"It was Prince Yulin who ordered that the city gates remain closed."
As Yale's voice fell silent, stillness settled over the front courtyard.
Linley took the intelligence report.
It was written very clearly.
When Reynolds led the remnants of his troops back to Nier City, only a few dozen men remained.
There were roughly three hundred pursuers.
Yet inside Nier City were thirty thousand defenders.
Standing atop the gate tower, Prince Yulin had been frightened by an arrow shot up onto the city wall. He immediately issued strict orders that no one was to open the gates or leave the city to engage the enemy.
Reynolds and the others kept shouting from below.
The gates never opened.
In the end, the enemy killed all the dozens of soldiers. Reynolds fell to the ground, gravely wounded, and the enemy took his body away as well.
After reading it, Linley slowly folded the report.
"Where did this information come from?"
"From the Dawson Chamber of Commerce's people in Nier City," Yale said. "Soldiers on the wall saw it with their own eyes. Plenty of people in the city know about it. No one dares speak."
"What about Joanne?"
"She is protecting her younger brother."
Yale gritted his teeth.
"Fourth Bro's father knows the truth too. But the Dunstan Clan lives right here in the imperial capital. Would he dare say anything?"
Linley raised his head and looked toward the imperial palace.
Three days earlier, Joanne had told him that help had not arrived in time.
Nien Dunstan had said that Reynolds had not died unjustly.
So it was not that they had not known.
It was that none of them dared speak.
"Where is Prince Yulin?" Linley asked.
"He has already left Nier City and returned to his princely castle in the Southeast Province," Yale said. "Third Bro, I'm coming with you."
"You can't keep up."
"Then I'll mobilize the chamber of commerce's people."
"No need."
Linley's voice was very calm.
"This is between me and Fourth Bro."
"He was my brother too!" Yale snapped.
"That is why you should stay in the imperial capital," Doehring suddenly said.
Yale turned to look at the white-haired old man.
He had only just arrived at the earl's estate and did not yet know who Doehring was.
Doehring walked over to the stone table and unfolded the report again.
"Joanne has already lied to Linley once."
"If Linley simply kills Yulin, she may not dare stop him openly, but she can vent her anger on the Dunstan Clan. She can also silence every witness in Nier City."
Yale's expression changed.
"The Dawson Chamber of Commerce can protect the Dunstan Clan."
"For a few days, yes. For a year, too," Doehring said. "But as long as Joanne remains emperor, the Dunstan Clan will always have to be on guard."
Linley looked at Doehring.
"Grandpa Doehring?"
"Go to War God Mountain first," Doehring said.
"To see the War God?"
"He founded the O'Brien Empire. Joanne only listens to him."
Doehring stroked his white beard.
"Whether Yulin deserves to die is for you to decide."
"I will only push back the hands that have no business reaching out."
Linley fell silent for a moment, then nodded.
"All right."
Yale stared at Doehring.
"Will the War God see us?"
"He will."
Doehring offered no explanation.
Linley handed the report back to Yale.
"Boss, stay here. Keep watch over the Dunstan Clan, and over the imperial palace too."
"If anything unusual happens, have the chamber of commerce send word immediately."
Yale wanted to say more.
But he also knew that reaching the imperial capital had already taken him two days and a night. The Southeast Province was too far away. At his speed, he would only slow Linley down.
"Bring Fourth Bro back," Yale said.
Linley paused.
They all believed Reynolds was already dead.
Bringing him back could only mean bringing back his body.
"I will."
A short while later, Linley completed his Dragonform transformation and soared into the sky.
Bebe lay on his shoulder.
Dressed in moon-white robes, Doehring flew beside him toward War God Mountain.
War God Mountain towered into the clouds.
The two figures had barely landed on the summit when a middle-aged man in blue robes blocked their path.
"Linley?"
The newcomer was Fain, the War God Sect's eldest disciple.
He knew Linley had already entered the Saint Realm, and he also knew Linley and Olivier had agreed to a sparring match.
But his gaze soon settled on Doehring.
He could not fathom this white-haired old man.
"I want to see the War God," Linley said.
Fain frowned.
"Master is in secluded training."
Doehring took a step forward.
A trace of Deity Level aura swept from his body.
It lasted only an instant.
Fain's expression changed drastically.
All the surrounding fire elemental essence seemed to freeze.
"Lead the way," Doehring said.
Fain asked no more questions.
He led the two of them deep into War God Mountain.
