Dance Of The Phoenix
156. Vale

Not far from the Capital City, a remote house stood behind the large mansion. The house was made of wood that had been fragile, very clearly not taken care of for many years. Dirty and unkempt, even a servant reluctantly approached the estranged place.

Viscount Norwegian was one of the Emperor's supporters in the emperor's faction. They had considerable influence in the relations between nobles and held gold mines in the west that served as a source of state revenue. They're very rich.

But no one would have expected, that golden-filled mansion had a huge specter in its dalm that had been exiled for many years.

The unkempt wooden house was occupied by a girl. He's about 17 years old. Her hair was black and unraveled in disheveledness without any pigtails. Her dress looked small and had a lot of tears, there was dust around her clothes and skin. He's very unkempt.

The girl huddled inside all day without being able to see the light. He didn't have the courage to go out. Every now and then the waiter would come and throw her dry bread to eat, then give scornful words saying that the girl had disgusting dirty blood.

Whether the girl understood it or not, her gaze looked dim without life. He was just silent like forgetting the way he spoke, then eating dry bread voraciously. He was very pale as he showed his dirty face which had a cut on the forehead. It is so dirty that it is difficult to recognize.

Since childhood, he had been treated with unpleasant feelings by everyone. Or rather at birth. He was born due to an accident that the Viscount caused while drunk on the housemaid. The viscountess was furious and chased away the servant.

However, she remained the daughter of the Viscount, so the maid returned because she did not have enough money to support her daughter before she died. From then on, she lived in a wooden house all alone and lonely. He was 3 years old then. Therefore, he did not have normal human emotions. He lived in fear in the dark.

That's a sad story. He wanted to see the light for a moment, but it never came. Keep away from it, again and again.

Until a red figure appeared from within the darkness, the girl no longer cared. Who would care about a strange human being who couldn't even speak properly?

But the moment someone spoke to her, she started to show a surprised expression.

"Do you want revenge?" The female voice that sounded cold and soft at the same time. The girl looked up to look, then retreated until cornered by fear. The red eyes that approached him were extremely frightening.

"Your life is very sad. I will help you, feed you and clothe you, education and a decent life and strength. You're getting the light you want."

The sound was like a magnet attracting the attention of the girl. The girl was flabbergasted for a moment when she saw a jade-white helping hand that looked extremely delicate. It was very different from the terrifying shadows on his head.

"You'll get it all." The woman smiled coldly, "But you know, nothing is free in this world."

...ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ...

Su Churan pulled Chu Xin into the crowd of people. He handed the invitation letter to the guards, then entered the large hall attended by many people from various walks of life. Most of them were knights.

Su Churan was wearing the clothes of the Wyvernia nobility, so was Chu Xin. Beautiful dresses that are not too excessive along with fans in the hand, cover half their faces when flapped.

He got a party invitation from Alves. While going to find lodging after trailing Alfonso, he met again with Alves who said that there would be a victory party for the knights. Alfonso as leader of the army will come.

This is a victory party of battle in the north. Alfonso who became the main character in the party, became the spotlight of many people. Even the nobles came to celebrate.

Su Churan invites Chu Xin to disguise as a noble to see Alfonso's movements as well as see the game being run. Alves was also coming along, but he was with another noble on the other side of the hall.

From afar, Alves could only see the dazzling Su Churan with a sigh.

Su Churan and Chu Xin sat down, then enjoyed the food served like a starving boy. There are good wines as well as some types of alcoholic beverages such as champagne and vodka. Su Churan missed the champagne and immediately grabbed it.

"Chairman Su, you mustn't get drunk." Chu Xin thought this place was not good enough to occupy a drunken woman.

"I'm not drunk, I won't." Su Churan was very sure. He only drank one bottle. Not going to get drunk.

Chu Xin was still uncomfortable. He looked around, there were very many men playing around with the women from the brothel. The party hired many women to serve those nobles. That's why there are rarely female nobles who participate in this celebration.

Perhaps, only the two of them were brave 'mistresses. The rest were female knights.

The Assassin Guild had never made a celebration like this. They once celebrated the victory of war, but it was done in private and only provided alcohol and the game of the assassins. No one is playing with women. They were very rigid in terms of love, including Chu Xin.

Bai Youzhe forbids anyone from bringing a partner to work because it can be annoying, unless it is needed. So most of the guild members were single men and women. Only a few of the men went to the brothel in search of beautiful women.

Because their work was too dangerous and crude, many thought of being single for life and loyal to the King. Chu Xin and his two colleagues belonged to the single group for life.

Noting Alfonso who looked normal, Su Churan thought the movements Gu Yuena made were not enough to make the man anxious half to death. He might be able to help.

"There's a rumor that says that Prince Alfonso killed Earl Mandey, is that true?" su Churan asked the female noble nearby.

The noblewoman is a knight. Even so, it still often gathers with other socialite women in tea parties. They also talk about this.

