Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends

Cinderella heard about these things on the way.

The news of the split in the Kingdom of Barak was no secret.

When the Martial Soul Empire first announced its establishment, the Barak Kingdom was in an uproar.

Some ministers advocated loyalty to the Spirit Hall, arguing that the Spirit Hall was powerful and that opposing it would be like throwing an egg against a rock.

Another group of ministers advocated for a compromise, remaining neutral until the situation became clearer before making a decision.

Another group of ministers firmly stood on Ai Luo's side, believing that the Spirit Hall was ambitious and could devour Tian Dou today and Barak tomorrow. Rather than living a life of ignominy, they should rise up in resistance.

The three parties argued for months, and no one could convince the others, so the kingdom eventually split apart.

Those who advocated loyalty to the Spirit Hall, along with their respective fiefdoms and private armies, defected to the Spirit Empire.

Those who advocate neutrality are still observing the situation, pleasing neither side.

Meanwhile, Ai Luo and her adoptive parents, along with the half of the forces willing to follow them, joined the Anti-Soul Alliance.

Cinderella was not surprised by this.

Ailuo is a fairy tale character, and like her, she was summoned to this world by Lin Wan.

She knew who Ai Luo was, as well as Ai Luo's abilities and bottom line.

Join the Spirit Hall? Impossible.

Remain neutral? That's tantamount to waiting to die.

Aurora's choice was predetermined from the very beginning.

Cinderella descended the hill and walked along the main road toward the city of Barak.

There were few pedestrians on the official road. Occasionally, a few carriages would pass by her, and the drivers would unconsciously take a second look.

But no one came up to talk to them.

In this world, it's better to avoid trouble.

After walking for about half an hour, the outline of the Barak royal city was finally fully revealed before her.

The city wall was not high, only three or four zhang high, and the flags on the city wall fluttered in the cold wind.

The flag is embroidered with a swan about to take flight, which was once the royal emblem of the Heaven Dou Empire. The Barak Kingdom, as a vassal kingdom of the Heaven Dou Empire, still uses this emblem.

However, the soldiers patrolling the city walls had changed into the uniform armor of the Anti-Martial Soul Alliance.

The dark blue battle robe, embroidered with the emblem of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda and the Clear Sky Hammer crossed on the chest, is the symbol of the alliance.

Cinderella had just reached the city gate.

A young female Soul Master wearing a dark blue Alliance standard battle robe walked towards her.

The female soul master looked to be in her early twenties, tall and with delicate features. A slender rapier hung at her waist, and her steps were light and steady.

She stopped in front of Cinderella, her gaze lingering on her face for a moment, a hint of undisguised amazement flashing in her eyes.

But she quickly composed herself, bowed slightly, and asked in a respectful and clear voice, "Excuse me, are you Miss Cinderella?"

Cinderella nodded. "Yes, I am."

“Princess Aurora sent me to fetch you.” The female Soul Master stepped aside and gestured for you to follow.

Cinderella didn't say much and followed her through the city gate.

The streets of Barak were quieter than she had expected.

Most of the shops were still open, but there were few customers, and the shop assistants were leaning against the door frames yawning.

Pedestrians on the street hurried along, and few stopped to talk.

Occasionally, a few children would chase and play at the alley entrance, only to be scolded by adults and then scatter.

There was an indescribable sense of oppression in the air, like walking in the sweltering heat before a downpour, with everyone walking with their heads down, afraid that something would hit them on the head.

Cinderella's gaze swept across both sides of the street, taking in everything.

Although she knew about the division of the Barak Kingdom, hearing about it and seeing it with her own eyes are two different things.

Division brings not only the fragmentation of the country, but also the disintegration of people's hearts and minds.

Although the royal city was still in Aurora's hands, the pervasive unease and anxiety on the streets could not escape her notice.

The two walked through three streets and turned two corners, and a magnificent complex of buildings appeared in front of them.

Barak Palace.

The palace walls were very high, about two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) high, and every few steps on the top of the walls stood a soldier holding a spear.

The gate was wide open, and a row of guards dressed in Alliance standard battle robes stood at the entrance, their backs ramrod straight, their sharp eyes scanning the passersby.

The female Soul Master presented a token, and the guards all made way.

Cinderella followed her through the gate, across the front courtyard, through a long corridor, up a stone staircase, and finally stopped in front of a carved wooden door.

