by Unknown
“You wiped the chamber pots, and then wiped the plates?” Linley’s eyes were huge.
“What, did I do it wrong? I really wiped them clean.” In little Wharton’s tiny head, his eyes were filled with an uncomprehending look as he stared at his big brother.
“Young master Linley, your father is looking for you. Let me carry young master Wharton.” A brandy-nosed old man walked over. This brandy-nosed old man was the Baruch clan’s housekeeper, Hiri (Xi’li). In the entire manor, aside from the housekeeper, there wasn’t even a serving girl.
Linley no longer had any time to chat with Wharton. He immediately handed Wharton over to Grandpa Hiri, and went towards the guest hall.
“I wonder why father summoned me?” Although he was young, Linley could sense that this time, his father had called him for something important.
Entering the guest hall, in one corner there was a desk clock that was higher than Linley was tall.
This desk clock can be considered a high quality object. Generally, only wealthy or noble families had such a clock. At this moment, Linley’s father was seated next to the fireplace. The flames in the fireplace burned, constantly crackling and popping.
“Um? Why did father change his clothes?” Seeing his father, Linley was filled with astonishment. While at home, his father normally wore only simple very simple clothes. Just then, while eating dinner, his father wore normal clothes. But now, he had switched to a set of very noble, beautiful apparel.
Hogg’s entire body emanated an ancient, noble aura. That aura wasn’t the sort that money could buy. It was something which an ancient noble clan cultivated in its heirs. A clan which had survived for five thousand years. How could an ordinary noble clan compare?
Hogg stood up. Turning around, when he saw Linley, his eyes lit up.
“Linley, come with me. Let’s go to the ancestral hall. Uncle Hiri, you know about the matters of my clan, so you can come as well.” Hogg smiled.
“The ancestral hall?” Linley was astonished.
The members of the Baruch clan only stayed in the front side of the manor. The areas in the far back, virtually no one went there to clean. Only the ancestral hall in the back did they ever visit, once a month, to clean.
“But this isn’t the time to sacrifice to our ancestors. Why are we going to the ancestral hall?” Linley had a belly full of questions.
Exiting the guest hall, Hogg, Linley, and Uncle Hiri, who still held Wharton, followed the blue stone path towards the back manor.
Deep autumn. The night was as cold as water.
The cold wind blowing, Linley couldn’t help but shiver. But Linley didn’t make a sound, because he could feel that something was different today. Following his father, Linley entered the ancestral hall as well.
“Clack.” The door to the ancestral hall closed.
With the candles in the hall becoming lit, the entire hall immediately became very bright. Linley could instantly see the many spirit tablets placed in the very front of the hall. That thick, dense cluster of spirit tablets spoke volumes as to the age of the Baruch clan.
Hogg quietly stood in front of the spirit tablets, not saying a word.
Linley felt very nervous. In the entire hall, aside from the sounds of the whispering candles, no sound was heard. The quiet was terrifying, creating an oppressive feeling on the heart.
Suddenly, Hogg turned and focused his gaze on Linley. In a weighty voice, he said, “Linley, today, there are many things that must be done. But first, let me tell you some of the history of our Baruch clan.”
Linley could feel his heart thumping frantically.
“Our clan’s history? What can it be?” In his heart, Linley was eager to know, but he didn’t dare to make a sound.
A look of pride appearing on his face, Hogg said in a clear voice, “Linley, our Baruch clan has existed for five thousand years. Even scanning the entire Kingdom of Fenlai, I don’t believe we can find a second clan which is as ancient as ours.” Hogg’s voice contained an absolute pride.
Ancient. This was a word which some noble clans viewed with great importance.
“Linley, have you heard of the legendary Four Supreme Warriors of the Yulan continent?” Turning his head, Hogg looked at Linley.
Eyes brightening, Linley nodded. “I know. According to Uncle Hillman, the legendary Four Supreme Warriors are the Dragonblood Warrior, the Violetflame Warrior, the Tigerstriped Warrior, and the Undying Warrior.”
Satisfied, Hogg nodded. Smiling, he said, “Right! Now, I am going to tell you something. The Four Supreme Warriors actually represent four ancient clans. And our Baruch clan is the ancient clan which contains the exalted bloodline of the Dragonblood Warriors!”
