Chapter 17: Returning Home
The corridor of the auction hall was lined with wealthy nobles and aristocrats, who had parted to form a passageway. The two Red Archbishops of the Radiant Church, Gilmore and Lampson, along with King Clay of the Fenlai Kingdom, the Chief Curator of the Prux Hall, Maya, Master Yale of the Dawson Chamber of Commerce, and the magical genius sculptor Linley, all walked in the center, chatting and laughing as they headed out of the Prux Hall.
“Lord Gilmore, Lord Lampson.”
“Your Majesty.”
“Master Linley.”
…
The surrounding nobles and wealthy men all wore smiles, humbly greeting them. The members of the Debs family, however, were squeezed into a corner. Alice, with her hat brim pulled low, couldn’t help but lift her head and peer through the gaps in the crowd at ‘Linley,’ who was being flattered by so many nobles and wealthy men.
Now, Linley was the most legendary genius.
A seventeen-year-old seventh-rank mage, and in the field of sculpture, he had reached the same level as masters like Prux, Hopkinson, and Hoover. Such a genius naturally shone like the brightest star in the sky, commanding admiration. Gradually, the two Red Archbishops, King Clay, Linley, Yale, and the others all departed.
All the nobles and wealthy men then left in an orderly fashion.
“You are Alice.” A crisp voice suddenly rang out.
The members of the Debs family all turned to look behind them.
A beautiful blonde girl walked over, followed by an old man with a kind smile. But whether it was the blonde girl or the old man, both exuded an aristocratic aura that seemed ingrained in their bones, their every glance making others feel somewhat inferior.
Bernard immediately stepped forward and said humbly, “Lord Hugh, this must be Miss Dylia, right? I’ve long heard that Miss Dylia of the Rhine family is stunningly beautiful. Seeing you today, you’re even more lovely than the legends say.”
The Debs family, whose influence was limited to the Fenlai Kingdom, was vastly inferior to the super-family of the Yulan Empire, the ‘Rhine family.’
“Oh, the patriarch of the Debs family?” Dylia glanced at Bernard.
Bernard nodded humbly.
“And this is your son Kalan’s fiancée?” Dylia glanced at Alice, who was hiding behind Kalan.
Bernard immediately said with a smile, “Her? No, she is not my son Kalan’s legal wife.”
“Not his legal wife?” A cold smile appeared on Dylia’s face. She walked slowly toward Alice, and Bernard dared not stop her. When she reached Kalan, he puffed out his chest, trying to block her.
But Dylia’s icy gaze chilled Kalan to the bone.
Especially thinking that she was the eldest daughter of the Rhine family, Kalan felt utterly without confidence. The Debs family’s relationship with the Dawson Chamber of Commerce was already terrible. If they offended the Rhine family as well, the Rhine family could destroy the Debs family with ease.
“Alice.” Dylia stared into Alice’s eyes.
Alice lifted her chin, trying to meet Dylia’s gaze, struggling to remain calm and not cower.
But Dylia smiled and said softly, “Alice, I really don’t understand how Linley could have liked you.” Alice’s face turned pale, but she spoke up, “That’s none of your business!”
“None of my business?” Dylia smiled faintly. “Right, it’s none of my business. But I really feel sorry for you. You let Linley go, and yet in the end, you can’t even become the legal wife of the Debs family. I think you’ll regret it… Too bad, you’ll never have another chance. Someone like you will never cross paths with Linley again. You’ll be from two different worlds from now on, understand?”
Dylia ignored Kalan and Alice’s ugly expressions and turned to Bernard.
“Sorry for the interruption,” Dylia said very politely.
Bernard immediately bowed humbly, “Miss Dylia, take care.”
The old man beside Dylia glanced at the grim-faced Kalan, then snorted coldly before following Dylia away. Bernard kept a smile on his face until they left, then turned back and glared fiercely at Kalan and Alice.
“Bastards!” Bernard scolded harshly.
Kalan and Alice didn’t dare make a sound. The Debs family members then returned home in a stifling, oppressive silence.
******
Inside the Lucas family estate in Fenlai City.
“Master Linley, no, no need.” Marquis Jeb was now hurriedly refusing Linley. “Really, sixty thousand gold coins is too much. Master Linley, I’m truly sorry. I had no idea you had such skill in sculpture.”
This stubborn old man, Marquis Jeb, now looked at Linley with the gaze of an adoring fan.
Marquis Jeb had no other hobbies; his only passion was collecting.
And he naturally felt deep admiration for masters in their fields. Even a king standing before him might not earn his heartfelt respect.
“How about eighteen thousand? That’s fair. My family bought it for eighteen thousand gold coins back then, and now I’ll sell it for eighteen thousand. Master Linley, I really can’t bring myself to take your money. If I profited from you, I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night.”
