Chapter 161:
To celebrate obtaining the otherworld knowledge she had been longing for from that little cutie Lumina, Lady Tris decisively opened a bottle of “Frozen Moonlight,” a royal exclusive wine, to toast to her outstanding intelligence.
Although she didn’t know what kind of surprise her warrior Lumina would bring her, Tris had a feeling that she might soon make an effective breakthrough in her alchemy path that had stagnated for many years.
However, before she could even take a sip of this fine wine, the Computation Bead adorning her bracelet emitted an urgent sound.
Looking down, she saw it was a communication request from Murphy.
“Tsk, late at night, what is there for us single man and woman to talk about? That little fool,” Tris had a mind not to bother.
But she still put down the wine glass, lazily activated the communication, and was about to tease a few words when she heard Murphy’s weak voice coming from the other side:
“The Thorn grand duchess is at the door, come give me a hand quickly.”
“???”
Tris instantly widened her eyes, abruptly stood up, and the Nocturne scepter placed on the desk slid into her palm with a whoosh as she spread her five fingers. The Crimson Midnight cloak was also adorned on her shoulders.
Although they were no longer in an elder and descendant relationship, upon hearing little Murphy getting beaten up by another wild woman, a nameless rage still instantly ignited in Tris’s heart, causing the peaceful crimson light spots in her eyes to burn at this moment, turning into sharper and more unrestrained flames.Kill her!
A chilling and vicious voice that she hadn’t heard in over a hundred years screamed in her mind.
It was her other self roaring.
“Which wild woman dares to bully my little man at home!”
“Whoosh”
Amidst the dancing flames of anger, an extremely unstable crimson rift was casually torn open by Tris. She then strode into it and precisely appeared in the area where Murphy’s aura lingered in the next second.
This place was a wilderness forest south of Kadman City.
Obviously, Murphy had no intention of letting his little players notice the scene of this Thorn grand duchess beating him up.
As a mainline NPC, the necessary dignity must be maintained at all times.
However, the situation was not as bad as Tris had imagined.
Although little Murphy was indeed in a sorry state, relying on the resolute counterattack of the Miracle Artifact Necessary Evil, Murphy was stabbed a few times but unharmed.
The latter clearly had no intention of really inflicting serious injuries on Murphy.
She may have just wanted to capture this little guy to exchange for the release of her subordinate Count of White Mountain who had already been detained.
Theoretically speaking, a golden rank vampire grand duke’s capture of a black iron rank little vampire would definitely be completed in an instant. The terrifying difference in strength between the two made it impossible for the latter to escape the former’s toying.
But obviously Murphy did not belong to the “norm”.
He had used up his three times of 【Bat Transformation】 tonight, continuously dodging the Thorn grand duchess’s dangerous binding three times, but this was the limit.
Faced with the ghostly and unpredictable attacks from the lady’s combat blade gauntlets on both of the grand duchess’s hands, forget about counterattacking, Murphy couldn’t even capture her movement trajectory.
It was also his first time witnessing the true essence of the “Midnight Assassination Technique” that the Thorn Clan took pride in.
This was simply a triple combination of female ninja + assassin + valkyrie!
Speed, technique and destructive power were completely maxed out. Appearing out of nowhere in Murphy’s shadow, even if he soared in the sky with Blood Wings, he couldn’t escape this grand duchess’ night raid at all.
Moreover, like Andrei, this grand duchess clearly possessed the peculiar power bestowed by the Nord’s north wind bloodline. With each of her attacks, as long as it touched, it would greatly reduce Murphy’s speed under the condensation of frost.
“Come here!”
Tris immediately cast a spell.
Under her manipulation, the crimson Dark Spirit covered the scene of Murphy and the grand duchess’ battle in an instant like a dozen scratching ghost claws.
Unable to touch the latter, but directly pulled Murphy back to her side by covering him with the ghost claws.
This was obviously an advanced spatial spirit technique. Casually tossed out by Tris, it took effect in an instant, also signifying that Tris had completely shed her previous weakness as a cripple and returned to her rightful power level.
“Buzz”
The figure of the Thorn grand duchess emerged from the shattered night shadows.
The combat gauntlets on her hands were quietly retracted into a pair of exquisite hunting gloves adorned with lace edges. With a very decent posture, she brushed her golden braids tied behind her ears, raised her head to look at the dragon-winged Blood Wings unfurled in the sky, and glared at the furious Tris.
“Your Blood Vulture Clan is really interesting. The blade of the patriarch is given to a little guy to hold. I also smell the scent of desire fragments on him. I heard your sacred blood pool was also destroyed. In other words, you, as the true patriarch, don’t even have a grand duchess’ proof.
If this gets out, it will definitely be compiled into a skit by old Edward and widely circulated in our circle.”
“This is still better than a Thorn grand duchess sneaking into my territory like a thief, wanting to arrest my follower but failing against a black iron-rank little guy.”
Tris retorted:
“After the eternal rest of Patriarch Oxana, you Thorn walkers are really getting worse with each generation. Where is Sophie? Why did my sister Sophie fall into the miserable eternal rest?”
In Tris’s memory, there was no impression of the woman in front of her.
