47: Chapter 47 Inn

Late winter had not yet passed, and the chill remained. The trees along the road were bare of leaves, their curved branches exposed and crisscrossing on both sides of the mountain path. The ground was covered in withered yellow grass, occasionally dotted with patches of unmelted frost.

For a hundred miles around, the desolate forest stretched on, the wilderness bleak and empty. There was no smoke from village chimneys, nor any trace of travelers; only the biting mountain wind blew through the trees, making a wailing sound that echoed layer upon layer across the vast wilderness.

As dusk descended and the setting sun withdrew its last ray of light, the world was veiled in a grayish dimness. A wooden inn stood abruptly on the side of the main road, solitary and suspended between the green mountains and the desolate forest.

The inn was not small in scale, a two-story wooden building constructed against the mountain. A faded blue cloth wine flag hung before the door, fluttering gently in the wind; it was the only place for travelers to rest and lodge for fifty miles along this main road.

After a day of travel, Lin Qing was somewhat exhausted. Pulling on the reins, his gaze fell upon the inn ahead; at last, he had found a place to stay before nightfall.

Just as he reached the entrance, a waiter dressed in a coarse cloth jacket hurried up, his face wearing the customary fawning smile. He skillfully took the horse's reins from Lin Qing's hand: "You must be tired from your journey, honored guest! Please, come inside. Our humble inn has clean rooms, hot food, and wine—we guarantee you'll be comfortable!"

Lin Qing nodded slightly, casually unslung his simple pack, and stepped into the inn.

As he crossed the threshold, a wave of heat mixed with the aroma of wine, food, smoke, and the dusty scent of Jianghu rushed to meet him. The large lobby of the inn was packed; it was bustling with noise. The clamor of conversation, the clinking of bowls and chopsticks, and the sound of pouring wine wove together, completely shutting out the desolation and cold of the mountain forest outside.

The tables and chairs in the lobby were neatly arranged, with almost no empty seats. At several large square tables on the left sat a sizable merchant caravan. A dozen guards with short blades at their waists looked vigilant, hot tea placed before them, while several merchants in brocade robes spoke in low voices, their brows carrying the fatigue and caution of their journey.

Scattered throughout the lobby were various Jianghu travelers. There were also several people wearing conical hats, the brims pulled low to obscure most of their faces. They wore swords and sabers at their waists, their presence heavy and restrained, a cold aura of "strangers keep away" clinging to them.

These Martial Artists who walked the Jianghu and made their living on the edge of a blade, hiding in the dangerous mountain paths, were hard to distinguish between good and evil.

Lin Qing stood tall, his plain cloth clothes clean and neat. He wore no luxurious accessories and gave off no fierce aura, making him inconspicuous in the mixed crowd of the lobby.

The waiter led him to an empty table in the corner of the lobby, wiped the tabletop clean with efficiency, and asked with a smile: "Are you here for a meal or to stay the night, honored guest?"

"To stay. First, open an upper room for me, then bring a few of your shop's signature dishes and a pot of warm wine." Lin Qing sat down casually, his voice calm, clear, and unhurried.

"Coming right up!" The waiter responded cheerfully. "One superior guest room, a serving of our signature braised dishes and stir-fries, and a pot of aged rice wine! Please wait a moment, honored guest, it will be ready immediately!"

The waiter turned and walked quickly toward the kitchen to relay the order, his movements fluid and practiced.

Yet, the moment Lin Qing sat down, several subtle gazes within the lobby had already silently locked onto him.

Those Jianghu travelers scattered about appeared to be drinking, chatting, or resting with their eyes closed, but in reality, their peripheral vision was constantly scrutinizing those coming and going in the lobby.

In an inn deep in the wild mountains, a traveler who could journey alone was either an expert who had achieved success in the martial path or a rookie Disciple who had just stepped out into the world with travel money.

Lin Qing was alone, his baggage simple, his demeanor clean and youthful, devoid of the vicious aura born from years of killing. Among the crowd of travel-worn and hidden-vicious Jianghu people, he appeared completely out of place.

In the eyes of the crowd, he was clearly a Disciple from a noble family or Sect who had just entered the Jianghu to gain experience, and he must be carrying quite a bit of money.

Countless gazes swept back and forth over him, probing, sizing him up, and speculating, hiding hard-to-conceal covetousness and greed, though no one acted rashly.

Before long, the waiter brought the wine and food to the table one after another. Steaming dishes filled the table, and the rice wine was warm and mellow.

Lin Qing raised his hand and slowly removed the conical hat that had shielded him from the dust.

As the hat fell, a remarkably young face was revealed. His features were handsome and sharp, his complexion clean and clear, his facial contours well-defined, and his eyes calm as water.

