Angel Battle Formation

Night fell, and the streets of Chier County City gradually quieted down. The daytime bustle had turned into scattered dog barks, while the weary calls of night watchmen occasionally drifted over from afar. The entire city was like an exhausted giant, sinking into deep sleep beneath the night sky.

Linley stood before the castle window, watching the darkness outside with a slight frown. The window was half-open, and the late-autumn night wind brushed his face with a chill, stirring the loose strands of hair over his forehead. While wandering through the city that afternoon, Akes had discovered spies from the Radiant Church—and more than one. Under the mental probing of a Holy Archmage, the gazes fixed upon him had nowhere to hide. At the time, Akes had merely nudged Linley's arm without changing expression and flicked his eyes slightly. Linley had understood at once.

"What are you thinking about?" Akes pushed open the door, carrying two bottles of liquor. This was Chier County's locally brewed strong wine, amber in color and immensely potent. The locals called it "Fire Cloud."

Linley turned around and accepted one. The bottle felt faintly cool, its surface still covered in fine droplets of water. He pulled out the wooden stopper, and a rich fragrance of alcohol immediately spread through the room. "Tonight's matters," he said, tilting back his head for a drink. The liquor burned down his throat like a line of fire, all the way to his stomach.

Akes sat across from him and placed the other bottle on the small table by his hand, but did not rush to drink. Leaning back in his chair, he rhythmically tapped the armrest with his fingers, a habitual gesture whenever he was thinking. "I've found out everything," he said quietly, each word clear. "The Church sent six people this time. The leader is a Four-Winged Angel. The other five are all Two-Winged Angels. The six can form an Angel Battle Formation together. Its power cannot be underestimated."

Linley's frown deepened. "Six angels? The Radiant Church really thinks highly of me." He walked to the window and gazed into the pitch-black night sky.

"Not just that." Akes shook his head, a trace of gravity flashing through his eyes. "I also found someone else—Luoye."

"Luoye?" Linley froze and turned to Akes, the bottle in his hand stopping in midair. "Luoye, the spiritual leader of the Ascetics?"

"Yes." Akes nodded. "He's a Saint-level warrior, and a Saint-level Intermediate Stage one at that. I've seen his portrait: white hair, a withered face, always dressed in a gray robe. This afternoon, I sensed an extremely restrained aura at the eastern market. I followed it and saw him standing before a stall selling old books. It seems the Church is determined to take your life."

Linley fell silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled. "Six angels and a Saint-level Intermediate Stage. That lineup really does me honor." His laughter was quiet, but it carried the excitement of fighting spirit stirred by a desperate situation.

Akes watched him, his gaze lingering on Linley's face for quite some time.

"What do you plan to do?" Akes asked.

Linley thought for a moment and paced around the room, his boots making faint sounds against the stone floor. He walked to the window and stared at the dark night outside, moonlight outlining his profile in silver. "You said Luoye came too?"

"Mm."

"Then this—" Linley turned around, his dark-gold eyes glinting eerily in the candlelight. "You help me hold Luoye back. I'll deal with the six angels."

Akes raised his brows. "Are you sure? That's an Angel Battle Formation formed by six angels. You alone?" His tone held obvious concern. The Angel Battle Formation's reputation was known throughout the Yulan Continent. When six angels joined forces, their combat power was not simply added together—it rose geometrically.

Linley smiled faintly. "Back in Hess City, I killed six angels too. Of course, I was only at the Ninth Rank Initial Stage then, and I was fighting an Angel Battle Formation set up by six special-class deacons. Now I'm at the Eighth Rank Peak, and after transforming, I'll be at the Ninth Rank Peak. It may not be impossible to fight them." He spoke calmly, but the confidence in his words moved Akes slightly.

Akes stared at him for a moment, then suddenly smiled. "Fine. It's settled, then. Leave Luoye to me. Focus on those six angels."

"You can handle him alone?" Linley asked in return. Luoye was a Saint-level expert who had been famous for many years.

