Chapter 18: Severed Hand?
Carrying the heavy Black Crystal greatsword on his back, Linley swiftly made his way along the road. However, the Black Crystal greatsword’s true weight was impossible to guess from its appearance, and few people around paid him any attention.
“Finally, Clayde has arrived. I’ve waited so long!” Linley barely suppressed the excitement in his heart. “Stay calm. No matter what, I cannot make a mistake this time.”
Last time, success had seemed almost certain, but who would have thought a Saint-level magical scroll like ‘Destiny’s Guard’ would appear, causing Linley’s efforts to fall short. This time, Linley didn’t want to repeat that error.
“Linley.” Doehring Cowart’s slightly hoarse voice sounded. “Remember, you were once together with Shaq and his group. When Clayde returns, Shaq might report you to him.”
“Understood.”
Linley had already considered this point, but to find where Clayde would ultimately appear, he had no choice but to stay with Shaq and the others. After arriving in Hess City, he couldn’t kill Shaq either. Because if he killed Shaq and his entire group, Clayde might never show himself again.
“I had to do this. But even if Clayde knows I was with Shaq and the others, there’s nothing he can do, because… now that I know his whereabouts, he can’t escape.” Linley was full of confidence at this moment, and ‘Bebe,’ who shared a soul bond with him, was monitoring Clayde’s group.
Speaking, Linley had already arrived at Keyan Street.
To avoid being seen by Clayde’s people, Linley directly cut through some alleys between mansions and small courtyards, finally entering the courtyard he had purchased through the back door.
A black blur suddenly shot across a dozen meters and leaped into Linley’s arms.
“Bebe.” Linley smiled at the little Shadowmouse in his arms.
Bebe’s eyes lit up as he communicated telepathically with pride: “Boss, I saw Clayde return not long ago. But I only caught a glimpse of half his face before he entered that mansion. Boss, the two lackeys you hired are too useless—they didn’t even spot Clayde.”
“Hmm?”
Linley was puzzled. He had ordered those two to keep watch during the day. Logically, if Clayde appeared, they should have noticed him.
“Sir, sir.”
The younger of the two men ran over and said respectfully, “Sir, we just saw a large group of people enter that mansion.”
“A large group? Anyone with a severed hand?” Linley immediately pressed.
The ‘younger one’ shook his head and said, “No, sir. You told us to inform you if anyone entered the mansion and to watch for anyone with a severed hand. But among that group, we didn’t see anyone missing a hand.”
“Impossible,” Linley said firmly. “There must be someone with a severed hand.”
Bebe had already seen half of Clayde’s face. With Bebe’s eyesight, there was absolutely no chance of mistaken identity. Since Bebe confirmed it, Clayde had to be among them.
“Definitely?” The man, hearing Linley’s certainty, said awkwardly, “Sir, maybe… maybe there were too many people, and my brother and I didn’t see him.”
Linley frowned.
Too many people?
Back when Clayde was in the palace, Linley and Bebe had killed all but a dozen of his men as they fled. And with all the magical beasts along the way, it would be impressive if Clayde’s group had even ten people left. How could that be considered many?
“Many people. How many?” Linley demanded.
“A lot. At least seventy or eighty, I’d say,” the man hesitated, unsure. “Anyway, there were a lot. That big group suddenly appeared and all entered the mansion. My brother and I couldn’t see everyone clearly. Maybe one of them had a severed hand.”
Linley grew suspicious.
Seventy or eighty?
Even back in the palace, when he hadn’t killed any of Clayde’s men, the Thunderstorm Squad had only been a little over thirty people. After the slaughter by Linley and Bebe, how could there still be so many?
Linley didn’t understand.
“Boss, there really were a lot of people,” Bebe’s voice echoed in Linley’s mind. “When I noticed Clayde, he was just entering the mansion. I only saw half his face. But there were at least fifty people behind him. As for how many went in before him, I don’t know.”
Linley absolutely trusted Bebe’s words.
“So many people?” Linley was confused.
“Alright, you can go now. This is a reward for you and your brother. Keep watching.” Linley waved his hand and tossed out half a bag of gold coins. The bag contained at least fifty coins.
The man caught the bag and peeked through the opening. Seeing the gleaming gold inside—definitely real coins, at least fifty—his heart raced with excitement. Having fled to Hess City from elsewhere, barely able to afford food and drink, Linley had hired them just a few days ago. Now Linley casually gave them fifty gold coins. How could he not be overjoyed?
“Thank you, sir. Thank you, sir.” He resolved to do his best, along with his brother, to keep a close watch on that mansion. He then took his leave and ran back to a small tavern outside, where he sat with his brother, keeping an eye on Clayde’s mansion not far away.
Inside the courtyard.
Linley was alone, lost in thought.
A white light flew out from the Coiling Dragon Ring and transformed into Doehring Cowart, with his moon-white robes and white hair and beard. Doehring stroked his beard and said with a smile, “Linley, what’s the matter? Troubled?”
Linley looked up at Doehring Cowart. Seeing Grandpa Doehring always calmed his heart. Having such an elder by his side at least gave Linley a foundation, preventing panic.
“Grandpa Doehring, I’m thinking about where that large group of people beside Clayde came from,” Linley said.
