Turning hostile, but not completely

In the dining room.

"That [Knight] was covered in blood when he came out. They say he's already dead," Baron Puxin said gravely.

At that, Lin Ke helped Furon to her feet.

"Thank you for your hospitality today, Baron, but after something like this, my mother and I need to return to the castle immediately. There's no need for you to arrange our accommodations."

His demeanor was entirely different from the sweet, obedient child he had been earlier that day.

"I've always heard that young Master Lin Ke is exceptionally clever. Only today did I realize those fools have no idea just how clever you really are." Puxin narrowed his eyes at Lin Ke.

"So... clever young Master Lin Ke, it's almost dark, and it's dangerous outside. Do you think you can make it home safely? Why not stay the night?"

Then he pointed outside and smiled. "I've already stationed guards around the house. They'll keep you both perfectly safe."

Puxin rose, then approached with his hands behind his back and his bulging belly thrust forward, his face wreathed in smiles. "I've also sent the Professionals under my command to Azan Castle. They'll temporarily take over the castle for you, to prevent greedy members of other families from encroaching on the viscount's interests."

His true intentions were finally laid bare!

Lin Ke's pupils contracted.

He had wondered why Puxin would be foolish enough to spend thousands of gold coins currying favor with Furon.

Now he understood. It had all been to keep her and Lin Ke here!

With someone arriving to take over the castle, Steward Billy and First Lady Antova would inevitably grow suspicious and send someone to ask what was really happening.

If Lin Ke and Furon had received word from their messenger that afternoon, they might have gone straight home.

And with Lin Ke there, Azan Castle would have someone to rally around. Only he carried Garros's bloodline; no one else in the castle possessed it.

Everyone in the castle would obey Lin Ke. They had sworn to do so on their first day of service, or even as children.

But with no one of the Azan bloodline present, and Puxin sending Professionals over...

Under those threats, the castle's internal defenses would probably crumble in no time.

As long as they controlled First Lady Antova and Steward Billy, they would effectively have taken over the castle.

And if Baron Puxin killed Lin Ke and then took control of Furon...

No wonder!

No wonder Baron Puxin was willing to spend so much money courting a woman today. Courting her wasn't his real goal-or rather, it was only one of his goals.

His main objective was to gain control of Azan Castle through Furon!

Just as Lin Ke had suspected, how could the ruler of an entire city be someone whose mind was filled with nothing but lust?

"This is trouble..."

All Lin Ke could do now was pray that Nix would get there a little later, giving Ove time to discover and dispose of those lackeys before coming to Parrot City.

"Well, young Master Lin Ke, will you be staying here tonight? It's very dangerous outside!" Puxin asked again, the threat in his voice unmistakable.

Lin Ke stopped, turned around, and took a small transparent sphere from his pocket. It looked like a glass marble, with a flicker of lightning flashing continuously inside.

Crack!

He hurled the glass sphere to the floor, shattering it.

The lightning inside rapidly expanded, eventually forming a three-legged stand of electricity that hovered in midair.

"This is a fifth-tier Servant of Truth given to me by my teacher, Mr. Ove, a level-nineteen Professional, to attend to my daily needs." Lin Ke smiled and took his mother's hand. "So you needn't worry about whether I'll encounter danger outside."

A level-nineteen Professional as his teacher, and a fifth-tier Servant of Truth to attend to his daily needs.

Fifth-tier magic required a level-ten Professional to cast it. A level-nineteen being could even cast ninth-tier magic.

Add skills to that, and the result would be even more terrifying!

Puxin's pupils contracted, while his three wives gasped.

Puxin's son simply widened his eyes and shouted, "Impossible! You haven't even undergone bloodline Enlightenment! How could-"

"I underwent Enlightenment a little over ten days ago. My bloodline is Distinguished, so my teacher accepted me as his disciple. Then I spent a little time successfully becoming a [Scholar]."

Lin Ke spoke with a calm expression.

"Impossible!"

Puxin's eyes widened instinctively, and his three wives let out another series of gasps.

Such extraordinary talent?!

Puxin's son froze too, then immediately shook his head. "Impossible! How could your talent be that good? Hmph, you must be lying to me! Dad, he's lying!"

As he spoke, Puxin's son angrily pointed at Lin Ke again. "You lying mudblood! I'll kill you!"

"Quiet!"

Lin Ke snorted coldly. The three-legged servant in front of him shot out a whip-like bolt of lightning that struck Puxin's son.

