When the Saintess Arrives, No King Exist-Chapter 739 - 695: Demon-Hunting Undead
The flames rising among the green vines of the orchid enmeshed the blazing sun in a layer of black gauze.
Through the door billowing with thick smoke, the visiting guests were ushered out in single file under the protection of guards, jumping into carriages or sedan chairs at the entrance.
Yet the sounds of slaughter amidst the dense smoke had not ceased.
A young man with dark skin, dressed in Thousand River Valley-style clothing, clung to the doorframe, leapt into a carriage, and as soon as he closed the door, the elder cloaked in black impatiently asked, "Did it succeed?"
Amidst the jolts of the moving carriage, the young man shook his head, "No, his guards are too vigilant, and he steadfastly refuses to approach the cage. Your intelligence was also incorrect, the Holy Silver didn't pose any lethal threat to him."
"Damn it." The shadow beneath the black robe trembled as if someone was gnashing their teeth, "And the Sorrido Holy Artifact? Did you gather any information?"
"If the Sorrido Holy Artifact could be identified with the naked eye, what would be the point of our efforts?" Pouring a vial of potion on his face and tearing off the blackened dead skin, the young man revealed his originally pale complexion, "At least we confirmed he's not the monster rumored to be created by Serafe, and I'm already quite satisfied with that."
"Alright then." The black-robed figure's tone softened, and he knocked on the wall of the carriage, "Drop me off up ahead and head directly to the dock." 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮
Turning his head, the black-robed man addressed the young man, "Be mindful of your whereabouts. Do not leave the cabin until we reach our destination, understood?"
"Fine, but you must find me some capable slave girls to play with. I have no desire to sit in a damp ship's hold with stinking men."
After getting off the carriage, the black-robed man glanced at the Black Snake Bay Warriors and Close Guard Cultivators congregating towards the Celestial Maiden Palace, and silently stepped into the narrow alleyways formed by the cramped wooden huts.
...
Inside the Celestial Maiden Palace, the previously joyful banquet had fallen into silence, with cups, plates, and candlesticks strewn across the floor, grape trellises collapsed into black ash, and a wooden support still flickering with flames.
The vaporized fruit wine and dried blood mingled together, while a boot stuck to the floor attested to its owner's hurried escape.
Facing the chaos, the gathered witches and high-tier wizards wore expressions as grim as death.
To orchestrate an assassination targeting Black Snake Bay's vital guests at their banquet, resulting in nine dead and seventeen injured, was akin to defecating on the neck of the Witch Council.
Following such an attack, the banquet was surely doomed, and even the wizard's assembly would likely be postponed for several days.
Ottatila and Moliat exchanged glances, their eyes reflecting the same shadowy concern and anxiety.
Fortunately, amidst this calamity, word came from the backyard that Prince Horn suffered only minor injuries and was not in grave danger.
Prince Horn, who was being bandaged and examined by top-tier witch doctors, soon received news that six of the attackers were dead, and one had escaped.
As for the dwarf assassin, upon being tackled by the gendarmes, he bit down on the poison pouch in his mouth and died before even the witch doctors could save him.
"Have their identities been confirmed?" Sitting bare-chested on a low couch, Horn flipped through the guest list with one hand, "How did these Demon Hunters infiltrate Celestial Maiden City?"
Breaking out in cold sweat despite the heat, the Captain of the Guard responsible for Celestial Maiden City's security answered, "They, they were attendants to Lady Veronica of the Tarot Society, and it was the Black Fist Faction responsible for inspecting them, uh, they're considered vassals of the Golden Cross Association..."
"Among the six dead and one escaped, was the escapee Veronica?" Horn carefully recalled the complex interconnections of the Secret Faction, giving a sly smile, "The Tarot Society and the Golden Cross Association have good ties, I remember, is this Golden Cross Association Lady Athena's Golden Cross Association?"
"Uh, yes, but Lady Athena currently claims to know nothing about this incident, vehemently denouncing Veronica's betrayal, and fully accepting investigation and house arrest. However, she also expressed a desire to personally apologize and explain to you."
"Does she want another go at an assassination by coming forward?" Duvalon chuckled sardonically.
"Don't talk nonsense." Horn kicked Duvalon's butt, "Have you identified the Demon Hunter that emerged from the griffon?"
"Not yet, we haven't determined his identity, but we believe the Secret Party Wizard who sent the griffon is highly suspicious." The Captain of the Guard straightened himself immediately, "He claimed that the griffon was confined in the cage for over ten days, during which only a small amount of bread and water was provided, and the cage was never opened.
