The next morning, Linley arrived at Basil Provincial Capital.
This city was the capital of the O'Brien Empire's Northwest Province.
Its walls were twice as high as those of Chier County City, and caravans and knights filled its broad roads. The Jax Family's castle stood in the north of the city, its fluttering banners visible from far away.
Linley did not go north.
He went straight to the Naier Hotel in the eastern part of the city.
Behind the Naier Hotel were more than a dozen private courtyards. Each was separated by high walls and had its own sitting room and bedroom, so those staying here would not be disturbed by ordinary guests.
Linley chose a courtyard near the back gate.
Haeru lay beneath a tree in the courtyard.
Bebe jumped onto the stone table, grabbed the fruit the hotel had delivered, and took great bites.
"Boss, are we really going to wait here for three days?" Bebe asked through Soul Transmission.
"Jenny has to attend her clan gathering," Linley said. "She'll come over in three days."
He took an ordinary piece of bluestone out of his interspatial ring.
The Flat Blade descended.
Fine stone dust scattered across the tabletop.
Over the years, Linley had spent most of his time cultivating the profound mysteries of the earth. But every so often, he still picked up the Flat Blade.
Sculpting could truly quiet his mind.
It also allowed him to carefully sense every trace of movement around him.
That evening, six guests moved into the courtyard next door at the Naier Hotel.
One silver-haired woman.
Five silent men.
They wore ordinary warriors' clothes and carried no obvious church insignia.
After checking in, the five men never left their courtyard.
The silver-haired woman, however, climbed onto the courtyard wall the next morning.
Linley was sculpting.
A young face suddenly appeared over the wall.
Long silver hair hung beside her shoulders, and a pair of eyes surveyed the courtyard curiously.
Soon, her gaze settled on Haeru.
"What a huge leopard!"
The silver-haired woman braced both hands against the wall and jumped straight into the courtyard.
She wore a close-fitting female warrior's outfit, with a longsword hanging at her waist. She landed lightly, possessing at least the physical capabilities of a seventh-level warrior.
As though she had not seen Linley, she ran straight toward Haeru.
Haeru raised his head.
His dark golden eyes stared coldly at her.
The silver-haired woman's steps faltered.
"Stop," Linley said.
The silver-haired woman turned her head.
"Is this leopard your magical beast?"
"Yes."
"I just wanted to pet him."
"He doesn't like strangers coming near him."
Haeru bared his sharp teeth, a low growl rumbling in his throat.
The silver-haired woman immediately took two steps back.
There was no fear on her face. Instead, she walked over to the stone table, her gaze falling on the unfinished sculpture.
"You're a sculptor too?"
Linley did not answer.
"My name is Danlan." The silver-haired woman sat down across the stone table as though they were already friends. "My teacher loves stone sculptures, but he can't sculpt himself. Could you teach me?"
"No."
"Why?"
"I don't take students."
Disappointment appeared on Danlan's face.
"I'm very clever."
"It has nothing to do with being clever."
"Then what does it have to do with?"
Linley raised his head and looked at her.
"Who is your teacher?"
Danlan immediately straightened up.
"The Rock Sword Saint, Haydson."
The Flat Blade in Linley's hand paused.
Haydson was the most famous Saint Realm expert in the O'Brien Empire beneath the War God.
But few people knew whether he had a silver-haired female disciple.
"If you're Haydson's disciple, why do you want to learn sculpting?" Linley asked.
"My teacher likes it," Danlan said as though it were only natural. "If I sculpt one for him, he'll definitely be very happy."
"Sculpting isn't something you can learn in a few days."
"Then I'll spend a few more days learning."
Danlan stood and walked around the stone table, seemingly intending to come to Linley's side.
"Sit back down," Linley said.
Danlan stopped.
She blinked, then suddenly smiled. "Are you that afraid of me?"
"I don't like people coming near me while I'm sculpting."
"All right."
Danlan retreated to the other side of the stone table.
"I'll come back tomorrow."
She leaped onto the courtyard wall, then turned and waved at Linley.
"Big Brother Lei, you really must think it over."
With that, she jumped back into the neighboring courtyard.
Bebe tossed the fruit pit in his paws onto the table.
"Boss, that woman is very strange."
"She's hiding her strength," Linley said through Soul Transmission.
"Should I follow her?"
"Not yet."
Linley lowered his head and continued sculpting.
The Flat Blade descended, sending stone dust flying.
His spiritual energy, however, had already spread over the entire courtyard.
Over the next two days, Danlan came over every day.
Sometimes she brought a newly purchased warrior's cloak.
Sometimes she brought a piece of stone.
She always sought reasons to approach Linley.