*
Book 1, Chapter 3 – The Dragonblood Warrior Clan (part two)
“The Dragonblood Warrior Clan?!” Linley felt as though his entire head was buzzing.
In Linley’s eyes, his clan was nothing more than just an ancient clan which had fallen on hard times. How could it be related to the legendary Dragonblood Warrior?
“You don’t believe me?” A trace of arrogance could be seen on Hogg’s face. “Linley, go up and take a close look at those spirit tablets. By now, you can read all the words on them. On the back of every single spirit tablet is the history of those departed forefathers. The three spirit tablets at the very top, are three who are Dragonblood Warriors!”
Hogg took Linley by the hand. “Come.”
Hogg led Linley towards the area behind the many spirit tablets. Lifting him up, Hogg said, “Take a close look at those characters behind.”
Linley widened his eyes and began to read.
The words carved onto the uppermost tablet were etched very deep and very clearly. Those five thousand year old characters told of an astonishing story!
“Baruch, the very first Dragonblood Warrior of the Yulan continent. In the year 4560 of the Yulan calendar, outside the walls of the city of Linnan, Baruch did battle against a Black Dragon and a Titanic Frost Wyrm. In the end, he slew both the Titanic Frost Wyrm and the Black Dragon, causing his fame to be spread across the world. In the year 4579 of the Yulan calendar, along the coastline of the northern sea of the continent, Baruch did battle against a Nine-Headed Serpent Emperor. On that day, the waves crashed unceasingly and nearby cities crumbled, but after a vicious fight lasting a full day and night, Baruch finally executed the Nine-Headed Serpent Emperor… .finally, Baruch founded the Baruch clan, and became the first leader of the Baruch clan!”
“Ryan [Rui’en] Baruch, the second Dragonblood Warrior of the Yulan continent. In the year 4690 of the Yulan calendar, in the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts, he defeated and subdued a Saint-level Golden Dragon, and became known as the Golden Dragonrider Saint! In the year 4697… “
“Hazard [Ha’ze’de] Baruch, the third Dragonblood Warrior of the Yulan continent. Born in the year 5360 of the Yulan calendar, in his very first battle, he fought fiercely with a Saint-level Bloody-eyed Maned Lion in the Mountain Range of the Setting Sun. He defeated the lion, forcing it to scurry away and flee, causing Hazard to become famous throughout the world… “
… .
One mighty name after another, one amazing story after another, made the blood in Linley’s veins pump all the more vigorously.
“My clan, is actually the clan of the Dragonblood Warriors?” Linley was extremely excited.
Beside him, Hogg said in a low voice, “The first three generations of the Baruch family were all Dragonblood Warriors. Upon becoming a Dragonblood Warrior, one’s life expectancy would dramatically increase. The second generation Dragonblood Warrior didn’t get married or have children until after he was seven hundred years old.”
“And afterwards?” Linley wondered. “Father, why doesn’t our clan have any more Dragonblood Warriors?”
Hogg nodded. “To become a Dragonblood Warrior, the most important thing is the density and thickness of the dragonblood which flows in our veins. The higher the density, the better
. After many generations, the density of the dragonblood in our veins has grown thinner and thinner. However… that isn’t an absolute. Because as time goes on, sometimes, out of nowhere, a descendant will possess a very high density of dragonblood.”
“After Hazard Baruch, the fourth Dragonblood Warrior appeared, nearly a thousand years later. And then, after fifteen hundred years passed, which is to say tens of generations later, the fifth Dragonblood Warrior finally appeared in our clan. But in the thousand years from then until now, not a single Dragonblood Warrior has shown up.”
Hogg shook his head and sighed. “The fifth Dragonblood Warrior only stayed on the Yulan continent for around two centuries, before he disappeared. In the thousand years since then, our Baruch clan has totally decayed.”
After a thousand years, even the most illustrious of families could decay.
