# Chapter 2: The Dragonblood Warrior Clan (Part 1)
In the blink of an eye, another half year had passed. Through arduous training of his body and building of his strength, Linley had lived through the warm spring and the scorching summer, and now stepped into the deep autumn, filled with a chill in the air. By the empty lot on the east side of Wushan Town stood a row of tall white poplar trees. Now, with every gust of wind, many withered yellow leaves would drift and flutter, spinning slowly as they fell. The entire empty lot was covered in withered yellow leaves.
It was gradually getting dark.
Today, there were especially many people on the east empty lot—over three hundred or so.
"The evening training ends here," Hillman said with a smile. "Before we finish, let us first wish well to the children of Wushan Town who are about to join the army."
When the autumn harvest was over, it was the season for joining the army. In this era where the entire continent revered martial prowess, every young man took pride in becoming a great warrior. Of course, many also wanted to become mages. But the difficulty of becoming a mage was too great; among ten thousand people, perhaps only one would have the aptitude for magic. With such a low probability, ordinary people shouldn't even think about it.
Becoming a warrior was much easier. Reach the age of sixteen, the age of adulthood, and reach at least the level of a first-rank warrior. As long as one met these two conditions, one could easily enter the military.
"Uncle Hillman, thank you!"
One hundred and twenty-six youths, aged seventeen or eighteen, bowed respectfully. Usually, these youths didn't come to training—they were already adults and had their own work. But they had been raised by Hillman since childhood. Hillman was like their mentor.
Before joining the army, they had come to bid farewell to Hillman.
Hillman looked at this group of seventeen and eighteen-year-olds, full of youthful vitality, and felt a myriad of emotions. Because he knew that right now, these children were filled with longing for military life. But after ten years of military service, how many of these children would return?
"Of these one hundred and twenty-six, I hope at least half survive," Hillman prayed in his heart.
Hillman looked at the group of children and said in a clear voice: "Listen up, you little brats. You are the men of Wushan Town. The men of Wushan Town should hold their heads high, face any challenge, and never show fear. Do you hear me?"
Those seventeen-year-old youths all puffed out their chests, standing straight as arrows. Their burning gazes held anticipation for their future military life, and they all shouted back in unison: "We hear you!"
"Very good." Hillman's straight posture and sharp gaze both carried the distinctive bearing of a soldier.
"Tomorrow you set out. Prepare well tonight. I know your abilities well—you can all easily enter the military! I, Hillman, will wait here in Wushan Town for the day you return in glory!" Hillman announced loudly.
The eyes of those one hundred and twenty-six youths lit up.
Returning home in glory—this was the dream in every young man's heart.
"Now, I order you to go back immediately and prepare well. Dismissed!" Hillman said sharply.
"Yes, sir."
The one hundred and twenty-six youths responded respectfully, then left one by one under the expectant and admiring gazes of nearly two hundred children who had not yet come of age. Tomorrow, they would step onto a brand new journey.
"I still have two years. When I come of age, I can join the army too."
"I really want to experience that kind of blood-boiling military life. If I stayed in Wushan Town my whole life, even if I lived long, it would be boring."
...
A group of thirteen and fourteen-year-old youths chatted among themselves. They all longed for a life filled with passion and excitement. They wanted to achieve great things, to earn the admiration of girls, to receive the praise of their hometown relatives.
This was their dream!
"Linley, your father Lord Hog has something very important today. Don't play with the other kids here. Come back with us," Hillman said, walking up to Linley. Looking at the boy before him, Hillman felt very pleased.
Linley was very clever. Under his father Hog's education from a young age, he had learned many characters and could read ordinary books.
Reading—this was a very luxurious thing. Generally, only nobles had the opportunity to study. The Baruch family was a very ancient clan and had many books.
"Uncle Hillman, I know. Father has reminded me three times today. Father has never taken anything so seriously. I won't play here," Linley said with a grin, revealing a row of white teeth. But in the middle of that row, one tooth was missing.
Linley had started losing his baby teeth.
"Alright, you're missing a front tooth. When you laugh, air leaks out," Hillman said with a chuckle. "Come on, let's go back."
******
In the front courtyard of the ancient Baruch family estate, after the family had finished dinner, Linley was playing with his little brother, who was only two and a half years old.
"Brother, carry, carry."
Little Wharton's pure, flawless eyes looked at Linley. He took unsteady little steps, stretching out his chubby little hands as he happily ran toward Linley. Linley crouched not far away, quietly waiting for little Wharton to run over.
"Wharton, come on, come on," Linley encouraged.
Little Wharton's running steps made one constantly worry he might fall. But in the end, little Wharton managed to charge into Linley's arms. Wharton's skin, smooth as water and crystal clear, was now flushed red. His dark, lively eyes looked excitedly at Linley as he called out in a babyish voice: "Brother, brother."
