Chapter 195: Commoners and War

Qian Ye, for the first time, observed the daily life of the Blood Kin on the Upper Continent from a new perspective and found it to differ somewhat from the preconceived notion of the dark races being an army of soldiers.

The Blood Kin he saw, perhaps due to living in their homeland for so long—a relatively peaceful environment—showed a clear distinction between civilians and warriors.

In this ancient castle, though all the Blood Kin possessed the power of blood, their attire and actions indicated that most were not trained warriors. Instead, they seemed to be skilled individuals with roles such as administrators, craftsmen, and designers. True warriors might only account for one-tenth of the population.

In the empire’s homelands, where peace had reigned for a long time, these kinds of people were true civilians, and most had not awakened the dawn force. Even if conflicts occasionally arose within the empire, there was a general reluctance to deliberately harm civilians.

However, in the contested territories between the two major factions, true civilians did not exist. On the borderlands, the dark races lived in clans and tribes, and due to their inherent racial advantages, everyone possessed dark force, making every individual a potential fighter. When war broke out, no one would spare the elderly, the weak, or the women and children.

So, this was Qian Ye’s first real encounter with the Blood Kin civilians. Whenever they saw him, regardless of what they were doing, they would immediately set aside their tasks, kneel, and bow, their eyes filled with both reverence and fear.

Among the Blood Kin corpses gathered in the square, there were warriors, but more were civilians. According to the authorization given by the Demonspawn Marquis, if Qian Ye and Night Pupil had not arrived suddenly, and if the marquis himself had not restrained his subordinates, most of the Blood Kin in the castle would have been killed.

As for the slaves and lower races, they might have survived, as they were seen as property rather than enemies in the eyes of the nobility.

Qian Ye felt a vague sense of unease. Even though they were Blood Kin, the mass slaughter of civilians still weighed heavily on his heart. Battle was one thing, but wholesale slaughter, especially the extermination of entire families and clans, was another.

A sudden thought occurred to Qian Ye, and he turned around to see Night Pupil behind him.

“Is everything taken care of?” Qian Ye asked.

“Yes.”

“What about them?” Qian Ye pointed to the Blood Kin civilians before them.

“They can only stay here.”

“Is there no other way? Can’t they go to the place you mentioned earlier?”

“That is a secret sanctuary prepared for the Blood Kin in times of crisis. It does not have much in the way of supplies, and the journey is long. Only those with sufficient strength can escape subsequent pursuit and reach the sanctuary. For them… it might take a month or more to get there.”

Qian Ye looked around and said, “The Demonspawn forces have disappeared. They will soon notice something is amiss. Should we stay and eliminate the reinforcements when they come to investigate?”

Night Pupil hesitated for a moment, shook her head, and said, “Although the leader is the Demonspawn Yalu, his troops are directly under the council’s command. Until we understand the full situation, it’s best not to act against the council’s forces. We can explain this as a misunderstanding, but eliminating the reinforcements would be unexplainable.”

Though Night Pupil spoke tactfully, Qian Ye understood her meaning.

Within the dark races, the class and rank system was far more rigid than in the empire. With Night Pupil’s status and rank, she could justify killing a Marquis from a noble Demonspawn family at the site of the Blood Kin’s public execution. But killing a second unit would be a clear act of defiance against the council.

She paused and added, “The current commander of the council’s forces is Spider Demon Marshal Lusa. He is young but very strong and difficult to deal with. At this time, I don’t want to add another enemy like the Spider Demons.”

Qian Ye sighed. He could foresee that once the council’s reinforcements arrived, the fate of the remaining Blood Kin civilians in the castle would be grim. “Then let them go. Let them run as far as they can.”

“Alright,” Night Pupil agreed, thinking it was the only solution.

“What do we do next?”

Night Pupil said, “I plan to go to the nearest territory of the Paz clan. There, I might be able to contact Lilith, or at least Medanzo. The day-to-day affairs of the Blood Kin are now handled by him and Habbs, with Medanzo taking the lead.”

“The Prince of No Light… I don’t have a good impression of him. When you were in the neutral zone, he tried to capture you.”

“That was because he didn’t know my identity. Medanzo has been stuck at his current stage for a long time and is eager to perfect the weaknesses in his bloodline. So, he has been secretly collecting the original blood of talented individuals. At that time, I showed a different talent, so it was natural for him to want my blood. Now, even if I placed my blood before him, he would think twice before taking it, considering the cost.”

Qian Ye frowned slightly. “He is a great prince. If it comes to a direct confrontation, I am likely no match for him.”

Night Pupil was a bit surprised. “Why would there be a direct confrontation?”

“In any case, it’s best to be cautious. I have a bad feeling about him.”

“Don’t worry, contacting him is just the first step. This matter is too significant; it must be brought to Lilith’s attention.”

