Chapter Ten: The Hidden Sword Pavilion

As Lin Cheng made his way along the path, he noticed that Sword-Hiding Peak was eerily quiet; not a single soul could be seen. Led by Master Sword-Hiding, he entered the grand hall, where a woman in violet robes was busy dusting the bookshelves with a feather duster.

Sensing their arrival, she hurried forward and respectfully greeted, "Master."

Master Sword-Hiding nodded slightly and asked, "Are your two senior brothers still in seclusion?"

"Yes, Master," the woman replied.

He made a soft sound of acknowledgment, then turned and said, "These two are your newly joined junior brothers..."

The woman in violet glanced sideways, just as Master Sword-Hiding waved his sleeve. Two sets of robes, identity jade tokens, and two books of sword techniques appeared before Lin Cheng and Niu Shisan. Spotting the black robe among them, the woman's gaze fixed upon Lin Cheng, her eyes filled with disbelief.

"Her name is Han Meng, your third senior sister. She joined the sect long before you. If you have any questions in the future, you can ask her... Lin Cheng, come with me."

After giving further instructions, Master Sword-Hiding led Lin Cheng to a side hall in the rear.

"I know everyone has their own secrets. As your teacher, I will not pry. But remember this: To become a powerful sword cultivator, innate talent and spiritual roots matter, yet far more important is an unwavering and strong heart."

"To cultivate the sword, first cultivate the mind. With a strong heart, the way of the sword shall open to you..."

Lin Cheng listened quietly, though he only half understood. Still, he etched his master's words deep into his heart.

"In your hands is a yellow-tier manual, containing the most basic sword techniques and methods. Study it well. Once you are familiar, I will teach you higher-level techniques..."

"Also, every three days, elders of the sect will give lectures at the Transmission Platform. You may attend and listen. If you have questions, ask your senior sister Han Meng. I will be entering seclusion for a while... Take this token and go to the Sword-Hiding Pavilion to find a sword that suits you."

As he spoke, a flash of light appeared in Master Sword-Hiding's hand, and he handed Lin Cheng a token made of unknown material.

Lin Cheng quickly accepted it and respectfully said, "Disciple will remember Master's teachings and will train diligently, striving not to disappoint your expectations."

Watching his disciple, Master Sword-Hiding stroked his beard and nodded in satisfaction.

After bidding farewell to his master, Lin Cheng exited the side hall and came to the main hall outside.

At that moment, Niu Shisan was pestering Han Meng, the woman in red, looking every bit the eager and diligent student. Han Meng, however, seemed exasperated, rubbing her forehead.

"Senior sister Han Meng, Junior brother Niu..." Lin Cheng greeted them cheerfully.

Seeing Lin Cheng emerge dressed in black, Han Meng walked over as if liberated.

Before her stood Lin Cheng, clad in black. Though not tall, his brows were sharp as swords, his eyes bright as stars, his face chiseled, and his posture upright. Her eyes lit up as she circled him, appraising, then smiled,

"Black robes, little junior brother, not bad... You became Master's personal disciple as soon as you arrived. Your senior sister is quite envious..."

"I wonder how your second senior brother and eldest senior brother will react when they find out..." Han Meng pouted as she thought of this.

Lin Cheng quickly replied with a bitter smile, "Please don't tease me, senior sister. I'm new here, so if I offend in any way, I hope you'll be forgiving..."

"By the way, senior sister, why didn't we see any disciples of Sword-Hiding Peak on our way here?"

Han Meng glanced at him and smiled softly. "Because... counting Master, there are only four people on Sword-Hiding Peak. Oh, now six."

"What? I thought Sword-Hiding Peak would be full of disciples, and with one command, thousands of swords would ride forth... but it turns out, there are only six of us..."

Niu Shisan leapt up in shock upon hearing this.

Lin Cheng was stunned as well. He hadn’t expected so few people on Sword-Hiding Peak.

"Do you think sword-suitable spiritual roots are common? And Master never accepts disciples lightly—not all with metal spiritual roots are favored. So you should cherish what you have now. What's wrong with few people? It's peaceful... Quality matters more than quantity, understand?"

Han Meng rolled her eyes at them and spoke slowly.

"Train well with the techniques Master gave you. If you don't understand, come ask me—your senior sister will tell you everything she knows."

"Alright, I’m off to cultivate. The cave dwellings on the cliff at the back—pick any as yours."

With those words, Han Meng was about to leave when Lin Cheng hurriedly asked, "Senior sister Han Meng, where is the Sword-Hiding Pavilion?"

Han Meng raised an eyebrow and pointed to a mountain path not far away.

"Follow that path and you'll find it. A suitable weapon can greatly enhance your strength, so choose well."

With these instructions, she turned and departed.

"Thank you, senior sister."

The thought of finally having his own sword excited Lin Cheng. He and Niu Shisan made their way to a pavilion, and seeing the bold characters "Sword-Hiding Pavilion," both grew excited.

In front of the pavilion, an elderly man with a hunched back was sweeping fallen leaves. Sensing their arrival, he raised his head, his cloudy eyes sizing them up.

His gaze lingered on Lin Cheng for a moment.

"Do you have a token?" he asked.

Lin Cheng immediately produced the token given by Master Sword-Hiding and handed it over.

"Senior, this is the token given to me by my master."

The old man nodded gently upon seeing it. "You may enter. You can choose swords from the first three floors, but remember, each has only one chance."

As Lin Cheng and Niu Shisan entered the Sword-Hiding Pavilion, the old man muttered to himself, "Who would have thought my senior brother has a personal disciple now..."

He then lowered his head and resumed sweeping leaves.

The instant they entered, Lin Cheng’s eyes lit up. Rows upon rows of swords filled the pavilion, and the two excitedly looked around, touching and inspecting.

Zhanlu Sword, Gouchen Sword, Red Leaf Sword, Autumn Water Sword...

Sword after sword, their brilliance dazzled the two.

"Hey, there’s more upstairs... Come on, let’s take a look," Niu Shisan urged, dragging Lin Cheng up the stairs.

Once upstairs, their excitement only grew. Though fewer swords were here, it was clear these were of much higher quality.

Lin Cheng approached a wooden box and opened it. Inside was a spiritual sword named Fire Cloud, with its origin inscribed within.

Fire Cloud Sword, mid-grade mysterious weapon, belonged to Fire Cloud Master five hundred years ago, possessing immense attack power...

Though tempted, Lin Cheng wanted to see more, so he put the Fire Cloud Sword back and continued searching.

Unconsciously, he found himself at the stairway to the third floor and, after hesitating, stepped up.

"Senior brother, wait for me!" Niu Shisan called, quickly following.

Truth be told, today Niu Shisan owed his luck to Lin Cheng. Even Han Meng, when she chose her sword years ago, could only select from the first two floors.

As the pair entered the third floor, they were instantly dumbstruck...