He replied, "You better not talk about it here. The prince is very sensitive. It's a sacred celebration, so talk outside of the celebration."

Su Churan nodded her head obediently, then went back to silence by Chu Xin's side. Hah, this party is not as exciting as it seems.

When Su Churan was bored because there was no interesting spectacle, her gaze was fixed on the open door. Another guest came in, a woman.

Women with a beautiful black mane and a pair of matching irises. The dress is dark purple, looks very charming decorated by gold ornaments.

At first glance, he looked like an ordinary noble. Su Churan did not pay much attention. But if seen once more, it seemed like he was familiar with that woman.

"Xiao Yumina!" Su Churan almost squealed. He patted the dreamy Chu Xin, then pointed towards the purple-clothed woman.

Gu Yuena's appearance was very different from usual. He looks more like a Wyvernian native with a slightly different facial line. It seemed that she slightly changed her facial line using makeup, although it did not leave a real face.

Su Churan and Chu Xin remained in place, not daring to approach. He must not show his familiarity even though he is undercover. Gu Yuena definitely had a purpose in coming here.

Gu Yuena is very pretty tonight. Come to the party and attract the attention of many people. He approached Alfonso who was thinking hard when he felt familiar with the woman.

"Congratulations on the Prince's victory in defending the border." Gu Yuena congratulated. He spoke blatantly, as if they had known him long enough.

"Thank you." Alfonso smiled awkwardly. His heart felt strange. The woman in front of him looked like an ordinary noble, but why was he agitated?

"I heard that the monster that attacked the border in the north was a level 8 monster. It must be very difficult to handle."

"That's common. Lately the influence of the five palaces began to slacken, the empire had to rely on its own strength to weather the storm. There are still many regions that face battles with high-level monsters."

"yeah. Even so, the Prince can give good help until he gets an award from the Emperor. It seems, it will be soon for the Emperor to announce the heir to the throne legitimately."

Alfonso remained silent for a while, then nodded happily. "of course. You think like that?"

Gu Yuena nodded meaningfully. "Yes." Yeah."

"By the way, there's rarely anyone to talk to me openly like this. How can I call you, Miss?"

"Vale of Norway," Gu Yuena replied. There was something strange about his gaze, but no one would be aware.

"I just found out Viscount Norwegian has a daughter named Vale."

"It's a long story."

Norway was the territory of Viscount Norwegian. They were in the Emperor faction. Of course Gu Yuena could not originly look for a second identity. He takes the identity of the Norwegian family in place of their forgotten daughter.

Viscount Norwegian would not pay too much attention to where and what their youngest daughter was doing. The poor Viscount's daughter had to live independently and be excluded from the world for many years. Even the family itself does not know what it looks like.

"Some time ago, someone came to me while going to the victory celebration and gave me something to show the Prince."

"What's that?"

Gu Yuena looked around, then whispered, "Can we find a more comfortable place?"

Alfonso thought it was something important. Lately the emperor faction has been heating up. So he's looking for a more private place with 'Vale' to talk about something important.

He was initially a bit hesitant towards the woman he had just met. If she really was the daughter of the Viscount, she should not treat her trivially. Viscount Norway had attempted to use various means in order to get him in this position and get rid of many competitors. This was also the Emperor's order.

As they had been in a spacious room with well-organized chairs, Gu Yuena did not wait any longer and showed a black object in her hand.

Alfonso was surprised to see it. He approached Gu Yuena, then was about to pick up the black stone with sparkling eyes. Unfortunately, Gu Yuena instantly clenched the stone with her hands.

"How did you get it?" Alfonso was still shocked by the presence of the soul stone. Previously, he lost the most precious soul stone in the Baron Hills Residence a few years ago. This time the soul stone reappeared.

"Someone left it to me on the way here."

"What's the guy like?"

"I couldn't see her appearance from wearing a black robe, but her voice sounded like a woman. He said, this stone will be yours when the throne succeeds as soon as possible."

Alfonso frowned. "Did he really say that?"

Gu Yuena nodded, looking very confident and serious. Alfonso seemed to have other thoughts so Gu Yuena immediately warned, "This is just an imitation. Even if the Prince takes it, it can't be used."

"Imitation? Who exactly gave you this?"

Gu Yuena. "I don't know, but the Prince certainly knows. I'm just the daughter of a Viscount who isn't very well known, doesn't know much. I'm just saying what he said."

Alfonso was challenged. Soul stones could increase his cultivation that was only this tier 8 to tier 9 in a short period of time. He must get it soon!

The current emperor only had an 8th level of cultivation and could not maintain his aging appearance. Level 9 cultivators can live longer, even up to hundreds of years. Alfonso did not want to waste his talent and was stuck in tier 8 for life.

"All right, tell him I'll wait for that day to come. But before that, can you meet me with him?" Alfonso is not that stupid to be caught in a scam. He wanted to meet the woman to verify her.

"Eitherway? I don't know where he is myself. But just maybe, everything the Prince said was already conveyed by him in the shadows."

