Dragon Clan: Force me to be reborn and slay dragons

Chapter 392 The Impeachment Against Angers, the Billion-Dollar Bounty in the Hunter's Market

Westin Execil Hotel, Italy.

In the June evening in Rome, a trace of blood-red sunset lingered on the horizon.

No one spoke in the meeting room; the heavy atmosphere was almost tangible. The five board members were already seated, and the candlelight cast flickering shadows on their faces.

The main seat was empty, waiting for the man who had flown in overnight from the Far East.

The door was pushed open silently, and all eyes were instantly drawn to it.

An elderly man with a full head of white hair stood at the door, looking travel-worn.

Hilbert Jean Angers.

He was still wearing that well-tailored black suit, but his tie was slightly loosened, and there was a hint of barely perceptible ferocity in his eyes, as if he had just withdrawn from a battlefield where the smoke of battle had not yet cleared and was ready to deal with the incompetent teammates who were causing trouble in the rear.

His gaze swept across the long table, and Angers grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth: "Looks like I'm late?"

His voice was calm, without the slightest hint of urgency, as if he had not come to attend a sudden impeachment hearing.

Without exchanging pleasantries or greetings, Frost Gattuso, the acting head of the Gattuso family, raised his eyes indifferently and said in a cold voice, "Principal Angers, please take a seat."

"We need to have a serious discussion about the future, or rather, the crisis, of Kassel College."

"crisis?"

Angers raised an eyebrow, said nothing, and calmly walked to the head seat. His gaze swept over the crowd again, lingering briefly on the beautiful woman veiled in black. He nodded to her, then shook the small brass bell dangling in front of him.

"Now that everyone is here, I hereby declare the annual meeting of the Board of Trustees officially open."

He shifted his gaze to the old man leaning on his cane, his eyes calm: "We have just witnessed the fall of two Dragon Kings in the past two weeks, the White King and the Bronze and Fire Kings. I thought this was a moment to celebrate with champagne."

As soon as he finished speaking, Frost Gattuso rang the small brass bell in front of him.

"But what was the cost? The academy invested huge resources, the Japanese branch suffered heavy losses, but we didn't even recover a single piece of dragon bone or a drop of dragon blood."

All the spoils of war, including the glory of slaying the Dragon King, went to one person, someone who wasn't even one of us.

“Lu Mingfei.” The old man, who was holding sandalwood prayer beads, slowly shook a bell. “You rated his bloodline as S-level, but based on our observations, his bloodline is far more than S-level. His danger level is unknown, and there may be an unknown organization behind him.”

He passed the academy's interview but refused to enroll. Subsequently, he single-handedly disrupted our plans in China, nearly causing the secrets of the Dragon Clan to be exposed, for which the academy paid over a million dollars in cleanup costs.

Angers, you actually tried to recruit such dangerous individuals in the first place?

"Why not?" Angers was very relaxed, not like he was participating in an impeachment trial, but more like he was attending a boring banquet and playing games with a few stupid idiots.

“Isn’t fresh blood capable of slaying the Dragon King the weapon we crave most? As for the Wushan Plan…” He shrugged, casually pulling the cedarwood cigarette case on the table closer. He took out a Havana cigar and expertly cut it open:

"The Wushan Project originated from him. If it weren't for the poem he told Guderian, we wouldn't even know that such a large nest of corpses was hidden within Wushan."

Speaking of which, he also helped us eliminate a potential threat; otherwise, if the Dragon King were to resurrect and all those corpse guardians were to emerge, the forces we sent alone wouldn't be able to stretch the battle lines that far.

"You call this eliminating hidden dangers?" Frost suddenly raised his voice, but then restrained himself and shook the bell: "He almost destroyed decades of covert work we had built up in China!"
We had to bow down and make concessions to those local mixed-race families, paying a price far exceeding our expectations to quell the situation!
The Peruvian Party has lost face, Angers!

“Face?” Angers lit a cigar, and the blue smoke rose in wisps. He scoffed, “Frost, my friend, the war with the Dragon King has never been about face, it’s about life and death.”

If you're looking for prestige, perhaps you should sponsor operas in Vienna, not sit here.

"And what about the Japanese branch?" The sarcasm in his words made Frost's face darken. Frost took a deep breath and rang the bell again: "The Snake Clan has collectively resigned, left Kassel College, and no longer pledges allegiance to the Secret Party."

