The Villain Princess survived the Imperial Riot

"There's some truth in what she said, but not much," said the Feather Girl. "Whether the target is alert or not, it won't affect the progress of our plan. As a Heavenly Dragon, the target's security is always at the highest level, no higher. During this period, we can use the bounty to gauge the attitudes of all parties in Fran and test the level of the evil dragon."

"Yes."

The breath on the other side of the curtain quickly dissipated.

Under the fairy's service, the feather girl rolled up her wings, picked up the mouthpiece of the dreamy hookah on the table and played with it without inhaling.

"Interesting fox, but his vision is still a little lacking..."

The feather girl suddenly exerted force, and her soft feathers suddenly became as sharp as blades.

Assassination is by no means meaningless, especially since the princess holds an irreplaceable position within the empire.

Her death will definitely cause chaos in the palace and accelerate the collapse of the tower!

In the Arcane Laboratory of the Yunting Villa Library, a gentle breeze blew, dust flew, and the temperature of the air rose slightly. Then, colorful fireworks rose up, like dazzling ribbons fluttering in the wind.

Arcane magic, pyromancy. Though a minor trick, it was a household name among arcane sorcerers, possessing indispensable practical value and cultural significance. If a down-and-out arcane sorcerer could master the seven flame color reactions and elemental transformations of pyromancy, then, even if penniless, he could still swindle a hundred or so meals from rural farmers under the guise of performing exorcisms.

After completing a series of experiments with the magic stone, Viola carefully wrote down her notes and reflected on the shortcomings of the spellcasting process.

Arcane sorcerers are said to have originated from the Mysteries, but they reject the Dreaming, and their cultivation system is fundamentally different from that of the Mystic Cultivators. While the Mystic Cultivators' powers manifest as part of the laws of the world, arcane sorcerers observe the laws of the world and cast spells through the combination of known elements and substances.

However, the power of the occult is sufficient to distort the laws to a certain extent. Although most of these effects will be corrected by the world over time, these corrections are merely a means of restoring the world's delicate balance. The gods above the heavens control everything, and every change of gods has a subversive impact on the laws of the world. After the Maker replaced the furnace, the arcane sorcerers discovered that over the past two hundred years, the fluctuations of magic elements have become more frequent than before, and the combinations of metals have become richer and more stable. This series of changes has necessitated the recasting of 90% of the previous alchemical textbooks.

Therefore, arcane sorcerers viewed the disputes among the secret cultivators as the source of evil and chaos, and the gods with their own will were even more intolerable. For this reason, in the wars of conquest by the Supreme Empire, there was no shortage of arcane sorcerers who fanned the flames.

The Divine Emperor's ideal of order, the Unparalleled Heavenly Connection, aligns perfectly with the expectations of high-ranking arcane practitioners. The best-case scenario is that the Divine Emperor ascends to the Dream Realm, uniting all paths and solidifying the laws of all things until the unforeseen end.

Viola only learned this secret through Lady Aynive's instruction, but she didn't dwell on it. Although high-ranking arcane practitioners were hostile to esoteric practices, arcane magic was, after all, a summary and application of worldly laws, and a reflection of the material world through the Dream Realm. Therefore, esoteric practitioners would also study arcane theory as a supplement to their path.

After finishing her self-study in the morning, the black-haired girl asked the coachman of Yunting Villa to take her down the mountain to the temple construction site to participate in the volunteer service organized by the Glowing Church.

It was already February 20th, and the coldest period had passed. More than 100,000 hungry refugees gathered in the northern suburbs of Genting City. Looking around, all the trees had been cut down, and simple wooden houses and tents were built one after another, which seemed to be developing into a town.

It's just that time is short and the living environment in the northern suburbs is seriously worrying. Since the construction of the temple does not require so many workers, the unemployed people who live there are causing crime. The Genting City Police Station is already struggling to take care of itself, so how can it have time to deal with a bunch of poor people harming each other?

In such a chaotic and out-of-control situation, the Church of Radiance naturally took advantage of the opportunity and quietly entered the scene.

As soon as I walked into the church's temporary chapel, I saw seven or eight ferocious-looking men gathered at the door, yelling at a monk and a nun in front of a cauldron.

"How can I swallow this stuff that even dogs wouldn't eat? You feed us this kind of stuff every day. Do you still regard us as human beings in your church?" The man with thick hair and beard in the lead overturned a bowl of oatmeal porridge on the ground, which was soaked with dry bread made of rye and bran.

"Yes, yes, I'm sorry, but..." The monk and the little nun were frightened and looked around, but saw a long queue of refugees with sad and angry expressions, and no one stepped forward.

"But what but? My brother got a stomachache from eating at your place and couldn't go to work for the whole day!"

"But the church's grant is only enough for us to buy this grain. I'm really sorry!"

