Chapter 153: The Trial (Part 2)
It was time for the trial of the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle clan, and the surroundings immediately became lively, filled with continuous whispers.
“I heard the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle clan has already bribed these guys!”
“Mm, I heard they plan to marry a princess from the royal family to form an alliance—so they definitely won’t be in trouble!”
“No, I heard the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles have fallen out with the Black Phoenix clan this time. That Rod is the illegitimate child of high-ranking members from the Dragon and Demon clans. I heard he’s married into the Black Phoenix clan’s family; otherwise, how could he have the status of a Purple Star VIP? Now that Rod is dead, that Black Phoenix lady will be a widow, and neither the Black Phoenix clan nor the Dragon or Demon clans will spare the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles!”
“No, that Rod is the illegitimate child of high-ranking members from the Black Phoenix clan and the Dragon clan, and he’s supposed to marry into the Demon clan. Haven’t you seen Princess Aida’s firm attitude these past few days?”
Soon, various guesses and theories arose around Rod. Hearing these, he felt both amused and exasperated—since when had he become an illegitimate child? Since when was he married to Lucy and also to a Demon princess?
However, at the mention of the Demon princess’s name, Rod’s expression froze. Aida? Could it be her?
This reminded him of Aida, his teammate back in the Windy Mercenaries. That effeminate guy who lived in the same room as him—could it really be him?
With a bitter smile, Rod quickly dismissed the idea. Not only was Aida male, but his own strength was merely that of an average magician back then, and he was just a member of the Windy Mercenaries on the continent. How could he suddenly become a princess of the Demon clan of the Dark Source? It was utterly impossible. He had spent so much time with Aida—if she were a Demon princess, how could she have lived there for so long? And how did she leave? With another bitter smile, Rod thought his nerves might be overactive. Two princesses—Aida must be the woman he saw bathing last time. She was indeed beautiful, but she was nowhere near his comrade Aida in terms of status.
It must have been several years since Aida left him. What on earth had he done? Had he gone to find his master? Or something else? He had been gone for so long—no one knew what had become of him or where he was. Nor did anyone know if he would recognize him if they met again.
He must also be aware of his own identity as a demon, right? This matter has caused a huge stir across the continent; it’s hard for him not to know. Under such circumstances, can he still consider himself the best comrade and a true friend? Rod didn’t know. The voices coming from the stage made him sigh, setting this thought aside for now and focusing his attention back on the stage. At that moment, several major families were engaged in fierce arguments. Lilith’s arrival had made her a leader of the dragon clan. Under her and Sognar’s leadership, the dragons insisted on severe punishment for the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles. The Black Phoenix clan also sided with the dragons, joining in their demand for harsh punishment against the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles. Lucy’s cold expression pained Rod’s heart. When had she changed so much? Where was the innocent girl he once knew? Was the girl who used to call him “Brother Rod” still the same one before him? Rod knew that Lucy’s change was related to him, and he sighed inwardly, hoping that when she found out he was still alive, she would return to her former innocence. On the other hand, the Scorpion King clan and the Mijiao clan suggested that lenient punishment should be considered, as the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles had indeed pursued Rod, but they didn’t know he was a VIP of the Purple Star before. Moreover, they stopped attacking as soon as they found out. Ultimately, Rod’s death was mainly due to the sudden God-Annihilating Thunder Calamity—it could only be considered divine punishment, unrelated to anyone else. The main war faction of the demons also sent representatives, who sided with the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles. Although the opposition remained neutral, public opinion was tilting in favor of the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles, leaving the dragons and Black Phoenix clan somewhat helpless. “These guys must have invested a lot!” Rod thought to himself with a cold smirk, observing their behavior. The Scorpion King clan and the Mijiao clan were no good—there’s no way they’d stand so firmly by the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles without getting something in return! The power of the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles was growing, and their strength was formidable. Their ambitious desires to become the sixth major family were obvious to everyone.
For the Four Great Families and the Demons, or even any other family, the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles pose a huge threat. If they become the sixth family, they will surely disrupt the existing balance, weaken the power of the Four Great Families and the Demons, and annex many smaller families. It can be said that no one wants to see the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles thrive.
This is the best opportunity—the best chance to eliminate them. The Scorpion King Clan, the Mi Jiao Clan, and the Demons must surely understand this. If they still act in such a way despite knowing it, there is only one reason: they have reaped enough benefits from the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles and received enormous promises in return.
“Hmph! Scorpion King Clan and Mi Jiao Clan, don’t forget how you rose to power. Don’t forget Rod’s status, and don’t forget that you are among those responsible for organizing the trade fairs. You know very well how important Rod’s status as a VIP of the Purple Star is!”