The farther down they went, the hotter it became.
The stone walls gradually turned dark red.
At the end of the passage lay an enormous magma cavern.
Scalding magma churned without pause.
A man in red robes sat cross-legged above the magma.
Fain bowed.
"Master."
"Leave."
The voice echoed through the cavern.
Fain immediately withdrew.
The red-robed man opened his eyes.
His gaze settled first on Linley, then turned to Doehring.
"When the Laws of the Universe descended, I knew the Yulan Continent had gained another Deity Level expert."
"I did not expect it to be you."
Doehring smiled. "More than five thousand years have passed, yet someone still remembers my name. That is rare."
"Doehring Cowart," the War God said. "The Earth Element Saint-level Magus of those days."
He did not rise.
Nor did Doehring offer the salute of a junior.
The two Deity Level experts looked at each other across the churning magma.
"You did not come to discuss the Laws," the War God said.
"Indeed not."
Doehring recounted what had happened in Nier City.
The War God's expression did not change after he heard it.
"Yulin is Joanne's younger brother."
"I know."
"He is also my descendant."
"That is why I came to see you first."
Doehring looked at Linley.
"Otherwise, he would already be in the Southeast Province."
The War God looked at Linley again.
"You want to kill Yulin?"
"Yes," Linley said.
"Kill an imperial prince for a battalion commander?"
"Reynolds was my brother."
"There were also dozens of imperial soldiers outside those gates."
Linley stared at the War God.
"They escaped an enemy ambush, only to die before their own city's gates."
"If Yulin does not die, how is the Golden Flame Legion supposed to keep guarding the empire's borders?"
Only the sound of churning flames remained in the magma cavern.
The War God was silent for a while.
"Yulin is not worth protecting."
Linley's gaze did not change.
Doehring spoke. "I came for three things."
"Speak."
"First, Joanne must not obstruct Linley."
"Second, the Dunstan Clan must not suffer retaliation for Yulin's death."
"Third, every soldier in Nier City who knows the truth must stay alive to speak."
The War God glanced at Doehring.
"You will not act yourself?"
"This is the blood debt owed to Linley's brother," Doehring said. "He should decide how to collect it."
"I only came to make sure the empire's emperor will not retaliate afterward against a family that has lost a son."
The War God raised his right hand.
A dark red token flew out from above the magma and landed in Linley's hand.
On its face was a single archaic character: "Martial."
"Take it," the War God said.
"Joanne knows what to do."
"If she does not, she need no longer be emperor."
Linley gripped the token.
"Thank you."
The War God closed his eyes again.
"Handle mortal affairs yourselves."
Doehring did not leave immediately.
"I owe you one."
The War God said flatly, "We can discuss that when we enter the Necropolis of the Gods."
An unusual gleam flashed through Doehring's eyes.
He did not press further and turned to leave the cavern with Linley.
After leaving War God Mountain, the two immediately flew southeast.
That afternoon, they reached the prince's castle in the Southeast Province.
Linley descended from the sky.
Doehring remained above the clouds.
"I'll wait for you here."
Linley nodded.
The castle guards quickly surrounded him.
"Who are you?"
Linley did not draw his sword.
He merely raised the War God Token.
When the Ninth-level Warrior leading them saw the token clearly, his face instantly turned pale.
He dropped to his knees.
The guards around him also knelt one after another.
"Where is Yulin?" Linley asked.
No one dared stop him.
A short while later, Linley met Prince Yulin in the castle's rear hall.
Yulin was drinking.
When he heard Linley's name, the wine cup in his hand fell to the floor.
"Lord Linley."
Yulin forced a smile.
"I haven't had time to prepare a wedding gift for Wharton and Nina yet."
Linley walked up to him.
"How many enemy soldiers were pursuing Reynolds outside Nier City?"
The smile froze on Yulin's face.
"It was too dark at the time. No one could see clearly."
"There were thirty thousand troops defending the city."
"The enemy might have had an ambush waiting."
"So you let dozens of imperial soldiers die outside the city gates?"
Yulin took a step back.
"I'm a prince. I had to take responsibility for all of Nier City!"
"You were just afraid to die."
Blue-black dragon scales surfaced on Linley's body.
Sharp bone spikes emerged from his forehead and back.
Yulin collapsed to the floor in fright.
"I'm His Majesty's younger brother!"
"You can't kill me!"
"His Majesty won't spare the Dunstan Clan, and he won't spare Wharton either!"
