Panlong's Worton

Chapter 17 Brothers Reunion and Revenge

"Father, rest assured." Linley's voice was low, only he could hear it, "Padson... I will find everyone who has harmed our family."

Three days later, Linley was appointed as the court magician of the Kingdom of Fenlai, his title was elevated to marquis, and he was granted a vast manor in the city. The manor was located on the east side of the noble district, only two streets away from the royal palace, and it had originally been the property of a disgraced duke.

Late at night on the seventh day after moving into the new mansion.

Linley was in his study, going through notes he had compiled from his father's belongings. The "Dragon's Blood Codex" lay open on the table. A ghostly figure of Delinkovt floated nearby, his white brows slightly furrowed.

"Little Linley, there's someone spying outside the northwest corner of the manor's wall," Delinkovo ​​suddenly said. "They've been there for a quarter of an hour, and their aura is well concealed; they're at least a level seven warrior."

Linley's eyes sharpened, and he closed the secret manual: "Whose people are they? The Dark Church?"

"It doesn't seem like it." Delinkovt shook his head. "There's only one person, and... there's a strange sense of familiarity about his aura."

Lin Lei got up, took out the Purple Blood Soft Sword from a hidden compartment in the bookshelf, wrapped it around his waist, pushed open the study window, and silently climbed out.

The moonlight was obscured by clouds, casting dappled shadows in the manor's gardens. Linley moved using the shadows, quickly reaching the northwest corner. Guided by Drinkowart, he spotted a figure behind an ancient oak tree.

The person seemed to sense something, suddenly appeared from behind the tree, leaped over the three-meter-high wall, and gently landed on the lawn inside the garden.

Just as Lin Lei was about to make a move, he caught a glimpse of the person's face through the faint light filtering through the clouds.

It was a young, resolute face with dark brown hair and features that bore a striking resemblance to his own. However, the other person was much taller and more robust, with broad shoulders and a thick back, and a simple brown leather armor couldn't conceal the bulging muscles beneath.

"Brother." The person spoke, his voice low but filled with unmistakable excitement.

Lin Lei's pupils suddenly contracted.

"Wharton?"

The young man in front of him, who looked to be eighteen or nineteen, was none other than his younger brother, Walton Baruch, who was only seven years old when he left home! But in just a few years, Walton had changed so much—not only in appearance, but also in his calm and steady aura.

Wharton rushed forward and hugged Linley tightly before he could react: "I found you."

Linley could feel the strength in his brother's arms; it was something no ordinary soldier could possess. He took a deep breath, hugged Walton back, and said in a trembling voice, "How did you get here? Wushan Town..."

"I went back." Walton released his grip, his expression turning serious.

Delincowert's phantom floated to the two's side, looking at Walton with interest: "Little guy, long time no see."

Walton said to Delin Corvault, "Long time no see, Grandpa Delin." Then he said to Linley, "Brother, let's find a safe place to talk."

Linley nodded and led Wharton back to the study. After confirming that the doors and windows were closed, he cast a soundproofing magic barrier.

Only then did Walton let out a long sigh of relief, looking around at the luxurious furnishings in the study: "A court magician, a marquis's mansion... Brother, you're doing quite well."

"Just a nominal title." Linley poured Walton a glass of water. "Walton, where have you been all these years? Why have you grown so fast? And your strength..."

Walton took the glass of water and drank it all in one gulp. As he put the glass down, his expression turned serious. "Brother," he said, "I had some fortuitous encounters after leaving home. I'll tell you the details later. Right now, the important thing is—I know about Mother's situation, and I know how Father died."

Lin Lei's heart skipped a beat: "You knew?"

"I probably know more than you do." Walton looked directly into Linley's eyes. "My mother was kidnapped by Padson's men, but the mastermind behind it was King Clyde. My father went to Fenlay to investigate, but Padson discovered him and sent men to kill him. He was seriously injured and died."

Every word struck Lin Lei's heart like a heavy hammer.

"How do you know all this?" Lin Lei's voice was tense.

Walton paused for a moment. "I have my sources. Brother, this isn't the time to ask that. Paterson must die, but we need to get more out of him—about why Clyde kidnapped Mother, where she is now, and whether she's still alive."

Linley forced himself to calm down. Wharton's appearance was too sudden, and the information he brought was too shocking. But he chose to believe him—not only because of blood ties, but also because of the same hatred and determination in Wharton's eyes as he had.

"I've been keeping an eye on Paterson." Linley walked to the desk, took out a piece of parchment marked with the layout of Paterson's mansion and the guards' shift schedule. "He'll be going to the Nightingale Club in the west of the city tomorrow evening. That's his secret hideout, and he usually only has four bodyguards with him."

Walton leaned closer to look at the map, pointing to one of the alleyways: "We can intercept them here. The club is deep in the alley; carriages can't get in. He'll have to walk a bit."

"How did you know?" Lin Lei looked up.

Walton smirked. "I've been in the city for three days and figured out his patterns of movement."