“However, our clan still has hope. Perhaps in the future, one of our descendants will have the requisite density of dragonblood in their veins, and meet the requirements to become a Dragonblood Warrior. If they meet the requirements, after just a few decades of training, they would be able to become a true, full Dragonblood Warrior. And at that time, the Baruch clan would once more be restored to the glorious days of yore, when we were known as the Dragonblood Warrior Clan!” Hogg’s eyes shone. “Linley, you are six and a half now. According to our rules, at your age, the test to see if your blood has a high density of dragonblood will be fairly accurate. Today, I am going to test you.”
Linley was stunned. “Testing the density of dragonblood in my veins? Test me?” Linley fully understood the implications of his father performing this test. This test would show whether or not he met the requirements for becoming a Dragonblood Warrior.
“Linley, wait here. I’ll go get the ‘Dragonblood Needle’.” Hogg clearly was very excited, as he immediately departed the ancestral hall for a nearby private room.
“Dragonblood Warrior? Will I really become a Dragonblood Warrior?” Linley was mentally fidgeting.
Standing there, Linley’s mind was a confused mess. He was filled with both eagerness and fear. He feared that the density of dragonblood in his veins wasn’t high enough.
“If I fail, I guess father will be extremely disappointed.” Linley couldn’t help but think. Having grown up with his father and his younger brother, Linley didn’t want to disappoint his father. But the density of dragonblood in his veins wasn’t something he could decide.
After just a short period of time, Hogg returned with a twenty-centimeter long needle that was extremely thin as he walked out from the private room.
“Dragonblood Needle?” Linley guessed, as he stared at the long needle in his father’s hands.
“Alright, Linley. This needle will just barely break the skin when it goes in. It won’t hurt at all. Stretch out your hand.” Hogg smiled, and Linley nodded. Taking a deep breath, Linley stretched out his right arm. The slight trembling in his arm showed that Linley really was very nervous.
Not just Linley. To tell the truth, even Hogg was very nervous.
“Hold it.” Holding the translucent Dragonblood Needle, Hogg lightly pricked Linley’s ring finger with it, easily piercing the skin. Linley felt a piercing pain, and the translucent needle immediately turned crimson as well.
Hands shaking, Hogg immediately lifted the Dragonblood Needle up and inspected it carefully.
Raising his head, Linley stared at his father, feeling extremely agitated. “Is the density of dragonblood in my veins sufficient? Why has father stared at the Dragonblood Needle for so long?” Linley had a bad premonition…
“Sigh… ” with an exhaled breath, Hogg placed the Dragonblood Needle off to one side.
Hearing his father’s sigh, the nervous Linley knew that the density of dragonblood in his veins clearly didn’t reach the required level. His tears immediately began to flow.
“Linley, why are you crying? Don’t cry, be good, don’t cry.” Hogg immediately hugged Linley. Seeing Linley cry, Hogg felt sick at heart. After all, Linley was still just six and a half. He was just a child.
“I won’t cry. Yeah. Won’t cry.” Linley sniffled twice, then forced himself to calm down. “Father, I’m sorry. I’ve let you down.”
Hearing Linley’s words, Hogg felt a warm feeling in his heart. He couldn’t help but hold Linley against his bosom. “Linley, don’t feel bad. I actually didn’t raise my hopes too high. Over a thousand years and tens of generations, no one has become a Dragonblood Warrior. It doesn’t matter that you also failed. Father doesn’t blame you.”
Feeling the warmth of his father’s chest, Linley’s tightened chest gradually loosened.
By this point, the two year old Wharton had long since fallen asleep in Grandpa Hiri’s arms.
“Linley, at this point in time, the Baruch family just consists of you, me, and your little brother. I don’t have any extravagant hopes. I’ve never dared to dream of becoming a Dragonblood Warrior.” Hogg laughed at himself satirically. How could becoming a Dragonblood Warrior be an easy task?
Linley raised his head, staring at his father.
Linley rarely saw his father speak to him in such a manner. Normally, his father was always very strict and unyielding.
Staring at the rows of spirit tablets, Hogg’s eyes were filled with a dreary sadness. “My true goal is actually to recover the ancestral heirloom of the Baruch clan, passed down across the generations.”
“Our ancestral heirloom? What’s that? Why have I never heard about it?” Linley asked curiously.
