Kingdom’s Bloodline

"Blood of the Kingdom ()" Find the latest chapter!

Thales found that he still underestimated the high wall of power.

After he privately hinted that Mallos and Shi Tuo might as well send someone to "study and study" the plan of moving to Star Lake Fort, within a week, the news that the Duke of Star Lake was about to move out of the royal capital spread all over the streets of Eternal Star City. alley.

"It's not so good, even in the brothels on Red Square Street, there are rumors that the prince is tired of the girls in the capital, and he is going to 'practice spears' elsewhere, I don't know how they know - don't ask me How do you know?" Glover, who came back from leave, reported to the prince solemnly, while glaring at Wyatt beside him who hesitated to speak.

The first-class punishment officer of the Star Lake Guard, old Patterson was very angry about this, and he took two of his men plus Rolf the wind ghost ("He looks weird and vicious, Your Highness, very suitable for this job, of course The most important thing is that I can point to him and say to everyone, 'Look, this is what happens when you talk too much'." Patterson gritted his teeth), holding a whip aggressively, "catch the ghost" everywhere in the Mindis Hall, vowing to Find out who leaked the secret.

"That must not be me!"

Struggling to drag the exaggerated luggage of large and small bags, D.D, who came back from home with difficulty, was caught by the "Ghost Catch Squad" at the gate.

"The setting sun is a lesson, I didn't tell anyone about our move—what? You mean these luggage? Hehe, my parents forced it on me, and I can't help it. You see, even the winter clothes are stuffed in, It's so annoying... Hey! Dumb! Don't touch my lucky puppet! It's a bedside must-have!"

There was a moment of panic in the Mindis hall, until Mallos came forward and reminded the old prisoner gently and tactfully:

For such a big event as the prince’s move, even if it’s just a preliminary “research and research”, there must be a lot of turmoil, coupled with the deteriorating finances of Mindis Hall (“I think we need to hire more people, from cooks, gardeners, grooms to maids ——What? A wine glass? What does this have to do with a wine glass? Forget it, I’ll just go and ask His Highness.”——Wyah Castle’s upright and puzzled last words), as long as everyone in Mindy’s Hall still has Family and friends, the leak is inevitable.

As for why the Duke of Thales left the royal capital, the rumors on the streets are very clear, from "the legend of the haunted dukes of Mindis hall" to "the legend of the rebellious prince's escaped marriage", and even "the story of the hidden girl in Xinghu Castle"-there are many versions of this saying , the main controversy lies in the identity and number of heroines, and even their gender, because Mindis Hall has not (money) recruited maids since the return of the prince.

What's interesting is that the people dismissed the saying "the prince is bankrupt", and even burst into laughter as soon as it was brought up: "Do you know how much the treasures in the Mindis Hall are worth? **It’s all made of gold, do you need to worry about it?”

The rumors were so chaotic and intensified that Prime Minister Cullen couldn't help but personally intervene in the imperial meeting one day.

It was inconvenient for Thales to answer directly, so he subtly shifted his firepower, and by the way, tested the possibility of saving the finances of Mindis Hall:

"Father, what do you think?"

At that time, the wise and wise King Kessel was reading the port tax report of the Emerald City, listening to the resentful complaints of the chief executive Qiu Ke (“As a dignified treasurer, I only get a salary of five silver coins a month, do I ever care about Money? But they, these profiteers and filthy officials on the South Bank, have benefited from your majesty's wise grace to earn a lot of money, but they are so selfish that they even want to talk about this small tax?"), frowning With a lot of preoccupations, upon hearing the words, he just waved his hands in disdain: "Get out."

"He agreed."

After coming out of the Fuxing Palace, facing Mallos' suspicious eyes and Shi Tuo's expectant expression ("Your Majesty can't let you starve to death?"), Duke Thales smiled brightly, looking confident and confident:

"His Majesty spoke highly of the long-term fruitful work of Mindis Hall. He is full of confidence and expectations, and sincerely encourages us: to be unique, keep pace with the times, be independent,

Open source to generate income, pursue excellence, explore the future—”

boom!

Mallos slapped the table expressionlessly: "The point."

The Duke's smile instantly collapsed:

"No money."

