Eternal Swordmaster Chapter 1 Red Pine Sect

"Master... the last Secret Technique... I entrust it to you... Don't... disappoint me...."

Lin Xin barely opened his eyes, still puzzled by the situation, only to see an elderly man clad in ancient robes right before him, his face etched with deep sorrow as he thrust a yellow booklet into Lin Xin's grasp. The old man's eyes bulged wide, and then he abruptly drew his final breath.

Hope and anticipation filled the old man's gaze, his gaunt hands suddenly sagging powerlessly. His eyes remained wide open, refusing to close.

Lin Xin stood frozen beside the bed, utterly bewildered by everything unfolding around him.

"Master!!!" A piercing wail suddenly erupted from behind him.

From the side, a girl dressed in yellow pants and a long shirt with her hair in a ponytail flung herself onto the old man, sobbing uncontrollably.

Only then did Lin Xin snap back to reality, scanning his surroundings. He found himself in a modest wooden cabin, its walls made of crudely hewn brown logs that still carried a faint woody aroma, overshadowed by a potent herbal medicine smell.

"Senior brother..." A soft, frail voice sounded behind Lin Xin, tinged with sobs.

Lin Xin turned to face two siblings who resembled each other closely, both clad in gray ancient-style garments fastened with waist belts, lacking buttons.

What in the world is happening??

Lin Xin's thoughts reeled in confusion; moments ago, he recalled sipping tea at his computer, chatting with online buddies, then dozing off with his head on the desk, only to awaken in this bizarre location the next instant.

"What should we do now, senior brother?" The siblings appeared lost, evidently not the sharpest minds.

Lin Xin rubbed his forehead, totally helpless.

He pointed a finger at himself.

"I ask you, what is my name?"

The siblings blinked in unison.

"Senior brother."

"I mean my name," Lin Xin replied helplessly.

"..."

The siblings exchanged glances.

"Lin Xinru."

"...." Lin Xin sensed a throbbing vein on his forehead ready to pop.

"What's wrong with you, senior brother?" the dim-witted elder brother of the siblings inquired, confused.

"Nothing... nothing," Lin Xin murmured weakly, "I just want to be alone for a while...."

He stumbled out of the wooden hut, feeling like he was filming a historical drama; the high door threshold split the sunlight dramatically.

Two golden beams illuminated the ground inside and outside the house, shining brilliantly.

Stepping out of the hut, a vast golden field greeted him, with a squat ancient pine dominating the tiny courtyard; rays pierced through the needles, dancing like golden dust in the air.

A soft wind blew by, and Lin Xin, face blank, examined his attire: a black Taoist-like robe, hair bundled up, legs bound with straps. The white bindings looked grimy...

"This is really.... utterly inexplicable," he grumbled, crouching down and gripping his head, his mind a whirlwind of chaos.

Memories of his own life blended chaotically with this body's, like a thick gruel.

From behind came relentless wailing; the disciples remained immersed in grief.

Slowly, Lin Xin pieced together details of his predicament.

Lin Xinru... that was his name now, son of a rich merchant from the town at the mountain's base, a young master and senior brother of this tiny sect. He'd trained in martial arts since youth, father alive, mother deceased, and an uncle in officialdom.

Yet the key point was this world differed vastly from his previous one.

From the lingering memories, no cars, no planes, no electricity—none of it existed...

He sat in the courtyard of the Red Pine Taoist gymnasium atop Red Pine Mountain; Red Pine City below was his hometown, the furthest he'd ventured being Haixu City over a hundred miles distant.

The area was wild and barren, filled with endless mountains, forests, and ferocious beasts.

After days of stunned shock, denial, questioning, and frantic pacing, Lin Xin dazedly accepted his fate: no way back...

Several days on the mountain passed; the four handled their master's remains, burying him as per his final wishes in the rear graveyard of the Taoist gymnasium. Now, just the quartet remained at the Red Pine Sect.

Lin Xin gradually grasped his circumstances.

Their sect, Red Pine Sect, had once thrived but now lay in ruins. Still, legends spoke of its glorious past.

Within the sect, the intellectually challenged siblings Lu Yun and Lu Yu had been taken in by the master young and raised here. Their aptitude was ordinary, but their loyalty shone.

Junior sister An Ying hailed from the mountain base to study martial arts, close to the master. Pretty and quite gifted, she truly upheld the dojo's strength with superior combat skills.

She mastered the Red Pine Sect's hallmark Red Pine Sword technique. Always leading charges in battles. Reckless by nature, she favored brute force solutions. Family often curbed her wild impulses; after repeated scrapes bailed out by her brother's money, fate led her here.

