Linley cautiously glanced about the room, saying in a low voice, Your Majesty, just a moment. Let me order out the people who are outside. As he spoke, Linley walked out the door, then barked at the two guards outside. Both of you, stand down. Without my direct orders, do not permit anyone to enter this courtyard.

Yes, Lord Linley.

Those two guards saluted respectfully, then left. Now, the only ones left in this standalone courtyard were Linley, Clayde, Merritt, and Ransome.

Creaaak. Linley quietly shut the door.

Linley, what sort of secret is this, that you even close the door? Clayde chuckled.

Linley glanced at Clayde, laughing coldly in his heart. He himself knew that Clayde had already been poisoned by the Bloodrupture poison. As the Bloodrupture poison didnt actually cause any damage to the body, just prevent the generation of battle-qi, it was only after a person attempted to generate battle-qi that they would discover that they had been poisoned.

This affair really is quite important. Linleys face was solemn.

At this time, Ransome subtly moved closer towards Clayde. As the personal bodyguard of the king, Ransome was beginning to feel that this environment was vaguely dangerous. At the same time, Ransome also felt that as Clayde was a warrior of the ninth rank, and he Ransome was a warrior of the eighth rank, by all rights, nobody here should be capable of being a threat to them.

But one could never be too careful.

Your Majesty. Linley stared solemnly at Clayde. My mother left this world when I was young.

Clayde nodded. He had investigated Linleys background, and had discovered that Linleys mother had died in childbirth, while giving birth to Linleys younger brother, Wharton.

I have no memories of receiving motherly love, only of the strictness of my father. My father was quite severe towards me in terms of both warrior training as well as all the education which nobles were expected to have. My fathers requirements for me were very high and very strict.

Linley looked at Clayde as he spoke slowly.

Clayde was beginning to be confused. He didnt understand what any of this had to do with the so-called important matter which Linley had mentioned. But as the ruler of the kingdom, Clayde showed a kingly poise and didnt interrupt.

Your Majesty, I expect that you know that my clan, the Baruch clan, is also the clan of the Dragonblood Warriors. A slightly proud look was on Linleys face.

Thats right. One of the Four Supreme Warrior clans, the Dragonblood Warrior clan. This is an illustrious, ancient lineage. Clayde sighed with praise.

Linley shook his head. We were only illustrious in the past. My clan had fallen so far that even our ancestral heirloom had been lost for hundreds of years. Each and every generation of Baruch clan leaders had desired to seize back this heirloom for centuries, but this never occurred. Your Majesty, when I was accepted by the Ernst Institute and left home, do you know what my father said to me the day I left?

What did he say? Clayde looked at Linley.

My father said, if in the future I do not bring back the ancestral heirloom of our clan, even in his death, he wouldnt forgive me! Linleys body was trembling slightly.

Clayde, Merritt, and even Ransome all stared in amazement. A father could actually say such a thing to his son? Your father went a bit too far. Clayde said.

No.

Linley shook his head solemnly. I understand my fathers desire. My Dragonblood Warrior clan had been downtrodden for centuries, without a single truly powerful person appearing in all that time. My father understood that I would be the strongest person my clan had produced in centuries. Hundreds of years of hopes and desires all rested on my shoulders. Tell me, how could my father permit me to be a failure? Clayde began to understand.

My fathers lifelong desire was to bring the warblade Slaughterer back to the clan. Linleys voice was growing fierce. At the Ernst Institute, I didnt dare to slacken off in the slightest. I trained like mad. I always remembered my fathers wish, my fathers instructions!

Clayde and the others were beginning to understand Linleys motivations.

Half a year ago, after I auctioned off Awakening From the Dream, I went back home, and that time, I brought the warblade Slaughterer with me. Linleys voice rose to a higher timbre.

Clayde, Ransome, and Merritt were stunned.

Because they all knew that on that trip, Linley had found that his father had already passed away.

