I was a lord farming, how did I become an emperor?

Chapter 152 The Blood Shadow Society Madman

Chapter 152 The Blood Shadow Society Madman
Eagle Town, nestled in a valley, has a long history.

In fact, judging from the five-meter-high city walls, Eagle Town could be considered a small town.

The remote location of Eagle Town results in a small population, making it difficult to be considered a city.

In fact, compared to the other three provinces, the population of the Earl of Falcon's territory is only comparable to that of a viscount.

Especially in the southern provinces where the royal family resides, the population of some long-established viscount families has surpassed that of the Earl of Falcon.

There's no way around it; apart from those who originally lived here, most people won't migrate to the north.

Despite the vast land, the winters are too cold, and wheat can only be planted once.

Several days of travel left Vivian cold, tired, and exhausted.

Following the map of the town that Chris had provided, Vivian found a slightly secluded tavern to stay in.

In this era, taverns were combined with hotels, with drinking on the first floor and lodging on the second.

The tavern was practically empty during the day, with the bearded owner dozing off at the bar.

The bell on the door rang, and the owner frowned, looked up, then quickly switched to a smile.

"Welcome to the Winter Night Fireplace Tavern, beautiful lady,"

The tavern owner straightened up, his face fawning: "A glass of sweet ale, or two pieces of delicious toast?"

"A clean guest room, with a brazier."

Vivian said coldly, "Another bowl of hot soup, two slices of toast, how much?"

Vivian had food in her bag, but it was all cold food.

In the North, winters are often more frightening than hunger.

"Only fifty copper coins, beautiful lady."

The boss spoke with a grin.

As soon as he finished speaking, Vivian turned and left.

"and many more!"

The tavern owner rushed out, "Miss, why are you leaving?"

"I came here to find my relatives, not to be a fool."

Vivian glanced disdainfully at the entire tavern, at the few dilapidated and old tables and chairs, some of which were still tied with tattered cloth.

"You want fifty copper coins for a tavern like this?"

“My late father was a merchant; here, it costs at most fifteen copper coins a night.”

As Vivian finished speaking, the tavern owner's smile became somewhat awkward.

Vivian hit the nail on the head with just one sentence, revealing the true price range of the tavern.

"I didn't expect you to know so much. Please excuse my ignorance."

The tavern owner, thick-skinned as ever, stroked his beard and said, "Then I'll give you twenty copper coins, including your meal and the brazier."

Vivian glanced at him, then went back to the bar and counted out twenty copper coins.

In fact, Vivian didn't care about a few copper coins.

However, being too generous will attract attention, and as the daughter of a businessman, she should be careful with her money.

"Go upstairs to the last room in the corridor. The brazier and food will be brought up to you shortly."

The tavern owner handed over the key with both hands.

Have you heard of the Andrew Chrysanthemum family?

Vivian casually inquired, "That's the relative I'm looking for. If you take me there, I can give you ten more copper coins."

The tavern owner frowned and thought for a while, then finally shook his head.

"Sorry, I'd love to make money off you, but I've never heard of you."

"Ok."

Vivian was somewhat helpless. She took the room key and went upstairs.

Vivian was secretly amused.

Of course I don't recognize it, because the name is made up.

Vivian went into the room and lay down to rest. When the owner brought over the brazier and food, she roasted some of the dried meat she had brought with her to fill her stomach.

She didn't stay in the room until late at night, when all the drunks in the tavern were slumped over the tables, before she quietly jumped out the window.

Although Chris had drawn up a simple map of Eagletown and the castle for Vivian, she still needed to familiarize herself with all the locations and roads before she could proceed with the assassination.

This was her first mission, and it was of paramount importance to her.

—I can't lose face in front of Baron Rhodes, otherwise I won't be able to eat candy without restraint.

The night was as black as ink, with no moon in the sky, only sparse starlight dotting the sky.

"Looks like you're lucky."

Vivian sighed inwardly.

Nights like this are perfect for me to move around in; as long as I'm not standing under the lights, no one can see me.

The town was unusually quiet at night, with the occasional barking of dogs and the grumbling of drunkards being particularly clear.

If it weren't so cold, Vivian would have liked to take a walk in the street.

Vivian, relying on her memory, quickly bypassed the town's main streets and arrived at Eagle Fortress.

Eagle Fortress stands at the highest point of the town, truly looking down upon its territory like an eagle.

The ten-meter-high city wall has a mottled surface with many bumps and knocks, telling the story of the ancient Falcon family.

