118: Chapter 118 Presenting a Precious Sword

The person who arrived was not Young Master Lin, but a guard from the Liu Family, which left Liu Yiyi incredibly disappointed; she continued to wait anxiously!

Everyone had been extremely curious about this "Young Master Lin" who had caused the Young Miss of the Liu Family to wait with such anticipation, but after waiting for a long time, apart from the servants occasionally passing by outside the hall, no new Martial Artist arrived to report.

Time ticked away bit by bit, and the anticipation on Liu Yiyi's face gradually turned into anxiety and a faint disappointment as she looked towards the end of the corridor outside the hall from time to time.

The Elder of the Liu Family who had urged them earlier, that serious old man who was a Fourth-Rank Warrior at the Early Stage, looked at the water clock in the hall, frowned slightly, and spoke again: "Yiyi, it is getting late. The 'Baicao Market' outside the city is not close, and to avoid any complications, we need to set off as soon as possible. Since this Young Master Lin..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Liu Yiyi had already lowered her head in dejection and whispered: "Yes, Elder, then we..."

"Apologies, I was delayed for a moment on the road; I hope it is not too late, right?"

A clear and calm voice rang out unhurriedly from outside the hall, interrupting Liu Yiyi's words and instantly attracting everyone's gaze.

Everyone looked over in unison and saw a young man dressed in dark black martial attire, with a long sword at his waist and an upright posture, standing outside the hall door before anyone knew when he had arrived.

He looked to be only eighteen or nineteen years old, his face still carrying a hint of youthfulness, but his eyes were calm and deep, without the slightest ripple, and his Aura was restrained, as if he had merged with the surrounding environment; had he not spoken, one would hardly have noticed his arrival.

"Young Master Lin!" Liu Yiyi's beautiful eyes suddenly brightened, the disappointment on her face was swept away, replaced by undisguised surprise and a bright smile.

She almost trotted up to greet him, her voice filled with joy: "You finally came! That's great!"

The people in the hall were stunned at first, then their expressions varied.

Those Martial Artists who had originally expected to see some mighty and imposing expert, upon seeing that the newcomer was just a callow youth under twenty, mostly showed expressions of disappointment or disapproval and began to whisper among themselves.

"Is this the person Young Miss Liu has been waiting for half the day? So young?"

"His Aura seems steady, but this is too green, right? He is probably the Young Master of some small Family, relying on his Family's connections to come out and gain some credentials."

"At most, he's at the Peak of the Third Rank; in this kind of escort mission, he counts as, at best, someone to make up the numbers."

"Young Miss Liu is so enthusiastic towards him? Could they be old acquaintances? Or did she take a fancy to this kid's looks?"

Young Master Zhao Qingyun snorted coldly in his heart, a look of undisguised disdain flashing in his eyes.

He had originally thought he was some powerful figure; it turned out to be just a yellow-haired brat!

Based on his age, how much cultivation could he have? What experience could he have? Was he worthy of being ranked alongside him, Young Master Zhao Qingyun?

Liu Yiyi was so enthusiastic towards this person; she was likely young and ignorant, and had been deceived by this pretty boy.

Lin Tian seemed unaware of the various gazes cast from the hall, nodded slightly to Liu Yiyi who had come up to greet him, and said: "Miss Liu, I have kept you waiting."

"Not late, not late, you came just in time!" Liu Yiyi smiled like a flower, turned to the Elder of the Liu Family, and said: "Elder, this is Young Master Lin Tian, whom I mentioned to you before."

The Elder of the Liu Family frowned slightly, scrutinizing Lin Tian. This young man certainly had a steady demeanor and did not seem like an ordinary, flamboyant youth, but he was far too young.

Just as he was about to speak, Liu Yiyi suddenly remembered something, said "Young Master Lin, wait a moment" to Lin Tian, and then hurried out of the side hall again.

Before long, she walked back quickly, holding a long, narrow wooden box wrapped in brocade in both hands.

