Eternal Swordmaster Chapter 5 Lantern Festival Part One

Time zipped by swiftly, and in the wink of an eye, over two months had elapsed.

Lin Xin had spent nearly three months sharpening his sword skills amid the mountains. Truth be told, his passion leaned more toward the "Return to Origin" inner strength method rather than swordplay itself. Sadly, he discovered his body was entirely unfit for cultivating this art.

The "Return to Origin" demanded an elite physique of the highest caliber, one that only a rare few possessed. This stood as a major factor in the Red Pine Sect's steady decline.

With no better option, he threw himself wholeheartedly into training the Red Pine Sword Technique.

Hiss!

A faint mist cloaked the mountaintop dojo.

Clad in a black Taoist robe with his long hair knotted in a bun, Lin Xin lunged ahead with his wooden sword, unleashing a sharp whooshing noise.

"Turn!"

A low shout escaped him as his wooden sword whipped leftward abruptly, slicing through the air with yet another whoosh.

From a new angle, the sword tip pierced toward the identical spot.

"Not bad, you lad..." Bo Yunzi, positioned nearby, gaped in disbelief. "You were so awkward at first—how'd you grasp it so suddenly?"

An Ying along with Lu Yun and his sister stood close by, clapping enthusiastically.

"As expected of our eldest senior brother, seizing the Pinesun Needle's essence in no time!"

An Ying bellowed her praise without a hint of shame.

"Nonsense! This kid needed two full months for the Pinesun Needle, while you nailed that sword move in mere days. How dare you claim that?!" Bo Yunzi snapped in fury.

This fellow had abandoned the sect before, yet his heart still clung to the Red Pine Sect. His plan was to come back, snag the secret art, and vanish; he never foresaw its fall to such ruin. In the end, he lingered to instruct them in martial arts.

Switching to a gray-white Taoist robe, he stepped up holding a wooden sword.

"An Ying, your turn!"

"Yes." After much time together, An Ying had seen through her uncle-master's gruff shell hiding a tender core, so she advanced grinning, sword at the ready.

In the courtyard's center, the pair squared off against one another.

Lin Xin stepped back to observe their sparring.

"Pay close attention—this is the true Pinesun Needle!"

Bo Yunzi's words had barely ended.

Hiss hiss hiss!!

Three sharp sounds rang out as his wooden sword surged up, fracturing into three lightning-quick shadows that thrust at An Ying.

Right as the trio of sword shadows neared her, they fused into a single strike.

Clang!!

An Ying's sword tip flicked upward, catching the shadow's base just in time to divert it overhead.

"That's Zhen Yang True! Excellent!" Bo Yunzi looked delighted, pulling back swiftly before thrusting once more.

This thrust blazed with speed, targeting An Ying's chest directly, too swift for any shadow to trail.

"Uncle-master, you're bullying me!" An Ying cried out, blocking desperately with her wooden sword that cracked apart. She stumbled back a few paces, steadying with a flushed face.

"Return to Origin, third layer—haha, feel that burst of power?" Bo Yunzi laughed brazenly. "You're at the second layer; push a little harder and match me."

"Uncle~~~~!!" An Ying whined.

He slid his sword away and eyed the Lu Yun siblings.

"These two youngsters aren't the sharpest. How on earth did senior brother bring them up here?"

Lin Xin felt wordless too. The Lu siblings fumbled even the Red Pine Sword Technique's basics, far clumsier than his own start. He couldn't fathom their sect entry; likely, their master had merely recruited them for chores.

Bo Yunzi fondled his beard.

"This Jianghu world boasts hundreds of famed sects and thousands of gangs—that's only the famous ones. Countless hidden ones lurk besides. An Ying, you'd rank as third-rate now."

"Uncle, is the outer Jianghu so crowded with folk?" An Ying queried with curiosity. "Master mentioned a Hongying Sect 200 li off, the top powers nearby. What tier do you reckon they hold?"

Lin Xin perked his ears to catch every word.

This uncle-master's years roaming afar granted him far richer insight than their figurehead master. Prime chance to grasp this realm.

The Lu Yun pair brimmed with curiosity too. In an era scarce on diversions, Jianghu yarns and myths made the finest leisure.

Bo Yunzi let out a chuckle.

"Hongying Sect? Mere trifle, frankly—from my journeys and sights, nobody in Red Pine City tops me."

He halted briefly.

"Red Pine City nestles by the immense Seasonal Forest in Great Yuan Dynasty's Northwestern Region. Yuchun City, nearest hub of splendor and one of three key northwestern capitals, lies thousands of miles distant. True opulence thrives there... Elsewhere, even around Yuchun, myriad towns akin to ours dot counties and villages."

