12: Chapter 0012 Cold Beauty

Three seconds later, a graceful figure emerged, shrouded in black, her face hidden behind a black veil and her hair tied in a ponytail.

The woman had a slender waist and an impressive figure. Only her willow-leaf brows and starry eyes were visible, exuding a cold and aloof aura.

She held a bow in one hand, while a three-foot green-steel longsword was tucked into her waist.

"You are from the Central Plains, not a barbarian?"

The woman's cold voice held a hint of confusion.

Lin Xiao suddenly realized that since he was currently wearing barbarian armor, it had caused a misunderstanding.

Even though the other party's face was covered, the Eye of God still worked!

[Leng Bingyan, 21 years old, personal disciple of the Sword Forest, daughter of Western Shu's General Leng Duo. Aptitude: Earth Grade]

[Cultivation Method 1: Flying Cloud Sword Technique (33 years of cultivation). One of the Sword Forest's secret techniques, suitable for women; the sword light is like cloud shadows. Grade: Earth Grade]

[Cultivation Method 2: Leng Family Martial Arts (29 years of cultivation). The Leng Family of Western Shu has been in the military for generations; their bow, horse, saber, and spear techniques form their own school. Grade: mystic grade]

[Cultivation Method 3: Snow-Treading Trace-less Movement (22 years of cultivation). A secret movement technique of the Sword Forest; silent as a passing wild goose, leaving no trace on the snow. Grade: mystic grade]

[Weapon: Cold Water Sword, a precious sword tempered in the cold pools of snowy mountains; its sword qi is bone-chillingly cold. Grade: mystic grade]

A full set of mystic grade, and even Earth Grade—it made Lin Xiao envious!!

What surprised Lin Xiao was that this woman's cultivation years were actually higher than her age?

It seemed that "practicing from the womb" wasn't his exclusive privilege after all!

"Could these cultivation years not be a simple measure of how many years one has practiced? I wonder how the system defines it..."

[System: To inform the host, the standard for cultivation years is based on one year of practice with the lowest level of mortal grade aptitude as the basic unit.]

"Oh? So that means the higher the aptitude, the higher the cultivation efficiency?"

[System: Correct! A friendly reminder: aptitude will affect the effectiveness of all cultivation methods and skills!]

Lin Xiao understood!

In the end, a genius might only need one day to match a mediocre person's year of hard cultivation.

That was why Leng Bingyan, despite her young age, could possess decades' worth of a mortal grade martial artist's cultivation.

Then again, this woman's background was quite significant!

Sword Forest, Blade Mountain, Dao Sect, Buddhist Sect, and the Academy—the five great martial factions of the Tianwu Continent!

For thousands of years, regardless of how dynasties changed, these five great sects had stood firm!

Most people who wanted to practice martial arts dreamed of joining these five sects, but their requirements for disciples were extremely strict.

Many people couldn't even find the mountain gates, let alone enter.

Being an outer disciple was already difficult; inner disciples were even rarer, and personal disciples... they were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns!

However, what surprised Lin Xiao even more was that she was the "daughter of Western Shu's General Leng Duo"!

The daughter of a fallen kingdom's general had come to this northern border, a dangerous battlefield...

Could it be for... Xiao Qingxuan?

"I am a member of the Border Army from the Stone Fortress, out here on a mission."

"You came from the Stone Fortress?"

Upon hearing this, Leng Bingyan immediately asked, "Have you seen a group of Hu Merchants who deal in slaves?"

"I've seen them. What city on the border doesn't have Hu Merchants?"

"Then have you seen a woman with heterochromatic eyes?"

Leng Bingyan's eyes were filled with anticipation.

Lin Xiao was basically certain now that she was here for Xiao Qingxuan.

But whether she was a friend or foe was still hard to say, so there was naturally no need for him to reveal too much information.

"Who are you? Why should I tell you any of this?"

Lin Xiao looked dissatisfied. "You just ambushed me, and I haven't even settled that score with you yet!"

Leng Bingyan frowned. Did this guy want her to back down and apologize to him?

The fact that he had dodged that arrow just now proved that this person indeed had some strength.

She was here to find someone, so it was best to keep a low profile.

She lowered her bow and arrows, then cupped her fists in a salute.

