Panlong's Worton

Chapter 23 Jenny

Seven days after leaving the Monster Mountain Range, Linley and Walton encountered a caravan on the main road leading to Blackrock City.

More than thirty wagons, loaded with grain, cloth, and ironware, were escorted by nearly a hundred mercenaries. The caravan leader, a plump middle-aged merchant named Harold, saw the two brothers traveling alone and took the initiative to call out, "Where are you two young men going? The road is not safe. Why don't you travel together and look out for each other?"

Linley glanced at Wharton and nodded, "Then I'll take my leave."

They were placed in the middle of the caravan, sharing a cart with several lone travelers. Besides the two brothers, the cart carried an old woman carrying a bundle, a bespectacled accountant, and a taciturn swordsman.

The swordsman was in his forties, with a scar on his face and a gleaming scabbard at his waist. He glanced at Linley's "Slaughter" and Walton's "Mountain Guardian" on his back, said nothing, and closed his eyes to rest.

The convoy moved slowly forward. The official road was dilapidated from years of repair, full of potholes, and the carts bounced violently. Walton dozed off against the cargo, while Linley observed the mercenaries around them.

These mercenaries were poorly equipped, but well-disciplined, maintaining a vigilant formation throughout their march. Leading them was a one-eyed, burly man riding a variegated horse, a broad-bladed axe hanging from his waist; his aura was around level seven.

"That's 'One-Eyed Snake' McKinley," the swordsman suddenly spoke, his eyes still closed. "The most famous mercenary leader in the Blackrock City area, ruthless but trustworthy. The caravans he escorts have never had any mishaps."

Lin Lei nodded his thanks: "Thank you for informing me."

The swordsman fell silent.

As evening fell, the caravan camped in a valley. The mercenaries skillfully lit a campfire and set up a perimeter, while the merchants began to cook. Linley and Walton were given a bowl of broth and two pieces of hard bread. Just as they sat down to eat, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly came from afar.

It was hurried and chaotic; there were at least twenty riders.

McKinley immediately stood up, a fierce glint in his one eye: "Grab your weapons!"

The mercenaries dropped their bowls, drew their swords and shields, and quickly formed a defensive formation. The merchants, on the other hand, hurriedly hid behind their carriages.

The sound of horses' hooves drew near. More than twenty men in black on horseback rushed out of the night and surrounded the camp. The leader was a bald, burly man with a green snake tattooed on his face, carrying a nine-ringed broadsword.

"McKinley, we meet again." The bald, burly man grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "Same old deal, leave half the goods, and get out of here."

McKinley gripped the axe handle tightly: "Black Snake, haven't you learned your lesson from last time?"

"Last time was last time," the bald man known as Black Snake grinned maliciously. "This time, my older brother is here."

Behind him, a tall, thin man slowly rode out on horseback. The man had an eyepatch over his left eye, and his right eye was narrow and cold; a thin sword hung at his waist. The moment he appeared, McKinley's expression changed.

"One-Eyed Snake... McKinley?" The tall, thin man's voice was high-pitched, like a viper's hiss. "I heard you killed my third brother."

McKinley took a deep breath: "He robbed my goods first."

"I don't care who goes first or last." The tall, thin man—One-Eyed McKinley, who shared the same name as the bandit leader but was clearly not the same person—drawn his rapier. "Today, either you die, or all the goods are left behind."

The atmosphere instantly became tense.

Wharton whispered to Linley, "Brother, are we going to do anything about it?"

Linley watched the scene unfold. The caravan's mercenaries outnumbered them, but their quality was lacking. The opposing team consisted of over twenty men; aside from the one-eyed snake who was level eight, the rest were only level five or six, but they exuded murderous intent, clearly seasoned bandits. If a real fight broke out, the mercenary caravan would suffer heavy casualties.

"Let's take another look," Lin Lei said.

In the arena, McKinley and Cyclops are already facing off.

The one-eyed snake thrust out his rapier, swift as a viper's flick, aiming straight for his throat. McKinley parried with his axe, the two clashing and sparks flying. Both were level eight, but the one-eyed snake's swordsmanship was more cunning and insidious, targeting vital points. After a dozen or so moves, McKinley had several shallow cuts on his body, but he was in a sorry state.

"Boss!" The mercenaries wanted to help, but were stopped by the other bandits, and a melee broke out.

Swords flashed and screams filled the air. The mercenary group outnumbered the enemy, but was poorly trained and quickly found themselves at a disadvantage. Harold, the merchant, hid behind the carriage, his face ashen, muttering prayers.

