Horse-drawn carriages slowly move through the noisy market.

Outside the car window, shops and stalls full of cloth, porcelain pots, iron and farm tools retreated in a steady stream, while merchants with camels, jugglers, and slave traders met again.

The streets were filled with an unpleasant smell of sweat, gutters and cow and horse dung.

Eventually, the carriage turned into a secluded alley in the middle of the bazaar, and stopped at the gate of an ordinary-looking, even somewhat old and dilapidated house.

Donald got out of the carriage with a gloomy face and looked at the mansion with half-squinted eyes.

He thought he would never set foot here again in his life.

I didn't expect it......

Donald stood silently, the battle between heaven and man in his mind. His self-esteem made him want to turn away, but his legs were as heavy as lead.

After a moment, he turned his head to look around, and then stepped in, surrounded by two guards.

The carriage drove away from the house.

Silence returned to the deep alleys.

Outside the alley, a young vendor wearing a broken straw hat that pressed his eyebrows and a large basket of water on his head walked past the alley seemingly unintentionally, and his eyes quickly glanced into the alley.

When he saw Donald walk into the house, his pupils shrank.

He walked to the entrance of the alley, put down the fruit basket, looked around, and prepared to enter the alley.

But at this moment, suddenly, the blacksmith of a nearby blacksmith shop suddenly called at him, as if to beckon him over. Before he could recover from the sudden call of the stranger, there was a sudden commotion in the other direction.

The young vendor turned his head and saw chickens and dogs jumping in the market, and a beautiful woman running over in a panic, and not far behind her, several fierce men were chasing after her quickly.

And just when the young vendor's attention was focused on the woman's frightened eyes, there was a bang, and a few meters away, a guy from a roadside milk stall dropped the milk can in his hand to the ground, making a loud noise, and fresh milk splashed everywhere.

The young trader hesitated.

As an agent of the Imperial Inspectorate, he has been trained in a variety of ways. But after all, he was still young, and he hadn't actually carried out the task for too long, so his brain couldn't process so much sudden information in a split second, let alone connect it and find out the key to it.

And it was this hesitation that a knife had been stabbed into his heart from the back.

His killer was a fruit vendor on the side of the road, his companion.

The peddler was sitting at a roadside stall just now, peeling fruit, with the corners of his mouth cracked open with two missing teeth, and he looked like he was thinking about something and laughing at something, muttering to himself that it was difficult to hear.

The young man had just passed by his stall and pretended to glance at the fruit and prices on the other side's stall. was glared at by the other party, and then walked away with a smile.

And just as he was paying attention to the depths of the alley, he didn't see it, and almost the moment he put the fruit basket at the mouth of the alley and was about to enter the alley, the peer had already gotten up.

And when the blacksmith beckoned to him, the woman ran over, and the fellow smashed the milk can, the man had already taken advantage of this series of covers, silently and calmly walked behind him, and stabbed the fruit knife in his hand into his heart.

The hawker's movements are skilful and precise.

The world is still noisy, but the young spy can't hear it anymore.

The pretty woman ran past him, and the big man who was chasing her conjured a burlap bag and enveloped the dead young agent.

A moment later, a large living person had completely disappeared from this world.

And the bazaar was still full of people, the blacksmiths were beating the iron hard, and the vendors were still shouting as if nothing had happened.

......

......

Donald walked into the house.

The house was empty and quiet. When I walked through the small courtyard, I could only hear the sound of dead leaves under my feet.

But the two guards who were guarding Donald tightened their nerves.

They could clearly feel that from the moment they walked into this decaying mansion, they were secretly observed and locked on.

The other party did not show hostility, but the faint sound of powerful qi was enough to make anyone understand that the place where they were could not tolerate the slightest chaos.

Although the two guards knew very well that as the Knight of the Great Light, they were nothing more than an ornament on Donald's face, and the real safety depended on was hidden in the darkness. But this seemingly ordinary bazaar located in the imperial capital city actually hides such a powerful power, which still makes them secretly frightened.

Passing through the front yard, and then through a small building, into the corridor of the inner courtyard, when he reached the end of the corridor, a middle-aged man dressed as a housekeeper flashed out silently.

"You're waiting for me right here. Donald waved his hand, stopped the two guards, and followed the middle-aged man into the foyer of the small building in front of him.

