The sunset's lingering glow stained the mountain forests of Blackwind Valley red. A few cries from weary birds returning to their nests broke the silence after the battle.
Hillman had the garrison members deal with the Ironclad Berserk Bear's carcass-the hide, bones, and magic core of this peak fourth-rank magical beast were all quite valuable, enough to cover most of the supplies the garrison had used. He led Linley slowly toward the boulder at the valley's entrance, his brows furrowed the entire time.
Linley was still caught up in the exhilaration of the battle. His little face flushed with excitement, he clenched his fists and said, "Uncle Hillman, when I stabbed it just now, my heart nearly jumped out of my chest! So this is what fighting a magical beast feels like!"
Hillman came back to himself. Seeing the light shining in the boy's eyes, his worries eased a little. He reached out and patted Linley's shoulder, his tone solemn. "You did very well just now. You chose precisely the right spot to attack, but it was too risky. If I hadn't held it back in time, the consequences would have been unthinkable."
Some of the excitement faded from Linley's face. He lowered his head and said with some guilt, "I know I was wrong. I won't act on my own next time."
"As long as you recognize your mistake and correct it." Hillman sighed softly, then pointed at the Ironclad Berserk Bear's carcass and asked gravely, "Did you notice anything wrong with this Ironclad Berserk Bear?"
Linley paused. He carefully thought back, then shook his head in puzzlement. "It was fierce and very strong, just like the fourth-rank magical beasts you told me about."
"No." Hillman shook his head and led Linley over to the Ironclad Berserk Bear's neck, pointing at a tiny wound. "Look here."
Linley leaned closer. Beneath the scales on the Ironclad Berserk Bear's neck was a pinprick wound so small it was almost impossible to notice. The flesh around it had turned a strange blue-black, completely different from the wounds elsewhere.
"What happened here?" Linley asked curiously.
"Someone did this." Hillman's voice was cold. "Someone used a specially made sharp instrument to inject this Ironclad Berserk Bear with Berserk Potion. This potion makes magical beasts lose their reason and become exceptionally vicious. They attack any living creatures around them without regard for anything else."
"Someone did it?" Linley's eyes widened. "Who would do something like that?"
Hillman did not answer. He looked toward the dense forest deep within Blackwind Valley, his gaze as keen as an eagle's. Anyone who could obtain Berserk Potion was no ordinary person. Whoever had deliberately made this Ironclad Berserk Bear appear in Blackwind Valley and attack Wushan Town's hunting party probably had more than a simple purpose.
Were they targeting Wushan Town? Or were they targeting the Baruch Clan-targeting Linley?
A powerful sense of danger rose within Hillman. He had a vague feeling that this Ironclad Berserk Bear had only been a probe. The real danger was still to come.
"Come on. We're heading back." Hillman took Linley's hand and said gravely, "We must keep this quiet."
The two mounted their horses and set off for Wushan Town with the garrison members and the hunting party. All along the way, Hillman considered how to respond. Since their opponent could act in secret, they clearly knew something about Wushan Town's situation. To protect this place in the long term, the garrison's fighting strength alone was far from enough. They also had to make Wushan Town truly prosper, and that would require Hogg's help.
By the time they returned to Wushan Town, it was completely dark. Hillman settled the hunting party and instructed the garrison members to step up their patrols before taking Linley to Baruch Manor.
Hogg had long been waiting at the entrance. Seeing the two return safely, he finally felt his anxiety ease. When he heard Hillman explain that the Ironclad Berserk Bear had been injected with Berserk Potion, his expression immediately grew grave.
"The Radiant Church." Hogg's voice was low, with a hint of gritted teeth. "I can't think of anyone else who would do something like this."
Something stirred in Hillman's mind, and he asked, "You suspect the Radiant Church?"
"That's right." Hogg nodded and walked to the study window, gazing out into the night. "The existence of Dragonblood Warriors has always been a thorn in their side. All these years, they've never stopped searching for descendants of our Baruch Clan. This Ironclad Berserk Bear was probably sent by them to test us."
Hillman drew a deep breath and spoke bluntly. "Hogg, relying on the garrison's defenses only treats the symptoms, not the cause. Wushan Town is remote, with poor access to trade routes. The hunters and farmers here struggle to get by. Even if they want to help, they can't spare many supplies to support our defenses. If we want a firm foothold, we must first open trade routes and reform commerce."