"Bullshit! You charlatans must have been greedy and withheld the money that was supposed to be given to us!" the burly man shouted angrily, having his men carry a barely breathing man to the rescue. "Tell me, my brother is in this state after eating your rotten porridge. How are you going to compensate him?"

"He doesn't look like he has food poisoning..." whispered the monk who had learned a little medicine.

"How could I not know this? Why do you need to quibble?" The burly man slapped the monk in the face, sending him tumbling two meters away. He pounded the table and said, "Twenty gold shields, and I'll take my brothers to get treatment myself. We'll let this matter go, and then everyone will say your church is a beast in disguise!"

"This, this..."

"You are clearly blackmailing me!"

A sudden voice came from outside.

"Blackmail? Who has the guts to slander—"

The burly man turned around angrily, only to see a black-haired girl staring at him nervously, like a bird spreading its wings in bluffing.

The girl wore a small round hat with white bird feathers and a slim black long dress. She was simple, beautiful and neat. She stood on the melting snow, like a mysterious and noble raven.

The burly man laughed jokingly: "Oh, and she's a lady."

Viola was even more embarrassed.

Compared with the refugees here, her well-cut, neat and simple dress was indeed better than that of ordinary civilians, but this was just her attire as a servant in the villa. She only wore a top hat and a warm coat instead of an apron.

The northern suburbs were full of dirt, and in order to adapt to the environment, the girl changed into short leather boots with higher heels.

"Aren't you ashamed of blackmailing the church in this way?" Although she was afraid, Viola stood up.

She had suffered double bullying from the princess and Miss Miller, and felt that she had some experience in dealing with such villains.

"Blackmail? Shame on you?" The burly man laughed angrily. "When did upholding justice become shameful? Is this the way of the Church of Radiance?"

"Miss Lilan..." The nun walked over and shook the girl's arm, whispering in her ear, "They seem to be from the Whale Shark Gang. I heard they have the support of officials from the Inquisition. They want money, and the church just needs to find a way to raise it..."

"That's even more unacceptable! The Empire has strict laws, and Her Highness is fair and just. How could she allow such a pest to exist?" Viola exclaimed in surprise. After all, she had seen the Princess execute the Inquisitor, and in her mind, Her Highness would never allow such a pest to exist!

"Watch your words, girl," the sturdy man said gloomily, his face darkening. "Who are you calling a termite?"

"The Iron Army law enforcement team and military doctors are at the Temple of the Immortals," Viola said, suppressing her fear. "If you think he died from the poison in the oatmeal, then we can go to the Temple of the Immortals and have it settled!"

As soon as the sacrificial temple was mentioned, the strong man's momentum immediately subsided.

The Iron Army masters are good guys. They have strict military discipline and indeed they don’t charge protection fees from civilians, but they do collect spoils of war!

As long as the target is identified as an enemy or a rebel, there is no need for guns or cannons. Just a few strokes of the sword and all the wealth of the deceased will be confiscated.

When it comes to draining the pond to catch all the fish, the censorship agency is nothing compared to it.

"Hmph, just wait, I'll be here to settle the matter!" Seeing that he couldn't win the argument, the strong man didn't really want to make a big deal out of it.

Viola said nothing. She was so frightened by the strong man's aura that she couldn't speak. It was very brave of her not to hide herself with her feathers huddled up.

"Phew, thank you, Miss Lilan... but I'm afraid they'll come back to cause trouble." The monk rubbed his face and stood up, sighing melancholy. "I'd better report to the church and raise some money. It's not good to fall out with these people. If twenty shields can make the mission go smoothly, it's worth it."

While the Radiance was officially recognized as a religion, its status remained ambiguous. It was forbidden from commanding armed forces outside the Theocracy, and despite its vast wealth, it could be blackmailed by a small-time gang. While the Church was the Empire's official religion, the Empire held more than one faith. Not to mention the numerous mythical generals of the God-Emperor lineage, whose faith enjoyed widespread adoration, the Star-Moon Clan, to which Iyana belonged, also had numerous adherents in many parts of the Empire.

Perhaps in order to prevent the Church of Glow from becoming the only dominant power, during the reign of the Divine Emperor, some Dream Myths still accepted the imperial edict.

Not to mention those remote mountain villages, even secret practitioners at the apprentice level dare to set up a hall to make money, and there are evil spirits everywhere.

By evening, Viola was helping the church pack up its stalls. She looked at the refugees rushing in and out, and thought about what had happened at noon, feeling a little depressed.

Just as she was leaving, two children, no older than seven, blocked her path.

"You are?"

"Sister, sister, thank you for helping our mother heal her illness the day before yesterday." The child cautiously held up a walnut carved box, which exuded a refreshing fragrance. "This is a talisman our mother gave us. We want to use it as a token of our gratitude. Please accept it."

