The world of the otherworldlings was as complicated as human society. They had their share of intrigue and factional rivalries, perhaps even more so. Even in this precarious situation, many otherworldling families had not been able to cooperate openly. Perhaps this had something to do with the long history of most of them. Most of the otherworldling families had a history dating back to the Mythological Era. Many conflicts and feuds had been accumulated for thousands of years. Even if there was no estrangement between the two families, they were bound by ancient traditions that had lasted thousands of years and could not work together. This was also why the demon hunters and the human church had defeated the powerful otherworldlings one by one. There were too many races and factions among them. No matter what, they were in a state of disunity.
In this ancient and mysterious European city, there were several powerful otherworldling families and a dozen weaker families living together. From the big picture, they were partners who supported each other. However, this was only limited to the common threat of the demon hunters. Outside of this premise, the otherworldling families in the city of Athens had always been in various forms of strife. Of course, they were not that stupid. So the patriarch of each family would control these strife to a certain extent. They usually competed for some territory or leadership in the city. When there was a special major discovery, such as the discovery of the ruins, they would compete for the biggest share of the profits.
"Who's the most powerful here now?" Vivian frowned as she looked at Hessiana. She had not been to this city for a long time. Even if she had been here a few hundred years ago, it was just a passing stroll. This loner vampire had never paid attention to the strife of the otherworldlings. She was confused about the situation here.
Hessiana counted with her fingers and said, "The most powerful is, of course, the Lucas Family. After all, they are an old blood clan. Then, it's the shadelings, Bethanos and his gang. Then, it's my family. But, I'm not that different from Bethanos, just that they are more experienced than I am. Then, it's the other guys who are not very influential. Even if they have any ideas about the ruins, they will have to wait until we finish dividing the loot. "
"Bethanos, that old fart, is still alive..." Vivian grinned. "The ruins are now under the control of you and the Lucas Family? Won't Bethanos cause trouble? "
"I was the one who discovered the ruins, but I had the help of the Lucas Family when I opened the door, so the entrance was split equally between our families. Of course, Bethanos wanted to take advantage of the situation, but the nature of the shadelings... Hehe, you know, if they want to interfere, it won't be as simple as taking advantage of the situation. So, the stubborn old man of the Lucas Family and I are keeping them in check for the time being, but not for long. They will break into the ruins even if they have to."
"How's your relationship with the Lucas family?" Vivian asked curiously. "Aren't you already working together? Why did you just say that they wouldn't cooperate unless they were violent … "
Hessiana was furious at the mention of this. "That's what I want to say! They were bullying people just because they had seniority! Now, they were controlling the entrance of the ruins with me, but their attitude was obviously that they were the masters of the ruins! And with the Lucas Family's creed of 'Blood Clan Supremacy', they would never allow anyone who was not a member of the Blood Clan to enter the ruins. They were willing to share the loot with me for the time being, but that's because we're both members of the Blood Clan. Besides, I was the first person to discover the entrance. They couldn't be thick-skinned enough to take credit for it. "
Hessiana glanced at Hao Ren and the rest. Her meaning was clear: these people were not members of the Blood Clan, and the Lucas Family would not allow them to touch the ruins.
"They did invite me," Hesperides smiled subtly. "I'm not a member of the Blood Clan, but the current patriarch of the Lucas Family has to bow respectfully to me. And the entrance of the ruins is near the temple of Athena, which is technically my family's territory... Although the Olympian Family has disappeared, as long as I, the heir, am still in Greece, they have no choice but to greet me about the ruins. The people of the Lucas Family are like this: stubborn, proud, arrogant, but abiding by the gentlemanly manners and etiquette of many years ago. If you really want to go to the ruins, you should start from this aspect: Vivian's qualifications carry a lot of weight in front of the patriarch of the Lucas Family. If you ask, they should consider it. "
Vivian nodded thoughtfully. Hao Ren had a general understanding of the situation of several major forces in the city and what kind of people the Lucas Family was. He felt that the Lucas Family should be the so-called "upright" vampires. They were arrogant enough, cold enough, and hated enough, but at the same time, they maintained enough gentlemanly manners and strict etiquette in a very subtle way. They were not liked, but they always felt good about themselves. Although such a group of "people" was troublesome for Hao Ren, he had to admit that they were in line with the original image of vampires in Hao Ren's mind. He could not believe that Vivian and Hessiana belonged to the normal vampire race...
"If you want to see the stubborn old man of the Lucas Family, I will arrange it for you," Hessiana said.
Vivian and Hao Ren exchanged a look and nodded. Hessiana immediately snapped her fingers, and layers of black shadows appeared in the air. After the shadows dissipated, a tall, thin man in a black trench coat appeared in front of everyone. This pale vampire should be Hessiana's servant. He looked at everyone silently, then pressed his right hand on his left chest and bowed deeply to his mistress. "What can I do for you, my mistress?"
"Inform the stubborn old man of the Lucas Family that the Countess of the Crimson Moon wants to see him. Remember, speak in a tough tone. Be superior. You are passing on the word of the most senior Ancient in this world. We have to subdue these people who are used to looking down on us. Hmm, don't say 'request', just say 'receive'. It's Lady Vivian who wants to 'receive' him, understand? "
The male vampire bowed again, his voice gentle and calm. "Mistress, what if they are unhappy and want to kill me?"
Hessiana thought for a moment and said, "Then run. Under normal circumstances, they won't bother to hunt you down."
The male vampire nodded solemnly. He transformed into a swarm of bats and flew out of the open glass window. Hao Ren was stunned. "You can do that?"
Hessiana puffed her chest proudly. "The Hessianite Family is the most adaptable among the Blood Clan!"
Lily poked Vivian's arm. "... You're really a piece of meat that fell from your body."
"I'll bite you if you say that again!"
"You can bite me if you want. You want to compete with me in terms of teeth? We all rely on our teeth. I'm not afraid of you! "
Hao Ren felt a headache coming on. "Can't you guys be quiet at a time like this? We're talking about serious business here! "
At that moment, a strange ringing of a bell came from nowhere. It was not very loud, but it seemed to ring directly in everyone's mind. It was as if the bell was ringing on the other side of the Styx. Hao Ren could not help but have the illusion that layers of mist were dissipating in the sound of the bell. Hesperides stood up and said, "You guys continue to chat. We have a guest. I'll go entertain him."
As she spoke, her figure gradually faded, and finally became a blurry shadow. If one did not look carefully, one would not be able to see its outline. At the same time, the door of the antique shop was pushed open, and the person who walked in was also an extremely blurry and transparent shadow. Hao Ren looked curiously and found that the person who walked in seemed to be dressed in a modern suit and leather shoes, which was out of place with the weird atmosphere of the antique shop and the scenery of the Shadowy Divide outside.
The figure did not seem to realize that there was a group of people in the shop. He went straight to the counter and talked to the image of Hesperides.
"That is the scene of the real world." Hessiana noticed the curious look on Hao Ren's face and took the initiative to explain. "This is actually the intersection of the Shadowy Divide and the real world. Hesperides's shop exists in both the Shadowy Divide and the real world. When the bell rings, she can travel directly between the real world and the Shadow Realm without being affected by the Shadowy Divide. In addition, this is also one of the entrances to the deeper layer of the Shadowy World. If you want to go deeper, you have to get her permission here. So we call her the Fortress Gatekeeper. But she doesn't seem to like the name. "
"Well... it's amazing." Hao Ren was convinced.
The world of magic and secret arts... was amazing.
(Let me think... Well, the double monthly ticket is still in progress. Those who still have monthly tickets, hurry up and clear the inventory!)
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