One-Eyed Serpent forced McKinley back with a single sword strike, then thrust his rapier towards McKinley's heart like a venomous snake. The strike was too fast; McKinley had no time to parry and could only close his eyes and await his death.

But the sword missed.

A dark red knife blocked the rapier.

Lin Lei appeared in the arena unnoticed, easily deflecting the attack with "Slaughter" in his left hand. He looked at One-Eyed Snake and said calmly, "Robbery is acceptable, but murder is excessive."

The one-eyed snake narrowed his right eye: "Kid, meddling in other people's business will get you killed."

"Give it a try," Lin Lei said.

The one-eyed snake slashed again, this time even faster. The tip of the sword flickered in the air, creating seven cold stars that pierced Lin Lei's face, throat, shoulders, heart, and lower abdomen—seven vital points, simultaneously covering them.

McKinley exclaimed, "Watch out!"

Lin Lei didn't move.

He didn't move until the sword tip was only three inches from his body. Not backward, but forward. With one step, the blade flashed like a blood moon rising into the sky.

A very simple cut, a straight slash.

But when that slash was unleashed, the surrounding space seemed to freeze. The wind stopped, the flames of the campfire froze, and even the movements of those fighting in the distance slowed down.

The knife fell.

The slender sword broke in two.

The one-eyed snake remained in its forward-stabbing posture, a line of blood appearing from its forehead to its chin. The line of blood rapidly expanded, and then the snake split in two, falling to either side. Its internal organs were spilled all over the ground, and the stench of blood was overwhelming.

The entire room fell silent.

Even the robbers forgot to fight, staring blankly at their leader who had been split in two.

Lin Lei sheathed his knife and looked at the remaining robbers: "Get lost."

A single word, like ice in the dead of winter.

The robbers snapped out of their daze, dropped their weapons, mounted their horses, and fled into the night.

The mercenaries looked at Linley with awe. McKinley, clutching his wound, walked over and bowed deeply: "Thank you for saving my life, sir."

"Just doing it on the spur of the moment." Linley waved his hand and returned to Walton's side.

Walton handed over the half-eaten bread: "Bro, your 'Bloodlust' has improved again."

"Hmm." Lin Lei took the bread and took a bite.

After that day, the way the caravan members looked at the two brothers completely changed. Harold the merchant wanted to bring them the best food, and McKinley even offered to give up the lead carriage, but Linley declined and still rode in the cart.

Three days later, the convoy arrived in Blackrock City.

The city walls were built of massive black stones, standing about ten zhang high. A long queue formed at the city gate, where soldiers carefully checked every person entering. Linley and Walton paid the entrance tax and entered the city without incident.

The city was more prosperous than they had imagined. The streets were wide, lined with shops on both sides, bustling with pedestrians, and filled with the sounds of vendors hawking their wares. The two brothers found a clean inn to stay in, intending to rest for two days before continuing their journey north.

In the evening, while Lin Lei was having dinner in the lobby of the inn, he overheard several merchants chatting at the next table.

"Have you heard? Something happened in Chier County."

"The city lord suddenly died of illness, and his eldest son also died in an accident while hunting. Now the right of succession has fallen to the youngest son who has been living away from home."

"It wasn't an accident at all. Anyone with eyes can see that Mrs. Wade was behind it. That woman is ruthless; how could she tolerate her ex-wife's child?"

Lin Lei paused with his chopsticks.

Chier County City... seems to be not far from here.

Just then, footsteps sounded on the stairs. A girl of about fifteen or sixteen led a boy of about eight or nine down the stairs, followed by an old servant. The girl had delicate features, but her face was pale and her eyes were filled with worry. The little boy held his sister's hand tightly, looking timidly at the people in the lobby.

They sat in the corner and ordered the cheapest dishes. The old servant muttered something in a low voice, and the girl shook her head and patted the little boy's head.

Lin Lei looked away and continued eating.

But sometimes, trouble comes knocking on your door.

The next morning, Linley was meditating in his room when he suddenly heard a slight noise from next door—it was Wharton's room. He opened his eyes and went out.

Wharton's door was ajar. Linley pushed it open and went in, seeing his younger brother standing by the window, holding a thin needle in his hand. The tip of the needle had an eerie blue hue.

"Someone shot it in through the window," Walton said. "The target was the brother and sister next door."

Lin Lei took the needle and examined it: "Highly poisonous, fatal upon contact with blood. Who?"

"He got away. Pretty skilled, around level seven." Walton looked out the window. "Bro, should we do anything about it?"

Lin Lei recalled the rumors he had heard last night, and then the pale faces of the brother and sister. After a moment of silence, he said, "Since we've run into them, let's do something about it."

