The First Step of Revenge

So Linley left with Gilmer, but returned less than a few hours later.

As they walked along, Gilmer said somewhat awkwardly, "Linley, I'm really sorry. I didn't expect Lord Fallen Leaf to..."

"It's all right." Linley smiled. "Maybe I really wasn't suited to it."

He meant it.

Although he had been rejected, he didn't feel much regret.

In his heart, the greatest person had never been Lord Fallen Leaf, but his big brother Haoyue.

Although Haoyue might not have been as powerful as a Saint-level expert, Linley trusted him unconditionally. Haoyue had taught him more than anyone else.

Back at the residence in Fenlai City, Linley had barely stepped through the door when Yale came up to him.

"Third Bro, you're finally back!" Yale held a gilded invitation in his hand, his expression a little strange. "There's something for you."

"What is it?" Linley took the invitation.

"An invitation to the Debs Clan's engagement banquet." Yale curled his lip. "That kid Kalan is getting engaged."

"Engaged?" Linley stared. "To whom?"

"Two women." Yale held up two fingers. "Luo Lin is the principal wife, and Alice is the secondary wife."

"What?!"

Linley jerked his head up.

Alice?

She was only the secondary wife?

"What happened?" Linley frowned deeply.

"What else could it be?" Yale snorted. "The Debs Clan isn't doing too well right now, so they want a marriage alliance with Luo Lin's family to shore up their position."

"But..." Yale paused and gave Linley a meaningful look. "I'm guessing this might have something to do with your stone sculpture, 'Dream Awakening.'"

"'Dream Awakening'?" Linley was puzzled.

"Your 'Dream Awakening' is all the rage throughout Fenlai City now. Lots of people know Alice was the model for the 'goddess in the dream,' right?" Yale explained. "Kalan is marrying her, but to save face, he can only make her his secondary wife."

Linley fell silent.

He and Alice had already broken up. By rights, whom she married and whether she became a principal or secondary wife were no longer any concern of his. But hearing the news still left him with complicated feelings.

"Third Bro, are you all right?" Yale looked at him with some concern.

"I'm fine." Linley shook his head and set the invitation on the table. "I'll go. Why wouldn't I? I'd like to see what this engagement banquet is like."

Just then, Haoyue's voice came from the doorway.

"That's right. It wouldn't hurt to go and see."

Haoyue walked in with a faint, amused smile. "I happened to receive an invitation too, so I might as well go and take a look. And while I'm there..."

He glanced at Linley and added meaningfully, "Help you vent your anger."

Three days later, the Debs Clan's engagement banquet was held as scheduled.

Haoyue and Linley went together.

Linley wore a well-fitted white formal suit. Coupled with his already handsome face and outstanding bearing, it drew the eyes of almost everyone at the banquet as soon as he appeared.

The noble young ladies' eyes lit up in particular.

"Is that Linley? That genius mage?"

"He's so young... I heard he's only seventeen, but he's already a Level Seven Mage!"

"And he can sculpt stone too! Have you seen his 'Dream Awakening'? It's a masterpiece!"

"I heard he's also roommates with the young master of the Dawson Chamber of Commerce, and a genius at the Ernst Institute..."

"And, and he's also very close to Lord Bolei, the court's foremost mage, the Marquis of Three Elements."

The young women whispered among themselves, constantly glancing Linley's way. Some of the bolder ones even came straight up to him with wineglasses in hand to strike up a conversation.

"Lord Linley, my name is Lucy. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Mr. Linley, your stone sculptures really are incredible..."

Before long, Linley was surrounded, at something of a loss.

Haoyue rarely went out, so no one knew what he looked like. He stood to one side with a glass of red wine, sipping it leisurely as he watched Linley's awkward predicament and struggled to suppress a laugh.

Ah, it's good to be young, he thought.

Just then-

"Young Master Kalan has arrived!"

Someone called out, and the noise at the banquet immediately subsided.

Everyone turned toward the entrance to the hall.

Kalan Debs walked in wearing a splendid formal suit, a smile on his face. Two beautiful young women followed behind him.

The one on the left had luxurious golden hair, a stunningly beautiful face, and a noble bearing. She was Luo Lin, the bride-to-be chosen as principal wife.

On the right was Alice, wearing a long pink dress.

Though equally beautiful, she was clearly overshadowed standing beside Luo Lin. After all, one was the principal wife and the other the secondary wife; the difference in their status was plain to see.

"Is that Alice?"

"Wow! She really does look exactly like the goddess in 'Dream Awakening'!"