A confident smile curved Akes's lips. He raised his right hand, and a wisp of golden flame suddenly sprang from his fingertips. The flame danced between his fingers, yet its heat was perfectly contained; not the slightest scorching sensation could be felt. "A Holy Archmage against a Saint-level warrior—who wins and who loses is still uncertain. Besides..." He paused, a mysterious glint appearing in his eyes. "I have a few trump cards as well."

Linley did not press further. He knew Akes was not the sort to boast. If he said he was confident, then he must truly be confident.

"Fine." Linley nodded. "We move tonight. I'll lure them out of the city, and you support me from the shadows."

"Understood."

The two clinked their bottles and drained them in one go. As the strong liquor burned down their throats, it seemed to ignite the fighting spirit in their blood.

Late at night, under a moonless sky and howling wind.

Dark clouds covered the moon, leaving heaven and earth shrouded in gloom. Linley silently left the castle, blending into the night like a wisp of smoke. He did not use the main gate. Instead, he climbed out through a window at the rear of the castle, using protrusions along the outer wall to descend. He made no sound when he landed. He moved swiftly, darting through the night like a ghost.

The moment he passed through the city gate, he sensed the trackers behind him. Six auras had vaguely locked onto him. Ordinary people would never have noticed those faint presences, but to Linley's sharp senses, they were as clear as candles in the darkness. The six auras were positioned according to a special pattern—two in front and four behind—maintaining a perfect combat formation.

The corner of Linley's mouth lifted slightly as he accelerated toward the distant wilderness. The ground beneath his feet changed from the gravel roads outside the city to wild grasslands, then to rolling hills. He deliberately did not travel at full speed, instead maintaining a pace that allowed his pursuers to barely keep up, drawing them deeper into the wilderness like fish on a line.

Only after running dozens of miles, when he reached a broad stretch of wasteland, did Linley stop. The field offered an unobstructed view in every direction. There were no trees around, only knee-high wild grass rustling in the night wind. Dark clouds still hung overhead, occasionally revealing a sliver of the broken moon and spilling down bleak white light.

"Come out." He turned and looked into the darkness behind him.

Six figures emerged from the shadows, as though they had torn through the night itself. Leading them was a silver-haired woman with a cold, elegant face and knife-sharp eyes. She appeared to be around thirty, dressed in fitted white clothes whose hems fluttered faintly in the wind. Her features were exquisitely beautiful, yet she possessed a distant frostiness that kept all others away, like a divine statue carved from ice and snow.

"Linley Baruch." Lantan spoke coldly, her voice quiet but every word distinct. "You're quite considerate, choosing such a fine place." Her gaze swept over the surroundings as she nodded slightly. "As a graveyard, it's spacious enough."

Linley's gaze swept across the six of them as he said with a faint smile, "Six angels. The Radiant Church is truly willing to spend heavily." His tone was relaxed, but his dark-gold eyes secretly observed the six people's positions and auras. Two in front, four behind—their stance seemed casual, yet it secretly conformed to a certain pattern.

"Enough nonsense." With a flick of one hand, the Violet Blood Soft Sword appeared in Linley's grasp. The blade gave off a dim purple gleam in the night, thin as a cicada's wing and trembling slightly as it emitted a barely audible hum. "If you want to kill me, then make your move."

The instant he finished speaking, his body suddenly changed—black dragon scales rapidly covered his entire body. Every scale was the size of a fingernail, its edges sharp as blades and gleaming with a metallic luster beneath the moonlight. Savage spikes emerged from his back, forehead, and elbows, the longest reaching half a foot in length. A dragon tail like an iron whip began to lash behind him, its tip sharp as a spear. His dark-gold pupils gleamed with cold light in the darkness, the vertical slits narrowing.

Dragonblood Warrior transformation!

Lantan said, "A Dragonblood Warrior? The reports said he was merely at the Eighth Rank Peak. After transforming, he should possess Ninth Rank Peak strength." Before coming here, she had carefully studied Linley's records and knew of the Baruch Clan's Dragonblood Warriors. Yet seeing this legendary transformation with her own eyes still made her heart tense slightly.

