CHAPTER 471: CHAPTER 04: NINE-PETAL SNAKE FLOWER FLAG (4)

In most cases, the true Ten-thousand-year-old Blood Clan elders—those who have a seat in the Elder Council—do not roam around indiscriminately. Most of the time, they simply stay secluded in their castles. Even their direct descendants may not always have the opportunity to see them. As for what they are occupied with, no one knows.

Adelle’s grandfather and great-grandfather were members of the Elder Council.

In fact, Jones’s great-grandfather was also a member of the Elder Council. So whenever the surname Dracula is mentioned, any Blood Clan member with some knowledge would praise: "Dracula is a noble and ancient surname." What they are referring to, is Jones’s great-grandfather. All high-ranking Blood Clan members, if traced back far enough, will have at least one ancestor who was part of the Elder Council; otherwise, they simply wouldn’t qualify to be called high-ranking Blood Clan.

Of course, even among families that boast Elder Council ancestors, their current development can differ vastly.

The lowest tier consists of families who are no longer qualified to use their ancestor’s surname. Though they retain the status of high-ranking Blood Clan members, for various reasons—such as quarrels with their elders, past transgressions, failure to meet family expectations, and so on—they’ve been stripped of their surnames and forced to forge new ones.

This type of situation is actually rarer among humans, but it is exceedingly common among the Blood Clan. After all, when timelines stretch across thousands of years, small probabilities become substantial ones.

However, a low status doesn’t necessarily mean weak power. There are several whose development is quite impressive. For example, in the Adelle Brother Society, the siblings Jordan, Belle, and Conne all hail from such circumstances. Their parents were part of this category.

Yes, the Adelle Brother Society comprises eight members in total: besides Adelle himself, Jones, and Adelle’s cousin, four out of the remaining five come from such families—an indication of just how common this scenario is.

The second tier consists of families like the Jones family. They have successfully inherited the noble surname Dracula, yet the descendants of the Dracula Family are few, their progress lackluster, and their ancestors show little interest in mentoring the newer generations, not even meeting them. For them, the noble surname serves no purpose beyond boasting rights, and their actual power may be inferior to even those who couldn’t retain their family surnames.

As for the third tier, it refers to families such as the Adelle family. Not only do they possess an ancient and noble surname, but their lineage has flourished extensively.

Within the Blood Clan, there are only three such families in total: the Sambo Family, the Ganggro Family, and the most powerful, the Nikolaus family.

Among these, the Sambo family is involved in various areas; the Ganggro Family specializes in the banking industry; the Nikolaus family also engages in various enterprises but outclasses the Sambo Family in scale.

Under normal circumstances, when the Elder Council does not intervene, authority on the Kolin Peninsula is divided among these three major families. Of course, within the High Court, things might be different.

...

"Did you inform them I was coming?" Jones asked softly.

"How could I? Why would I tell them such a thing?" Adelle quickly whispered back, "They’re our opponents right now."

"I thought you might be trying to create an opportunity for me to negotiate with them before the hearing."

"Uh... That does sound like an idea, but I hadn’t even considered it up until now. Perhaps they learned your arrival time from the Elder Council. Should I have someone drive them away?"

"Wouldn’t that be a bit... inappropriate?" Jones hesitated.

Adelle grinned mischievously and said, "Indeed, it would be rather undignified. But then again, they’re already our sworn enemies. No matter how undignified it is, we don’t need to worry about offending them, because we’ve already offended them."

Turning his face slightly, Jones asked the butler softly, "How long have they been waiting?"

"Over two hours," the butler replied helplessly. "Initially, I refused to let them in, but they wouldn’t leave. They were adamant that Young Master Jones would be arriving today, determined to wait by the door... It was wholly undignified. If other families were to see, it would reflect poorly on us. Hence, I had no choice but to let them in."

Jones sighed faintly, his gaze shifting to Adelle as he said, "Let’s meet them—it’s been two hours; we ought to see them."

"Suit yourself," Adelle shrugged.

With the butler leading the way, they walked toward the Sambo Family’s castle at a leisurely pace.

...

At that moment, in the opulent third-floor reception room, two Blood Clan members were watching them from a distance through the curtains.

One was a woman in a striking red gown.

The color was like fire.

Her tall figure, exquisite makeup, and intricately styled light-golden hair braided into complex patterns complemented her captivating blue eyes, which resembled starry skies. Coupled with her layered, rose-themed evening gown adorned with touches of gold, she radiated a queen-like haughtiness.

Standing behind her was a towering Blood Clan man who bore a resemblance to her in appearance. Dressed in a sleek, dark-gray formal suit that gleamed faintly, he exuded an aura of sophistication and courtesy. Even his posture and the precise angle at which his gaze tilted were meticulously calculated.

Soon enough, the other guests were escorted to the rooms meticulously prepared for them earlier, except for Jones and Adelle. The butler guided them to the reception room where the two individuals were waiting.

Leading Jones and Adelle to the man and woman standing as visitors, the butler stepped to the side and introduced, "Young Master Adelle, Young Master Jones, this is Miss Tiris Ganggro, and this is her brother, Young Master Isido Ganggro."