novelTele Chapter 49: Revenge
Chapter 49: Revenge
After returning to Fenlai City, Lin Yun did not rush back to Ernst Academy.
He found an inconspicuous inn in the city and changed into an unremarkable gray robe, concealing his face in the shadow of the hood. A ninth-level mage's mental energy enveloped the entire room, ensuring there was no possibility of being spied on.
Duke of Padson.
The younger brother of the King of Fenlai, and one of the most powerful people in Fenlai City. His mansion is located in the most prosperous area of the east of the city, covering dozens of acres, with high walls and deep courtyards, and is heavily guarded. A large number of guards are kept in the mansion, and it is said that there are even level six and seven warriors stationed there.
But none of those were problems for Lin Yun.
As night fell, Lin Yun changed into a black night-clothes to cover his face.
"Stealth," a seventh-level dark magic. He had learned this magic from Morton's magic books long ago, but had never had the chance to use it. Dark magic excels at concealment, stealth, and masking one's presence, making it the best companion in the darkness. Combined with the secret technique "Shadow Stealth" that he obtained from the Swallowed Star universe, it was like a fish in water.
Dark magic enveloped his body, completely concealing his aura, temperature, and even his heartbeat. In the darkness, he was like a true shadow, silent and elusive.
He did not enter through the main entrance.
The walls of Duke Parderson's mansion were three meters high and studded with sharp iron spikes, but for Lin Yun, these obstacles were meaningless. He leaped lightly, his entire body floating over the wall like a feather, landing without a sound. The wind magic "Wind Shadow" made his body as light as a feather, while his mental perception covered the entire mansion. The location of every guard and the pattern of every patrol route were clearly presented in his perception.
The Duke's mansion was very large, and it took Lin Yun about fifteen minutes to find the location of Parderson.
He was in his study, deep within the mansion, sitting behind a large desk, flipping through some documents. Two guards, both at the level of level five warriors, stood at the door of the study. Several patrol teams of guards passed by in the corridor every ten minutes.
Lin Yun did not alert anyone.
Two wind-based spells, "Wind Binding," silently wrapped around the throats of the two guards, knocking them unconscious before they could even utter a sound. Lin Yun pushed open the door and entered the study.
Duke Parderson looked to be in his thirties, with a robust build, beautiful long blond hair, and eyes as bright as those of a blue-eyed thunder eagle. He stood straight, exuding an air of nobility. When he heard the door open, he looked up and saw a person dressed in black night clothes walk in. His expression immediately changed.
"Who are you?" His hand was already on a hidden compartment under the desk, where a short sword lay concealed. "Do you know where you are? If I shout, the guards outside will rush in and chop you into mincemeat!"
"You can try," Lin Yun's voice came from behind the mask, calm and cold.
A cyan wind blade materialized at his fingertips, hovering before Paterson's eyes. The blade spun rapidly, emitting a faint hum, and gleamed with a cold, eerie light in the candlelight. Paterson could clearly sense the terrifying power contained within the wind blade—it wasn't something an ordinary mage could wield; it was at least level eight, perhaps even level nine.
"What...what do you want? Money? I have money! I'll give you as much as you want!" Paterson's voice trembled.
"Come with me," Lin Yun said. "Don't resist, don't make a sound. Otherwise—"
The wind blade moved forward half an inch, shaving off a few hairs from Paterson's face.
Paterson completely gave up resistance. He was a level seven warrior, but in front of this person, he didn't even have the courage to make a move. The wind blade was forming too fast, so fast that his eyes couldn't keep up. He had no doubt that if he dared to make any sudden movement, the wind blade would immediately slit his throat.
Lin Yun used the earth magic "Earth Binding" to seal Paterson's hands and feet, and then used wind magic to seal his mouth. He then lifted Paterson like a chick, leaped out of the study window, and disappeared into the night.
It took Lin Yun less than an hour to get from Fenlai City to Wushan Town.
He was moving so fast that even carrying a man weighing over 100 pounds like Paterson didn't affect him at all. The night breeze felt cool on his face, like early autumn. Paterson, held in Lin Yun's hand, watched in terror as the scenery below rushed by, unable to even scream.
Baruch Estate slept peacefully in the night.
