Chapter 50: Following Closely
Elite mob was a term in gaming used by players which referred to a stronger existence among those who had a similar class. For example, the top 100 in lower courtyard were the elites in lower courtyard.
Due to differences in the quality of martial arts one learnt, there were potentially great differences between third-rate experts.
3rd Chief was only an ordinary third-rate expert who had learnt a bronze grade saber art and the internal art he acquired was the lowest quality iron grade Basic Internal Art.
But Lord Qi was different. He possessed the gold grade superior hidden weapon art Black Blood Divine Needles, and the internal art that he practised was the silver grade Sun Moon Holy Cult Internal Art Sutra.
It was practically on the same level as Lin Yi.
Third-rate experts such as Huashan core disciples possessed multiple superior martial arts and were termed "boss" level.
They were the true geniuses, surpassing everyone else in their generation.
By killing them, one could earn a minimum of 10,000 battle experience.
In the previous life, these geniuses were well loved by the players, who resorted to all sorts of methods to kill them for the experience.
After becoming a third-rate expert, it was difficult to raise the levels of one's internal art.
The experience required for clearing each subsequent standard meridian increased by a hundred thousand.
Lin Yi had currently cleared the first standard meridian, the Hand's Major Yin Lung Meridian.
In order to clear the 2nd, 3rd and 4th standard meridian, he required two, three and four hundred thousand experience.
Thus, the last standard meridian would require a total of 1.2 million experience to clear.
So much experience was required, but killing an ordinary similar-classed opponent only yielded 5,000 battle experience.
How could players not love the "boss" level geniuses?
If a demonic cult genius was standing in front of Lin Yi right now, he would also do everything in his power to kill him.
Of course, if it were someone from a righteous sect, Lin Yi would hesitate to do that.
Inviting trouble for the sake of 10,000 battle experience was hardly worth it.
……
Upon witnessing 3rd Chief and Lord Qi getting killed by the Huashan youth, the remaining bandits cried in fear: "Lord Qi is dead, 3rd Chief is dead too!"
All of them scattered immediately and fled for their lives on their horses.
Seeing that the bandits had escaped, Lin Zhihu finally relaxed.
Then he said to Lin Zhilong below: "Elder Brother, Yi-er…he won! He killed the 2 fierce bandit chiefs and the remaining bandits escaped!"
"Really?" Lin Zhilong was delighted, but also found it unbelievable. His son only entered Huashan for half a year and he already possessed the ability to do that?
At the urging of Lin Zhihu, he timidly climbed up the stairs and looked outside.
He saw the bandits running away on their horses, while the ground was littered with the taels of silver they had extorted elsewhere.
Lin Yi was wearing a white garb and holding a sword in his hand, the sword dripping with blood.
Bodies that had been ripped into 2 halves were scattered messily all around him.
The scene was incredibly bloody.
Lin Zhilong nearly vomited, not daring to believe that the youth in white was his son.
Yi-er was weak and defenseless half a year ago, how could he suddenly be so highly skilled now?
And he was even cold like an iceberg, displaying no emotions whatsoever at the numerous corpses lying on the ground near him.
What had Yi-er experienced in Huashan during this half a year?
Lin Zhilong's heart was filled with doubt, but it was filled with even more joy at escaping death.
He called out loudly: "Open the gates! Yi-er is back and he beat back the bandits, we're saved!"
The servants were still fearful and trembling, not daring to open the gates.
Lin Zhilong frowned and scolded loudly: "What are all of you afraid of? You bunch of cowards, the bandits outside have already fled for their lives and are nowhere to be seen!"
Being scolded harshly by Lin Zhilong, the servants had no choice but to brace themselves and opened the gates.
Once opened, the servants probed with their heads and saw bloody corpses which had been ripped apart scattered about everywhere on the ground.
Many of them were shocked and vomited, while a few others were paralyzed by the scene, slumping onto the ground.
Cries of excitement soon followed.
"Wow! Young Master killed all these people?"
"Young Master is so powerful!"
"Of course Young Master is powerful, didn't you hear what the 2nd Master said? Young Master is now a Huashan upper courtyard disciple, that means he is a powerful expert who has acquired internal arts!"
"Is our Young Master that great? Doesn't that mean that our Lin family has struck it rich?"
"Ha ha, I knew you would ask that. Of course we have struck it rich, that's for sure! Now that Young Master is an upper courtyard disciple of Huashan, who would dare to belittle us? Heh heh, next time we see those people of Jianghu, we don't have to be scared anymore, and we can hold our heads high! What do you call that? When one man reaches the top, his chickens and mutts follow as well?"
"It's chickens and dogs follow as well!"
"Ha ha, it all means the same. With Young Master around, nobody would dare to look down on us. I bet those bandits wouldn't dare to pick on our Lin family anymore!"
All the servants started chattering in soft voices after they had accustomed themselves to the bloody scene, their eyes filled with worship for the youth in white.
