "Essentials of Return to Origin" were written in a flowing and powerful script. Clearly, Bo Yunzi had intentionally placed it there.

Lin Xin opened the booklet, reading it carefully, point by point.

Time trickled by, and before he knew it, there was a snap as the oil lamp suddenly burst into life, startling Lin Xin, who had been engrossed in reading.

He quickly added oil to the lamp, but the joy in his eyes was difficult to hide.

Picking up the booklet again, he took a deep breath.

"I didn't expect there to be a way to get around the limitation."

The book recorded a type of pill called the Return to Origin Pill. It was created for disciples who were unable to practice the Lesser Return to Origin Technique.

This pill was not refined in a pill furnace but rather was a medicinal paste that had coalesced.

However, the biggest trouble with the Return to Origin Pill was not this but rather the medicinal primer required for it, which was difficult to obtain. It needed the hot blood of a creature known as the Long-Eared Tiger, to be mixed with water and taken consecutively in a set of five pills, followed by immediate circulation of Qi for the effect to manifest.

The Long-Eared Tiger was indeed found nearby on Red Pine Mountain, but...

Lin Xin's heart was somewhat drumming; the Long-Eared Tiger was a genuine tiger. It was said that very few had ever seen one, and it was known to be extremely cunning with an exceptionally acute sense of hearing.

"The Lantern Festival is in a few days; maybe I can go back and ask if there's a way to deal with it, and at the same time buy all the medicinal herbs needed," he thought to himself that his current body belonged to a prominent local family, which might find a solution.

In his previous life, he was especially fascinated with things like inner strength, and now that he had this opportunity, it would be a terrible waste not to take advantage of it.

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

Three days later...

Red Pine City

The city gates were bustling with incoming and outgoing crowds, and three black square carriages slowly made their way towards the gate amidst the congested traffic. The wagon drivers, brandishing their whips as if to strike, managed to scare away the kids crowding around trying to sell their wares.

As the carriages drew closer to the Red Pine City gates, a welcoming party from within the city, dressed in black tunics and led by a smiling man wearing a black round hat, quickly ushered the three carriages into the city.

Following the branching streets, the three carriages rode for about ten more minutes before finally arriving in front of a big household with red lacquered gates.

The gates were already wide open, and the doorkeepers stood at the entrance, smiling and bowing as they watched the carriages pull up.

"Welcome home, Second Miss, Third Young Master, and Fourth Young Master!" the doorkeepers called out respectfully and loudly.

Off each carriage stepped a young person, two men and one woman. Both men were handsome; one had a darker complexion, the other had an air of authority.

The woman was dressed in pale yellow silk, with pearls and jade necklace chains adorning her neck and wrists. Her features were exquisitely charming, and she had a slightly full figure, which added to her mature allure.

Inside the gates, Lin Zhiwen, wearing a white broad garment, along with several women, greeted them with beaming smiles. After whispering a few words to his three children, whatever he said made them all burst into laughter.

By the side of the main gate, there was a stall selling grilled skewers at the entrance of an alley.

Two young people, a man and a woman, were gazing at the grand gate from across the stall.

The man, dressed in a black Taoist robe with his hair tied in a bun, looked to be only around twenty years old. He had a longsword strapped to his back, a strikingly handsome face, and bore some resemblance to the two men who had just alighted from the carriage. It was Lin Xin, who had just descended from the mountain.

By his side was An Ying, still in the same white dress, though her white boots had been sullied by mud, hardly diminishing her charm. She still sported the attire of a heroine.

"This is my home..." Lin Xin murmured, taking a skewer of meat from the vendor and sharing half with An Ying.

"It's beautiful..." As An Ying accepted the skewer and began to eat, she meticulously observed the Lin Family estate.

From the outside, one could only see a vast area behind the white walls, which seemed to include gardens, and one could hear the shouting of servants. It was clearly the home of a wealthy family.

"Let's go," said Lin Xin, quickly finishing his snack and heading toward the Lin residence.

An Ying hurried after him, ducking to avoid several red lanterns that had just been hung up for the Lantern Festival, following closely behind Lin Xin.