Lin Lei gave his younger brother a deep look. To be able to find out the whereabouts of a duke in just three days was not something an ordinary boy could do.

"Brother, what level of strength have you reached now?" Walton suddenly asked.

Lin Lei didn't hide anything: "A level 7 mage with both earth and wind magic. As for warriors... I'm at the initial level 7, but after transforming into a Dragonblood Warrior, I can reach the initial level 9 combat power."

Walton's eyes lit up: "Dragonblood Warrior? You can transform too?"

Walton said, "I'll lead the attack when we intercept Pardson tomorrow. You're in charge of controlling the situation and making sure his men don't escape to report back."

Linley looked into Walton's eyes and finally nodded.

The following evening, in the western part of Finlay.

The alley where the Nightingale Club was located was indeed secluded, with tall warehouse brick walls on both sides and uneven bluestone slabs paving the road. Paterson's carriage stopped at the entrance of the alley, and he entered on foot with four guards.

The four guards, all level six warriors, formed a diamond shape, protecting Paterson in the middle. Paterson himself was dressed in a low-key dark purple casual outfit, his brows slightly furrowed, seemingly preoccupied.

He was indeed troubled. King Clyde had become increasingly distant from him lately, ignoring his suggestions at several court meetings. Even more troubling, he had heard rumors that someone in the Holy See was secretly investigating some events from twelve years ago.

"My lord, there are people ahead." The guard at the front suddenly stopped and put his hand on the hilt of his sword.

In the middle of the alley, a tall figure stood with his back to them, blocking their way. It was already dark, and the person was standing in the shadows, so his face was not visible.

Paterson narrowed his eyes: "Go around it."

The guards adjusted their course, preparing to pass by the man. Just then, the man turned around.

"The Duke of Padson," Walton's voice echoed in the narrow alley, "I'd like to ask you about some old matters."

Paterson's expression changed; he recognized the face—it was too similar, to that woman from back then, and that man named Hogg! But he quickly regained his composure and sneered, "Where did this brat come from, daring to block my way? Take him down!"

The four guards simultaneously drew their swords and pounced.

Walton didn't move until the tip of the sword was only three feet from his chest, at which point his body suddenly changed.

Black scales emerged from beneath his skin, instantly covering his entire body. Dark spikes sprouted from his joints, and a row of menacing bone spurs rose along his spine. Most chilling of all were his eyes—dark gold vertical pupils, icy and devoid of any human emotion.

Dragonblood Warrior Transformation!

Unlike Linley's transformation, Walton's physique expanded more noticeably, his height increasing to nearly two and a half meters, his muscles bulging like cast steel. A terrifying aura suddenly erupted, stirring up dust from the ground.

"Level nine!" a guard screamed in terror.

Wharton made a move.

There were no complicated moves, just a simple straight punch. The air exploded where the fist passed. The first guard to be hit was sent flying backward, sword and all, crashing into the brick wall and embedding himself in it, blood gushing from the gaps in his armor.

The swords of the second and third guards struck Walton, only sending sparks flying; they couldn't even pierce his scales. Walton countered with both fists, striking out with his left and right hands. Both men's breastplates caved in simultaneously, their ribs shattered, and they collapsed to the ground, unable to rise.

The last guard turned to run, but Walton's dragon tail lashed out like a whip, breaking the man's legs.

The whole process took less than three breaths.

Paterson turned pale and tried to run away, but found that his feet were stuck in the ground as if nailed to the ground—the alley had turned into a muddy swamp, and his feet were stuck in it.

Earth Magic: Swamp Spell!

Linley emerged from the shadows of the alleyway, the tip of his magic wand gleaming with an earthy yellow light. He looked at Walton, a flicker of shock in his eyes—his brother's transformed aura was definitely more than just a low-level ninth rank!

Walton walked step by step toward Paterson, his murderous aura growing stronger with each step. Paterson struggled desperately to escape the swamp, but the more he struggled, the deeper he sank, the mud already reaching his thighs.

"Who...who are you?" Paterson's voice trembled.

"Who I am is unimportant." Walton stopped in front of Paterson, his dark gold eyes fixed on him. "What matters is that twelve years ago, you kidnapped a woman who had just given birth. Tell me, why did you kidnap her? Where is she now?"

Paterson shuddered. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

Walton's dragon claw gripped Paterson's throat, lifting him from the swamp. Scales rubbed against his skin, and Paterson could feel the terrifying power emanating from that claw—with a slight squeeze, his neck would snap like a twig.

"I...I said..." Paterson squeezed out the words through gritted teeth, "It was the King...His Majesty Clyde...who made me do it..."

Walton loosened his grip slightly: "The reason."

"I don't know! I really don't know!" Paterson cried, tears streaming down his face. "Clyde only said that the woman was very important and that I should capture her secretly and not harm her... After I captured her, I handed her over to His Majesty's men, and I've never seen her since!"

Linley walked over, his voice icy: "Why did Clyde kidnap my mother?"

"Your mother?" Paterson looked at Linley, finally understanding everything. "You're that woman's son? And Hogg..."