Angers, as the principal who single-handedly established the Japanese branch, how could you possibly be completely unaware that they are descendants of the White King?
Or...did you suspect something but chose to hide it?

“I had my doubts.” Angers took a deep drag on his cigar and slowly exhaled. He didn’t deny it; his tone was calm.

"But so what? Even if they are descendants of the White King, they are still members of the Secret Party, protecting the secrets of the dragons and hybrids."

Moreover, as far as I can see, they were still fighting the White King to the death until the very last moment.

“But they have betrayed us now!” emphasized the school board member of the Panzitan beaded shop.

“He resigned,” Angers corrected. “These are different concepts.”

They simply no longer obey the orders of the Secret Party, but their goal of slaying the dragon may not have changed.

They paid a heavy price to deal with the White King, and for the time being, they are not opposed to returning to the Secret Party's fold.

"If you hadn't called me back, the negotiations would still be ongoing."

“A devastating loss, nothing gained!” Frost sneered. “Is this the result of your management? Not only that, you’ve also allowed the dangerous bloodline to run rampant!”
Chu Zihang, a freshman, displayed extremely dangerous bloodline characteristics during the battle between Japan and the Kanto branch!

He tossed a stack of photos and slid toward Angers.

In the photo, Chu Zihang stands in the pouring rain, his feet surrounded by mutilated corpses. His body is covered in black scales, and his golden eyes burn like molten lava, making him look like a demon crawling out of hell. His gaze is no longer human.

This is a photo of Chu Zihang fighting alone against the high-ranking members of the Kanto branch at Takamagahara. Even though the Heroki Hachike had cleared the entire street and blocked all surveillance cameras, the scene of him bleeding profusely was still captured on camera.

“According to the core tenets of the Abrahamic Bloodline Claw, he should be immediately and forcibly recalled to undergo the most rigorous bloodline examination and even be placed under control!” Frost rang the bell, the sound carrying an undeniable authority:
"And yet you allow him to continue following that more dangerous and uncontrollable Lu Mingfei! Angers, controlling dangerous bloodlines is one of the principles of Kassel College! You are playing with fire, gambling with everyone's safety!"

"Chu Zihang controlled himself and accomplished an almost impossible task." Angers' gaze swept over the shocking photos, his tone unwavering, and he even carefully gathered the photos one by one.

“I know my student, and I believe in his will.”

In a crisis, only a sword that can slay a dragon is a good sword. Rules are rigid; the one wielding the sword is the key. If you consider this a gamble,” he paused, staring coldly at Frost, “then I tell you, I won the bet.”

"If it weren't for Chu Zihang's desperate defense of Takamagahara, preventing Genji from falling into Herzog's hands, we would have paid an even heavier price!"

“Angers!” Frost rang the bell again. “Your administration is a mess, and the waste is staggering! The academy is footing the bills for the 'Freedom Day' spree, the exorbitant cleanup bills resulting from the Executive Department’s reckless actions, and your own extravagant spending!”

Now, with the betrayal of the Japanese branch, the failure of the Wushan Plan, and the loss of control over dangerous elements, the Board of Trustees is forced to seriously question whether you still possess the qualifications and ability to lead Kassel College!

A barrage of accusations rained down, plunging the conference room into an atmosphere of icy despair. All eyes were fixed on Angers, awaiting his response.

At that moment, Elizabeth Laurent rang the bell. The girl, enraged by the delivery of her father's body, spoke clearly and calmly, her reason not clouded by hatred:

"Leaving aside the principal's management style, his achievements cannot be denied."

It was he who discovered Lu Mingfei and worked hard to maintain a friendly relationship with him; otherwise, Lu Mingfei would never have traveled thousands of miles to the sea to provide assistance after killing the White King.

Furthermore, Angers, along with S-Class Executive Officer Cheng Shuangfan and Caesar Gattuso, risked their lives to dive to a depth of 8,000 meters in the ocean, successfully capturing extremely valuable images of the Dragon City ruins. This historical material is crucial for the Academy's research and its value is immeasurable.

Frost's expression softened slightly, and he nodded: "That boy Caesar has indeed shown the courage and responsibility of a leader."

But then he changed the subject, the bell rang again, and his criticism was still directed at Angers: "However, Angers, as the supreme leader in the decisive battle of the White King, you neither sat in the rear to command the overall situation, nor did you personally go to the front line to participate in the decisive battle!"