Every time, Linley kept her at least three meters away.
On the morning of the third day, Danlan jumped into the courtyard again.
This time, she brought nothing.
"Big Brother Lei, I'm leaving today."
Linley was practicing his swordsmanship.
The Black Jade Heavy Sword traced slow arcs in his hand, without a sound from the surrounding air.
"Safe travels," Linley said.
The smile on Danlan's face stiffened briefly.
"You really won't teach me?"
"No."
"Is it because I have no talent?"
"You have to be an earth element magus to truly begin learning the Flat Blade Style." Linley looked at her. "Are you one?"
Danlan froze.
"What does learning stone sculpting have to do with earth element magic?"
Linley had his answer.
She had never seriously looked into stone sculpting at all.
Nor had she come for Haydson's sake.
"Nothing," Linley said. "You can leave now."
Danlan lowered her head.
"So you never believed me."
She took a step forward.
Only two meters remained between her and Linley.
The next instant, Danlan's entire body became a silver phantom.
A pitch-black dagger abruptly appeared in her hand.
The dagger stabbed straight toward Linley's heart.
Fast!
The speed of a ninth-level warrior erupted fully within a distance of two meters.
But Linley had been waiting all along.
The moment the dagger appeared, his body was already moving to the side.
Wind Shadow Technique!
Four blurred figures appeared at once.
The dagger pierced one of the afterimages.
Danlan's expression changed.
The Black Jade Heavy Sword was already sweeping in from the side.
Not daring to block, she pushed off the ground and forced herself backward through the air.
The heavy sword brushed across the front of her chest.
A slit tore open in her warrior's outfit.
Danlan smashed through the courtyard gate and rushed straight into the corridor behind the hotel.
"Bebe," Linley said.
Bebe became a black shadow and burrowed underground.
A moment later, he darted out again from a corner of the courtyard.
"Boss, there were five more people outside," Bebe said through Soul Transmission. "They left with that woman."
Six people.
Holding the Black Jade Heavy Sword, Linley did not pursue them.
Mackenzie, the Jax Family's Saint Realm expert, was stationed in Basil Provincial Capital.
Since they dared to pursue him here, that assassination attempt would certainly not be their only one.
They would come again.
In another courtyard, Landan tore off the damaged clothing over her chest and changed into a silver-white robe.
The liveliness on her face had vanished.
Five men stood before her.
"Why didn't we just form the formation?" one of them asked.
"This is the provincial capital," Landan said coldly. "Mackenzie is in the north of the city."
"Then Linley already knows we're here."
"So what if he knows?"
Landan looked toward the street outside the Naier Hotel.
"If he wants to take that woman from Chier County City away, he'll have to leave the provincial capital."
"Wait until he leaves the city."
At noon that day, the Jax Family's clan gathering ended.
Jenny did not attend the banquet afterward.
She and Keane took a carriage straight to the Naier Hotel.
Linley had already moved to another courtyard.
The shattered courtyard gate remained where it was, and hotel attendants were clearing the wood splinters from the ground.
When Jenny saw the broken gate, her expression changed slightly.
"Was there a battle here?"
"A probe," Linley said.
"The Radiant Church?" Keane asked.
"I can't be completely certain yet."
Linley looked at Jenny.
"Is the clan gathering over?"
"It's over," Jenny said. "I've handed everything that needed handing over to Ailin. From now on, Keane will make his own decisions about Chier County City's affairs."
Keane nodded.
"My sister can leave whenever she likes."
After saying that, he hesitated again.
"But there's one more thing."
"What?" Linley asked.
"Albert."
Keane's expression was rather grim.
"He's the eldest son of the Jax Clan's patriarch and the first in line to succeed him. He's been pestering my sister these past few years."
Jenny frowned slightly.
"That matter is already over."
"It's not over," Keane said. "Last night, he even tried to force his way into your quarters. Fortunately, I'd stationed guards there in advance."
Linley looked at Jenny.
"Were you hurt?"
"No," Jenny said. "The guards stopped him before he even got through the door."
Her tone was calm.
"Big Brother Lei, this is an internal matter of the Jax Family. Keane has already turned him down, and I've turned him down many times myself."
Linley nodded.
"Then let's go."
"Now?" Keane asked.
"Now."
Six unidentified ninth-rank experts had already appeared at the hotel.
Staying any longer would only make things more complicated.
Jenny did not hesitate.
She brought only a small suitcase; her other luggage had already been sent back to Chier County City.
A moment later, Haeru rose to his feet in the courtyard.
Jenny sat on Haeru's back.
Bebe jumped onto Linley's shoulder.
"Keane, go back to Chier County City," Linley said.