But the latter was indeed the grand duchess of the Thorn Clan, which meant that the old patriarch Tris was familiar with must have met with an accident.
Facing Tris’s inquiry, the current Thorn grand duchess shrugged her shoulders and said in a casual tone:
“Grand Duchess Sophie stood on the wrong side during the Cold Moon Coup thirty years ago. Although it’s unfortunate, for the prosperity and thriving of the family, we loyal descendants had no choice but to painfully watch her return to the embrace of the Night Mother under the siege of the Winter Wolf Church’s guardian spirit monks.
You look like an old senior, so let this young one introduce myself to you.
My name is Anastasia Shani Romanov Torrez.
You can call me Shani.”
This Thorn grand duchess appeared very upfront and refined, with her unique twin braids even having a gentle feeling of the girl next door housewife, but she was definitely not someone easy to deal with. Just the words “old senior” and “young one” in one sentence viciously mocked Tris’s age issue.
Although bringing up age in front of immortal races like vampires was completely unnecessary, as a woman, this was absolutely a topic that couldn’t be touched.
Tris understood the mockery from this fellow in front of her.
The flames in her heart flickered more intensely, but then she realized that she was conversing with a descendant of envy who could manipulate emotions. Her current emotional change was definitely abnormal!
She immediately pinched her fingers to release spirit energy to seal her own mind, causing the grand duchess Shani below to blink her eyes, a trace of regret flashing in her gray-blue eyes.
What a pity.
Just a little more and she could have ignited the anger in this old woman’s heart.
Really just a little more.
Mm, indeed worthy of being called an old senior, looks difficult to deal with.
“Tracy Cavendina Chia Lorraine Lessenbra, you should have heard of this name, if my poor Sophie truly trusted you before you launched your betrayal.”
Tris patted her huge Blood Wings and slowly descended.
Murphy, who was behind her, also suppressed his constantly fluctuating emotions and followed down, gripping the Desire Demon Blade to guard beside Tris.
She made a self-introduction, and the Thorn grand duchess in front of her showed a surprised expression. She said:
“An undead who died over a hundred years ago crawled out of the tomb again? Grand Duchess Sophie mentioned you many times. She said you were one of her few friends and a fellow clansman she admired. You Blood Vulture Clan are indeed extraordinary.
Whether it’s the patriarch or the count, they’re all like this.”
“You also seem extraordinary, Shani.”
Tris narrowed her eyes to size up the unfriendly woman in front of her.
Her ancient memories were churning. She soon discovered a clue from the grand duchess Shani’s features, so she casually asked:
“What is your relationship with ‘Hero King’ Boris, who resisted the Second Black Disaster and then attacked North Wind Castle to establish the Nordtov Kingdom? Your eyes and facial contours remind me of him, and when speaking, there’s also that unique flicking tongue ending with a strange curling tongue.
Simply exactly the same.”
“Truly a remarkable old senior, even an ‘ancient one’.”
The grand duchess Shani didn’t care at all about Tris digging up her old history. In vampire society where lifespans were easily several hundred years, one had to have this kind of big heart to discuss personal life.
For example, you boast to others about legendary stories from a few hundred years ago, then a vampire scolds you for talking nonsense because he was right there watching when that matter occurred. This kind of thing almost plays out every day in vampire society.
Time!
This cruel thing had no meaning to these immortals of the night, just as every formal member of each family was like a walking history book.
Therefore, facing Tris’s questioning, the grand duchess Shani openly admitted:
“I am Hero King Boris’s youngest daughter, born in the second month of the year 740 when my father led his army to attack North Wind Castle amidst the winter winds. I should have lived my life as a happy princess.
However, in my 40th year, my father died in the flames of war at the border, and the kingdom he left behind was seized by power-hungry ministers.
It was also at that time that I was picked up by Lady Sophie and became a member of the Thorn Walkers.
Speaking of this, I think you should understand why I want to ‘bully’ young people like the Count of Kadman in the capacity of a grand duchess.
This isn’t a matter between the two clans, Lady Tris.
It’s only a personal grudge!
It’s an elder coming to get justice for a soft and weak child after seeing their great-great-grandchild locked in a cage by outsiders, nothing more.”
These words left Murphy and Tris speechless.
Alright.
This blonde woman cunningly swapped concepts, turning her intrusion into Blood Vulture territory into a personal grudge. It just so happened that there was indeed a blood relation between the two people separated by over three hundred years of age.
Murphy roughly knew where the Count of White Mountain’s eloquence when threatening him came from.
He stared at this blonde woman in front of him who maintained a smile but was very dangerous. He discovered that the slender little tongue of this woman was indeed nimble enough to…
However, Tris was already focused on another matter at this time.
She was a historian.
Although not specializing in human history, due to her own experiences, she was very masterful in some details during the founding of the Nordtov Kingdom.
The information revealed by grand duchess Shani wasn’t much, but it was already enough for Tris to figure out the true reason for her old friend grand duchess Sophie’s eternal rest and the real situation of the Nordtov Kingdom at this time.
