Chapter 1228: Qingqiu National Lord

The shopkeeper replied, "Because it's already past the season for Blue Fire Flowers. They are needed for many things, such as making dyes, refining pills, and preparing medicines. Various tribes have a great demand for them and have already bought up most of the stock. Moreover, the yield of Blue Fire Flowers isn't particularly high, so naturally, they are hard to come by now."

Had it not been for Yu Yanluo's beauty, he wouldn't have bothered explaining so much.

Just then, Yun Jianyue, who was nearby, suddenly asked, "I heard your queen is a famous beauty. Is that true?"

The others' hearts stirred; they knew she was seizing the opportunity to gather information. They knew too little about Qingqiu Kingdom, and even Yu Yanluo, having been away from the demon race for so long, had limited knowledge.

Upon hearing her ask about his queen, the shopkeeper's eyes lit up. "How could that be false? Our queen is widely acknowledged as the most beautiful woman in all of Qingqiu Kingdom."

"Could it be that people flatter her because she's the queen?" Yun Jianyue said with a smile, deliberately provoking him to try and extract more information.

"Of course not. It's not just our own people saying it," the shopkeeper said. "Many people from other tribes who visit sincerely praise her beauty. Moreover, the reason she became queen is because her bloodline is the purest. And the purer a fox's bloodline, the more beautiful they are."

"You should know that the beauty of the previous queen even captivated the Demon Emperor. However, due to fox tribe tradition, the queen cannot marry out; she can only take a consort. So, the matter was dropped. As for the current queen, compared to her mother, she has truly surpassed the master."

Zu An was a little curious. "Who is the current queen's father?"

The purer the bloodline, the more powerful it is. The key is how to maintain that purity. It's not as if siblings marry each other, right?

The shopkeeper shook his head. "That's not something I know."

Yun Jianyue found it strange. "You don't even know who your queen's husband is?"

The shopkeeper said with a calm expression, "What's so strange about that? Among our fox tribe, women are revered. That man is merely a male concubine taken into the queen's harem. How could he be called a husband? A male concubine isn't worth our extra attention."

Zu An's expression was odd. He thought to himself, "You're also a man, yet you talk about these things as if they're completely natural."

Yun Jianyue, however, laughed. "Hearing you say that, I'm starting to like this place a little."

The shopkeeper then seized the opportunity to say, "Why don't you ladies join our Qingqiu Kingdom? With your looks, you could marry many men at once; you'd pretty much have your pick."

Although they were veiled, their figures were graceful and captivating, and their eyes were as beautiful as paintings. Anyone who wasn't blind would know they were stunning beauties.

As he spoke, he leaned closer. "How about me? Don't mind that I'm a bit ugly, but I'm very gentle. And I have a huge merchant guild as a dowry, enough to ensure you a lifetime of wealth and luxury. You could even marry other handsome men you fancy..."

Zu An's eyebrows twitched at this. Finally, he couldn't help but push the shopkeeper aside and lead the others out of the merchant guild.

Yun Jianyue laughed, bending over. "Brat, are you perhaps jealous?"

Yan Xuehen, standing nearby, also blushed slightly. For some reason, she was quite pleased to see him look flustered.

Yu Yanluo also smiled. "The customs of the fox tribe are indeed quite peculiar; it's normal not to be able to accept them right away."

After chatting and laughing for a while, they began discussing what to do next.

Yan Xuehen frowned. "I can't shake the feeling that someone is deliberately leading us towards the Qingqiu Royal Palace."

The others had the same feeling. Especially recalling the divination by the chubby Taoist priest earlier, they felt a strong sense of conspiracy.

"In my opinion," Yun Jianyue said, "rather than being led by the nose, we should just rob this merchant guild of its goods. That would break the situation directly."

Yan Xuehen glared at her angrily. "All you ever think about is fighting and killing. You're truly a demoness of the Demonic Sect!"

Given her temperament, she naturally couldn't accept such a thing.

Yun Jianyue said coldly, "This world is inherently about the survival of the fittest. For someone like you, who grew up in luxury, to say that sounds a bit like a privileged person's remark."

Just as the two women were about to argue again, and Zu An was about to intervene, a troop of cavalry galloped up.

