The carriage left Fenlai City and headed north along the main road. Tender green shoots had already spread across the fields on either side, and farmers could occasionally be seen working the land. An lifted the curtain and watched the scenery rush past, a tangle of emotions rising within him.
Eight full years had passed since he left Wushan Town for Ernst Academy at nine. Now he was seventeen, returning home after graduation.
Linley sat opposite him, holding the long rosewood case. The saber Slaughter lay quietly inside, the dark red gems on its blade gleaming faintly in the sunlight.
"Big brother, how do you think Father will react when he sees this saber?" An asked.
Linley raised his head, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. "He'll be proud of us."
An remembered Hogg's fate in the original story: he had set out alone to seek revenge and died in some unknown place.
The carriage stopped outside the Baruch Clan's manor.
An and Linley jumped down. Hillman was in the courtyard, directing several young guards through their training. He froze at the sight of the two, then strode toward them, his face overflowing with delight.
"Linley! An!" Hillman pulled them both into a hug and thumped their backs. "You fine boys! Look how tall you've grown!"
Hillman's broad, powerful palms landed on their backs with dull thuds. An could feel his uncle's heartfelt joy and hugged him back just as hard.
"Uncle Hillman, you're as strong as ever," An said with a smile.
"Haha, I can't compare with you mages anymore. I heard you both passed the Level Seven Mage graduation assessment?" Hillman released them and looked them up and down, his eyes full of pride.
Linley nodded. "Yes, Uncle Hillman."
Hillman took a deep breath, as though struggling to contain his excitement. "Good, good. The Baruch Clan hasn't produced geniuses like you in centuries. Lord Hogg will be delighted."
As he spoke, a white-haired old man emerged from the manor.
"Young Master Linley, Young Master An." Hiri's voice trembled slightly. "You've finally come home. Lord Hogg is waiting for you in the sitting room."
Hiri led them through the front courtyard. Grass had sprouted between the stone paving slabs. The old pagoda tree in the corner had grown taller than it was eight years ago, its branches shading half the courtyard.
Hogg stood in the sitting room doorway, his hands behind his back, looking calmly at his two sons. He wore his dark blue nobleman's formal attire, the collar fastened with meticulous care. But
"Father," An and Linley called together.
Hogg nodded. "I'm glad you're home. Come in."
In the sitting room, Hogg took the seat of honor and sipped his tea. An and Linley sat in chairs on either side. Bebe poked his head out of An's collar and looked around curiously.
Hogg's gaze moved between An and Linley. Eight years had passed, and both his sons had grown into strapping young men. An was a hundred and eighty-five centimeters tall, and Linley was about the same height. Standing together, they looked like two towering peaks.
"I heard you both passed the Level Seven Mage graduation assessment?" Hogg asked.
Linley nodded. "Yes, Father. But An held back. He's already a Level Eight Mage."
The corners of Hogg's mouth trembled. He took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement. "Good. Good. At last, the Baruch Clan has hope of rising again."
An glanced at Linley, who gave a slight nod.
An stepped forward, took a small cloth bundle from inside his clothes, and opened it. Inside lay dozens of emerald-green herbs.
"Father, this is Blue Heart Grass," An said. "We gathered it in Mist Canyon in the Magical Beast Mountain Range. We picked a hundred and sixty stalks in all."
Hogg's pupils contracted sharply. He set down his teacup, rose, and walked over to An, lowering his head to examine the herbs closely.
"And that's not all," Linley said. "Father, we also killed a Golden Dragon at peak level eight. We drank its living dragon blood along with the Blue Heart Grass. Our Dragonblood Warrior bloodline has awakened."
Before he finished speaking, Linley activated the Dragonblood Battle Qi within him. Blue-gold scales emerged from beneath his skin and swiftly covered his entire body. Two blue-gold dragon horns grew from his forehead, a row of closely spaced spikes rose along his spine, and a long blue-gold tail extended from his tailbone. A pair of blue-gold wings spread from his back.
Hogg shot to his feet, knocking his chair over with a loud crash. His eyes went wide, his lips trembling violently. He could not utter a word.
Dragonblood Warriors!
An activated his Dragonblood Battle Qi as well.
Golden scales covered his body. His wings were pure gold and spanned a full three meters, almost touching the sitting room walls. The spikes along his back formed neat rows, while the dragon horns on his forehead curved slightly, like a natural crown. Standing there, he resembled a god of war cast in gold, an invisible pressure radiating from him.