Lin Yun didn't go through the main gate; he climbed over the wall and landed in front of the small stone house in the backyard. He threw Paterson on the ground and removed the gag from his mouth.
"Where am I?" Paterson looked around in horror. "Why did you bring me here?"
Lin Yun didn't answer. He pushed open the door of the stone house and dragged Paterson inside. The stone house was dark, with only the portrait on the wall faintly visible in the moonlight.
Then he went to the main house and knocked on Hogg's door.
"Father, please come with me."
Hogg came out wearing an overcoat and saw Lin Yun dressed in black. He vaguely guessed what was going on. He followed Lin Yun to the small stone house in the backyard.
When Hogg saw Paterson slumped on the ground, he froze.
"He is..." Hogg's voice trembled.
"The Duke of Padson," Lin Yun said, "the one who sent men to kidnap my mother twelve years ago."
Hogger's face turned deathly pale instantly. His hands trembled, his lips quivered, and he stood there motionless, as if struck by lightning.
When Paterson saw Hogg, he was first taken aback, then a blank expression appeared on his face. He didn't recognize the man. Twelve years ago, on that night, he hadn't acted personally; he had only sent his men to carry out the task. To him, Hogg was just a vague, insignificant nobody.
"Who...who are you? Why have you captured me?" Paterson's voice was filled with fear and confusion. "I am the brother of the King of Fenlai! Do you know the consequences of kidnapping me?"
Lin Yun ignored his shouts. He walked to the portrait, stepped aside, and made sure Paterson could clearly see the woman in the portrait.
"Twelve years ago, near the Temple of Light in Fenlai City, you sent men to abduct this woman from a hotel." Lin Yun's voice was calm yet cold. "Don't deny it. The fact that I was able to find you means I already have enough evidence."
When Paterson saw the portrait, he suddenly froze.
The woman in the portrait... he recognized her.
That was the woman he and his elder brother Clyde had seen in the Temple of Light twelve years ago. His brother had pointed at her and said, "Bring her back." He did as he was told. He sent men to follow the couple, kidnap the woman from the hotel, and present her to his brother.
"You...you all..." Paterson's face turned deathly pale, and his lips trembled uncontrollably. He finally understood why he had been captured and brought here.
Lin Yun took off his mask.
Moonlight streamed through the cracks in the stone house, illuminating the boy's cold face. His eyes were eerily calm, devoid of anger or hatred, only a chilling, spine-chilling murderous intent.
Paterson stared at the young face, his mind racing through his memories. He didn't recognize the boy. The Baruch family was just an insignificant, declining noble family to him; he had never paid any attention to them.
"Who are you?" Paterson's voice trembled. "I...I don't know you..."
"You don't need to know us," Lin Yun said calmly. "You just need to answer my questions."
He raised his hand, and a wind blade condensed at his fingertips.
"Twelve years ago, did you send people to abduct this woman from a hotel in Fenlai?"
Paterson's mind raced. He knew that if he confessed, death might be his only fate. But if he denied it… He glanced at the wind blade hovering before him and swallowed hard.
"I...I really don't know what you're talking about..." Paterson's voice trembled.
Lin Yun remained silent. A wind blade shot out, grazing Paterson's ear and cleaving a chair behind him in two. Wood chips flew everywhere, and Paterson collapsed to the ground in terror.
"I don't want to waste time," Lin Yun said. "You know who I'm talking about. The woman in the portrait, my mother—Lina. Twelve years ago, you kidnapped her from a hotel in Fenlai. Tell me, where is she now? Who ordered you to do it?"
Paterson's face was as white as paper. He opened his mouth, wanting to continue denying it, but under Lin Yun's icy gaze, the lies stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter them no matter what.
"I told you... can you spare my life?" Paterson finally spoke, his voice hoarse.
"That depends on whether your answer satisfies me." Lin Yun did not make any promises.
Paterson gritted his teeth and finally spoke.
"It's...it's Clyde." His voice was low. "It's my elder brother, King Clyde of the Kingdom of Finlay."
A cold glint flashed in Lin Yun's eyes. He knew the answer. In the original story, the mastermind was King Clyde. But hearing it with his own ears felt completely different.
