"Xiao Zhao."
Lin Xingchu smiled, "This is a Flood Dragon from the Washing Sword River, about… nine thousand years old? It's nearing its transformation into a true dragon. It had malicious intentions, likely planning to cooperate with Liu Bai to kill Lin Wanhua on the Washing Sword River."
"Attempt to kill Miss Lin?"
Lin Zhao frowned, his gaze towards Xiao Ke becoming extremely unfriendly.
"My lord, spare me!"
Xiao Ke kowtowed repeatedly, his forehead turning red. "I was confined to the ancestral mountain of the demon race for many years. The first task I was assigned after leaving was this heinous mission. But I have seen the error of my ways, recognized reality, and repented. I am determined to be a good dragon by your side, my lord. Please understand, I am by no means a bloodthirsty demon!"
"Is that so…"
Lin Zhao recalled something and asked, "You seemed to be enjoying yourself when you ate the twelfth-realm Sword Cultivator and the twelfth-realm Lin Fu?"
Lin Xingchu also narrowed her eyes and said with a smile, "Xiao Zhao, you are Mr. Qin's disciple. You should be better than your aunt in discerning right from wrong and understanding the principles of scholars. If you think this Flood Dragon cannot be spared, I will kill it with a single sword. Its thirteenth-realm demon core is quite valuable and might help Xu Zhi reach the thirteenth realm. Its death would be a contribution to the human world."
"No, no!"
Xiao Ke's eyes welled up with tears. "My lord Lin Zhao, please believe me, I have truly done nothing wrong. I only eat wicked people. A twelfth-realm demon immortal wanted to kill you, shouldn't I have eaten him? That twelfth-realm human cultivator named Lin Fu also harbored evil intentions and even wanted to kill you along the way, shouldn't I have eaten him? I have truly done nothing wrong! Back when I roamed the great rivers, I encountered so many water fairies, yet I dared not even hold their hands. How could I, a reserved and shy little demon, do anything wrong?"
Shameless!
Lin Zhao inwardly marveled, this Xiao Ke could achieve great things!
"Forget it."
Lin Zhao smiled. "As far as I'm concerned, it hasn't done anything wrong. If Aunt wants to keep it, so be it. It might still be useful."
Saying this, Lin Zhao walked up to Xiao Ke, suddenly raised a hand, and pointed. A beam of sword light descended. The tip of his flying sword, Hao Ran, rested against Xiao Ke's forehead. Confucian intent permeated the sword tip, and for a moment, Xiao Ke, a thirteenth-realm Flood Dragon, felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. It felt like a fourteenth-realm Confucian Sage was holding his sword to his forehead. He was so terrified that his soul nearly departed his body.
"Xiao Ke."
Lin Zhao looked directly at it, his voice low and steady, "Listen carefully. My aunt is a very, very good person. Stay by her side and obey her orders. Don't harbor too many wicked thoughts. If you dare to betray your master, I will kill you. Even if my cultivation is not high, I will find a way to kill you and sever your Dao."
"…"
Xiao Ke was completely unable to move. Was this the aura of a ninth-realm Sword Cultivator? To be blunt, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it the aura of a thirteenth-realm Sword Immortal! At this moment, Xiao Ke trembled all over. Looking up at Lin Zhao, the sword tip against his forehead was from the Han Niu Sword of the Confucian Sage Qin Suihan, which was already terrifying enough. But what was even more frightening, what posed a greater threat to Xiao Ke, the thirteenth-realm Flood Dragon, was the ancient sword wrapped in tattered cloth on Lin Zhao's back. Xiao Ke could feel that a pair of eyes within that sword seemed to be gazing at him, giving him the feeling of looking into an abyss, where one wrong step could truly mean death.
What kind of sword was that? It was the sword that once slew Bai Lan, the strongest thirteenth-realm Sword Immortal of the demon race!
