Xyrin Empire-Chapter 1416: Blood Princess

(Back from Guangzhou, it’s unbelievable that I haven’t skipped an update despite the annual meeting lasting so many days! Imagine the merit in that! After being illuminated by the Great God’s radiance, I feel emotionally neutral, my heart as calm as still water. From now on, I’ll focus on updating diligently and being a better person. Lastly, at the annual meeting, I recognized many names but could hardly match any faces, the pressure of being face-blind is immense.)

While waiting for Qianqian to return, Bingdisi and I researched what exactly happened in this world back then.

Bingdisi laid out the few Forbidden Books she "acquired" yesterday along with several Church books she just bought at the fortress on the table, and summarized the intel with a serious expression: "Based on what we’ve just heard, at least four people are at the core of the events: Soya from the Dragon Clan, the Human Pope Edwin, the Dark Moon Lord on the moon, and a mysterious figure known as the Blood Princess. Among them, Soya is the oldest dragon on this planet and the ruler of the Dragon Clan. But the situation of the Dragon Clan seems dire; according to that young Dragon Clan girl, it seems like the dragons of this world have become extinct — something we’ll research later."

"The second key figure is the Old Pope, whom the Dragon Girl calls Edwin, but I’ve heard the Pope’s name isn’t this from other sources. Clearly, the current Pope isn’t using his real name. I did find the name Edwin elsewhere," Bingdisi said, flipping open the Goddess Sect’s Bible she’d skimmed through, pointing to a page with her finger for me to see, "This is the name of the Pope during the first Lunar War: Edwin Adurin, race Human. Due to his distinguished merit, this mortal’s name was written in the Divine Canon and was declared to have entered the Divine Country to serve the Goddess with a Demigod Body. The Divine Canon records that this Pope lived to 200 years old — presumably, the old man thought if he continued living, he’d overshadow the Goddess’s glory as a living god, so he finally decided to pass away on the centennial of the Dark Moon People’s exile. Every subsequent Pope has had a different name, and presumably a different appearance, but now it seems each one is Edwin — an ancient reincarnated many times."

I pondered and felt something was amiss with this reincarnation method, and finally identified the flaw: "Hey, doesn’t he need time to reincarnate? What happens during the time he’s dead and hasn’t been reborn, or reborn but hasn’t grown up?"

Bingdisi shot me an annoyed look: "Are you asking me or who else? Anyway, he must have a way; either he prepares the reincarnated body before dying, or arranges someone to temporarily take over church matters during the gap period. A person like this certainly handles such trivial matters with ease. Now, let’s talk about the third person, the Dark Moon Lord — this guy is the one who dwells most in obscurity."

"According to the Church, the Dark Moon Lord initiated the racial war as the Barbarian King, and later turned into an Undead Demon due to excessive use of Black Witchcraft," I recalled what Ron had told me, "Apparently, he resurrects every few centuries, and whenever he does, it’s when the Dark Moon invades the Surface People. I initially found this person quite strange: he waits hundreds of years to resurrect just to fall under the Goddess’s blade on the surface. Now, it seems both his resurrection and slumber processes are just staged; and the nature of the Dark Moon Lord needs a thorough re-evaluation."

Bingdisi instinctively tapped a book on the table with her fingers: "Based on Soya’s and Edwin’s conversations, the Dark Moon Lord is currently in his slumber; besides the ’staged’ part, the Divine Canon records aren’t wrong. The Dark Moon Lord indeed awakens every few hundred years, comes to the surface only to be cleaved by the Goddess. If this is a play, then their production costs are high."

"The last one is the Blood Princess..." leaving the Dark Moon Lord aside, I brought up the last member of the foursome, "We know least about her, never heard of anyone named the Blood Princess on the Dark Moon before, and all we know now is just her title, which might not even be her real name."

"We could ask those three Iron Knights to inquire," Bingdisi suggested casually, "What we can glean from the books is ultimately limited, some things are likely local lore passed around by word of mouth. What I’m most curious about now is what those four did ages ago... If what we heard today is true, then each of them changed this world — one could argue the current state of this planet is molded by those four. They seem like partners but now two are playing opposing forces, with the Pope and Dragon Girl organizing resistance on the surface, and the Dark Moon Lord and Blood Princess repeatedly arranging invasions on the moon. It’s practically apocalyptic theater. But there seems to be a reason for it; how did the Dragon Girl put it? Saving the world... that’s not something any ordinary person would dare to say."

"Pity we can’t find historical records about that," I regrettably sighed, "They certainly don’t want people knowing what they did back then; even in the ’Forbidden Books’ you found, there’s no intel on the foursome."

At that moment, the tent door was suddenly flung open, and Qianqian bolted in, humming a peculiar tune and as upbeat as ever, I glanced up at this girl who maxed out her talent points in social skills: "You really managed to chat so long with that poker-faced Dragon Girl?"

Pandora calmly delivered a horizontal headbutt to my waist: even that little girl knew she was implicated.

"Yup," Qianqian cheerfully sat next to me, "She’s surprisingly easy to get along with, just doesn’t like to talk."