"And the Jianghu sects?" Lin Xin cut in to question.

"Jianghu sects? Northwest's top hero is Yu Lin Dao Changchun; his group dominates our region. Plenty of big gangs and sects exist, but Plum Blossom Sect rules nearest, overseeing five towns like ours. Officials seek their aid against bandit woes too," he detailed.

Here, Bo Yunzi's mouth twisted in a mocking grin, evidently irked by the Plum Blossom Sect.

"So, how is strength ranked precisely?" Lin Xin pursued.

"Strength hierarchy?" Bo Yunzi scowled. "What hierarchy? Battles forge strength—the bigger your fame, the mightier you stand! Nameless ones are mere weaklings."

"Ah?" Lin Xin anticipated intricate tiers, not this blunt reply.

"What 'ah'? Simple as that. Though for levels, we gauge by naming peers—like matching Plum Blossom Sect Leader, or trading blows evenly with so-and-so," Bo Yunzi sneered. "Jianghu scoffs at your tiers. Third Layer 'Return to Origin' or not, against a savage sans inner arts, you fight to prove it!"

"Well said!! Strength proves not in words, but in fierce clashes!"

Suddenly, booming laughter echoed from beyond the dojo as a lanky man in a black headband burst through the gate, hurling a tiny black item.

The dark projectile hurtled straight at Bo Yunzi.

"Bo Yunzi, time's up," the thin man tossed out the phrase, spun, and vanished swiftly down the gateway's stone stairs.

Bo Yunzi snatched the object—a black dart with white cloth on its tail—and furrowed his brow lightly, stowing it away casually.

"That's enough for today. Head back, rest up, and fix some food," he declared, trailing off as he retreated to his quarters.

The others traded glances, itching to know the dart's message, yet none probed, wary of Bo Yunzi's swift mood shifts.

Lin Xin, hooked on the talk, chafed at the cutoff, curiosity gnawing at him.

"Senior brother, Lantern Festival nears in days..." An Ying sidled close, murmuring with rosy cheeks.

"Lantern Festival?" Lin Xin blinked in surprise, recalling his family pact to come home each Lantern Festival.

"Senior brother... you vowed to bring me along home..." An Ying's blush crept to her neck, voice a mere buzz.

A throb pounded Lin Xin's head—Lantern Festival, aka Valentine's Day... Young women ventured out then to tryst with suitors, a bustling meet for romance like today's speed-dating, boasting solid odds.

Escorting a girl home then screamed intentions anyone could guess.

He stole a fresh glance at An Ying.

That night, her white gown accentuated slim legs and lent her skin a silkier glow. Twin buns held her hair, linked by a white ribbon draping to her waist.

Up close now, her slim waist's curve peeked through the sheer fabric.

Her elegant features and ample bosom, gripping a wooden sword, transformed An Ying from hillbilly to chivalrous white-clad wanderer of Jianghu.

"Pretty, huh? Uncle-master gifted it," catching Lin Xin's scrutiny, An Ying shed shyness and spun with arms wide.

"Beautiful—you're a true heroine," Lin Xin mused inwardly, his tastes shaped by modern makeup and edits leaving scant flaws. Sans her sword-callused palms, she'd pass for a fragile immortal maiden.

"Yeah, uncle-master got it from a heroine, he said," An Ying answered innocently.

"Bet he nicked it..." Lin Xin mused wryly inside, holding his tongue. He knew Bo Yunzi outshone their prior sham master in skills, his Jianghu tenure marking real prowess.

After a break, Lu Yun and Lu Yu readied dinner; all assembled to dine, only to note uncle-master Bo Yunzi missing from the dojo.

Lin Xin had refined Red Pine Sword Technique's forms and strikes to peak perfection. Attribute powers let a single success imprint muscle memory as a repeatable skill.

This boosted his sword grasp immensely; before Bo Yunzi, he restrained over half his prowess to mask his terrifying advance.

As they sat to eat and quiz uncle-master on Poisonous Sand Palm practice, Bo Yunzi had vanished so soon.

The quartet checked Bo Yunzi's chamber, spotting a paper flat on the table.

Lin Xin alone read among them, so Lu Yu snatched it up and thrust it eagerly to him.

"Out on urgent business, back in March, no worries. —Uncle Master," Lin Xin recited, linking it to the dart's cloth. Urgent matters had yanked Bo Yunzi away suddenly.

They shared uneasy stares; just adjusted to a steadfast presence, and he was gone anew.

"Fine, no fretting—it's minor. Uncle Master Bo Yunzi's off briefly, returns March. Keep the dojo steady," Lin Xin soothed. Bo Yunzi's rigorous sword drills had honed his basics to mastery, arming him with vast fight savvy.