They straightened their backs.
That was their Lin family's Young Master!
At this moment, the farmers from Lin Village looked out from their homes one by one and saw that the bandits had all left.
Then they bravely walked out and looked at the corpses lying everywhere with fear and curiosity.
The vast majority of the corpses had been ripped into 2 halves, and although it was bloody, it could not curb their curiosity.
What made them even more curious was the youth in white standing amidst the corpses.
"Is that Landlord Lin's son, Young Master Yi? That's too powerful, he actually made the bandits retreat and killed so many people!"
"Of course he's powerful, when have you ever seen someone who remains expressionless and unmoved after killing so many people?"
"You people don't know it, but I saw it with my own eyes. The way he killed these bandits was just like slicing watermelons, one hit for one bandit!
"Wow, that powerful? Is he still human?"
"Ah, of course he's different from us! He is a Huashan disciple, a truly important figure. Even the magistrate of our Yu City has to kneel down to welcome him."
"Wow, that's too powerful?"
……
"Yi-er, Yi-er, you are too strong!"
Lin Zhihu excitedly walked out of the courtyard and approached Lin Yi while calling out loudly.
He felt that he truly did not misjudge his nephew as an extraordinary person.Just when he was about to speak of his thoughts, Lin Yi interrupted him with a solemn expression.
"Uncle Hu, I will leave this place to you to take care of. This group of bandits are not simple, so I'm going to follow them. It's best that I eliminate every one of them and prevent any future problems! That way, our Lin family won't have to worry about them seeking revenge!"
Lin Zhihu's face turned serious, and he asked in surprise: "Is it really that serious?"
Lin Yi nodded his head and pointed at Lord Qi's corpse: "This man is not a bandit, he's a member of the demonic cults!"
"What? A member of the demonic cults?" Lin Zhihu shouted in surprise.
A demonic cult member actually appeared in Huashan's territory? Even though he was a minor figure in Jianghu, he was a person of Jianghu after all, and he knew many things that ordinary people didn't know of.
What did it mean for the demonic cults to appear?
Although he wasn't very sure, but he knew the seriousness of the matter.
He also knew that if Lin Yi did not destroy the stronghold of the bandits completely, Lin family would never be able to live the days in peace.
Even if they moved away, they would never be able to escape from them.
The forces of the demonic cults were highly capable, and they would find them wherever they hid.
"Yi-er, leave this place to me and go. Just make sure to be careful, your safety is the most important!" Lin Zhihu nodded his head with a heavy expression.
"En Uncle Hu, I will take note of it, I'm going!" Lin Yi agreed. After picking up the violet arrow he previously shot, he gathered a large amount of arrows from the Lin residence and filled the quiver.
With Qingfeng Sword in hand and Longmang Bow on his back, he utilized Huashan Movement Art and left in the direction of the bandits, vanishing like smoke.
On the way, his thoughts were heavy.
A demonic cult member who possessed a superior martial art such as Black Blood Divine Needles had appeared in Huashan's territory.
What were they trying to do?
Lin Yi was unclear, but he knew that the demonic cults definitely wouldn't be up to anything good.
It must be something evil, and it was most likely a large-scale evil deed.
It would definitely harm Huashan, and he had to nip this threat in the bud.
Moreover, a demonic cult member had died in his hands.
If he didn't kill all the bandits, the demonic cults would find out what he did. Even if he wasn't afraid, it would place Lin family in great danger.
For the sake of Lin family's safety, even if he had to enter a tiger's cave, he would do it.
Rather than waiting for the bandits or the demonic cults to seek revenge, he might as well strike first and eliminate the problem himself.
He was someone who liked to determine his own fate with his own hands, and he couldn't withstand being in a passive position.
Besides, this group of bandits were obviously fierce bandits from Jianghu, much more powerful than those bandits from Black Wind Stronghold the last time.
The battle experience from killing these bandits would not be little.
This was a wonderful opportunity to grind mobs for experience!
How could he miss it?
He was currently greatly in need of battle experience.
Deadly Chain of Three Celestial Swords needed 100,000 experience to reach advanced stage.
Clearing the second standard meridian also needed the same amount.
If he trained in seclusion, who knew how long that would take.
He couldn't afford to wait.
Besides, what was his motive for leaving Huashan to adventure in Jianghu?
It was exactly for the sake of earning experience.
He could only increase his power rapidly by earning as much experience as he could, in order to obtain the ability to influence the great war in the future.
As he followed the bandits, he traveled along many secluded paths.
Finally, he arrived at a stronghold located within treacherous hills: Crouching Tiger Hill.
Lin Yi laughed coldly at the domineering name the bandits had given themselves.
As he watched the bandits shouting anxiously for the gates to be open, Lin Yi took out Longmang Bow and placed 3 ordinary arrows on it.
The bow was drawn, and the 3 arrows whizzed into the air, rapidly flying towards the bandits.