“That day at the Temple of Light, my elder brother saw your mother,” Paterson continued. “He told me to send someone to bring her back. I don’t know why he wanted her; he just said… this woman was important, and we had to get her no matter what. After I handed her over to my elder brother, I never saw her again. I don’t know where she is now, or whether she’s dead or alive. I really don’t know!”
His voice grew increasingly urgent, trembling with sobs: "Please, spare me! I was just following orders; the real mastermind is my elder brother! If you want revenge, you should go after him!"
Hogg stood to the side, listening to these words, his body trembling uncontrollably. His hands were clenched into fists, his nails digging deep into the flesh of his palms.
"Clyde..." Hogg's voice was so hoarse it was almost inaudible, "The King of Finlay..."
Lin Yun turned to look at his father and saw the pain and hatred in his eyes, a pang of bitterness welled up in his heart.
"Father, is there anything else you want to ask?"
Hogg stepped forward, crouched down, and stared into Paterson's eyes.
"Lina...is she still alive?" Hogg's voice trembled.
"I...I don't know..." Paterson shook his head frantically. "After I handed her over to my older brother, I never saw her again. I really don't know if she's dead or alive..."
Hogg remained silent for a long time, then stood up and turned away. His shoulders were trembling violently, but he made no sound.
Lin Yun looked at Paterson and asked again, "Why did your older brother kidnap my mother? Who did he give her to?"
"I don't know!" Paterson practically roared. "My brother never tells me these things! I'm only responsible for bringing people to him; he never tells me what happens after that! I swear, I really don't know!"
Lin Yun stared at him for a long time. He could sense that this man wasn't lying. He truly only knew this much.
"Very good." Lin Yun stood up, drew a short knife from his waist, and handed it to Hogg.
"Father, he is yours now."
Hogg took the dagger, his hand trembling. He looked at Paterson, his eyes filled with pain and hatred. For twelve years, he had imagined this moment every night—finding the man who had taken Lina and tearing him to pieces. But now, when that moment had finally arrived, his hand wouldn't obey him.
"Father," Lin Yun said softly, "Mother may not be dead. She might still be alive, waiting for us to rescue her somewhere."
Hogg suddenly turned his head and looked at Lin Yun.
"There must be a reason why Clyde kidnapped Mother," Lin Yun said. "As the king of a country, what kind of woman can't he have? He must have taken Mother away for some other reason. Father, you must live, live to see the day I bring Mother back."
Tears welled up in Hogg's eyes. His hand holding the dagger stopped trembling, not because he was no longer in pain, but because he had a new goal.
He walked up to Paterson.
"Please... spare me..." Paterson knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly. "I was just following orders... it was Clyde... it was Clyde who told me to do it..."
Hogg didn't speak. He looked at the man who had ruined his life, his eyes filled with coldness, not pity.
The short knife fell.
Paterson's screams echoed through the stone house before abruptly ceasing.
Hogg stood beside Paterson's body, blood dripping from the dagger in his hand. His body trembled, but his eyes were clearer than ever.
It's been twelve years.
The weight that had been pressing on his heart finally broke off a piece.
Lin Yun stepped forward, took the dagger from his father's hand, and helped him out of the stone house.
The moonlight shone on the father and son, casting long shadows.
"Father, please get some rest tonight," Lin Yun said. "I will handle the Paterson matter cleanly. No one will know how he died."
Hogg nodded without saying a word. He patted Lin Yun on the shoulder, then turned and walked into the main house.
Lin Yun stood in the courtyard, watching his father's figure disappear behind the door, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him.
Paterson is dead. But the real mastermind is still alive—King Clyde, the Holy See, and the Lord of Light behind them!
That was a far more powerful enemy, so powerful that he couldn't challenge it with his current strength. But he wasn't in a hurry. He still had time, the resources of two worlds, and a path of growth that no one else could replicate.
One day, he will be strong enough to bring his mother back.
Lin Yun turned back to the stone house and used fire magic to burn the corpse to ashes, leaving no trace.
Then, he stood at the door of the stone house and took one last look at the portrait on the wall.
In the portrait, Lina smiles quietly, holding two babies in her arms, with young Hogg standing behind her.
"Mother, wait for me," Lin Yun said softly.
He closed the door of the stone house and disappeared into the night.