Chapter 5, Lantern Festival (1)

As the three sword shadows were about to reach An Ying, they instantly converged into a single point

As expected of the senior brother, you have grasped the essence of the Songyang Needle so quickly

The remaining few exchanged glances, and although they were curious about the contents of the dart, none dared to ask further, as this fellow Boyunzi could turn hostile at an alarming speed.

Lin Xinzhao recited it once, recalling the sudden appearance of the dart and the white cloth at its tail. It was evident that something urgent had arisen, prompting Boyunzi to leave abruptly.

Lin Xin walked to the side to observe the two individuals practicing

"Bai Yunzi, the time has come." The slender man left these words, turned, and departed, his movements swift, disappearing in just a few moments at the end of the stone steps beneath the door

He secretly assessed An Ying

Ah, what is it? It's just like this, but when it comes to levels, we prefer to compare specific individuals. For instance, a master like the Plum Blossom Sect Leader, someone has already reached the same level as the Plum Blossom Sect Leader, or someone has fought with so-and-so for a certain number of rounds, with no clear winner. "Boyunzi sneered, "In the martial world, it doesn't matter how you categorize levels. Even if you have reached the third level of the Small Return to Origin Technique, if you encounter a ruthless person who has never practiced internal martial arts, you will still have to fight before you can say anything!"

Master Uncle! An Ying refuses to get up

This thrust was extremely swift, piercing directly into An Ying's chest. It was almost impossible to even catch a glimpse of its shadow

"Senior brother... you promised me that you would take me back..." An Ying's face was almost as red as her neck, and she spoke in a voice barely above a whisper.

Lin Xin was dressed in a black robe, with long hair styled into a bun. In his hand, he held a wooden sword, which he thrust forward with agility and precision, producing a sharp sound as it sliced through the air

Lin Xin has perfected the footwork and sword techniques of the Red Pine Swordsmanship to the utmost degree. With the aid of his inherent abilities, he only needs to coincidentally achieve success once to imprint that successful physical memory, which will then form a skill that he can continuously practice and repeat

As soon as Boyunzi's voice fell

"Alright, alright, don't worry, it's nothing. Master Boyun is just temporarily out and will return in March. We just need to guard the dojo well." During this time, Lin Xin had been continuously practicing swordplay with Master Boyun, and had completely adapted to and mastered Lin Xin's originally rudimentary sword techniques, gaining much more combat experience.

After resting for a while, Lu Yun and Lu Yu prepared the meal, and everyone gathered together to get ready to eat, only to find that they could not locate Master Uncle Yunzi anywhere in the dojo

Well said! Strength is not built on boasting, but on action

The black dot flew swiftly, shooting towards Boyunzi

Sure. You little rascal... " Boyunzi stood not far away, his eyes wide open in disbelief. "How come you were so foolish at first, and now you've suddenly become enlightened?"

Just as I was about to finish my meal and ask my master uncle how to practice the Poison Sand Palm, I was taken aback to find that in such a short time, Master Boyun had disappeared

Boyunzi stroked his beard

Bringing a girl home on Valentine's Day, one can easily imagine what the outcome will be

"Master Uncle, there are so many people from the Jianghu outside, aren't there?" An Ying asked with a hint of curiosity. "I have heard my master mention that there is a Hong Ying Sect two hundred miles away, which is considered the most formidable group of experts in our area. What level of expert do you think he is?"

Our Hongsong City is located near the vast forest of Jilin, belonging to the northwest of the Great Yuan Dynasty. The nearest and most prosperous city is Yuchun City, one of the three major capitals in the northwest of the Great Yuan. It is over a thousand miles away from us. That is where true prosperity lies... In other places, near our Yuchun City, there are no fewer than a hundred small cities similar to Hongsong City... Various towns and counties are scattered like stars.

This master uncle has been wandering for many years, and his experiences are certainly far superior to that of the cheap master. It is precisely the best way to understand this world

He paused

The Hong Ying Sect is nothing, to speak frankly, when it comes to experience and knowledge, there is truly no one in this Hong Song City who is stronger than I am

Ah? Lin Xin still thought there would be some detailed classification, but unexpectedly, this is the answer

At this moment, Lin Xin also perked up his ears to listen carefully

Boyunzi smiled

Two individuals occupied the empty space in the middle of the yard, standing opposite each other

"Indeed," said the master uncle, "there is a heroine who gifted it to him." An Ying replied somewhat foolishly.

In this martial world, there are hundreds of sects, thousands of gangs, and this is just counting those with some renown; the nameless ones are countless. An Ying, you can now be considered to be at a third-rate level among them.

However, how did these two little fellows, who are not very bright, get taken up the mountain by the senior brother

Lin Xingan listened with great interest, still feeling unsatisfied, when he was interrupted, leaving him somewhat restless.

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, more than two months have passed

Hmph

He let out a low shout, and the wooden sword suddenly flashed to the left, immediately causing another sound of air being sliced through to resonate in the air

Uncle Master, you are bullying me!" An Ying shouted, hastily raising her wooden sword to block, but with a crack, it broke directly. She herself staggered back several steps before barely managing to steady herself. Her face flushed momentarily.

The four individuals looked at each other in confusion; just when they finally found a leader, unexpectedly, he ran away again

An Ying shamelessly praised loudly

The road beside was also quite curious, as there are not many entertainment facilities these days, so these tales and legends from the martial world have become the best form of leisure

"The third level of the Little Return to Origin Technique, haha, how is your explosive power?" Bo Yunzi laughed heartily without any shame. "You have already reached the second level; with a little more effort, you will be able to match me."

Turn on!