This excessively young appearance caused the greed hidden within the lobby to finally break its restraint.

The many Jianghu travelers, who had previously only been peeking covertly, now turned their gazes burning and direct; the covetousness in their eyes was hardly concealed at all.

So young, traveling alone, and able to travel on this dangerous road—he must be a young Disciple with a significant background, and his savings and resources must surely be incredibly rich!

Many people quietly put down their wine cups, ceased their chatter, and focused their attention on Lin Qing in the corner.

Lin Qing acted as if he saw none of this, as if he had not perceived the surging malice around him, and continued to eat quietly.

He calmly finished the food and wine on the table. The ink-black night sky shrouded the mountains, and the evening breeze tapped against the window lattice, making a faint, rustling sound. The lanterns in the inn's lobby flickered, stretching the shadows of the crowd until they wavered in and out of darkness.

Most of the other guests continued to exchange cups and laugh loudly, showing no intention of returning to their rooms to rest; clearly, they were all secretly waiting for the night to deepen.

Lin Qing did not get up to return to his room. He remained seated in his original spot, looking up at the night sky outside the window.

It was now the middle of the month, the night sky clear and cloudless. He was waiting for the moon to rise.

As early as in Yunlan County, he had already mastered all the Yellow Rank Advanced Cultivation Techniques he had collected.

Throughout this journey on horseback, whenever there was a spare moment, he would practice the two Visualization Methods.

After sitting quietly for a moment, a bright, clear moon slowly broke free from the clouds, rising high into the center of the firmament. The moonlight was like water, pouring down, its clear radiance piercing through the mountain forest and filling the inn's courtyard.

The time had come.

Lin Qing stood up, walked out of the inn's lobby, avoided the noisy crowd, and came to an open wooden viewing platform in the inn's backyard.

The platform was built suspended in the air, with a wide field of view and no trees to obstruct it; it was an excellent place to practice the Lunar Visualization Method.

Just as Lin Qing was quietly admiring the moon, three heavy and chaotic sets of footsteps sounded from behind him, breaking the silence of the courtyard.

The footsteps approached step by step. In a moment, three black shadows emerged from the darkness and stopped three zhang behind him.

The three were all middle-aged men around forty years old, with burly and sturdy builds and broad frames. Their skin was covered with rough, thick calluses and scars of varying depths from years of fighting. Their faces were fierce and coarse, their eyes muddy and sinister, and they carried a heavy stench of blood and the bandit aura of the Jianghu.

The leader among the middle-aged men had the most gloomy expression, with high cheekbones and eyes as sharp as an eagle's. A heavy steel saber at his waist gleamed with cold light. The two men on his left and right were slightly shorter, but they also possessed fierce auras and stood with steady postures; at a glance, they were veteran Martial Artists who had experienced many battles.

The night wind swept past, blowing the corners of their clothes, and a sharp, oppressive feeling shrouded the entire platform.

The leading middle-aged man stepped forward half a step, his gaze unscrupulously sizing up the young Lin Qing. The corners of his mouth curled into a greedy and vicious smile, and his voice was hoarse and rough, carrying a condescending teasing and threat: "Little brother, our brothers have been traveling all the way here, and our funds have long run out. We are strapped for cash and have come specially to borrow some silver from you to tide us over. We hope you will make things convenient for us."

Lin Qing turned slowly, his pitch-black eyes calm and waveless. He looked at the three men with indifference: "And if I refuse to lend it?"

His voice was light and low, devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

Upon hearing this, the three middle-aged men were all stunned, then they all sneered in unison, the fierce light in their eyes surging.

"Refuse to lend?"

The leader sneered, and a surging heat wave of Blood-Qi suddenly erupted from his body!

Blood-Qi, red as flame, overflowed from their bodies, and three dense trails of Blood-Qi Wolf Smoke rose and rolled.

Although Blood-Qi Wolf Smoke was condensed at the Peak of the Second Rank, before the Peak of the Third Rank, the manifestation of a Martial Artist's Blood-Qi was still just Blood-Qi Wolf Smoke. The three people before him were clearly Third Rank experts.

Especially the leading middle-aged man; the Blood-Qi Wolf Smoke around him was condensed and thick. Strands of blood-colored Qi flow constantly intertwined, spiraled, and converged, faintly outlining the prototype of a long river, only one step away from a true Blood Qi Long River.

The massive pressure of Blood-Qi pressed down like a tidal wave, shrouding the entire wooden platform. The wooden planks trembled slightly, and the surrounding air seemed to become viscous and heavy.