Avoiding the patrolling guards, Vivian chose a relatively secluded corner on the west side of the city wall.

The city walls here are poorly maintained, with uneven, broken stones that can serve as footholds for climbing.

Vivian took out her grappling hook, aimed at the battlements on the city wall, and swung it up.

"Ding"

With a soft sound, Vivian carefully looked around, and after confirming that she hadn't been discovered, she tugged hard on the grappling hook.

Once you've secured the hook, use the indentations in the wall to begin climbing.

Under the specialized training of the hunting team, this was Vivian's forte.

Of course, as a novice, her movements were not very skillful, but under the cover of shadows, no one could notice that there was a person hiding there.

The lights made the castle's outline clearly visible in the night, and the dense buildings reminded her of the Red Griffin's castle.

Vivian, the former eldest daughter, naturally had some knowledge of the architecture that a castle should have.

She didn't move rashly, but stood in the shadow of the city wall, searching for direction.

"Guards' barracks, servants' quarters...main building!"

The main building is the core of the castle, housing the lord's hall, bedroom, treasury, and other facilities.

However, just as Vivian had identified her target and was about to make her move, a dark shadow suddenly appeared in the sky not far away, startling Vivian so much that she quickly retreated!
The shadowy figure was as silent as a ghost; if it hadn't happened to appear in Vivian's field of vision, she wouldn't have noticed it.

Vivian instinctively lowered her body, her hand resting on the dagger at her waist, her nervous hand trembling slightly.

But the shadowy figure didn't notice her. Instead, it quickly approached a soldier downstairs and, taking advantage of his inattention, transformed into black mist and entered the back of the soldier's head.

"what!"

The soldier exclaimed in surprise, his body suddenly stiffened, and then he twitched a few times in a strange manner.

His companion noticed something was wrong and turned to ask, "What did you find?"

"No."

The attacked soldier replied coldly.

"Then why are you making strange noises?"

His companion grumbled and turned to continue on his way.

However, the soldiers suddenly changed direction and headed towards the main building of the castle.

"Hey? Where are you going?"

His comrade shouted, but the soldier being attacked didn't even turn his head.

"shit."

"unlucky!"

His companion grumbled and continued patrolling.

In fact, one cannot leave during these patrols at will, but in the cold of the night, no one comes to enforce military discipline or investigate further.

"Is this guy an assassin too?"

Vivian stared at the soldier's figure, her brows furrowed, a sense of unease rising within her.

Does Earl Falcon have so many enemies?
Vivian hesitated for a moment, then quietly followed behind the controlled soldier, but always maintained a safe distance.

She just wanted to see what would happen.

The soldiers walked very fast, seemingly knowing their destination very well.

He bypassed several patrol points, precisely avoiding the guards.

As they approached the main building's entrance, the soldier suddenly went limp and collapsed, revealing a dark figure.

At this moment, Vivian had already seen clearly that it was a figure draped in a black robe.

The black-robed figure emerged from the corner and stealthily approached the guard, transforming into a wisp of black mist and entering the guard's body just as the guard was about to notice.

The same scene unfolded again as the guard turned and stepped into the main building.

However, the guard lights at the entrance were quite bright, so Vivian couldn't just swagger in like the man in the black robes; she had to find another way.

Just as Vivian was looking for a way to enter the building, the guards on the other side had already reached the master bedroom on the third floor.

……

Earl Falcon, who was in his sleep, suddenly felt a chill. He opened his eyes abruptly, sprang up, and drew the dagger from beside his pillow.

Count Falcon, sitting on the bed, discovered that his personal maid's neck had been snapped, and a familiar face stood before him.

"What have you done, Scott?!"

Earl Falcon blurted it out, then suddenly realized what he'd said, his brow furrowing.

"You are not Scott."

The Eagle Guards in the main building were all carefully trained by Earl Falcon, and each one was his trusted confidant.

That's why he could call out the name of the guard in front of him.

If the other party really wants to deal with me, they will have countless opportunities.

Earl Falcon stared at Scott, whose face was now full of arrogance, no longer the loyal guard he once was.

“You are very clever, Earl Falcon.”

Scott said coldly, his lips slightly upturned, but his eyes remained icy.

"I've only come to ask you, why did you kill Salposer?"

"Ok?"

Earl Falcon narrowed his eyes. "You're a member of the Blood Shadow Society?"

Earl Falcon instantly realized what was happening, and a mocking smile crept onto his face.

"You guys are really useless. You failed in your assassination mission and you're blaming me for it." Earl Falcon found it hilarious.