Killing intent finally appeared in Linley's dark golden eyes.
"Is that your last means of protection?"
His dragon tail lashed out.
It wrapped directly around Yulin's body.
Crack!
The sound of shattering bones rang through the rear hall.
Yulin only managed a single scream before his body went limp.
Linley loosened his dragon tail.
The corpse hit the floor heavily.
From beginning to end, not a single guard in the castle dared move.
Linley turned and walked out of the castle.
Among the clouds, Doehring was still waiting for him.
"Finished?"
"Yes."
"Then let's go find Reynolds."
The two continued south.
At dusk, Nier City appeared on the horizon.
Once the War God Token appeared, neither the city lord nor the officers who had defended the city that day dared conceal anything.
"After Lord Reynolds fell, the enemy leader carried him away," one of the defending officers said.
"Who was he?" Linley asked.
"Hook, a squadron commander of the Luo'ao Empire. We've fought him several times."
"Where's the camp?"
The officer pointed south.
"Over sixty li outside Nier City, the two countries' armies are facing off. Hook should still be in the enemy camp."
Linley shot into the sky.
For a Saint Realm expert, sixty-odd li was not far.
Soon, the sprawling military camps of the Luo'ao Empire appeared below.
Linley stopped above the camps.
"Hook!"
His voice rolled like thunder throughout the entire camp.
Countless soldiers looked up.
The Luo'ao Empire's legion commander flew into the air, his expression grim.
"Saint Realm experts cannot interfere in ordinary warfare."
"I'm not here to fight in the war," Linley said. "Hand Hook over. I'll leave once I've questioned him."
"This is a military camp of the Luo'ao Empire."
Linley took out the Black Jade Heavy Sword.
"I haven't attacked your soldiers."
"But if you keep blocking me, I'll treat you as a Saint Realm opponent."
The legion commander stared at the dragon scales on Linley's body and finally stepped aside.
Before long, Hook was brought outside the camp.
He was a tall, burly, bald man.
At the mention of Reynolds's name, the look in Hook's eyes immediately changed.
"The body's already been thrown away," he said.
Linley walked up to him.
"Where?"
"Out in the wilderness. I can't remember."
"Why did you carry a corpse away in the first place?"
Hook could not answer.
Doehring stood nearby, his divine sense fixed on Hook the entire time.
"He's lying," Doehring said.
Linley's dragon claw clamped onto Hook's shoulder.
With just a little pressure, the shoulder bone began to shatter.
Hook screamed.
"I'll talk!"
"He wasn't dead!"
Linley's hand abruptly stopped.
"What did you say?"
"That battalion commander wasn't dead!" Hook said hastily. "After I carried him back, I discovered he was still breathing. He was a Level Seven Mage and could fetch a lot of money. I didn't kill him. I sold him to a slave trader!"
A thunderous roar went through Linley's mind.
Fourth Bro was still alive.
At least he'd been alive when he was sold.
"Who did you sell him to?"
"Old White. He trades slaves at the border. I'll take you there!"
Linley grabbed Hook.
With Hook directing them, the three soon found an estate on the Luo'ao Empire's border.
Old White could not withstand the pressure of a Saint Realm expert at all.
He knelt on the ground and told them everything.
Reynolds had been badly wounded when he was brought in.
Unwilling to let his expensive merchandise die, the slave trader had treated the wounds on his chest and shoulder.
Three days earlier, a shipment of slaves had been sent south by boat along the Bonai River.
Reynolds was aboard.
"What does the ship look like?" Linley asked.
"A black hull, three decks, and a gray wolf emblem on its sails," Old White said. "It docks every evening to resupply. It should have reached the middle stretch of the Bonai River by now."
Linley turned to Doehring.
"Grandpa Doehring."
"I remember Reynolds's soul aura," Doehring said.
Back at the Ernst Institute, he had stayed inside the Coiling Dragon Ring the whole time.
Whenever Yale, George, and Reynolds came near Linley, he could sense them clearly.
"But the Bonai River is very long," Doehring continued. "Let's reach its middle course first, then search section by section."
The two delayed no further.
Night had already fallen.
The Bonai River wound across the land like a long black snake.
Linley flew along the river.
Doehring's divine sense spread out again and again, sweeping over the river, docks, villages, and passing boats.
The first section yielded nothing.
The second yielded nothing either.
They continued flying downstream.
Suddenly, Doehring stopped.
"I found him."