"So what if he's at the Ninth Rank Peak?" an angel beside her sneered. He was a burly bald man with mysterious rune tattoos covering both arms. "Our Angel Battle Formation can even contend with a Saint-level expert." His voice was rough and bold, filled with undisguised contempt.

"Form the formation!"

At Lantan's command, six beams of white light instantly burst from their bodies, illuminating the darkness like six miniature suns. The light was pure and dazzling, carrying a holy aura as though it could cleanse every impurity in the world. The light flowed and rapidly connected into a massive barrier, its hexagonal edges covered in intricate patterns as it enveloped Linley within.

Angel Battle Formation!

Standing inside the formation, Linley felt as though the surrounding space had solidified. The white light pressed down upon him with scorching force. Every beam seemed to possess real weight, bearing down upon his shoulders and restricting his movements. More terrifying still, the six people's auras had completely fused into one. Attacking any single point would trigger the rebound of the formation's collective power.

"Hmph." Linley snorted, and the Violet Blood Soft Sword in his hand became a sinister streak of purple light that slashed viciously against the barrier.

Boom—

The barrier shook violently. Ripple-like waves spread across its hexagonal surface, and its light flickered between bright and dim. But soon, all six white beams flowed at once, quickly restoring it to normal. The recoil force traveled along the sword, numbing Linley's hand.

"Useless." Lantan spoke coldly, her silver hair drifting amid the light like that of a deity. "The Angel Battle Formation's defenses are not something you can break. This formation is maintained by the Radiant Battle Qi of all six of us. Every attack you make will be shared among us."

Linley ignored her and struck again. This time, he used the Wind Profound Truth—Rhythm of the Wind!

Purple sword light tore through the air with strange fluctuations, drifting unpredictably like catkins in the wind. The strike appeared gentle, yet it contained an exceptionally profound force—not brute strength, but force borrowed against force, softness overcoming hardness. The sword light crashed against the barrier, not through a frontal clash, but by vibrating at a special frequency like dripping water boring through stone.

Crack—

Fine cracks appeared across the barrier, spreading outward like a spiderweb. All six angels changed expression at once, disbelief appearing in their eyes.

"How is this possible?" the burly angel cried out. He had presided over the Angel Battle Formation dozens of times, but had never encountered such a situation.

"There's something strange about his attack!" Lantan shouted sharply, her silver hair flying. "Don't give him another chance. Attack with everything you have!"

The six white beams flared at once. The six angels formed seals with both hands and chanted under their breaths. Light gathered over their heads, condensing into a thick beam nearly a meter in diameter that blasted toward Linley with a world-destroying presence.

Linley flashed aside, stepping rapidly as he used Wind Shadow Step. His body pulled out a series of afterimages through the night, barely evading the beam's direct strike. Yet the beam grazed his shoulder, immediately leaving a charred mark on his black dragon scales. The edges of the scales reddened, and searing pain shot through his flesh. It possessed such power from a mere graze; a direct hit would have been unthinkable.

What terrifying power. Linley's heart turned solemn. The Angel Battle Formation's attack was already close to a Saint-level Initial Stage expert's full-force strike. Worse, the beam carried the purifying power of the light element, which restrained a Dragonblood Warrior's dark attribute.

At that moment, a clear laugh rang out from the darkness. "Six against one? The Radiant Church is really becoming more and more impressive."

A figure walked out of the night. It was Akes. His hands rested behind his back, faint golden flames dancing around his body and casting shifting light across his face. The flames formed a thin protective barrier around him, keeping out the night wind.

Lantan's expression changed. "He has help?" Her eyes swept over Akes, trying to judge his strength.

"Not help." Akes shook his head, his gaze passing over her and landing on the distant darkness. "I came to find him." His tone was relaxed, but his gaze was exceptionally focused, as though he were waiting for something.

An elderly figure slowly emerged from the shadows.

Gray robes, a thin frame, a face like withered wood, wrinkled skin stretched tightly over bone. It was the spiritual leader of the Ascetics—Luoye.