The foyer is the entrance to a magical barrier.

Entering the small building is like entering another world.

What appeared in front of me was a huge hall. The walls and door beams are covered with exquisite sculptures, the floor is covered with a thick layer of water velvet wool blankets, the ceiling is painted with exquisite magic patterns, a huge magic crystal chandelier hangs from above, and the surrounding furniture, even the staircase handrails, doors and windows, are made of precious magic wood, which is extremely luxurious.

If you talk about value, the cost of this small building is probably the top half of the Prime Minister's Mansion.

And in addition to the decoration becoming more luxurious, there are also more people.

Bewitching beauties dressed in thin silk shirts like water are passing by, musicians are playing music, and dancers are dancing. In a magical enchantment in the center of the hall, two slaves are fighting. The fierce and tragic fighting, the splashing of blood, and the scene of singing and dancing outside are intertwined, which is more and more shocking.

The middle-aged man led Donald to an old man sitting on the floor in the hall, bowed to the old man, and retreated silently.

The old man poured a glass of wine, put it on the coffee table in front of him, and pushed it to Donald: "Prime Minister, please be seated." ”

Donald sat down.

The moment he sat down, the whole hall suddenly fell silent, and the dancing musicians and attendants retreated, and the two gladiators, one dead and one wounded, were dragged away, leaving only Donald and the old man.

"Sixteen years ago, I came once," Donald said, taking a sip of his wine, "and this is the second time. ”

"Because of the matter of Leng Shan?" said the old man lightly, "I guess you should come too." ”

"Of course," Donald said simply, "I wasn't the only one involved in that incident." At best, I only sent a message, and then poisoned it, but it has nothing to do with me. ”

"Is it okay?" the old man glanced at Donald and sneered, "That's enough for you. Don't forget, this is Saint-Soran, and everyone else can collude with the Holy See Hill, but you Donald can't. ”

Donald's face turned pale: "It's your Lanris family who colluded with Holy See Mountain!"

"The Golden Dragon Family has always been His Majesty's most loyal friend," the old man said lightly, "Isn't it natural for us to collude? We don't care what others say or think, but you Donald care." ”

He poured wine over Donald's cup and said, "We both have the same goal. Our disadvantage is that we are not Solan, and if we want to enter this country, there will be countless people who will oppose us. The lords and nobles of Solan will not let outsiders rule over them. If that's not the case, why should we wait for Princess Erethia to grow up, and for Augustus to have offspring with her?"

Donald held his glass and stared at the scarlet wine in the glass, his gaze faint as fire.

The old man said: "From this point of view, this was originally your advantage. But when you're with Pope Soran, no one will say anything. But once you get involved with the Holy See Mountain, the lords and nobles of Solan will not be happy for you to sit in that position. ”

"You Solan are neutral in the war with the Holy See Hill. The local aristocracy would not choose a man who stood with the Papal Hill to be their agent and ruler. ”

"Therefore, once the truth of the Frost River Bloody Case is exposed, it will naturally be a little troublesome for us. But for you, even if it's just a piece of news, it's just a big problem. Especially now, just as you walked in here, my men had just dealt with a little spy outside......"

Donald's eyes flashed with a cold light, and he snorted coldly, but did not speak.

The old man smiled slightly and said, "It seems that His Majesty Edward has seen an opportunity. ”

"Once it is confirmed that you are colluding with the Holy See, then this war between you and him, which is already on the line, will end with the majority of the Solan lords and nobles falling to the royal family. Especially now that the Barnes & Noble family has fallen, your weakness has been seen by many. ”

A hint of sarcasm crossed Donald's face.

The old man said, "Of course, for you, this is not the most terrible. The most terrible ......"

He paused and looked Donald in the eye, "It's Farrington." ”

The mocking smile on Donald's face froze for a moment, and his gaze became unusually cold.

The old man said leisurely: "Everyone understands that in this world, no one can ignore the power of Farrington. Especially when the demons invaded from the Holy City and lifted their shackles for three hundred years, everyone was watching them. ”

"It's just that they still need to defend the main offensive line of the demons in Farrington now, plugging the biggest gap. And Roland is still on the Holy See Hill...... Therefore, we all feel that they will not easily get involved in internal struggles. Their riding spears are aimed at the demons. That's their mission. ”

"But now, the appearance of the evil obstacle of the Hanshan family has changed everything. ”

"This kid is the heir of the Hanshan family, and he has natural leadership and decision-making power. As long as he asked, Farrington would not hesitate to follow him. Whether it is marching into the Solan Imperial Capital or marching into the Holy See Hill, there is nothing that this group of madmen dare not do. ”

When he said this, the smile on the old man's face also became a little unnatural, and Donald felt a chill in his back.

