Chapter Ninety-Two: Hello, Xiao Lin

At dawn, a few birds in the woods cleared their throats and burst into a cheerful twittering.

A faintly cool breeze drifted into the ruined temple. Jiang Lin stirred awake in a haze, and at the temple entrance stood his senior sister, head lifted as she gazed up at the sky.

The sword flight Azure Green, as flawless as jade, danced through the air, each gleaming bead of dew gathering upon its surface.

Dew-Washing the Sword.

This was the foundational sword-washing rite of the Longmen Sect. Every disciple, whether newly entered or directly inherited, practiced it. It was a compulsory morning duty, no different from the dawn reading session before class.

Of course, just like that morning reading, Longmen Sect sword cultivators did it in every possible fashion: some washed their swords while dozing, some while eating breakfast, and some while scratching their feet. Anything and everything existed.

For instance, at that very moment, apart from the senior sister washing her sword with complete concentration, Qin Xiao was washing his sword while his mind drifted far away. He lifted his sleeve and wiped the saliva from the corner of his mouth, apparently remembering something delicious.

As for the other two junior sisters, they washed their swords with drooping shoulders and half-closed eyes, nodding like pecking chicks. Whenever they were truly about to fall asleep, the senior sister would gently tap them on the head.

The whole day’s work depends on the morning. As a sword cultivator, Jiang Lin was supposed to wash his sword too. Not only could this nourish his natal flying sword, it would also strengthen the bond between sword and master, deepening the affection between them.

Sword cultivators, after all—once they cultivated to the immortal realm, their natal flying sword would give birth to a sword spirit.

Truth be told, Jiang Lin was genuinely curious about what his natal sword spirit would look like.

Could it be some vulgar, foot-scratching brute?

Probably not. After all, his natal sword was so beautiful.

Could it be a pretty little shota? Or maybe an old man from another world?

Jiang Lin frowned as he thought it over.

Damn, even imagining it was thrilling.

He stood up, put his thoughts aside, and walked out. Beside him, the dog flicked its ears. Seeing the brother who had fed it last night heading out, it also got up and toddled after him on its short little legs, its rump swaying from side to side.

“Young Master, you’re awake.”

“Young Master, would you like breakfast?”

Seeing Jiang Lin come out of the temple, the two little sisters of the Longmen Sect instantly brightened, their drowsiness vanishing at once.

Jiang Lin could not help but sigh inwardly: so indeed, when he was not at Longmen Sect, it would not do. Why did this new batch of junior sisters only care about appearances? Could even this “ridiculously handsome” face make them swoon? At the very least, they should be falling for his “beyond all reason handsome” true visage.

“Young Master, are you setting out?”

Lin Qingwan looked at the man before her, and her delicate hand beneath her sleeve tightened slightly.

After last night’s test, she had seemingly already dispelled the suspicion in her heart that this scholar was Jiang Lin.

Lin Qingwan felt that perhaps she had gone too long without seeing Little Lin. Their figures were merely similar, and she had been misled by an illusion.

Yet for some reason, even though her reason clearly told her he was not Little Lin, in her heart Jiang Lin’s figure kept overlapping with his. It was far too strange.

Even the thought that he was leaving brought with it a trace of inexplicable reluctance.

“Oh, now that dawn has come, this humble student must head to Eastern Forest City for study and travel, and afterward record in writing all that I see and hear. This has long been my dream.”

Jiang Lin gave the four of them a proper bow, straightened up, and with eyes full of steadfastness, looked past the two junior sisters beside his senior sister as he continued with deep feeling:

“I have heard that Eastern Forest City is plagued by demons, and at night even corpses rise again. I may very well meet my end there...”

“Then Young Master need not—”

“But!” Jiang Lin interrupted one of the junior sisters, clasping his hands behind his back as he turned to gaze into the distance. “As a scholar of the Confucian school, I am meant to bring order to the family, govern the realm, and bring peace to all under heaven. If I halt before the hardship before me and dare not enter Eastern Forest City, what sort of scholar would that make me!”

“Young Master...” came the reluctant voice of another junior sister from behind him, tinged even with a touch of fascination.

Jiang Lin turned back and bowed once more. “You are all cultivators, immortals in our eyes. Yet even we ordinary people have our own goals and pursuits. Even if I die, I must finish this travel account of Eastern Forest City. If there truly are evil-doers at work, I shall confront them with my full measure of righteous spirit!”

“There is no need to see me off. If I should perish in misfortune, it would already be more than enough if the four of you could remember me just a little.”

With that, Jiang Lin slung his bamboo satchel over his back, scooped up the dog, clasped his hands in farewell, and turned to leave.

Watching that figure disappearing as though never to return, with those heavy, slow, and resolute steps, the two junior sisters from the Longmen Sect began to cling to their senior sister’s arm and plead endlessly, transmitting their thoughts into her heart lake without pause.

“Senior Sister Lin, please let this young master travel with us.”

“Yes, Sister Lin, this young master is so handsome, and he’s a scholar too. If anything were to happen to him, our Dao hearts would be damaged.”

“Senior Sister...”

“Senior Sister...”

“We haven’t seen such a handsome scholar in a long time.”

“Yes, Sister. He reminds me of the boy who lived next door when I was little.”

“Senior Sister~~~~”

The two junior sisters were still shaking Lin Qingwan’s arm, while Jiang Lin walked farther and farther away.

Truthfully, when he had gone ten steps, Jiang Lin was already panicking hard.

Damn, why had they not called him back yet? Could it be that the senior sister had noticed something? That made no sense. Although the senior sister was not very willing to concern herself with worldly matters, being pestered like this by her junior sisters should have been enough to sway her. Why was it not working?

Just as Jiang Lin was about to stop, turn around, and carry out Plan B, a woman’s gentle voice came from behind him.

“Young Master, please wait.”

At the call, Jiang Lin clenched a fist and his expression became absurd for an instant. Yet when he turned around again, his face had already regained its calm:

“What business do you have, Miss?”

“If the Young Master does not disdain us, you may travel with us. Although our cultivation is insufficient, we should still be able to ensure the Young Master’s safety.”

“Would that not be too much trouble for you all?”

“No trouble at all.” The two junior sisters let go of their senior sister’s slender arm and seized Jiang Lin’s arm instead. “Young Master, please travel with us. We love reading the most. Could you teach us a few classics?”

“This...” Jiang Lin’s face carried an expression of difficulty, though his heart was secretly overjoyed. “Then I shall trouble the four of you.”

“No trouble at all.” Lin Qingwan stepped forward and examined Jiang Lin closely. “My name is Lin Qingwan. These are my junior sisters, Fang Xue and Hu Lan, and this is my junior brother, Qin Xiao.”

The two junior sisters released Jiang Lin’s arm and, together with Qin Xiao, bowed to him.

Jiang Lin returned the courtesy.

“This humble student’s surname is Si... given name is Nike.”

“Pleased to meet you, Mister Si.”

A faint smile rose at the corner of Lin Qingwan’s lips.

Hello, Little Lin.