Keane looked at Jenny.
"Sister, take care."
"Take good care of Ailin, and Grandpa Lambert too."
"I will."
Jenny bent down and hugged Keane.
Then Haeru walked out of the Naier Hotel.
Linley walked alongside him.
The man and the magical beast soon disappeared at the end of the street in the eastern part of the city.
Keane stood outside the hotel until they were completely out of sight before turning to leave.
On the other side of the street, a young man in a luxurious robe jumped down from a carriage.
He saw Keane, then caught sight of Haeru's retreating figure in the distance, and his expression immediately darkened.
"Keane!"
Keane stopped.
"Albert."
Albert strode over.
"Who did Jenny leave with?"
"That's none of your business."
"I'm the first in line to inherit the Jax Family!" Albert stared at him. "Don't forget that Chier County City is also Jax Family territory."
Keane looked at him coldly.
"And don't you forget that my sister Jenny doesn't like you either."
With that, Keane turned and climbed into his carriage.
Albert stood in the street, his face alternating between green and white.
"Young master." A middle-aged man approached him. "That black-haired young man should be the ninth-rank expert Keane mentioned."
"So what if he's ninth rank?" Albert said through gritted teeth. "This is Basil Provincial Capital."
Just then, six people walked out of the Naier Hotel.
The silver-haired woman at the front had already changed into a white robe.
Her expression was icy, completely unlike the lively Danlan of a few days earlier.
Albert's gaze immediately fell on her.
Landan glanced at him as well.
"You want to kill that black-haired young man who just left?"
Albert froze.
"Who are you?"
"Lord Haydson's disciple," Landan said. "My five senior brothers and I are looking for Linley too."
Albert's eyes lit up.
"You have a grudge against him?"
"He offended our teacher."
Landan walked up to Albert.
"You have men. We have strength."
"What do you want to do?"
"Bring your cavalry." Landan looked toward the eastern city gate. "Follow him out of the city."
The middle-aged man beside Albert frowned.
"Young master, he's a ninth-rank expert."
"Silan, aren't you ninth rank too?" Albert said.
The middle-aged man did not answer.
He was Mackenzie's disciple.
Naturally, he had no fear of an ordinary ninth-rank expert.
But that black-haired young man also had a Black-Striped Cloud Leopard with him.
Landan said flatly, "You won't need to fight."
"You only need to spread the cavalry out around us. Once we're outside the city, the six of us will kill Linley."
Albert stared at her.
"What about Jenny?"
"She's yours."
"And the things Linley has on him?"
"Those are yours too."
Albert laughed.
"Good."
Half a quarter of an hour later, dozens of cavalrymen came charging from the direction of the Jax Family castle.
Landan and her five companions changed into ordinary cavalry armor, put on helmets, and blended into the ranks.
Albert himself rode at the front.
Silan followed beside him.
The cavalry charged toward the eastern city gate.
By then, Linley was already more than ten li outside Basil Provincial Capital.
The farmland on either side of the road gradually disappeared.
Ahead lay a stretch of rolling wilderness.
Sitting on Haeru's back, Jenny glanced behind her.
"Big Brother Lei, someone's behind us."
The ground was trembling slightly.
The rapid clatter of hooves came from the distance.
Linley did not turn around.
His spiritual energy had long since detected the cavalry.
"I know."
"Is it Albert?"
"He's only part of it."
Linley slowed his steps.
Haeru slowed down as well.
"Boss, that silver-haired woman is back there," Bebe said through Soul Transmission. "She's wearing a helmet, but I remember her scent."
A trace of coldness flashed through Linley's eyes.
They came after all.
Yet he did not speed up to leave.
They were already far enough from Basil Provincial Capital.
There were no villages nearby, nor any ordinary travelers.
It was the ideal place to deal with their pursuers.
The cavalry drew closer and closer.
Dozens of warhorses charged up the road from behind, then quickly spread out to either side, surrounding Linley and Bebe.
Albert rode out from the ranks.
"Jenny."
"Come back with me."
Jenny looked at him.
"I've told you many times already. I won't marry you."
Albert's face darkened.
"This time, you don't get a choice."
He raised his hand and pointed at Linley.
"Kill him!"
The cavalry did not charge immediately.
Six figures leaped from their horses at the same time.
Landan landed in front of Linley.
The other five spread out around him.
The six of them occupied exactly six positions.
The smile had yet to fade from Albert's face.
Silan's expression, however, abruptly changed.
"Retreat!"
Six dazzling rays of white light lit up within Landan and her five companions at the same time.
The white light extended toward each of the others.
The Six-Pointed Angel Battle Formation began to take shape.