"My lord Lin Zhao, rest assured…"
Xiao Ke gulped, swallowing hard. "My life belongs to my lady and my lord. I will never betray you in this life. Even if humans and demons go to war one day, I dare to bare my claws and fangs at that old bastard, the Demon Ancestor. In my heart, my lady and my lord are my own people, my family. The Demon Ancestor is a despicable and shameless old bastard."
"Good, good, a teachable child."
Lin Zhao smiled, retracted his flying sword Hao Ran, and gently patted Xiao Ke's forehead. "Xiao Ke, let's go eat. It's our first meeting, we have to share a drink later!"
Xiao Ke sprang to his feet, nodding repeatedly, his heart filled with astonishment. This young lord was extraordinary. One moment he made him feel like he was facing an abyss, and the next, he made him feel as if he was basking in a spring breeze. He truly lived up to his reputation as Lin Baiyi of the Snow Region Heavenly Pool. Having such family and becoming a member of the Lin family was a tremendous fortune, his ancestors' graves must be emitting auspicious fumes!
He had already made up his mind.
From this day forward, when he roamed the world and people asked for his name, he could proudly declare:
My name is Lin Xiao Ke!
…
The banquet was lively, with clinking glasses and everyone drinking heartily. Lin Zhao also presented a precious jar of Dongting Purple Bamboo Wine to Lin Xingchu as a reserve. He then opened another jar for everyone to taste. He would hide a bowl each day, but a few bowls of Dongting Purple Bamboo Wine filled the entire River God Temple with a mellow fragrance, truly remarkable.
After eating and drinking their fill, Xu Zhi, Gu Lingyu, Chu Yu, and the others bid farewell one by one.
Lin Zhao did not rush to leave. He took out two more jars of Dongting Red Bamboo Wine and three jars of Dongting Green Bamboo Wine from his bag to give to Lin Xingchu for her daily consumption. Then, he sheepishly smiled and said, "Aunt, I have one more thing I'd like to ask for your help with."
Lin Xingchu couldn't help but smile. "I've already accepted the bribe wine. If you don't make a request, I'll feel bad drinking it. Speak your mind, you can say anything."
"Mm."
Lin Zhao nodded. "Wang Yue is currently still at the Mountain Summit Villa, residing in my octagonal shrine. However, she is merely a soul remaining in the mortal realm with a low cultivation level. Her soul power will eventually dissipate bit by bit, and that's not a solution. Therefore, I hope to find a position for Wang Yue in the Washing Sword River. Wang Yue… is tenacious and stubborn. After suffering a great calamity, her family was destroyed, but her heart still retains a kindness. I find this very rare. If it's convenient for you, Aunt, please let Wang Yue stay and take on some position. It doesn't have to be high-ranking or important; any position will do. If you feel she can be useful later, you can promote her. It's fine."
"Certainly."
Lin Xingchu nodded. "Anyone recommended by my Xiao Zhao is bound to be good. It's fine, just bring her here. Coincidentally, after the last calamity, the Washing Sword River needs to enfeoff a new batch of deities. I will have Wang Yue's name recorded. By the way… the River God Temple has always been short of a sword-bearing female official. This position is actually quite low-ranking, even lower than a temple keeper or water god. However, because she will be holding my sword, it is quite important. I've always wanted someone trustworthy to serve as this sword-bearing female official. Do you think Wang Yue is suitable?"
"We can try."
Lin Zhao nodded. "However, before employing her, Aunt, could you investigate her character? I don't fear anything else, but I am afraid that the demon race's Master Jun Gang or Yu Zhi might have tampered with Wang Yue's soul or state of mind. I'm not proficient in this area and don't understand it well, but you are fourteenth-realm, Aunt, you can do it. Once you confirm Wang Yue is fine, then employ her. That way, I can be at ease."
"Mm."
Lin Xingchu nodded in approval. Lin Zhao was truly meticulous in his actions, leaving no room for error. Therefore, when Lin Zhao said this, Lin Xingchu felt genuinely happy.