"My father," Lin Lei's eyes flashed with murderous intent, "was also killed by your men."

Paterson was utterly desperate. He realized that he couldn't possibly leave here alive today.

"I...I can tell you a secret," Paterson gasped. "Clyde is terrified that the woman's affair will be exposed...He said that if it were, he would surely die...There must be a bigger secret involved, something involving the Church of Light...Ah!"

Walton's claws tightened suddenly: "Explain yourself!"

"I don't know... I only overheard him talking to someone... about 'sacrifice,' 'pure bloodline'..." Paterson's face turned purple. "Please... spare me..."

Wharton looked at Linley.

Lin Lei closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, everything was icy cold: "Pay for Father's life."

Walton nodded and twisted his claws hard.

Click.

Paterson's body went limp, and the last vestiges of terror in his eyes froze.

Walton released his grip, and the corpse fell to the ground. He deactivated his Dragonblood Warrior transformation, reverting to human form. He took a small vial from his pocket and poured the powder inside onto the corpse and the four guards.

With a hissing sound, the corpse quickly dissolved, leaving no clothes or weapons behind, only a few pools of murky liquid seeping into the cracks of the bluestone slabs.

"The corpse-dissolving powder was bought from an alchemist," Walton explained simply, then carefully examined the scene to eliminate all signs of a struggle.

Linley withdrew the magic, and the swampy ground returned to its original cobblestone form. The two brothers exchanged a glance, then quickly left the alley and disappeared into the night.

Less than ten minutes after they left, five dark figures appeared at the alley entrance like ghosts.

The leader was a masked man dressed in black. He crouched down to examine the ground, ran his fingers along the cracks in the stone slabs, and brought the smell to his nose: "Corpse-dissolving powder. He just died recently."

"Sir, Duke Parderson's carriage is still parked at the alley entrance, but he's gone," another man in black reported.

The masked man stood up, a cold glint in his eyes: "Looks like someone beat us to it. Retreat, the plan has changed."

The five dark figures vanished silently, just as they had appeared.

Lin Lei's residence, study.

Wharton washed the blood off his hands and changed into clean clothes. Linley stood by the window, gazing at Fenlai City in the night, remaining silent for a long time.

Walton: "Brother, our next target is Clyde."

Linley nodded: "But we can't touch Clyde right now. He's a level nine warrior, heavily guarded, and what's more troublesome is—if the Holy See is really involved, our enemies might be stronger than we think."

Linley turned to look at his younger brother and finally asked the question: "Walton, just how strong are you? That transformation just now was definitely more than just the initial stage of level nine."

Walton paused for a moment: "At the peak of level seven, I can break through to level eight in at most three months."

Lin Lei gasped.

This means that Walton can reach the level of a high-level nine combatant after transforming, and he is only twelve years old!

"How could you..." Lin Lei started to say, then shook his head. "Never mind, everyone has their own secrets. You're my brother, that's enough."

Walton smiled. "Brother, we'll avenge our parents. I promise."

The brothers clasped hands together, their resolve and hatred equally unwavering.

Three days later, news of the Duke of Parderson's disappearance spread.

King Clyde was furious and ordered a city-wide search. The Holy See also sent members of the Inquisition to assist in the investigation. But all the leads ended in the alleyway of the Nightingale Club—Padson and his four guards had vanished without a trace.

Two days later, a secret report was delivered to Cardinal Gilmer of the Holy See.

"My lord, we've investigated. On the night Paterson disappeared, the Dark Church's 'Nightmare Squad' appeared in the vicinity. The squad consists of five people, all of whom are level seven assassins, skilled in assassination and intelligence gathering."

Gilmer frowned: "Why would the Dark Church target Paterson?"

"I don't know. But we detected traces of dark magic at the scene, as well as traces of corpse-dissolving powder—a common method of disposing of corpses used by the Dark Church."

"Is Paterson colluding with the Dark Church?"

"We haven't found any evidence yet. But Paterson has done a lot of dirty business in private over the years and has offended many people. The Dark Church may be employed by him, or they may want to get some information from him."

Gilmer pondered for a long time before writing on the report: "Continue to monitor the movements of the Dark Church and strengthen the protection of Linley Baruch. This boy is exceptionally gifted and cannot be allowed to fall."

He was unaware that the real killer was right next to the person he was supposed to protect.

At this moment, Linley and Walton were cultivating in a valley thirty miles outside the city.

Wharton, in his Dragonblood Warrior form, smashed a three-meter-tall boulder with a single punch, then turned to Linley: "Brother, it's your turn. Try circulating your battle aura and magic simultaneously after transforming, and get a feel for how they work together."

Lin Lei nodded and took a deep breath.

Black scales covered his entire body, and his dark golden pupils opened. He could feel the surging power within him, but it was still far inferior to Walton's.

But it's okay.

When brothers are of one mind, their strength can break even metal.

They have plenty of time and determination.

Those who have harmed the Baruch family will not escape.

From Parderson to Clyde, and then to all the masterminds behind the scenes.

Blood debts must be repaid in blood.