Book 01, Coiling Dragon Ring

by Unknown

  “Gotta hold it. Gotta hold it.” Linley constantly said to himself.

  In the back of Linley’s mind, the words his father said a year ago constantly echoed. “Linley, we are the family of the Dragonblood Warriors. As a member of the Dragonblood Warriors clan, you have an advantage, but also a disadvantage! The advantage is, even though the density of Dragonblood in your veins hasn’t reached a sufficient level, your body will still be much stronger than those of most ordinary people. It might be very difficult for others to become a warrior of the sixth rank through training alone, but for you, it will be somewhat easier.”

  “However, your disadvantage is this. The descendants of the Dragonblood clan are not able to train battle qi according to normal manuals. This is because the blood in our veins is only suited to the training method inside the ‘Secret Dragonblood Manual’. It conflicts with all other types of battle qi cultivation methods. Unfortunately, only those who have reached a certain density of Dragonblood are able to practice using the method within the ‘Secret Dragonblood Manual’. Therefore, you will not be able to cultivate battle qi at all.”

  “Also, although in theory, anyone training the body can reach the sixth rank, that’s just in theory. In practice, the number of people who accomplish this is very low. But for us, it is different. Even if the amount of Dragonblood in our veins is low, our starting level will be higher than others. Just from training alone, we can become warriors of the sixth rank. Your great grandfather, based on training alone, managed to become a warrior of the seventh rank!”

  Linley remembered his father’s words very clearly.

  Linley growled to himself, “I’m stronger than everyone else now, only because of the Dragonblood in my veins. But since I can’t practice battle qi, my only options are to work hard, and to work harder! Since great grandfather was able to become a warrior of the seventh rank, then I shall… I shall become a warrior of the eighth rank. Or even the ninth rank! Nothing is impossible!”

  A warrior of the eighth rank!

  A warrior of the ninth rank could be considered the most powerful expert in the entire country of Fenlai. A warrior of the eighth rank, although unable to restore the Baruch family to its former glories, would be able to dramatically improve its current situation.

  “Gotta hold!” Linley gritted his teeth.

  By this point, his muscles felt like they were being chewed on by countless ants. His entire body was quivering, and every single muscles on his entire body trembled. Every single trembling muscle could be seen visibly.

  After a long time, in the end…

  Thud!

  Linley, exhausted, collapsed to the ground.

  “That feels wonderful.” Flat on the floor, his entire body relaxed, Linley could clearly feel how numb his entire body was. All the muscles on his body, after undergoing that training, were slowly growing. Although the growth wouldn’t be noticeable from just one or two exercises, after a long period of time, the effects would be pronounced.

  Hillman, off to the side, nodded with satisfaction.

  And then, Hillman’s face grew cold as he turned to look at the fourteen and fifteen year olds. “All of you had better hold on! Linley’s only eight years old, while all of you are almost adults. Don’t let an eight year old get the better of you!”

  … … … … … .

  After morning exercises ended, Linley bid farewell to his group of friends and went towards the Baruch clan manor. If a stranger had seen him, the eight year old Linley surely would have been assumed to be eleven or twelve years old, and not just a mere child of eight.

  The descendants of Baruch truly were different from other men.

  “Big brother!” Upon seeing Linley, the healthy-looking Wharton rushed over.

  “That’s enough, Wharton. My entire body is covered with sweat. Let me wash myself first.” Linley patted Wharton on the face and laughed.

  Wharton hmphed. “I know that as soon as you wash up, you’ll go take lessons from father.”

  As a member of a noble house, Linley’s education began from a young age. The five-thousand year old Baruch clan was even stricter regarding educational matters than even the royal families of most kingdoms were.

  “Enough, Wharton. I’ll play with you around noon.” Linley laughed.

  Wharton was only a child, while Linley was much more mature.

  After washing up and changing into some fresh clothes, Linley entered the study. At this moment, his father, Hogg Baruch, was sitting in front of a desk, his back ramrod straight. In front of Hogg were three thick tomes.

  “Father!” Linley respectfully bowed.

  Hogg coldly nodded, and Linley quickly walked next to him.