To assess a stranger as an ’iceberg + poker face’ and yet declare them ’easy to get along with’ upon first contact, Qianqian’s abilities are truly unmatched. Lin Xue curiously examined her: "So, what did you chat about with her? Gather any intel?"

"Just random chats; I gathered quite a bit," Qianqian counted on her fingers, "Now I know Soya likes spicy food, dislikes sweet things, her favorite color is purple, she’s 173 cm tall, likes to sleep on her right side, her shoes are bought in Moresa City from a chubby store owner whose second cousin’s third uncle’s brother is named Paul, and also Soya’s bust size—oh this won’t interest Ah Jun... why are you all staring at me?"

Apart from Pandora who’s still pretending to be a porcelain doll, we all gawked at this exceptional girl, dumbfounded. I excitedly clasped Qianqian’s hands: "Girl, if your imagination were just a tad smaller, you could absolutely infiltrate anywhere as a spy..."

However, Qianqian didn’t gather any useful info, partly because her thoughts aren’t in the normal realm, she chatted with Soya purely out of whim and with no other purpose, and also because the Dragon Girl certainly wouldn’t make acquaintance like Qianqian does. Qianqian might learn Soya’s bust size but surely not what the Female Dragon King did thousands of years ago...

Next up is waiting to see when Soya plans to head to the Dark Moon. I initially thought it’d be best to find a reason to act alongside her, trying to make this aloof Dragon Girl feel some trust towards our group, simplifying ensuing matters. But Bingdisi analyzed and found this unreliable because not everyone possesses Qianqian’s same effortless social talent, and that poker-faced lady indeed doesn’t seem approachable, and having a group of sudden strangers lingering may arouse her suspicion, which isn’t good. So after some discussion, we decided to simply tail her; anyway, according to Bingdisi’s original plan, everyone also needs to venture to the Dark Moon to investigate, and no departure date has been set. So we’d just wait for this Dragon Girl, move when she moves, ensuring no major events are missed, while checking out that Twin Star Transmission Station.

I certainly remember probing into the Blood Princess matter because we know nobody else here, and the Foolish Big Guy’s knowledge is likely limited, making the only reliable source of inquiry the Iron Knight trio. With the aid of Bingdisi’s Louse Spirit, tracking the trio’s whereabouts and downtime isn’t difficult. They’ll be rotating shifts with other Night Watch Knights this evening, then heading to the fortress’s Lower Zone tavern to relax: a typical trio routine. This time, I went to the tavern alone to seek them.

Much like most Lower Zone entertainment spots, this street corner tavern is governed by the entourage troops and is exclusively open for soldiers. It shares the same characteristics as all fortress entertainment venues: chaotic, lively, filled with the thunderous noise of guys and gals boasting and chatting. The Iron Knight trio stood out in the tavern, not only because Anna had striking red hair but also because Joseph bragged louder than others by ten decibels...

Knowing the lay of the land here, I ordered at the long bar like everyone else a huge low-alcohol drink resembling a small barrel, then swaggered to the trio’s table: "Yo, we meet again."

"Hey, guys, look, it’s the one with a bunch of girls," Joseph raised his head at me and exuberantly shouted, likely after downing quite a bit, looking flushed and excited, "We’re really fated, right? Saw you at Old Limp Man’s diner this morning and now again! For this fate, you gotta treat us to a drink..."

He didn’t finish before Anna slapped him, her presence commanding: "Can’t you grow a face?"

I hadn’t even started speaking when I was interrupted, but I didn’t mind at all in my heart—although the phrase "a bunch of girls" did attract the attention of almost everyone around, I could see that the person in front of me had no ill intentions; he was just a bit too straightforward. This trio might be a bit eccentric, but I had a good impression of them, so I cheerfully sat down and laughed: "Alright, thanks for taking care of the Foolish Big Guy, today it’s my treat."

Joseph grinned sheepishly, his face flushed: "What are you saying, we actually didn’t take care of much, just did things by the book—that’s all. Boss, another barrel of ale!"

Anna sighed and looked at me apologetically: "Don’t mind him, Joseph just likes small benefits, sorry to make you spend so much, next time it’s on us. Boss, two large platters!"

I was caught between laughing and crying, frozen in my expression, but it was the elf heartthrob of the trio who maintained a bit of racial elegance and restraint, as well as a slight sense of morality. He awkwardly glanced at his two tipsy companions before bowing to me slightly, then he got up and headed to the bar, returning with the ale and platters in hand...

"Where are the girls with you?" Anna looked behind me, not seeing anyone else following, she was a bit curious, but quickly understood and nodded knowingly, "Oh, I get it, they must be at home taking care of the kids... Oh right, those two aren’t kids, I always forget."

I was racking my brains to deal with her questioning, thinking to myself that the lively girls I brought along had indeed made a name for themselves. After a couple of hard-earned responses, I finally found a chance to talk business, casually asking: "By the way, do you know about the Blood Princess?"

It was fine until I asked; the moment I did, it was as silent as a needle drop throughout almost half the bar.

The sudden change in atmosphere made my scalp tingle; I thought to myself, uh oh, I had completely underestimated the intimidating power of those three words before—how did the title of Blood Princess end up being more terrifying than that of the Dark Moon Lord?!

