Chapter 128: The Azure Lotus Sword Art
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The rain kept falling, making the atmosphere somewhat awkward...
Things were indeed awkward inside the Mountain God Temple. Chen Jin, however, sat by the fire in complete contentment. He did not actually need the warmth—his entire body was perfectly dry—but at times like this, it was best not to stand out.
Crackle... crackle...
The wood snapped continuously in the flames. Chen Jin rather regretted not catching a pheasant. If he had, he could have roasted it now and found something to ease his boredom.
The girl disguised as a young man continued stealing glances at him. In her eyes, perhaps she was merely sneaking a look, but to Chen Jin, she was practically subjecting him to an open, brazen visual assault.
Still, as a man, being secretly admired by a young girl felt rather pleasant.
So Chen Jin returned her gaze without the slightest hesitation.
His eyes traveled once over the girl before he withdrew them. There was really nothing to see—her figure was as flat as a marble slab.
What did it mean to be poor and vicious? In this case, poor in the chest and vicious about it.
After looking over the girl, Chen Jin shifted his gaze toward the other group.
The two females could no longer be called girls; they were women. A single sweep of Chen Jin's eyes told him that they had already lost their original purity. The aura surrounding them was mixed and impure, unlike the clear innocence of a maiden. Such a situation was common in the modern world, but in this ancient era, it was exceedingly rare.
In any case, the man had certainly wronged these two women.
Thus, after a brief glance, Chen Jin ultimately returned his attention to his own fire.
The rain outside the temple continued to fall, enough to make anyone restless. Chen Jin's heart, however, remained calm—silent and still, like a pool of stagnant water.
Cultivation was like this. It resembled trying to study in the middle of a bustling marketplace.
Chen Jin reflected silently as he slowly allowed his mind and spirit to transform. Recently, he had been continually merging with the spiritual objects of the Five Elements, drawing out their profound truths and converting the Primal Chaos Qi within him into Five-Element True Essence. Once that was complete, he would propel his spirit and soul through another transformation and advance into the Spirit-Settling Realm.
“It should be soon,” Chen Jin muttered inwardly.
This required time. He had already been doing this for five days, but he still needed another four. It was not that he was deliberately trying to make the process last nine days; that was simply the length of time he had estimated—though, admittedly, it was still only his own subjective feeling.
Chen Jin silently circulated his cultivation technique. Although he appeared completely absorbed in the fire, the Primal Chaos Qi inside his body had already begun to surge.
...
The mountain rain continued to fall, yet there were still plenty of travelers on the road. After Chen Jin, another person ducked into the temple.
The man looked somewhat bedraggled and did not appear to be a good person. Then again, the sword dripping blood in his hand had already made that clear.
Drip... drip...
To everyone inside the temple, the sound of each blood droplet striking the floor was louder than the rain outside.
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The man did not enter the temple proper. He merely leaned against the doorframe, propping himself up with his sword.
“Friend, have you run into trouble?” asked the man from the group of two women and one man.
He was visibly tense. He had a sword of his own, which he had just picked up from the floor and was now gripping tightly, presumably to bolster his sense of security.
“I killed a few people. It weighs on my heart,” the newcomer replied.
His sword was covered in blood. Earlier, it had probably been stained in great clumps, but the fierce rain had washed the blood from his face.
“...”
The ruined temple fell silent in an instant.
“Brother, you...”
“Just kidding. I only killed a few wild boars.” The man interrupted him with a laugh.
“Heh-heh. That is not a very funny joke, brother.” The other man gave a dry chuckle.
No one in the ruined temple could possibly believe him.
The stench of blood had not been entirely dispersed by the downpour. Anyone who had smelled human blood before could tell that the blood on him was human.
Still, everyone in the temple had merely encountered one another by chance. No one could accuse the man of being some murderous fiend. After all, no one wanted to invite unnecessary trouble while traveling alone.
“Haha! He did kill a few pigs. Naturally, anything he could kill must have been a bunch of stupid pigs.” A loud, piercing voice came from outside the temple.
The man leaning against the doorframe pushed himself upright with the aid of his sword.
“Ghost Swordsman, have you come here to die as well?” he shouted into the curtain of rain.
“Song Chengfeng, hand over the Green Lotus Sword Manual you stole, and I may spare your life.” The voice outside continued.
“The Green Lotus Sword Manual?” someone inside the temple exclaimed softly.
It was the girl disguised as a young man who had spoken. Everyone else present was composed and steady; only she, lacking experience, had failed to conceal her surprise.
“The Green Lotus Sword Manual is not in my hands.” Song Chengfeng did not turn to look at the girl who had made the sound. Instead, he continued shouting into the rain.
“Who would believe that?” the man outside replied.
The next moment, a streak of golden light tore through the curtain of rain and shot straight toward Song Chengfeng's forehead.
Clang!
Before the golden light could reach him, Song Chengfeng raised his sword and knocked it away.
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“Looks like you really do want to become a ghost, Ghost Swordsman.” Song Chengfeng raised his sword and charged into the rain.
It seemed the fellow intended to fight another battle—and kill a few more pigs.
A continuous clash of metal rang out from beyond the rain. The sound was harsh and grating, yet it also stirred the blood.
The people inside the temple began whispering among themselves, especially the girl.
“Uncle Tiger, is this Green Lotus Sword Manual the one that belonged to the Green Lotus Hermit?” the girl asked curiously.
“It is,” Uncle Tiger confirmed.
“So the Green Lotus Hermit really knew swordsmanship? I always thought he was merely good at writing poetry.” The girl sounded both dazzled and delighted.
“The Green Lotus Hermit was able to compose such a masterwork as ‘The Road to Shu Is Hard.’ That alone proves the extraordinary level of his martial skill. His title of the Exiled Immortal was no empty reputation,” the man who had spoken earlier interjected.
“Exactly, exactly.” The girl nodded repeatedly.
“Hmm? Why did you pinch me?” the man suddenly cried out.
A sharp pain had seized the flesh at his waist. His two female companions were each pinching one side of him, leaving sweat pouring from his brow as he grimaced through the pain.
“My younger sister comes from a respectable family. Do not speak so much with this lecher, lest he sully your reputation,” one of the women said.
“What?” The man stared at the girl in surprise, then immediately withdrew his gaze.
“Oh! Sister saw through me? I knew this disguise was too obvious.” The girl did not seem offended. She merely smiled.
Just as the temple appeared to be filled with harmony, the sounds of battle outside abruptly ceased.
Then came another series of footsteps.
The person who entered was Song Chengfeng. It appeared that he had won, though an additional streak of blood now marked his face.
The battle had evidently been extremely perilous.
Yet the moment Song Chengfeng stepped into the temple, the atmosphere changed completely.
Everyone grew wary. Now that word had spread that he possessed the Green Lotus Sword Manual, he would naturally have to guard against the people around him. In his current state, he might very well decide to kill someone.
Thus, all that remained inside the temple was the sound of breathing, the rain, and the glowing coals.
...
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