The night fell.
Lin Zhao summoned Wang Yue from the shrine. She could move around after dark. As soon as Wang Yue appeared, Chen Mengjun couldn't help but narrow her eyes, then "Oh?" she said, and didn't ask further. She was merely a soul, a Yin spirit. In front of Chen Mengjun, an eleventh-realm Sword Immortal, she posed no threat at all.
However, a doubt lingered in her mind: what was Lin Zhao's purpose in taking a female ghost south?
At this moment, a figure landed in the courtyard. It was Xie Yiying, who had finished her healing. Her sword intent was palpable, and she smiled at Chen Mengjun, "Is the banquet ready? Lin Zhao is visiting Forgetful Heart Lake for the first time, so we must treat him well."
"It's ready, Master!"
"Good, shall we go now?"
"Mm!"
The banquet was held in the living room of Chen Mengjun's residence, Mengxin Small Lodge. Lanterns were lit, and the Forgetful Heart Lake glowed with scattered lights in the evening. Xie Yiying, the sect leader of Lingyan Sword Sect, personally hosted the guests. In addition, there were Xie Yiying's two junior sisters, both in the eleventh realm, and then several outstanding young disciples. Most of them were in the Star River realm, with only Chen Mengjun being in the True Origin realm. Her talent in swordsmanship was outstanding among her peers, which was one of the reasons she was so beloved by the elders.
...
After a few cups of wine, Lin Zhao frowned and asked the question he had been wanting to ask, "Sword Immortal Xie, you knew my Master back then, didn't you?"
"Something like that."
Xie Yiying nodded, her eyes filled with undisguised longing. "When I first met Qin Suihan, I was only a Golden Core Sword Cultivator of twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. At that time, Qin Suihan was also a young scholar not yet thirty. That year, he ventured into the martial world as a student from the Confucian Academy. With one person and one sword, he actually repelled a twelfth-realm great demon hidden in the human martial world. That year, he was only an eleventh-realm Confucian cultivator..."
Lin Zhao was filled with longing, "My Master must have been exceptionally elegant and handsome when he was young, right?"
"Mm."
Xie Yiying smiled and nodded, "He was the most handsome and most spirited young scholar in the world then."
Lin Zhao suddenly felt a pang of sadness. Even such a spirited young man ultimately met an end where he had to face it head-on and perish. Especially a hundred years ago, when Lin Zhao encountered his Master's soul, and Master Qin said it hurt when he was killed by the Sages of the Sea of Heavens, Lin Zhao felt heartache and wished all that pain could fall upon him.
Beside him, Chen Mengjun looked at Lin Zhao. Even if she were slower, she knew who he was now.
The reincarnation of Lin Baiyi from the Snow Domain Heavenly Lake. Everything the legends said was true, and... he was too young. Despite being a sword cultivator, a martial artist, and a famous general, he also possessed a scholarly air, which was incredibly rare.
"This trip south?"
Xie Yiying asked. Although she had some guesses, she wasn't entirely sure.
Lin Zhao didn't hide anything. He glanced at Wang Yue, who was sitting beside him, and smiled, "Wang Yue was one of the people from our Mountain Peak Villa. Unfortunately, she was killed by the great demons Yu Zhi and Shi Jun Gang. I had promised Wang Yue some things before, so... I decided to accompany Wang Yue on a trip south into the martial world, and to fulfill her wish, to return to Wang Yue's hometown and pay respects at her parents' graves."
"I see..."
Xie Yiying nodded and said, "The powers in the prefectures and counties of Furong Province are complex, and the martial world on the mountains is equally mixed. It might not be entirely safe for you to travel alone with Wang Yue's soul. How about this... When you leave Lingyan Sword Sect, Mengjun will accompany you. Mengjun is more familiar with the terrain of Furong Province, and she can look after you along the way."
"Ah?"
Lin Zhao was stunned for a moment, "That might not be good. It would be too much of a bother..."
"You don't want to?"
