When Carto returned to his senses, he rode a horse, wearing a blue robe with golden embroidery like in a Korean period drama. There were two guards, also on horses, moving by his sides. They were a few steps behind him, showing that his status was higher than theirs.
"Wait... What! What am I doing here? Urgh, my head!"
Carto held his head as memories came flooding into his mind.
"Young master Ling Xuan, are you alright?" the older of the two guards asked with a tinge of worry.
"I'm fine, Uncle Fu. It's just a small headache."
Actually, he wasn't okay. He had found himself in the body of a stranger. How bizarre was that? Actually, to a person like him who had read one too many web novels, not as much as you'd expect. What he was actually not okay with was that this was just a Wuxia world. If someone or something was going to reincarnate him, why not send him to a Xianxia with an exorbitant cheat ability?
Here, he had to move his body around a lot for even a tiny increase in strength.
On the other hand, not all hope was lost. He was still a young master of a reasonably prosperous clan. He could enjoy the best treatment anywhere within this Glorious Flag City, as the Ling Clan were the overlords here.
'It appears the original owner of this body was a hard worker. I'm not gonna bother with any of that. I'll live a leisurely "Young Master" life. Hehehe.'
"Young master, we have reached the Coiling Tiger Bridge. Do you perhaps want to wash up in the Great Sorrow River?" asked the younger guard, Huo Huo.
"Sure." Although the request was a bit out of the ordinary, Carto, now Ling Xuan, agreed.
The three of them stopped by the river. Ling Xuan got off the horse and went to the river. He bent down and cupped his hands beneath the calm and clear water. He closed his eyes and splashed his face with the refreshing liquid.
'Ha, how refreshing.'
SWING!
Suddenly, he heard the sound of a sword being drawn. He turned back only to watch, in absolute horror, as a knife blade pierced through Uncle Fu.
"Young master... Run." Uncle Fu managed to weakly utter a few words before his 80-year-old body slumped down. Huo Huo had betrayed him.
For a moment, Ling Xuan was frozen in panic. Uncle Fu, whom he had relied on for most of his life, was now dead, that too by the blade of someone he trusted. But in the next moment, Ling Xuan sprung into action. These were not his people. They didn't matter to him. What mattered now was to save himself!
Ling Xuan drew his sword. Running? That was useless. Both his guards were Adepts. There was no way he could escape Huo Huo. But he didn't want to accept that he was out of options. He refused to go down without a fight. He'd buy as much time as he could. If a miracle didn't occur, he would make one himself.
Ling Xuan steadied himself and faced the traitor with determination.
"You will not get away with this," he said.
"Haha! Like father, like son. Look how unshaken you are. Truly a lion cub," the traitor sneered.
"Why did you betray the clan? Is all this worth it?" Ling Xuan said.
"Who said anything about betraying my clan? I'm just betraying you. Stop stalling for time. You are dying today."
"Not if I have a say in it." A voice interrupted their conversation.
A broad figure stood not far from them, obscured by the sun. Huo Huo frowned, unhappy he had to silence yet another witness, while Ling Xuan was relieved to get an opening. If he could get to the horses while these two fought, he could make an escape.
Suddenly, the newly appeared figure disappeared from where he stood, only to reappear in front of Huo Huo. A punch was thrown out, and the next moment, Huo Huo collapsed on the floor.
Ling Xuan's mouth was wide open. A complete suppression. He didn't expect that. How strong must this figure be? Ling Xuan didn't have any idea.
"Kid, I saw what happened. You have got some guts. Not everyone would have handled that situation so smoothly. Hmmm, now that I observe, you are at the apprentice level; it's not bad for your age, kid." The figure walked towards Ling Xuan as he talked. Ling Xuan was able to get a better look. The figure was a huge and sturdy man in his thirties. His body was strikingly muscular.
"Thank you for the praises, great savior. May I know your esteemed name?" Ling Xuan tried to be as respectful as he could. For all he knew, this might be a great cultivator.
"What's with the flowery words? Just talk like a regular person. I am Jin Guo, a patrol officer of the Thunder Law Sect. I was just passing by when I saw this vile man strike at that poor old man. I couldn't make it in time to save that poor soul."
Ling Xuan looked at Uncle Fu's corpse. A knife through the heart. That was not something that one could brush aside.
'What a pity. He was a truly loyal man,' Ling Xuan thought.
Jin Guo asked with concern, "Couldn't you make out that the person who attacked you was from the Silver Silence Sect?"
Ling Xuan was dumbstruck. The Silver Silence Sect tried to assassinate him? "The Silver Silence Sect?" There was nothing in his memories that warranted something like that. The original Ling Xuan was so low profile. This needed to be clarified.
Ling Xuan exclaimed, "Esteemed master, how did you deduce that the person who attacked me was from the Silver Silence Sect?"
Jin Guo's lips twitched.
"You brat, don't you understand I am just a patrol guard? If you really want to respect me, just call me Senior Brother," said Jin Guo.
Ling Xuan answered, "Okay, Senior Brother Jin."
Jin Guo continued, "Anyway, you asked about the guy I killed, right? He used the Jade Serpent Technique, the Silver Silence Sect's art. He should be at least an Adept level. So, who are you?"
Ling Xuan answered politely, "I am Ling Xuan of the Ling clan, brother."
Jin Guo was surprised to hear, "Oh, so you are the son of Ling Feng."
Ling Xuan was astonished, "Yes, Senior Brother. May I know the relation between you and my father?"
Ling Xuan was wondering to himself, as it had been three months since his father died, and this person standing in front of him, the person who saved his life, knew his father.
Jin Guo answered with a hint of respect in his eyes, saying, "He was like a senior brother to me and had contributed a lot to the Thunder Law Sect." He sighed. "Now that I think about it, we have truly lost a great cultivator. He was the first person to reach the level of Expert at the age of 21."
Ling Xuan felt immense pain in his heart, and even though he had never met his father, Ling Feng, he felt sadness and emptiness. He pondered if these were the feelings of the real Ling Xuan for his father. Then Ling Xuan made a resolve not only to find the cause of his father's death but also to seek revenge for it.
Jin Guo suddenly interrupted his chain of thoughts, asking, "So, which sect are you from, lad?"
As Ling Xuan was getting adjusted to the new world, he answered, "Senior Brother, I haven't joined any sect yet as I am only 14 years old, and I have been cultivating at my residence under the clan leader's guidance."
Jin Guo answered, "Hmmmm….. You are one lucky brat to cultivate at your own house. If you are interested in joining a sect, then you should attend the competition held at the capital one month from now. Make sure to look for me when you arrive in the capital. Be sure to participate in it, Ling Xuan, because you are already an apprentice, and also, the last age limit is only 15."
Ling Xuan nodded his head, affirming what Jin Guo had just said.
Jin Guo smiled and left the place, taking the traitor's corpse with him as it was his duty as a patrol guard.
Ling Xuan looked at Uncle Fu's body with mixed feelings, but after giving it a thought, he placed the body on one of the horses and rode back to the Ling Clan's Residence.
As Ling Xuan rode the horse, his thoughts scattered into the void. "Where am I? Is this really something that happens in a novel, or is this an AI-simulated world? Now, let's not think about it, as I am already here."
Soon, he arrived at a large property that looked really royal to his eyes; it was something he could never have imagined. There shone letters at the entrance that read "Ling Clan Residence."