So after another two days, the rumors on the streets in Wangduli changed direction:

In order to resist the marriage arranged by the Duke of Thales (about who the heroine is, there is also a gamble launched. It is worth mentioning that although the odds are so high that it is impossible, the old friend of His Royal Highness, the heir of Walla, Cohen Karabyan indeed appeared at the bottom of the odds list, behind all the ladies and ladies), he did not hesitate to show his protest, which aroused the king's fury, and he broke out on the spot at the imperial meeting, and slapped the heir in front of all the ministers A slap made him get out of the capital immediately!

"Nobody ever slapped me!"

On the training ground, facing the worried Wyah and the plate full of "skin care and beauty medicine" in his hand, Thales was furious:

"I'm fine, and my face is fine! No, why should I let you see my fart - other parts are fine! The setting sun is above, I really did not rebel when I entered the palace this time! Why don't you believe it?"

Under the influence of various factors (mainly the more shocking numbers on the ledger), Thales simply gave up his low profile and no longer concealed it, and began to let Mallos take stock of the inventory with great fanfare, and sent Shi Tuo's logistics officer to connect with the Fuxing Palace manager , Ask for the ledger and map of Xinghu Fort from the Noble Affairs Council, instruct Canxing Private Soldiers to stay behind, communicate with the Security Office about the time to leave, let others (D.D is aggrieved by this) purchase enough supplies, and at the same time Thank you behind closed doors, live in seclusion.

"It's really okay? Rumors won't be worse?" Huai Ya frowned.

"Believe me," on the training ground, the prince gritted his teeth and drew the bow and arrow, aiming at Mallos' ass in the distance, "the prince's butt is very popular."

Huai Ya looked stunned.

But fortunately, all kinds of rumors have only been circulating for a few days, and they all turn to:

It was heard that the Duke of Thales had overreached in an imperial meeting, and the king was so furious that he cut off the source of income for the Mindis Hall as a punishment. The Duke of Xinghu had to leave the capital and find his own way out.

Well, at least part of it is true.

It is widely circulated among the vassals and bureaucrats that the Duke of Xinghu's political stance is too moderate on the issue of taxes and taxes, and he even sympathizes with the great princes in the far borders. The repeated slander at the imperial meeting finally moved the king and forced the Duke to stay away from the political center.

Well, that's not entirely wrong.

So, on a weekday morning, at the dawn of the sky, the door of Mindis Hall opened silently, and the convoy belonging to the Duke of Xinghu slowly drove out to Xinghu Fort near the Royal Hunting Forest on the outskirts of the city.

"Are you sure everyone agrees? After all, this is leaving the city and going to the countryside."

Thales yawned heavily and lay sleepily by the car window, watching the logistics officer Piloga make the final handover with the remaining private soldiers and servants.

"They are the royal guards, not advisers and lobbyists," Mallos rode beside the carriage (the driver was originally Glover, but Thales refused), frowning and flipping through the ledger handed over by the logistics wing, " It's not their job to have an opinion - damn, why did they overspend again last month? What's up with so many skin care products?"

On the other side of the carriage, Wyatt turned his head silently, and had a heated conversation with Rolf.

In the silence of the early morning, their convoy caught up with the earliest moment when the city gate was opened, passed through the Sage Gate on the south side of the capital amidst a sea of ​​pointing fingers, passed through several markets and villages outside the city, and crossed the Muhe Ferry , driving on the southern section of Fuxing Avenue, which was vigorously rebuilt during the period of Tormund III.

The south side of the capital is obviously more prosperous than the north side. The road is full of small traders and hired workers who get up early and enter the city, farmers and craftsmen preparing to go to the market, postal carriages going back and forth, and even travelers from foreign lands. Carrying goods, or walking with suitcases, came from various towns near Eternal Star City, in small groups, bustling, and commenting on the convoy passing by them from time to time.

"Ah, I know this convoy. It should be the itinerant court of this season, the judge who patrols the king's territory and decides the case..."

"Pull it down, you don't even have a flag. This must be the illegitimate son of a certain nobleman, the kind who is so rich that he doesn't want to make a fuss."

"Look at the aura of this team, tsk tsk, it's awesome, men should be like this!"

"Cut, it's just a lucky bastard, if I was born there, I can replace him!"

At the end of summer, the vegetation around the avenue was lush and verdant. The Duke’s convoy turned down the avenue. The number of travelers decreased, the trees were overgrown, the shade was blocked out by the sun, the birds and beasts were frightened, the surrounding was full of vitality, and the wildness gradually increased—they entered the royal hunting forest. range.

"Fuck, I swear it's a bear!"