Xie Yiying smiled slightly, "Chen Mengjun is my most beloved disciple and the strongest among the younger generation of Lingyan Sword Sect. She's also beautiful, known as the most beautiful woman in Furong Province. Are you worried that having Mengjun with you would make you lose face?"
When Xie Yiying spoke like this, it was blunt, but her nature was indeed straightforward.
Lin Zhao was somewhat helpless, "I absolutely don't mean that. I'm just worried it might affect Miss Chen's cultivation."
"It's fine."
Chen Mengjun smiled softly, "I'm just nurturing my sword intent recently. It's the same wherever I go. Lin Zhao, you're not familiar with the territory of Furong Province, so it will naturally be better if I accompany you."
"Mm, thank you then!"
Lin Zhao nodded.
...
After staying at Lingyan Sword Sect for a day, the next day, Lin Zhao rode his sword to visit various islands on Forgetful Heart Lake. Although he was only a Golden Core Sword Cultivator, his aura was impressive. When passing by some sects, if anyone greeted him, he would clasped his hands in greeting, showing great courtesy. Chen Mengjun also followed on her sword, with a smile on her lips.
After nightfall, Lin Zhao put on his bamboo box again, summoned Wang Yue, and after riding his sword away from Forgetful Heart Lake, began to travel south on foot. Chen Mengjun also stopped riding her sword, carrying her sword, dressed in a green dress, and walked side by side with Lin Zhao.
Late at night, the sound of horse hooves echoed on the official road.
Several human martial artists rode past. After they passed, one of the mid-fifth-realm martial artists looked back and stared at Chen Mengjun's pretty face. He couldn't tell that she was an eleventh-realm Sword Immortal, only that she was a great beauty. For a moment, this seventh-realm martial artist whistled and said with a smile, "This fairy, from which famous mountain do you descend? Do you have a companion in the martial world? I am Zhang Dabiao, a disciple of Luo Que Mountain, riding the famous horse Tie Futu, and wielding the earth-grade renowned sword Jie An. My fortune is at least twenty Jin Zi coins. If the fairy is willing..."
"I am not willing."
When venturing out, Chen Mengjun always followed her master's teachings and suppressed her cultivation realm to the lower five realms, but she often encountered such troubles. The martial world was turbulent, and who knew what kind of trouble she might encounter.
"Tsk tsk..."
Another fifth-realm martial artist said mockingly, "My elder brother is kindly offering you favor, and fairy, you are truly unappreciative. Refusing like this will make my elder brother lose face!"
"..."
Chen Mengjun gritted her silver teeth.
Just then, Lin Zhao suddenly waved his hand. With a "buzz," his flying sword Hao Ran shot out from the Cloud Sword Lake, with a sound of intense vibration, and stopped in front of the seventh-realm martial artist's brow. Immediately after, the flying sword Ming Yue also shot out from the Cloud Sword Lake, turning into a silver light and stopping in front of the fifth-realm martial artist's brow. A sword cultivator capable of possessing two Cloud Sword Lakes simultaneously would not have a low cultivation realm.
"..."
The seventh-realm martial artist's expression changed greatly. He quickly clasped his hands and said, "So it is Sword Immortal senior. I was presumptuous. Farewell!"
The two hurriedly pulled their reins and galloped away.
Lin Zhao retracted his flying swords, feeling a little speechless.
Chen Mengjun pursed her red lips, "I seem to have... caused you trouble."
"Mengjun!"
Lin Zhao's tone drew out, sounding particularly earnest, "You are clearly an eleventh-realm Sword Immortal, why should you endure such humiliation? Next time, just draw your sword and attack. If you don't kill them, that's fine. If you don't teach such people a lesson, they will bully others."
"Oh."
Chen Mengjun nodded and smiled, "I know!"
After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, the sound of horse hooves came from behind again. It was a sixth-realm middle-aged martial artist in worn armor. The moment he rushed out, he suddenly pulled his reins and stopped his horse, ready to ask a question.
