Chapter 1318: Worry

"Why did the Elf King get into trouble?" Yu Yanluo asked curiously.

Kong Qing sighed, "Immense glory can turn into immense disaster if one is not careful. Normally, being favored by the Golden Crow Crown Prince and chosen to be his consort, eventually becoming the Demon Empress, is something countless demon maidens dream of. But here's the strange part: our county princess doesn't like being the Crown Princess, and Princess Xue likewise refused directly."

"Being rejected repeatedly, not only did the Golden Crow Crown Prince lose face, but even the Demon Emperor couldn't maintain his composure. They even suspected these families of disloyalty. So, they used the Elf King's recent defeat in battle against the human race as an excuse to imprison him. However, anyone with sense can see that occasional battlefield losses are common, and it's completely unreasonable for someone of the Elf King's status to be jailed. It must be because of Princess Xue's matter; they're using this as a pretext to force her compliance."

Zu'an was filled with worry. He hadn't expected that Xue'er would face such a difficult situation upon returning to the demon race, torn between her lifelong happiness and her father. How could she possibly choose?

At that moment, Yu Yanluo let out a sound of surprise. "Was that when Duke Cheng Qin Zheng led a large army? I heard when I was among humans that the demon race massacred a border city, which enraged the imperial court, prompting them to send Duke Cheng's army to attack."

Kong Qing snorted, "Humans are always cunning and insidious, constantly creating trouble with excuses. This alleged massacre was completely fabricated. As far as I know, the demon race didn't do it; the humans simply used it as a pretext to invade our lands."

Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue frowned, clearly displeased with his condemnation of humans and skeptical of his words. The millennia-long hatred between the demon and human races was no joke, and it was common for them to slander each other, so his statement might not be true.

Only Zu'an felt a stir in his heart, a guess forming, but he immediately dismissed it, thinking it too sensational to be true.

Yu Yanluo smiled, clearly unwilling to argue the point with him. "By the way, what's the situation like in the Royal Court now?"

Xing Nu had indeed gathered some intelligence, but due to her identity and the distance, she could only collect superficial information. The specifics of the Royal Court's situation were better known by those native to it.

Whether it was due to the Jade family's past business relationship or out of respect for Zu'an, Kong Qing didn't hold back, answering directly: "You've already learned about the situation with the three Great Kings. The next few major powers include the Golden Crow Crown Prince's faction, the Royal Uncle Hei Chi Fei, and the Grand Steward Hei Chi Ran, who troubled you earlier – he's a direct descendant of this faction."

"Besides the Hei Chi father and son, you also need to be wary of others in the Royal Court these days: General of the Left Guard Ma Tian, a master from the Horse tribe; General of the Right Guard Niu Dao, a Minotaur master..."

"Minotaur tribe?" Zu'an was surprised. So, that race really existed.

"Yes, what about Minotaurs?" Kong Qing asked, puzzled.

"Nothing," Zu'an replied with an awkward laugh. He couldn't very well explain to Kong Qing the concept of "pure love advocates" slaying Minotaurs one by one.

Kong Qing suppressed his curiosity and continued, "In addition, there are several Golden Crow royal family members: King Changsheng Wu Sheng, King Anyi Wu Pei, and King Jiuyang Wu Chengdu, who all serve concurrently as Martial Guard Generals. They each command the Golden Crow Guards and collectively assist the Crown Prince. So, it's best to avoid them in advance if you encounter them, lest they cause trouble for you on the Crown Prince's behalf."

Having warred for millennia, humans and demons had learned from each other's strengths, and various aspects of their cultures were merging. Thus, the general structure of their official positions was quite similar.

Zu'an couldn't help but inwardly grumble about how casually the demon race named their kings. But then he remembered his own "Phoenix Man" status, his "green hat" incident, and now being "Grand-uncle Ji," and he suddenly lost the courage to mock them.

Kong Qing unhooked his water flask, cleared his throat, and continued, "Aside from the Crown Prince's faction, there's also the Second Prince's faction. Although the Second Prince is of illegitimate birth, his cultivation is profound, and he is exceptionally skilled in warfare, earning him the reputation as one of the Four Great Demon Generals."

"The Four Great Demon Generals?" Zu'an paused.

Kong Qing thought to himself, 'How does this fellow not even know such basic common knowledge? It seems the Snake tribe truly has declined severely since the last Medusa Queen met her fate and the tribe disintegrated.' He then explained, "The Four Great Demon Generals refer to the Second Prince, the Young Golden-Winged Peng King, the Scorpion King, and the Flying Leopard King. Not only are their individual cultivations unfathomable, but they are also skilled in leading armies, having made immense contributions in battles against the human race over the years."

"Currently, the Scorpion King is engaged in battle with humans on the front lines, and the Flying Leopard King guards the frontier. The Second Prince and the Young Golden-Winged Peng King remain in the capital. Each of them commands a powerful army loyal to them, so even if there's discord between the Second Prince and the Golden Crow Crown Prince, the Crown Prince cannot harm him."