How could someone without the ability to cast a spell, no matter how strong their breathing technique, survive inside the griffon's stomach for over ten days? It's obviously contradictory."
"If he were part of the assassination suicide squad, why didn't he commit suicide? Why stay alive to be interrogated?" Duvalon still sensed something was off, "This lie is too clumsy."
Horn frowned as well, pondering the same dilemma.
The Captain of the Guard remained persistent, "Maybe he anticipated we'd think that way, so he deliberately created a false front?"
"Is it possible that the mastermind anticipated us thinking he wanted to bluff, and deliberately led us to think in the wrong direction?"
"Or perhaps he guessed that we would think the mastermind anticipated us thinking he wanted to bluff, so he concocted this clumsy lie to preserve his life?"
"Is it possible..."
"Alright, alright." Horn quickly interrupted their doll-like dialogue, "Stop arguing, first put the person under house arrest, avoid using torture, and investigate more thoroughly for a while."
"Hiss—" The Captain of the Guard suddenly made a hissing sound through his teeth.
"Is there a problem?"
"No, no." The Captain of the Guard quickly shook his head, "I'll head to the water dungeon right now and notify them to stop the torture."
Watching the Captain of the Guard hurriedly leave, Horn turned around, just about to call for dinner, only to see a gendarme jogging in from outside the door.
"What's the matter?" Duvalon directly stepped in front of the gendarme.
The gendarme whispered for a moment, then Duvalon quickly walked over to Horn to relay the message.
"Akatean? What's he here for? First host him nearby, let him come back another day, it's too sensitive a time now." Horn shook his head, instructing Duvalon to arrange.
But soon, Duvalon who had just gone out quickly returned, speaking with a strange expression: "Akatean says he has clues related to the attacker."
Clues? Scales Hermitage? Horn stroked the stubble on his chin, pondered for a moment, then called Akatean in.
As Akatean entered the room, he remained hunched over, head lowered, but what he said was shocking: "Your Grace, I believe this assassination may not be orchestrated by the Church alone, if at all."
Duvalon glanced at Horn's expression, then stepped forward to stand in front of Akatean: "What do you mean by that? Isn't this dwarf a Demon Hunter?"
"He is, indeed." Akatean dared not straighten up, instead burying his head lower, but his words were unarguable, "I checked his body as I passed by, he's a dwarf and a Demon Hunter, but he might not be alive."
"Why not be clearer." Horn asked straightforwardly.
Akatean finally raised his head, eyes full of certainty: "Your Grace, a griffin's mouth can't swallow a person, even if he is a dwarf.
So, he actually cut an opening in the griffin's chest and abdomen to crawl inside, and then stitched it back together.
I inspected the wound, there are traces of Divine Art aiding healing, but it would take at least ten, twenty days, even a month, so the question is, how could a living person stay inside a griffin's belly for so long?
Other witch doctors might not understand, but they can't hide from our Scales Hermitage!
The dwarf seemed to have died from poisoning, but in fact, his body, especially the parts of the brain and spinal cord, emit a strong scent of undead magic.
If you'd like, I can take a brain sample and place it in a special reagent, and if it turns red, it's likely a zombie or revenant created by blood magic.
This dwarf Demon Hunter died long ago; he was manipulated by a high-ranking vampire, and I'm certain that vampire must have been at the banquet, otherwise such precise manipulation couldn't be done.
I think, perhaps, the attack at the banquet was essentially to create chaos, to help that high-ranking vampire escape, or to cover his tracks!"
"But the assassins at the banquet were indeed Demon Hunters." Duvalon's scalp tingled, "A vampire being a Demon Hunter… Demon Hunters helping a vampire escape is unlikely."
"You suspect that the Church and the Blood and Flesh Royal Court collaborated to try and assassinate me?" Horn rose from the low couch, "Forget the Church, why would the Blood and Flesh Royal Court do this?"
"Who knows? Maybe some vampire was bribed." Akatean shrugged, "The internal strife and turmoil in the Blood and Flesh Royal Court is not much less than in the Empire, if they could unite like they did hundreds of years ago, wouldn't they have taken down this corrupt Empire by now?"
How could this involve the Blood and Flesh Royal Court, the Golden Cross Association, Tarot Society, Demon Hunter Castle, Church...
Horn felt his mind was muddled, but he kept a composed face: "Alright, I understand, your information is very valuable. I'll inform the Witch Council."
"It is great to contribute." Akatean bowed, "Normalizing the Secret Faction has always been our Scales Hermitage's goal. If there's anything you need, feel free to find me."