A gleam flashed through Hogg's eyes at these words. Having traveled the continent in his youth, he already knew a fair amount about trade. He had only deliberately kept a low profile all these years to conceal his identity. With Hillman laying it out now, everything suddenly became clear. "You're right. Medicinal herbs and magical beast materials from the forests around Wushan Town pile up like mountains, but without stable trade routes, they can only be sold cheaply to passing merchants who come by now and then. As long as we open trade routes to the surrounding towns and cities and establish fixed trading posts, Wushan Town's financial strength is bound to improve greatly."
The two immediately agreed and began discussing a concrete plan. Hogg proposed first taking the lead in establishing a merchant association under the Baruch Clan's name, pooling the hunters' beast materials, the farmers' grain, and the herb growers' medicinal herbs for unified sales to outside buyers. At the same time, they would hire reliable merchant caravans and open a trade route between Wushan Town and Fenlai City to the south. This would let them sell at good prices while also purchasing urgently needed cultivation resources and defensive supplies from elsewhere.
"You don't need to worry about funding," Hogg said, patting his chest. "The Baruch Clan has kept a low profile all these years, but we've accumulated considerable savings. It's enough to support the merchant association's initial operations."
Hillman nodded, then looked at Linley beside them and said gravely, "Trade reform is a long-term plan, but improving Linley's strength is urgent. Today's actual combat showed me that his foundations are already solid, but he lacks systematic combat techniques and guidance for his bloodline."
Hogg's gaze settled on Linley, his eyes full of expectation and solemnity. "Starting tomorrow, come to the manor's training room. I'll teach you the basic cultivation methods from the Chronicles of the Dragonblood Warrior and supplement them with the body-tempering methods treasured by our clan to help you awaken your bloodline's power. Cultivation methods alone won't be enough, though. Every morning, you'll follow Uncle Hillman through weighted training, and in the afternoons, you'll spar with the garrison members. Actual combat is the fastest way to improve your strength."
Linley's eyes immediately lit up. Clenching his fists tightly, he said solemnly, "I'll train hard. I won't disappoint you!"
In the days that followed, Wushan Town became a bustling place.
Hogg pushed the trade reforms forward decisively. First, he visited the town's hunters and farmers from door to door, explaining the benefits of the merchant association, and soon won everyone's support. Once word of its establishment spread, many people came forward on their own with stockpiled beast hides and medicinal herbs to register them. Hogg also sent people to the surrounding towns and cities to contact merchant caravans. With fair prices and a trustworthy reputation, he soon negotiated several trade routes. When the first wagons laden with magical beast hides and medicinal herbs rolled out of Wushan Town, the residents all wore hopeful smiles.
Meanwhile, Linley's training also entered a high-intensity phase.
Every day before dawn, he ran through the mountain forests with Hillman, carrying heavy iron weights on his back. The mountain paths were rugged and difficult, and the iron weights pressed painfully against his shoulders. Sweat soaked his clothes, and bloody blisters formed on his feet, but he never once complained. Hillman supervised him strictly from beside him, occasionally instructing him to adjust his breathing and use battle qi to ease his physical fatigue.
The afternoon sparring in the training room was even fiercer. Holding a refined-iron shortsword, Linley fought the garrison members in turn. These men were all capable fighters who had undergone Hillman's special training, with abundant experience and ruthless moves. At first, Linley was often driven back again and again, collecting many bruises. But every time he fell, he immediately climbed back up, reviewed what he had learned, and adjusted his tactics. Through clash after clash, his use of battle qi grew more adept, and his sword moves became increasingly fierce. He could even faintly sense the power hidden within his bloodline.
One day, while sparring with Deputy Captain Tom, Linley coated his shortsword in battle qi for the first time, sending out a sharp arc of golden sword light that forced Tom back three steps.
Watching this, a hint of gratification flashed through Hillman's eyes. Hogg stood beside him, stroking his beard, a smile appearing on his face for the first time in a long while.
The opening of the trade routes made Wushan Town increasingly prosperous, allowing the garrison's equipment to be upgraded further; Linley's arduous sword training also brought rapid improvements to his strength.
Hillman knew this was still far from enough. The shadow of the Radiant Church remained overhead, and hidden currents still stirred. But as he looked at the flourishing Wushan Town before him and at the boy sweating profusely in the training room, his conviction grew ever firmer.
As long as they worked together, they would surely be able to protect this land and safeguard the Baruch Clan's future.
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