Chapter 1320: Words That Pierce the Heart

Ma Tian saw it and hastily bowed, "It's the Crown Prince's Golden Crow Token. Please enter, Sir Black Tooth!"

This token had been given to him by the Grand Protector Master of the Dao, who was with the Golden Crow Crown Prince, after Zu An defeated the Crown Prince in the Serpent Clan territory. It was an invitation for Zu An to visit the Royal Court.

The giver's intentions were likely not benevolent; they probably planned for the Golden Crow Crown Prince to exact revenge once Zu An arrived at the Royal Court.

Unfortunately, they never imagined Zu An would use it to enter the Imperial Palace.

On the way, Zu An had noticed that the Golden Crow Token in Yu Yanluo's hand was different from his own. He later learned that their tokens were issued by the Demon Emperor to summon tribal chiefs to the Royal Court, and had no other purpose.

In contrast, the token in Zu An's hand belonged to the Golden Crow Crown Prince, and its utility was greater.

Zu An breathed a sigh of relief, realizing his luck was quite good. He returned Ma Tian's bow and politely declined his offer to take him to see the Crown Prince.

As Ma Tian had his duties guarding the palace, he didn't insist and instead dispatched a guard to escort Zu An.

Along the way, Zu An subtly observed his surroundings. He noted that the style of the Demon Race's Imperial Palace was indeed very different from that of the Human Race. He encountered many artificial fountains and various sculptures.

These were basically images of various demon clans, seemingly designed to win the hearts of the different clans.

Zu An had no inclination to admire the scenery. He quickly used the Jade Cong to imprint a map of the surroundings into his mind. He had never been here before, and if he needed to escape later, he would certainly need to be familiar with the terrain.

On the way, he found an opportunity to ask, "By the way, I heard Princess Xue entered the palace today?"

"Yes, she did! Princess Xue is truly beautiful and so approachable. She even smiled at us when she entered the palace gates this morning," the guard said with a silly grin, seemingly still lost in the morning's pleasant memory.

Zu An was somewhat speechless. Approachable?

He found it impossible to associate that sharp-tongued girl he knew with such a word.

However, since arriving in the Demon Race territory, the information he had gathered indicated that Xue'er was indeed very popular here.

"My Xue'er," he thought, "please don't let some old monster possess you."

"But I heard she hasn't left the palace yet?" Zu An asked, feigning casualness.

"That's right. It seems the Crown Princess will be decided today," the guard replied, his face filled with envy, as if he wished he were the Crown Prince.

Zu An was burning with anxiety, but he showed no outward sign. "Oh? That makes sense. If she stays the night in the Imperial Palace, regardless of what happens, the outside world will consider her a woman of the Royal Family."

"Exactly," the guard said. "Earlier, Princess Xue paid her respects to the Demon Emperor, and then several concubines in the palace kept her talking for most of the day. Later, the Crown Prince found a way to make her stay... Heh heh, I'm afraid the deed is almost done now."

Meanwhile, in a secluded chamber within the Imperial Palace, the sound of a vase shattering echoed. A slender, graceful figure stumbled, trying to evade something; the vase had been knocked over as she dodged.

She frantically tried to open the door, but it shimmered with light, repelling her.

The young woman wore a verdant green dress, which instantly evoked a sense of nature and vibrant life.

Her hair was styled into many exquisite small braids, adorned with various beautiful ornaments and hairpins. The candlelight in the room reflected off them, truly sparkling.

Not far away, a man in luxurious attire slowly approached. Seeing the young woman's exceptionally beautiful and delicate face, truly like a fairy, his breathing quickened slightly. "Princess Xue, this residence has been specially treated. You cannot leave unless I agree."

This elegantly dressed man was, of course, the Golden Crow Crown Prince.

And the fairy-like young woman was Qiao Xueying, Princess of the Elf Clan.

At this moment, an unnatural blush spread across her normally snow-white skin. She said bitterly, "You said there was progress concerning my father and called me here to discuss it. Was the result just to drug me?"

The Golden Crow Crown Prince was not in a hurry to approach. After all, his prey was like a cooked duck unable to fly. He savored the process of gradually breaking her will and body.

