Chapter 1316: Change of Events

"Little Demon Empress?"

Zu An's expression was odd. He had just been wondering if there was a Grand Demon Empress, would there also be a Little Demon Empress. What a coincidence that one actually appeared.

At that moment, Xingnu's voice softly drifted over, clearly to clarify things for them: "The Demon Emperor's original wife, the Grand Demon Empress, passed away many years ago. Later, he established another woman as empress, whom the world calls the Little Demon Empress."

"The Grand Demon Empress was the Crown Prince's birth mother, but she had few children and died prematurely. The Second, Third, and Fourth Princes were all born to different concubines. The youngest prince was born to the Little Demon Empress."

As Yu Yanluo's personal head maid, in a previous life she would have been like a company secretary. Naturally, she collected all this information in advance to provide to her master when needed.

Zu An suddenly understood. No wonder the Second Prince seemed to be at odds with the Crown Prince's faction. He wondered which faction the Little Demon Empress belonged to, or perhaps... she had formed her own faction?

At that moment, a soft, enchanting voice came from within the carriage: "What's happening here? Such a commotion."

The moment the words were uttered, all the men in the vicinity trembled. The voice was so alluring it seeped into their bones, yet its tone was remarkably dignified and normal. But if one were to call it dignified, it also involuntarily made one think of a bed, making them long to hold her close and shower her with affection.

However, everyone quickly snapped out of it. This was the Demon Emperor's woman, and they absolutely could not harbor improper thoughts. So, one by one, they composed themselves, bowing their heads in salute.

From the Snake Tribe's carriage, Yun Jianyue's phoenix eyes narrowed slightly: "Another one skilled in enchantment."

Yan Xuehen also nodded: "Indeed, a demoness, full of a seductive, demonic charm."

She instinctively glanced at Zu An, thinking that with so many stunning beauties around him, and even having been intimate with her recently... he surely wouldn't be captivated by this Little Demon Empress.

To her surprise, Zu An was staring intently into the carriage, infuriating her almost to death.

Rage value from Yan Xuehen: 233233233...

Noticing the rage value in the system, Zu An chuckled, feeling no panic, but rather a hint of pleasure. At least she was emotionally affected by him.

Of course, he wasn't staring at the figure in the carriage out of genuine desire for the Little Demon Empress's beauty. Rather, his divine sense had just detected that she seemed to be focusing on him, and he had simply looked back in curiosity.

Although Hei Chiran was aligned with the Grand Demon Empress's faction, the Grand Demon Empress was long dead, and the Little Demon Empress was now the official empress. He dared not disrespect her, so he quickly gave a general account of what had just happened, being careful not to show too much bias.

The Little Demon Empress pondered for a moment, then softly said: "The Medusa Queen is the leader of her tribe. If she were to suffer unfair treatment, it could easily discourage other tribes. In my view, today's incident was merely a small misunderstanding. Once explained, there's nothing to it. Lion Princes, what do you say?"

Lion Min and the others were naturally displeased, but they dared not openly contradict the Little Demon Empress. They could only say in a deep voice: "The Little Demon Empress speaks wisely."

Anyway, these people would all be in the royal court soon; there would be plenty of opportunities to settle scores with them.

"That's good then." The voice from the carriage nodded with satisfaction, then looked towards Yu Yanluo and said, "Medusa Queen, I hear you've just returned to the demon realm. This is a good opportunity to get acquainted with the leaders of the various tribes."

"Thank you for the advice, Little Demon Empress." Since the other party had helped, Yu Yanluo's tone was naturally polite.

The Little Demon Empress hummed in acknowledgment, then gently waved her hand, signaling the convoy to continue forward.

Hei Chiran had just made an enemy of the Snake Tribe. Now, for the sake of the Little Demon Empress, he had to back down. Staying to face them would be too awkward, so he simply left under the pretext of escorting the Little Demon Empress back to the palace.

Although Lion Min and the others remaining were somewhat eager, with so many people watching, it wouldn't be good to openly defy the Little Demon Empress's command.

They sneered at Zu An and the others: "Consider yourselves lucky today. Next time, let's see who can save you."

Zu An sighed: "Actually, you should be thanking the Little Demon Empress. Her appearance saved you."

"We'll see if you're still so bold next time we meet." Lion Min and the others snorted repeatedly, then rode their lions away.

Not to mention the Lion Princes, even the people from other tribes around them simply thought he was bluffing.

Zu An didn't explain further, returning to the carriage to discuss with the women.

Yan Xuehen was the first to speak: "This demon realm truly has no rules. They resort to violence at the slightest disagreement. You've offended so many people; I'm afraid you'll have trouble ahead."

Yu Yanluo, however, smiled slightly: "I don't think so. This situation is much better than we initially expected."