"Heavens, it really is her!"

"So she was the model for 'Dream Awakening'..."

After a brief silence, the entire banquet erupted into noise.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on Alice as they discussed her. Some were amazed, some envious, and others jealous or disdainful.

Kalan's expression was rather sour too.

He had already been deeply bothered that his wife was the model for the stone sculpture "Dream Awakening," and hearing everyone discuss it only made him more displeased.

Linley remained silent, saying nothing.

He looked at Alice, his heart barely stirred.

The affection he had once felt had already faded the moment they broke up. Seeing her again now, he felt only the poignancy of how things had changed.

Halfway through the banquet, an uninvited guest came over to Linley and Haoyue. It was Duke Paterson.

Linley, who had learned to restrain himself, did not lash out. He merely exchanged a few words with Paterson, who then left.

King Clayde also came over and chatted a little longer with Linley and Haoyue before hurriedly leaving the banquet.

A servant quietly approached.

"Young Master Linley," the servant said in a low voice, "the duke wishes to see you. He is waiting for you in the garden."

"I understand." Linley suppressed the excitement in his heart and nodded without betraying anything.

He turned and gave Haoyue a meaningful look.

Haoyue nodded slightly.

Beyond a secluded path, in a secluded building.

Duke Paterson had met him here, and because Paterson was cautious, he had deliberately killed the only servant who knew about it to silence him.

He also said a great deal to Linley here, hoping Linley would help him contact Yale of the Dawson Chamber of Commerce and get him out of Fenlai City once the smuggling case came to light.

"Don't worry. No one knows you met with me."

This was the chance for revenge Linley had been waiting for. He immediately assumed his draconic form and bound Paterson with the iron-whip-like force of his dragon tail, finally getting his hands on the enemy who had destroyed his family.

"Paterson."

Linley spoke slowly, his voice utterly cold.

"Do you think I would help an enemy who caused my mother's death escape?"

His words exploded like thunder in Paterson's ears.

The blood drained from Paterson's face in an instant. His entire body went rigid, and his pupils contracted sharply, full of disbelief.

"Who are you?"

"Over twenty years ago, you offered a person with a pure soul to the Radiant Church. Surely you remember that."

"What? Could you be... No! How do you know so much?" Paterson asked in great astonishment.

"I know far more than you imagine."

The killing intent in Linley's eyes was fully revealed, its chill piercing to the bone.

"Today is the day you die."

"And you just said no one knew you'd met with me, right?" Linley said with a vicious grin.

By now, Paterson was terrified and could only beg for mercy. "Linley, please spare me! I definitely won't tell anyone else your secret, I promise!"

In his draconic form, Linley was covered in azure scales. His dark golden eyes stared fixedly at Paterson as his steely dragon tail squeezed him until his bones creaked.

"Now tell me every detail you know!"

At first, Paterson still tried to deny it. Only when Linley crushed the bones in his left arm did he confess in terror.

Back then, he had abducted Linley's mother at the direction of his own elder brother, Clayde, the king of Fenlai. Clayde, the ninth-rank expert known as the "Golden Lion," was the true mastermind. Paterson completely sold out his brother Clayde.

Just as Paterson thought he could live after telling the truth, a voice shattered his last illusion.

"Linley, don't you want revenge? Just do it. Why all the talking?"

Linley hesitated no longer. He thrust out his right claw and pierced straight through Paterson's body.

His face rigid, Paterson turned toward the figure speaking in the darkness. "Why do you talk so much?!"

Then he died on the spot.

Seeing Linley's torn clothes, Haoyue took a set from his robes and handed it to him. After all, the dragon tail Linley grew when he transformed into a Dragonblood Warrior was much thicker than Haoyue's tiger tail, and every transformation risked bursting his clothes. Knowing Linley would complete his revenge on Paterson tonight, Haoyue had prepared a set of clothes for him.

Then Haoyue used Fire Element magic to burn Paterson's body.

After using Water Element magic to clean away the scorch marks, he quickly left with Linley.

They traveled as fast as they could to a location five li from the Debs residence.

They stopped at a crystal jewelry shop, went inside to browse, and chatted briefly with several nobles who had also come to shop.

"Marquis Baruch, Marquis Bolei, a pleasure to see you both. Are you also just heading home from the Debs family's engagement banquet?"

"Greetings, Lord Baruch, Lord Bolei."

"..."

Many people greeted the two of them. That way, after Clayde discovered that his younger brother had been killed, there would be people to confirm that Linley had not been there.

As for dealing with Clayde afterward, that would take some preparation.