Chapter 85

It was already the early hours of the morning, not far from dawn.

Lin Xun was focused on cultivation. His injuries were not severe, and after applying the spirit medicine, they would fully heal in three to five days.

This was largely due to his body being much stronger than before. Ordinary sword and knife wounds, as long as they did not hit vital points, were no big deal.

At this moment, Lin Xun was mentally deducing the Six-Character Saber Technique.

The bloody battle at the Black Tiger Gang's stronghold, where he alone had slain dozens of True Martial Realm cultivators, had left him fully immersed in the fight, with no time to carefully experience the details of the battle.

But now, as he recalled, many insights emerged in his mind.

Battle was never just theoretical; it was not something to be done in isolation. The Six-Character Saber Technique, despite having only six moves—slash, entangle, spin, shock, stab, and peel—each move contained profound mysteries, making it a unique and formidable saber technique that combined ruthlessness and complexity.

But at its core, the Six-Character Saber Technique was still a combat skill, created for battle. To truly understand and master its secrets, one could not do without actual combat experience.

In the past, Lin Xun's combat experience was limited, and even with great effort, he could only bring the Six-Character Saber Technique to the "Subtle" level of the Martial Dao, unable to make further progress.

But now, after the bloody battle and the trials of life and death, Lin Xun had gained many new insights.

The subtle and elusive points that he had previously struggled to understand now surfaced in his mind, gradually being comprehended and grasped.

"As long as I experience more battles, I should be able to bring the Six-Character Saber Technique to the 'Precise' level," Lin Xun thought. He felt that the night's battle had deepened his understanding of the Six-Character Saber Technique and had also significantly improved his control and perception of power.

Suddenly, a conversation outside the courtyard gate caught Lin Xun's attention. He immediately got up and went out.

It was the late night, just before dawn, and the fighting in the civilian area had begun to subside.

With the powerful Spirit Qi Realm cultivator Gu Yanping guarding his home, the possibility of other gangs attacking had been completely eliminated.

At this hour, who would come?

When he stepped out of the courtyard gate, Lin Xun saw an unexpected person—Shi Dingzhai's appraiser, Wang Lin.

What surprised Lin Xun even more was that Wang Lin was not alone; he had brought a group of subordinates, and in their hands were a string of bloody heads.

Could it be that Mu Wansu, upon hearing about the events of the night, had a change of heart and sent Wang Lin to support him?

This thought crossed Lin Xun's mind but was quickly dismissed.

Mu Wansu was a woman with clear likes and dislikes and decisive actions. If she wanted to help him, she would have arranged something when the Black Tiger Gang was planning to attack him, not wait until now.

So, why had Wang Lin come?

Lin Xun was unsure. A few days ago, he had been coldly driven out of Shi Dingzhai by Wang Lin, though he knew it was Mu Wansu's idea, he still harbored a grudge.

That day, he had personally delivered the Flame Spirit Saber to Shi Dingzhai, thinking that they would appreciate it and consider it a repayment of a past favor. But instead, he was given the cold shoulder, which was not a pleasant experience.

Wang Lin was talking to Gu Yanping when he saw Lin Xun appear. He immediately smiled and said, "Young Master Lin Xun, I apologize for the late-night disturbance."

Lin Xun replied with a smile, "Uncle Wang Lin, you're too polite." His attitude was neither cold nor warm, showing no intention of inviting Wang Lin into his home.

Seeing this, Wang Lin sighed inwardly. This young man still harbored resentment.

But on his face, he smiled even more warmly and said, "I heard that some bandits were planning to cause trouble for Young Master Lin Xun, so I hurriedly brought my men to support you. On the way, we encountered some bandits who were heading to your place to cause trouble, and I took the initiative to deal with them."

He then pointed to the string of heads in his subordinates' hands and said, "Young Master, among these, there seem to be a few important figures from the Green Bamboo Gang."

Lin Xun immediately understood. Wang Lin was here to show goodwill. He had clearly investigated Lin Xun's connection with the Shuangmu Gang and was making a sincere effort to make amends by targeting the Green Bamboo Gang.

But why was Wang Lin doing this?

Clearly, it had something to do with the Flame Spirit Saber he had sold to Jin Yutang a few days ago. Wang Lin had likely guessed something and decided to show goodwill towards Lin Xun.

"Thank you, Uncle Wang Lin," Lin Xun said, bowing.

"Haha, it's nothing. As long as you are safe, that's enough," Wang Lin laughed loudly.

"Lin Xun, it's almost dawn. I see the situation is stable, so I won't disturb you further. I'll take my leave," Gu Yanping suddenly said.

"Uncle Gu, wait a moment."