"Young man." Luoye looked at Akes, his hoarse voice like wind passing through dead leaves. "Why interfere in this matter?"

Akes smiled faintly, firelight dancing across his face. "Mr. Luoye, Linley is my brother. Why must you wade into these troubled waters?"

Luoye was silent for a moment before saying, "The Church has given its orders. I have no choice but to obey." A complicated look flashed through his eyes as he said it. The Ascetics normally kept out of worldly affairs, but in the end, they could not disobey the Church's commands.

"What a coincidence." Akes's smile widened as he raised his right hand, the golden flame in his palm dancing more intensely. "My brother is in trouble. I have no choice but to help."

Luoye nodded, seeming unsurprised. "In that case, let us begin."

Before his words had faded, his body had already vanished from where he stood.

The next instant, a slender sword stabbed toward Akes's back! The blade was thin as a needle and entirely black, nearly invisible in the night. Its tip glimmered with a dim, icy light, carrying certain killing intent.

Without even turning his head, Akes swept his right hand backward. A golden Fire Wall appeared out of nowhere, blocking the sword tip exactly. The flames were so hot that the air around them warped and twisted.

Hiss—

The sword tip pierced the Fire Wall, producing a sharp hissing sound. The black blade instantly turned red-hot. Luoye felt a scorching force travel up the sword, forcing him to withdraw it and retreat.

"A fire-element Holy Archmage?" A trace of surprise entered Luoye's voice. He had not expected this young man, who appeared to be barely twenty, to already be a Holy Archmage. A Holy Archmage so young was extraordinarily rare even in the entire history of the Yulan Continent.

"Correct." Akes turned around, flames rising around his body. Golden firelight made his face seem like that of a deity. "Mr. Luoye, I'm your opponent." He formed seals with both hands, and the flames around him quickly condensed into nine fire snakes that coiled and swam about his body.

Luoye looked at him, solemnity flashing through his eyes. He had not expected this young man, who appeared to be barely twenty, to already be a Holy Archmage. A Holy Archmage so young was extraordinarily rare even in the entire history of the Yulan Continent. He slowly raised the black sword in his hand. The red glow on the blade had not fully faded, and wisps of pale smoke drifted from it.

"Very well." Luoye nodded. "Then let me see just how capable you Holy Archmages are."

The two stared at each other for a moment, then moved at the same time.

Luoye was as fast as a phantom. Ascetic Step made his figure elusive and unpredictable, while his swordsmanship was even stranger. Sometimes he thrust directly, sometimes he slashed upward at an angle. Every sword strike carried fierce killing intent, yet left no trace to follow. His sword seemed not to be a weapon, but an extension of his arm, moving entirely at his will.

Akes, meanwhile, stood firm as a boulder and responded with fire magic.

The two exchanged blow after blow, evenly matched. Luoye could not break through Akes's magical defenses, while Akes could not trap Luoye's agile movement technique. The battle fell into a deadlock.

On the other side, Linley's battle against the six angels had also reached its fiercest point.

The Angel Battle Formation's power far exceeded his expectations. The barrier woven from six intertwined beams of white light possessed not only astonishing defense but also extremely fierce offensive power. Linley tried several times to break the formation, only to be driven back by beams of light that gathered the power of all six angels. Every direct clash left fresh wounds across his dragon scales. His shoulders, arms, and chest were covered in charred marks, with blood still seeping from some of the wounds.

No. At this rate, defeat is inevitable. Linley grew anxious. He knew his own strength well. At the Eighth Rank Peak, and the Ninth Rank Peak after transforming, he was stronger than ordinary Ninth Rank warriors. Yet facing an Angel Battle Formation formed by six angels was still too much. The angels worked together flawlessly, and the formation flowed as naturally as running water. He could not find a single opening.

He dodged another beam of light and staggered when he landed, nearly falling. His exhaustion was mounting faster than he had expected. While the Dragonblood Warrior transformation gave him immense power, it also rapidly consumed his Battle Qi and stamina. He could feel the Battle Qi within him draining quickly. At most, he could last another quarter of an hour.