“Although his death can’t be directly attributed to the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles, it is closely related to them. Don’t you know where those thunder clouds came from? You’ve heard about them even if you haven’t seen them. Do you really need me to explain again, you stubborn old fools? Don’t think I don’t know how much benefit you’ve taken!” With a sudden loud noise, the table in front of Sognar was smashed to dust. The tall and muscular Sognar stood up abruptly, pointed at the representatives of the Mi Jiao Clan and the Scorpion King Clan, and shouted loudly, his face filled with anger. It was obvious he was furious at their decision.
“Sognar, don’t forget your identity. Here, you’re just a backer. Has a thousand years in the Void Space made you suffer from dementia? The lifespan of the Dragon Clan isn’t that short, is it? We know how things stand. This is our decision. What do you want to do?” Faced with Sognar’s dominance, a bald man from the Scorpion King Clan was clearly upset as well.
He stood up abruptly without backing down and said, “That’s right, Sognar. I heard the Void Space of your Dragon Clan is a great place. No wonder your strength has improved so fast—you’ve already reached the later stage of the divine level. It seems the mention of another powerful being at the later stage of the divine level among the dragons recently refers to you! Entering with quasi-divine strength and emerging as a being at the later stage of the divine level—such speed is truly enviable. When will we get to enter and train there too? We should share the good things together!” Meanwhile, a man from the Mi Jiao Clan spoke in a sarcastic tone, looking at Sognar with undisguised fanaticism in his eyes.
“The Mi Jiao clan, don’t go too far. Hmph, you’re just a branch family. Do you really think you can challenge our Dragon clan? When we allowed you to become an independent clan, did you really think our Dragon clan had no choice? It was just because we didn’t want to fight among our own. Now you want to target the Void Space too? Get lost now, or don’t blame me if I lose my patience!” With combat energy surging around him, he glared coldly at the man, and Sognar immediately began scolding him harshly.
The argument on stage attracted onlookers who enjoyed the spectacle. Most people knew something about the relationship between the Mi Jiao clan and the Dragon clan, even someone like Rod was no exception.
It is said that the ancestors of the Mi Jiao clan were descendants of a powerful member of the Dragon clan and a giant serpent. They were despised by the Dragon clan members, but out of kinship, they were allowed to develop gradually. That ancestor seemed to hold a high status within the Dragon clan, and under his special care, the Mi Jiao clan’s status grew increasingly high. After thousands of years of development, they became a powerful force. Eventually, against the Dragon clan’s opposition, they broke away to form their own clan, becoming the fourth major family. This almost led to a war between the two clans!
No one knows exactly why the conflict stopped, but it is well known that since then, there have been frequent tensions between the two clans, with mutual disdain. The Mi Jiao clan believes they are the true dragons, carrying the finest bloodline, while the Dragon clan considers themselves the legitimate ones, with the Mi Jiao clan being just a branch—or, to put it bluntly, hybrids. Naturally, battles between the two sides were frequent.
“Am I afraid of you?” With a cold snort, the middle-aged man also let combat energy surge around him. His mid-stage divine level was enough to enable the Mi Jiao clan to take physical form.
“You’re still a bit inexperienced!” With another cold snort, Sognar showed clear intentions to attack.
“Enough! Both of you, step back. What’s the point of this? Making a fool of ourselves?” Finally, an old man at the top opened his eyes and scolded them with a frown. He seemed to hold a high status, as the two men dared not say anything further under his reprimand.
“Whatever happens today, my brother Rod’s revenge must be avenged! Those who killed him must pay with their blood. The Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle clan cannot be spared. I, Sognar, state this on my own behalf. Whatever you do, I’ll face it. As long as I’m alive, the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle clan—hmph—we’re not done yet!” Realizing that today’s situation wasn’t that simple, Sognar sat there, panting, his face red with frustration, an embarrassing sight.
Rod hadn’t expected Sognar to help him so much. Did this temperamental guy really regard him as a brother? He couldn’t help but feel moved and warmed—there weren’t many friends like this left.
“This guy has truly broken through to the later stage of the divine level. Heh, I’m envious!” Rod muttered to himself as he watched Sognar over there. The progress was really fast. Not seeing each other for a month, he had thought he would have a chance to fight again upon meeting, but it seemed that hope was dashed. The strength gap between each stage of the divine level wasn’t small at all—it was terrifying. The middle stage and the later stage were completely different, worlds apart. He might be able to fight against someone at the middle stage, but he certainly wasn’t capable of competing with those at the later stage.