These nobles were very conscientious and didn’t try to get too close to Linley or bother him too much, only gently tipping their cups towards him from afar.
However…
Some of the young noble ladies had their eyes set on Linley. They knew that Linley was unmarried. A twenty-something-year-old peak-stage Saint-level expert… where would anyone find another man like this?
“What a headache.” Linley saw three separate young noble ladies begin to drift in his direction. Linley could only pretend not to have seen them.
When these three young noble ladies were a meter away from Linley…
“Whoosh.” A soft yet firm gust of wind suddenly pressed against their bodies. No matter what they tried, those three young noble ladies couldn’t move any closer towards Linley.
And then, Linley raised his cup, smiling faintly, before heading to a corner of the main hall and sitting down.
“Just then, Master Linley…” A golden-haired and golden-eyed beautiful young noble lady got excited. “What sort of amazing technique was that?”
The other two young noble ladies didn’t know either.
Not knowing wasn’t an issue. This didn’t impact Linley’s status in their heart. In fact, to the contrary; this made Linley seem all the more powerful and mysterious to them. Actually, what Linley had just used was just the simplest manipulations of the wind.
“Did you see Master Linley’s Dragonform transformation that day at the Colosseum? He seemed so wild and untamed. I was so excited.”
“He really is exciting. I like this type. Those men at school are all soft as cotton. None of them are extremely manly like him.”
Linley’s hearing was simply too good. Hearing what the young noble ladies were saying to each other, Linley felt a wave of resignation in his heart. They called his Dragonform transformation ‘wild and untamed’? And ‘extremely manly’?”
“His Imperial Majesty has arrived!”
The voice of the guest announcer at the main gates immediately increased in volume. He had clearly shouted using battle-qi, allowing all the guests in the hall to hear clearly.
The entire hall full of nobles fell silent as they all looked towards the gates. There were many nobles outside the hall as well. There were too many guests here today, and the hall simply couldn’t fit them all inside.
“Johann has arrived?” Linley stood up and left the hall.
“Milord,” the uniformed Gates called out towards Linley.
Today, all five of the Barker brothers were dressed in handsome matching uniforms. As they wandered around the manor, their massive size and frame made the hearts of the nobles quail. The nobles all secretly sighed… the Dragonblood Warrior clan lives up to its name. Even their guards were so incredible.
Emperor Johann was a sight to behold, as always. Holding the Empress’s hand, he was followed by a few bodyguards.
“Wharton.” Emperor Johann immediately picked out Wharton from the crowd. Seeing how handsome and strong Wharton looked, Johann nodded with satisfaction. “Not bad, not bad.”
Linley arrived.
“Your Imperial Majesty, come rest inside.” Linley laughed.
“Alright. We have much to discuss with you, Master Linley,” Emperor Johann said warmly. Immediately, the two of them entered the guest hall. As for the other nobles and ministers, they very conscientiously stepped aside for them.
So many of the nobles of the imperial capital had arrived today, but Linley hadn’t gone to welcome any of them. The nobles all felt that this was normal. A Saint-level expert, go welcome them? Was that possible?
“The Chairman of the Dawson Conglomerate has arrived!”
That high-pitched voice rang out again. The Chairman of the Dawson Conglomerate, one of the three major trading unions of the Yulan Continent. Although the Dawson Conglomerate didn’t actually possess any Saint-level experts, it still possessed astonishing economic power.
Even Emperor Johann stood up and said to Linley, “Monroe Dawson is one of Our good friends.”
Linley rose as well.
Yale was sure to have come alongside Monroe Dawson. Of course Linley would go welcome them.
“Haha…” The big-bellied Monroe Dawson made his way over, with Yale by his father’s side. Seeing Emperor Johann, Monroe Dawson immediately bowed slightly. “Monroe pays his respects to the mighty Emperor Johann.”
Emperor Johann smiled warmly. “Monroe, today, Linley is the master of this location. There’s no need for you to stand on too much courtesy with Us.”