"No, I want to know why Rhodes, a newly appointed baron, a minor baron who was almost exiled, an ordinary bastard, would kill Sel?"

Scott's voice was stiff, but one could hear the doubt in his words.

Clearly, he had done thorough research before coming.

“Salposey is our best assassin; he has never missed a shot.”

Scott clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white.

"Hehe, even if we don't achieve our goal, we can still retreat safely."

"Never made a mistake?"

Earl Falcon snorted coldly, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes.

"How could you piece of trash not fail?"

Earl Falcon slowly rose to his feet. "You can't even kill a mere baron? You still have the nerve to come looking for me?"

"Indeed, you evil churches hiding in the shadows are as disgusting as rats."

"Do you worship a god, or a pathetic bloodsucker?"

Earl Falcon's words caused Scott's expression to change drastically.
"How dare you insult my lord?"

"court death!"

Suddenly, Scott, who was under control, burst out and lunged at Earl Falcon, swinging his longsword fiercely!
Earl Falcon dodged suddenly and drew his one-handed sword from the wall!
clang!
The sound of metal being drawn from its sheath was crisp and pleasant, and the one-handed sword swiftly drew a graceful trajectory through the air!

Pfft!

Scott's head flew off instantly, splattering blood onto the luxurious carpet.

"I told you you're all trash."

Earl Falcon spat and casually flicked the blood off his sword.

"Somebody come!"

Just as Earl Falcon reached the door, he suddenly felt a chilly breeze behind him!
Without hesitation, he turned around and slashed horizontally, spraying blood everywhere. The eerie black shadow in front of him was instantly cut in two!
Earl Falcon's intuition saved his life once again.

The shadowy figure dispersed instantly, but the blood on the ground proved that something had indeed rushed towards them.

"What the hell?"

Earl Falcon frowned, his grip on his sword tightening unconsciously until his knuckles turned white.

He had never seen an enemy like this before.

Before they could react, the dark shadow on the left materialized again and pounced on Earl Falcon!
This time he was on guard, and swung his longsword repeatedly, slashing the shadowy figure to pieces, but each strike seemed meaningless.

The shadowy figure will re-form and attack him.

"Damn it!"

In the blink of an eye, Earl Falcon was cornered, his forehead covered in a fine layer of sweat, but he remained calm.

Just as the shadowy figure lunged forward again, Earl Falcon suddenly tore open his sleeve, and a pale blue crystal slipped into his palm, which he then crushed!
Bang!
The crystal fragments turned into powder, and a ghostly blue light exploded instantly!

In an instant, a chilling aura surged forth in front of him, and the dark figure that rushed toward Earl Falcon froze instantly, turning into an ice sculpture!
"You didn't retaliate against Rhodes for killing your people, but instead retaliated against your employer?"

Earl Falcon glared with fury, his longsword slashing down, instantly splitting the frozen black figure in two, revealing its frozen internal organs.

"If I say you're trash, then you're trash, stupid trash!"

Ah!
Earl Falcon felt like he was going crazy and desperately wanted to roar, but he couldn't do so because of his noble status.

But such a precious magical item as the Breath of Freezing was used on such a fool!
Heartache!
Where have all the people gone?!

Earl Falcon roared twice, and when no one responded, he realized that the guards outside might have also met with misfortune.

He quickly walked to the door and shouted, yelling outwards.

"Somebody come!"

Then came a series of hurried footsteps from below, as if someone was rushing over.

Earl Falcon breathed a sigh of relief, glanced at the corpse on the ground, and then abruptly stopped.

The body had already turned into a pool of black ashes.

Earl Falcon frowned. "Just what are these charlatans?"

Earl Falcon took a breath, kicked the maid off the bed, and sat on the bed, panting heavily.

"These charlatans did some stupid things, but with their strength, how did Rhode manage to turn the tables and kill them?"

Just as Earl Falcon was pondering, a cloud of black mist appeared, and the figure of a black-robed man gradually condensed behind Earl Falcon, lunging at him with a ferocious expression!

Just then, the guard entered and exclaimed in surprise.
"Your Excellency, be careful!"

Before the words were even finished, and before Earl Falcon could react, a black blade had already pierced through his chest!

Earl Falcon stared wide-eyed at the blade pressed against his chest in disbelief!
"You, you, you bunch of lunatics..."

Earl Falcon's eyes were filled with shock and resentment. He wanted to say something, but only blood gushed from his mouth.

His body gradually lost strength, and he collapsed onto the bed, the blood flowing from his wounds staining the sheets red.

