13: Chapter 0013 No Need to Force

Lin Xiao had anticipated this; he wanted to force her to make a move to see the gap between them.

He knew that in clashes with the Barbarian Army, he would eventually encounter stronger foes—perhaps opponents of mystic grade, Earth Grade, or even Heaven Grade.

It was crucial to confirm whether someone with his yellow grade aptitude could bridge the gap using his cultivation power.

As a direct disciple of the Sword Forest, Leng Bingyan was an excellent test subject.

Lin Xiao raised his Blood-Drinking Saber and parried Leng Bingyan's first strike.

The female swordsman used the momentum to whirl through the air. Her sword qi swept out like a sudden gale rising from the ground, turning into a blizzard of fragmented energy!

Flying Cloud Sword Technique, Returning Snow!

Seeing the sword qi surging toward him like a tornado, Lin Xiao boldly swung out a Blood Splatters Seven Feet!

The blood-red blade qi forcibly broke through the opponent's icy sword qi, pushing Leng Bingyan back several meters!

Lin Xiao frowned. Even without the Bloodlust buff, he had sixty years of Demon Blade cultivation compared to her thirty-three years of sword cultivation—yet he hadn't managed to wound her?

Aptitude and the grade of one's cultivation technique truly played a massive role.

However, Leng Bingyan was even more shocked!

The Lin Xiao before her didn't look old, and his cultivation technique didn't seem high-level, so how was his blade cultivation so profound?!

"Are you really just a member of the Border Army?"

Leng Bingyan felt that if this man traveled the martial world, he would surely make a name for himself!

"Cut the chatter. Is this all a disciple of the Sword Forest is capable of?" Lin Xiao continued to taunt her.

Leng Bingyan's gaze turned cold as she unleashed her full cultivation, her figure turning into a series of afterimages!

Flying Cloud Chaos!!

With every flash and turn, Leng Bingyan brought forth a vast curtain of sword shadows.

In an instant, flashes of sword light appeared before Lin Xiao's eyes, like clusters of dangerous clouds!

As Leng Bingyan swung her final strike, these clouds of sword qi surged toward Lin Xiao all at once!

After blocking several sword qi strikes with his blade in quick succession, Lin Xiao swung out a Blood Demon Blade Flame with all his might!

The black-and-red blade flame collided with the Flying Cloud sword qi, producing a thunderous boom!!

The shock sent a sweetness to Leng Bingyan's throat, and she coughed up a mouthful of blood!

She paled in shock and tried to retreat, only to find that Lin Xiao had vanished!?

Like a specter, a blade was pressed against her neck from behind!

Leng Bingyan's face was filled with indignation and terror. She had been given internal injuries by the shock, yet he could still move so freely!?

Little did she know, Lin Xiao's blood was also churning. If he hadn't just boosted his Indestructible Golden Body to one hundred years of cultivation, he really would have had to activate his 'Three-Second Real Man' trump card.

It was a close call, but he had finally subdued this arrogant Sword Forest heroine!

"Are you really a disciple of the Sword Forest? You're not all that," Lin Xiao said mockingly.

"I admit you're strong, but if my senior brothers and sisters were here, you wouldn't necessarily be a match for them!"

Leng Bingyan looked proud. "My skills were inferior. If you want to kill me, then do it!"

"What, don't you want to find your little sister Qing'er anymore?" Lin Xiao chuckled strangely.

"You... what exactly do you want before you'll tell me her whereabouts?"

Leng Bingyan bit her lip, hating her own uselessness.

"You and that Qing'er don't look alike at all. Tell me the truth, who is she really?"

"We are sworn sisters, not related by blood!"

"Like I'd believe that! I think you're looking for death!!"

Lin Xiao's eyes flashed with a murderous light, and his blade drew a thin line of blood on Leng Bingyan's neck!

But Leng Bingyan did not yield, insisting, "Believe it or not!"

She knew very well that if Xiao Qingxuan's identity were exposed, she truly wouldn't survive—she might even face a fate worse than death!