Hogg proudly said, “Our ancestral heirloom – the warblade, “Slaughterer”. This was the weapon used by the very first leader of the Baruch clan, the very first Dragonblood Warrior of the Yulan continent. Alas… his descendants were unfilial. Six hundred years ago, because of poverty, a descendant who loved luxury actually sold our ancestral weapon for money.”
As he spoke, Hogg was filled with so much fury that his body actually trembled.
Shaking his head helplessly, he said, “Afterwards, every single generation tried to recover the warblade ‘Slaughterer’, but despite six hundred years of trying, none of us have succeeded. After all, when we sold the warblade ‘Slaughterer’, it was for the price of 180,000 gold coins of gold. 180,000 gold coins of gold! We aren’t able to produce such a vast sum, but even if we were, the current owner wouldn’t be willing to sell to us.”
The ancient clan of the Dragonblood Warriors, actually had sold off its own ancestral heirloom.
This was a humiliation!
The humiliation of the ancient clan of the Dragonblood Warriors!
Every succeeding generation had attempted to come up with ways to regain the warblade ‘Slaughterer’, but despite six hundred years of trying, they had never succeeded.
As the current clan leader, Hogg also had this desire, but the clan’s economic situation was in dire straits. 180,000 gold coins of gold? Even if they sold off the manor and all their possessions, they might not be able to produce such a vast sum.
The ancestral heirloom was lost. This humiliation constantly weighed on Hogg’s heart. He felt ashamed and helpless, and unable to face his forefathers.
Seeing the look on his father’s face, Linley consoled him, “Father, don’t be unhappy! I promise that one day, I will recover our family’s heirloom and bring it back to this manor.”
“You?” Hogg chuckled. Eyes filled with love, he ruffled Linley’s hair.
In his heart, Hogg secretly said, “Linley. Do you know, these words you just said… all those years ago, I said these same words to your grandfather as well.” Six hundred years of efforts had all failed. How could it be easy to accomplish? After all, the person who had purchased the warblade ‘Slaughterer’ couldn’t be any ordinary person.
Why would they be willing to sell?
Even if they were willing to sell, how could the decrepit Baruch clan afford the cost?
“Father, you don’t believe me?” Raising his head, Linley looked at his fa
ther questioningly.
“I believe you, I believe you,” Hogg laughed.
Father and son held each other close. Only three members remained of the ancient Dragonblood Clan in this era. When would this decaying clan be able to regain the glory and honor it had in prior years? At this moment, lying against his father’s chest, Linley’s fists were clenched tightly!
*
Book 1, Chapter 4 – Growth (part 1)
The spring wind came, turning green the poplar trees near the empty space outside of Wushan town. On the empty ground, a group of youths were ardently training. Almost a year had passed since the Dragonblood test, and Linley was eight years old now. Over the course of this period of time, Hillman clearly saw that Linley had only become even harder working!
“Well done, Linley! Hold it, hold it!” Hillman encouraged from the side.
Right now, Linley was only wearing trousers. His upper body was covered with sweat, and his body, as taut as a drawn bowstring, was lying on the ground. His hands were pressed fiercely to the ground, as straight as tree trunks, while the rest of his body was motionless. He was supporting himself from a push-up position, with just his hands and the tips of his toes! His entire body was taut!
The ‘Static Tension’ training exercise!
A very simple yet very effective training exercise. If a person could reach the level of being able to maintain this pose for an hour, then his body would no longer fear ordinary swords or sabres.
Drip, drip!
Beads of sweat rolled down from Linley’s forehead. The sweat entered Linley’s left eye, and he couldn’t help but wince at the pain.
“Ley is really amazing. Just eight years old, but he’s able to match the thirteen year olds in doing the ‘Static Tension’ exercise.” Some of the children who had already given up were sprawled on the ground, chatting as they watched Linley.
“Ley, keep it up! Keep it up for the rest of us! Beat those thirteen year olds!” The golden-haired Hadley shouted from the side.
“Yeah, keep it up, Ley!” The other children started to chant as well.
Linley was on extremely good terms with the other kids. Although Linley was the child of a noble house, he was extremely kind to the children of commoners, and often helped them train as well.