Lin Xun suddenly remembered something, rushed back to his room, and returned with a bundle, which he handed to Gu Yanping, saying, "This is a token of my appreciation. Please accept it."

Gu Yanping raised an eyebrow and said, "If it's just some material possessions, you can take it back. I didn't come to help you for that."

Lin Xun smiled and said, "Uncle Gu, why don't you open it and see?"

Gu Yanping thought for a moment, then took the bundle and opened it. His eyes narrowed when he saw a Flame Spirit Saber inside, its blade gleaming with a cold light.

Wang Lin, who was standing nearby, was also shocked. Indeed, Lin Xun had more than one Flame Spirit Saber, and he must have a significant connection with the "mysterious spirit pattern master."

Gu Yanping calmly put the bundle away, glanced at Wang Lin, and nodded at Lin Xun. "Jin Yutang indeed needs such a treasure to bolster its reputation. I'll accept it, but when this treasure is sold, Jin Yutang will give a fair price."

Lin Xun was about to say something but was interrupted by Gu Yanping, who waved his hand and laughed. "Let's leave it at that. I'll take my leave."

With that, he turned and left with Gu Liang, his demeanor of propriety and measured actions clearly different from other merchants.

This was a merchant cultivator.

After Gu Yanping left, Wang Lin also took his leave, leading his guards away hurriedly.

Lin Xun did not try to retain him. As he watched Wang Lin leave, he knew that Wang Lin would report everything to Mu Wansu upon returning to Shi Dingzhai.

What would Mu Wansu think when she learned that he had more than one Flame Spirit Saber?

Lin Xun thought with a hint of amusement, then shook his head.

He and Mu Wansu were not enemies. In fact, he still owed Shi Dingzhai a favor, so he did not intend to do anything to spite her.

The reason he had let Wang Lin see the Flame Spirit Saber was to send a signal, to reassess Mu Wansu's true attitude towards him.

Without further thought, Lin Xun closed the courtyard gate and returned to his room. He saw that Xia Zhi was still in cultivation, showing no signs of waking up. He couldn't help but think that after the events of the night, whether it was the Wu Clan or Lian Fei, they would surely be more cautious.

At the Wu Clan's grand hall, arguments continued.

Since the death of Black Tiger Gang's Lu Laohu, the arguments had been ongoing. The clan leader Wu Qun, the grand elder Wu Yunshan, the second elder Wu Yushan, and the third elder Wu Lanshan all had grim expressions.

The core of the argument was whether to continue the plan to kill Lin Xun.

Some argued that Wu Henshui, Wu Jie, and others had been harmed by Lin Xun, causing the Wu Clan to lose face, and that the boy must be eliminated to uphold the clan's dignity.

Others argued that the recent actions had resulted in the defeat of Black Widow, Du Xiao, and Choumei Weng, and the death of Black Tiger Gang's Lu Laohu, causing the Wu Clan to pay a heavy price. This proved that Lin Xun was not an easy opponent, and the priority should be to formulate a new plan and proceed cautiously.

Both sides had valid points, and the arguments continued without reaching a consensus.

It was not until dawn, when a scout reported that Jin Yutang's manager, Gu Yanping, had openly supported Lin Xun, and that Shi Dingzhai's Wang Lin had also sent a group of guards to Lin Xun's home, that the arguments finally came to an end.

The Wu Clan's leaders realized the severity of the situation and agreed to temporarily hold back and observe the developments.

They were not afraid of a young man like Lin Xun, but they had to consider the influence of Shi Dingzhai and the formidable Spirit Qi Realm cultivator Gu Yanping, who was a top figure in Donglin City.

In this situation, even if the Wu Clan was unwilling and frustrated, they had to change their strategy against Lin Xun.

As dawn broke and the deep night was dispelled, a new day began.

In the new day, the chaos and bloodshed in the civilian area had come to an end. Although there were still some undercurrents, the situation had stabilized for the time being.

This turmoil was limited to the civilian area and had not affected other parts of Donglin City. It was normal for gangs to rise and fall in the civilian area, and the frequent changes in power had long been accepted by the people living there.

On this new day, Jin Yutang announced again that it would soon sell another Flame Spirit Saber, causing a stir and drawing much attention.

Wang Lin entered the deepest courtyard of Shi Dingzhai, preparing to report the events of the night to Mu Wansu.

In the 49th courtyard of the civilian area, Lin Xun had quickly washed up and began to repair the severely damaged courtyard.

In the room, Xia Zhi was still in deep cultivation, her serene and beautiful face bathed in the morning sunlight, like a poem or a painting.

PS: The tenth update. I'll write a summary and some thoughts at the end of the month. There's so much I want to say.