I have to break through!

The instant that thought rose, the Dragonblood Battle Qi within him began to surge wildly. As though it had sensed its master's danger, the power of dragon blood hidden deep within his bloodline began to boil. He could feel the bottleneck that had troubled him for so long starting to loosen.

This is my chance!

A resolute gleam flashed through Linley's eyes. He no longer dodged, instead charging straight at the incoming beam of light. He gripped his sword with both hands, holding the Violet Blood Soft Sword before him as all the Battle Qi in his body poured into the blade. Purple light blazed brilliantly from the sword.

Boom—

The beam of light struck him hard. Black dragon scales shattered piece by piece, and blood sprayed through the air. In that instant, Linley felt as though a mountain had crashed into him, making his organs tremble violently. He was blasted backward and slammed heavily into the ground, smashing out a shallow crater as the weeds beneath him were flattened.

"Linley!" Akes's expression changed in the distance, but Luoye's sword arrived again, forcing him to focus on defending himself. He could only grit his teeth and suppress his worry as he continued fighting Luoye.

Lantan looked at Linley lying on the ground and sneered. "You brought this upon yourself." She withdrew her hand. That beam had consumed a great deal of her Radiant Battle Qi, but seeing her target fall made it worthwhile.

Yet the next second, her smile froze.

Linley slowly rose from the ground, the wounds across his body healing at a visible speed. His shattered dragon scales began to regrow, flesh writhing around his wounds as new tissue formed rapidly. An aura far more powerful than before began to emanate from his body.

"He... broke through?" one angel said incredulously. His voice trembled, because he could sense the horror of that aura—it was a Saint-level aura!

Linley raised his head, his dark-gold pupils glinting with a terrifying light. He could feel the Dragonblood Battle Qi inside him undergoing a qualitative change. The Battle Qi that had previously liquefied was becoming denser, faintly showing signs of transforming toward a solid state. It surged through his meridians like rivers flowing into the sea, every thread of power filled with explosive might.

Ninth Rank Initial Stage!

And his strength after transforming had broken through as well—Saint-level Initial Stage!

"Now," Linley said coldly, his voice like a blade and filled with an aloof indifference toward all life, "it's my turn."

Before his words had faded, his body had vanished from sight.

The next instant, an angel's head flew high into the air. The bald angel's contempt had not yet faded from his face, but his eyes had already gone dull. Blood gushed from his severed neck, carving a blinding arc beneath the moonlight. His body remained standing, the hand seal in his hands not yet dispersed, before crashing to the ground.

"First."

Linley's voice came from another direction.

Lantan was horrified. "Watch out!" She hurriedly operated the formation, trying to reorganize their defenses.

But it was already too late. After breaking through, Linley's speed had surged, and his strength had risen to an entirely new level. Like a tiger among sheep, every stroke of his sword took an angel's life. The Violet Blood Soft Sword became a bolt of purple lightning in his hand, every flash accompanied by spraying blood.

"Second." An angel clutched his throat and fell, his eyes wide open in death.

"Third." A flash of sword light pierced through a heart.

"Fourth." The dragon tail swept out, sending a head flying.

"Fifth." Purple light flashed past, cutting him in half at the waist.

Within only a few breaths, all five Two-Winged Angels had died. Their corpses lay scattered across the wilderness, their blood soaking into the earth and reflecting a dark-red sheen beneath the moonlight.

Lantan's face turned deathly pale. She had never expected the situation to reverse so quickly. Only moments ago, they had held absolute advantage. Now, in the blink of an eye, she alone remained. She looked at Linley. There was not the slightest emotion in those dark-gold pupils, only the coldness of a hunter facing prey.

"Only you remain." Linley looked at her, his dark-gold eyes utterly devoid of emotion.

Lantan gritted her teeth, and a blinding white radiance suddenly erupted from her body. The light was even more intense than before, so dazzling that it was impossible to keep one's eyes open. Within the glow, four wings of light appeared behind her—snow-white, with a wingspan of nearly three meters, every feather gleaming with holy radiance.