D.D exclaimed, causing the whole team to become nervous: "Zombie, draw your sword!"

"Don't be suspicious," veteran Genard shouted to stop them, he shook his head, "I can see clearly, it's just a wild cat."

According to Mallos, the royal hunting forest delineated from the Black Eye era has always been a good place for the royal family to entertain guests. The two princes Lars and Hayman especially like to call friends and ride horses for carnival.

In the Year of Blood, Eternal Star City was threatened by the rebels and Exeter, and had to close its gates. As a result, the bandits gathered in the entire central area, and the surrounding villages and small towns, including many noble fiefdoms, were almost destroyed. , The hunting forest also became an unowned wasteland, until the "Fortress Peace Treaty" was signed, the Kingdom's Wrath led the Fury Guards to return, reorganized the central standing army, and wiped out the remnants of the rebels and the bandit army around the capital.

As for after the war, firstly, the national treasury was in distress, and secondly, people's livelihood was in decline. Moreover, the Iron Fist King himself was not interested in hunting and feasting. Scattered to settle nearby, or became farm tenants, or hired to work, or joined Canxing private soldiers, but became a high-quality source of soldiers when the standing army was reorganized.

"The Baron's Manor of Wrath of the Kingdom is just down that road, and next to it is the barracks of the Central Standing Army. For more than ten years, he has almost turned the hunting forest into their exclusive training ground and exercise ground," Mallos looked at a It was clearly a path in the forest that had been stepped on, and his eyes were deep, "But the good thing is that there is a standing army here, and no one dares to invade the nearby royal territory."

Jenny, who was raised as an aristocratic warhorse, was extremely dissatisfied with this environment. From time to time, she broke away from the horseman and neighed to chase the shadows of deer or badgers passing by in the depths of the jungle, causing the team to be in a hurry. After Erles tried to call out, his body was covered in traces of branches and plants, and he returned with a disheveled face and a sad face.

"In the stables, it is the queen, and no horse dares to compete with it," veteran Gennard said cheerfully, "but the birds and beasts here don't have this self-awareness, and it is not very satisfied."

They soon came to an iconic big tree. The watchman said that this was the most popular campsite when the hunting forest was still thriving. The thick and dense tree covered the sky and looked very old. It is called "Star Tree", and there are many legendary stories about the Canxing royal family:

It is said that at the end of the empire, the King Fuxing, who was still an illegitimate son, once ignited his fighting spirit under this tree, determined to become famous and get rid of the name of a wild species;

It is also said that Prince Brad, the "procrastinator" five hundred years ago, suffered a coup d'état and fled Eternal Star City in a hurry with the crown of nine stars. , fled to Heroes of the Soul Castle to recruit troops, opened the bloody curtain of "two star confrontation";

There is also a legend about the Grand Duke Kahn Trudida, who invaded the stars four hundred years ago. He said that he camped under this tree and was going to besiege Eternal Star City, but in the middle of the night, he saw King Fuxing immediately charged at him with a gun. Coming, the cruel and terrifying "Giant Spirit" woke up in a dream, and was so frightened that he broke out of the camp overnight and retreated;

Some people say that three hundred years ago, "Jackal" Sumer III invited five guardian dukes to hunt and feast under this tree, and three of them have never been able to leave the hunting forest since then;

There is even a poem that says that two hundred years ago, Alicia, the "Northern Conqueror" who was still a princess, met a mysterious knight in the shade of this tree while hunting, and she was pregnant with the "wolf" whose biological father is unknown. Enemy" Kayla.

But the above legend, even though D.D, who "often came here to play when I was a child", spoke vividly and emotionally, bluffing audiences like Willow, Rolf and Wyer, the Duke of Star Lake laughed it off .

Thales thought that there would be such a dense jungle along the way, but after a short walk, the end of the road suddenly became clear: among the green jungle, a pool of blue lake broke into his eyes, it was as pure as a mirror, reflecting the pure white clouds in the blue sky The colors are like dreams and illusions, and for a while people can't tell the difference between heaven and earth.

At the moment of the beautiful scenery, everyone including Thales couldn't help but stop and pause.

"The setting sun is above," Doyle looked at Bihu excitedly, "It's much more beautiful than the painting!"

"Wait, paint?"

Huai Ya reacted with doubts on his face: "Didn't you say that you often came to play when you were young?"

"It's not time yet, keep going," Mallos was in a good mood, he ignored the people behind him who were glaring at D.D, "It's never too late to be amazed at that time."