The middle-aged man's body surged with blood color, his aura becoming increasingly cold and frigid. His eyes locked onto Lin Qing, his tone carrying a bone-chilling threat: "Kid, don't refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit! In this desolate wilderness, hand over your money obediently, and we might leave your corpse intact. Otherwise, don't blame us for being ruthless!"

In the eyes of the three, Lin Qing was just a young lad under twenty. Even if his talent was outstanding, at most he was only at the Peak of the Second Rank. Under the combined pressure of their three Third Rank Martial Artists, he would have no power to resist, and with just a little intimidation, he would obediently yield.

However, facing the monstrous pressure of Blood-Qi, Lin Qing stood tall like a pine, unmoving, his eyes still filled with indifference.

Blood-Qi Wolf Smoke? Nearly condensed into a long river?

The power of Blood-Qi, which others were proud of, was simply not worth mentioning in his eyes.

The Blood Qi Long River that others could only condense at the Peak of the Third Rank, he had already forged in advance on the eve of officially stepping into the Third Rank.

The Blood Qi Long River was the Advanced version of Blood-Qi Wolf Smoke and was the threshold for breaking through to the Fourth Rank.

Having already possessed the Blood-Qi power of a Third Rank Peak before officially stepping into the Third Rank, Lin Qing's foundation was incredibly deep, truly shocking.

Lin Qing's eyes suddenly turned cold, and he spoke no more.

Clang—a crisp and sharp sword hum suddenly cut through the night!

The long sword in his hand unsheathed, and a brilliant, snow-white silver radiance suddenly burst into the night sky!

As for the Xiuchun Saber, it was the standard weapon of the Zhenwu Division, and he had already returned it when he left.

His figure was like a passing breeze, instantly breaking through the Blood-Qi pressure of the three. His speed was fast to the extreme; it was almost impossible for the naked eye to capture his trajectory!

The three middle-aged men's expressions changed drastically, their hearts shocked. In their haste, they raised their hands, wanting to lift their sabers to fight back.

But it was all too late; how swift was Lin Qing's Movement Technique!

A cold light flashed past.

Puchi!

The harsh sound of blood spraying suddenly rang out.

The leading Third Rank expert, who was nearing the Blood Qi Long River, had his head suddenly soar into the sky. A fountain of blood sprayed from his neck, his body stood stiffly in place, and after a moment, he fell heavily, completely lifeless.

The remaining two middle-aged men's pupils shrank, their blood instantly freezing, their minds blank.

Just a moment ago, they had harbored the momentum to crush him, certain they could easily handle this young lad. They never imagined that this seemingly green youth would be so powerful to such a degree!

Under twenty years of age, killing a Martial Artist comparable to a Third Rank Peak with a single sword strike—this was simply not just being a "Genius"!

Their backs were instantly soaked with cold sweat. Looking at Lin Qing, who stood in the moonlight holding his sword with a cold and indifferent posture, only endless horror and panic remained in their hearts.

In extreme panic, one of them chattered his teeth, his voice hoarse and trembling, and he blurted out with unbelievable terror: "You...you...you, could it be...could it be that you are Sun Shaoping?!"

Such an age, such combat power—besides Sun Shaoping, they could think of no one else. He subconsciously linked the terrifying youth before him with that legendary Genius.

The only response to him was a sharp sword light that arrived in an instant.

The last person met the same fate; he didn't even have time to scream before falling to the ground with a thud.

In an instant, the three Third Rank villains who ran rampant in the mountains were all executed.

The night wind rolled over the platform, blowing away the pervasive stench of blood. The moonlight still shone down coldly and clearly. Lin Qing sheathed his sword, his movements calm and indifferent.

He crouched down and searched the three men one by one.

The three Third Rank Martial Artists were already experts who were not weak in their area and should have accumulated quite a bit of wealth. However, after the search, the total money on all three of them added up to only over forty thousand taels, just a few thousand taels more than what he had encountered with the Monster Hunting Team at Qingyang Mountain, which really surprised Lin Qing.

However, he found a Cultivation Technique in the arms of the leading middle-aged man, a thread-bound ancient book with a hard texture. Looking down by the bright moonlight, four vigorous and powerful ink characters were clearly visible on the archaic cover—Ronghuo Heart Pillar.

It was actually a Fourth Rank Cultivation Technique. A flash of brightness crossed Lin Qing's eyes—an unexpected joy!

A Fourth Rank Cultivation Technique was already the core Legacy of top noble families and Sects; he never expected to obtain it from a mountain bandit.

How could he know that this was something the man had bought from the black market, exhausting his brothers' wealth because he was nearing the Fourth Rank.

Lin Qing tossed a bag of silver to the waiter in the distance, then got up and returned to his room. He intended to ponder this Fourth Rank Cultivation Technique properly.