Yan Xuehen frowned, "Do these 'kings' not have specific names?"

Kong Qing cast a suspicious glance at her but still explained, "The demon race is different from humans. Among demons, those with more distinguished statuses are often referred to by their titles, and everyone takes pride in this. After all, gaining universal recognition for a title proves you are powerful enough to command respect and obedience."

Zu'an realized, 'No wonder the rage points I received earlier didn't show specific names. So, that's the reason.'

"Additionally, there's another faction led by the Young Demon Empress. The Young Prince, as the Grand General of the Army, is also responsible for overseeing the Royal Court and its officials. Unfortunately, the Young Prince is too young. Although the Young Demon Empress is skillful, many believe she gained her position through seduction and don't truly recognize her."

"Of course, there are also the Devil, Dragon, Sea, and Beast races, whose statuses are highly respected. However, their main power bases are in the provinces; they are merely temporary visitors in the capital..."

Yu Yanluo expressed her gratitude, "Thank you, Mr. Kong, for clearing things up. Otherwise, we would have been completely in the dark."

"You overstate it, Madam. Our two clans have always been on good terms, not to mention the connection with Young Master Zu," Kong Qing smiled. "The Royal Court is in turbulent times now, and it's always better to have another friend than an enemy."

Hearing his implied meaning, Yu Yanluo's heart stirred. Even the Peacock royal clan felt a strong sense of crisis, indicating that the Royal Court was indeed a treacherous place now.

"Madam, why not stay temporarily at our Peacock clan's detached residence?" Kong Qing invited.

"No need. The Snake tribe also has a small property in the Royal City," Yu Yanluo refused with a smile. If they were to stay at the Peacock clan's estate, it might lead others to mistakenly believe they had pledged allegiance to the Peacock King, affecting their independence in future dealings with other clans.

"Then I'll escort you there. The Royal Court is quite large, and it's easy for newcomers to get lost," Kong Qing didn't insist, apparently having guessed the implications.

"Thank you for your trouble, Mr. Kong," Yu Yanluo bowed slightly.

Next, Xing Nu provided an address, and Kong Qing led them to the location.

Upon reaching their destination, they found that although it was located in a prosperous area, the courtyard was remarkably dilapidated, strewn with dead branches and fallen leaves, and covered in a considerable amount of snow. Only one or two elderly Snake tribe servants were there, drowsily asleep.

"Please excuse the state of things, Mr. Kong," Yu Yanluo said, feeling a little embarrassed. After her mother's accident, she hadn't returned to the Snake tribe, which had led to its decline despite being a major clan. She hadn't expected their office in the Royal City to be so dilapidated.

Not only had she lost face in front of the Peacock clan, but she had also become a laughingstock to Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue. She wasn't worried about Zu'an, knowing he wouldn't mind such things, but she didn't want to appear weak in front of those two women.

"You overstate it, Madam. With your return, the Snake tribe is sure to be revitalized. I'll arrange for some people to come over shortly to clean and organize the place, and bring some daily necessities as well." Kong Qing chatted with them for a little longer before standing up to take his leave, not wishing to disturb their peace.

After seeing Kong Qing and his retinue off, Yun Jianyue remarked, "This Kong Qing is quite a shrewd and adaptable person."

"Otherwise, he wouldn't have been sent to Yunzhong Commandery to manage affairs there," Yu Yanluo said.

Yan Xuehen frowned slightly. "Judging by his enthusiasm, your Jade family must have taken good care of him back in Yunzhong Commandery."

Yu Yanluo knew that Yan Xuehen's strong sense of integrity made her dislike such interactions with the demon race, so she explained, "He had very little direct contact with the Jade family back then; it was mainly through connections with the Jian family. After all, the Duke and I were nominally husband and wife, so he was simply being friendly to me because of that. However, more than that connection, I think his enthusiasm is largely due to A'Zu."

Seeing the three women's gazes turn to him, Zu'an gave an awkward smile. "Kong Nanwu and I only met once..."

He briefly recounted their encounter in the capital. "In my opinion, his friendliness is likely because we severely beat the Golden Crow Crown Prince earlier, which forced the Peacock King to resign. Their clan must harbor some resentment about that."

"That's very possible," the women nodded, accepting his explanation. After all, no matter how they thought about it, he couldn't possibly be so charming as to make a Peacock Princess throw herself at him.

Later, finding an excuse, Zu'an went out alone. Having just heard Kong Qing's description, he was very worried about Xue'er's current situation.

The Elf King's Mansion was not difficult to find. Zu'an asked the doorkeeper to inform Princess Xue that an old friend of Mingyue was visiting. The doorkeeper didn't make things difficult for him but instead said, "You've come at a bad time. Princess Xue was invited into the palace early this morning and hasn't returned yet."

"Still not back?" Zu'an looked towards the horizon. The evening glow was fading, and darkness was setting in. Why hadn't she returned?