Eternal Swordmaster

The internal family, a term previously only encountered in novels, was now vividly presented in front of everyone.

Lin Xinguang's fan dropped to the ground unnoticed, a hint of sourness flickering in his eyes.

"I always said the eldest young master would never be the kind to live off a woman…" whispered a woman among the startled crowd.

Some quick-witted folks had already begun drafting stories in their minds, 'Eldest Young Master of the Lin Family fights off a night assault by men in black cloaks,' which would surely enrich future discussions.

Most of the Lin Clan and the servants felt regret for their previous misunderstandings about Lin Xinru, along with curiosity and newfound respect.

After all, the attacker was incredibly formidable; none of the numerous experts could withstand him, only the Lin Family's eldest young master could. Wasn't this a sign that the Lin Family's young master was even more skilled than the town's arrest officer Chen Kun and other great masters like Lord Wang?

Good heavens, this was a big deal.

Some people, now enlightened, started pondering how to ingratiate themselves with Young Master Lin Xinru in the future.

"If it hadn't been for the eldest young master's intervention, the Lin Family would surely face great trouble," spoke Lord Wang, catching his breath and settling onto a random broken chair in the middle of the hall.

"Trouble has already arrived..." Chen Kun, the arrest officer, said with a bitter smile, stumbling over to sit. "Who could have imagined that the Lin Family's eldest young master, rumored to be good for nothing, was actually a legendary master of internal martial arts. My apologies, my apologies…"

"No worries." Lin Xin was not any master of internal martial arts, but he had to keep up appearances now. If that man in black hadn't gone far and heard that he was not a master of internal martial arts, that would be troublesome.

"It's just that I'm not sure what trouble you're referring to..."

Chen Kun shook his head.

"We shall discuss it in a moment."

Lin Xin nodded.

"Big brother, when did you...?" Lin Xinyuan ran over from behind, her eyes shining as she grasped Lin Xin's hand. This cousin was always lively and fond of martial arts and horse riding.

"Stop being disrespectful, go back inside," snapped Lin Zhiwu, who had just arrived. He had also gone with Lin Xinhu to capture people and now entered with one arm drenched in blood, clearly injured.

After taking a look around and glancing at Lin Xinru standing in front of Lin Zhiwen, and An Ying pouting next to him, and then at the longsword hanging above the hall entrance, he gasped slightly, clearly realizing the potential danger they had just faced.

"We'll talk about this later!" Lin Zhiwen said sternly, "Now, everyone proceed with the plan as originally scheduled."

"Okay," Lin Zhiwu hesitated but eventually nodded and complied.

"Everyone else, follow me to the inner room," Lin Zhiwen said, supported on either side by Lin Xinru and Lin Xinyuan, his legs weak as he slowly entered the inner room.

The cousins, various cousins and close relatives, as well as some distant relatives who were hangers-on, also made way for them.

Lin Xinru, walking to Lin Zhiwen's left, surveyed those around him, causing every person, regardless of age, to involuntarily lower their heads to avoid his gaze; some showed reverence, others awkwardness, while a boldly dressed girl in a green skirt daringly threw him a flirtatious look as if to tempt him.

"Hmph!" An Ying couldn't help but huff from behind.

Lin Xinru gave her a thumbs-up in response.

"Nicely done!" A slight smile appeared on his lips.

This girl had just followed his instruction once, and their coordination was impeccable—a perfect teammate!

An Ying, still fidgeting with her sword, looked somewhat sulky. Seeing Lin Xinru's gesture, her face immediately brightened, instantly improving her mood.

As they reached the doorway, Lin Xin saw Lin Xinguang, whose face had turned pale as if he had seen a ghost while staring at him.

Not wanting to deal with him, they entered the inner room.

Certain people were already assigned to console the family members, while the real core members gathered in a separate small room, guarded from the outside to prevent eavesdropping.

Lin Zhiwen and Lin Zhiwu were seated together, followed by Chen Kun, the arrest officer, Lord Wang, and Lin Xin. Everyone else, including An Ying, who was not a member of the Lin Family, naturally had no reason to be involved.

Meanwhile, the Shu Family expert was still unconscious, so the real core group was just these few people.

Lin Zhiwen sat on a chair and heaved a deep sigh of relief.

"Thanks to your substantial support, the Lin Family has narrowly escaped this crisis," he said, respectfully clasping his hands toward Lord Wang and Chen Kun.

"You're too polite, Family Head Lin. This was a mutually beneficial arrangement, and we received enough benefits that helping to defend was only natural," Lord Wang admitted sheepishly, "Yet I hadn't expected an expert of internal martial arts to be involved. Had it not been for the presence of the Lin Family's eldest young master, our efforts might have been in vain. I accept the Lin Family's gift with a sense of unworthiness."

Chen Kun also showed a trace of shame on the side.

"You're right, old man, accepting this gift was somewhat uneasy for me, as I hardly exerted any effort."

"You are both being too polite. That Qingluo Blade could actually mobilize an internal master, which really was beyond my expectations," said Lin Zhiwen with a bitter smile.

"What exactly is going on?" Lin Xin, listening on the side, was utterly confused. He had no idea how the Lin Family had incurred such enemies.

Lin Zhiwen sighed, and Lin Zhiwu with a pained expression began to carefully explain everything to Lin Xin.