This lovable old man, Marquis Jeb, was stubborn to the core.
“Marquis Jeb, your Lucas family bought this warblade ‘Slaughter’ from my family for eighteen thousand gold coins back then. Eighteen thousand gold coins from hundreds of years ago was worth much more than today’s gold coins.” Linley didn’t want to take advantage of him.
―
Marquis Jeb stared stubbornly at Linley.
“Haha, you two, you two are something else…” Yale, standing nearby, laughed while holding his stomach. “The seller is desperately lowering the price, practically giving it away. The buyer wants to pay more. This is a first for me.”
Linley smiled helplessly. “Marquis Jeb, how about this? Eighteen thousand gold coins from hundreds of years ago is worth about thirty-six thousand today. Let’s settle on thirty-six thousand. Don’t refuse, or I’ll just drop this magic crystal card and leave.”
Linley even took out the magic crystal card from his pocket.
Marquis Jeb looked at Linley with difficulty, then finally nodded. “Alright.”
Linley couldn’t help but laugh.
Marquis Jeb suddenly chuckled awkwardly. “Master Linley, I have a request. I’m not sure if I should ask.”
“Go ahead.” Linley smiled at Marquis Jeb.
Marquis Jeb immediately waved at his servants. Two servants soon carried out a standing stone slab.
“Master Linley, I was hoping you could leave your signature. I think I’ll treasure it forever.” Marquis Jeb looked at Linley expectantly.
Linley smiled, then took a flat knife from his pocket.
With a casual wave, the knife danced, and stone chips flew from the slab’s surface. In just three breaths, Linley withdrew the knife. Then he gently blew on the slab, and all the stone dust scattered, revealing two bold, flowing characters—
‘Linley’!
Marquis Jeb’s eyes lit up as he looked at the characters. “Such elegant carving skill, such beautiful handwriting. These two characters are worth more than thirty-six thousand gold coins.”
Hearing this, Linley was both amused and exasperated.
******
On the road from Fenlai City to Wushan Township, rows of metasequoia trees lined the path. Linley rode a tall horse at full speed, a huge box strapped to his shoulder weighing several hundred jin. Fortunately, the horse was a fine one gifted by the Dawson Chamber of Commerce; an ordinary horse couldn’t have run so fast under such a load.
Behind Linley was a cavalry unit of a hundred men.
This unit was a gift from Gilmore, the Red Archbishop of the Radiant Church. According to the Church, Linley’s safety was of utmost importance. The last time Linley was kidnapped had proven that. This cavalry squad, with every member at least a fifth-rank warrior, was a squad from the Church’s elite knight order.
A hundred warhorses galloped, leaving a trail of dust.
As Linley saw Wushan Township growing clearer in the distance, scenes from his childhood flashed through his mind—training on the open ground in Wushan, the terror of seeing a swift dragon for the first time.
In the past, swift dragons seemed invincible to Linley. But now, they were nothing.
“Rumble~~”
The ground shook as over a hundred fine warhorses thundered forward. The vibrations could be felt from far away.
Many residents of Wushan Township, frightened, hurriedly moved to the sides of the street, watching the powerful cavalry unit with curiosity, anxiety, and fear.
“What a powerful cavalry unit.”
Hillman, walking on the street, turned to look. The neat, fast, and powerful hoofbeats alone shocked him. Even in the army, he had rarely seen such disciplined cavalry.
Every member at least a fifth-rank warrior—the quality of the Radiant Church’s elite knight squad was naturally high.
The sheer momentum was enough to make one tremble.
“Who is that?” Hillman immediately spotted the lead rider.
“Linley.” Hillman’s face changed, and he quickly ran toward the Baruch family estate.
Linley’s cavalry unit slowed down upon entering Wushan Township, with only Linley riding slightly faster toward his family home. Seeing the mottled walls of the estate in the distance, scenes of playing in the courtyard as a child naturally came to mind.
“The Baruch family, my roots!” Linley carried the box containing the warblade ‘Slaughter,’ filled with endless pride.
He still vividly remembered his father’s words before he first set out for the Ernst Institute. Linley believed he would never forget them for the rest of his life—
“Linley, remember the wishes of our Baruch ancestors over these hundreds of years. Remember the shame of our Baruch family!”
“After graduation, you’ll be at least a sixth-rank mage. If you train hard and diligently, becoming a seventh-rank mage isn’t difficult. You’ll have every chance to reclaim our family’s heirloom. If you fail, even if I die, I will never forgive you.”
“Even if I die, I will never forgive you!”
