Spirit of the Coiling Dragon (Part 1)

In the eastern sky, the gray-robed man stood atop the head of the Black Dragon as it coiled through the air. A confident smile lay on his face as he watched the green-robed man battle the earthen-yellow giant.

“Whoosh!”

With a piercing shriek through the air, the green-robed man’s sword pierced the earthen-yellow giant’s head. “Bang!” Its head exploded, yet the giant seemed not to notice at all. Its fist, as massive as a boulder, smashed heavily into the green-robed man’s body.

“Pfft!” The green-robed man spat out a mouthful of blood, his face turning deathly pale.

But the earthen-yellow giant’s exploded head re-formed, completely unharmed!

“Tilon, you should hand it over. The Guardian of the Earth I summoned is not something you can defeat.” The gray-robed man standing on the Black Dragon’s head spoke coldly.

The green-robed man stared coldly at him, then suddenly shouted, “Rudi, if I cannot have it, neither will you!” Emerald light suddenly surged from his hands. The gray-robed man, who had remained expressionless atop the Black Dragon’s head, was instantly alarmed. “Stop!”

“Boom!”

With a great explosion, the emerald light in the green-robed man’s palms suddenly blazed as brilliantly as the sun before dispersing moments later.

“Tilon, you—” The gray-robed man pointed at the green-robed man in fury but could not speak.

The green-robed man’s face was pale as he stared coldly at the gray-robed man, whose own complexion had darkened. “Now it is settled. Neither of us can have it. Rudi, I am injured now, but if you want to kill me, it will not be easy.” With a cold laugh, the green-robed man became a streak of emerald light and flew rapidly northeast.

The gray-robed man watched him vanish toward the horizon, only frowning without pursuing.

The earthen-yellow giant beside him dispersed as well.

“Sky Sword Saint Tilon? What a pity. I cannot kill him yet,” the gray-robed man murmured. Then the Black Dragon beneath his feet seemed to understand his thoughts. Its enormous black wings beat once, and it howled toward the southeast.

In the blink of an eye, the two Saint-level experts disappeared at the edge of heaven and earth.

But Wushan Town was left in ruins. Hundreds and thousands of houses had collapsed. Painful groans, furious curses, miserable cries, and grief-stricken weeping filled the air. In only a short time, what had been a peaceful morning became a day of disaster.

******

Only Hogg was in the Baruch Clan’s reception hall.

He sat beside the long table with a deeply furrowed brow. As Wushan Town’s actual ruler, he naturally had to consider the townspeople.

Footsteps sounded as Steward Hiri entered from outside. “My lord.”

“How is Linley?” Hogg immediately turned to ask.

Hiri smiled. “Do not worry, my lord. I washed and dressed Young Master Linley’s wound, let him eat until he was full, changed him into clean clothes, and put him to sleep. Once he wakes after a good sleep, he should be much better.”

Only then did Hogg nod in relief, though his brows remained deeply furrowed.

“Are you worried about the residents of Wushan Town?” Hiri asked.

Hogg nodded and said with a bitter smile, “Uncle Hiri, ordinary residents are not like us. The men of Wushan Town are better off; they are generally first-rank or second-rank warriors. But the women cannot manage that. When the great stones kept falling from the sky, they had no way to defend themselves.”

Hiri nodded too.

Only a handful of people in all Wushan Town cultivated Battle Qi. When thousands or tens of thousands of stones fell from the sky, unless someone hid in a cellar early or used a shield to block them, the consequences of being struck were obvious...

“Now we can only wait for Hillman and the others to finish their count.” Hogg was deeply anxious.

After a long while, hurried footsteps sounded outside the hall.

Hogg’s eyes lit up. He looked up to see Hillman running quickly into the hall.

“Hillman, what are the casualties in Wushan Town?” Hogg asked urgently.

Hillman let out a sorrowful sigh. “The count has just been completed. More than three hundred people died in the town, and nearly one thousand were injured.” The entire town had only a little more than five thousand people. Nearly one-fifth had been killed or injured, even with stone houses to protect them. The losses were indeed severe.

“Such heavy casualties?” Hogg’s heart tightened.

The most important thing for a country was food, and a town likewise needed food. So many workers had suddenly been lost, while the disabled still had to be supported. The town’s economy would surely become even more difficult.

“Sigh.” Hogg let out a long sigh.

He wanted to reduce taxes, but Wushan Town’s taxes were already very low. Even maintaining his own clan was becoming a problem. How could he help the townspeople? In some other towns, taxes were so high that many farmers worked themselves to death.

“Lord Hogg, the townspeople are grateful for your kindness. They know everything you have done. Please do not worry yourself so much,” Hillman consoled him.

Hillman had been born in Wushan Town.

With Hillman’s status as a sixth-rank warrior, he could have become captain of a noble’s guard even in the royal capital. But because he was grateful for the Baruch Clan’s good treatment of Wushan Town, after retiring from the army he had directly become captain of the guard for the declining Baruch Clan.

“Hillman, take the guards to look around the town. Uncle Hiri, you should rest too,” Hogg said directly.

“Yes, my lord.” Hillman agreed.

Steward Hiri bowed in agreement as well. Then he and Hillman left the hall one after the other, leaving Hogg alone.

...

In Linley’s bedroom.

Linley’s head was injured, and Steward Hiri had told everyone not to disturb him so he could rest properly. While Wushan Town remained in turmoil outside, Linley’s bedroom was very quiet, and Linley himself was immersed in a sweet dream.

“Ting...”

A faint, trembling hum sounded. Halos of light emerged from Linley’s chest. Then the black Coiling Dragon Ring within the halo rose from beneath his sleeping clothes and hovered ten centimeters above his chest.

The vibration grew stronger and stronger, and the ring’s halo grew brighter.

Fortunately, no one entered Linley’s bedroom. Anyone who had would have been stunned. Linley himself continued sleeping soundly, completely unaware that the Coiling Dragon Ring was floating in the air.

“Whoosh!” The ring’s halo suddenly contracted sharply and turned into a hazy stream of light. The stream emerged from the Coiling Dragon Ring, descended beside the bed, and transformed directly into a person.

He was an elderly man in a moon-white robe, with white hair and beard and a kind face.

The Coiling Dragon Ring fell weakly back onto Linley’s chest. Linley’s eyelids moved, and he opened his eyes. When he saw the old man standing beside his bed, someone he had never met before, he was shocked. “Y-you, who are you?”

“Hello, little fellow. My name is Doehring Cowart, a Saint-level Grand Magus of the Pouant Empire,” the kindly old man said with a smile.

Linley’s eyes widened. “Y-you are a Saint-level Grand Magus?”

The kindly old man nodded confidently.

“No, Grandfather. You just said the Pouant Empire? The Pouant Empire that was destroyed more than five thousand years ago?” Well read in the continent’s history, Linley knew that the Pouant Empire had been destroyed before his own clan was even founded. It was not among the present Four Great Empires at all.