"Please forgive me, sir. My name is Leng Yan, a wanderer of the martial world. I am looking for my lost younger sister."

"My sister was taken by slave traders, and I've tracked them all the way to the vicinity of the Stone Fortress."

"But recently, the Stone Fortress and the Barbarian Army have been at war, and the city gates are tightly shut, so I can't get in."

"Seeing you in Barbarian Army armor just now, I thought you were a barbarian, which is why I ambushed you with an arrow."

"I hope you can forgive this humble woman. If you can tell me any news of my sister, I would be eternally grateful!"

Lin Xiao didn't know whether to laugh or cry. One was Xiao Qing'er, and the other was Leng Yan.

The women of the Western Shu Kingdom really knew how to pick aliases for themselves!

"The one with heterochromatic eyes you mentioned... I actually have seen her!" Lin Xiao said, stroking his chin.

"Truly!?" Leng Bingyan's eyes lit up with joy.

"However... the Hu Merchants have already fled, and that woman with heterochromatic eyes was taken away by an acquaintance of mine."

"What? Someone you know? Who is he? Where is he?"

Leng Bingyan stepped forward, her face full of urgency, wishing she could make Lin Xiao finish his sentence immediately.

Lin Xiao shrugged. "You're asking me, so I have to tell you? Why? What if you're going to hurt my good brother?"

"I... I only want to confirm my sister's safety! Please believe me!" Leng Bingyan tried her best to remain calm.

"You're covering your face and talking to me about trust? Don't you think that's ridiculous?" Lin Xiao mocked.

Leng Bingyan frowned and cursed "lecher" under her breath.

Women of the martial world covered their faces because they were not yet married; it was a common matter of etiquette.

Especially for a noblewoman of her status, she wouldn't easily show her true face to others.

"If I remove my veil, will you tell me my sister's whereabouts?"

"I'll consider it."

Hearing this ambiguous answer, Leng Bingyan couldn't help but sneer.

"Liar! You don't know anything at all!"

Leng Bingyan didn't want to waste any more time and turned to leave.

But before she could take two steps, she heard a voice from behind...

"Qing'er—it seems that was the name."

Leng Bingyan whipped her head back, biting her lip in frustration.

Damn it! He really knows Her Majesty's whereabouts!!

"Is... is she alright?" Leng Bingyan felt aggrieved, but she could only yield.

"She's alive for now, but... once the Stone Fortress is breached, I'm afraid things will take a turn for the worse."

Lin Xiao waved his hand. "You can go now. I've already done my part by telling you this much."

Leng Bingyan's expression was complicated, but as if having made a decision, she suddenly snatched off her veil!

Under the moonlight, a cold and elegant face that lived up to her name appeared, like a winter plum blossom—understated yet alluring.

A delicate nose, cherry lips, features like a painting, and skin like congealed fat.

Although she was a notch below Xiao Qingxuan's world-shaking beauty, the heroic spirit of a daughter from a military family gave her a unique charm!

The key was that her cold and proud temperament, paired with those two massive cannons, was simply cheating!!

"Have you seen enough? Now can you tell me where my sister is?"

Leng Bingyan looked at him with disdain; a man who lusted after beauty like this was clearly no good.

"Tell me your identity first. What if you're a spy for the Barbarian Army?"

"Don't look down on me! I, Leng Yan, would rather die than be a dog for the barbarians!"

Leng Bingyan insisted, "I am just an ordinary woman of the martial world, a student of the Sword Forest. I have no other identity!"

"I think you're lying. Let's just pretend I never mentioned it."

Lin Xiao dismissed her with a wave of his hand. "You can get lost now!"

Leng Bingyan was nearly exploding with rage. After all that, this guy was actually going back on his word!?

"You won't talk, fine... then don't blame me for being impolite!"

Although she knew Lin Xiao was not to be trifled with, Leng Bingyan didn't believe that she, a genius disciple of the Sword Forest with Earth Grade aptitude, would necessarily lose to him.

The arrow just now was merely a probe; she hadn't even brought out her best sword techniques yet!

Clang!

Leng Bingyan unsheathed the Cold Water Sword, kicked off the ground, and lunged toward Lin Xiao like a bolt of lightning!