She looked at Shani with an expression of “the younger generation is fearsome” and said:
“So, the ‘Cold Moon Coup’ that occurred in the Nordtov Kingdom thirty years ago was actually single-handedly pushed by you behind the scenes? Allowing the direct bloodline of Hero King Boris to regain control of the far north after a span of 300 years?
The outside world has been spreading rumors that the Thorn Clan and the Nordtov Kingdom are deeply bound, but this rumor is wrong!
You have already controlled that country!
No!
It’s you, you this unique vampire patriarch has already controlled Nordtov, expanding the midnight shadow to the entire Great Wilderness?
You are playing with fire!”
“If you mean that I have violated the vampire clan’s seclusion code, then you can rest assured, those are just old yellow calendars from who knows what era?”
Shani still maintained that refined expression, with a hint of the lazy air of a palace noblewoman as she waved her hand. She fiddled with her braids and looked at Tris again, a trace of ruthlessness and indifference floating in her gray-blue eyes.
She said:
“The reason I’m telling you these things is to convey to you the final message of your old friend grand duchess Sophie.
I gave my elder a chance!
But she stubbornly stood on the side of those rebels of the Rurik Dynasty. I can’t understand what kind of benefits they gave her to make her make such a foolish decision completely inconsistent with the wisdom a vampire should have. But unfortunately, my elder and I have irreconcilable differences in this regard.
This isn’t a personal grudge.
It’s simply a different choice, so I hope that in the upcoming contact between the Thorn Clan and the Blood Vulture Clan, we both sides won’t bring in too much of our personal feelings.
What do you say? Grand Duchess Tris.”
“Because you don’t understand, because Sophie’s soulmate and spiritual companion was the second king of the Rurik Dynasty.”
Tris said in a low voice:
“It was a love not blessed by everyone, as irreconcilable as midnight and the blazing sun, but it truly existed and even received the blessing of that lunatic Palanno. Sophie, who always claimed to be extremely coldblooded, ultimately still fulfilled her loyalty to love.
When facing the threat of eternal rest, she still chose to shelter the descendants left by her lover.
How foolish and romantic.
Mm, my poor old friend, may her soul rest in midnight.”
“Wait!”
This time it was Shani’s turn, who had always been natural and unrestrained, to have a strange expression.
She rubbed her brow, her tone odd as she said:
“The second monarch of the Rurik Dynasty was female, right? Nicknamed the ‘Blood-Clothed Queen’, she was a queen with a tyrannical personality but outstanding appearance. Grand Duchess Sophie is also… So, you mean, my elder was actually a…
No!
That’s impossible!
She clearly had several lovers in the family!
I even painfully executed those elite white silver rank family members and all their descendants and blood servants because of it.”
“Then congratulations on killing the wrong people, Shani.”
Tris said in a faint tone:
“That was just a trick Sophie used to disguise her true feelings. Before becoming involved with that queen, she even pursued me. It’s really creepy to think about. But I advise you to treat this as the last joke your elder played on you.
That bastard Sophie loved to play these kinds of jokes. My other deceased old friend Lily would often have conflicts with her because of it.
Back then, we were three sisters of similar age and equal strength.”
“Pfft”
Murphy, who was originally standing solemnly on the side guarding with his sword, couldn’t help but laugh out loud, resulting in Shani fiercely glaring at him.
“If the reminiscing stage of you two old seniors has ended, why don’t we talk about formal matters?”
Seeing that Tris and Shani had fallen into a mysterious silence, Murphy coughed and withdrew the Desire Demon Blade at his waist. He said to grand duchess Shani:
“The so-called putting your descendant in a cage is just an exaggeration. In fact, he is currently staying in the Blood Vulture Halls enjoying the treatment of an honored guest. I just wanted to use this method to draw in a sufficiently high-level guest in order to complete the contact between the two sides.
I just didn’t expect you to personally grace us with your presence.
How fortunate. Please follow me, grand duchess.
Not only do the Blood Vulture Clan and Thorn Clan have some matters to communicate about, there are also many troublesome issues between the Transia region and the Nordtov Kingdom that need to be resolved immediately.”
“Yes, Shani.”
Tris waved the Nocturne scepter to open a spirit transfer leading to the Blood Vulture Halls. She invited:
“You may have already heard about the disaster that befell the Blood Vulture Clan, but believe me, what you’ve heard is only some marginal details. What has happened on this land in the past period of time is beyond your imagination.
I believe you have also learned from Lord Palanno about the rumors of the impending Black Disaster.
Regarding this point, there is much we need to discuss between us.
If you are not very busy, perhaps you can stay in our territory for a few more days. I believe you will come to like it here.”
“Alright.”
Madam Shani brushed her braids and gladly accepted Tris’s invitation.
Watching the two grand duchess with different styles but each outstanding in their own way step into the spirit transfer, Murphy stroked his chin and rolled his eyes.
Although he got beaten up, this wasn’t a bad thing!
He was just thinking about what reason to use to release a batch of test quotas, and look, isn’t this “random event” the best excuse?
The auntie from the neighboring NPC clan came to visit, and she’s even one of the important figures in the vampire system. If he didn’t encourage the little players to hurry and farm some favorability, it would be a waste of his title as a “dog planner”.