  “Yesterday, I explained the history of the countries of the Yulan continent to you. Repeat it back to me.” Hogg said coldly.

  This was the real Hogg.

  Instances like the time when he was holding the crying Linley in his arms were extremely rare. Normally, Hogg’s attitude towards Linley could be summarized in one word: ‘Strict’. In all things, Hogg strove for perfection. He wouldn’t let Linley get away with any mistakes.

  “Yes, father.” Linley said calmly.

  “In the Yulan continent, there are three dangerous areas. The number one mountain range, the ‘Mountain Range of Magical Beasts’. The second mountain range, the ‘Mountain Range of the Setting Sun’. And, the number one forest, the ‘Forest of Darkness’. The space these three dangerous regions take up is incomparably large. The ‘Mountain Range of Magical Beasts’ runs across the entire continent, from north to south, covering over ten thousand kilomters. Within it are countless magical beasts, including Saint-level beasts which have the power to ‘destroy the heavens and ravage the earth’. Because of the ‘Mountain Range of Magical Beasts’, the Yulan continent has been divided into different regions.”

  “West of the ‘Mountain Range of Magical Beasts’, there are twelve kingdoms and thirty-two duchies. Within these kingdoms and dukedoms, there are two major divisions. The first is the Holy Union, with the kingdom of Fenlai being the principal kingdom. The second is the Dark Alliance, with the kingdom of Heishi being the principal kingdom. These two alliances are opposed to each other and constantly battle because one is controlled by the Radiant Church, while the other belongs to the Cult of Shadows.”

  “East of the ‘Mountain Range of Magical Beasts’, there are four empires, six major kingdoms, and countless duchies! These four empires are enormous, and are not influenced by the Holy Union or the Dark Alliance. In these four empires, the rule of the emperors is absolute. Any of the four empires are comparable to the Holy Union.”

  “The four empires are the central Yulan Empire, the southeastern Rhine [Lai’yin] Empire, the eastern Rohault [Luo’ao] Empire, and the northern O’Brien [O’Bu’Lai’En] Empire.” After having said all this at one go, Linley let himself relax slightly.

  “Just this?” Hogg frowned.

  Linley was about to immediately continue, but Hogg cut him off. “Let me ask you, within our Holy Union, how many kingdoms and duchies are there?”

  “Within our Holy Union, there are six kingdoms and fifte… sevente… ” Linley suddenly frowned.

  How many duchies were there in the Holy Union? Linley’s memory was a bit hazy. He wasn’t sure if it was fifteen, or if it was seventeen. He couldn’t be sure.

  “Hmph!”

  His face cold and harsh, Hogg pulled out a wooden stick, and Linley obediently stuck his hand out.

  His eyes narrowing, with a ‘WHAP’ sound, Hogg whacked Linley’s hand with the stick. A red line immediately appeared on Linley’s hand, but Linley could only clench his teeth, not making a sound.

  “Linley, you must remember, we are currently living within the Holy Union. You must know everything about the Holy Union!” Hogg coldly looked at his son. “In the entire Yulan continent, the most important entities are the four empires and the two alliances.”

  Linley nodded.

  Although hi
s father’s words were simple, Linley clearly understood the deeper meaning.

  “At the far northern end, the Holy Union shares a border with the O’Brien Empire. While at the southern end, the Dark Alliance intersects with the Yulan Empire. Under the guidance of the Radiant Church, the unity of our Holy Union isn’t one whit inferior to that of the empires.”

  Listening to his father’s words, Linley agreed.

  Yesterday, he had read many books. Clearly, the Holy Union could be considered the ‘cultural center’ for the entire Yulan continent. At the same time, in terms of economic strength, it was on par with the Yulan Empire, making the two of them the most economically powerful entities in the world.

  In addition, it had the support of the Radiant Church.

  The Holy Union truly was very formidable.

  “Today, we will study art,” Hogg said coldly. “As the descendent of a noble family, you must have a thorough understanding and appreciation of art. Art is what gives noblemen an aura of gravitas!” Hogg pulled out a large tome as thick as a fist, immediately opening it.

  “In the year 3578 of the Yulan calendar, the grandmaster stone-sculptor Proulx [Pu’lu’ke’si] was born… .”