Looking at his own little brother, Linley felt endless affection in his heart.
No mother. No grandparents. Though he had his father and the old butler to take care of him, the mature-beyond-his-years Linley was extremely protective of his little brother. In Linley's view, as the older brother, he should take care of his younger brother.
"Wharton, what did you learn today?" Linley said with a smile.
Wharton furrowed his brow, looking adorable, and thought for a moment. Then he said excitedly: "Today I learned how to use a rag!"
"A rag?" Linley couldn't help but smile. "What did you wipe?"
Wharton counted on his fingers: "First I used the rag to wipe the floor, then I wiped the chamber pot, and finally I wiped... the bowl. Yes, the bowl I eat from!" Wharton looked at Linley excitedly, expecting praise.
"You wiped the chamber pot, and then wiped the bowl?" Linley's eyes went wide.
"What, is that wrong? I wiped them very clean," Wharton said, tilting his little head up, his eyes full of confusion as he looked at his brother.
"Master Linley, your father is looking for you. I'll take care of little Master Wharton," said a kind-looking old man with a red, bulbous nose as he walked over. This old man with the red nose was the butler of the Baruch family, "Hiri." In the entire household, aside from the butler, there wasn't a single maid or servant.
Linley couldn't spare any more time to discuss things with Wharton. He immediately handed Wharton over to Grandpa Hiri and got up to walk toward the living room.
"Father, what is it this time that's so important?" Even though he was still young, Linley could feel that his father had something major to discuss with him.
******
Stepping into the living room, in one corner stood a grandfather clock that was taller than Linley.
Grandfather clocks were considered relatively high-end items, usually only found in wealthy or noble households. At this moment, Linley's father was sitting in front of the fireplace, facing it. The flames in the fireplace burned continuously, and from time to time, the cracking sound of wood splitting could be heard.
"Huh? Why did Father change clothes?" Linley was surprised when he saw his father in the living room. When his father was at home, he usually dressed very simply. During dinner just now, Father had been wearing ordinary clothes. But now, he had changed into a set of luxurious attire.
Hog carried the unique bearing of an ancient noble. This kind of bearing couldn't be bought with money. It was something cultivated through the traditions of an ancient family. How could a family that had been passed down for five thousand years be compared to ordinary families?
Hog stood up and turned around. When he saw Linley, his eyes lit up.
"Linley, come with me. We're going to the ancestral hall. Uncle Hiri, you also know about our family's affairs. Come along as well," Hog said with a smile.
"Going to the ancestral hall?" Linley was surprised.
In the entire Baruch family estate, family members generally lived in the front courtyard area. The courtyards in the back were usually not maintained or cleaned. Only the ancestral hall at the very back, where ancestors were worshipped, was cleaned every month.
"It's not time for ancestor worship. Why are we going to the ancestral hall?" Linley was full of questions.
Leaving the living room, Hog, Linley, and the butler Hiri, who was holding Wharton, walked along the moss-covered stone path with its long history, heading toward the rear courtyard.
Deep autumn. The night was as cold as water.
A cool wind blew, and Linley couldn't help but shiver. But he didn't say anything, because he could feel that the atmosphere was unusual. Following his father, Linley and the others stepped into the ancestral hall.
"Creak." The door of the ancestral hall was closed.
A row of candles in the ancestral hall was lit, and the entire hall became bright. Linley could see at a glance the dense array of spirit tablets of ancestors placed at the front. The dense arrangement of tablets testified to the ancientness of the Baruch family.
Hog stood silently before the many spirit tablets, not making a sound.
Linley's heart was tense. In the entire ancestral hall, there was only the sound of the candles burning. It was eerily quiet, making one feel very oppressed.
Suddenly, Hog turned around, fixed his gaze on Linley, and said solemnly: "Linley, there are many things to do today. Before that, I will first tell you some things about the Baruch family."
Linley could feel his heart pounding, "thump, thump," beating very fast.
"Family matters? What could it be?" Linley's heart was full of anticipation, but he didn't dare to speak.
A look of pride appeared on Hog's face. He said in a clear voice: "Linley, our Baruch family has been passed down for five thousand years. Looking across the entire Kingdom of Fenlai, I doubt you could find another family as ancient as ours." Hog's tone carried absolute pride.
Antiquity—this was something that nobles valued very much.
"Linley, do you know that in the history of the entire Yulan continent, legend speaks of four ultimate warriors?" Hog turned to look at Linley.
Linley's eyes lit up and he nodded: "I know. Uncle Hillman told me. The legendary four ultimate warriors are the Dragonblood Warrior, the Violet Flame Warrior, the Tiger Striped Warrior, and the Undying Warrior."
Hog nodded with a satisfied smile: "That's right. Now I want to tell you! The four ultimate warriors actually represent four ancient families. And our Baruch family is the ancient family that carries the noble bloodline of the Dragonblood Warrior!"