It used very little force, though. Puxin's son was merely sent flying. He neither died nor broke any bones. Yes, very little force-he only coughed up blood, that was all.

Puxin looked at his own disgraceful, useless son, who did nothing but scream and cry for his parents whenever anything happened.

Then he looked at the extraordinarily gifted young master opposite him, who not only remained calm in the face of danger, but also thought clearly and protected his mother.

He could not help worrying about the future of his household.

"Heavens!"

Seeing her son sent flying, Puxin's wife cried out and hurried over to check on him.

Once she saw that he was all right, she turned and glared at Lin Ke in hatred. Her plump, lipstick-covered lips parted in a shrill scream. "Guards! Guards! Someone's trying to kill us!"

Her voice was as dry and grating as the cry of a ravenous owl in the dead of night.

Crash-

Yet her cries instantly brought more than a dozen guards bursting through the door.

Puxin had dismissed all the guards and servants just moments earlier.

These guards had apparently been lying in wait outside the door all along. Baron Puxin clearly had sinister intentions.

"I am Lin Ke Azan, and this is my mother, Furon! Do you dare kill me?" Lin Ke barked at the armored, armed guards before him.

Although Puxin had told his guards beforehand what might happen tonight, Garros's name had inspired fear for years. Sure enough, Lin Ke's words cowed them!

Puxin ignored his son on the floor and his haggard wife. He gave the guards no orders, either, and instead smiled at Lin Ke.

"Young Master Lin Ke, your mother is already tired and sleepy. Why not let her rest here while I send someone to escort you home?"

He had changed his mind. His original plan had been to have this mudblood, Lin Ke, hacked to death, then install his own son as Azan's heir.

Why else would he have spent so much just to court a woman?

But Lin Ke actually possessed such astonishing-even terrifying-talent, and had a terrifying level-nineteen being backing him.

He could not go too far, then.

As for a level-nineteen being killing him over such a minor matter?

Ridiculous! I'm a noble!

As long as there was no evidence, or that level-nineteen being knew nothing about it, he had absolutely nothing to worry about.

After all, he had done nothing. All he had done was encourage Lin Ke and his mother to stay the night, and give them a pile of gifts.

The Gula Kingdom had a whole host of legends and gods protecting it! Killing people at will-did he think they did not exist?

So Puxin planned to... have Lin Ke die after returning to Azan Castle, or at least after leaving Parrot City. He had sent men willing to die on his orders to do the job.

Then it would have nothing to do with him.

He had turned hostile, but he could not turn completely hostile.

As for Furon...

Puxin looked at Furon's tear-streaked, haggard beauty and felt that the three aging wives beside him were like dry chewing beans that Gula Cattle had chewed dozens of times: rough, sticky, and disgusting.

"You want me to leave and my mother to stay?" Lin Ke smiled.

"Little Lin Ke, go. Hurry home and let Sister Antova protect you."

However naive Furon might have been, she now understood Puxin's intentions. "I'll stay. I'll stay here with Baron Sandir."

At the same time, a fierce glint flashed through her eyes.

She had made up her mind. If that baron tried anything, she would bite through his throat-or something else-then kill herself by smashing her head against a wall.

Lin Ke knew what Furon was thinking from the look in her eyes, and his heart ached. "Mother, it's all right. We'll both go home."

Then he looked at Puxin and smiled. "If I remember correctly, dear Puxin, you're only level four, aren't you?" He had not bothered remembering Puxin's name at all. There was no point.

"Me? So what if I am?" Puxin smiled dismissively. "Little fellow, in battles between low-level Professionals, numbers and elite soldiers are also among the foundations of victory."

He pointed at the guards. "Your Servant of Truth can't save you. You should let your exhausted mother stay here and rest awhile."

He smiled smugly and raised his juice cup again. Although there was no juice left in it, he thought it made him look more refined.

Rumble...

Just then, peals of thunder sounded outside.

"Look, it's raining outside too. Traveling in the rain is a miserable business." Puxin raised his wine cup and gestured toward the door.

Thunder?

How could there be thunder in a clear, crisp autumn sky?

Lin Ke smiled too, a very sincere smile.

Summoning the Servant of Truth to keep Puxin from acting rashly, revealing his backing and potential to make Puxin wary of the consequences, all the miscellaneous chatter...

It had all been to buy time.

And now, thunder had arrived, and the maggots and ants scattered!

P.S. Please support me! Friends, keep those votes coming! Once the book goes premium, I'll release a flood of chapters!

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