The Duke's convoy marched along the lake, the grass and trees became lower, and the scene in front of them became more open:

Looking far away, the other end of the lake is a towering and steep mountain wall, with more than a dozen turbulent waterfalls hanging on it, rushing out of the rocks, and falling straight into the lake, like a giant silver screen falling from the sky.

"My God, I've seen this in a book, and it's said that practicing swords under there can get twice the result with half the effort." The young trainee pioneer Nexi excitedly pointed at the wide waterfalls. "Anyone want to surf?"

"Don't believe those knight novels, rush down from that, even if you are alive, you probably won't be able to find them." Second-class security officer, "Grand Man" Franzuk mercilessly poured cold water on him.

Thales is also fascinated by such magnificent beauty, and his eyes cannot be moved.

"That's one of the downstream branches of the Mu River."

Mallos patiently explained to those who hadn't seen it - almost everyone else in the convoy -:

"The river bed falls here, forming a waterfall, depositing a wide and clear lake, which is called the 'Star Lake'."

star lake.

Thales murmured the name silently in his heart, and turned his head subconsciously.

Sure enough, a towering castle appeared in front of the lake on the other side of the waterfall.

It is located on the edge of the hill, surrounded by lakes on three sides, and has a simple structure. There is only one small road that can go around the hill, cross its moat, and go straight into it.

It is perfectly integrated with the jungle, lake view, waterfall, blue sky, white clouds, hills, castles, and all elements without being obtrusive, giving people a sense of quiet intoxication. Everyone subconsciously lowers their voices and steps lightly. It seems that they don't want to disturb the beauty of this corner.

"And that is Star Lake Fort." Mallos stopped his horse and sighed quietly.

Everyone held their breath.

Including Thales.

The young man had done his homework beforehand, and he knew that the predecessor of Star Lake Fort was a monastery isolated from the world, which could even be traced back to the Black Eye era, and it was full of Sunset monks who were highly learned but determined to practice hard.

But it was nearly five hundred years ago that this monastery really entered the eyes of the world, an old scholar named Su Mei, who was born noble but learned and talented, lived in seclusion here with his family during the war of "Double Star Confrontation" , devoted himself to the study of theological classics.

Until the bloody and brutal "Double Star Confrontation", which ended dramatically with the successive deaths of the two (respectively kings) stars, but the "Morning Party" and "Evening Party" under their command-the domestic princes who chose sides ——However, in the years of wars, deaths, alliances, and betrayals, generations of intractable blood feuds have been forged.

So much so that when the kingdom had no owner and the throne was vacant, looking at Canxing's family tree, there was no heir who could obey the princes of the two parties with equal power at the same time, could ascend to the throne without controversy, and could not reignite the tension between the two stars. war.

(In fact, due to interests and circumstances, during the eight and a half years of civil war, many members of the two parties have stayed in more than one camp. It is common for alliances to rebel, and rebellions to return. When the monarch and his ministers are in a heart-to-heart relationship, they swear to show their loyalty. Tomorrow, when the noose is captured on the battlefield, they will wake up and abandon the dark and turn to the light. The leader of the heroes in the East China Sea, the Culun family in Huigang City has repeatedly jumped around, flexibly switching between the two parties in the morning and evening, four rebellions There is such a miraculous existence that the three returns are still safe and sound, so that the nicknames of the two Guardian Dukes of the East China Sea are "Noon" and "Midnight".)

But fortunately, the kingdom has shed enough blood, so many that the sacrifices in the dark night were exhausted, and the number of men in the stars was too small, so few that no one wanted to fight in armor. During the eight years of the confrontation between the two stars, countless people and nationals were ruined. The great family was extinct, and the price was so high that the lesson was so painful, even in the history of the Star Kingdom, where civil wars were frequent, it was rare.

The two parties of morning and evening, who were at war with each other, finally, under the initiative and coordination of the high priest of the setting sun, reluctantly put down their weapons and entered Yongxing City to start a tough negotiation in the Temple of the Night full of corpses to be buried (this is also in Yongxing City, Morningstar The origin of the naming of the District and the Evening Star District, which are bounded by the Temple of the Night).

So, as the great-great-grandson of "Black-eyed" John, the sixty-year-old Sumerian bachelor—or, later, "Broken Line" Sumer Canxing II—was invited out of the Sunset Monastery where he lived in seclusion, Walk out of the high castle by the lake in the deep forest, walk into the Fuxing Palace surrounded by two groups of vassals who are eyeing tigers, and step onto the stage of history, reaching the highest position.