For three hundred years, the name Farrington seems to have been far from the center of the human world, and seems to be another world. People will always subconsciously forget about it.

And in the power struggle in the human world, there are also many people who do not take Farrington seriously.

They can poison a two-year-old boy with impunity, and they can chase them all the way to the end...... But in the final analysis, it's all because Farrington, a beast, is chained!

As long as they stand at a safe distance, they can laugh loudly and provoke at will.

Because they knew that the beast would not be able to pounce on them. Even in the earth-shattering bloody battle of Vendinburgh more than ten years ago, it was this beast that paid the price of breaking a leg.

But now, the beast has broken free from its ropes.

What's even more terrifying is that the boy they have been looking for and chasing for more than ten years is still alive. And his first appearance was to sacrifice a cardinal archbishop!

This sent chills down the hearts of many people who were lucky and participated in the bloody murder sixteen years ago.

The moment the news came, things were already out of control.

The room fell silent for a moment.

After a long time, the old man spoke, "That's why you're here with me, isn't it? That evil seed and the power in his hands make you feel in danger!"

"Aren't you afraid?" said Donald, sneering.

"I'm afraid!" said the old man without hesitation, "but we have more strength than you. ”

Donald was silent.

The old man said, "How about it? You can cooperate with us this time? In the same way, I asked you sixteen years ago. ”

"You use the word refuge to make it clearer. Donald said coldly.

"Smart people always make smart choices at the right time. The old man said, "Besides, put this matter aside, and tell me about yourself...... For more than thirty years, you've been one step away from that position. But you just can't sit down, haven't you thought about why?"

"It's just luck, if it weren't for the Phillips, I would have ...... two years ago," Donald said indifferently.

However, before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by the old man waving his hand.

"Luck depends on the Holy Emperor," the old man said with a smile, "whether it was two years ago, or three years ago, or five years ago...... As long as the Holy Emperor doesn't allow it, you will never be able to have the luck you need, haven't you figured this out?"

Donald looked at the old man, and suddenly, his eyes froze. A sudden thought suddenly flashed in my mind, and it became clearer and clearer.

Donald's pupils constricted, and he said incredulously, "...... Peter I attacked Soran, you guys are behind it?!"

The old man smiled faintly, neither admitting nor denying it.

Donald knew he had guessed right.

Some secrets, like magic, are extremely mysterious before they are revealed, and once they are revealed, or even just a little bit of penetration, they are worthless.

Just turn your head and look at this house.

This is the imperial capital, the political, economic and cultural center of the Solan Empire, with a population of millions and countless dignitaries living there. It was extremely well guarded, far from being comparable to a remote city like Loulian's Mooney.

However, few people know that in this bustling market in the city, under the noses of countless police officers, spies and Royal Guardsmen, there is such a terrifying force.

No one even knew that this force had existed in the Solan Empire for decades.

There are four side branches of the Langris family - the west dragon wing, the north dragon tooth, the east dragon claw, and the south dragon tail.

Among them, the southern branch dragon tail is the most mysterious.

This is a dark sword in the hands of the Lanris, who has caused countless assassinations and bloodsheds.

And the leader of this underground force is none other than the old man in front of him.

Shadow Dragon King Horst!

No one knew how powerful Horst was in his hands. Donald only knew that if he wanted to, even if the force he managed could not capture Solan City, it would be fine for him to kill a tenth of the princes and ministers, and even enter the palace, sit on Edward's throne and watch a song and dance before leaving.

Because standing behind him is the Lanris family, the Holy See Hill!

His tentacles are all over the Salvation Continent!

This is true within the Solan Empire, and the same is true within the Philip Empire!

Therefore, if anyone did anything in connection with Peter I's invasion of Soran, it could only be Horst. Only he has such power, and only he has the most motive!

You must know that it has not been a day or two since the Langris family coveted the royal power of Solan. But as Horst said, as outsiders, if they want to become Solan, they can only wait for Augustus to marry Elethea.