Doehring Cowart chuckled, “Wasting time thinking here is pointless. Why not just take action? Hide in some corner and carefully spy on them. Then you’ll naturally know who those people beside Clayde are.”
Linley smiled.
Right, why waste time here?
“Carrying this greatsword still affects my speed.” Linley took off the Black Crystal greatsword, entered the room, lifted the bedsheet, and placed the giant sword under the bed.
Bebe, perched on Linley’s shoulder, looked at the Black Crystal greatsword with curiosity and telepathically asked, “Boss, is this the treasure you forged from Black Crystal stone?”
Linley nodded with a smile.
“How heavy is this greatsword?” Bebe asked curiously.
“Three thousand six hundred jin,” Linley answered truthfully.
Bebe was astonished, covering his mouth with his little paw, his round eyes staring intently at the Black Crystal greatsword.
“Alright, you’ll have plenty of time to look at it later.” Linley put down the bedsheet.
“Ah, boss, I just thought of something. Clayde might know you’re here.” Seeing the space ring on Linley’s finger, Bebe suddenly exclaimed in surprise.
“What do you mean?” Linley was startled.
“Boss, your Violet Blood Soft Sword was bound by blood. You said that when you were imprisoned in the Radiant Temple, although the sword was confiscated, you could still sense its location. This space ring was also blood-bound. Could Clayde sense the space ring’s position?” Bebe transmitted nervously.
Hearing this, Linley laughed.
“Haha.” Doehring Cowart, standing nearby, also laughed, though Bebe couldn’t hear his voice.
Linley had already asked Doehring Cowart about this right after seizing the space ring and fleeing Fenlai City.
“Bebe,” Linley explained with a smile. “This space ring is different from the divine artifact ‘Violet Blood’ Soft Sword. Strictly speaking, the space ring isn’t a divine artifact. It’s just a valuable magical tool, similar to a magic crystal card. A magic crystal card uses fingerprints to identify its owner, while this space ring uses blood. Only its owner can open it. But if a magical tool is stolen, its owner can’t sense its exact location. Do you think divine artifacts are that easy to obtain? Even my Black Crystal greatsword ‘Blunt Edge’ hasn’t reached the level of a divine artifact.”
Divine artifacts.
On the Yulan continent, they couldn’t be forged from ordinary materials. Items like the Coiling Dragon Ring and the Violet Blood Soft Sword were ancient existences.
“The Coiling Dragon Ring—that time in the Radiant Temple, a terrifying power suddenly burst out and saved me. And when I use magic, it saves one-sixth of my magic power and mental energy. As for the Violet Blood Soft Sword, it can bend and change at will, and it’s indestructible.” Linley had a feeling.
The Coiling Dragon Ring had already proven itself, and there were surely other uses he hadn’t discovered. The terrifying energy that appeared in the Radiant Temple that day was proof.
As for the Violet Blood Soft Sword.
It had been used to seal that mysterious magic array. It must have some special purpose, but with his current strength, he was too weak to uncover the unique properties of such divine artifacts.
“Violet Blood Soft Sword.” Linley looked at the sword serving as his belt. What was its true power?
“Bebe, stay here,” Linley instructed.
“Got it.” Bebe obediently stayed in the courtyard, while Linley himself quietly leaped out of the courtyard, moving through the alleys to stealthily approach the mansion belonging to Clayde and Shaq.
Outside the wall of the mansion Shaq had purchased, Linley pressed himself silently against it.
“Sss—”
Linley’s sharp claws emerged. He easily carved a crack in the wall, then his hands returned to normal. Linley peered through the crack into the courtyard.
Having stayed in the mansion for a night, Linley had memorized the layout of the rockeries, buildings, and other features. The crack he chose was very clever—through it, he could see both the front and back courtyards without being blocked by the rockeries.
“Father.”
Linley’s sharp hearing caught Shaq and Clayde talking in the back courtyard. Linley looked carefully and saw Shaq and Clayde walking side by side, coming into view.
“It’s Clayde.” Linley watched cautiously.
But what he saw shocked him. “Clayde’s hand… his hand…”
Clayde’s hands were completely intact. Yet Linley clearly remembered cutting off Clayde’s right hand and taking his space ring. There was no mistake.
“To reattach a severed hand, at least a ninth-rank Grand Magus of the Light element would be needed.” Linley’s heart trembled.
When Clayde had left, there hadn’t been a single magus by his side. How could he have gotten involved with a ninth-rank Grand Magus?
“Father, how did you run into those people from the Radiant Temple? Every one of them is incredibly strong,” Shaq said in a low, shocked voice.
Clayde nodded. “Of course. That group is the most terrifying force of the Radiant Temple—a band of ascetics led by Lord Fallen Leaf. There are quite a few ninth-rank experts among them. Traveling with them, the road was naturally very safe.”
Clayde spoke at a normal volume. Logically, Linley shouldn’t have been able to hear clearly from outside the wall. But as a Dragonblood Warrior, his hearing was too keen. He caught every word.
“A band of ascetics, led by Lord Fallen Leaf?” Linley’s expression changed.
Lord Fallen Leaf was a Saint-level peak expert, and those ascetics were a terrifying bunch, with no shortage of ninth-rank experts.
Today’s first chapter. Today, Tomato will update three chapters, and tomorrow will also update three chapters, making up for yesterday’s missed ones.