You could have sent others down, but instead you put yourself in an extremely dangerous situation—that's serious negligence!

The youngest female school board member, who had remained silent throughout, rang the bell. As everyone looked over, the butler behind her slowly straightened up and stood motionless like a statue.
"Not only are there external threats, but there are also internal security issues. It has now been determined that the information submitted by Fujiwara Shinnosuke was false. His Word of Power is Time Zero, and his bloodline is exceptionally good, but he chose to conceal this after his preparatory class took the 3E exam, which ultimately led to his capture by the Oni Clan, injection of an overdose of evolution drug, and his transformation into a Dead Servant."

Angers, as the principal, you bear an undeniable responsibility for this oversight.

The school board member, who was holding a sandalwood beaded string, also rang a bell, his tone stern: "And there's that S-level executive officer, Cheng Shuangfan, who detained Zhao Xuzhen, a candidate knight of the Solomon Temple, without authorization."

This move is extremely dangerous and reckless, and will provoke the furious retaliation of those madmen, placing all members of our secret society at great and unnecessary risk!

If Lu Mingfei were here, he would definitely suspect that this old man had probably worked within the system.

But Angers knew what they were worried about. Before he could speak, Elizabeth Laurent immediately responded by ringing a bell, her voice carrying a rare chill and resolve:
"The Solomon Temple is a bunch of lunatics who keep conducting forbidden bloodline experiments and pushing ethical boundaries. They are even suspected of plotting and assassinating my father. They have already taken action against the Secret Society!"

"Is this your reason for declaring war on the Solomon Temple?" Frost looked at this staunch supporter of Angers, his brow furrowed, and also shook his bell:

“I am saddened by George’s death, but the Secret Service has investigated and confirmed that he died in a plane crash.”

After all, they are the second biggest sucker on the board of directors, second only to the Gattuso family in terms of spending money. So, when something goes wrong, the executive department naturally has to investigate thoroughly.

But all indications suggest that this was a pure air crash accident.

The only suspicious point is that no body or tissue fragments were found.

But the plane crash happened over the Atlantic Ocean, and the plane exploded and crashed into the turbulent sea. It's perfectly normal that no trace of it could be found.

In response, Elizabeth Laurent simply stated, "I have found my father's remains."

"What?!" Upon hearing this, everyone's faces showed surprise.

“Lisa, when did this happen?” Angers frowned as well. He only found out about this now. Georges Laurent was his staunch supporter and had even considered having him become Elizabeth’s godfather before, but Angers refused.

“Today.” Elizabeth clearly didn’t want to talk about her father’s body with too many people and planned to speak with Angers alone after the meeting. Of all the people present, she only trusted Angers.

Receiving her gaze, Ang nodded slightly: "Regarding the Solomon Temple, Lisa is right. They are enemies, heretics, and destabilizing factors."

Commissioner Cheng did a good job, especially considering their intention to extend their reach to Lu Mingfei; we cannot back down on this matter.

As he spoke, he turned to Frost: "Frost, my old friend, if you are convening this annual meeting today just to list my crimes and force me to resign as principal of Kassel College..."

Putting aside the unrealistic expectation that a wounded old lion, deep in the dragon's lair, would retreat back to lick its wounds after a few untimely barks, I just want to ask one question: who can you find to replace me?

Silence, a long silence. Apart from breathing, the only other sounds in the conference hall were the faint, ceaseless roar of the ocean waves coming from below the cliff.

Frost exchanged glances with the other board members. They had prepared many criticisms of Angers, but they were disappointed to find that despite Angers' numerous problems, no one could replace him.

Slaying dragons isn't about doing business; anyone present was more like a competent businessman than Angers.

But the Secret Party doesn't need businessmen; what it needs is an iron-fisted leader like Angers, who possesses unparalleled prestige, terrifying power, and ruthless decisiveness that inspires fear.

“We expect you to be more prudent, Angers,” Frost finally spoke, ringing the bell. His tone softened, but remained firm. “And to be subject to the oversight of the Board of Trustees, especially regarding the Dragon King War, high-risk bloodlines, and the budgets for major operations.”

The school board members, both wearing sandalwood beads and the little one, expressed their agreement. Elizabeth, on the other hand, strongly supported Angers, saying that it was precisely because of Angers' leadership that the Secret Party had grown to its current size. If the school board intervened again, it would only lead to a repeat of the Greenland Sea incident.