Regardless of how much this decision made the morning and evening parties regret it, and how it caused their respective alliances to fall apart, but not long after the coronation of Sumerian II, he followed the newly promulgated "Bloodline Decree" and sent the people he had stayed in the bachelor era, The deeply emotional lakeside monastery was repaired and expanded, and built into a castle. The eldest son Elan was granted the title of duke, to show that the succession was determined early and could not be disputed. "——The confrontation between the two stars caused by the dispute over the inheritance of the elders and the younger has since ended the endgame and drawn a complete end.

Fort Xinghu, as well as the significant Duke of Xinghu, were born from this.

"This is our land, the castle where we will stay in the future?" Wyatt looked shocked.

These words made Thales withdraw his gaze from Star Lake Fort. He put aside the heavy history and withdrew his thoughts.

Well, at least...

The prince was in a good mood.

He has a room.

The greenery is in place, the lake view is pleasant, and there is a natural swimming pool.

that is……

Thales glanced at the corner of the ledger in Mallos' saddlebag.

I don't know how to calculate the mortgage.

"Good place."

Glover, who had never been good at words, nodded as he walked.

"Look at its shape and terrain: surrounded by lakes on three sides, condescending, narrow passages, wide field of vision, suspension bridges, ditches, arrow towers, lookout posts, the height of the city walls, the staggered angles, and the breadth of defense," the zombie pointed at Star Lake Fort. In different positions, "it only takes a dozen people to keep it tight."

"Even if you are besieged by enemies twice as many as your own, if you have enough supplies, you can hold on for a few months or even a year—much better than the almost undefended Mindis Hall."

"Oh my God, you can't make an analogy like this. The Mindis Hall is a work of art, but here, here is, yes," D.D paused for a moment before choking out the next sentence, "Other works of art!"

On the other side of the team, the newcomer, Paul from the Black Lion family of Heroespirit, suddenly sighed, attracting everyone's attention.

"My father told me that a long time ago, every prince and every lord was proud of owning his own family castle—even if it took two or three generations and exhausted resources, he still wanted to build a castle of great significance. "

The young heir of the Bozdorf family looked at the distant castle with melancholy in his eyes:

"Tianzhu Castle in Junlin City, the three palaces of floating sand, quicksand, and sinking sand in the ruins, Talang Palace and Xichao Tower in Huigang, Kongming Palace in Emerald City, Blood Gate Fortress in Renling City... Although There are different shapes and styles, but all of them are famous fortresses with a long history and are difficult to attack, not to mention the magnificent and magnificent Fuxing Palace, which is simply a miraculous existence."

"As for Aarond's Cold Castle, our Bozdorf's Heroespirit Castle, including the Chromar family's wing castle, even the territory is named after the fortress castle."

Paul's words are sincere and wistful:

"They are our defense line rooted in the earth, the immortal mounts of the knights, and the strongest guardians on this land."

At this point, Paul let out a long sigh:

"But now, such castles are no longer increasing, and even fewer and fewer."

His words made many people think deeply.

But the person who answered him was unexpected.

"Of course," Doyle said carelessly, "I don't know if my castle was built hundreds of years ago. There are air leaks everywhere. In summer, mosquitoes, flies and lice are flying everywhere. The smell doesn't go away, and it's not much better in winter. Go, the cold wind blows people's noses, the windows rattle, and it's impossible to repair them, and just hiring someone to clean them will cost a lot of money and not worth it."

"So my stepmother finally decided to close most of it and use only a few complete, newly renovated hall rooms. As far as I know, more and more nobles and lords would rather spend their money elsewhere. I even I heard that in some places, families have abandoned their ancestral castles and moved into towns and villages."

D.D raised his finger enthusiastically, and gave an example:

"Not to mention the Fuxing Palace, that building is so old..."

Glover coughed violently.

"Old..."

Doyle trembled suddenly and realized:

"It's so old, it has history, it's meaningful, it's cultured!"

"You know, the Fuxing Palace is a miracle built with divine power and magic!"

The people who were originally gloating at others showed disappointed expressions when they heard the words.

D.D knew he had made a slip of the tongue and cleared his throat:

"In short, no matter what kind of castle it is, no matter how strong it is, no matter how great it is, after a long time, there will be problems of one kind or another."