The female soul master turned around and bowed slightly to Cinderella.

"Her Highness is waiting for you inside. Please come in."

After she finished speaking, she stepped aside and showed no intention of going in.

Cinderella pushed open the door and went inside.

The room wasn't large, but it was decorated very elegantly.

Against the wall was a row of bookshelves, neatly stacked with various books and files. Several books were open on the desk, and next to them was a quill pen that hadn't been capped yet.

A soft couch sits by the window, covered with a thick velvet blanket. Two cushions embroidered with pale purple patterns are stacked together, suggesting it's a spot where people often lean against something.

The afternoon sun peeked through the carved doors and windows, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

Aurora stood by the window, her back to the door.

She wore an elegant light gold dress, her long hair was loosely tied up in a bun, and a few strands of hair fell around her ears.

Hearing the door open, she turned around.

That delicate face bore a faint trace of fatigue, and the dark circles under her eyes were so thick that it looked like she hadn't slept for days, but the smile on her lips was impossible to suppress.

“Cinderella,” she said, her voice soft and languid, “long time no see.”

Cinderella looked at her, and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly.

"haven't seen you for a long time."

The two looked at each other for a moment, then smiled at the same time.

It wasn't a polite, perfunctory smile, but a genuine joy at seeing the other person.

In this world, they are from the same hometown, two people who came from the same world.

Although they don't have much interaction, this connection is unbreakable.

"Sit down." Aurora pointed to the chair opposite the desk and sat down first.

Cinderella didn't stand on ceremony and pulled out a chair to sit down.

The two were separated by a large desk, on which lay a mountain of files and letters.

Cinderella glanced at one of the letters and saw that it began with "To the Northern Command of the Anti-Martial Soul Alliance," with the royal seal of the Kingdom of Barak stamped in the lower right corner.

Chapter 530 The First Case of a Soul Beast Becoming a God

"Very busy?" Cinderella asked.

Ai Luo leaned back in her chair and rubbed her temples, a gesture that conveyed a sense of utter exhaustion and helplessness.

"Busy. Incredibly busy."

Cinderella didn't respond, waiting for her to continue.

“You know the current situation of the Kingdom of Barak.” Ailuo lowered her hands, placed them on the table with her hands folded together, and unconsciously stroked the handle of the quill pen on the table with her fingertips.

"The kingdom has split. Those who were willing to follow the Spirit Hall left with their fiefdoms and private armies. The neutral faction is still observing, trying to please both sides and not offend either. Less than half of the original number remained on my side."

Her voice was calm, as if she were stating something unrelated to herself, but Cinderella could hear the weariness beneath that calm.

"Those who left took with them nearly 40% of the fiefdom, 30% of the private army, and a large number of experienced veterans. The people who remain under my command are good at fighting, but few are good at managing affairs."

Ailuo sighed.

"I had to personally oversee everything, from the allocation of supplies and the recruitment of soldiers to the evacuation of the wounded and communication with other forces in the alliance. I didn't even have time to drink water all day long."

She picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip. The tea was already cold. She frowned, but still swallowed it.

Looking at her like this, Cinderella suddenly thought of Eva.

That woman who manipulated events in the Heavenly Dou Imperial Palace was more cunning and shrewd than anyone else, but she never wore her exhaustion on her face like Ai Luo did.

Aurora is still too young.

Although she is also a fairy tale character, and although she possesses maturity and shrewdness beyond her years, she is not, after all, an old fox like Eva who has been navigating the power arena for decades.

The kingdom's division, the departure of ministers, the pressure of war, and the infighting within the alliance—all of these combined were still too much for her.

Ai Luo picked up her teacup again and took a sip. The cooled tea, with its bitter taste, melted on her tongue. She frowned slightly, but still didn't put the cup down.

"And you?" She put down her teacup, looked at Cinderella, and her light golden eyes held a hint of genuine concern.

"How have you been lately? I've been so busy these days that I haven't been able to contact you much."

Cinderella leaned back in her chair, her hands resting on the armrests, her posture much more composed than Aurora's.

"It's fine. Nothing serious, just traveling."

"only you?"

"Ah."

"What about cultivation?" Ai Luo asked again.

"I traveled and cultivated at the same time. I walked around the continent and encountered many interesting people and things, and also experienced a lot of battles."

She paused, then added, "The divine examination is also underway."

Aurora's eyes lit up.