Seeing the seventh-level magical beast 'Rapid Dragon' and the mysterious mage depart, Hogg finally felt relieved.
"Uncle Xili." Hogg turned straight to the butler Xili. "Arrange for some people right away to find the gold bars that melted from the coins in the ashes. This mercenary team was no ordinary bunch — they probably carried a good deal of wealth. Hopefully it can make up for the losses Wushan Town suffered this time."
Hogg looked around at the ruins. Where houses had once stood, there was now nothing but rubble.
"Yes, my lord." Xili nodded.
"Hillman." Hogg turned to Hillman standing nearby and broke into a smile. "How are you feeling?"
Hillman nodded as well. "Quite worried and scared, I was. When I saw that seventh-level Rapid Dragon and that mysterious mage, I knew Wushan Town had absolutely no means to resist. A mage of the eighth level — someone of such lofty status — if they simply destroyed our little town on a whim, probably no one would dare blame them, let alone punish them."
Mages held an extremely exalted position in society.
Even an ordinary mage enjoyed a status comparable to that of nobility.
An eighth-level mage, upon meeting a king of any kingdom, would not even need to kneel — they could simply stand and converse face to face. That was how revered their standing was.
"Exactly. So we ought to count ourselves lucky. At least none of Wushan Town's residents lost their lives," Hogg said with a smile.
"That is something to be grateful for," Hillman agreed with a grin.
"Hillman, take some men and assist Uncle Xili. Make sure the displaced townspeople are properly taken care of — housing and such," Hogg instructed.
"Understood, Lord Hogg," Hillman acknowledged.
Hogg glanced carefully behind him, then turned to Hillman with a puzzled look. "Huh? Where's Lin Lei? He was right here a moment ago."
"No idea. Didn't notice," Hillman replied, shaking his head.
"My lord, young master Lin Lei has already gone back," Xili spoke up from the side. "However, when the young master left just now, he seemed a bit absent-minded. Not sure what was on his mind."
Hogg nodded thoughtfully.
*******
At the Baruch Family estate, there was one thing that was never in short supply — houses. In the Baruch Family's heyday, hundreds of people had lived within its grounds. Now, far fewer remained. Even an eight-year-old boy like Lin Lei had an entire house to himself.
Lin Lei's bedroom.
At that moment, Lin Lei sat cross-legged alone on his bed, brow furrowed in deep thought.
Images from the terrifying scene of the 'Fire Snake Dance' kept replaying in his mind — seven fire snakes, each as thick as a water vat and dozens of meters long, soaring through the air as waves of flame swept across the sky. The area had instantly become an ocean of fire, and the powerful warriors and mages of the mercenary team had been reduced to ashes in mere moments.
"Mages are so powerful."
A flicker of excitement stirred in Lin Lei's heart. "I have the Dragon Blood Warrior bloodline, but its concentration is rather low, and the bloodline rejects other Dou Qi Scriptures. That... limits the ceiling of my growth on the warrior's path! I wonder if it's possible for me to become a mage."
A desire to become a mage had suddenly taken root in Lin Lei's mind.
"That Rapid Dragon was terrifying too. If... if I also had a Rapid Dragon of my own, then..."
Lin Lei's mind replayed the scene of the Rapid Dragon.
That lightning-fast dragon tail — a single casual swipe could shatter boulders and demolish houses. Its massive body was like a colossal battering ram from an army's siege corps. Once it charged at full speed, with the Rapid Dragon's sheer size and the hard scales covering its body, it was absolutely horrifying.