The fabric over Hillman's shoulders, where it had been gripped by Lin Lei's dragon claws, was torn through. Bright red blood slowly seeped out, staining the cloth crimson.
But Hillman seemed not to feel it at all.
Hillman stared at Lin Lei and said in a low voice, "Lin Lei, calm down first."
"Tell me." Lin Lei gazed at Hillman intently.
Hillman said solemnly, "The cavalry column behind us will be here any moment. Don't let anyone know about your family's affairs for now. Come with me first." Hillman wrenched himself free of Lin Lei's sharp claws, grabbed Lin Lei's arm — the one covered in black dragon scales — and tried to drag him toward the ancestral hall, but the pull didn't budge him.
"Lin Lei." Hillman turned his head, a trace of anger in his voice.
"Uncle Hillman, I understand what's at stake."
Lin Lei's expression was as dark as still water, but he took a deep breath, and the dragon scales covering both arms sank back into his body. He returned to his normal appearance. As he crouched down and once again cradled the war blade Slaughter in his arms, Lin Lei heard the sound of hoofbeats outside.
The Church of Light's cavalry column had finally arrived.
Lin Lei turned and glanced back coldly, but paid them no mind, addressing Hillman directly instead. "Uncle Hillman, you lead the way."
"Good."
Seeing that Lin Lei had managed to calm down, Hillman felt somewhat relieved and immediately led him toward the ancestral hall. Lin Lei still wore a grim face. At this moment, perhaps no one but Lin Lei himself could imagine the deep anguish hidden beneath his tranquil exterior.
Shadow Mouse Bei Bei and Derinkoort made no sound.
They were connected to Lin Lei's soul and naturally sensed his unprecedented pain and sorrow.
Wind rose, scattering the withered leaves that had lain on the ancient stone path for who knew how many years.
"Creak—"
Hillman pushed open the great doors of the ancestral hall and looked back at Lin Lei. Clutching the war blade Slaughter, Lin Lei stepped inside with a composed face, but his gaze fixed upon the row upon row of spirit tablets within. With Lin Lei's eyesight, he could clearly make out the newest one at the very front.
On its face were only the words "Hogg & Baruch."
Harboring one last sliver of hope, Lin Lei felt his head spin, but he held his footing. Then he walked forward with the war blade Slaughter and finally set the massive weapon down on the stone table where the spirit tablets were displayed.
Lin Lei looked at that spirit tablet, and a gentle, peaceful smile crossed his face. He said softly, "Father, I've come home."
"I know that the greatest wish of your life was to recover our family's inherited treasure, and even to restore the glory of our Dragon Blood Warrior clan." Lin Lei spoke in a voice barely above a whisper, as though afraid of disturbing someone.
Lin Lei stared at the spirit tablet. "I haven't let you down. I've brought back our Baruch Family's, our Dragon Blood Warrior clan's inherited treasure — the war blade Slaughter."
"Now I've returned the war blade Slaughter, and soon I will restore the glory of our Dragon Blood Warrior clan. I will make everyone on the entire Yulan Continent know of the Dragon Blood Warrior clan's splendor, and I will make your name known throughout the Yulan Continent."
"I swear it — I will accomplish all of this."
A fierce edge suddenly appeared on Lin Lei's face. "Of course, before that, I will have my vengeance for you."
Without question, his father Hogg had been murdered.
Otherwise, with a sixth-level warrior's strength and in the prime of his life, no ordinary illness could have claimed him. If he had died of sickness, Uncle Hillman would not have been so evasive about it. According to Lin Lei's intuition, his father's death was anything but ordinary.
"Whoever killed you — I will make them die too!!!"
In Lin Lei's eyes, there now seemed to appear a trace of the cold, dark gold of the Armored Spine Iron Dragon — a dark gold that made one's heart shudder.
Lin Lei suddenly turned his head to face Hillman. "Uncle Hillman, tell me — how exactly did my father die? And where is he buried? You said he's been dead for over three months. Why didn't you ever tell me?"
Hillman opened his mouth, but no words came out.
"Lin Lei, calm down first." Hillman said slowly.
Calm down?
How could he calm down?
"How I longed for my father to see the war blade Slaughter with his own eyes! How I longed for him to see that I too had become a Dragon Blood Warrior! How desperately I wanted to see my father's smile — the relieved smile he would have upon seeing the war blade Slaughter, the proud smile at seeing me become a Dragon Blood Warrior! But now… none of that is possible."
Lin Lei felt as though his heart were being carved by knives.
And Hillman still wanted him to calm down!
Lin Lei wanted to rage at Hillman, but he held himself back. He drew a deep breath and swallowed down every last bit of resentment and fury. He fixed his eyes on Hillman. "Uncle Hillman, tell me everything that happened. I want to know all of it."
"Your father died — three months ago. But before he died, your father entrusted me with something… I was not to tell you the cause of his death unless you reached the strength of a seventh-level warrior." Hillman said gravely.
"Seventh-level warrior?"
"That's right." Hillman nodded gently. "That is why I went to your academy to find you, yet did not tell you about your father's death. In accordance with your father's dying wish, he hoped you would continue your training in peace, as much as possible without knowing the news of his passing."
Hillman looked at Lin Lei. "Lin Lei, it's not that I was unwilling to tell you. This was your father's final wish, and I could not go against it. Only when you reach the strength of a seventh-level warrior can I tell you everything."
Lin Lei understood.