  Off to the side, Hogg solemnly taught while Linley strove hard to memorize. He wanted to meet his father’s requirements.

  *

  Book 1, Chapter 5 – Growth (part 2)

  Time flew by quickly, and in the blink of an eye, the grandfather clock within the hall rang eleven times, signifying that it was now 11 in the morning.

  “Is Hogg at home?” A clear voice rang out. The Baruch manor had no guards, so clearly, this person had already arrived within the manor grounds.

  Hogg frowned, placing down the thick tome in front of him. “Linley, today we’ll come to a stop here.” Revealing a wisp of a smile, Hogg turned around and walked towards the guest hall.

  “Ah, Hogg, my dear friend! Just the other day, I heard the clothspinner bird’s cry, and I just knew that something good was going to happen. Indeed, by noon, I received your missive, and as soon as I read it, I was overjoyed.”

  “Dear Philip, I am very happy to see you as well. Hillman, quickly go and bring me the stone sculpture, ‘Fierce Lion’. Philip, come, let’s go to the main hall and wait. The sculpture will be here shortly.”

  Hearing these words, Linley felt his heart twinge.

  “We’re selling off more family belongings?” Linley knew that the ‘Fierce Lion’ sculpture was one which his father deeply liked. But the Baruch clan, which took very little taxes from Wushan township, really was in dire economic straits.

  Fortunately, the Baruch clan was an ancient one, and by virtue of its age, had stored many rare and precious items.

  Unfortunately, even the vastest of hoards could not withstand so many years of auctions and sales. By this point in time, the number of valuable items within the clan was very few. Linley couldn’t help but turn to stare at the grandfather clock. “I wonder how long it will be before even this clock has to be sold off.”

  A middle aged man with long, golden hair and a nobleman’s aura strode into the hall by Hogg’s side. Linley immediately was able to guess that this middle-aged man must be ‘Philip’.

  “Oh, this adorable child must be your son, right Hogg?” Philip smiled very warmly at Linley. “Linley Baruch, right? May I address you as Linley?”

  “It would be my honor, sire.” Linley placed his right hand against his breast and respectfully bowed.

  “What an adorable child.” Philip seemed very pleased.

  By his side, Hogg laughed. “Philip, stop wasting time with the child. Look, the ‘Fierce Lion’ you have desired for so long has arrived.” As he spoke, Hillman easily carried in the large sculpture into the hall, and then easily set it down.

  It was a nearly thousand-pound stone sculpture, but in Hillman’s hands, it seemed like naught but a toy, clearly showing Hillman’s strength.

  “Lord Hillman, your strength amazes me. My own manor doesn’t have anyone as fierce as you, guard captain, even though I control twelve towns.” Philip smiled as he spoke, but the implicit meaning in his words was quite clear; he wanted to invite Hillman to work for him.

  Hillman said coldly, “Wushan town is my home, sire.”

  “Forgive me.” Philip quickly apologized.

  Philip turned to look at Hogg. “Hogg, I must say, although I like this stone sculpture very much, the artisanship of this ‘Fierce Lion’ sculpture cannot be considered to be top tier, much less the masterpieces of those grandmaster sculptors.”

  “Philip, if you don’t wish to buy it, then forget about it.” Hogg was quite succinct.

  Philip’s eyes couldn’t help but narrow, but then he laughed. “Haha… Hogg, don’t be angry. I’m not saying that I don’t wish to buy it. I’m just telling the truth. How about this. I’ll buy this sculpture for five hundred gold coins. What do you think?”

  “Five hundred?” Hogg frowned.

  This price was much lower than what Hogg had hoped for. He had been hoping for at least eight hundred.

  In the Yulan continent, one gold coin equaled ten silver coins equaled a thousand copper coins. The average commoner would be able to earn twenty or thirty gold coins in a year. Even the average army soldier would only earn a hundred or so gold coins.

  “The price is too low.” Hogg shook his head.

  “Hogg, you must know that in all the ten thousand plus years of the Yulan continent, there have been countless sculptures made. The true value of a sculpture is in terms of its artisanship. As far as the artisanship of this one… .well, heh, suffice to say, I just like it. Five hundred gold really is my highest offer. If you don’t accept, then let’s just forget about it.”

