Chapter 1332: Crown Princess

"I couldn't help it; her charm was too strong," Zu An replied casually. Sensing the subtle anger in the three women's eyes, he quickly corrected himself, "She once saved my life, so naturally, I had to save her too."

"A life debt?" Yun Jianyue asked, her face full of suspicion. She couldn't possibly imagine a connection between Zu An and the Elf Princess.

"Actually, Sister Yan should know this Princess Xue," Zu An explained.

"I know her?" Yan Xuehen was taken aback, a bewildered expression on her face.

"She used to be a maid in Chu Yan's home in Brightmoon City, sent as an undercover agent by the Shi family in the capital..." Zu An briefly recounted the events from back then.

"So it was her," Yan Xuehen nodded slightly, recalling her disciple mentioning her before.

Upon hearing this, Yun Jianyue instead praised, "That young girl is truly both wise and brave. At such a young age, she endured humiliation among humans and ultimately succeeded in rescuing her people. If I had met her earlier, I would have taken her as my disciple."

"You were hiding in the palace all last night? With the Demon Emperor there, how were you not discovered?" Yu Yanluo was more concerned about this.

"Speaking of which, we have the Junior Demon Empress to thank. Our previous judgment of her was correct; she truly isn't on the Crown Prince's side..." Zu An briefly explained how the Junior Demon Empress saved them.

"You stayed a night in the Junior Demon Empress's bedchamber?" The three women's expressions turned peculiar, thinking how this guy seemed to attract romantic entanglements everywhere he went.

"Cough, cough, she just wanted to deal with the Crown Prince," Zu An had to explain.

The three women didn't think much of it, considering the Junior Demon Empress's status. Soon, they moved on to the recent events. Yu Yanluo said, "Thanks to your friends' help just now, otherwise I might have been taken in for questioning."

"I just said I had good connections, and you didn't believe me," Zu An chuckled, then continued, "Now that various clans have gathered in the Royal Court, and with the successive incidents involving the Great Golden Roc King, the Elf King, and the Peacock Bright King, every clan is feeling insecure. The situation is extremely tense, and the Crown Prince's faction doesn't dare to act rashly."

"The Royal Court may seem calm, but beneath the surface, there are surging waves," Yu Yanluo said with a solemn expression. "Oh, before you returned, our various clans were actually discussing the Myriad Clans Assembly in three days."

"Myriad Clans Assembly?" Zu An was momentarily stunned.

Yu Yanluo explained, "The demon race has numerous subordinate clans, and this time, for the first time ever, all clans have been invited. They are definitely holding a meeting, and besides some superficial proceedings, the most practical outcome will be the selection of representative seats for each clan."

"Representative seats?" Yan Xuehen was somewhat puzzled.

Yun Jianyue, however, was quite knowledgeable about these matters: "Although the Demon Emperor holds supreme power, he doesn't manage every single detail. Daily affairs and policies between clans are often proposed and voted on by the clan representatives. Stronger clans have more representative seats, while weaker ones often only have one. Many times, winning over the representatives of various clans is a very important matter, just like when Yu Yanluo invited people from those small and medium-sized clans to consult; it was actually part of the effort to win them over."

Yu Yanluo nodded, "Exactly. The leader of each clan automatically gets one representative seat. Any additional seats must be earned, with a maximum of three more. At its peak, the Snake Clan had three seats, but unfortunately, after my mother's incident, the Snake Clan declined significantly. Now, it only nominally retains one seat, and thus has little say in the internal affairs of the demon race."

"Earn them yourself, but how?" Zu An asked curiously.

"Among the demon race, strength is naturally paramount. Each time the Demon Emperor is replaced, the representative slots are re-contested. Those confident enough to contend for a slot can sign up. Many weaker clans, knowing they have no chance, simply don't participate. Of course, it's not impossible for one or two geniuses to occasionally emerge, but in most cases, the struggle for representative slots is a game played by the various powerful clans."

Zu An's expression turned strange. "Since it's such a coincidence, then sign me up too. I'll help you win a spot."

Yu Yanluo looked worried. "These are troubled times, and the Golden Crow Guards are searching for you everywhere. It's better not to."

"Precisely because they're searching for me all over the world, I must do the opposite," Zu An replied. "No one will expect me to appear so openly, and this will also solidify my identity as Yan Zu."

"That's an excellent plan," Yun Jianyue clapped her hands and laughed. "Then sign me up too; I'll also help you win a representative seat. Oh, and sign up the Ice Stone Woman as well."

Yan Xuehen was somewhat taken aback. "Aren't you afraid of lowering your status by participating in such a competition?"

"Our Holy Cult values practical benefits, not so many formalities," Yun Jianyue snorted. "Sister Yu has taken good care of me recently. I've always been clear about favors and grievances, and I never owe anyone. I'll repay her with this."

Zu An, standing nearby, quietly remarked, "Sister, you seem to owe me quite a few favors too."

"Get away from me..." Yun Jianyue pushed him aside. What would normally be a casual interaction suddenly made her cheeks flush as she recalled the time he saw her most secret side.

