The airship, now docked, was a miniature palace, adorned with exaggerated carvings and elaborate frills even on its sails, showcasing the opulence and extravagance of the blood race to the utmost. The ship’s body bore the seven-pointed star array emblem of the sixth Ronald Clan, while its overall violet hue and platinum trim indicated that a duke was aboard.
As soon as the airship had anchored, and the hatch was half-open, a crimson light appeared in the distant clouds, instantly descending to the square like a meteor.
A fierce wind swept across the square, causing the ambient elemental force to turn chaotic and violent, darkening the sky momentarily. The airship, just stabilized, was lifted by the gale, tossed hundreds of meters away, and several crew members were flung out of the half-open hatch, screaming as they fell into the abyss below.
A faint figure swiftly emerged from the upper deck of the airship, catching all the falling crew members in one swoop before flying back to the square.
“Who dares to cause me trouble?” the figure demanded, his voice rumbling like thunder.
As the storm in the square subsided, the crimson light dissipated, revealing the figure of Medanzo. He sneered, “It’s me. What, Scarlatti, do you wish to compete with me for position?”
Duke Scarlatti of the Ronald Clan, startled, immediately retreated and bowed, “Your Majesty, the esteemed Medanzo! Please forgive my rudeness!”
Among the kings of the blood race, Medanzo may not be the most powerful, but his vindictiveness is well-known across the entire continent of Twilight and the Eternal Night Council. However, this time, Medanzo surprisingly did not confront Scarlatti, simply waving him off.
Scarlatti retreated to the edge of the square, setting down his clan members without re-docking the airship. He stood still, waiting for Medanzo to proceed.
Medanzo did not move immediately, instead looking up at the oldest emblem above the castle: a blood-red full moon with a river of blood beneath it, a symbol shared by all blood races, representing the origin of the first drop of blood.
Below this emblem were the emblems of the twelve ancient clans. No matter how powerful, any other clan not among the twelve had no place on this list.
This was the White Mountain Castle, the blood race’s stronghold on the Eternal Night continent and a common base for all blood races.
Medanzo’s gaze fell on the emblem of the rose and snake, then moved one by one until he reached the thorny castle of the fourth Dracula Clan. His eyes lingered especially long on the Mandrake, the flower of fear, symbolizing the Monroe Clan.
Then, Medanzo strode forward, his gaze briefly scanning the statues on the elevated square, his expression quickly darkening. Every time he came here, the King of Shadows’ mood soured.
The statues depicted the blood race’s monarchs throughout history, many of whose deeds had been lost along with the memories of the second-generation ancestors, leaving only statues and plaques protected by ancient rune arrays.
Their presence alone was proof of their former glory, for not every monarch qualified for a statue on this square. Each was a hero of their time, acknowledged by all clans, including their enemies, for their immense power.
Among the active blood race princes, only two had statues here. One was the Queen of Night, and the other, not Medanzo, was the Blue King, Renauld.
Centuries ago, the Black Wing King Anduva’s statue had stood where the Blue King’s now did. With the conflict between Anduva and the Queen of Night intensifying, and Anduva disappearing for a long time, his statue was replaced. Technically, the current statue did not match the Queen of Night’s.
Even so, Medanzo had not managed to have his statue placed on this square, and it was unlikely to happen in the foreseeable future.
With a gloomy expression, Medanzo walked into the White Mountain Castle, all the blood races encountered stepping aside and bowing in respect. While not the strongest king, Medanzo was certainly the most unoffendable.
Upon entering the main hall of the castle and sitting on the cold iron throne, symbolizing supreme power, Medanzo’s mood slightly improved. There were no other blood race kings in the castle, which allowed him to occupy this position.
News of the arrival of the King of Shadows, Medanzo, had spread through the castle, and the high-ranking blood races hastened to pay their respects.
Looking at the dozens of high-ranking blood races in the hall, Medanzo’s expression softened. He waved his hand, and all except the Dracula Clan members left.
When only his own people remained, Medanzo asked, “What are the casualties from the battle of Eternal Night?”