Lin Xiao narrowed his eyes. This girl had quite the backbone. It seemed she hadn't come to kill Xiao Qingxuan.

If he let her go find Xiao Qingxuan, would Xiao Qingxuan be taken away by her?

Actually, they had already bowed to heaven and earth and slept together. A ' Steamed bun' Empress was already worth the price.

If her heart wasn't with him, why force it? There were plenty of other fish in the sea.

Strictly speaking, Xiao Qingxuan staying by his side was also a major hidden danger.

If a woman was determined to leave, there was no need for him to stop her.

"She's at Second Mile Street in the Stone Fortress. It's the seventh door from the east, the one with a well in the courtyard."

Lin Xiao released his blade and spoke in a flat tone.

Leng Bingyan looked bewildered. She hadn't expected Lin Xiao to actually let her go.

She had thought this lecher would say something humiliating or do something disgusting to her!

Had she really misunderstood him?

"I..."

"Want to ask how to enter the Stone Fortress?"

Leng Bingyan nodded, looking embarrassed.

During a time of war between two armies, even a heroine with decent martial arts would find it hard to sneak into the city. One wrong move and she'd be shot dead by a volley of arrows.

"The Stone Fortress garrison has its own passwords and signals. You just need to be under the city gate and do as I say..."

Lin Xiao taught the Border Army's signals to Leng Bingyan.

After memorizing them all, Leng Bingyan cupped her fists toward Lin Xiao in gratitude.

"Thank you, sir. If I can find my sister, I will surely repay you. May I ask your name?"

Lin Xiao sneered. "Aren't you afraid I'm lying? If you give the wrong signal, you'll be pierced by a thousand arrows."

"I'm not afraid. If you wanted to kill me, why go to all that trouble?" Leng Bingyan smiled slightly, possessing a unique charm.

Lin Xiao thought to himself that she was being smart for once.

"If you really want to repay me, deliver a message to the Stone Fortress adjutant, General Zhao Kuan."

"Of course. As long as you trust me, I will do my best to convey it."

Leng Bingyan was the daughter of a general, after all, and had been exposed to military strategy since childhood.

She was quite curious about what kind of plan this Border Army warrior, who faced the barbarian cavalry alone outside the city, might have.

After hearing what Lin Xiao had to say, Leng Bingyan was completely confused.

"That's it?"

"That's right."

Lin Xiao took out a dagger and a command token—both scavenged from the Thousand-man Commander Lang—and handed them to Leng Bingyan.

"These are the tokens of proof. Give them to General Zhao as well."

Leng Bingyan nodded and said no more. She went down the slope, mounted her hidden horse, and galloped through the night toward the Stone Fortress.

Over an hour later.

The military tent in the Stone Fortress.

Zhao Kuan, who was unable to sleep, received a report from a messenger.

"General Zhao! A woman calling herself Leng Yan has correctly given our scout's signals."

"She says Lin Xiao sent her to deliver a message and hopes to see you. She has urgent military intelligence to report!"

As the messenger spoke, he presented the command token and the dagger.

Zhao Kuan and the nearby Commanders and captains stood up abruptly. Seeing the Thousand-man Commander's token, their faces filled with shock!

"A Thousand-man Commander from the Barbarian Army's Vanguard Camp? That kid killed a Thousand-man Commander!?"

"It seems killing Chen Zhou and the others before really wasn't just luck!?"

Zhao Kuan's hands trembled slightly as he whispered, "Good lad."

"General, it's the middle of the night. For a woman to dare come with a message, she's definitely not simple. She might be an assassin; we must be on guard!" a subordinate reminded him.

Zhao Kuan waved his hand. "On guard against what? Our rations only last two more days. We're already in a situation where we're just waiting to die. What's there to be afraid of?"

Hearing this, the others sighed with bitter smiles. Indeed, they could only treat a dead horse as if it were alive now.

Even if it was only a glimmer of hope, they had to grasp it!

"Pass the order, let that Leng Yan in to see me!!"