But when I excitedly returned home, I was welcomed by the news of my fathers death. Before he died, he didnt have a chance to see the warblade, and I didnt have a chance to see my father one last time either. All those years of hard work, my dream of making my father happyunfortunately All the muscles on Linleys face were twitching, and the expression on his face was terrifying to behold.

Clayde and the others could all understand how Linley was feeling.

Linley, dont be too heartbroken, Clayde sighed.

Linley sneered. But, do you know why or how my father died?

Clayde, Merritt, and Ransome were all startled.

My father was killed, your Majesty, by your younger brother, Duke Patterson!!!! Linleys eyes began to turn red.

What?! Clayde rose to his feet in shock. By his side, Merritt and Ransome were both stunned as well.

ThereforeI killed Patterson! Linleys voice was very sinister.

At this point in time, Ransome was the first to feel that something was very wrong in this room. He vigilantly inched closer to Clayde, guarding against Linleys actions. But suddenly, just at this moment, Ransome felt a gust of wind from behind. Ransome, a warrior of the eighth rank, knew that he wouldnt have time to turn his head, and so his only choice was to swing his arm behind him in defense.

Crunch!

An incredibly painful feelingand then, Ransome could no longer feel his arms existence. Only now did Ransome notice, from the corner of his eyes.

A rat-like magical beast, nearly half a meter long, was standing beside him. Aside from noticing the rats blood-covered maw, Ransome also noticed its sharp claws moving extremely fast towards him. At such a close distance, Ransome didnt have any chance of dodging at all.

It was too fast!

Snick.

The sharp claws split apart Ransomes throat. Ransome stared in astonishment, but gradually, the life faded away from his eyes.

He simply couldnt understand where this half-meter long rodent-type magical beast had come from. The first thing he had done when he had entered the room was to scan it carefully. He only noticed a small Shadowmouse on the ground which was the size of a mans palm.

Could a palm-sized Shadowmouse pose a threat?

To a warrior of the eighth rank, not at all. Ransome thus wasnt on his guard against it at all.

And thus, being caught totally off-guard, this warrior of the eighth rank, Ransome, was easily killed by the Shadowmouse, Bebe. In truth, his death wasnt too unjust. Given Bebes current power, even if Ransome had been able to fight him openly and fairly, he still probably wouldnt have been able to hold on for too long.

Ransome. Clayde and Merritt were both shocked.

A stately warrior of the eighth rank died in one action. The two of them stared in shock at that Shadowmouse. Before their very eyes, Bebes body shrank down, returning to a fist-sized state, then leaping back onto Linleys shoulders.

Bebe. Well done. Linley rubbed Bebes little head.

Bebe closed his eyes, luxuriating in the feeling.

Linley turned his head to once more stare at Clayde. That cold look in his eyes made Clayde feel very uneasy.

Linley, what do you think you are doing? Clayde barked coldly. At the same time, he began to activate the battle-qi in his body. But at that moment, Clayde suddenly felt that those wide open blood vessels in his body had suddenly been stopped up by something.

Based on the dense battle-qi which Clayde possessed as a warrior of the ninth rank, in the past the flow of his battle-qi was as powerful and forceful as the crushing waves of the sea. But now, he was only able to forcibly activate a tiny amount of battle-qi, and sometimes the flow would break entirely. Right now, the amount of battle-qi available to Clayde was perhaps only one percent of what was normally available to him.

Your Majesty, dont shout and dont resist. If you resist, you die. Linley said calmly.

Clayde instantly realized what sort of situation he was now in.

Right now, just based on his muscle power, he could perhaps compete against a warrior of the seventh rank. But that little Shadowmouse on Linleys shoulders was capable of killing even a warrior of the eighth rank like Ransome in a flash.

Clayde didnt doubt in the slightest that Linley and his little Shadowmouse had the power to kill him in an instant.

Linley, how dare you! You dare to attempt to assassinate his Majesty? Terrified out of his mind, Merritt shouted.

Shut your mouth. Linley cast a frozen glance at Merritt.