"In that case," Paul said coldly, "why not just destroy it and rebuild it from scratch?"

These words made Thales in the car fall silent.

“My stepmother had plans for that, but she gave up because of financial issues,” D.D recalled. “And my dad said, although we don’t live anymore, at least we lived there.”

He sighed:

"If it is demolished like this, some things cannot be rebuilt."

This statement made many people look at him with admiration.

Doyle rolled his eyes and turned into a hippie smile again:

"Besides, what if there is another war?"

Paul didn't speak.

Wyah took over the conversation at this moment:

"A mediocre monarch builds his walls with earth and rocks. Foreign enemies are hard to invade, and the castle is difficult to fall. A good warrior uses flesh and blood as his city walls. His martial arts are world-class, and there are countless heroic souls. A wise monarch uses the heart of his heart as his city wall, and he is always victorious and invincible. , eternal prosperity."

The prince's attendant remembered something, his eyes were deep:

"Only a truly great monarch, with peace as his wall, is ordinary, but no one knows."

As soon as this remark came out, people in the convoy looked sideways, and even Rolf showed strange expressions.

"Wow, Zhenhuai, you said it yourself?" Doyle asked in surprise.

"No."

Huai Ya lowered her head with a complicated expression:

"I heard it when I was a child."

Thales was moved when he heard the words, and he remembered the words that Crown Prince Midil had relayed to him.

[The palace wall is thousands of feet long, and the majestic pass is ten thousand feet long. How can I save my life? 】

"Makes sense."

Mallos in front of the team suddenly said:

"The city walls are thick and solid, and while resisting foreign enemies, they also cover the sky and the sun. Forge ahead, and eventually suffer the consequences.”

The watchman's long-standing power over the past few months made everyone shut up, and the team fell silent for a while.

"Maybe more than that."

Glover, who has always been obsessed with the shape of the fortress, doesn't seem to be very good at winking. He ignored whether it was "the time for the chief to lecture", and said to himself:

"My grandfather said that the means of war are destined to become more and more abundant, especially after the appearance of the magic gun, whether it is to defend the city or to attack the city, it has become a last resort."

"After all, no matter how thick the city walls are, no matter how wide the battlements are, they cannot withstand the continuous high-temperature bombardment of magic energy guns, and the shocking high-altitude falling rocks from trebuchets."

Paul sighed:

"So, such a castle is doomed to decline and become history?"

"Maybe," Glover stared at Star Lake Castle, as if to find out its weakness, "but maybe our descendants, future generations will come up with a better way to build stronger fortifications and build A super city wall that can't be broken by a magic gun?"

"Maybe they will be smarter, smarter than us," Wyah interjected, feeling frustrated, "think of a way to resist wars, resist foreign enemies, and ensure safety without relying on city walls or fortresses?"

"Maybe they're even dumber."

Mallos also joined the conversation, and he sighed: "They may build more and thicker walls, be content with the status quo, and be complacent, until the self-righteous walls collapse, and the catastrophe is imminent."

Thales listened carefully to the conversation, thinking for a long time.

"Or they are extremely talented!"

D.D's elated voice suddenly sounded, making many people frown:

"For the sake of true peace, our descendants built a flawless, unbreakable wall and fortress that can isolate everything, and people on both sides can't touch each other no matter what!"

Doyle bowed on the horse and proudly spread his arms towards Fort Star Lake:

"Da da—peace comes!"

After hearing this nonsense, everyone in the convoy rolled their eyes and sighed.

Until another young voice came from the carriage:

"As a result, the city wall is high and the moat is deep. People at both ends cannot see each other, cannot hear each other, and cannot know each other when they talk."

Everyone looked back in astonishment: they saw the Duke of Xinghu leaning against the car window, overlooking the breathtakingly beautiful Xinghu Fort, but his eyes were completely silent.

Thales said quietly:

"Until everyone's fate becomes lonely and helpless but unaware, suffering and struggling but not knowing why, anger is inexplicable but cannot be dispelled."

"Until all men, from birth to death, are doomed to be prisoners behind the wall."

The Duke's words silenced the entire convoy.

Everyone looked at each other, not knowing how to react.

Mallos rode to the window:

"Your Highness?"

Thales came back to his senses, waved his hand apologetically, and sat back in his seat:

"Don't worry about me, go ahead."

The Duke's motorcade continued on its way.

