“Odra, no offense, but after all that effort, this is all you got? Take him back for your amusement, but don’t let him get in our way. We, the head of the Century, aren’t here to see your male favorites.”
Philocne looked mocking, while the others remained silent, not taking Audra's words into consideration.
The council chamber was not furnished with tables; instead, two rows of chairs with backs were placed on each side of the hall. The prince sat at the head of the seats on either side, and the rest were for the elders. The First Elder, Clement, stood in the middle of the hall, facing Xiang Wan.
From the moment they entered, no one paid any attention to Xiang Wan, but they refrained from making a scene due to Audra's status. Now that Xiang Wan had removed her hood, revealing her mask, some people were displeased, with Philoc being the most obvious.
Audra stood up, pulled Xiang Wan to the center of the council hall, and slowly removed her mask in front of everyone.
As his mask was removed, Xiang Wan's eyes instantly changed, and her entire aura shifted. At this moment, standing before everyone was no longer Xiang Wan, but Ivan—Ivan Sandro, meticulously trained by Audra, the son of Smith, the highest commander of the Hunter Alliance and a top-ranking hunter!
Which of these vampires hadn't seen Ivan? Back then, it was they who had brought Ivan to trial in front of everyone. That was their punishment for Smith, for disregarding the centuries-old agreement with the vampires, for recklessly hunting down vampires on nighttime missions, and for allowing his hunters to kill their own men.
At that time, Smith was still very young and extremely capable. The Blood Emperor of the vampires had been missing for a long time, and the vampires were divided into factions. The princes each had their own agendas and could not reach a consensus. Therefore, the elders decided to give Smith a warning by targeting his only son.
It was a full moon night, and they had specially summoned all the important vampires, which also attracted Smith and others, allowing him to witness the moment his son was beheaded.
Ivan's blood was used to secure decades of peace. Now, Smith seems poised to make a comeback, but their Blood Emperor has yet to appear.
Although vampires possess formidable superpowers, they are ultimately nocturnal creatures. If humans were to fight them with all their might, using the daytime sunlight to excavate their resting places, the situation would likely turn against them.
They depend on blood for survival and also need the powerful reproductive ability of humans, so they would never exterminate humans. Humans, being so weak, would never willingly submit to the vampires. The two races have been fighting for a long time, and now someone wants to break this balance—how could this not worry the vampire elders?
The vampires monitoring the secret prison reported that the person imprisoned inside was very likely their Blood Emperor. If humans could even subdue the Blood Emperor, then there was no need for them to remain silent any longer.
War may be just around the corner. This meeting was originally intended to prepare for future plans. However, if there are other ways to resolve this matter as peacefully as possible, that would be the best outcome.
Initially, Elder Clement was somewhat dismissive of what Audra had said. But now, he thought it might be worth a try.
"Gentlemen, that old man Smith is stubborn and intelligent. Over the years, he has been able to endure and remain silent in order to achieve his goals. I think the only one who can restrain him is Smith."
Audra turned and returned to his seat, smiling at Xiang Wan. The smile didn't reach his eyes.
"What's the use of just having a similar face? I'll test his skills first, so he doesn't die before I can even use them."
Philoc appeared beside Xiang Wan in a flash, his five fingers turning into sharp claws, and attacked Xiang Wan's heart.
Xiang Wan was already prepared. She drew her Blind Moon Dagger and sliced off Philoc's robe, also breaking the skin on his wrist. The wound emitted a black aura and failed to heal for a long time.
"A sacred artifact?"
Philo stared in shock at what Xiang Wan was holding, unable to calm down for a long time.
"What?"
Everyone present stood up, their eyes fixed on the dagger that Xiang Wan was slowly wiping.
"If it were truly a sacred artifact, would Philoc still be standing here?"
The one speaking was Prince Kendroth.
From the moment he stepped into the council chamber in the evening, he hadn't uttered a word or made any unnecessary movements. Of the four princes, if one were to say who was most likely to become Susan's lover, it would undoubtedly be Kendroth.
Philocte has slept with many women and is considered a scumbag by them; Susan wouldn't like him. Arthur doesn't like human women, Audra is gay, and only Kendrode seems to have never had any scandals with her.
Although his actions may seem cunning and insidious, who can prove that he wasn't sincere towards his lover?
A woman's unwavering devotion to a man stems from either love at first sight or a profound love that transcends all expectations. Given Susan's personality, she wouldn't have been willing to risk everything for Kendall Jenner if he weren't the latter.
Perhaps Xiang Wan had been staring at Kendroth for too long, for the latter's eyes showed some displeasure, and his brows furrowed slightly. Meanwhile, Audra stood silently beside Xiang Wan, blocking her view.
"There are still some discerning people who know better than to mistake this for a fake sacred artifact. However, if we want it to be, it can be a genuine sacred artifact. Gentlemen, do you have any objections to my proposal?"
Audra looked confident of victory. The elders exchanged glances and suggested that Xiang Wan go down first, and they would discuss it further.
Arthur looked at Audra and Xiang Wan with a conflicted expression, and finally made up his mind. He decided not to reveal that Xiang Wan had used her strange abilities on him before; it would be too embarrassing. Besides, he only needed to support his friend's decision.
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