These words were like setting off a powder keg. This was a decision that the board of directors had almost unanimously approved back then. The meeting room was filled with the constant ringing of bells and arguments. The middle-aged board member, who had remained silent like a bum, was forced to act as a peacemaker.

Angers leaned back in his chair and smiled, a smile tinged with an indescribable mockery and weariness—a helplessness born from being dragged down by one incompetent teammate after another.

He rang the bell, exhaled a smoke ring, and prepared to end the farce: "If there's nothing else, let's call it a day. There's a whole mess in Japan that I need to clean up."

Just then, an untimely, urgent knocking sounded at the door, causing the school board members who had been arguing to frown.

In meetings of this level, interrupting is extremely rare and impolite.

Frost said in a displeased, deep voice, "Come in."

The door was pushed open, and Frost's secretary, Percy, entered. He maintained impeccable manners as always, but his usual composure was gone, replaced by a look of incredulous astonishment.

“I’m very sorry to bother you board members.” Percy tried to keep his voice calm, but his pace was still a little fast: “But I just received top-priority urgent intelligence from the Hunter Market. A new bounty was placed at the top ten minutes ago.”

“The contents.” Angers had a bad feeling and stared intently at Passy.

"A dragon named Fenrisulfr will awaken in Beijing, China. The person who posted the notice is recruiting hunters from all over the world to kill him. The bounty is... one hundred million US dollars!" Percy's words were like a nuclear bomb being dropped.

The meeting room was initially deathly silent, then erupted into a heated discussion.

The school board members, disregarding even the decorum of upper-class life, went and rang that damned broken bell, speaking their minds directly:
"Which bastard is so bold as to publish information related to dragons in the Hunter Market?!"

The hunter market is a mixed bag, and it's not just hybrids that mingle there. There are too many ordinary people wandering around that website. Could it be that the secret of the dragon race, which hybrids have guarded for thousands of years, is about to be revealed to the world?

"God, the awakening of the Bronze and Fire talents caused such a commotion a couple of days ago, and now a dragon is about to awaken. Did someone blow up the dragon's nest?"

"China, why is it China again, and in the capital city no less?!" Frost's face darkened as he stared at Angers.

"If I remember correctly, Lu Mingfei and the others are in Beijing right now."

“That’s right, and your dear nephew too.” Angzhe nodded. Others might panic upon hearing this news, but he didn’t seem to care much.

Despite the frequent blunders in Kassel College's intelligence department, their cleanup team is incredibly strong because the agents are always prone to making mistakes. They can handle such situations effectively and minimize the impact of the bounty.

Moreover, with Lu Mingfei around, the dragon Fenrisulfr is no longer a threat.

Do you understand the value of instantly revealing your talent?

Frost frowned and asked, "Lu Mingfei always manages to appear at the location where the Dragon King revives. Could this Fenrisulfr also be a Dragon King?"

“Who knows?” Angers shrugged indifferently. “Since that dragon has been revived in Lu Mingfei’s homeland, it is destined that it will not see the sun rise the next day.”

Although Lu Mingfei only had two dragon-slaying experiences, both were when he waited for the Dragon King to revive and then killed it with a single blow, focusing on high efficiency.

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment. Just a moment ago, they were attacking Angers on the grounds of Lu Mingfei, but now the other party had become their greatest reliance in guarding the secrets of the Dragon Clan.

After all, as long as Lu Mingfei can kill the dragon before it awakens and causes a big commotion, Kassel College can easily minimize the impact of this bounty.

"Are we just supposed to stand by and watch as bystanders?" The little girl, a school board member, shook a bell. Children love to be in the spotlight, especially since she was a family representative. If possible, she would prefer to see someone from Kassel College become the savior this time.

“I will send Mans and the others north, and Caesar and Chu Zihang, the two future student leaders of the academy, will also be there. I will let them participate as much as possible,” Angers said calmly. “If they are just ordinary dragons, Lu Mingfei will give them a chance to show their abilities.”

"How can you be sure?" Frost asked, his eyes full of disbelief.

“Because he is strong.” Angers stubbed out his cigar, stood up, and straightened his collar. “And strong people are never stingy in giving others the opportunity to challenge them.”

After saying that, he turned and left.

(End of this chapter)