Four-Winged Angel True Form!

"Die!" She transformed into a streak of white light and lunged at Linley. Her four wings beat in unison, making her several times faster than before. A sword of light appeared in her hand, entirely condensed from Radiant Battle Qi, mysterious runes flowing across its blade. This strike contained all her power, strong enough to split mountains and shatter stone.

Linley neither dodged nor retreated. The Violet Blood Soft Sword in his hand traced a strange arc—Earth Profound Truth: Hundred-Fold Wave!

This was one of his strongest offensive techniques, condensing Battle Qi into a hundred layers of hidden force, one layer after another, unending like waves. After reaching the Saint-level, its power had surged even further.

Boom!

The two figures crossed.

Lantan's body froze in place. A moment later, blood poured from her seven orifices, and she crashed to the ground. The instant her four wings touched the earth, they dissolved into motes of light. Her white clothes were stained red with blood. Her eyes were wide open as she stared at the night sky, filled with deep confusion and unwillingness.

Linley sheathed his sword, not a single drop of blood staining its blade. He turned to glance at Lantan's corpse before shifting his gaze toward the other battlefield.

Luoye and Akes were still fighting. Their strength was evenly matched, and neither could do anything to the other. Luoye's swordsmanship grew sharper with every strike, each one carrying certain killing intent; Akes's magic became increasingly exquisite, as he effortlessly cast all manner of fire spells. The ground around them had already been devastated beyond recognition, covered everywhere in sword marks and scorched earth.

"Akes!" Linley called out.

Akes turned and saw that Linley had already dealt with all six angels. He immediately laughed. "Impressive!" His laugh carried sincere joy and a trace of surprise. Six angels, including a Four-Winged Angel, had all been killed by Linley alone. Such an achievement would be enough to shock the entire Yulan Continent.

Luoye's expression changed drastically. He had never expected all six angels to die. His eyes swept over the scattered corpses before finally settling on Linley. He could sense that Linley's aura had grown much stronger than before—it was a Saint-level aura. Now he had to face two Saint-level experts: a Holy Archmage and a Saint-level Dragonblood Warrior. Even he had no certainty of victory against such a lineup.

"Mr. Luoye," Akes said as firelight danced in his eyes, "do you still wish to continue?"

Luoye was silent for a moment, then slowly sheathed his sword.

"I have lost." He glanced at Linley, complicated light flickering in his wise eyes. "Young man, your talent is truly extraordinary. Breaking through to the Saint-level in battle—over all my years, I have seen only a handful with such talent and strength of will. The Church has suffered a loss this time."

With that, he turned and left. His gray figure merged into the night and soon vanished into the darkness.

"Trying to leave?" Linley's eyes turned cold as he prepared to pursue. His dragon tail tensed, and he moved his feet, ready to use his movement technique to catch up. Luoye belonged to the Church. Letting him leave today would surely create future trouble.

Akes reached out and stopped him. "Forget it. Let him go."

Linley frowned at him.

Akes explained, "That old man isn't weak. If he truly fights for his life, we may not be able to come out unscathed. Besides, although he admitted defeat just now, his aura was steady. He wasn't injured at all. If we push him too hard and he fights to the death, even if we win in the end, it will be a miserable victory. There's no need to risk our lives against him here."

Linley thought it over, then slowly withdrew his Dragonblood transformation. The black dragon scales receded, the spikes withdrew into his body, and his dragon tail vanished. He returned to his usual appearance. Only his clothes were now tattered beyond recognition, covered in burn marks and holes.

He nodded. "All right. We've achieved our goal anyway."

The two exchanged smiles.

This battle had not only killed six angels, but also allowed Linley to break through to the Saint-level. The gains could not have been greater. The Saint-level was a realm countless cultivators dreamed of. How many people spent their entire lives unable to cross that threshold?

"Let's go back." Akes patted Linley's shoulder, warmth from his palm passing through Linley's torn clothing. "Yunfeng Town is still waiting for us."

