Chapter 3: The Light-attracting Tattoo

Inscribing spiritual tattoos was a unique ability only possessed by the spiritual tattooists!

The old man, whose name was Shiao Tianren, certainly knew it.

However, he had not seen or met a single spiritual tattooist for years. That was why he was a bit in trance when he first saw what Lin Xun was doing with his hands. He hadn’t been quite sure then.

Spiritual tattoo…

This boy looked so weak and so thin. Could he really be a spiritual tattooist?

Something did not add up!

True spiritual tattooists were so noble and honorable that they all enjoyed superior status even in populated cities.

This young boy here, merely 12 or 13 years old, was simply dressed, so simple that looked a little shabby. It seemed he had nothing to do with a spiritual tattooist.

Shiao Tianren took a deep breath to ease his mind, and continued to watch.

When he was looking at Lin Xun who was focused and at ease, and at his smooth movements, Shiao Tianren couldn’t help but wonder. Where on earth did this strange young boy come from? Was he really able to defuse the crisis of the spiritual land?

In the spiritual land, Lin Xun was bending over and drawing intricate and smooth lines on the wet and fertile soil with his fingertip, while the whole world was in silence.

His movements were as flexible as a dancing snake, and as vigorous and unrestrained as a heavenly steed soaring across the sky.

The villagers were already stunned. Their doubts faded away and were replaced by some indescribable expectation.

Unknowingly, the twilight died into the dark. The moon hanged in the sky like a silver dish, with brilliant moonlight pouring down and big stars twinkling and shining around.

It was at that moment when Lin Xun abruptly paused and then finished the last part of the mysterious drawing with a gentle brush.

Boom!

The drawing sketched with light gold powder, as if coming to life, suddenly brightened and burst out a golden beam straight into the sky!

The villagers were shocked with eyes wide open. They all stared at the golden beam and followed it to the sky, like they were possessed.

Rays of moonlight began to converge at the end of the golden beam as being summoned.

The moonlight was as clear as spring water. It accumulated more and more, creating a spectacular scene that was holy and pure.

The villagers, who had spent their whole life in Feiyun Village, had never seen anything that was as miraculous as this.

It was almost comparable to the God’s sign!

Boom!

Glittering moonlight poured down to the spiritual land like heavy rains, which was instantly covered in dreamlike silver. How extraordinary and magnificent it was in all the darkness!

Lin Xun was standing in the spiritual land. The torrential moonlight added a feeling of mysterious and formidable to him.

All the villagers were glazed and astonished in awe.

There was no exception. Even the village head, Shiao Tianren, was astounded.

Lin Xun, on the other hand, had no time for surprise. Not until now did he exhale with relief. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and carefully retreated from the spiritual land.

Nothing else needed to be done except for waiting.

“Young man, you are remarkable.”

The village head, Shiao Tianren, came to Lin Xun, eyes filled with implication.

Lin Xun laughed and said, “Thank you for your appreciation. What I did was just using the bone meal of the gold-eating mice to inscribe a preliminary Light-attracting Spiritual Tattoo. Not worth mentioning.”

Shiao Tianren was slightly surprised by the honest answer, and an admiring gleam came into his eyes. He then nodded at Lin Xun, “Let’s go.”

“Go where?” Lin Xun felt confused.

Shiao Tianren laughed, “A place for you to settle in of course. Feiyun Village will be your home from now on. You can stay here as long as you wish.”

He then turned away with hands behind his back, paying no attention to what was taking place in the spiritual land.

There was no need to see some actual results before he made the decision to take in Lin Xun.

This bold move surprised Lin Xun. He smiled soundlessly, and followed Shiao Tianren without hesitation.

Seated along the hillside, Feiyun village was tranquil and peaceful in the shining moonlight.

Shiao Tianren led Lin Xun to the end of the village, where lay a dilapidated thatched cottage.

It comprised of three rooms and a courtyard. In the center of the courtyard, there was a weeping willow. The vegetable fields on both sides were now covered with overgrowing weeds.

Cobwebs, dust and ashes were all over the place. It was clearly abandoned for years.

Shiao Tianren pushed the door and it creaked open. He lit up an oil lamp, letting the orange light brighten the room.

“Please stay here for the time being. No one has lived here for years, so I will send some villagers to help you clean the courtyard tomorrow morning.”

Lin Xun looked around, content to find it had all the things he expected. Besides a bed, a table and some chairs, there was a desk in front of the window, on which scattered some scrolls covered with dust.

“Thanks a lot. It’s quite a house.”

Lin Xun cupped one hand in the other and said.

“No need to thank me.”

Shiao Tianren gazed at Lin Xun and continued, “Young man, I do not care who you are, where do you come from or why you come to Feiyun. Since you are allowed to stay, you will be taken as one of us. So I hope you will not do things to disgrace or hurt us in the future.”

Lin Xun nodded with a smile, “Please rest assured, Elder.”

Shiao Tianren patted on his shoulder and then left.

Lin Xun carefully put the old case on his back this whole time on the floor near the bed until he was sure Shiao Tianren had gone far. After that, he opened the window and stared at the vast sky in a daze.

After a long time, he had a good stretch. He muttered to himself, “I have trekked for three months, and finally I am here within the border of Ziyao Empire…Master Lu, if you could see all these, please rest at peace. I will live a good life as you wish…”

He was merely 13 or 14 years old, in simple sackcloth and with his hair tied back casually. He leaned against the window, letting pale moonlight spreading over his thin body. On his pale young face, a touch of sadness flashed and vanished.

Cheers together with astonishment were heard from outside of Feiyun Village.

Lin Xun listened for a while. A smile lit up his face.

Without any delay, he shut the window, walked to the bed, and opened the old case accompanying him for over a decade in the dim light.

At the same time, Tieshan was ravished with joy. He was so excited that his lips trembled. He squatted in his own spiritual land, and mumbled, “Miracle! It’s a miracle! The god damn pests are finally killed. God must have heard us praying!”

“Tieshan, it’s not God we need to thank this time. It is the young boy!” Someone reminded him.

“That’s right!”

Tieshan clapped his thigh and exclaimed, “What did I tell you before. I knew he would not cheat us, yet you still doubted him. How blind and silly you were!”

Hearing this, the villagers around him all looked embarrassed and ashamed.

How could they have known that such a 13 or 14-year old boy who was weak and thin was capable of summoning the moonlight to eradicate the pests plaguing the spiritual land?