When they saw Xinghu Fort, the rest of the journey was much shorter. They quickly went around the hill and drove into Xinghu Fort through the thick treads on the ditch.

But what you see in front of you is far inferior to what you see in the sky.

"Oh my god, ahem, I thought, ahem, that only my castle fell into disrepair..."

Doyle stared dumbfounded at the iron gate of the fort that collapsed with a light push, and coughed fiercely in a cloud of dust:

"How long has no one lived in this place?"

"The last Duke of Xinghu?"

Glover tied up his face scarf, stepped into the doorway cautiously, and signaled the people behind him to get off their horses:

"Eighteen years."

"Be careful, Your Highness," Wyatt opened the car door for Thales with a bad tone, "This place..."

Thales got out of the carriage, only to find that the famous Xinghu Castle, from the tower to the sentry tower, from the yard to the castle wall, was dilapidated everywhere, overgrown with weeds, rusted iron, and rotten wood.

Many corners of the yard have become nests for small animals. When they entered the doorway, they even startled a group of bats perched on top of their heads, which made Jenny furious and broke away from the rope (“Seeing the appearance of the stables, she probably thought I was cheated when I bought a house.” Thales explained afterwards), neighing loudly and kicking and panting, while making the guards flustered, they also scared out a group of birds in the sentry tower, the three cats on the city wall, and the castle. A swarm of bees under the eaves.

The young Duke couldn't help frowning.

ok, it's ok, it's ok...

Second-hand... no, rough houses.

"We're counting on spending less here?"

The logistics officer Shi Tuo tried his best to pull his boots out of a collapsed wooden door, and complained to Mallos in a low voice:

"What do you rely on, selling antiques?"

"ha!"

Doyle carefully walked around the uneven floor tiles, pushed aside the spider webs, came to the old gate of the main castle, pulled the door knocker, and said sarcastically:

"Be careful, big guy, we're in an antique! It's tens of thousands!"

Hearing what the big guy told him to shut up, Doyle didn't take it seriously, turned his head with a smile, and was about to open the door.

But at this moment, a gate on the door suddenly opened, revealing a hideous and terrifying strange face from the darkness!

D.D shuddered and fell backwards, so that everyone—including a black cat balancing on a chain—heard his heart-piercing wail: "My Goddess of the Sunset!"

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Thales was taken aback, and the members of the guard pressed their swords one after another until Mallos stopped him.

"Steady!"

The watchman (after kicking away a spider web on the bottom of his feet) came out more and more, and grabbed D.D up: "Look carefully!"

Everyone took a closer look, only to find that the gate of the main castle had opened at some point.

Thales frowned:

The main castle was pitch black, with an ominous atmosphere, and in the darkness, a hunched figure holding an inextinguishable lamp appeared silently in front of them.

"Damn it!" D.D wanted to exclaim when he saw this person, but Glover and Bastia pulled him to the back of the line together.

The hunchbacked figure tremblingly stepped through the gate.

He is chicken-skinned and gray-haired, old-fashioned, slow-moving, and he is an old man on the verge of death.

But the moment the old man raised his eyes, Thales felt a sharp pain.

"Guards, pay attention to your manners." Mallos adjusted his dusty clothes and turned around. "This is the watchman of Star Lake Castle."

Thales carefully looked at the old man in front of him. He was dressed simply and his eyes were cloudy. He looked at them clearly, but seemed to be looking at the horizon.

The old man with the lantern grinned, showing his gums with few teeth left, and gave them a weird smile:

"Ah."

The voice of the old man seemed to be absent, with a faint chill, which made everyone feel a chill down their spines.

"Long time no see," Mallos said with a normal face, but his polite tone was extremely respectful, "but I believe you have been notified."

The old man didn't move. Against the darkness of the main castle behind him, his figure with the lantern became more and more strange:

"Ah."

The guards looked at each other in blank dismay, full of doubts.

Mallos reached out to Thales in the team, and respectfully said:

"Please allow me to introduce, this is His Royal Highness Thales Canxing, the new owner of Star Lake Castle."

Hearing this, Thales couldn't help straightening his back and smiling.

The old man raised the lantern, and his eyes swept across Thales, but he was expressionless, as if it was a boring routine:

"Ah."

"Yes, we are here to take over the castle, respect..." Faced with the old man's answer whether he understood it or not, Mallos bowed deeply and called out the old man's name:

"Vitano Gato."