…
Late at night, Lin Zhao left the River God Temple. The moment he departed, a rare chime sounded. His endeavor to seek justice for his aunt Lin Xingchu on the Washing Sword River had triggered a plot reward, and the rewards were quite generous—
"Ding!"
System notification: Congratulations on completing the plot [Rampage on the Washing Sword River]. You have received plot compensation rewards: Current level experience +225%, Charm +3, Gold Coins +30000, Reputation +12000, and an additional reward: [Flood Dragon Scale Bracers] (Heavenly Grade)!
Heavenly Grade?
Lin Zhao's heart stirred, feeling a little excited. At this stage, top players were still striving for a set of Earth Grade equipment, and most players were still pursuing Flowing Gold Grade. Yet, he had already obtained a Heavenly Grade item. He quickly opened his inventory and saw a pair of deep green armor bracers quietly lying within. The aura of a Flood Dragon permeated them, indicating they were likely fashioned from Xiao Ke's scales during a temporary forging process, hence the faint smoky scent. He felt a pang of sympathy; Xiao Ke had gone through so much. This reward must have also been from his aunt.
He reached out and waved, and the formidable attributes of the Flood Dragon Scale Bracers appeared before his eyes—
[Flood Dragon Scale Bracers] (Heavenly Grade)
Type: Armor
Defense: 1200
Strength: +155
Stamina: +152
Agility: +150
Special Effect: Damage Reduction +7%
Special Effect: Damage Amplification, own attack damage +40%
Special Effect: Tenacity, increases user's HP cap by 10000
Special Effect: Flood Dragon Kin, HP recovery speed +125%
Special Effect: Spell Resistance, reduces incoming spell damage by 15%
Additional: Increases user's attack power by 51%
Additional: Increases user's defense by 50%
Required Level: 130
…
No questions asked, the level was just right. He equipped it immediately. Xiao Ke was a good person. He then looked at the attributes, which were far more powerful than before—
[White Robe] (Sword Master)
Level: 131
Attack: 9020-10920 (+389%)
Defense: 5250 (+396%)
HP: 82220 (+20%)
Critical Hit: 20%
Life Steal: 64%
Damage Reduction: 39%
Damage Amplification: 270%
Wisdom: 99
Charm: 79
Reputation: 139780
Combat Power: 32580
…
Damage Reduction, Damage Amplification, Critical Hit—these three extremely important attributes placed Lin Zhao among the top three in the Chinese server. This allowed his overall combat power to remain number one in the national server. Although the players behind him were catching up closely, it didn't matter. Lin Zhao wasn't particularly focused on equipment anymore. In this game, "Tian Xia," with the progression of the plot, the importance of magic items, skills, and cultivation realms would ultimately not be inferior to equipment. Blindly pursuing top-tier equipment could lead to being easily defeated by players of equal combat power.
Past midnight.
Lin Zhao returned to the Snow Region Heavenly Pool and tidied himself up. He packed the shrine into a bamboo chest and carried it on his back, smiling. "Wang Yue, get into the shrine. I'll take you to see Aunt. The position I've arranged for you is basically settled. From now on, work hard with Aunt in the Washing Sword River. Don't disgrace the reputation of our Mountain Summit Villa!"
"Mm!"
Wang Yue stood upright and cupped her fists towards Lin Zhao, smiling. "Understood, Brother Lin Zhao!"
…
After escorting Wang Yue to the Washing Sword River, Lin Zhao finally had one less worry. However, there was one more matter that caused him slight concern. He looked towards the south. Chen Ben should be in Furong Province by now. He wondered if he had made any progress in learning the Nine Farmer's Fist from Long Dongjun. Would he master the Nine Farmer's Fist before himself?!
Upon thinking of this, without a second thought, he went up the mountain that very night. It was time to practice his fist!