What was striking was that every rider was female. With fluffy ears and gently swaying tails, they were all fox women. Fox women are naturally charming and beautiful, and a group of such young, beautiful maidens together was truly a delight to behold.

However, the most eye-catching was the one leading them. Unlike the others who rode horses, she was riding a tall white deer.

Her brows were like kingfisher feathers, her skin as smooth as white jade. Her face was framed like peach blossoms, her hair coiled with golden phoenix threads. Her autumn eyes sparkled with enchanting charm, and her slender fingers held a captivating grace. A red silk sash draped elegantly, and a high hairpin adorned with pearls and jade gleamed brilliantly.

The group was astonished. Could a random fox tribe cavalry leader be this beautiful? If the Qingqiu Queen was hailed as the foremost beauty, how stunning must she be?

But what shocked them even more was that this troop of cavalry stopped in front of them. The leader, with a graceful dismount, her jade pendants, hanging from her slender waist, swayed and clinked together, their melodious sound truly pleasing to the ear, making one's heart sway along.

The stunning woman nodded slightly to the group, then approached Yu Yanluo. "Queen Medusa, it's rare for you to visit. Why not let me extend my hospitality?"

Yu Yanluo looked surprised. "You are..." The beautiful woman smiled faintly. "I forgot to introduce myself. I am Tu Shan Yu."

Tu Shan is the royal surname of Qingqiu Kingdom, and the Qingqiu Queen's name is Tu Shan Yu. No one doubted her identity, as such grace and bearing surely belonged to no one else in the entire Qingqiu Kingdom.

However, what shocked Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen was their preconceived notion: they had assumed the Qingqiu Queen would be the most alluring fox spirit in the entire kingdom, the type of enchantress who captivated all beings. Yet, before them was someone who seemed like a youthful, vibrant girl.

Although she was incredibly beautiful, there was no hint of sensuality about her. On the contrary, she appeared extremely pure, like a girl next door. There was even a hint of youthful innocence about her, which involuntarily stirred feelings of tenderness in observers.

Zu An, however, was much more composed. Tu Shan Yu's aura felt somewhat familiar; Daji, whom he had seen before, had given him a similar impression. He wondered if she was truly innocent, or if she had already mastered her charm techniques to a level close to Daji's.

"Yu Yanluo of the Snake Tribe." Yu Yanluo also smiled at her, not asking how the other recognized her, as this was, after all, fox territory.

"I have long heard of your esteemed name, Elder Sister. Seeing you today, you are even more beautiful than the legends say." A hint of admiration flashed in Tu Shan Yu's eyes.

"Your Majesty exaggerates. I believe you are the true peerless beauty..." Yu Yanluo, being polite, also engaged in some courteous flattery.

Soon, other people from the surroundings also rushed over upon hearing the news. Seeing several stunning beauties vying for attention, they all nearly drooled, exclaiming that the trip was well worth it.

"It's too noisy here, Elder Sister. Please come with me to the palace so we can talk," Tu Shan Yu invited. "It's rare for you to visit Qingqiu Kingdom; please give me the opportunity to host you."

With the invitation put so eloquently, Yu Yanluo found it hard to refuse. "Then I'll trouble you."

Tu Shan Yu glanced at the others. "Are they all your friends, Elder Sister? Please, come along as well. As expected, Elder Sister's friends are all truly remarkable individuals."

Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue clearly remembered the divination made by the chubby Taoist priest. Now that the Qingqiu Queen had suddenly appeared, they wondered if the prophecy was about to be fulfilled through her. So, each of them observed the eye contact between the queen and Zu An. However, her gaze merely swept over Zu An before moving away, as if she were looking at an object. Instead, her attention was entirely on the two of them. They weren't sure if she was surprised by their demeanor or assessing their cultivation levels.

The two women suddenly remembered what the shopkeeper had said. Qingqiu Kingdom was a matriarchal society where women held power over men, so her reaction was perfectly normal. After all, in human society, during gatherings of court nobles, no one paid attention to the concubines accompanying them. Thinking of this, both couldn't help but smile faintly, thinking, "So, Zu An, you finally get a taste of this too!"