Alfonso grunts. "Why do you think I'd believe it so easily?"

Gu Yuena remained silent for a while, then said, "Because not everyone knows about what he left me. Your Majesty must know, that's why it gave such a big reaction. This thing must be very important, even if it's just an imitation."

"All right." Alfonso was pretty sure now. That person must be from Linghun Palace. It is only natural to behave mysteriously without wanting to be recognized. Soul stones cannot be carelessly touched. The one in Vale's hand was really an imitation so it could be touched by him. But that doesn't mean anyone can lie about soul stones.

Only Linghun Palace could make imitation soul stones, as only they could produce soul stones themselves. There was a special power within it that made it unable to be touched by anyone carelessly.

By the way, Vale is very interesting. His cultivation is unreadable. The Linghun Palace people even met him to convey a message. Actually, what were the Viscounts keeping secret about him?

"Does the Viscount know this?" ask Alfonso. Gu Yuena shook her head. Alfonso looked even more pleased and said as he touched Gu Yuena's face gently, "Then let this be our secret."

Vale doesn't seem to be lying. His face was very calm and seemed to have sincere intentions just to look at it. Alfonso no longer thought that all this was intentional, let alone by Viscount—his own confidant—.

In addition, Gu Yuena only showed a sincere smile as possible to attract attention. Alfonso wasn't so easy to lie to either, so he remained vigilant the entire time.

Huh, if Bai Youzhe saw this, that man would definitely break Alfonso's hand without any consideration. Even if there was Bai Youzhe, Gu Yuena would not use this old way.

Disguising to be someone and acting is quite troublesome. He had to stay in Viscounty for a while, then return to Duchy and go to Viscounty again. He still has to help Vale get his due before being fully utilized.

"What are they talking about inside?" Su Churan wondered as she ate the cake and watched from afar in the direction where Alfonso and Gu Yuena were going.

Chu Xin looked calmly shaking her shoulders. "The queen must have a plan."

"It's a shame I can't watch. I'll meet Xiao Yuena later and ask about her plan."

Chu Xin simply twisted her eyeballs and chose to care for her ears. As long as Gu Yuena was fine and did not give him orders, everything that happened had nothing to do with him. He only needed to prepare a lot of candles to pray for the peace of the soul floating in the future.

"It feels like we are here only as observers," Chu Xin murmured.

Su Churan nodded. "That's our plan, right?"

Chu Xin suddenly changed her expression when something sounded in her mind. He stood upright, shocking Su Churan next to him.

"Ah, I'm really losing my time off." Chu Xin pouted, then looked towards Su Churan. "My day is over. I have to work and it looks like His Majesty is no longer in Wyvernia."

Su Churan's expression turned serious. "Is something?"

"Of course." Chu Xin sighed. "I'm leaving."

Su Churan nodded without asking any further. He didn't get the call, which meant he wasn't needed. He's really unemployed. So it is better to enjoy the spectacle on your own while having fun.

...ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ...

"Winter of the year, when the dance is held, our troops will surround the palace and move as I give the code. Who we are going to execute, is not necessarily the Emperor. So you guys should listen to my instructions during the operation." Gu Yuena determined the time within this half a year for the target to be reached.

Duke Elberg had a large army that had fought for many years defending the empire. Their army is very famous and strong. Moreover, some families among the noble faction also had their own soldiers. Indeed not all, but at least there are among them so that if combined, the number will rival the imperial army.

For several months now, Gu Yuena had been playing Alfonso into constantly looking for a way to seize the throne as soon as possible. Previously, he was also present at a tea party as Valentina and has captured a lot of attention.

Alfonso felt threatened by his presence. Coupled with the encouragement of 'Vale', Alfonso will be more openly rebellious. The Emperor's confidence in him had also declined since Earl Mandey's death and continued to question him about the events of the day.

The Emperor was very curious about the information Earl Mandey mentioned, but Alfonso did not reveal it.

"Winter dance party .. All the nobles will gather in the palace. It's the best chance, but it's also high risk."

"This is a high risk. When that day comes, we must replace the imperial army using our troops. In this way, the worst is unlikely to happen unexpectedly" Duke Elberg said.

"Perhaps, we can install an array around the palace so that no one can escape. In addition, we can also sort out which ones should be protected and not inside the array."

"We're preparing for the next half year. Princess, what about Miss Vale?"

Gu Yuena smiled looking at the noble. "Not a big deal. I've sent Miss Vale to Prince Alfonso."

Gu Yuena could not mess with Alfonso at all times so sent the real Vale. He had changed Vale's face, then hypnotized him to not deviate from the plan. It's not that he doesn't trust Vale. Vale's timid and anti-social nature will mess with his plans.

Gu Yuena let out a long sigh and lazily said, "Until half a year later, I hope you guys execute the plan well. If there is a change, report immediately. I'll set up a backup plan if something doesn't go according to plan."

"Good."