"There certainly is progress," the Golden Crow Crown Prince said, watching her frightened and shy eyes, feeling a strong sense of conquest rising within him. "As long as you obediently marry me and become the Crown Princess, your father will eventually become the nation's father-in-law. How could he possibly remain imprisoned?"

"Hmph, that wretch Kong Nanwu actually ran away. Fortunately, Princess Xue is equally beautiful and captivating. I'll conquer Princess Xue first, and then bring Kong Nanwu into my chambers later. Hmph, no matter where she runs, she'll always be my woman!"

Qiao Xueying was both angry and anxious. "You, the dignified Crown Prince of the Demon Race, would stoop to such a base act!"

"Love between a man and a woman is human nature; how can it be called base?" the Golden Crow Crown Prince replied, unfazed. "What's more, both our parents have agreed to our marriage. Throughout the Demon Race, everyone already considers you the Crown Princess. Isn't it natural for us, as husband and wife, to add a little spice to our relationship?"

Qiao Xueying retorted angrily, "I haven't agreed! If they've agreed, then let them marry you!"

The Golden Crow Crown Prince scoffed, "Countless women in this world dream of marrying me. Why are you so ungrateful?"

"Wouldn't it be better if you just married those women who want to marry you?" Qiao Xueying, too, was desperate.

"I don't fancy them; I only like you," the Golden Crow Crown Prince said, meticulously admiring the young woman before him. The more he looked, the more beautiful and captivating she seemed, even comparable to the women he had seen with the Medusa Queen during his last visit to the Serpent Clan...

At this thought, his expression stiffened. "Bah! Why am I thinking about that cursed incident now? How unlucky!"

Qiao Xueying felt somewhat helpless. "What exactly do you like about me? Can't I change it?"

The Golden Crow Crown Prince's face darkened. "My patience has its limits." Qiao Xueying bit her thin lip, deciding to change the subject to buy time, although she wasn't sure if delaying would even matter. "How did you drug me? I was so careful just now."

She wasn't foolish; she wouldn't have been completely unprepared for the Golden Crow Crown Prince. Since arriving, she hadn't eaten a single thing or even drunk a sip of water, yet she had still been ensnared.

The Golden Crow Crown Prince naturally saw that she was stalling, but he didn't care because he had ample time, a whole night to enjoy slowly.

Moreover, the longer it dragged on, the more thoroughly the drug would take effect, and by then, she would be burning inside.

Thinking of this, a strange, ardent smile appeared on the Golden Crow Crown Prince's face. "Indeed, your guard is high. But while you can avoid eating and drinking, you can't stop breathing, can you?"

Qiao Xueying was startled, her gaze falling on the quietly burning candle nearby. "You put the poison in the candle?"

"Princess Xue is clever indeed, worthy of being the woman I've chosen." Seeing the blush on her skin, her originally pure and elegant demeanor now gained a touch of alluring charm.

The Golden Crow Crown Prince's breathing had already quickened; he felt he could no longer wait.

Watching him approach step by step, Qiao Xueying truly panicked. Her cultivation was already inferior to the Golden Crow Crown Prince's, and now she was poisoned. Moreover, this was his territory; there was truly nowhere to run.

She suddenly recalled a legend about the Golden Crow Crown Prince and hastily said, "Haven't you always asked why I'm unwilling to marry you?"

"Why?" Sure enough, upon hearing this, the Golden Crow Crown Prince's attention was piqued.

"Because I already have a beloved," Qiao Xueying said. Zu An's image appeared in her mind, and a pang of bitterness struck her heart. It seemed that in this life, she and he were fated to meet but not to be together.

The Golden Crow Crown Prince frowned, but looking at Qiao Xueying's alluring, rosy-cheeked appearance in the candlelight, he suppressed his displeasure. "It doesn't matter. A beautiful woman like you naturally has many admirers. But from now on, you will belong to me and me alone."

Had it been any other woman, he would have considered her impure in thought, but Princess Xue's beauty and status were enough for him to make a slight exception.

A strange expression appeared on Qiao Xueying's face. "Did you not understand what I said? I said I already have a man. We are deeply in love and have long been harmonious..."

To completely dispel his notions, she added a harsh statement: "My body has already been completely claimed by him. Don't tell me you wouldn't mind that?"

"What!" The Golden Crow Crown Prince stood frozen, as if struck by lightning out of a clear sky.