Viola took it and opened it, discovering a luminous essence within. This mineral, a descendant of the luminous jade, not only displays miraculous radiance but also exudes a long-lasting fragrance. The box and the luminous essence combined could fetch at least four or five gold shields, and if blessed by a church priest, it would be even more valuable.

"Are you the brother and sister from last time? Uh, I didn't do anything. I just provided some insignificant medical fees." Viola thought of her own sick mother and empathized with her. The previous depression was immediately swept away. "How is your mother?"

"Mom passed away..."

"Uh..." Viola's eyes suddenly became empty, and she murmured, "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know, there will always be a way."

“…” The black-haired girl thought for a moment, then brought the two children to the church and found the elderly monk who was in charge of the management of the place.

The older monk looked embarrassed. "I'm afraid that won't work. There are too many orphans in Yunding. If we take them all in, the church won't be able to continue operating. However, there is a church-funded orphanage in the city. These orphaned children can be sent there."

Viola looked at the brother and sister.

The child was so frightened that he quickly shook his head and said, "I saw the bad guys take Nina away. They said they were going to sell her to an orphanage!"

The older monk said awkwardly, "Uh... kid, don't talk nonsense. The orphanage is doing good deeds, how could it be trafficking in human beings? Besides, taking in a child is a negative expense. Who would do such a thankless task if it weren't out of compassion?"

Viola didn't know much about the orphanage and was unsure what to do. However, seeing the two children cowering, preferring to wander rather than go, she felt pity for them. She handed the monk two gold shields and said, "Please accept this money. I hope you can take them in for a while. I'll find a place for them later."

Two gold shields was a huge sum of money. When Viola's mother was working, it was equivalent to her twenty weeks' weekly salary. Once upon a time, their family had to borrow money from everywhere to squeeze out two gold shields, but now, the Leland family had their own land, estate, and factory, and even she could be called a lady. It was really like a dream.

Your Highness is so kind to me...

Viola thought.

Although she didn't love money, she really didn't, but the pampering hidden in the money made Viola feel that His Highness might really have different ideas about her.

Like thoughts in a dream...

Upon seeing the money, the elder monk calmly wiped it away with his sleeve and said, "Ahem, although the church is not easy, how can I bear to let two young orphaned children be displaced... Let them stay for a while."

Viola nodded without further ado. Her time with the princess had broadened her horizons considerably. Lady Aynive had also taught her many historical metaphors. She had seen the treacherous nature of human nature and understood the importance of taking advantage of opportunities. After repeating her instructions, she rose and headed back to the post station to order a carriage as soon as possible.

As she left the house, she had a vague feeling that someone was following her. Lately, with her meditation practice, this feeling had become stronger. Previously, she had thought it was just an illusion brought on by meditation, but now it seemed that someone might actually have ulterior motives.

Thinking of what happened during the day, the girl quickened her pace.

However, just after turning two alleys, they were blocked by the ferocious-looking man at noon and his men as expected.

"I told you I'll come back to judge the matter." The leading burly man grinned.

Viola turned and left.

As soon as I turned around, five more people blocked my way from behind.

The girl looked around, trying to ask passersby for help, but who would dare to get involved in the affairs of the whale shark? Either they pulled up the tent or closed the doors and windows of the cabin and hung the bolt.

"Listen, I have connections in the law enforcement team, so you should think about the consequences!" Viola said fiercely but weakly, hoping to scare away these gang members.

"Oh, the Law Enforcement Team is involved. Where is the Law Enforcement Team? Why don't you pull them out for us brothers to see?" Everyone laughed, and the burly man's eyes turned fierce. "You're used to meddling in other people's business, aren't you, Miss? This isn't a city. No one will indulge your delicate temper! The Law Enforcement Team? Ha, if you were really the daughter of an officer in the Law Enforcement Team, would you still look like a rabbit now?"

"Hey, boss, look, she's shaking!"

"Hahaha--"

The mocking laughter made Viola blush. The girl held her purse tightly and went through the rune formulas she had learned throughout her life in her mind.

She did not learn any lethal arcane techniques, nor did she become a formal secret practitioner. The only way she could think of to protect herself was to use the remaining magic crystal materials and potions from the experiments in her pocket to react and cause an explosion.

"I'm the princess's maid, please don't go too far!" Viola's voice was filled with uneasy tears.

But if the law enforcement team couldn't scare these people, then who would believe the fairy tale of the princess and the maid?

“Hahahahahaha——” the laughter got louder.

"Pa pa." Suddenly, the strong man felt someone patting his shoulder.

He looked back and saw a thin man dressed in civilian clothes, neat and tidy. He was the kind of ordinary person who would be forgotten at a glance in the crowd.

"Ok?"

"The law enforcement team is tracking down the fugitive. All outsiders should leave as soon as possible." The man took out a certificate and opened it.

The strong man looked carefully but couldn't make out anything, let alone recognize the emblem and handwriting on the certificate.