  Philip laughed as he turned to look at the grandfather clock in the hall. His eyes gleaming, he said, “Hogg, if you were to sell this clock, however, I would be willing to pay a thousand gold.”

  Hogg’s face grew cold.

  “Ahem, two thousand gold would be acceptable as well. This would be my highest offer.” Philip hurriedly said.

  Hogg sternly shook his head firmly. “The grandfather clock is not for sale! As for the sculpture, six hundred gold. Take it or leave it.”

  Philip carefully studied Hogg for a moment, then chuckled. “Fine, Hogg. I’ll give you some face. Six hundred gold it is. Housekeeper, bring me six hundred gold.” The caretaker for his manor, who had been waiting outside the entire time, immediately ran over with the gold.

  Six sacks of yellow gold.

  “Six hundred gold, Hogg. You can count it, if you want.” Philip smiled.

  Hogg hefted the sacks. Just based on weight alone, Hogg was certain that there really were six hundred gold coins in them, a hundred gold per sack. Hogg smiled and nodded. “Philip, how about staying and having dinner with us?”

  “No need, I still have some business back home.” Philip laughed.

  Philip’s housekeeper subsequently instructed two powerfully built warriors to lift and carry away the sculpture, which they did with difficulty.

  After Philip and his entourage had departed, Hogg stared at the six sacks of gold, a dim look in his eyes. This time, he sold the stone sculpture. Next time? Although the manor still had many things remaining, sooner or later, they would have nothing left.

  “Father, I want to learn to be a sculptor!” Linley suddenly said.

  Linley knew very well that in the Yulan continent, those famous master sculptors could produce works valued at tens of thousands of gold pieces each. Some famous sculptures could even reach a hundred thousand gold pieces. And wealth aside, the societal ranking of these sculptors was also very high.

  “If I can become a master sculptor, then… then father will no longer have to sell our family possessions.” This is what Linley was thinking.

  “Sculpting?” Hogg glanced at Linley, his eyes cold.

  “Linley, do you know that amongst the hundreds of millions of people in the Holy Union, there are at leas
t several million who have studied sculpting. But in the entire Holy Union, the number of true masters can be counted on one hand. In addition, if you don’t have a good instructor, you simply cannot succeed on your own.”

  “The inner circle of sculptors is not one which ordinary people are allowed into. You only see the sky-high valuation of the works of the masters, but do you know that the vast majority of sculptors only make a few dozen gold coins each year?”

  Hogg’s voice was very fierce.

  Linley was so frightened, he immediately knelt down. Just now, he only spoke because he thought that sculpting could improve his family’s situation. He didn’t expect his father to say so much and lecture him so sternly.

  “Enough. The ancestral hall needs some cleaning. After lunch, go and clean it up.” Hogg said coldly.

  “Yes, father.” Linley said respectfully.

  Looking at Linley, Hogg sighed in his heart. “Sculpting? Oh, child. Do you know that in the past, I also practiced sculpting? I spent ten full years of my life trying to learn. But unfortunately, my sculptures weren’t worth a single coin.” Hogg, too, had once foolishly dreamed of becoming a master sculptor and thereby improving his clan’s situation.

  But in his heart, he felt very helpless. Despite spending ten years training, his sculptures were still worthless. The field of sculpting could be described as a pyramid.

  Those famous master sculptors were at the top of the pyramid. They enjoyed a high status, and each sculpture they made was worth hundreds of thousands of coins.

  But the valuation of the work of the countless low level sculptors at the bottom of the pyramid was soul-crushingly low. Most of their works would just be bought by commoners for just a few silver coins to use as decorations in their homes.

  *

  Book 1, Chapter 6 – Coiling Dragon Ring (part 1)

  Underneath the setting sun, the rosy clouds seemed to cover half the sky, casting their red hue upon the entire world.

  “Cleaning the ancestral hall is pretty easy.”

  Departing the ancestral hall, Linley had to admit that he had over-prepared. He had slotted an hour for this job, but in just fifteen minutes, he was finished cleaning.