They knocked on the door next door.

The old servant opened the door, and upon seeing the poisoned needle in Lin Lei's hand, his expression changed drastically: "This...this is..."

"Someone just shot in through the window; it was aimed at you," Lin Lei said bluntly. "Who did you mess with?"

The old servant hesitated, then a young girl's voice came from inside the room: "Uncle Fu, please invite the guest in."

The room was small, and the siblings sat on the edge of the bed. The girl rose and bowed: "Jenny greets you both, gentlemen. This is my younger brother, Keane. Thank you for saving my life."

Lin Lei waved his hand: "It was nothing. Who are you people? Why are you being hunted?"

Jenny bit her lip and finally told the truth: they were the children of the lord of Chier County. Their mother had died early, and they had been persecuted by their stepmother, Lady Weider, since childhood, and had ended up in Blackrock City. Now that their father and elder brother were dead, Keane was the rightful heir according to the law, but Lady Weider had sent people to hunt them down, wanting to eliminate them completely.

"We want to go back to Chier County." Jenny's eyes reddened. "But we've already been attacked three times on the way, and the guards that Uncle Fu hired are all dead... We don't know who we can trust anymore."

Keane hugged his sister tightly around the waist and whispered, "Sister, I'm scared."

Wharton glanced at Linley.

Linley sighed, "We're heading north, and we'll be passing through Chier County. We'll give you a ride along the way."

Jenny was stunned: "Sir...why are you helping us?"

"I can't stand people who bully children." Lin Lei turned around. "Pack your things, we'll leave in an incense stick's time."

After leaving the city, Lin Lei immediately realized that he was being watched.

Three groups of people followed from different directions. One group consisted of six assassins in black, around level seven. Another group was dressed as mercenaries, led by a level eight leader, also eight. The third group was the most discreet, resembling an ordinary merchant caravan, but Linley could sense magical fluctuations within them—at least level eight mages.

"Brother, how do we fight?" Walton asked in a low voice.

"Let's get out of town and find a suitable place," Lin Lei said. "Hei Lu, go scout ahead."

The black-striped clouded leopard let out a low growl and vanished into the roadside woods as a black shadow.

The caravan—now consisting of two carriages, one for the Linley brothers and one for the Jenny siblings—traveled along the main road. After about ten miles, they entered a hilly area, with dense thickets on both sides of the road.

right here.

Lin Lei told the parking convoy, "Take a 15-minute break."

The carriage stopped, and Jenny and Keane got out to get some fresh air. Fuber looked around warily.

The first wave of assassins made their move.

Six men in black emerged from the bushes, their longswords aimed directly at Jenny and her brother. They worked in perfect unison, three at a time, sealing off all escape routes.

But they didn't see how Walton made his move.

Linley swung his heavy sword "Mountain Suppressor" like a black whirlwind. Three men in black were sent flying, their chests caved in, dying mid-air. The other three tried to retreat, but Linley's throwing knives were already upon them—three knives, three throats.

Six bodies fell to the ground in less than three seconds.

The second group of assassins, disguised as mercenaries, rushed out at this moment, and stopped in their tracks upon seeing this scene.

The leader was a burly, scarred man, an eighth-level warrior, carrying a ghost-head knife. He looked at Linley and Walton, then at the corpses on the ground, his expression changing repeatedly.

"How much money did Mrs. Wade give you?" Linley asked.

The scarred man gritted his teeth: "Why bother with other people's business? Outsiders who get involved in the affairs of Chier County will not have a good ending."

"I asked, how much money did Mrs. Wade give?"

"...Ten thousand gold coins."

Lin Lei laughed: "Your lives are only worth ten thousand gold coins?"

Before he finished speaking, he moved.

They weren't charging at the scarred giant, but at the group of assassins disguised as merchants. The assassins had just lifted the carriage curtain, revealing a magic circle inside—a binding spell—intended to capture Jenny and her brother alive.

But before the magic circle could be activated, Linley's knife had already arrived.

The "Slaughter" slashed, splitting the carriage in two. The mage inside looked up in astonishment, then his head flew off. The other three guards tried to draw their swords, but Bebe and Heiru had already pounced—one bit his throat, the other ripped open his abdomen; in three seconds, they were all dead.

The scarred man watched this scene, sweat beading on his forehead.

"Now," Linley turned, pointing the knife at him, "it's your turn."

The scarred man's throat went dry: "Withdraw!"

