Chapter 43: The Corpse
If he's alive, I need to see him. If he's dead, I need to see the body!
It was from Yeru that Lin Lei learned Rein's corpse had been taken by the enemy. This time, no matter what, he had to bring his brother's body back. But first, Lin Lei needed to make a trip to Neil City. After all, the garrison at Neil City should have the clearest account of what happened to Rein that day.
"Boss, don't be too sad," Bei Bei whispered.
Lin Lei gazed at the vast sky and earth in the distance, then turned to look at Bei Bei, forcing a thin smile. "Bei Bei, I'm fine." But it was hard to read any expression on Lin Lei's face in his Dragon Blood Warrior transformation—only the slight upward curl of his lips gave him away.
After flying for a while, Neil City appeared on the horizon.
"We're here." The temperature around Lin Lei seemed to drop several degrees in an instant.
Tens of miles outside Neil City, the O'Brien Empire's army was encamped. Ten miles on the other side, the Rohr Empire's army held its position. The two nations' forces faced off against each other.
The incident involving Rein had prompted the Golden Flame Corps to launch a retaliatory strike as soon as Prince Yulin departed. The Rohr Empire, having long been prepared, naturally refused to back down. After several brutal clashes that killed and wounded tens of thousands on both sides, the fighting had temporarily subsided. Both sides stood ready for the next assault.
The defenders on Neil City's walls were relatively relaxed at the moment. After all, tens of thousands of troops stood between them and the enemy.
"Hey, that so-called prince sure was spineless—let them beat their way right up to the walls and still wouldn't let us sortie." A few off-duty guards huddled inside a watchtower, chatting idly.
"Too bad Captain Rein died so unjustly. Even his corpse was taken by the enemy."
The Golden Flame Corps—that was an absolutely elite unit. What had happened at Neil City was a profound humiliation for the entire corps. But the officers on the walls at the time hadn't dared to defy Prince Yulin.
"Who are you?!" Panicked shouts erupted one after another outside. Guards resting in the small watchtowers along the wall poured out, but when they saw the figure hovering in midair, surrounded by dark greenish-black swirling clouds—the Dragon Blood Warrior transformation—they trembled with fear.
They were elite warriors, fighters who had struggled between life and death.
But when they saw a powerful figure suspended in the air, they all understood: the creature before them was a Saint-level powerhouse. They, mere soldiers, had absolutely no power to resist.
"Are… are you Master Lin Lei?" an officer suddenly asked in a low voice.
The elite warriors around him lit up. Lin Lei's transformed appearance had long since spread far and wide. They studied Lin Lei's form amid the swirling clouds—it did indeed match the stories.
"I am." A deep voice emanated from the dark greenish-black mist.
Master Lin Lei—magic prodigy, stone sculpting grandmaster, peak Saint-level powerhouse. The pride of the entire O'Brien Empire. Countless people across the empire idolized Lin Lei. Learning that the creature before them was Lin Lei, the elite warriors actually found his transformation rather "fierce" and impressively "manly."
Now that was a true warrior.
"If Master Lin Lei has any questions, please ask," the officer said hastily.
"A while ago, one of your patrol squads was chased down by the Rohr Empire's forces—chased all the way to the city walls. The captain who fell in battle then—was his name Rein?" Lin Lei's voice was hoarse.
The officer replied, "Yes, Master Lin Lei."
The surrounding soldiers felt a flush of shame. This particular disgrace of the Golden Flame Corps had reached even Master Lin Lei's ears. They all felt mortified.
"What happened to Rein's corpse?" Lin Lei pressed.
"Master Lin Lei, Lord Rein's body was taken away by the enemy." The officer's face had gone pale. He was deeply ashamed. Three hundred men—and right under their very eyes, the enemy had not only killed Rein and his people but carried off his corpse as well.
Lin Lei asked, "Is there anyone here who personally witnessed what happened?"
Several soldiers exchanged glances. They had only heard about Rein's situation secondhand. The squad that had been on the wall at the time and witnessed the scene firsthand had already been punished—they'd been sent straight to the front lines to fight the enemy.
Reading the expressions on these soldiers' faces, Lin Lei's brow furrowed.
"I—I saw it happen." An aged voice came from behind. The soldiers parted, and an elderly man in a luxurious robe stepped forward. He was the city lord of Neil City.
"Lord City Lord!" The surrounding soldiers saluted.
The city lord of Neil City looked at Lin Lei, wreathed in dark greenish-black mist, and sighed inwardly. He was no weakling—that much was clear from the fact that he'd been appointed to govern a border city like Neil. Back then, he had accompanied Prince Yulin and watched as Rein and the others were hunted down. He had immediately wanted to send men to help.
But Prince Yulin's attitude at the time had made it unmistakably clear: no one was to leave the city. Hold the line! The city lord was getting on in years and had sons and grandsons of his own. He didn't dare disobey Prince Yulin's orders.
"You're the city lord of Neil City? Good. Tell me exactly what you saw when Rein was killed and his body taken," Lin Lei said coldly.
The city lord nodded. "When Rein and the others fled toward us, they were already wounded. Rein had an arrow still embedded in his shoulder. The moment they reached the base of the wall, over a dozen enemy experts charged through, ignoring the garrison's arrows, and slaughtered Rein and his men. Rein received a slash across his chest and abdomen that killed him, then the enemy commander hoisted the body onto his back and carried it straight away."
Lin Lei nodded inwardly.
The information from the Dawson Trading Company was accurate.
"The enemy commander? Do you know where he is?" Lin Lei looked at the city lord. "I must find Rein's body."
The city lord nodded. "Right now the Rohr Empire's army is locked in a standoff with our imperial forces, just tens of miles outside Neil City. The enemy commander is most likely among them. One more thing… the enemy commander appears to be an eighth-level warrior."
"Oh…"
Lin Lei turned his gaze southward. He could clearly sense the scent of blood drifting from that direction. The stench of slaughter from tens of thousands of dead—how thick it was!