Linley whipped his head around.
Doehring looked southwest.
"Over eighty li away, aboard a large black ship."
"Reynolds is in the lowest hold."
"He's still alive."
Those final words at last made Linley's body, which had remained taut all this time, tremble.
The next instant, he had become a blue-black blur, hurtling southwest.
The large black ship was drifting downstream through the night.
The gray wolf emblem on its sails stood out clearly.
Linley descended from high above.
Boom!
The entire ship shuddered violently.
The guards on deck drew their weapons.
"Who are you?"
Linley ignored them.
He shattered the hatch with a kick and charged straight toward the lowest hold.
Two guards swung their sabers at him.
Bebe shot from his shoulder.
A black blur flashed past.
Both guards slammed into the ship's wall at the same time and lost consciousness.
The hold reeked of sweat and blood.
Hundreds of slaves were crammed together, their hands and feet shackled.
At the very back, a young man covered in wounds leaned against the ship's wall.
His hair was disheveled, his face pale.
Two fingers on his right hand were already twisted out of shape.
Hearing the cabin door shatter, he raised his head with difficulty.
Linley stood where he was.
He had imagined what it would be like to find Reynolds's body.
He had also wondered whether he might not even find a body.
But he had never imagined that Reynolds would be sitting here alive.
"Fourth Brother."
Reynolds froze.
He stared at the monster covered in dark blue-black dragon scales before him.
Yet those dark golden eyes reminded him of someone.
"Third Brother?"
His voice was very soft.
Linley walked over and tore apart the shackles on Reynolds's hands and feet.
He crouched down to examine Reynolds's injuries.
The blade wound on his chest had already scabbed over.
The arrow wound on his shoulder had also received basic treatment.
His right hand was the worst injured.
Aside from that, his life was not in danger.
"It's me," Linley said.
Reynolds stared at him for a long while, then suddenly smiled.
"I knew I wouldn't die that easily."
Linley lowered his head.
"I came too late."
"Not too late," Reynolds said. "I'm still alive."
Doehring also entered the cabin.
He glanced at Reynolds's injuries.
"He's very weak, but his life isn't in danger. Let's get out of here first."
Reynolds looked at the white-haired old man.
"Who is this?"
"My teacher," Linley said. "Grandpa Doehring."
Reynolds was taken aback.
Linley had never told them before that he had a teacher like this by his side.
Doehring, however, smiled. "We can discuss everything else later. If you pass out now, this old man won't be responsible for carrying you."
"I can walk on my own."
Reynolds braced himself against the cabin wall and stood up.
The moment he put weight on his legs, he pitched forward.
Linley immediately caught him.
Reynolds coughed.
"I've been sitting too long."
The other slaves in the cabin were all watching them.
No one dared to speak.
Linley glanced at the shackles.
"Bebe, guard the exit."
Bebe let out a cry and leaped back onto the deck.
Linley picked up the Black Jade Heavy Sword.
The heavy sword fell again and again.
Every set of shackles was severed.
Yet no one's hands or feet were injured.
Before long, all several hundred slaves were free.
The slave traders and guards on the deck had already been driven into a corner by Bebe.
No one dared to flee.
Doehring raised his hand.
The earth on the riverbank suddenly rose, forming a broad stone causeway that extended all the way to the ship.
"Everyone, get off the ship," Linley said.
The slaves still could not believe it.
Only when the first person stepped onto the stone causeway did the others scramble to follow.
Linley helped Reynolds onto the deck.
The night breeze blew over them.
Looking at the broad Bonai River, Reynolds drew a deep breath.
"Where are Eldest Brother and Second Brother?"
"Eldest Brother is in the imperial capital," Linley said. "He was the one who told me the truth about Nier City."
"George is still in the Yulan Empire."
Reynolds fell silent for a while.
"What about my men?"
Linley did not answer.
Reynolds already understood.
Not one of the soldiers who had followed him all the way to the walls of Nier City had survived.
He clenched his right hand.
Agonizing pain shot through his deformed fingers.
"What about Yulin?"
"Dead," Linley said. "I killed him."
Reynolds closed his eyes.
After a long time, he opened them again.
"I want to go back to Nier City."
Linley looked at him.
"Recover first."
"I can recover on the way," Reynolds said. "The people on the walls saw it, but no one dared to speak. The military report will still say my men weren't rescued in time."
"They can't just die like this."
Linley gripped his shoulder.
"All right."
"We'll go back together."