The Yellow-Haired Villain in Soaring Phoenix’s Novels Also Desires Happiness - Chapter 260



38, The Inner Council

“Such a debauched and extravagant son of a duke.”

A shadow flickered in the man’s eyes; as his palm tightened and then opened again, the envelope had already turned to dust in his hand.

The two professional assassins sent had failed completely.

The failure was not unexpected; after all, given the target’s identity, it was quite normal for him to possess some life-saving tools.

But what was surprising was that they had actually… been captured alive.

That was decidedly abnormal.

Could it be that the assassins’ failure was not due to any tools, but rather because they were crushed by sheer strength?

So much so that they couldn’t even take their own lives at a critical moment.

Unfortunately, the other side acted quickly, and all witnesses were controlled; the detailed circumstances at that time were still unknown.

However…

That was of little consequence.

After all, this attack was merely a test.

“Push those sheep out.”

All thoughts were buried deep within; the man’s gaze once again became as deep and cold as an ancient well.

“Yes…”

The dim candlelight flickered, as if a shadow had passed by.

The man’s eyes swept over the portrait one last time, and he reached out, stroking it.

Then he pressed gently.

The entire portrait suddenly caved in, the sound of gears turning echoed, and a hidden door appeared before the man.

He stepped inside.

After passing through a short corridor, a bright room came into view.

But there was nothing much in this room, only a chair and an incense burner that had long been lit.

The chair was plain and unadorned, yet it radiated a faint magical aura.

As for the incense, it was just ordinary incense, meant to soothe the mind.

The man sat in the chair, leaning against the soft cushion, and involuntarily relaxed his tall frame completely.

He closed his eyes, as if entering a dream.

Then, on the wide chair, the glow of magic grew increasingly intense, finally condensing into a point of firefly-like light, which traveled up along the narrow chimney at the top of the room, going higher and higher.

Finally, it disappeared into the endless night.

…

A cacophony echoed in his ears.

The man opened his eyes.

“Damn it, we’ve been set up. That old b*stard Audridge was ruthless; sob sob sob… my ancient magical artifact, that was my grandfather’s treasure, and now it’s all gone!”

“Why? We sacrificed so many precious treasures and valuables, yet we got nothing in return, while those lowly noble families only lost a few insignificant lives and gained higher status and rewards. It’s unfair! Unfair!”

“Those rats from the lower district! They say they don’t want to stir up trouble during the crackdown? Have they forgotten who their backer is? Just because the lower district got a new rat leader, they suddenly act like good little boys?”

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“Bruce Wayne! Bruce Wayne, I’ve heard this name; he’s being called the new dark emperor of the lower district. The reason those rats are so bold is because of him!”

“I want to kill him, I want to kill that Bruce Wayne. Damn it, if it weren’t for the income from the lower district, I wouldn’t even be able to support my more than ten lovers next month! I have over thirty children, and they’re all still drinking milk!”

“Me too! If I can’t afford top-grade steak, can’t smoke the finest cigars, can’t drink the best red wine from Lock Manor afterwards, oh my God, I don’t know how I’d live that kind of life!”

This was the chaotic scene that filled the man’s vision.

In the tiered circular seats, an ear-piercing clamor erupted, making him feel as if he were deep in the filthy market of the lower district.

But curiously, those who were constantly arguing, sometimes wailing, sometimes cursing, nearly tearing the roof off, were not human.

Or rather, their appearance was not human.

Giraffes, white rhinos, vultures, monkeys, peacocks, robins…

These noisy beings turned out to be vividly alive animals! This place was like a zoo!

Yet, in stark contrast to their comical appearances, those animals moved with grace; even while spitting and shouting, they still resembled the most impeccably dressed gentlemen, every gesture revealing an air of noble sophistication.

The man had transformed into a tiger.

The tiger sat upright in the lowest and most central position of this circular area.

He raised his head to survey the animals, who were now blinded by anger, shame, and fear, and suddenly lifted the wooden mallet in his hand, striking down fiercely.

“Silence!”

No one heeded him.

The animals remained immersed in their own world.

A cold glint flashed in the tiger’s eyes.

He smashed the wooden mallet with a fierce blow, his roar seemingly mixed with the deafening roar of a tiger:

“Be quiet!”

The arena fell suddenly silent.

All the animals snapped back to attention, looking at the tiger at the center.

In their eyes, there was either respect, complexity, or disdain.

But no matter what, everyone’s attention ultimately fell upon him.

“That foolish emperor has already put a knife to our throats, yet you are still here squabbling over petty gains!”

“It seems that too much time has passed, and you’ve forgotten what this place is, and you’ve forgotten the purpose of our gathering here!”

The tiger stood up, its eyes glinting with cold light as it met the gaze of every pair of eyes in the room.

“Then I will say it again, this is… the Council!

Not the mockery and derision of the emperor outside, who hypocritically built this place for us to discuss state affairs, yet holds no real power.

But to uphold the glorious blood of the empire that has lasted for a thousand years!

To prevent the empire from being eroded by those foul stench!

To ensure the empire walks the right path!

To make that foolish emperor understand his mistakes!

And also to prevent impostors like Campbell, who have filthy and lowly blood flowing in their veins, from lording over us!

