From Secret Clan to the Divine Dynasty

Chapter 433 Feast at Hongmen

The skies over the Valer Capital seemed perpetually shrouded in a thick, gray veil of haze, an unwelcome yet familiar guest to the city.

At dawn, what should have been a moment of renewal and freshness, the sun was blocked by myriad fine particles, managing only to cast mottled shadows, draping the unsympathetic cityscape in a dim and oppressive filter.

On either side of the streets, towering chimneys stood like giants, intermittently belching black smoke and white vapor that intertwined with the low-hanging haze, merging indistinguishably.

The passersby's eyes revealed resignation and concern about the air quality; their pace quick, as if searching for a temporary haven from this gray world.

The buildings along the street, obscured by the haze, became blurry—distorted versions of themselves. The mountains, naturally the city's barrier and scenic backdrop, were now barely discernible silhouettes.

Yet, even in such conditions, the city's residents lived with unyielding resilience, each ray of light that penetrated the haze treasured dearly.

Darren, dressed in black and wearing a mask with concealing effects, walked along the street, hearing the cries of those nearby.

"Boycott the factories! Boycott the Lorne citizens!"

He shook his head slightly, a cold smile crossing his face.

"No wonder the Vallere Restoration Army exists, because those bastards from Lorne seriously polluted factories, many located close to the Valer Capital. They leave the pollution here and take back the industrial products."

"If Cyart wasn't just a bit too far, making the costs higher, they would definitely have brought the factories there as well."

Darren then glanced at the shops along the street, muttering to himself about some products from Lorne.

"Another point, the labor here is cheaper than in Lorne, and without a doubt, Vallere has also become a dumping ground for numerous Lorne products."

Suddenly someone rushed up to Darren, screaming loudly, continuously patting his own shoulder!

"Reject the Lorne citizens! We must drive out the Lorne citizens, or our nation, our descendants, will have no future! Reject Lorne! Drive them out!"

After speaking, he glared angrily, and started to sing the Vallere national anthem.

Darren just watched the scene expressionlessly, deep inside he felt no particular affection towards the Vallere or Lorne citizens.

He was just very clear that he had to protect the Cyart people!

This meeting was undoubtedly secretive, so instead of going to the Valer Palace, he followed the guide of a contact person to an underground plaza within the capital. Discover hidden stories at empire

In the Valer Capital there was a massive underground plaza, almost half the size of the city above ground, reportedly developed long ago by a legendary Heavenly Enlightenment.

It was like a vast underground palace, quietly lying beneath the surface, contrasting starkly with the bustling world above, its grandeur and elaborate design unrivaled.

Upon entering the plaza, the first thing that caught Darren's eye was a long, wide path flanked with soft lighting that illuminated the way forward, opening up dramatically as he progressed.

A vast space unfolded before him, bringing a slight smile to his face as if he had stepped into another world.

"What an interesting place,"

Darren looked up at the ceiling of the underground plaza, built from high-strength, extraordinary materials. Though he didn't know what exactly it was, he could feel a tremendous power.

"Hmm, I have a special premonition... perhaps like White Bones Canyon and Lava Hell, this place might also suit certain consecution pathways for an Extraordinary Exponent to advance..."

Although he wasn't sure, he had this suspicion.

The vast interior of the underground plaza was meticulously organized into various areas, even featuring a massive central fountain whose jets danced and sparkled in the light, surrounded by shops, cafes, brothels, clubs, and inns...

Not long after,

Darren stood in front of a cafe and immediately encountered the person who had come to meet him.

It was a bald dwarf, muscular and robust, his face covered in a beard, dressed in black, though he looked somewhat melancholic.

In the Eastern Four Kingdoms, dwarves were a relatively rare species.

"Hello, esteemed guest, please come with me."

Although most dwarves were either rude and hot-tempered warriors or cunning, mercantile bankers, Darren had to admit that he indeed saw a dwarf full of artistic temperament, possessing a melancholic gaze.

He nodded slightly.

"Alright, lead the way," he said.

Subsequently, Darren was led to an outlying three-story building in the underground plaza by the dwarf, who guided him to a spacious room on the third floor. The room was decorated with various peculiar artworks, appearing like a very normal drawing room for receiving guests.

Inside the room, there were many people, most of whom looked tense, but there were only two who caught Darren's attention.

These two were the only ones sitting in the reception room, one of whom was the current King of Vallere.

In terms of appearance, he was a young man wearing arm rings, with long black hair and squinting eyes, conveying a very shrewd look.

Darren first nodded and greeted him.

According to information provided by the Black Tide, the young King of Vallere came from the head of a Vallere Great Noble Family. He was supported by Lorne citizens to become the new king but had always been resisted by the Vallere Restoration Army, surviving many assassination attempts.

He only looked young, whereas in reality, he was nearly two hundred years old; however, a decade or so ago, he fortunately regained much of his youth through some Spirit Realm Treasure.

The other sitting person was a tall woman wearing a mask, standing close to one meter ninety tall, with short golden-white hair.

Strange!

According to the information Darren had, there shouldn't have been such a person near the King of Vallere. In fact, the reports indicated that there should be two low-level Monarch guardians in black always around him.

However, those two guardians, who were inseparable in the reports, were now nowhere to be seen.

Darren slightly raised his eyebrows, already sensing something was amiss but still said calmly,

"It is an honor to meet you, respected King of Vallere. This is our first meeting… I don't want to exchange pleasantries and will be direct instead," he said.

"A great war among the Eastern Four Kingdoms is very likely to erupt soon, and since we belong to the same camp, we indeed should carefully discuss how to divide our tasks."

The King of Vallere stared at Darren for a long time until Darren frowned slightly, and then he finally spoke, "You are Darren Fischer, aren't you? I didn't expect you to come alone. I thought that 'Death God' Chris would also be here."

"He does not need to come personally. If I face any danger, I believe God will protect me," Darren smiled, not revealing much, but his words carried an implied meaning.

"It doesn't matter, just having you here is sufficient." The one who spoke was not the King of Vallere but that mysterious blonde woman.

Her following words, however, made Darren slightly furrow his brow.

"After all, only you and Chris truly 'support' the Fischer family, so removing either one before the great war would be considered a success!" she exclaimed.

In the next moment, the "King of Vallere's" youthful face began to distort and age, revealing a scarred, expressionless face.

However, Darren recognized him!

"The long-lost Old King of Vallere, I never expected you to still be alive. So, are you actually the Vallere Restoration Army?" he asked.

Darren pondered for a moment and said, "You have received help from the people of Seven Stars, right? I understand your position now."

No one answered.

However, at this moment, everyone stared at him with evident hostility.

The city's barrier outside was slowly rising, and the blonde woman took a shallow breath, nodding proudly.

"Yes, we are the Restoration Army fighting for Vallere's freedom and willing to sacrifice everything. That puppet of the Lorne Empire has been captured by us, and you, the tyrant of Cyart, will soon die at our hands!" she declared.

"Hahahahahaha!"

Darren could not help but burst into laughter, shaking his head and saying, "Talk of freedom, what nonsense! Aren't you also just puppets of the Seven Stars?"