Chapter 2: Spiritual Tattoos

“Tieshan, where is the great master you said?”

“Lower your voice, we don’t want to disturb the great master!”

Noises mixed with excitement and curiosity came from far away.

Lin Xun scanned the crowd and set his eyes on a white-beard old man in the front. He was gaunt yet big-boned, and every act and move exhibited a dignified bearing.

Seeing Lin Xun standing afar, the old man abruptly stopped and the excitement on his face disappeared. He now looked confusing and suspicious, as it never occurred to him “the great master” Tieshan mentioned would be such a young boy, who looked thin and inexperienced.

“Where is the great master, Tieshan? How come we only see a callow boy standing there?”

After they had a better look of Lin Xun, all the villagers following Tieshan looked suspicious.

Tieshan hastily exclaimed with embarrassment, “You folks, this young boy is the great master I talked about!”

His explanation, however, increased their suspicions, leading things out of control.

“Excuse me? You believe this little lad can cure your spiritual grain and bring you a bumper harvest? It’s just nonsense!”

“Tieshan, you must have been fooled. He is no great master; he’s just a little boy. How can a little boy have the ability to kill the sand-spot worms? The only thing he can do, I think, is to help irrigate your spiritual lands by peeing.”

“Tieshan, how can you jerk us around while all our spiritual lands are in suffer?”

The villagers were discontented, suspicious or angry. They were laughing at Tieshan, because in subconscious they all thought he was deceived.

No wonder they thought so. Lin Xun was a fine young man, but he looked a little bit pale and weak. It was hard for others to picture him as a great master.

The sudden chaos made Tieshan panic. He anxiously shouted, “Guys, I didn’t lie. Please give him a chance. He will prove himself.”

Unfortunately, the villagers, who felt scammed, had no desire to listen.

Lin Xun, despite such big mess, completely ignored the peculiar stares and went straight to the old man. He asked, “If I’m not wrong, you must be the head of Feiyun village?”

“I am”, the old man nodded. He looked at Lin Xun up and down with his eyes, from which one could tell he had gone through a lot. He was calm and almost emotionless.

“Will you agree to my terms?” Lin Xun continued to ask.

He may look young and immature, but he was extremely calm and unhurried. This unusual presence that was beyond his age impressed the old man.

He nodded, “If you can hold up to your end of the bargain, I will allow you to stay.”

The villagers around them were dazed and asked in doubt, “Do you really believe in this young boy?”

The old man demonstrated his bold vision as the village head at this moment. He waved his arm and said, “Everything in the world is worth a try. Otherwise how can we know it will work or not?”

Lin Xun smiled, knowing for sure a deal had been made. He then turned to Tieshan and asked, “Uncle, did you bring some food for me?”

Tieshan hastened to hand over a large piece of dried beast meat and a leather bag filled with spring water.

Without one word, Lin Xun squatted on the ridge and began to gulp all down. The dried beast meat may not have much spiritual energy but tasted good with salt and sauces.

Seeing him gobbling like a craving hungry ghost, the villagers burst into laughter, and their doubts increased. Was he only a little beggar cheating for food?

Even Tieshan couldn’t help wondering the same. If Lin Xun really were a fraud, how humiliating it would be?

Among all the suspicions and confusions, only the old man was looking at Lin Xun with a slight kindness and amazement, thinking either this young boy was a daredevil lair or a capable genius.

Whichever he was, it was not easy to act so composed. His courage was for sure worth recognition.

Soon after Lin Xun wolfed down the large piece of beast meat, he drank plenty of chill spring water like a fish. He now felt refreshed all over.

“Little bro, shall we start now?” Tieshan couldn’t help asking.

“Not yet,” Lin Xun blurted out, looking up at the sky.

As time elapsed, darkness drew near from the horizon beyond.

Right before the villagers were going to lose their patience, Lin Xun started to take action after a long time in silence. He opened the old wooden case at his feet, took out a pale cyan dagger which was 30 inches long and 3 fingers wide, then walked into the spiritual land without hesitation.

The old man narrowed his eyes. He sensed something familiar and different from Lin Xun who was steady, unhurried and focused at this moment, bringing back a vague and almost forgotten memory buried deep in his heart.

He promptly waved his arms to stop the villagers from complaining, “Be quiet and be patient.”

The undeniable stateliness in his voice immediately dispersed all the noises, but not the suspicions. All of the villagers were still looking at Lin Xun in disbelief.

As they were not allowed to talk, some of the villagers exchanged glances and quietly spread out to guard the spiritual land in case that Lin Xun attempted to escape.

Seeming to not notice these subtle changes, Lin Xun fished out a golden broken bone which was tusk-like and thumb-thick from his inner pocket.

He then grasped the hilt of the pale cyan sword in his right hand, and scraped the broken bone with the edge, making some scratching sound.

Wisps of light gold powder drifted down from the broken bone to Lin Xun’s palm. Not until his palm was covered thick by these light gold powders did he stop and put the broken bone back in his pocket.

After taking a deep breath, he squatted down, dipped his finger tip with some light gold powders and began to draw on the wet spiritual land.

At such a distance, the villagers could see clearly what he was doing.

His face was delicate and slightly pale. His eyes were concentrated and crystal clear. His finger, like a brush, was drawing crooked and intricate lines on the ground. His movements were as smooth and natural as floating clouds and flowing water. It was a real pleasure to watch.

The villagers, staring unblinkingly at Lin Xun and the mysterious light gold pattern which was not yet finished, were somehow shocked.

As ignorant as they were, they could still tell Lin Xun was doing something beyond their imagination.

The dedicated and determined look on his face, the swift and clean movements, as well as the light gold pattern which was about to complete, virtually added a touch of mystery to Lin Xun.

Many villagers had unknowingly put their doubts to rest, while quite a few had been entirely convinced.

They may not understand, but this would not stop them from being amazed by Lin Xun’s capability.

The old man trembled imperceptibly at what he saw, and finally came to a conclusion. This young boy may look weak and fragile, but what he was carving now was indeed spiritual tattoos!