Hiri approached with a pot of tea. At the sight before him, the teapot slipped from his hands and hit the floor with a crack, shattering to pieces. His mouth fell open, his eyes widened like brass bells, and then he dropped to his knees, tears streaming down his aged face.
"Dragonblood Warriors... Dragonblood Warriors!" Hiri cried hoarsely. "Our ancestors have answered our prayers!"
Hogg was trembling. He slowly approached his two sons, reached out a rough hand, and gently touched the golden scales on An's arm.
"Dragon... Dragonblood Warriors..." Hogg's voice was so hoarse it was barely audible. "Over a thousand years... Our Baruch Clan... can finally produce Dragonblood Warriors again... The line will never be broken again..."
At last, his tears fell.
An returned to human form and stepped forward to steady Hogg. "Father, we're home. From now on, you can leave everything to us."
Hogg wiped his eyes hard and took several deep breaths, trying to restore his voice. "Good, good. You... you should undo your dragon transformations."
Linley and An both undid their dragon transformations, returning to human form. Hi
Hogg sat down again, his gaze lingering on his sons' faces for a long time. He seemed to be hesitating over something, his lips parting and closing again. At last, his expression grew solemn, and a trace of pain flashed through his eyes.
"Linley, An, there's something I must tell you." Hogg's voice was low. "It's about your mother."
An's heart clenched. In the original story, Hogg had left Linley a letter before his death, revealing the truth about Lina's death.
"Mother didn't die in childbirth, did she?" An said.
Hogg froze and looked at An. "You... you know?"
An shook his head. "Tell us, Father. Whatever it is, we can bear it."
Hogg remained silent for a long time. The sitting room was so quiet that they could hear the ticking of the clock. Outside, a bird chirped on a branch, then fluttered away. Hiri quietly withdrew and closed the sitting room door.
"Your mother's name was Lina," Hogg finally began, his voice low and hoarse. "She was a very gentle woman. We met in Fenlai City. She wasn't a noble, just the daughter of an ordinary commoner. But I loved her, and I married her despite the clan's objections."
A tenderness appeared in Hogg's eyes that An had never seen there before. This was the most beautiful part of his memories.
"After you were born, our family was very happy. Later, Lina became pregnant with Wharton, and we were all delighted." Hogg's voice began to tremble. "To be safe, I took her to Fenlai City, where she gave birth to Wharton. Wharton was healthy, and Lina was well too. We took Wharton to the Radiant Temple to pray for blessings, then returned to the hotel for the night."
His fists clenched, his knuckles turning white, his nails almost digging into his flesh.
"That very night... a group of mysterious men broke into the hotel. They took Lina away. I fought desperately to save her, but I was outnumbered. I could only protect Wharton. Their leader had a red spider birthmark on his arm. He was stronger than me. They weren't after money or valuables. They had come for Lina."
An's gaze turned cold.
"What happened afterward?" Linley's voice was tight, and his fists clenched too.
Hogg shook his head. "Afterward, I brought Wharton back to Wushan Town and told everyone Lina had died in childbirth. I didn't dare investigate. Anyone capable of mobilizing such forces in Fenlai City was no minor figure. If I investigated, I might not even be able to protect you and Wharton. So I endured for eleven years, until you grew up, until Wharton went to the O'Brien Empire, until you brought back enough gold from the Magical Beast Mountain Range..."
He raised his head and looked at his two sons, his eyes full of bitterness. "For eleven years, I've been investigating. Last year, I went to Fenlai City in disguise and finally found the man with the red spider birthmark on his arm. I followed that lead and discovered the man behind him: Duke Paterson, the younger brother of Clayde, King of the Fenlai Kingdom."
Linley's fist slammed into the table, splitting its surface and sending wood chips flying.
"Duke Paterson." Linley repeated the name through clenched teeth. Blue-gold scales emerged uncontrollably along his arms.
"Why did he abduct Mother?"
Hogg shook his head. "I don't know. Duke Paterson is one of the most powerful men in the Fenlai Kingdom. Why would he abduct a commoner woman? I can't understand it. But I know Lina is almost certainly gone. If she were still alive, she wouldn't have gone eleven years without contacting us. It's just... I can't accept it. Alive, I must see her. Dead, I must see her body. Even if she truly is dead, I will avenge her."
Silence fell over the sitting room again. The clock ticked on, each beat striking at their hearts.