The mercenaries turned and ran. But Walton's greatsword had already come crashing down—not on the men, but on the ground. The blade slammed into the ground, and a terrifying shockwave spread out, sending all eight mercenaries flying. When they landed, half of their bones were broken, and they writhed in agony.

The scarred man barely managed to stand, his ghost-head knife held horizontally in front of him, but his hand was trembling.

"I'll give you a chance," Linley said. "Go back and tell Mrs. Wade that I'm protecting Jenny and Keane. If you want to kill them, you'll have to get past me first."

The scarred man felt as if he had been granted a pardon and scrambled away, abandoning his men.

Linley sheathed his knife and returned to the carriage. Jenny and her brother were pale, but remained relatively calm. Keane whispered, "Thank you, sir."

"Haha, it's nothing." Walton patted his head.

Continue on the road.

For the next three days, no more assassins appeared. Mrs. Wade had clearly received the news and knew that a direct confrontation wouldn't work, so she changed her strategy.

On the fourth day at noon, the convoy rested at a roadside tea stall. The stall owner, a kind-looking old man, warmly served them tea and pastries.

Lin Lei picked up his teacup, smelled it, and put it down.

"What is it, sir?" Uncle Fu asked.

"There's a 'sedative' in the tea," Lin Lei said. "The dosage isn't large, but it will make you sleep for six hours. Six hours is enough time to do a lot of things."

Jenny's expression changed.

Lin Lei stood up and walked to the stall owner. The old man was still smiling: "Sir, is the tea not to your liking?"

The old man's smile froze.

The next second, a short blade slid from his sleeve and stabbed Linley in the heart. At the same time, he threw out a handful of green powder with his left hand—a deadly poison that would cause immediate skin rot upon contact.

Lin Lei did not dodge.

The short blade pierced his chest, but was blocked by his scales, leaving not even a white mark. Poisonous powder drifted by, and Linley opened his mouth and blew out a breath—a wind magic spell called "Hurricane"—blowing the poisonous powder back the way it came.

Holmer screamed in agony as his face and hands rapidly festered, emitting white smoke. He staggered backward, trying to reach for the antidote, but Linley's knife was already at his neck.

"Where is Mrs. Wade?"

"At...at the manor outside Chier County..." Holmer's voice was hoarse. "Don't kill me, I can help you..."

"Need not."

A flash of light, and a head fell to the ground.

On the evening of the fifth day, the convoy arrived in Chier County.

The city walls were higher than those of Blackrock City, and the moat was ten zhang wide, with the drawbridge slowly lowered. At the city gate, a troop of soldiers in magnificent armor lined up to greet them, led by a middle-aged civil official with a mustache.

"Miss Jenny, Master Keane, welcome home." The civil official bowed. "I am Cato, the city magistrate, here to greet you on the orders of Lady Wed."

Jenny glanced at Linley, and after receiving a nod in acknowledgment, said, "Thank you for your trouble, Lord Cato."

The convoy entered the city. The streets were packed with onlookers, pointing and whispering amongst themselves. Linley could sense at least dozens of eyes watching them from the shadows—some curious, some hostile, and some even murderous.

The city lord's manor, situated in the heart of the city, was a sprawling estate. Before the manor gates, a woman in an elegant long dress waited with a group of servants. The woman was about forty years old, beautiful, but her eyes and brows betrayed a sharp, mean expression.

"Jenny, Keane, you're finally back." Mrs. Wade forced a smile and stepped forward to hug them, but Keane hid behind his sister.

Jenny bowed and said, "Auntie."

"You must be tired from your journey." Mrs. Wade looked at Linley and Wharton. "And these two are...?"

"Linley and Mr. Walton are our saviors," Jenny said. "Without them, we wouldn't be back."

A cold glint flashed in Mrs. Wade's eyes, but her smile remained unchanged: "So you are an honored guest. Please come in, I have prepared a banquet."

The feast was lavish, but the atmosphere was strange. Mrs. Wade warmly welcomed everyone and kept urging them to drink, but Linley and Wharton didn't touch a drop, and only ate the dishes they were sure were safe from poison. Keane clung tightly to his sister, shoveling food into his mouth in small bites, not daring to speak.

After the banquet, Mrs. Wade arranged for Jenny and her brother to go back to their room to rest, citing "travel fatigue," but left the Linley brothers in the living room.

"Gentlemen," Mrs. Wade dismissed her attendants, her smile vanishing, "let's be frank. You escorted Jenny and Keane back simply for money. Name your price, how much will it take for them to leave?"

Lin Lei picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "You think we're short of money?"

"One million gold coins," Mrs. Wade said. "Enough for you to buy an estate in the O'Brien Empire and live comfortably for the rest of your lives."