In this way, mastering sword techniques became extraordinarily quick; in front of Boyunzi, he at least held back five parts of his strength to avoid revealing his excessively terrifying rate of progress

Alright, that will be all for today. You may go back to rest and prepare for dinner. " He left those words and turned to return to his room.

With her delicate features and high, perky bosom, holding a broken wooden sword in her hand, An Ying does not appear to be an illiterate girl from the countryside, but rather resembles a chivalrous heroine in white from the martial world.

Four people arrived at Boyunzi's room and saw a piece of paper lying flat on the desk

At this point, Boyunzi faintly revealed a hint of a cold smile, seemingly displeased with the Plum Blossom Gate

I have matters to attend to outside and will return in March. Do not worry. - Master Uncle

Only Lin Xin was present and could read. Lu Yu hurriedly stepped forward to pick up the paper and eagerly handed it to Lin Xin

Lin Xin had a slight headache, as the Lantern Festival is also known as Valentine's Day. At this time, many young ladies have the opportunity to go out and enjoy themselves, meeting with their lovers. During the festival, men and women have the chance to meet, akin to a modern matchmaking event, and the success rate is quite significant.

What nonsense! This kid took two months to master the Songyang Needle, and you managed to perfect the sword technique in just one week. How can you even say such a thing?" Master Boyunzi of the Fire Dao.

"Isn't it beautiful? It was a gift from my master uncle." Feeling Lin Xin's scrutinizing gaze, An Ying immediately forgot her embarrassment and spun around with her hands apart.

The girl changed into a white dress today, accentuating her long legs, and her skin appeared even fairer and more delicate. Her long hair was tied into two small buns, with a white headband cascading down her back, the hair reaching her waist

Chirp chirp chirp

Indeed. After spending such a long time together, An Ying has also seen that this senior uncle is merely sharp-tongued but soft-hearted towards them, approaching with a smiling face while drawing his sword

A faint mist envelops the mountaintop dojo

An Ying thrust the tip of her sword upward, precisely striking the side beneath the shadow of the blade. This caused the shadow to deviate upward, passing just above her hair.

Ding!

Boyunzi raised his hand to catch the black dot, which appeared to be a black iron dart, with a roll of white cloth tied to its tail. He frowned slightly and did not even look at it as he put away the dart

This move truly brings the dead back to life! Good!" Boyunzi seemed to become happy, swiftly sheathing his sword and thrusting it again like lightning

Lin Xin practiced swordsmanship on the mountain for nearly three months. In fact, he was more interested in the internal skill known as the Little Return to Origin Technique than in swordsmanship itself. However, he regretted that his constitution was completely unsuitable for cultivating this internal skill

This individual initially left the sect, yet deep down, he still harbored profound feelings for the Hongsong Sect. He intended to return, acquire the secret techniques, and leave; however, he was taken aback to find that the sect had dwindled to such a state. Ultimately, he decided to stay and teach a few individuals the martial arts.

In a state of helplessness, he could only diligently practice the Hong Song Sword Technique

At this moment, she was sitting a bit closer, and through the thin white gauze, the outline of her slender waist could be faintly seen

He changed into a gray and white robe and approached while holding a wooden sword

In the realm of martial arts, the foremost hero of the Northwest is undoubtedly Yu Lin Dao Chang Chun. His sect is the largest in our Northwest region, and there are many other significant factions. However, the one closest to us is the Plum Blossom Sect, which governs five small towns, including Hong Song City. Even the authorities seek their assistance when faced with troublesome bandits.

"Senior Brother, in a few days it will be the Lantern Festival..." An Ying quietly approached him and whispered, her face showing a hint of shyness

At that moment, a loud laugh suddenly came from outside the dojo, and a small, thin man wearing a black headscarf rushed through the door, raising his hand to strike out a small black dot

"Level of strength?" Bo Yunzi frowned and said, "What levels are there? Strength is proven through combat. Whoever has a loud name possesses strong strength! Those who cannot make a name for themselves are merely weaklings"

An Ying and Lu Yun, siblings, also hurriedly applauded from a short distance away

He sheathed his sword and looked at the siblings, Yun Lu and Yu.

The tip of the sword once again thrusts at the same spot from different angles

"So how is this level of strength determined?" Lin Xin inquired

The Xiao Gui Yuan Jue has high requirements for an individual's constitution, and only a very small number of people are able to practice it. This is also a key reason for the decline of the Hong Song Sect to the present day

What about the sects in the martial world? Lin Xin interjected in question

Lan Xin was slightly taken aback; he remembered that he had made an agreement with his family to return home every year for the Lantern Festival

With three consecutive sharp sounds, he suddenly raised the wooden sword in his hand, which split into three blades like a lightning flash, simultaneously thrusting towards An Ying

I suppose it was a robbery... Lin Xin was left speechless. However, he dared not voice this thought and could only ponder it in his heart. He had come to realize that Bo Yunzi's skills were clearly much stronger than that of the cheap master, with such rich experience and the ability to survive in the martial world for so long, it was evident that his level was not to be underestimated

Lin Xin was also speechless. The Lu Yun siblings could not even master the basic footwork of the Hong Song sword technique, falling short even compared to their previous selves. It was hard to understand how they managed to be accepted as disciples. Perhaps their master had only taken them in as servants from the very beginning.

"Look closely, this is the real Songyang needle!"

An Ying, you come!

Beautiful, she looks very much like a heroine. Even with Lin Xin's modern aesthetic shaped by various cosmetic procedures and training, there is nothing to criticize. If it weren't for the calluses on An Ying's hands from practicing swordsmanship, she would probably appear to be a delicate and fragile fairy in white.