An rose, walked up to Hogg, and knelt on one knee. "Father, leave this to us. We'll investigate Duke Paterson. We'll find out where Mother is too. If she's still alive, we'll bring her home. If she's gone, we'll avenge her."
Linley came over and knelt on one knee as well. "Father, An is right. You're not alone anymore. You have us. The power of Dragonblood Warriors is enough to make anyone pay. You've endured for eleven years. That's enough. From now on, let us handle it."
Hogg looked at his sons, his eyes full of pride and deep concern. He reached out to help them up, pressing his rough palms firmly against their shoulders.
"What do you intend to do?" Hogg asked.
An stood, his gaze resolute. "We intend to enter the Fenlai Kingdom's service. King Clayde has already sent someone to invite us. He said he could grant us noble titles and fiefs. A Cardinal of the Radiant Church also wants us to remain in the Holy Union. If we enter the Fenlai Kingdom's service, we won't displease the Church, and we'll be able to enter Fenlai City's center of power openly. That will make investigating Duke Paterson much easier."
Hogg considered this for a moment, then slowly nodded. "That makes sense. But be careful. Paterson is no ordinary man. He's the king's younger brother, and he's spent decades building his influence in Fenlai City. His roots run deep. You'll be newcomers. Don't act rashly."
"We understand," An said.
He took the rosewood case from Linley, opened it, and lifted out the saber Slaughter, presenting it to Hogg with both hands.
"Father, there's one more thing. We redeemed Slaughter from the Lucas Clan."
Hogg's body jolted. He reached out a trembling hand and grasped the hilt. Slowly, he drew the saber out of the wooden case. Its edge gleamed coldly in the sunlight, and the ancient inscription "Slaughter" was clearly visible on the blade.
"A thousand years..." Hogg's voice choked. "The Baruch Clan's ancestral treasure has finally come home."
Hogg abruptly rose and strode toward the Ancestral Hall. An and Linley followed him. Along the way, several servants watched in surprise as Lord Hogg strode past with the saber in his hand.
The doors of the Ancestral Hall were pushed open, and a faint scent of sandalwood greeted them. Rows of memorial tablets stood solemnly in the candlelight. At the top was the tablet of Baruch, the first clan leader, followed by those of successive clan leaders.
Hogg placed Slaughter on the offering table before the memorial tablets, then knelt and kowtowed three times. His forehead struck the floor with dull thuds.
"Ancestors above, I, your unworthy descendant Hogg, have finally brought our ancestral treasure, Slaughter, home to the clan." Hogg's voice echoed through the Ancestral Hall. "Today, my two sons, Linley and An, have successfully awakened their Dragonblood Warrior bloodline. The glory of the Baruch Clan will surely be restored!"
An and Linley knelt too and kowtowed three times.
When he raised his head, An saw a portrait hanging above the offering table. It depicted a middle-aged man in armor, holding Slaughter and riding an enormous black dragon. This was Baruch, the first clan leader, a Dragonblood Warrior from five thousand years ago who had once stood at the pinnacle of the Yulan Continent.
Night had deepened.
An lay in bed, listening to the insects chirping outside the window.
"An, do you think Mother is still alive?" Linley asked.
An was silent for a moment. He knew that in the original story, Lina was already dead. Her soul had been sacrificed to the Radiant Sovereign, turning her into a Twelve-Winged Angel. Only much later, after Linley killed Augusta, had she finally been saved.
"I don't know. But alive, we must see her. Dead, we must see her body. Whatever happens, we have to uncover the truth," An said.
"Duke Paterson..." Linley's voice was filled with murderous intent. "One day, I'll kill him with my own hands."
"Don't rush, big brother. King Clayde stands behind Paterson, and the Radiant Church stands behind Clayde. We've awakened our Dragonblood Warrior bloodline, but we're still far from strong enough. We must at least reach Saint-level before we're qualified to challenge them openly," An said calmly.
Linley was silent for a while. "You're right. We need time."
"So we'll enter the Fenlai Kingdom's service first and slowly build our position. We'll improve our strength while investigating in secret. Once the time is right, we'll act."
"All right."
Early the next morning, An and Linley packed their luggage and prepared to leave.
Hogg stood at the door. He said little, merely pressing a cloth pouch into Linley's hand. "For the journey. Remember to write home once you reach Fenlai City."
"Take care, Father," An said.
The carriage sped along the main road. An lifted the curtain and watched Wushan Town recede into the distance, until it became a hazy speck and vanished over the horizon.
Before you continue