Inheriting the concept of the empire’s glory over the millennia, we gather together, linked only by our noble blood, to build a better and more prosperous nation—

The Inner Council!”

“All… for the glorious blood!”

The tiger’s roar was deafening, like a storm sweeping over everyone.

The animals’ emotions were stirred; their eyes shone, their faces fervent as they excitedly shouted:

“For… the glorious blood!”

“Very good, it seems you have not forgotten the noble blood flowing within you!”

The tiger pounded the table with force, signaling for the raging storm to cease, and said with authority:

“The urgent matter at hand is that we must first break through the current predicament. If the Campbell family completely binds itself to the royal family, those filthy commoners will have a backbone. With the tacit approval of that foolish emperor, just like this time’s lower district governor, they will gradually devour what belongs to us!”

“But…”

Suddenly, a trembling white rhinoceros raised its hand, hesitation and cowardice flickering in its eyes, saying:

“Even if that marriage agreement is reached, Mu’en Campbell is just a useless person. With him as the only one capable of taking charge in the Campbell family, what threat can he pose to us? Is it worth tearing apart our face with the Campbell family for this…”

“Fool!”

The tiger scolded angrily:

“Is the focus on Mu’en Campbell? The focus is on Celicia Leopold, that renowned princess!

She is no useless person!

When she can legitimately mobilize the resources of both the Campbell family and the royal family as a duchess, do you think the entire royal faction will have any flaws to exploit?

At that time, do you think you, who are still arguing over trivial gains, will be able to withstand that foolish emperor and the relentless onslaught of the entire royal faction?

Moreover, I even think the emperor is so eager to arrange this marriage for more than just this; he may even be doing it to…”

The tiger paused, continuing angrily:

“You fools, by that time, don’t say anything about your lovers and fine wine; you will be driven out of your comfortable estates, stripped of the jewels and collectibles befitting your status, and you will end up with nothing, forced to squeeze together with those lowly commoners from the lower district!

Tell me, would you be willing?!”

The white rhino lowered its head in shame.

Not just him; the few animals that had been the loudest just now also turned red with embarrassment.

“Trust me, whether it’s the black income from the lower city or the positions that were taken from us, we will reclaim everything that belongs to us!”

The tiger said coldly, exuding confidence.

“But you’ve failed, Mr. Speaker.”

Just then, a voice of indifference rang out, ill-timed.

It was the robin.

He had been standing quietly there, his small bird body creating a stark contrast with the imposing white rhino beside him, making him seem quite insignificant.

Yet his feathers were exquisite and elegant, the red patterns on his chest carried a gem-like aloofness that matched his temperament. Even when the others had shouted the loudest, he remained a detached observer.

He was one of the few here who dared to question the tiger.

And the doubts he raised were as sharp as his tone.

“And it’s twice; you’ve failed twice, all in one day.”

“……”

The tiger’s gaze deepened, “Mr. Robin, you seem to know more than I imagined.”

“As you can see, there are quite a few fools among our teammates, so I have to be a bit cautious.”

The robin shrugged, speaking nonchalantly:

“Allow me to be rude, Mr. Speaker, our actions right now are determining our future fate, so you must at least prove that you have the qualifications for us to follow or, shall we say, cooperate with you.”

“Ha… qualifications, you say?”

The tiger scoffed, swiping his paw, and a document appeared before the robin.

“Don’t know if this is enough.”

“This is…”

The robin lowered his head to flip through the document, glancing at it a few times, his pupils suddenly contracting as he exclaimed:

“This… are you serious?”

“This is merely a last resort that had to be taken; I wouldn’t use it lightly if it weren’t for the last moment.”

“But this is still utterly insane! If we fail, we will all be doomed!”

The robin quickly skimmed through, but halfway through, he suddenly stopped.

Because the document was only half complete.

He raised his head, his crimson eyes fixed tightly on the tiger.

“What about the rest?”

“I already said, that was just a last resort, wasn’t it? As long as we can successfully deal with that troublesome Mu En Campbell, then everything else won’t be a problem, and the rest won’t even need to be used.”

The tiger reclined in the wide chair, speaking lightly:

“Indeed, I failed before, but strictly speaking, that was merely a test.”

“But you’ve made Mu En Campbell wary; he will surely hide within the academy! Although St. Maria Academy is ostensibly restrained by a council of nobles, everyone knows that our hands cannot reach in at all!”

The robin retorted angrily:

“Are you expecting those useless sons of uselessness to assassinate Mu En Campbell in the academy? No, I think it would be better to have their decent-looking daughters seduce him; the chances of success in bed are much higher!”

“Calm down, Mr. Robin. Since I have done this, it means I have further plans.” The tiger said淡淡.

“Further plans?”

“According to my intelligence, it won’t be long before a perfect opportunity arises.”

The tiger tapped the table, and another document appeared before the robin.

This time, all the animals received the document.

“Look, everyone, this is the reason I called you back to the council!”

The tiger scanned all the animals again, his eyes seemingly sparkling with light, roaring with the force of crumbling mountains:

“For us, for the empire, for the everlasting glory of blood!

In the upcoming opportunity, we must spare no expense,

— to completely annihilate Mu En Campbell!”