Wharton laughed. "Madam, do you think our lives are only worth a million?"

Mrs. Wade's face darkened: "Then what do you want?"

"What we want is not important." Linley put down his teacup. "What is important is that Keane is the rightful heir. You should hand over power immediately and leave Chir County."

"Leave?" Lady Weide sneered. "I've been married into the city lord's mansion for twenty years, managing the household and the business. I may not have done anything outstanding, but I've certainly put in a lot of hard work. Now you want me to leave and hand everything over to a nine-year-old child?"

"This is the law."

"The law?" Lady Weide stood up, her voice shrill. "In this city of Chier, I am the law! You two, I advise you to mind your own business. Take your money and leave first thing tomorrow morning, and we'll all be fine. Otherwise..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but it was full of threat.

Lin Lei also stood up: "Otherwise what?"

Mrs. Wade stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed: "Good, very good. You just wait and see."

She turned and left.

Linley and Walton returned to their guest room. Walton closed the door and set up a soundproof barrier: "Brother, this woman won't let this go."

"Of course." Linley walked to the window, looking at the city lord's mansion in the night. "She's been running this business for twenty years; everyone in the mansion is her man. If open attacks don't work, she'll resort to covert methods—poisoning, assassination, creating accidents."

"Then we..."

"Strike first, strike hard." Linley turned around, his eyes icy. "The operation will take place tonight."

At midnight, the city lord's mansion was completely silent.

Linley and Walton changed into black clothes and sneaked out of the guest room. Bebe and Heru scouted ahead, avoiding the patrolling guards.

Mrs. Wade's bedroom was on the third floor of the main building. There were two level seven guards on duty outside the door, but this was useless to Linley—two throwing knives, two throats.

Pushing open the door, I saw Mrs. Wade looking at the account books under the lamp. Hearing the noise, she looked up and her face changed drastically when she saw Linley. She tried to shout, but Walton's greatsword was already pressed against her throat.

"Don't make a sound." Lin Lei closed the door. "I'll ask, you answer."

Lady Wade trembled violently: "You...you dare to kill me? My brother is the governor, he won't let you get away with this..."

"Your brother won't survive tonight either," Lin Lei interrupted. "I'm asking you, how many assassins did you send? Do you have any backup plans?"

Mrs. Wade gritted her teeth and remained silent.

Linley nodded to Walton. Walton pressed down with the tip of his sword, piercing the skin, and blood seeped out.

"I'll talk! I'll talk!" Mrs. Wade broke down. "I... I've arranged for assassins to poison breakfast tomorrow morning... Also, I've bribed the commander of the city guards. If you force Keane to succeed you, he'll suppress it on the grounds of 'rebellion'..."

She confessed everything at once.

After listening, Lin Lei was silent for a moment, then asked, "Where does your brother live?"

"East City Manor..." Mrs. Wade started to say, then realized something, "No, you can't..."

Before he could finish speaking, a blade flashed.

Mrs. Wade's eyes widened, she clutched her throat and collapsed, blood gushing from between her fingers.

Lin Lei sheathed his knife: "Make it clean."

Walton nodded, took a small bottle from his pocket, poured out some powder, and sprinkled it on the corpse. The powder ignited upon contact with the flesh, producing an eerie blue flame that produced no smoke and reached extremely high temperatures, burning the corpse to ashes in seconds.

"The fire magic 'Purifying Flame'," Walton explained. "A little trick I learned at O'Brien Academy."

The two used the same method to deal with Lady Wed's brother—the sheriff was no better, having helped his sister do many despicable things over the years.

Before leaving, Linley set fire to Mrs. Wed's bedroom. The fire quickly spread, alarming the entire mansion. By the time the guards arrived to put out the fire, the main building was already engulfed in flames.

The next day, the city of Chier County was shaken.

Lady Wade, the city lord's wife, and the county magistrate tragically perished in the fire, their bodies burned beyond recognition. Jenny and Keane, the siblings, were devastated. With the assistance of Cato, the city steward—who had been suppressed by Lady Wade for years and long sought to regain his power—they began to handle the funeral arrangements and succession matters.

Three days later, Keane officially ascended to the throne in the main hall of the city lord's mansion. Although he was only nine years old, with his sister Jenny assisting him, the Linley brothers in charge, and a group of veteran ministers such as Cato supporting him, the process went smoothly.

After the ceremony, Linley handed over all the wealth that Mrs. Wade had amassed over the years—jewelry, antiques, and land deeds worth nearly ten million gold coins—to Jenny.