Yan Xuehen was taken aback: "What do you mean?"

Yu Yanluo explained: "Initially, we worried that A'Zu would face retaliation from the Demon Emperor and the Golden Crow Crown Prince upon entering the royal court, so we had to change our appearances. But what we just saw shows that the Golden Crow Crown Prince doesn't have sole dominance. The Second Prince is clearly at odds with him, and although the Little Demon Empress didn't state her position, her intervention on our behalf indicates that she's definitely not aligned with the Golden Crow Crown Prince."

"Ice-Stone Woman, the society you've experienced your whole life has been too pristine, so naturally you can't see through these petty schemes," Yun Jianyue snorted. "Actually, it's clear with a little thought: the Golden Crow Crown Prince was born to the Grand Demon Empress, while this Little Demon Empress is his stepmother. She might even be younger than the Golden Crow Crown Prince. If the Golden Crow Crown Prince truly becomes the Demon Emperor, how would she, a young empress dowager, find her place? Moreover, she has a prince of her own, one of only two legitimate sons. Although he is young, any mother would plan for her son's future."

This time, Yan Xuehen didn't refute. She knew her understanding in this regard was indeed far inferior to Yun Jianyue's. Primarily, she practiced the 'Supreme Forgetfulness' cultivation method, which emphasized keeping her mind pure and untainted, so she naturally avoided delving deeply into these interpersonal relationships that could affect her mental clarity.

Yu Yanluo praised: "Sister Yun, your analysis is excellent. Now, there are at least two forces in the royal court balancing the Golden Crow Crown Prince, so the risks we face are considerably less than initially anticipated."

"Of course, we can't be blindly optimistic. The Demon Emperor's succession ceremony is fast approaching. By then, everything will be settled. So, if these factions truly intend to contend, it will surely erupt fiercely in the coming days. We must be careful not to get inadvertently caught up in it."

As she spoke, she looked at Zu An, as if knowing he would stir up trouble.

Zu An smiled: "I'm afraid that might not be up to us. I have a premonition that ever since we arrived at the royal court, even if we don't want to, we're destined to get involved."

The women fell silent, all aware that what he said was likely to happen.

When the group was about to enter the royal city gates, the guards at the entrance began to inspect and register everyone's identity, as the upcoming ceremony was of great importance.

Zu An had, of course, already prepared a new identity. Then the soldiers asked for Yan Xuehen's and Yun Jianyue's names.

As human Grandmasters, their names were well-known among the demon realm's high-ranking figures, so they naturally couldn't use their real names. Thus, Yun Jianyue directly said: "My name is Yun Zouyan."

Yan Xuehen's eyelids twitched beside her, and she had a flash of inspiration: "My name is Yan Chouyun."

The registering soldiers looked utterly bewildered. What kind of strange names were these? So, they asked the two women to remove their veils.

Yan and Yun, being who they were, naturally refused. Just as the situation grew tense, a hearty laugh rang out: "These are my friends; I can vouch for them."

Zu An looked back and found it was none other than Kong Qing. Beside him was a woman dressed as an eerie bride—the Paper Bride.

"Ah, it's Lord Kong." Clearly, Kong Qing held a respectable position here. Seeing him, the soldiers stopped making trouble and let them pass.

After entering the city, Yu Yanluo softly said: "Thank you, Mr. Kong."

"You're too kind, Lady Yu," Kong Qing chuckled. "I specially came to welcome you. Oh, where's Brother Zu?"

Behind him, the Paper Bride couldn't help but stretch her neck to look around. Unfortunately, not seeing Zu An, she returned to her usual lifeless demeanor.

Yu Yanluo was prepared: "He returned to Cloudmidst Commandery."

Kong Qing nodded: "That's a wise choice; it's too dangerous for him to come to the royal court. Oh, I haven't seen these individuals before?"

Yu Yanluo gave a brief introduction. Kong Qing remarked with some admiration: "The Snake Tribe is indeed rich in talent."

He found he couldn't quite fathom the depths of these individuals. Did the Snake Tribe truly possess such profound reserves of power?

Since the previous Medusa Queen's incident, the Snake Tribe had fragmented. He hadn't heard of such masters among them.

"You flatter us, Mr. Kong." Yu Yanluo didn't elaborate. "I've long heard of the Peacock King's great reputation. This is a good opportunity to pay a visit."

Kong Qing gave a wry smile: "I'm afraid that might not be convenient."

"Why not?" Yu Yanluo was somewhat puzzled. If they intended to avoid them, why send him to greet them?

Kong Qing sighed: "Right now, not to mention our Peacock King, even if you wanted to see the Golden-winged Great Peng King or the Elf King, you wouldn't be able to."