A marquis reported, “Your Majesty, we only have preliminary estimates. The exact numbers will take a few days to tally. We estimate that our forces at the Eternal Night camp suffered more than half their losses. Over two-thirds of the nobles above the rank of viscount managed to escape. However, the latest news is that the powerful marquis Giulio has fallen. Princess Nana went to rescue him alone, but she was severely injured and her whereabouts are unknown.”
At this, Medanzo leapt to his feet, shocked, “Giulio has fallen?!”
The hall dimmed, and waves of blood energy surged, making the marquis and those below stagger, feeling the shock and fury of the King of Shadows.
The reporting marquis, under such intense scrutiny, could hardly speak.
Realizing his loss of composure, Medanzo grunted, slowly withdrawing his blood energy, and asked, “How did Giulio die?”
The marquis, finally able to speak, replied, “An eyewitness saw Marquis Giulio fall into the encirclement of the empire’s strong warriors and had his blood core shattered. Princess Nana tried to rescue him, but she arrived too late. As for why Marquis Giulio died, it… it’s complicated.”
At the time, a demonic lord, Baron Aiden, was hidden outside the Eternal Night camp and witnessed the final battle. However, when the Eternal Night side withdrew, the Qin Empire’s god-level warriors were still engaged with the Dark Dukes, and the ground battles were led by imperial generals. In such circumstances, Giulio should not have been unable to escape.
Medanzo’s face darkened, and he said coldly, “Who saw this? Bring him to me!”
The marquis hesitated, “Your Majesty…”
Before he could finish, Medanzo cut him off, his voice colder, “I find it hard to understand why you let the witness leave without any… questioning.”
The marquis’s voice lowered, “Your Majesty, the witness was Baron Aiden of the Eternal Abyss. He comes from a prestigious family, and if we press him, we might encounter significant trouble.”
Though the marquis spoke diplomatically, everyone, including Medanzo, understood his meaning. The Eternal Abyss, a mighty clan, was more powerful than the Dracula Clan, with a prince in residence, and Medanzo was unwilling to offend them easily.
Medanzo recognized the name, pondering, “Aiden? The young demon who obtained the Ancient Essence?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” the marquis carefully chose his words, “He’s a lucky fellow, but he only got half of the essence. Our Dusk obtained a complete one.”
Medanzo grew irritable, “Is Dusk ours?”
The marquis softly responded, “If you wish, she can be.”
Medanzo narrowed his eyes, “What do you mean?”
“I have spoken with Dusk, and she is willing to serve under your command, with a small compensation.”
Medanzo asked coldly, “Did she approach you, or did you approach her?”
The marquis broke into a cold sweat and knelt, “She approached me, Your Majesty, please forgive me!”
Uncharacteristically, Medanzo did not react, thinking for a moment before saying, “She is clever, and though I dislike clever people, I don’t want my descendants to lack brains. Grant her all conditions, and as an additional reward, I will bestow upon her a drop… of the Blood Source.”
The room was stunned, and someone dared to object, risking Medanzo’s wrath.
The Blood Source, used by the King of Shadows to create descendants, is produced only once every hundred years. If Medanzo gave this drop to Dusk, the descendants who had waited nearly a century would wait another hundred.
Medanzo sat quietly until the room quieted, then said, “I gave you three minutes to express your opinions. Who else wishes to speak now?”
The hall was silent. Everyone understood that Medanzo’s decision was final, and no one would sway him.
After ten minutes, with no one speaking, Medanzo turned to the marquis, “Tell Dusk my decision. I believe she will make a wise choice.”
The marquis bowed, “As you wish.”
Medanzo fell silent again, the hall as quiet as a tomb. After a long while, he said, “Besides Aiden, did anyone else see Giulio’s death?”
“I doubt so, Your Majesty. Aiden has special abilities, and his rank is that of a powerful baron. It’s said he surpasses his rank, allowing him to hide undetected. Others lack this ability.”
“Aiden…” Medanzo’s eyes narrowed, lost in thought.
The marquis, increasingly surprised, saw Medanzo still considering confronting Aiden, a serious consequence.
After weighing his options, Medanzo finally said, “Forget about Aiden. Investigate who Giulio met recently. You may go.”
The Dracula Clan breathed a sigh of relief, bowing and leaving.
The marquis, however, stayed behind, asking, “Your Majesty, is the investigation of Giulio’s contacts to…?”
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