Merritts muscle strength wasnt that powerful. Now that he was virtually totally unable to activate his battle-qi, he could perhaps be comparable at most to a normal warrior of the fourth rank.

Merritt quickly understood the situation as well. Not daring to shout at Linley, he still tried to persuade him. Linley, you have a great future and lots of potential. In the future, youll be a high-level official within the Radiant Church, and perhaps one day youll even be the next Holy Emperor. Why must you destroy your future prospects? Linley, I trust that his Majesty wont blame you for having killed Patterson. He brought calamity upon himself when he acted against your father. As he spoke, Merritt glanced at Clayde.

Clayde nodded as well. Linley, I am willing to pretend that nothing happened today. As for Patterson, hes already dead.

Linley, his Majesty has already spoken. Dont act too rashly. Merritt hurriedly said.

Shut your mouth! Linley suddenly stretched his arm out.

Like iron claws, Linleys right hand stretched out and grabbed Merritt by the throat, suddenly raising him up in the air.

Ah! Ah! Ah! Merritt stared at Linley, terrified, gurgling out his pleas.

Linley. Clayde immediately called out.

But with a cold laugh, Linley flexed his fingers, and then let his hand relax.

Crunch! With a snapping sound, Merritt fell to the floor. He grabbed his throat, just barely managing to force out an ah ah sound. In the moments just before his death, he still couldnt believe what had happened. He had come to visit today alongside King Clayde, and yet, this was the result.

As he died, Merritts life began to flash before his eyes. The last thing he thought ofwas a woman.

If I had known that I would die in Linleys hands, thenthat dayI shouldnt have let Alice slip through my fingers. This was the last thought Merritt ever had.

Linley was smiling coldly at Clayde.

Linley, why are you acting against me? I seem to have treated you quite well. Clayde looked at Linley, but at this moment, Clayde was hoping to himself: Snow Lion, bring someone, quick, quick! As a warrior of the ninth rank, Clayde had a magical beast companion of his own.

The Snow Lion was a Glacial Snow Lion, an eighth-ranked magical beast who came from the far north. Generally speaking, it would remain in the palace.

Because of the soul-binding contract which bound them, the minds of the Snow Lion and Clayde were linked. Thus, the Snow Lion immediately knew that Clayde had been a victim of an ambush. Clayde knew very well that right nowhis priority was to delay, delay as long as he could!

True, you have treated me well! But what about my mother? Linley stared death at Clayde.

If it hadnt been for the fact that in the past, Clayde had ordered the abduction of Linleys mother, Linleys father would still be alive, and his mother would be at home as well. His parents would still be alive! But because of Claydes actions, he had lost both parents.

Mother? Didnt your mother die in childbirth? Clayde didnt understand.

Die in childbirth? Linley laughed loudly, his voice wild. And then he stared coldly at Clayde. That was just a cover story that we made up. Clayde, after my mother gave birth to my little brother, my father and her went to the Radiant Temple to pray. But that night, upon returning to their hotel, they were attacked and my mother was captured.

Clayde, could it be that you have forgotten that twelve years ago, you ordered Patterson to have kidnappers abduct my mother? Linley stared coldly at Clayde. Dont deny it. Patterson has already told me everything.

Thatthat was your mother?! Clayde was totally shocked.

What, you remember now? Linleys eyes were boiling with fury. Tell me. What happened to my mother? Tell me, is she alive, or is she dead?

Clayde said calmly, Your mother, I handed over to another person. You cant afford to offend that person. Neither can I.

Another person? Linley totally didnt understand.

But at the same time, Linley felt a thread of hope in his heart. A person that even Clayde couldnt afford to offend had abducted his mother. There had to be an important reason behind it. Perhapshis mother was still alive.

Clayde laughed coldly. But I can tell you one thing. Your mother is dead. Without question, she is dead!

No Linley stared.

You dont believe me? Despite the situation he was in, Clayde began to laugh.