Qian Ye thought for a moment and, having no better suggestions for the internal affairs of the Blood Kin, instructed the Blood Kin civilians in the castle to scatter and flee. Then, he and Night Pupil left the castle, vanishing into the vast night.

Avigul Castle was located at the edge of the Twilight Continent, built nine hundred years ago by Duke Linji. Its history was not particularly long. Nine hundred years later, the owner of Avigul Castle was now Lesser Duke Linji. The old duke was said to be in a deep slumber, and no one knew if he would ever awaken again.

It was early evening, with the sunset blazing like fire and the moon high in the sky, marking the most beautiful time of the day. Lesser Duke Linji sat by the floor-to-ceiling window, reading an ancient book, occasionally sipping from a lavish gold cup filled with fine blood wine, and looking out at the magnificent view outside.

Each time he saw the scene, which hinted at the imminent decline of its splendor, a sense of melancholy and coldness would arise in his heart. This was the emotion the duke cherished most, as it allowed him to write poetry to his satisfaction.

This time, however, when he looked out the window, he was startled to see two figures outside, separated from him by only the glass. The duke had not noticed their appearance, and the castle’s defenses had not been triggered.

Night Pupil lifted her hood. “Are we not allowed to enter?”

The duke shivered and quickly stood up, opening the window. Placing his hand over his chest, he bowed deeply. “Forgive me, I never expected you to come to this humble Avigul Castle.”

Night Pupil entered and sat in the chair where the duke had been sitting, while Qian Ye stood beside her, keeping his face hidden.

Duke Linji closed the window, blocking the mountain’s cold wind, and cautiously said, “Your Majesty, why have you come? Do you need me to arrange a grand welcoming banquet? The time is tight, and some local dishes may not be ready in time. Please forgive me.”

Night Pupil said, “No need for a welcoming banquet. I also don’t want anyone else to know I was here. Is it peaceful here? Have the Demonspawn and the council’s forces not come?”

Lesser Duke Linji widened his eyes. “Why would the council’s forces come? As for the Demonspawn, this is Twilight. I doubt they would dare to wander freely here.”

Night Pupil frowned slightly. “They haven’t come at all?”

Lesser Duke Linji looked innocent. “Absolutely not. If you need, I can summon the warriors of the territory to confirm. But as far as I know, no unfamiliar Demonspawn has appeared in the past month. There are indeed Demonspawn in the city below, but those families have had workshops here for almost three hundred years.”

Night Pupil said slowly, “Good that they haven’t come. I suggest you immediately strengthen the defense of your family’s castle and contact the Paz clan to seek refuge or request assistance.”

Lesser Duke Linji was startled. “This is a serious matter! Has something happened, Your Majesty?”

“I suspect that a full-scale war with the Demonspawn is imminent.”

“Full-scale war!” Lesser Duke Linji exclaimed dramatically. “How can this be? The Holy War has stopped! Your Majesty, you are a great lord of the new world!”

“Do as I say,” Night Pupil said, not wanting to explain further. She then stood up and said, “How is the old duke? There should be a means to contact the Queen in Avigul Castle. I need to use it.”

Lesser Duke Linji’s expression changed. “Your Majesty, we do have the means to contact Her Majesty, but it has not been used for hundreds of years, even my father can’t remember exactly how long. And, as you know, the activation must be done by my father himself. Though I am pureblooded, my strength is not sufficient.”

On the Twilight Continent, contacting the Queen of the Night was exceptionally easy, much easier than on other continents. But “easy” required at least a Duke of the Paz clan. Each duke was a significant figure within the clan, and if they needed to contact the Queen, it was for a major reason.

The Queen’s slumber was not to be disturbed lightly. As the River of Blood receded, the time she spent awake grew shorter, and even her avatars or projections ceased to appear. In comparison, the Emperor and the Spider Queen were much more active. Thus, it was not just anyone who could disturb her, except for the few second-generation ancestors and the Dukes of the Paz clan.

Similarly, even among the Paz clan, not every duke had the privilege to build a family castle on the Twilight Continent.

Night Pupil chose Avigul Castle precisely because it had the facilities to contact the Great Hall of the Queen of the Night.

After hearing Night Pupil’s request, Lesser Duke Linji’s expression became somewhat unnatural, and he finally said, “Your Majesty, please follow me.”

Night Pupil moved, and Qian Ye naturally followed. Lesser Duke Linji frowned and said, “Your Majesty, your escort may not be able to enter that place.”

“He is not my escort.”

Qian Ye revealed a hint of his blood force, and the terrifying pressure instantly paled Lesser Duke Linji’s face, causing him to step back involuntarily. Shocked and horrified, he looked at Night Pupil and, realizing he could not protest, led the two to the underground of the castle.

The trio passed through a long corridor, passing six checkpoints, and finally reached a heavy steel door. By its position, they were already inside the mountain.

“Here is where my father lies in slumber. His last awakening was thirty-five years ago,” Lesser Duke Linji said.