That's where they waited for years. It was their best chance to devour the Solan family by blood, put on a coat of clothing, and reach into this empire.

And until then, they won't let any of their competitors spoil their good deeds.

Among them, naturally includes oneself.

When the Philip Empire invaded, it was a time when he was in full swing and could usurp the throne at any time.

And the appearance of the Philes made the princes and nobles of Solan focus their attention on foreign enemies, and they did not want to break out into internal strife at that time.

Donald closed his eyes, his face a little pale.

He had always thought that this was the reason for his bad luck, but when he stood in front of Horst at this moment, looking at the wrinkled face of the underground dragon king of the Golden Dragon Family, he suddenly came to his senses......

That war was the best way for them to prevent the Solan Imperial Power from falling into their own hands!

The Firetes won, and they will join in the pie in the middle of the war. In fact, at that time, the army of the Pompeii Empire was already hovering on the border, eyeing it.

Even, they will be a good person, a friend who is willing to ally with the local nobles to fight against the Philip Empire.

In that case, they would have too many opportunities to hold the empire in their hands.

On the other hand, even if Solan wins in the end, they have nothing to lose. At least this war delayed the time of his usurpation and disturbed the situation.

Donald's face turned from white to blue, and the wine glass in his hand popped open.

"Your Excellency need not be angry. Lo and behold, I didn't admit it. Besides, don't you think this is actually a good thing for you?" Horst said with a smile, "It turns out that Your Excellency is not suitable to lead an empire. ”

Horst stood up, took a wine glass, poured wine for Donald, and said, "Whoever can sit in that position must be eloquent." But in the face of the Philaetes, you did not show your ability to lead the country, but Edward scored one after another......"

He put down the wine bottle and bent down to look at Donald: "Now the lords and nobles of Solan, how much is left of their awe of you?"

Donald gritted his teeth.

Horst's words shattered the last line of defense in his heart.

Thirty years ago, when he had the idea of usurping the throne at some point, he thought he was the best person to replace the Solan family and rule the empire.

At that time, he was full of ambition.

Even a few years ago, he firmly believed that as long as he sat in that position, he would inevitably become a generation of heroes, far more than Edward.

However, the invasion of the Firetes gave him a resounding slap in the face.

In terms of power and strategy, he is a genius.

Climb up step by step from the low position, dominate the empire, and cover the sky with one hand.

But his pattern is limited to this. Although it seems that he is only a trace away from the emperor, he knows that that trace is the abyss that he has stepped into for the rest of his life.

A hundred years ago, Grand Duke Solan was able to forge a bloody path through the combined forces of Philip, Pompeii, and the Holy See to establish the kingdom. And a hundred years later, in the face of the invasion of the Feilie Empire, he was defeated in successive battles.

Those people around him are playing power tricks and intrigues, and they are good hands in the nest, but when it comes to fighting, they are all waste!

The few talented ones, such as Renault, were also excluded from the faction's core.

A generation of heroes is just his own imagination!

I had already recognized this reality a few months ago. It's just that thirty years of obsession can't be let go overnight. Besides, with his own grudge against Edward, he is already undying.

This time the coalition army went north, and all the preparations and arrangements in his secret were just coerced by the past that he couldn't let go, as well as the interests of the camp around him.

But do you really want to sit in that position?

No, I don't want to, and I don't have that qualification!

This has been confirmed from the moment he knew that the evil seed was still alive, and knew that one day in the future, he would face Farrington.

That's why I walked in here.

"I can ......," Donald said with difficulty, his voice sounding unfamiliar, but he said it anyway...... Working with you. ”

Horst laughed.

He raised the glass in his hand and gestured to Donald.

"What are you going to do?" Donald didn't rush to raise his glass, but stared at Horst intensely.

"Rest assured, you have us behind you, His Majesty the Pope behind us, and behind His Majesty, there is the Kingdom of Heaven. Horst smiled and said, "Keep ready to do whatever you want, the coalition goes north, and we'll help you." ”

"What? are you trying to ......," Donald narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Now that you've decided to stand with us, there's no need for Edward to exist," Horst's smile was cold and hideous, "all we need is Elethea's womb." ”

"When. ”

In the silence, there was a soft clatter of wine glasses.

。

。

。

。 Belch...... Damn the World Cup.