It turned out that in previous years, the Lin Family, by chance, had saved a heavily injured and unconscious passerby by the roadside. Normally, the Lin Family performed many such deeds every year, thinking of them as good deeds that accumulated moral virtue.

Unexpectedly, after the young man recovered in the Lin Family, he disappeared mysteriously one night without saying goodbye.

It was only later that the Lin Family learned that the man had possessed a valuable treasure and was being pursued by countless powers. Everywhere he had involved along the way had been suspect, either being searched under suspicion or outright raided and bloodily cleansed by bandits, all out of fear that he might have hidden the treasure somewhere along his path, which would be pointless even if the man was captured.

Before the Lin Family, dozens of families, big and small, had been implicated by this man. Fortunately, the Lin Family had some local influence, protected by the Government and the Plum Blossom Sect. Moreover, none of the martial factions that had searched many homes had found anything, clearly having little hope in finding the hidden treasure, hence the pressure on the Lin Family was significantly less.

However, because of this, a trouble that Lin Zhiwen had caused in his early years was also exposed under the watchful eyes of many.

Years ago, when he was out trying his luck, he had joined the secretive Qingluo Blade sect, learned his martial arts there, and upon returning, he had taught them to his younger brother, Lin Zhiwu. He also brought back a large amount of silver coins, allowing them to make a fortune.

But no one knew how he had come back, how he had left the sect.

And now, it seemed that his departure had not been through any normal means.

"So, is Qingluo Blade's target Dad?" Lin Xin started to understand the situation. Although Lin Zhiwen had not specified the exact reason, considering that Qingluo Blade, a minor sect of the unorthodox path, was now able to mobilize an internal master, it was clear that other forces were involved.

"I can't speak too much about the specific reasons, but Qingluo Blade's intention to kill me, to exterminate my entire Lin Family, is undeniably true," said Lin Zhiwen helplessly. "Thank goodness you intervened in time this time, Lin Xinru. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unpredictable...."

"I heard that young master Lin Xinru had joined the Red Pine Sect of Red Pine Mountain outside the city. I never thought the Red Pine Sect had such a foundation. I've met the old Daoist of Red Pine, yet failed to recognize a true Daoist Master, which is indeed shameful...." Mr. Wang sighed softly.

"Qingluo Blade will not rest until this is settled, so we will need both of your help to cope with what comes next...." Lin Zhiwen said, somewhat ingratiatingly.

But Mr. Wang and the arrest officer Chen Kun, no matter what, could not dare to promise any support, clearly fearful of the internal master's appearance.

Both expressed that with Lin Xinru and the Red Pine Sect involved, the Lin Family should be able to safely weather this crisis.

Lin Xin did not know what the exact entanglement between Qingluo Blade and Lin Zhiwen was, but seeing their stance, it was clear they would not easily let the Lin Family go. Talk of extermination indicated that there was absolutely no room for reconciliation between them.

People from Qingluo Blade could come again at any time.

Although he did not feel much attachment to the Lin Family, not being the real Lin Xinru, he still could not stand idly by and watch the Lin Family be exterminated.

"It seems I must try the Return to Origin Pill soon. Without becoming an internal master, it just won't suffice." He recalled how the three external masters were easily repelled earlier, indicating that the power of internal masters in this world was much stronger than he had thought.

Facing this trouble, the first person Lin Xin thought of was not someone else but his uncle, Bo Yunzi.

Father Lin Zhiwen kept asking him, implying he wanted the disciples of the Red Pine Sectancial families as prices, and they were also willing to help the Red Pine Sect recruit and select excellent disciples.

But Lin Xin knew that there were only a few people in the Daoist hall, and only An Ying was truly formidable. Bo Yunzi was currently out, and they had no way of contacting him, nor did they know when he would return.

Fortunately, after being deterred for a short while by Qingluo Blade, they probably would not make a move easily again. They would likely first probe the depths of Red Pine Sect before making any moves, giving them a buffer period.

If his uncle could return in time, it would be good, but if not, he needed to make early preparations.

In the following days, Lin Xin and An Ying, with full support from the Lin Family, quickly prepared the ingredients for the Return to Origin Pill and also managed to gather information about Long-Eared Tiger through Chen Kun arrest officer's special channels. Along with various types of drugs like the Knockout Drug and assorted tools, they returned to the mountains.

The Lin Family also did not have to worry too much for the time being. After reporting to the provincial government offices, they sent a large number of people to protect the Lin Family tightly. The Shu Family also sent several masters, even drawing people from Plum Blossom Sect. Naturally, the Lin Familie was as solid as a rock. Even internal masters would not be able to breach it easily, nor would they pose a life-threatening danger.

But these protectors could not stay here indefinitely, and the Lin Family could not afford the cost of such defense. Thus, the security was only temporary.

Lin Xin and An Ying carried various items and ingredients and returned quietly to the mountain.

An Ying, unaware of the situation, earnestly went back to practicing her martial arts and swordsmanship. But Lin Xin, knowing the details, busily began to work on the Return to Origin Pill.

The process to create the Return to Origin Pill was not simple but was quite complex. The steps required were quite troublesome.

It took Lin Xin a full five days to just about manage most of the processes, waiting only for the final step.