Yan Xuehen, the only one aware of the situation, thought to herself, *So this demoness has her day too. I remember how badly she tormented me back then; I couldn't sleep for days.*

"Demoness, what you said makes sense. Count me in too. It'll be a good opportunity to witness the prowess of these demon experts."

Yu Yanluo naturally tried to decline, but unable to resist their enthusiasm, she had to agree. For a moment, she felt dizzy, thinking of two Grandmasters and a Master with explosive combat power helping her secure representative seats. She couldn't help but feel sorry for their opponents.

Meanwhile, the Elf King's Mansion was in an uproar because Princess Xue had returned!

Several elders immediately convened a secret meeting in the assembly hall. All seven elders were present, except for Qiao Wei who was out, and all unauthorized personnel were strictly forbidden from approaching.

"Princess Xue, where did you go last night, and what exactly happened?" an elder quickly inquired.

"Yesterday, I was in the imperial palace, preparing to leave, but the Crown Prince invited me to discuss matters concerning my father. I followed him, but who knew he would act worse than a beast..." Qiao Xueying recounted the events of yesterday, sobbing as she spoke.

While a different story could be told to outsiders, it was necessary to tell the truth to the core power structure of the elf clan, lest false information mislead them into making incorrect judgments.

Xue'er was already delicate and pitiful, and her tearful sobbing was heartbreaking to witness. Many elders cursed furiously, "This is outrageous! Who would have thought the dignified Demon Crown Prince would be so depraved!"

"It was already too much to imprison the Elf King under false pretenses before, but to be so utterly without scruples this time is beyond imagination!"

"The royal family is truly degenerating with each generation. If someone like this ascends to power, the demon race will surely be ruined under his rule!"

The group indignantly cursed for a long time. A female elder, holding Qiao Xueying and continuously comforting her, finally found a moment to ask, "Xue'er, how did you get out of the palace? And how was the poison on you removed?"

As soon as she spoke, everyone looked towards Qiao Xueying.

Xue'er wiped away her tears and replied, "At a critical moment yesterday, a mysterious person suddenly appeared and tried to assassinate the Crown Prince. After being intercepted by the experts around the Crown Prince, he took the opportunity to abduct me. Later, I vaguely lost consciousness and only woke up this morning, near the Elf King's Mansion."

The elders were all greatly alarmed. "Did that assassin then take advantage of you?"

Xue'er's face flushed. "Elders, what are you thinking? No one took advantage of me. I don't know how he managed to remove the poison from my body either."

Seeing no trace of sorrow on her face, unlike a maiden who had just been defiled, the elders believed her words.

The elders began to discuss:

"Who exactly was that assassin, and why did he save Princess Xue?"

"Could it be an old friend of the Elf King?"

"But the Elf King's friends would have no reason to assassinate the Crown Prince."

At this point, another elder, frowning, said, "More than these concerns, I worry about the imperial palace finding out about Princess Xue's return and associating our elf clan with the assassin."

The elders fell silent, each growing worried.

The female elder, however, cursed, "Why are you all being cowards? It's Xue'er who was clearly wronged this time. If anyone should settle scores, it's us with the Crown Prince, not them accusing us! Just relay what Xue'er just said to the palace and demand an explanation from the Crown Prince. We are the dignified Elf Royal Clan, not pushovers to be slaughtered at will."

Although some still held dissenting opinions, this view gained majority approval, and the Elf King's Mansion quickly took action.

Xue'er was somewhat surprised, thinking that everything had indeed unfolded as the Junior Demon Empress predicted. That woman's insight into human nature was simply terrifying.

Meanwhile, Elder Wu hurriedly returned to the imperial palace. As soon as he entered, he saw the Crown Prince furiously smash a medicine bowl on the ground.

Elder Wu frowned. "Crown Prince, what has made you so angry?"

The Golden Crow Crown Prince's face was ashen. "I just received intelligence that Princess Xue has returned to the Elf King's Mansion, and people from the Elf King's Mansion have even sent someone to demand an explanation!"

"What?" Elder Wu was startled. "How dare they? And what about the assassin's whereabouts?"

"Princess Xue claims she was unconscious and knows nothing, and that it was already morning when she woke up..." The Golden Crow Crown Prince briefly recounted their statement. "That slut definitely didn't tell the truth. She must have been defiled last night, but I, the Crown Prince, can't make a fuss about it. It's infuriating!"

Elder Wu let out a sigh of relief. It seemed the Crown Prince hadn't completely lost his mind in anger; otherwise, if yesterday's events became public, it would certainly be a huge scandal for the royal family, potentially even leading to a complete rupture between the Golden Crow and Elf clans.

"This woman is no longer pure; she is unworthy of being my Crown Princess," the Golden Crow Crown Prince gritted his teeth. "Find a way to inform the Peacock Royal Clan, and have Kong Nanwu return to me. She will be my Crown Princess. Also, send some experts to the human realm to escort her, and do not allow any man to come near her."

Truly, once bitten by a snake, one fears a rope for ten years. He had to ensure his people kept a close watch to guarantee Kong Nanwu's purity.

Elder Wu nodded. "Understood!"

The Golden Crow Crown Prince stood up. "Has Queen Medusa been captured? I'm brimming with perverse anger right now, and I'll vent it all out on her!"