Amidst everyone's uncertain and suspicious gazes, she came before Lin Tian and presented the wooden box with both hands, her pretty face slightly flushed, carrying a sense of solemnity and shyness: "Young Master Lin, I cannot repay the debt of saving my life. This 'autumn water sword' is a beloved object of mine; although it is not some divine Sharp Weapon, it is sharp and durable, and was forged by a master craftsman. It contains a trace of water spiritual energy, which is quite helpful for performing water-based or gentler sword techniques. I present it to you, Young Master; firstly as a token of gratitude, and secondly... I hope that this sword can be used in your hands to slay demons and eliminate evil, and protect peace."

Once these words were spoken, the whole hall was shocked! Even the Elder of the Liu Family, who had been keeping a straight face, showed an expression of astonishment.

Lin Tian was also stunned; he had not expected Liu Yiyi to gift a sword in public. He took the wooden box, and it felt slightly heavy in his hand.

He untied the brocade and opened the lid of the box, and a burst of clear, cold air rushed towards his face.

Inside the box lay a sheathed long sword, the scabbard was a deep blue color, looking like wood yet not wood, like jade yet not jade, with flowing water and cloud patterns carved on it, simple and elegant.

The hilt was wrapped in unknown silver thread, and it felt warm and smooth to the touch.

"Clang—"

Lin Tian grasped the hilt and slowly drew it out.

The blade was like a pool of autumn water, shimmering with cold light, clear and bright, reflecting his brows and eyes with coldness. Near the crossguard of the blade, there were two simple, ancient characters — "Autumn Water".

He lightly flicked the spine of the sword, and it emitted a clear, long-lasting Dragon roar that did not cease for a long time.

There was even a faint, cool trace of water spiritual energy that traveled from the blade into his palm, faintly echoing with the Purple Haze Hidden Force within his body; although the attributes were not perfectly aligned, it could still calm his restlessness and make it easier for his mind to settle.

"A fine sword!" A trace of admiration flashed in Lin Tian's eyes. The quality of this "autumn water sword" was far superior to the standard Sect-issued steel long sword at his waist; whether in material, sharpness, or the trace of spirituality contained within, they could not be mentioned in the same breath.

With this sword in hand, the power of his "Xiaguang Sword Technique" could be increased by at least thirty percent!

A chorus of gasps and low exclamations rang out in the hall.

Many Martial Artists showed undisguised envy or even jealousy in their eyes.

They were all people who knew their goods; one look at this "autumn water sword" told them it was a rare precious sword, and its value was likely no less than several thousand taels!

The Young Miss of the Liu Family actually gave it away so easily to this young man who had just arrived? What exactly is the background of this person surnamed Lin?

Young Master Zhao Qingyun's face turned as gloomy as water in an instant, and his eyes were almost spewing fire!

He had tried to curry favor with Liu Yiyi several times, but she had always been polite yet distant; yet now, she gave such a generous gift to this pretty boy!

This was simply slapping him in the face in public!

Why?! What virtue or ability does this kid have?!

"Young Miss Yiyi!" The Elder of the Liu Family finally could not hold back and spoke in a deep voice, his tone carrying a hint of reproach and anxiety: "This sword was a birthday gift bestowed upon you by the Clan Chief back then; it has extraordinary significance and is a Sharp Weapon for self-defense. How can you gift it to someone so easily?"

Liu Yiyi turned around, faced the Elder, her expression calm, and said clearly: "Elder, have you forgotten what I reported to you a few days ago?"

"I encountered danger in the Taixuan Mountain Range and almost lost my life under the claws of a Shadow Wolf; it was precisely this Young Master Lin Tian who acted righteously and saved me from danger!"

"He is my life-saving benefactor!"

"If not for Young Master Lin, would Yiyi still be alive now? Is it not appropriate to gift this sword to thank him for his kindness?"

"What? He saved the Young Miss?"

"The Taixuan Mountain Range? A Shadow Wolf? That is not a good place!"

"So that's it! No wonder Young Miss Liu values him so much..."

Everyone realized, and the looks they cast at Lin Tian had less contempt and more surprise and curiosity.

To be able to save Liu Yiyi alone in the Taixuan Mountain Range, this courage and strength were likely not as simple as they appeared on the surface.