Approaching the main entrance, the gatekeeper was about to close the gates after leading the horses away but saw Lin Xin approaching.

"Oh, the young master has returned!" The gatekeeper's face instantly squeezed into a smile as he came forward to meet them. Two servants rushed inside to notify the others.

Lin Xin responded casually.

"Did my second sister and the third and fourth brothers just return?"

"Yes, the second miss and the third and fourth young masters just arrived," replied the gatekeeper.

Lin Xin, without paying much attention to the gatekeeper, strode in with An Ying, followed closely by a servant.

Inside the gate was an exquisite green garden with artificial hills and running water, leading straight to a stone arch bridge facing the gate, which led to the main hall at the far end. There, one could vaguely see people coming out to look this way.

Crossing the bridge, Lin Zhiwen came forward and gave him a firm embrace.

"You rascal, you actually knew how to come down from the mountain? I thought you weren't planning to come back!"

Lin Xin was tightly hugged by the middle-aged man, feeling a bit awkward. After all, it was strange to be acknowledging someone else's father.

"This must be An Ying?" Letting go of Lin Xin, Lin Zhiwen's gaze immediately fell on An Ying, who looked bashful. Her white dress gave her a valiant appearance, and her figure was impressive. Overall, she made a very good impression.

"Alright, you both go rest for a bit. We'll all gather together later. We have guests from the Shu Family, so don't forget your manners when you meet them," Lin Zhiwen advised. He might have been a rural landlord, but truth be told, he wasn't very versed in proper etiquette.

Lin Xin, who already felt out of place, took the opportunity to leave with An Ying, escorted by a servant to his room.

As they crossed another stone bridge to reach a different courtyard, they coincidentally met a group of young masters and misses coming their way.

"Big brother! We came out to see you as soon as we heard you were back."

The young master in the lead, no more than eighteen or nineteen years old, was elegantly dressed in white and gently fanned himself with a folding fan. He squinted his eyes and smiled as he approached Lin Xin.

"Fourth brother?" Lin Xin recognized the person in front of him, his fourth brother, Lin Xinguang.

Behind him were two girls, one his cousin Lin Xinyuan from the second branch, and the other, a stranger who didn't seem to belong to the Lin Family.

Lin Xinyuan was dressed in fitted clothing, with a red sash around her slender waist and holding a riding crop, obviously having just returned from the horse grounds. Her pale face lit up with a dazzling smile upon seeing Lin Xin.

The other girl wore a green skirt that revealed her fair thighs, with a white blouse that subtly exposed her belly button, and silver bracelets on her wrists. She had an ordinary face but an excellent figure and complexion; however, she was intently scrutinizing Lin Xin and An Ying.

"Big brother, this outfit of yours... why are you still dressed like this?" Lin Xinguang's smile faded as he asked in a low voice, "Are you planning to never come down from the mountain?"

"My business is none of your concern," Lin Xin frowned.

"It's not a matter of minding my own business, big brother. You're not getting any younger, and father won't be able to support you forever," Lin Xinguang frowned slightly. "I heard that you want to take money from the family to buy something. That seems a bit improper."

"I said it's none of your business," Lin Xin's frown deepened.

"None of my business? The Lin Family is facing difficulties right now. If you don't need my help, turn around and ask father, and he'll come to me, so in the end, I will have to deal with it!" Lin Xinguang's tone turned cold.

"Xinguang brother~" Lin Xinyuan called out softly from the side.

Lin Xinguang became a bit flustered.

"Alright, alright, I understand." After giving Lin Xin one last look, he exhaled sharply, "Come by later to withdraw fifty taels of silver." With that, he walked away with large strides, crossing the stone bridge.

As Lin Xinyuan passed by Lin Xin, she squeezed his hand firmly and flashed a smile before following the others away.

Lin Xin felt a mix of helplessness and embarrassment, being scolded by his own younger brother in such a manner. It was clear how miserable Lin Xin's past circumstances must have been.

An Ying stood aside, biting her lip and looking down as if she didn't quite understand what was happening.

Lin Xin also felt somewhat relieved. Thankfully, they spoke quickly using the Red Pine City dialect, which An Ying, not being a local, seemed not to understand fully. His loss of face could have been worse...