…
The words echoed in Linley’s mind. But feeling the weight of the warblade ‘Slaughter’ on his back, a surge of pride welled up inside him.
“Father, I’m back!”
“Father, I’ve brought back the warblade ‘Slaughter’!”
Linley leaped off his horse and rushed into the estate courtyard.
“Father!” Linley shouted loudly.
“I’m back, and I’ve brought the warblade ‘Slaughter’!” Linley’s voice was filled with joy and excitement.
The ancestors of the family had strived for hundreds of years. It had been his father’s greatest hope. And now, he had finally fulfilled it for his father!
“The warblade ‘Slaughter’?” A voice sounded.
Linley turned to look. It was Hillman.
“Uncle Hillman, where’s Father? Hurry and call him out! Haha, I’ve finally brought back the warblade ‘Slaughter’! Really, the heirloom of our Dragonblood Warrior family—I’ve brought it back! Tell me where Father is. When he finds out, he’ll be overjoyed! Tonight, we’ll have a good drink. Uncle Hillman, don’t worry, I won’t refuse today. I’ll drink with you until we’re both drunk and don’t go home.”
Linley was incredibly excited. He even took the box off his back, holding it as he looked at Hillman.
But…
There was no joy on Hillman’s face. Instead, there was a trace of desolation.
“Uncle Hillman?” Linley frowned, looking at Hillman. “Uncle Hillman, where is my father?”
Hillman looked at Linley and forced a smile. “Linley, you’ve brought back the warblade ‘Slaughter’? Your father would be so happy to know. He would be.”
“Where is my father?”
“Your father… he died three months ago.” Hillman took a deep breath and said slowly, his eyes already moist.
Linley felt as if countless thunderbolts were roaring in his ears. His mind went blank.
“Clang!”
The box in Linley’s hands crashed heavily to the ground. The lid flew off, revealing the blood-red, massive warblade, exuding a murderous aura. The chilling, bloody presence instantly made the entire courtyard feel oppressive.
“Dead?”
Linley stared at Hillman in disbelief.
Hillman nodded slightly.
Suddenly, Linley laughed. “Haha, Uncle Hillman, you must be joking! Haha, I’ve brought back the warblade ‘Slaughter’! Look, Uncle Hillman, I’ve brought it back! How could my father be dead? He still needs to see the warblade ‘Slaughter’!”
Linley grabbed the warblade ‘Slaughter,’ its bloody aura making Hillman’s heart tighten.
“Uncle Hillman, look, I’ve brought back the warblade ‘Slaughter’! And I need to tell my father that I can already transform into a Dragonblood Warrior!” Scales began to emerge on Linley’s hands, and in moments, they had turned into dragon claws.
His two dragon claws gripping Hillman’s shoulders, Linley stared at him. “Uncle Hillman, look! I can become a Dragonblood Warrior! I’ve brought back the warblade ‘Slaughter’! Really! Where is my father? Where is my father!!!”
“I still need to show him the warblade ‘Slaughter’!”
“I haven’t told him yet that I can become a Dragonblood Warrior!”
The dragon claws gripped Hillman, but their owner, ‘Linley,’ looked at him pleadingly.
“Uncle Hillman, I beg you, tell me where my father is!” Linley was like a pitiful orphan who had lost everything, looking at Hillman with desperate hope, like a drowning man clinging to his last straw.
Hillman shook his head gently. “Linley, your father… he’s dead.”
Linley laughed, a laugh so desolate. “No, it can’t be. I still need to show him the warblade ‘Slaughter’! I still need to tell him I can become a Dragonblood Warrior! Tonight, I was going to drink with him!”
As he spoke, tears streamed down Linley’s face.
Hillman looked at Linley, unable to help lifting his head, but two lines of tears still fell.
“No, no!!!”
Linley’s sharp claws gripped Hillman, his eyes fixed on him, even a cold, dark gold hue like that of a spiked-backed iron armored dragon appearing in his pupils. A murderous aura even more terrifying than the warblade ‘Slaughter’ filled the entire courtyard.
A low, hoarse voice burst from his throat—
“Tell me, where is my father?!”
---
One Day Off Request!
*Coiling Dragon* has finished its first five volumes. Now we’ll begin the content of the sixth volume.
The first five volumes can be considered a whole, the ‘growth and transformation of Linley.’ Starting from the sixth volume, Linley will officially enter the world of high society. There, he will discover the cruelty and darkness of the world, and he will also begin his revenge and slaughter…
Today, Tomato needs to prepare the content for the next few volumes. After all, Tomato has its own goals for *Coiling Dragon*.
Taking one day off today.
As for the two chapters owed, they should be made up in the next two days. I hope everyone understands and supports Tomato. Thank you!