"Whoosh!"
Chen Mengjun swung her sword forward. Although the sword qi she split out was extremely weak, her sword intent was terrifying. It was completely at the level of the upper five realms. The sixth-realm martial artist immediately fell off his horse and repeatedly kowtowed, "Spare my life, Sword Immortal! Spare my life, Sword Immortal! I just wanted to ask the way to Babao Mountain. Sword Immortal, please don't chop off my head!"
"It's alright, you can go."
Lin Zhao quickly waved his hand, then clasped his hands and said, "I'm sorry..."
"Ah?!"
The sixth-realm martial artist hurriedly got back on his horse and galloped away.
"Mengjun!"
Lin Zhao again spoke earnestly, "You should at least wait for them to finish speaking..."
Chen Mengjun's pretty face turned red, "Oh... I'll know next time."
Wang Yue, on the side, smiled with dimples. With Chen Mengjun accompanying them, the journey seemed much more interesting.
...
Furong Province, Chen County.
This was Wang Yue's hometown, and also where her parents were framed and their entire family was annihilated. After entering Chen County, they still traveled by night and hid by day. Fortunately, late at night, Lin Zhao, accompanied by Chen Mengjun and Wang Yue, arrived outside the prefectural governor's yamen. In the dead of night, only four sleeping guards were dozing by the stone lions.
"Brother Lin Zhao."
Wang Yue whispered, "Why did we come to the prefectural governor's yamen first?"
"To find clues."
Lin Zhao frowned, "Your parents' case was handled here, so there must be case files. We can also find where your parents are buried in the prefectural governor's yamen. It's much better than stumbling around blindly."
Chen Mengjun nodded in agreement. As expected of Lin Baiyi of the Snow Domain Heavenly Lake, his thoughts were very clear.
Lin Zhao leaped lightly and landed on his flying sword Hong Ye, then said mentally, "Mengjun, let's go directly to the place where the case files are kept in the prefectural governor's yamen. First, let's find the case file of the Wang family's annihilation. You'll help me search later."
"Mm."
The two turned into a blur and streaked into the high walls and large courtyard. Lin Zhao's methods were still simple and effective. Upon entering the prefectural governor's yamen, the flying sword Ming Yue buzzed and stopped at a guard's throat. After asking for the location of the archive, and with a glance, Chen Mengjun knocked the guard unconscious with her sword hilt. The two then stooped and crept along the eaves.
Shortly after, the two began to search through the complex files. When they found the files of the Wang family, Wang Yue immediately burst into tears. The entire file slandered her father and mother as rebels, and it didn't even state where the bodies of the twenty-one members of the Wang family, who were executed, were buried. Lin Zhao then, according to the list recorded in the file, took Chen Mengjun late at night to find the official responsible for the relevant cases. After a round of "interrogation," they learned that an official named Zhang was behind it, forbidding anyone from collecting the bodies, and that the bodies of Wang Yue's entire family were thrown directly into the mass grave.
"Find this official surnamed Zhang first?" Lin Zhao frowned.
"Mm."
Chen Mengjun nodded.
...
Late at night, the two leaped into the mansion of an official family. This official surnamed Zhang was now the prefect of Chen County. He was a subordinate of the former Prefect Wang, so it was easy to imagine that there was foul play involved. As Lin Zhao and Chen Mengjun squatted on the wall, they saw under the moonlight in the mansion, a sword cultivator was slowly grinding his sword. His gaze was cold, and he looked towards the wall not far away, sneering, "Hmph, Prefect Zhang really has many enemies. I wonder which lowly scoundrel it will be this time, trying to test whether my Lingxi Sword Saint Zhang Lingxi's flying sword is sharp enough?"
This person was named Zhang Lingxi, a member of the Zhang family clan. He was a seventh-realm sword cultivator, known as the Lingxi Sword Saint, and was renowned in the Chen County area.
Eighth chapter completed. Brothers, recommend tickets!!!