Chapter 2: The Decision
Within the Yulan continent, only the emperor of an empire had the authority to grant his brothers the title of “King.” The status of a king was equivalent to that of a kingdom’s ruler. Meanwhile, a kingdom’s king could at most bestow the title of duke upon his brothers—that was the highest possible. As for a grand duchy’s grand duke, he was essentially a duke as well. Empires, kingdoms, and grand duchies followed a descending hierarchy.
Duke Patterson? The younger brother of His Majesty King Clay?
Linley understood clearly that the royal family of the Fenlai Kingdom, the Bolin family, was an exceedingly powerful clan. The two brothers of the Bolin family were formidable warriors. King Clay was hailed as the pride of the Fenlai Kingdom, for he was a ninth-rank expert. As for Patterson, though not as strong as his elder brother, he was still a seventh-rank warrior—at least considered a strong figure.
“Duke Patterson?” A surge of killing intent rose within Linley’s heart.
Linley continued reading—
“I infiltrated Duke Patterson’s estate under the guise of a servant. After navigating numerous dangers and using some special methods, I managed to capture the leader of that mysterious group of men—that seventh-rank warrior. I subjected him to some interrogation techniques, and he eventually confessed… Duke Patterson had ordered them to do it. However, according to that seventh-rank warrior, after they captured your mother, Lena, she seemed to have been sent away by another team dispatched by Duke Patterson. Clearly, behind Duke Patterson, there was yet another figure.”
“Before I could continue my investigation, the disappearance of that seventh-rank warrior alerted Patterson. Though I had made some preparations, by the time I killed several experts and escaped Fenlai City, I was already severely wounded. I carefully made my way back to the clan. Apart from your Uncle Hillman, I told no one else. I knew my injuries were too grave. I wouldn’t last long. I only had time to leave this letter for you.”
“Linley, I was not a good father. In the past, I was too cold toward you. I do not seek your forgiveness, but I hope you will remain calm. Now that you have seventh-rank strength, you might feel emboldened to investigate. But you must be extremely cautious. Neither I nor your mother, Lena, would want you to die because of us.”
“Linley, I am leaving. From now on, you are the patriarch of the Baruch clan. Everything about the clan is in your hands.”
“At this moment, how I wish I could see the warblade ‘Slaughterer,’ but I know that is merely a fantasy. Linley… work hard. The future of the clan rests on you and little Wharton. In this life, my greatest pride is having you and Wharton as my sons.”
Linley stared at the trace of bloodstain at the signature.
Flames burst forth from his hand.
“Crackle~~~” In the blink of an eye, the letter was burned to ashes.
Hillman, standing nearby, couldn’t help but look at Linley.
Linley had just burned his father’s final keepsake, yet Hillman felt no anger. Instead, he nodded inwardly. Though the letter was a memento, it also contained that secret. If it fell into the wrong hands, the consequences would be dire.
Linley turned to face Hillman. “Uncle Hillman, I need to ask you for a favor.”
“Go ahead,” Hillman said, looking at Linley.
Linley reached out, picked up the massive warblade “Slaughterer,” and then looked at Hillman. “Uncle Hillman, this ‘Slaughterer’ is the heirloom of our Baruch clan. I want you to deliver it to my brother Wharton in the O’Brien Empire and hand it to him personally.”
“The O’Brien Empire? And what about here…” Hillman grew worried for Linley.
Linley said solemnly, “Uncle Hillman, don’t worry. I am now a seventh-rank dual-element magician. Even the Radiant Church holds me in high regard. Even King Clay of the Fenlai Kingdom treats me with great respect. You don’t need to worry about my safety.”
Hillman was merely a warrior and didn’t fully grasp the true significance of a seventeen-year-old seventh-rank dual-element magician. He didn’t even know that Linley was a master sculptor whose status rivaled that of masters like Pruks and Hopkinson, commanding immense prestige.
“In that case…” Hillman frowned.
“When you deliver the warblade ‘Slaughterer’ to my brother, stay with him along with Grandpa Hiri to take care of him. Everything here is fine with just me alone.” Linley’s voice was low but carried a hint of coldness.
In the entire Sacred Alliance, he was the only one left—no family members were near. What did he have to fear?
Linley was determined to avenge his father and uncover the truth about his mother. Was she alive or dead? Deep in his heart, Linley still hoped his mother was alive, though the chances were slim. Yet he refused to give up.
“Stay in the O’Brien Empire?” Hillman pondered for a moment. He did have a family back in Wushan Town.
But as a sixth-rank warrior, he knew he could always find a way to make a living anywhere.
“Uncle Hillman, bring your whole family along. Also, here is a magic crystal card. This card has no fingerprint record and holds a deposit of one million gold coins. Take this card with you and bring it to the O’Brien Empire for me.”
Linley took a magic crystal card from his bosom and handed it to Hillman.
“One million gold coins?” Hillman stared in shock.
One million gold coins was an absolute fortune. When Hogg was alive, he had to sell off family items for just a few thousand gold coins. Even selling the entire ancestral home would likely fetch less than a hundred thousand gold coins. Yet Linley had just pulled out a magic crystal card with a million gold coins.
“Linley, where… where did you get this money?” Hillman couldn’t help but ask.
“Uncle Hillman, don’t ask about that now. You’ll find out in time.” Linley’s heart was heavy and troubled; he had no mood to boast about his achievements in sculpture.
Hillman nodded slightly.
“Linley, wait a moment.” Hillman ran back into the secret chamber behind the ancestral hall and retrieved a jar, handing it to Linley.
“This is…” Linley’s gaze was already fixed on the jar, unable to look away. He had even guessed what was inside.
Hillman instructed, “Linley, this is your father’s ashes. When he died, I dared not make it public. I couldn’t even bury him openly. I could only keep the ashes in the secret chamber, waiting for your return.”
Linley took the urn of ashes. It felt heavy, so very heavy.
The wind howled. Outside Wushan Town, in a cemetery not far away, rows of graves stood. A newly built, extremely lavish tomb had just been constructed. A short-haired Linley sat cross-legged in silence before the tombstone.
This tomb had been built by Linley in a single night. With his current strength, moving those massive stones was effortless. And as a master sculptor, the tomb was indeed exquisitely crafted.
The wind roared, but Linley remained still.
“Linley.” Hillman, carrying the box containing the warblade “Slaughterer” on his back, appeared behind Linley.
Linley didn’t open his eyes. He simply said, “Uncle Hillman, the warblade ‘Slaughterer’ is in your hands. My brother Wharton is also entrusted to you and Grandpa Hiri. Take care on the journey. I won’t see you off.”
Hillman looked at Linley’s seated figure, then at the tombstone, and finally nodded silently before leaving.
Hillman was gone.
He had left with the warblade “Slaughterer.”
From this day on, in the ancient estate of the Baruch clan in Wushan Town, aside from the servants, only Linley remained.
Suddenly—
Linley opened his eyes and stared at the tombstone.
“Father, I swore I would make all the murderers pay.” Linley immediately turned and left. The shadow mink, Bebe, stood on Linley’s shoulder, not daring to make a sound.
……
“Lord Hogg is dead? This… this is…” The residents of Wushan Town were grieving over Hogg’s death.
“What a good noble. To die like this… I wonder what will become of our Wushan Town. Lord Hogg kept taxes so low all these years, even subsidizing the kingdom with his own money. Where can we find another noble as good as him?”