"You shouldn't insult our faith."

A hoarse voice rang out, and after the figure in black robes finished doing all this, his body also began to become unstable, and he collapsed onto the bed, spitting out a mouthful of black blood.

"My Lord Count!"

The guard, who had been standing there stunned, suddenly reacted and swung his longsword down!

The black-robed figure dared not meet the oncoming sword again, and rolled to the side in a sorry state. Then, it transformed into black mist and rushed directly towards the foremost guard, attempting to possess him once more.

The guard struggled violently, his body twisted beyond recognition, and he let out painful howls.

Perhaps because he was injured, the shadowy figure struggled for a moment before flying out in a disheveled state and crashing to the ground.

The dark figure roared angrily, sprang to its feet without hesitation, rushed to the end of the corridor, broke through the wooden planks of the window, and jumped directly out of the building!

The possessed soldier was also extremely weak, kneeling on the ground unable to give chase, only able to shout hoarsely, "Assassins! Chase them! Save the Earl!"

More soldiers poured into the room, and some rushed to Earl Falcon's side to check on him, but it was clearly too late.

The count's eyes were fixed on the ceiling; all signs of life had vanished from those once sharp eyes.

……

"assassin!"

"Catch assassins!"

Vivian, still hidden in the shadows outside the main building, was startled.

Ok?
Discovered?

Vivian panicked for a moment, but then realized that the so-called assassin was the guard who had just gone in.

Although she didn't witness the final assassination, she roughly guessed what had happened from the soldiers' reactions and shouts.

I don't know if that person succeeded.

Vivian was puzzled.

Regardless, the castle is now in complete chaos, with guards running around searching for suspicious individuals.

Vivian's continued stay here will only increase the risk; she has no choice but to retreat.

She quickly returned to her secluded corner, took out her grappling hook again, and firmly hooked it onto the edge of the city wall. She went down the wall and soon disappeared into the night.

She went back to the hotel through the window and quietly stayed in her room.

The next morning, sunlight streamed into the room through the cracks in the wooden windows, and Vivian stretched and got out of bed.

Vivian went downstairs and ordered some food—a bowl of wheat porridge and a piece of black bread—and then sat in a corner to enjoy it leisurely.

While I'm at it, I'll also try to find out some information.

Soon, a group of soldiers in chainmail entered the tavern and asked the tavern owner, "Did you see any strangers yesterday?"

"Sir, our place is remote, and strangers rarely come here."

The tavern owner pointed to Vivian in the corner, "That young lady who came looking for her family is having breakfast over there."

The soldier glanced at Vivian.

Vivian maintained a calm expression, slowly chewing her food as if it were none of her business.

The soldier glanced at her twice, without even approaching Vivian to ask her anything, then turned away.
"We need to find a man, a very vicious man!"

The soldier described him as "about the same height as me, very ugly, and wearing a black robe."

The soldier was about 1.8 meters tall, while Vivian was far too short.

"No, sir, no one else has come here."

The tavern owner shook his head. "We have regular customers here."

The soldier frowned, not believing his boss's words, and went upstairs to search the place himself.

Only after confirming that no one was around did he go downstairs, warning the tavern owner.
"Report back immediately if you see a man, do you hear me?"

"Yes, sir, I will certainly report!"

The tavern owner smiled ingratiatingly and then asked in a low voice, "What did he do?"

The soldier looked around to make sure no one else was present before gesturing for his comrade to sit down.

"I'm exhausted after searching all night."

The soldier urged the tavern owner, "Pour two glasses of wine."

The tavern owner nodded repeatedly, quickly took out two wine glasses, placed them in front of the soldier, and then filled them with wine.

After gulping down the drink from the cup, the soldier let out a long sigh and said in a low voice, "Count Falcon was assassinated last night... and is dead."

"what?!"

The tavern owner's eyes widened instantly, and he exclaimed, "The Earl is dead?!"

"Shut up!"

The soldier gasped, "You want to kill us by drinking your wine?"

"Sorry, sorry!" The tavern owner quickly slapped himself in the face.

"Continued Cup!"

The soldier said irritably, "The whole castle is in chaos right now. Sir Baron ordered us to find the murderer overnight."

"Pooh!"

The soldier spat, "Even the Earl is no match for assassins, where are we supposed to find one?"

The soldier complained a couple of times, then finished the drink in his glass.

"Don't go around spreading rumors, you hear me?"

The soldier gave a warning, and the tavern owner nodded repeatedly.