“Master Linley and I have been friends for a long time. Only, I didn’t expect that in a few scant years, Master Linley had reached such a level of accomplishment. Haha…” Monroe Dawson laughed so hard his eyes turned into merry slits.
“Uncle Dawson, just call me Linley.” Linley smiled as he spoke. He and Yale were the best of bros. Naturally, he had to be respectful to Yale’s father.
“Wharton, come and greet Uncle Dawson.”
Wharton came over as well.
“What a handsome, strapping young lad.” Monroe Dawson’s eyes lit up when he saw Wharton. Clearly, Wharton’s size and stature had surprised him.
One noble after another arrived, and even Blumer arrived. Blumer acted in an extremely gentlemanly manner today, and even spent some time congratulating Wharton.
But Wharton, in his heart, still felt rather uncomfortable around Blumer. He kept on feeling that Blumer wasn’t speaking sincerely.
“Blumer, your elder brother didn’t come today?” Emperor Johann laughed as he spoke to Blumer.
“My elder brother is currently in closed-door meditation training, in preparation for his duel with Lord Haydson next month.” Blumer smiled.
“Oh. Makes sense.” Emperor Johann nodded.
Blumer then glanced towards Wharton, who was welcoming guests at the gate. A cold light flashed in his eyes. In his heart, Blumer was very unhappy that Wharton had managed to successfully ask for Nina’s hand in marriage.
“The Monolithic Sword Saint, Lord Haydson, has arrived!”
When the voice rang out, Emperor Johann, Linley, Monroe Dawson, and many others immediately rose to their feet and headed out the hall.
“Haydson came?” Linley was very surprised and pleased. He had thought that Haydson would be busy preparing for next month’s duel.
Very soon, the gray-robed Haydson walked in by himself. Emperor Johann, Linley, Wharton, and the others all went to welcome him.
“Haha, Wharton, congratulations.” A very friendly smile was on Haydson’s face. He then looked at Linley. Jokingly, he said, “Linley, your little brother is getting engaged. What about you, the Big Brother?”
Linley started. He hadn’t expected Haydson to ask such a question.
“Hahaha…” Emperor Johann began to laugh loudly as well, nodding repeatedly. “Linley, it really is time for you to get married. If you take a fancy to someone, just tell Us. We will definitely make sure that lucky girl is sent to you.”
Linley didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry.
“Lords from the War God’s College have arrived!”
This call from the gate extricated Linley from having to answer the question, as they all went to welcome the people from the War God’s College.
“I didn’t expect that the War God’s College would also send people over.” Emperor Johann sighed emotionally.
Haydson nodded as well. The War God’s College was one of the most major organizations in the Yulan continent. They rarely participated in engagement or wedding events, unless it was the event of one of their own people. Only then would the other fellow apprentices attend.
Lanke and Castro walked in, side by side.
Castro smiled. “Haha, brother Wharton, congratulations.” As Castro figured, given how well-disposed his master was towards Wharton, then Wharton was qualified to be addressed by him as ‘brother Wharton’.”
But this term of address baffled Linley, Johann, Haydson, and the others.
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The members of the War God’s College were extremely arrogant.
They rarely paid much attention to other people. Castro’s attitude really caused quite a few people to feel puzzled.
“Today, we two fellow apprentices have come here as representatives of the entire War God’s College to congratulate you, Wharton, on this joyful occasion. This is the gift that our master personally instructed us to bring you.” Castro directly held out a brocade box towards Wharton.
Master?
Everyone around them was stunned. The War God was giving a gift?
“We are incredibly grateful.” Linley was the first to recover. Smiling, he accepted the congratulatory gift. “Castro, Lanke, come, have a rest over here.”
Generally speaking, the servants would accept any congratulatory gifts at the gate… but how would the gift registrars of the Count’s manor dare to take the gifts from people belonging to the War God’s College? Even if they had come empty-handed, it would have been an honor.