The Elder of the Liu Family was also taken aback, scrutinized Lin Tian again, and asked suspiciously: "Yiyi, you previously only said that a Fourth-Rank Warrior had acted righteously to save you, but this Young Master Lin, he..."

He really found it hard to connect the overly young youth before him with a "Fourth-Rank Hidden Force Martial Artist".

A Fourth-Rank Martial Artist was not common in Yunzhou City; which one of them was not someone who had cultivated for many years and was experienced?

Such a young Fourth-Rank was simply unheard of!

Liu Yiyi smiled slightly, her eyes filled with pride, and said loudly: "Elder, you do not know. Young Master Lin is not only my life-saving benefactor, but also an Inner Sect Disciple of the Qixia Sect!"

"Although he is young, he is a genuine Fourth-Rank Hidden Force Martial Artist and a true martial arts Genius within the Qixia Sect!"

"The Qixia Sect?!"

"An Inner Sect Disciple of the Qixia Sect?!"

"My god! Such a young Fourth-Rank? The Qixia Sect is indeed worthy of being a top-tier Sect!"

"No wonder his demeanor is so extraordinary..."

Liu Yiyi's words were like throwing a giant rock into a calm lake, instantly creating a huge wave in the side hall!

Exclamations and discussions rose one after another!

Everyone's gaze focused on Lin Tian again, but this time, the meaning in their eyes was completely different!

Contempt, disdain, and suspicion had all disappeared, replaced by shock, awe, and a hint of indescribable complex emotions.

The Qixia Sect! One of the top Sects in Yunzhou!

For these Martial Artists in the hall who mostly came from local forces in Yunzhou City or were Loose Cultivators, that was a behemoth that needed to be looked up to!

Every Inner Sect Disciple of the Qixia Sect was a one-in-a-hundred Genius, with an unlimited future!

Their status and position were far beyond what these ordinary Martial Artists could compare to. Moreover, for this person to have stepped into the Fourth-Rank Hidden Force at such a young age, the terror of his talent could be imagined!

The gloom and jealousy on Young Master Zhao Qingyun's face froze instantly, his pupils constricted, and a stormy sea surged in his heart.

The Qixia Sect! This kid was actually a Disciple of the Qixia Sect! And an Inner Sect one at that!

Although his Qingyun Martial Arts Hall had some reputation in Yunzhou City, compared to a giant like the Qixia Sect, it was simply like a firefly to the bright moon!

The other party's status was like an invisible mountain, instantly pressing down on him until he could hardly breathe.

His previous arrogance and sense of superiority were shattered to pieces at this moment.

The look he cast at Lin Tian, apart from the original jealousy, added a deep sense of wariness and a trace of imperceptible fear.

The Elder of the Liu Family's expression changed even more; he quickly stood up, solemnly cupped his hands towards Lin Tian, a smile piled onto his face, and his tone became exceptionally polite: "So it is a high Disciple of the Qixia Sect! This old man failed to recognize Mount Tai; I have been negligent previously, and I ask Young Master Lin to please forgive me!"

He was also deeply shocked in his heart.

A young Genius from the Qixia Sect, and also Liu Yiyi's life-saving benefactor—this relationship must be well maintained! If the Clan Chief knew of this, he would likely look at Yiyi with new eyes.

Lin Tian returned the sword to its scabbard, slightly cupped his hands to the Elder of the Liu Family, and said in a calm tone: "Elder, you are too polite. It was within my duties; do not take it to heart."

"Young Master Lin's breadth of mind is admirable." The Elder of the Liu Family's smile grew even wider; he glanced at the wooden box in Liu Yiyi's hands and immediately changed his tune: "Since this sword is Yiyi's intention and is in gratitude for Young Master Lin's life-saving grace, then gifting it to you, Young Master, is only reasonable! I hope you will not decline, Young Master, and must accept it."

"In that case, many thanks to Miss Liu, and many thanks to the Elder." Lin Tian was no longer polite; he wore the "autumn water sword" at his waist, replacing the original steel long sword.

With a divine weapon in hand, his confidence increased further.

"Alright, since everyone has arrived, let us distribute the specific matters of this escort mission." Seeing that the atmosphere had eased, the Elder of the Liu Family quickly turned to the main topic and said loudly to everyone.