Dark Wizard: Rise! My undead army!

After seeing Xixi and Lin Yao off, Lin Chen returned to the courtyard feeling rather dejected.

In the past two days, as one by one, members of the collateral branches of the clan have left, many houses have become empty, and the courtyards have gradually become unusually quiet.

Now only a few old servants are still working, and the huge house is now mostly empty.

That evening, Arya was tidying up her study.

She turned around and saw Lin Chen come in. She stopped what she was doing and took out a bag from under the desk in the study and handed it to Lin Chen.

"Chen'er, you should leave too later."

Lin Chen didn't take the luggage, but instead asked, "Going? Where to?"

"Go after Sisi and protect them secretly," Aria said.

"You have great talent and are destined to become a formal wizard. Your fate is closely tied to the rise and fall of your family. It's too dangerous for you to stay here."

"If Mother doesn't leave, I won't leave either," Lin Chen said stubbornly.

"I'm waiting for your father to come back," Arya said. "Someone has to be there at home, otherwise what will he do when he gets back and can't find anyone?"

"Moreover, as the clan chief's wife, I might also be under the Black Fang Clan's surveillance. If I were caught, the consequences would be even more severe."

"The other tribesmen haven't gone far, so if I stay, I can buy them some time."

"Then I'll stay here with you," Lin Chen said. "I'm strong enough to protect you."

Ailiya looked at him, wanting to say something, but Lin Chen had already straightened his back.

"I am at the peak of the Earth Knight realm and the peak of the third-class apprentice realm. If something really happens, I can hold them off for a while. I can't rest easy leaving you alone, Mother."

Aria looked into her son's eyes and saw a familiar stubbornness in them, much like Lynn when he was young.

"Alright," Arya finally relented, "but you have to promise me one thing."

"What?"

"During the day, we would go to various shops as usual to make outsiders think that everything was normal. At night, we would go to the old house in the west of the city, where there was a secret passage to evacuate."

Lin Chen nodded: "Okay."

From that day on, Lin Chen continued to appear in front of shops in the city during the day as usual, and sometimes he would deliberately walk around the streets to let people he knew see him.

That night, he and Arya quietly moved to the old house in the west of the city.

The house was secretly acquired by the Gray Feather family years ago. It was very secluded, and there was a secret passage behind the courtyard wall leading out of the city.

At night, only a small lamp is lit in the old house.

Arya sat under the lamp, worrying about her family, while Lin Chen sat next to her, reading a well-worn meditation book by the light.

Neither mother nor son spoke, but they shared the same thought.

Lynn (Father), please come back soon.

...

Three days later, Blackrock City was more than twice as lively as usual.

The Black Fang family's residence was located in the north of the city, covering an area more than three times larger than that of the Gray Feather family, showcasing the grandeur of a wizarding family.

The stone path in front of the main gate has been repaved, and two rows of family flags with black backgrounds and white teeth are planted along the roadside.

The carriages of guests lined up from one end of the alley to the other. The drivers sat on the carriage shafts, offering each other cigarettes and chatting about which master was generous and which young lady was pretty.

Twenty long tables were set up in the courtyard, and the tables were full of hearty dishes, including a whole roasted rabbit, beef horns drizzled with black pepper sauce, and honeydew melons and ice wine brought from the south.

The servants ran around carrying plates, their smiles barely concealed.

The Blacktooth family certainly had reason to be happy.

Black Mountain's breakthrough of the second ring road means that among the dozen or so small towns surrounding Black Rock City, the Black Tooth family has reached the pinnacle.

Apart from the Third Ring City Lord of White Stone City, no one else can reliably suppress them.

The head butler stood at the door to greet the guests, dressed in a brand-new black satin robe, his back ramrod straight.

Each time a clan chief arrived, he would greet him with a smile, clasp his hands in greeting, and lead him into the reception room.

"Chief Kuming of Liuhe City has arrived—"

"Chief Shi Kai of Shiqiao City has arrived—"

"Chief Leishou of Iron Anvil Mountain has arrived—"

There were already seven or eight people sitting in the reception room.

The heads of each family took their seats according to seniority and power, superficially flattering each other while secretly harboring their own agendas.

Heishan sat at the head of the table, holding a wine glass in his hand, listening to a chorus of flattery, his face beaming with smiles.

"Chief Heishan's breakthrough this time is truly a model for us all."

A thin-faced clan leader raised his glass and said, "Entering the Second Ring Road before the age of one hundred, that speed is outstanding even in White Stone City."

"Yes," another quickly chimed in.

"Chief Heishan has a solid foundation and should have broken through long ago. In the future, we neighbors will have to rely on Chief Heishan for more care."

Heishan laughed heartily and raised his glass in return: "No problem, no problem, we've been neighbors for many years. Come on, drink this cup to the brim."

Everyone raised their glasses. The living room was filled with the lively clinking of glasses.

The head steward stood at the door for a while longer. As the sun began to set, most of the people who were supposed to come had arrived, except for the Gray Feather family's seat, which was still empty.

He raised his hand to summon a steward, whispered a few instructions, and then turned and walked toward the reception room.

Just then, a horse-drawn carriage came from the end of the street.

The carriage wasn't new; several large boxes were piled on the sideboard, and the Greyfeather Clan crest was embroidered on the curtain.

As soon as the car came to a stop, a middle-aged man jumped out. He was wearing a robe from a branch of the Gray Feather Clan and looked travel-worn.

The head butler stopped and turned to greet him: "And who is this?"

"Linde, a member of a collateral branch of the Greyfeather family." The man bowed.

"My clan patriarch is currently in seclusion to break through to a higher level and is unable to come in person. He has specially sent me to deliver this congratulatory gift to wish the Black Mountain clan patriarch's shamanistic practices great success."

The head butler's heart skipped a beat.

Is Lynn also aiming for a breakthrough?

He remained expressionless, smiling as he said, "Clan Chief Lynn is in seclusion? This is a big deal."

"Yes," Linde said. "I've been in seclusion for several days and haven't come out yet. The chieftain said that I will personally visit the Black Mountain chieftain to congratulate him after I come out of seclusion."

The head steward nodded and waved to the guards behind him: "Unload the things and move them to the storeroom."

The guards stepped forward to carry the boxes.

Lin De cupped his hands in greeting and said, "The goods have been delivered, so I'll head back now. I still have matters to attend to at the clan."

"Won't you come in and sit down?"

"No, I have to go back and report after I finish what the clan chief asked me to do."

The head steward didn't insist on keeping him, watched Linde's carriage leave, and then quickly walked back to the reception room.

Black Mountain was chatting enthusiastically with several clan leaders when he saw the head steward walk up behind him, and he slightly turned his head.

The head butler bent down, leaned close to his ear, and whispered:

"Patriarch, Lynn from the Gray Feather Clan didn't come. He sent a congratulatory gift from a collateral branch, saying he's in seclusion breaking through to a higher level."

Heishan paused for a moment as he held the wine glass.

"A breakthrough through seclusion?" he repeated in a low voice.

The head butler nodded: "The person has left, and the things have been packed up."

Black Mountain's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

He had been secretly observing the Gray Feather family for quite some time, and he knew Lynn's background very well.

Under normal circumstances, it would take at least three to five years to even get close to the Second Ring Road.

Why go into seclusion at this crucial juncture?

There's definitely something fishy going on!