The Count’s manor was a hubbub of noise. Many high ranking nobles such as Dukes and Counts were all chatting amongst themselves, while Linley, Emperor Johan, Monroe Dawson, Castro, Lanke, Haydson, and the others chatted casually as well.
The guests at this engagement ceremony were all absolutely incredible.
Just look at the seating arrangements. At Linley’s table, the only people present aside from Saint-levels experts were an Emperor and the Chairman of a Conglomerate. Just at this moment…
“A Saint-level expert is flying over.” Many people called out. Linley glanced through the door at the sky, and indeed, saw a human form gracefully soaring through the clouds.
Linley, Emperor Johann, and the others all rose to their feet in confusion.
But no matter who it was, given this person was a Saint-level expert, they had to give him some face.
With a mid-air flash, the man arrived at the main gate. This was a white-haired old man, with a white beard as well. Clearly, he was ancient, but his dreamy, sky-blue eyes were very sharp.
“Haha, I came uninvited. I hope I won’t be unwelcome here?” The white-haired old man laughed heartily.
He didn’t even look at Wharton and the others, instead flying directly towards the place where Linley and the others had been seated. As he drew near, Haydson and Castro hurriedly stepped out of his way, and the white-haired old man sat down on the seat previously occupied by the Monolithic Sword Saint, Haydson.
“This is a pretty good seat. I’ll sit here.” The white-haired old man laughed loudly.
Emperor Johann frowned. This man was a bit too impolite. Linley, as well, felt that this white-haired old man was a little too arrogant.
“Might I ask—” Before Linley even had a chance to finish his words, the Monolithic Sword Saint, Haydson, quickly said in an extremely courteously voice, “I didn’t expect you would come here, milord. This truly is an unexpected surprise for us.”
By his side, both Castro and Lanke hurriedly nodded their heads in assent. Their attitudes were unbelievably humble.
18
Experts of Other Planes
Linley, Emperor Johann, and the others were all puzzled. Who in the world was this mysterious white-haired old man? Even the number one Saint-level expert, Haydson, was incredibly deferential to him.
“Could it be the War God?” Linley secretly wondered.
Most likely, only a Deity could make Haydson be this deferential. And clearly, both Castro and Lanke recognized this person as well. He was most likely the War God.
“Add a chair,” Housekeeper Hiri instructed a nearby servant.
Linley took a step forward. Smiling, he said, “Sir, we two brothers feel extremely honored to have you attend my younger brother’s engagement ceremony. Might I know your name, sir?”
“Me?” The white-haired old man glanced smilingly at Linley. “My name is Hodan.”
“Hodan?” Linley quickly combed through his memory, but he definitely didn’t recall an expert by the name of Hodan.
“Linley, no need to ask anything else. It is wonderful that Lord Hodan is able to attend today. Let’s all sit down first,” the Monolithic Sword Saint, Haydson, said with a laugh.
Although Linley and Emperor Johann and the others were mystified, they all sat down.
“Milord, let us offer you a toast, milord.” Castro and Lanke both raised their cups.
Milord?
A few things suddenly came to Linley’s awareness.
First of all, most likely only a Deity was capable of making a Saint-level expert address them as ‘milord’. At the same time… if Castro and Lanke addressed him as ‘milord’ and not as ‘Master’, then this person was most likely not the War God.
The continent had five prominent Deities. Linley had already met Dylin and Cesar, while he had yet to meet the High Priest, the War God, and the King of the Forest of Darkness. The white-haired old man should therefore be one of those three.
He was now certain that this man was not the War God.
So this person should be either the High Priest or the King of the Forest of Darkness.
“However, it has been countless years since those two Deities showed themselves. How could Haydson, Castro, and Lanke all recognize him?” Linley refused to believe it.
A Deity-level expert didn’t make appearances so easily.
“Linley.” The white-haired old man named ‘Hodan’ raised his cup. “Come, let us toast each other.”
Linley hurriedly raised his cup.