As for the senior brother, his sword skills were passable at best, edging out only Lu Yun and his sister slightly. Without his family's wealth bankrolling sect costs, he'd never hold the senior brother title.

"Senior brother, someone's coming. It's the Hengdao Sect!"

On his sixth day in this realm, as Lin Xinru pored over local characters in his chamber, Lu Yun burst through the door, yelling in panic.

"The Hengdao Sect?" Lin Xin hesitated, then recalled: a small outfit on a neighboring peak, another city-born martial academy.

"What do they want?" he queried, setting aside his book. A ominous hunch gripped him.

"Definitely nothing good!" Lu Yun bellowed, lunging to yank Lin Xin.

"Where's your sister An Ying?" Lin Xin stayed planted in his seat, unmoving.

"She's already gone ahead! She said she's going to negotiate with them." Lu Yun fretted as senior brother lingered, "Senior brother, why aren't you moving?!"

"Right away... right away!" Lin Xin's legs trembled. Raised in modern peace, he dreaded such conflicts; feigning calm, his fingers clenched the armrests fiercely.

Outside, voices rose alongside approaching footsteps gathering at the dojo gate.

"Where is the Taoist Priest of Red Pine Sect? I am Huo Hengdao. The incident last month where your disciples injured mine—aren't you supposed to give an explanation today?"

A gruff, robust man's voice boomed from beyond.

"Explanation? What explanation? My sword is the explanation!!"

An Ying's shout exploded, trailed by a thunderous crash and weapon clashes. Combat had erupted!

"Sister's started fighting! Senior brother! Quick! Hurry up!!" Lu Yun wailed desperately.

"They've started fighting already? Wow, aren't they too direct with no nonsense at all!!" Lin Xin's pulse thundered, "Don't movies say that in ancient times, people used to name their moves before fighting... oh, no, announce their techniques?..." Thoughts jumbled, he fought for composure.

"What's the rush," his tone shook faintly, "we'll go later... later will catch them off guard..."

"No, senior brother, I'm worried about sister! I'm afraid she might go too far! She could kill someone!!" Lu Yun yelled, face dark.

"Huh?"

"Hurry! Hurry up! Only you, the eldest disciple, can stop her now. Hurry, it'll be too late!!" Lu Yun urged, sweat beading on his brow.

"Damn!" Curses flooded Lin Xin's mind.

The outer clamor faded, pierced now and then by cries.

Finally, Lu Yun hauled Lin Xin through the door.

The courtyard lay in chaos, three or four burly men sprawled haphazardly. A swarthy-faced man dueled An Ying, their blades sparking like silver bolts.

They weaved and clashed across the yard. Abruptly, the dark-faced man sprang back, breaking off, panting bull-like.

"Alright, alright! Worthy of being Red Pine An Ying, I admit defeat today! Let's go!"

An Ying wore form-fitting green clothes, her waist gripped by a striking black sash. Her pale cheeks glowed red, drenched in sweat. Yet constant practice kept her lithe; long legs and shapely form radiated athletic grace, her plain features blending into a sporty goddess aura.

"Think you can leave just like that?"

Spotting her foe fleeing, An Ying's brows arched, killer intent sparking in her eyes as she lunged with a kick. But glimpsing Lin Xin emerge, she pulled back her leg, her scowl easing.

"Eldest brother, you saw it, it's not my fault, they started it first!" The guy instantly whined, hands up in feigned innocence.

"I... I...!" Huo Hengdao of Hengdao Sect almost coughed up blood. He'd scarcely spoken when she exploded into fury and brawl. Heavens! He'd merely sought talks, eyeing some payout, never a scrap...!

Lin Xin eyed the gleaming weapons, heart hammering. Though prepared, the real violence stirred his fear.

He recognized both the sweet-faced An Ying and knife-brandishing brute Huo Hengdao as ruthless fighters.

Officially eldest disciple, yet his skills couldn't survive one blow from either.

Luckily, his status stemmed not from combat—which was dismal—but from family funds propping up the Red Pine Sect below: all meals, supplies flowed from them. Thus An Ying and Lu pair revered him deeply. Despite weak dojo prowess, he managed their sustenance, unavoidable reality.

"What do you want to do?!" Huo Hengdao, outmatched by An Ying, eyed her warily. Hengdao Sect disciples staggered up; some nursed snapped arms, others missing fingers, a few ghostly pale with inner wounds, blood staining everywhere.

Huo Hengdao knew Red Pine Sect's woes post their top expert Taoist Priest's death, plotting to exploit it, yet An Ying proved ferocious! Had her minor Return to Origin Technique reached near Second Layer?