Out of the corner of my eye, soldiers or mercenaries at nearby tables all stopped talking, some still holding their mugs, others with snacks half-stuffed in their mouths, but everyone’s actions froze there, secretly glancing this way. These rough men who lived on the edge, it was like they had just been prepared to drive out but heard someone enthusiastically recounting car accidents, falling utterly silent—a reaction you only get by mentioning absolutely unlucky things among certain crowds. This state lasted a few seconds before slowly returning to normal, with the tavern patrons gradually returning to their own conversations. Joseph, however, sighed and complained quietly: "Why would you bring up something so unlucky?"

I was still guessing the extent of the Blood Princess’s power, capable of making a group of burly mercenaries turn pale, but I still had to answer Joseph’s question, so I resorted to a casual lie: "Uh... while walking around the fortress today, I ran into a woman with white hair, she said she was looking for something regarding the Blood Princess..."

Even with its vagueness, and however many holes it had, Joseph would never suspect I was speaking without knowing what the Blood Princess meant. He looked at me in astonishment, then chuckled: "You must have met a lunatic, nowadays with the Dark Moon about to open up on the surface, us folks about to go to war fear nothing more than the three words ’Blood Princess,’ yet someone dares to actively seek her out?"

Choosing my words carefully, I thought of how to keep him from getting suspicious while saying: "I do know the Blood Princess is infamous, but... to tell you the truth, a few days ago I wasn’t even a mercenary. I was dragged into this business by the girls at home, so..."

Seeing my expression seemed sincere (a skill honed over several crossings), and my reason seemed plausible, Anna nodded: "No wonder, you folks don’t seem like experienced mercenaries; more like some people who came out to experience life after dabbling in spells, if you haven’t been mercenaries it’s normal to not know much about the Blood Princess—but you should’ve at least heard of the two suicide expeditions organized by the Ground Alliance during the Fifth War, right?"

What else could I say? I could only fake knowing and nod: "Uh-huh, I’m aware, but not too clear on the details, been too busy doing research before."

Joseph downed the remaining ale in his mug at once, glanced at the silent Joe across the table, then sighed: "During the Fifth War, the Ground Alliance for the first time reversed the Dark Moon Teleportation Gate, opening a passage from the surface world to the Dark Moon—people now say it was actually intentionally done by the Blood Princess, because that terrifying being can’t leave the Dark Moon, so she used this method to lure the surface people into her trap to satisfy a desire for killing. But the Alliance Commander at the time thought he encountered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so the Ground Alliance for the first time launched an expedition, or rather a counterattack against the Dark Moon world. They initially sent a 20,000-strong vanguard, no word came after they crossed the Teleportation Gate, the second time they sent 30,000 people, only... four returned."

As the burly bear-like man in front of me said these last few words, he was almost trembling. I opened my eyes wide, already having some speculations in my heart: "... Is this the handiwork of that Blood Princess?"

Both Anna and Joseph nodded at the same time, the latter adding in that frighteningly deep tone: "According to the returnees, it was basically a massacre feast, tens of thousands of people, even if you kill them one by one, how long would it take? The Blood Princess surrounded them with Demon Art, charging through the crowd alone, anyone touched by her, whether human or horse, didn’t even have time to breathe before turning into a wisp of white smoke. She killed for days and nights on end! As if she was venting the frustration of not being able to kill freely in previous Dark Moon Wars, she slaughtered for days and nights! Until she was satisfied, then she let the Dark Moon Demons, who had watched the spectacle for several days, put an end to the remaining Expedition Army soldiers. The four who barely returned only survived because a Dark Moon Demon took them as spoils of war. Now you know why those three words can’t be brought up, right?"

"Since then, surface people realized the Dark Moon is actually ruled by two people. The invincibility of the Dark Moon Lord was widely known, but not until the emergence of the Blood Princess did people come to understand who had been organizing the Dark Moon Demons for war during each several hundred years when the Dark Moon Lord was sealed by the Goddess," Anna slowly added alongside, "The Blood Princess... she is the Dark Moon Lord’s right hand, a similarly Undead demon, but for some reason, she has never appeared in the Surface World. Some speculate her power has been completely confined to the surface of the Dark Moon by the Goddess’s strength."

"Does anyone know what the Blood Princess looks like?" I asked curiously.

"... Of the four who returned, three went mad, the last one said the Blood Princess was a demon beast woman," Joseph shifted uncomfortably on his stool, as if breaking out in goosebumps, "That monster looked like a human on the outside, wearing black clothes, hair red as blood, complexion paler than bones. She never makes a sound, and when she reaps lives, it’s like a machine..."

"Is it because she’s so brutal that she’s called the ’Blood Princess’?" I suppressed the immense confusion in my heart, furrowing my brows to put on a worried expression while softly asking.

"No, Blood Princess isn’t a nickname; it should be that monster’s name, at least it’s her official title in the Dark Moon. This is what the soldier who survived to report back overheard when the demons called her while he was caged."

I nodded, refrained from asking further, yet my suspicions only grew stronger, gradually plunging me into deep thought... (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my biggest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)