“When I see you, Linley, I think about the past affairs of your Baruch clan and those several Dragonblood Warriors. Haha… unexpectedly, several thousand years have passed in the blink of an eye.” Hodan laughed merrily.
These words caused Linley’s heart to twitch, hard.
“Those several Dragonblood Warriors of the Baruch clan? Thousands of years ago?” Linley looked at Hodan with confusion.
In his own clan’s history books, there had been three generations of Dragonblood Warriors, but later on, a thousand years would pass between each generation of Dragonblood Warriors.
But this Hodan was saying that thousands of years ago, he had met several Dragonblood Warriors?
“I didn’t know that Elder Hodan knew the ancestors of my clan.” Linley laughed.
“Of course. Your clan leader, Baruch, really is a formidable fellow,” Hodan said with feeling. “But your Baruch clan has really decayed. In the past, when you had dozens of Dragonblood Warriors, who would dare offend you? Such a pity, such a pity…”
Linley stared.
“Dozens of Dragonblood Warriors?” Linley and Wharton both looked at Hodan in shock.
“What, is that surprising?” Hodan looked at Linley and Wharton.
Haydson hurriedly said, “Milord, it would be best if you discuss this somewhere else. There are too many people here.” It was best if they didn’t reveal these secrets to the ordinary nobles.
“It is fine. Only the people at this table can hear us. As for the people outside of it, no matter how loudly we speak, they won’t be able to overhear anything.” Hodan chortled.
There were eight people at this table. Aside from Wharton, Emperor Johann, and Monroe Dawson, the others all possessed at least Saint-level power, with the white-haired old man’s power being immeasurably deeper.
“Dozens of Dragonblood Warriors?”
Linley and Wharton could hardly dare to believe it.
Their ancestral records were very clear; the first three generations of their clan produced three Dragonblood Warriors, after which a thousand years would pass between Dragonblood Warriors. In total, there had been only five. How could there have been dozens of Dragonblood Warriors a few thousand years back?”
“The Four Supreme Warrior clans… alas. All have decayed to a sorry state. In the past, the Four Supreme Warrior clans were quite glorious,” Hodan said with emotion.
Linley suddenly thought of something.
He remembered how in the ‘Se
cret Dragonblood Manual’, there were instructions on the second way by which one could become a Dragonblood Warrior; drinking live dragon’s blood. But based on that manual, all three Dragonblood Warriors were natural-born Dragonblood Warriors.
If the second method had never been used successfully, why would the Secret Dragonblood Manual record it?
In the past, both Linley and Doehring Cowart had suspected that the manual had been altered. His clan’s history should probably have included examples of Dragonblood Warriors who were produced via drinking live dragon’s blood.
“But I didn’t expect there were dozens!” Both Linley and Wharton felt extremely shocked internally.
“Oh, that little girl named Nina is coming over.” The white-haired old man, Hodan, beamed, causing Linley and the other shocked participants to turn and look.
Linley and the others all stood up, and Wharton immediately went over to welcome Nina.
Holding hands, Wharton and Nina went from table to table, toasting the guests. But right now, both Wharton and Linley, who remained at his seat, felt their minds to be in a state of utter confusion.
Their clan’s history clearly wasn’t as simple as they had imagined.
In addition…
Saint-level experts had extremely long lifespans. How could it be that not a single Dragonblood Warrior in their clan was remaining? And not just their clan; even the Undying Warrior clan, the Violetflame Warrior clan, and the Tigerstripe Warrior clan had seen the same thing. All of the Four Supreme Warrior clans had bizarrely collapsed.
“Secret…” Linley understood that the history of the continent definitely contained many hidden secrets that were different from the official accounts.
For example, the King of Killers, Cesar, had once told Linley that five thousand years ago, many experts from other planes of existence had descended to the plane of the Yulan continent. But in the history books, there was no such thing.
Linley found himself somewhat mentally disengaged as the engagement ceremony continued. He kept on thinking about these things.
Baruch Rising_Book 3 of the Coiling Dragon Saga Page 14