The wounds in Mote Prefectural City took a full two weeks to heal.
Linley was the most seriously injured. That night, he took several solid attacks from Useno and desperately tried to unleash the wind magic he had just mastered. His chest wound kept flaring up, and he trembled even when he lifted his sword. But he refused to be idle. During the day, he deployed defenses on the city wall, and at night he sat by the broken wall, replaying the trajectory of that sword strike again and again—fast is the eye of the wind, slow is also the eye of the wind. He wanted to etch the feeling of those two ends converging into his very bones before he forgot it.
The five brothers were also seriously injured. Boone's broken rib was barely reattached thanks to a few mountain herbs that Haeru brought over.
Half a month later, seeing that the situation in Mote Prefectural City had stabilized, Linley entrusted the matter to Gates and Hazer, and took Bebe and Haeru with him, heading towards the Yulan Empire.
He needed to go back to see Delia.
It took another half a month to get there. When the dark blue streak of light landed outside the city gates of the Yulan Empire's capital, it was dusk. The setting sun bathed the entire royal city in a warm, golden-red glow, and the streets were bustling with people, presenting a completely different scene of peace and tranquility.
Linley stood outside the palace gates, and before he could even present his calling card, a familiar figure emerged from the corridor to greet him. Delia wasn't wearing her mage robes today, but rather a simple light-colored dress, yet her features remained as clear and bright as ever. Upon seeing him, she paused for a moment, then curved her lips into a smile, a gentle light appearing in her eyes.
"You're back," she said casually, as if he had only been gone for a few days.
"Yes, you're back." Linley looked at her, his heart filled with unspoken words.
Delia didn't ask much about the north. She led him to their lodgings, quietly recounting the trivial matters of the Yulan Empire these past few days, mentioning that the flowers in the palace had bloomed and that she had received a reply to the letter she had sent to Doehring. Linley walked beside her, listening to her speak, and the tension that had been building in his heart for so long gradually eased.
He only stopped after they entered the house and Delia poured him a glass of water. He looked up at her and asked, "What exactly is going on with the Radiant Church?"
Linley recounted the events of that night in detail. He described how Useno arrogantly stayed behind, how he overpowered him head-on, how Linley used his newly acquired Wind Manipulation to create an opening, and how he repelled his opponent on the city wall and rescued the five brothers. At the end, he paused, his voice lowering. "I couldn't beat him. If it weren't for the Radiant Church's concerns before you left, and the fact that Tempos of the Wind happened to coincide with his contempt, I might not have escaped unscathed that night."
Delia didn't reply immediately after hearing this. Looking at the lingering weariness in his eyes, she said softly, "But you're back, and you've saved him. That's enough."
"But I'm still far from it." Linley shook his head. " Useno is at the Peak Saint Realm, while I've only just touched the door of the Tempos of the Wind. If I encounter him again, or an even stronger opponent, I might not have this luck."
Delia thought for a moment, then, without refuting him, simply asked, "So what do you plan to do?"
"I want to train hard for a while," Linley said. "I need to truly master this technique, so it's not just a matter of luck anymore. Only when I can withstand his palm strike head-on without relying on my opponent's underestimation will I truly be established."
Delia looked at him and suddenly smiled, "Then stay and train. It's quiet here in the Yulan Empire, no one will bother you. You used to always carry the burden alone, now it's time for someone to watch over your back."
Linley looked at her, and the hardened bone in his heart seemed to soften a little with those words. He didn't say anything more, just nodded.
For the next few months, Linley Lei settled in the capital of the Yulan Empire.
During the day, he practiced his swordsmanship by a secluded lake outside the city. The Purple Blood Soft Sword grew lighter and lighter in his hands, and the wisp of wind in his hand went from awkward to smooth, from needing to be deliberately propelled to flowing almost instinctively. At night, he sat cross-legged in meditation, repeatedly trying to comprehend the intricacies of "the merging of fast and slow." Even Bebe stopped bothering him and just lay in the corner of the room, quietly watching him with her round eyes.
Delia often came to visit him. Sometimes she would bring tea, and sometimes she would bring an ancient scroll from the Imperial Library, which contained records about the Laws of Wind and spatial power, broadening his horizons considerably. The two didn't talk much, but neither of them felt bored.
The following evening, Linley sheathed his sword by the lake. The sword strike was executed smoothly, without any power, yet the lake surface didn't even ripple—not because he hadn't used force, but because the wind was so pure that it glided across the water's surface without the water even sensing its presence.
Linley stood with his sword in hand, gazing at the still lake, remaining silent for a long time.
"This sword strike," he whispered, "Was even more accurate than that night."
He sheathed his sword and turned to walk back. The setting sun bathed the fields outside the city in a golden glow, and the distant chimes of the royal city drifted over. He suddenly remembered the vow he had made on the city wall that night—to reach the Holy Island and hand that sword to Useno.
No rush. The road ahead is long, but at least he's on the right track.
In the distance, Delia stood by the city gate. Seeing him return, she waved to him from afar. Linley gazed at that figure, and a faint warmth suddenly welled up in his heart. Over the years, walking on the edge of a knife, he had always carried everything alone. Now, with someone behind him, he felt that although the road was still long, it was not so lonely anymore.