"Why is this happening!? Why are so many people suddenly attacking us like mad dogs? What on earth has happened!" In the solemn, high-rise rotating conference room of the Alrose Family in London, an extremely aged, blond elder slammed his fist hard against the stone round table in front of him, bellowing with a pale expression.
Perhaps because he was too agitated, a pair of purple wings swirling with silver speckles burst from his back with a sharp WHOOSH. An oppressive, bloodthirsty smell permeated the dim conference room, releasing the terrifying and powerful aura unique to a Blood Clan Marquis.
This man was none other than one of the most powerful elders in the Alrose Family of London: Navas Alros.
His Cultivation Realm had reached the pinnacle of a Marquis, and at any moment, he could 'return to his ancestors and ascend,' transforming into a great and noble Blood Clan Duke. At that point, the Alrose Family's status in London would change dramatically.
But who could have predicted that just as their family was about to welcome a new golden age, they would suddenly be struck by such a disaster? Not only were their industries and publicly traded stocks viciously attacked, but even the Royal Family and the government had begun to take action against them. Within just hours, countless people had been taken into custody.
Even the grim realities of their illicit activities were exposed. The Alrose Family had been secretly trading arms to certain anti-government militias in the Middle East and forcibly kidnapping young women from around the world to operate red-light districts. Details and images of these and many other unsightly affairs had shockingly appeared on major websites and in newspapers.
Clearly, this was no coincidence. A massive organization was targeting them from the shadows. But why? Why did this happen so suddenly and inexplicably?
"Elder Navas, do you think it could be the Chehill Family? We did just have a dispute with them," a skinny, shifty-eyed middle-aged man voiced with a tremor of suspicion. His forehead was drenched with sweat and his complexion was extremely pale. He incessantly wiped his brow with a handkerchief, yet his hair was still soaked through. The situation was truly frightening.
"The Chehill Family? Fuck! Are you brain-dead?" Elder Navas, who had been better off not hearing the suggestion, exploded in a furious rage, bellowing at the top of his lungs. "Do you think that trash from the Chehill Family could possibly wield this much power? Forget the financial consortiums from around the world; do you really think those failures have the ability to command the Royal Family and the government?"
He was right. The so-called Chehill Family was, at best, on par with the Alrose Family. But the current situation was an utter, one-sided rout. How could those people possibly be responsible? Not to mention, it had all happened so suddenly and violently. In just one night, a single morning, the Alrose Family was on the verge of being completely overturned. How could the Chehill Family alone have accomplished this? It wasn't just Elder Navas who didn't believe it... he didn't believe it himself.
"I-I'm sorry, respected Elder Navas," the shifty-eyed man stammered, not daring to show any dissatisfaction or retort despite being accosted so directly. He just kept wiping the cold sweat from his forehead with his handkerchief and apologizing profusely.
"Elder... Elder."
Just then, a middle-aged man with deeply sunken eyes, dressed in aristocratic tailcoats, walked in, his gaze trembling visibly. Upon seeing him, everyone in the conference room was taken aback, their faces changing dramatically. They could see the unconcealable fear in his eyes and on his face, and hear the unsteadiness in his frantic footsteps.
Elder Navas immediately stopped yelling at the shifty-eyed man, and the others quickly focused their attention on the newcomer. But just as they were about to question him, the man had already collapsed onto a chair at the round table, his expression vacant, stupefied, and utterly despairing. "Elder... Elder Navas... it's over. Our Alrose Family is finished."
Everyone present gasped, their bodies shuddering violently. Many stood up, their faces etched with disbelief.
"What... what did you say!? What exactly has happened, Barrett?"
"Yes, Chief Barrett, our Alrose Family has stood in London for nearly two hundred years without falling. What kind of storm have we not weathered? What on earth happened?"
"Barrett, what did you find out? Is the adversary truly a power that our Alrose Family cannot hope to match?" Elder Navas said, his voice the calmest in the room. "But even so, don't forget who we have behind us... Could it be that our opponents dare to defy even them?"
However, the sliver of panic and unease hidden in his aged eyes betrayed his true feelings. It was clear his heart was far from as calm as he appeared.
Despite this, Barrett, the current Clan Leader of the Alrose Family and a powerful Earl, seemed as though he hadn't heard a word Elder Navas had said. His face remained blank and despairing for a long moment before he finally spoke as if a demon had snatched away his soul, clutching his head helplessly. "Elder, it's the Brad Family from Italy. Although we don't have definitive evidence yet, we just received an ultimatum from them! They demand that we dissolve our family by noon today. Otherwise, it's a declaration of all-out war!"
A collective, sharp intake of breath filled the room.
"The... the... the Brad Family!?"
Even Elder Navas, who had been trying so hard to remain composed, could not stop his face from draining of all color. His old eyes filled with an unbelievable fear and horror. Even the tone of his voice began to stammer, revealing the magnitude of the shock he had just received.
In this world, it was said that Europe and America were the two global poles. As the most ancient and primal top-tier Blood Clan family on European soil, the Brad Family's influence and power were beyond question. They were the uncrowned kings of Italy, the second most formidable power among Europe's eleven dark seats. They were absolutely terrifying.
Even the Mafia Family in the United Kingdom that backed the Alrose Family seemed to be on a different level entirely. The Brad Family was a recognized Mafia Great Family—many times stronger than any ordinary Mafia Family.
With a soft thud, Elder Navas collapsed into his seat, seeming to age twenty or thirty years in an instant. "Why? Why would they suddenly come after our Alrose Family like this?" he murmured, his face a mask of utter hopelessness. "It's unreasonable. We haven't offended them, and we certainly haven't given them any reason to act so forcefully."
He simply couldn't fathom what reason, what cause, could motivate a family of that stature to expend such effort to deal with them. This was just...
"Elder, none of that matters now," Barrett said, shaking his head with a wry smile. "They only gave us this morning, and there are just over ten minutes until noon. We have to make a choice. How do we respond?"
"Hah... Do you even need to ask me?" Elder Navas replied, using what sounded like the last of his strength, his voice completely listless. "Even though this is the United Kingdom and not Italy, the might of a Mafia Great Family like the Brad Family is not something we can question. Let's just... disband."
In truth, the fact that the Brad Family was merely demanding they dissolve their family, rather than annihilating them completely, was an act of mercy. To such a behemoth, the Alrose Family was terrifyingly insignificant, with no power to fight back whatsoever.
And so, that morning, a seismic event shook London.
The Alrose Family was no more, completely stricken from the ranks of British nobility and the world of the Blood Clan. Most importantly, it had been their own decision.
Even those who were unaware of the inside story felt a chill run down their spine upon hearing the news of the Alrose Family's dissolution. What kind of shocking power, what terrifying force, could bring about such a conclusion in a single night, or even just one morning? For nobility, and especially for a Blood Clan family, dissolving the family wasn't just bowing one's head in apology—it was the ultimate act of kneeling and begging for mercy.
No family would ever willingly sacrifice the honor of their name in exchange for forgiveness. That was considered the most contemptible act.
And yet, it had happened. It was unbelievable.
However, Chen Fei was unaware that a mere word from him had triggered such a monumental event in the United Kingdom. And even if he had known, he probably wouldn't have cared, as he had a new matter to attend to. Amotig, the former Magician of the Crimson Fang's four aces, had sent him a message. He had found the Child of Light, the one who had once tried to assassinate Chen Fei. The man had been hiding in a remote region in Africa but was rooted out by Amotig, who now waited for instructions on how to proceed.
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