"Linley, Yale, George, Reynolds."
At the entrance to Ernst Magic Institute, Hiri stood beside the carriage and greeted the four of them.
"Sorry for the trouble, Grandpa Hiri." Linley nodded slightly. "Just take us to Bishui Heaven."
"Of course, Young Master Linley." Hiri nodded, then continued, "Lord Hogg said that Young Master Linley must come home tonight."
Hiri's words made Linley pause. "Did Father say what it was about?"
"Lord Hogg didn't say." Hiri shook his head slightly. "He only said that the matter you care about most has been resolved."
"The matter I care about most?"
Linley paused, then quickly realized what Hiri meant.
At Ernst Magic Institute, aside from training, Linley's main focus had been investigating his mother's murder.
At present, what Linley cared about most was naturally tracking down the killer with the Red Spider mark.
In other words, had his father found the culprit?
At the thought, Linley's breathing grew noticeably quick.
"Third Bro, what's wrong?"
Seeing that Linley seemed unsettled, Yale hurriedly spoke up. George and Reynolds also looked at Linley in confusion.
"It's nothing." Linley smiled faintly. "It's something between my father and me. Let's go!"
Seeing Linley put it that way, the three of them didn't press him further.
However, once they arrived in Fenlai City, they noticed that Linley seemed distracted all day.
By evening, Linley had hurriedly said goodbye to them and returned to the mansion on Greenleaf Road.
"Father!" Linley went straight to Hogg's courtyard, unable to contain his impatience. "Father, you asked Grandpa Hiri to tell me that the matter I care about most has been resolved?"
"That's right!" Hogg's face was flushed with excitement as he nodded firmly. "I saw that man again yesterday."
Hogg's words made Linley's breath catch for a moment.
The next instant, Linley raised a hand, and a Wind of Perception spread out in every direction.
At the same time, Linley contacted Doehring. "Grandpa Doehring, are there any Saint-level experts nearby?"
Doehring knew about Linley's mother, so he quickly checked. "No. Don't worry."
"Father, you can tell me now." Linley breathed a sigh of relief. "No one's watching us."
"Patterson. Last night, I was invited to a banquet at Patterson's mansion." Hogg's voice grew exceptionally grave. "One of Patterson's guards has a Red Spider mark on his wrist, exactly like the one I saw back then."
"Patterson?" Linley's voice turned cold. "Father, I'll go capture him tonight."
"Linley, don't do anything rash." Hogg's expression changed. "There are plenty of Holy See Saint-level experts in Fenlai City. If we're discovered, we might not be able to leave. We need to think this through."
Hogg had already seen the heights his son would reach in the future.
The man who had once been so impulsive was now the one cautioning Linley.
But Linley only smiled faintly.
"Crackle!"
The next instant, Linley began his Dragon Transformation.
As Hogg stared in bewilderment, Linley transformed into a two-meter-tall Dragonblood Warrior.
The next moment, Linley floated in midair right before Hogg's eyes.
"Father, this isn't the Wind Element levitation spell or Flight Spell, and I'm not flying with my wings."
After transforming, Linley's voice sounded somewhat hoarse.
But to Hogg, it was more beautiful than the sweetest music.
He wasn't using magic, nor was he using his wings.
There was only one possibility: Saint-level.
Only Saint-level experts could fly freely.
That meant his son had already reached Saint-level.
A nine-year-old Saint-level expert.
"Linley." Hogg struggled to suppress his excitement. "When did you reach Rank 9 Warrior?"
"I was already Saint-level when I returned from the Magical Beast Mountain Range." Linley ended his transformation, then explained, "Tonight, I'll go alone to Patterson's mansion and bring him back. Father, wait for me at home."
Hearing Linley's words, Hogg nodded firmly, his eyes glistening.
Lina, do you see? I'll soon be able to avenge you.
And our son Linley is helping me.
Our son is truly amazing. He's already a Saint-level expert.
In the future, Wharton will become a Saint-level expert too.
Even I might become a Saint-level expert.
For a moment, Hogg's thoughts churned.
Late that night, a dark figure flew out of the Baruch Mansion on Greenleaf Road.
But hidden by the darkness, no one noticed.
"Grandpa Doehring." After his Dragon Transformation, Linley hovered high in the sky. "Sorry for the trouble, but could you watch for any Saint-level experts sensing the area?"
"Don't worry, Linley." Doehring's voice sounded in Linley's mind. "There are Saint-level guards stationed in the western district, but here in the eastern district, there's only one Saint-level expert in the church, and he rarely patrols."
With Doehring's reassurance, Linley sped toward Patterson's mansion.
When he reached the sky above Patterson's mansion, Linley took the detector out of his Space Ring.
"Patterson is a Rank 7 Warrior, and the captain of his guard is a Rank 8 Warrior."
Linley examined the information on the detector, methodically narrowing down the possibilities.
"There's one Rank 8 life signature in this area, with ten Rank 7 Warriors guarding it. At the center is a Rank 7 Warrior—that must be Patterson."
Linley quickly pinpointed one section of the mansion.
But he didn't act right away. Instead, he continued searching for Rank 6 life signatures.
There were quite a few Rank 6 Warriors in Patterson's mansion, so Linley had to check them one by one.
Fortunately, Linley was flying in the sky, and he was a Saint Warrior. Neither the patrols nor the servants below noticed him.
After more than an hour, Linley found the Rank 6 Warrior with the Red Spider mark in a woodshed.
When Linley found him, the man was fooling around with a maid.
Linley knocked the maid unconscious, then carried the Warrior high into the sky.
Linley slapped him awake and asked, "Five years ago, did you capture a woman who had just given birth? Was it Patterson who ordered you to do it?"
Although Linley didn't think anyone but Patterson could command Patterson's guards, he still wanted to make sure.
"Ah!"
Aide opened his eyes and saw a golden demon. He let out a terrified scream.
But after that single scream, he felt a cold, sharp touch at his neck and immediately fell silent.
Linley withdrew his left hand and spoke in a hoarse voice. "Answer me!"
"Patterson—it was Duke Patterson." Aide hurriedly answered. "Duke Patterson often gives us lists and tells us to bring back the women on them."
Aide betrayed Patterson without hesitation.
After all, he had only ever been sent to capture unfamiliar women when Patterson ordered him to.
"So it really was you, Patterson!" A cold glint flashed in Linley's eyes. He snapped Aide's neck. "In that case, you have no reason to live."
The next instant, Linley carried the corpse to the sky above the section of the mansion where Patterson was staying.
Below was a vast hall, with guards scattered around it.
"One Rank 8 Warrior and ten Rank 7 Warriors." A murderous glint flashed in Linley's eyes as he made up his mind. "I'll take out the guards first, then capture Patterson."
Before you continue