Linley nodded, and the two disappeared side by side into the night. The night wind swept past, carrying the scent of blood before the wilderness wind quickly scattered it.

Moonlight emerged from behind the clouds and shone down on the ruined battlefield. The six angels' corpses lay scattered across the ground, slowly turning cold beneath the moonlight. Several wolf howls came from afar. The wild wolves of the wilderness had been drawn by the smell of blood. Before long, these bodies would become their feast.

Deep in the night, a gray figure stood atop a distant hill, silently watching everything. It was Luoye. He had not truly left, but had continued observing from the shadows.

He watched the direction in which Linley and Akes had departed. After a long while, he sighed softly. "A Dragonblood Warrior... another Saint-level Dragonblood Warrior. The Baruch Clan truly lives up to its name." His voice was very quiet, quickly carried away by the night wind.

He turned and likewise vanished into the darkness.

Only moonlight, corpses, and the increasingly close wolf howls remained in the wilderness.

The next morning, Linley and Akes said their farewells and departed.

Sunlight spilled across the castle entrance, gilding everything in gold. Jenny stood at the door, smiling as she waved. Keen and several old servants stood behind her.

"Big Brother Linley, Big Brother Akes, take care on the road." Her voice was calm and warm, as though nothing had happened the night before.

Linley looked at her, warmth rising in his heart. This girl had traded five years of waiting for a single word of thanks from him. What she received was only a home that could never truly be hers. Yet she bore no resentment and no unwillingness. She merely smiled as she saw him off.

"Take care," he said softly.

The two turned and left, their figures gradually disappearing into the morning mist.

Jenny remained standing at the entrance, watching that direction for a long time without moving. Sunlight fell over her, stretching her shadow long and longer. The wind lifted her long hair, scattering it through the air.

Keen walked over to her and said softly, "Sis, why didn't you tell him how hard you've worked all these years? You get up before dawn every day to meditate, and at night you still have to handle the affairs of the prefectural city. Why not let him know about all that hardship?"

Jenny shook her head and smiled. "There's no need. If he knew, he'd only feel more guilty. Besides, I work hard at cultivation and managing the household not so that he'll know, but so I can become better. That way, the next time he comes back, he won't see a girl who only knows how to wait, but a woman who can stand on her own."

"Sis..."

"Let's go. We should head back." Jenny turned around, her steps resolute. "Life still has to go on. There are several estate stewards coming to report today. We can't keep them waiting."

Sunlight fell over her, stretching her shadow long, long behind her. Yet its owner walked with her head held high, without the slightest trace of confusion.

On the official road, Linley and Akes walked side by side.

The morning breeze carried the fresh scent of crops from the fields. Wildflowers along the roadside bloomed brilliantly—yellow, white, and purple, scattered like stars and lovely to behold.

"What are you thinking about?" Akes asked.

"Nothing." Linley shook his head. "I just feel that I owe her too much."

"Then make sure you live well," Akes said. "As long as you're alive, you'll have a chance to repay her. Once you're dead, there's nothing left. Besides, didn't she say it herself? She doesn't need your guilt, and she doesn't need you to repay her. All she wants is for you to live well and come back to visit once in a while."

Linley paused slightly, then smiled. "You're right."

Bebe chirped twice from his shoulder, as though saying, "And me. I'll stay with you too."

Linley reached up and stroked Bebe's head, warmth rising in his heart. That was right. He still had Bebe, and brothers like Akes. His road was still long. He could not stop moving forward because of anything.

"Where to next?" Akes asked.

"North," Linley said. "I want to visit the O'Brien Empire. I haven't seen my younger brother Wharton in a long time."

"The O'Brien Empire?" Akes's eyes lit up. "Great place! I've wanted to go for ages, but never had the chance. This is perfect—we can go together!"

"Don't you need to return to the Yulan Empire?"

"No rush." Akes smiled. "Nothing much is happening over there, and besides, it's about time I got out and traveled."

Linley nodded. "Then we'll go together."

The two men and one rat continued north.