Chapter 1352: The Person in the Mirror

Fantasy Fiction

Shi Rong said, his face alight with excitement, "Third Brother, I have to question you on this. Why didn't you agree to such a proposal immediately?"

Shi Min looked back towards the Biyuan Estate. "We made enemies with Queen Medusa and her people because of Eighth Brother's matter, but apart from that, there's no irreconcilable feud between our two clans. There's no need to push things too far. Moreover, with the Second Prince and the Crown Prince currently vying for power, both are secretly trying to win us over. I'm worried that helping the Crown Prince will make us fully commit to him and thus antagonize the Second Prince."

Shi Rong snorted, "That Second Prince is despicable! At first, when he saw us having the advantage, he spoke up for us. But once he saw us losing, he immediately switched sides. How disgusting!"

Shi Min's expression darkened, "If he's unjust, then don't blame me for being unrighteous. Anyway, it's a foregone conclusion that Crown Prince Golden Crow will inherit the Demon Emperor's throne, so what if we completely side with him?"

Shi Gong, however, said with concern, "What worries me is that it will be difficult to strike a blow against the Snake Clan in the arena. The Snake Clan has been keeping a low profile for years, and their representation has been limited to the clan leader. If they don't participate in the selection, it will be hard for us to deal with them."

"Don't worry about that. According to the intelligence we just received, they're sending three clan members to participate in the election this time, including that Yan Zu and two women, who should be the two women accompanying Queen Medusa today," Shi Min replied.

Shi Rong's fists cracked as he clenched them, "Perfect! I'll cripple that brat completely then, making him regret why he was so arrogant today."

Shi Gong smiled, "Although those two women by Queen Medusa's side are rather ordinary in appearance, their figures are truly excellent. And the longer you look at them, the more they seem to possess a unique charm. I'll deal with them then."

"Are you insane from being pent up?" Shi Min chuckled. "But those two women are indeed a bit special; I just can't pinpoint what's different about them."

As they discussed how to deal with the Snake Clan, their moods immediately brightened, and the gloom they had felt earlier at the Biyuan Estate vanished completely.

Meanwhile, at the Biyuan Estate, everyone congratulated Yu Yanluo. Yu Yanluo, naturally, didn't miss this excellent opportunity to forge closer ties with the various clans.

Shang Liuyu seized the chance to approach Zu An. "Your mask is quite unique."

"What are you talking about, Princess? I don't understand," Zu An said, secretly glancing nearby. Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue, though pretending not to care, seemed to have their ears perked, paying attention to the situation.

Shang Liuyu smiled faintly, "No matter how you change your appearance, you can't get rid of that rascal aura about you."

Zu An chuckled, "You truly understand me, Sis. I never expected to see you here. Although I had some suspicions before, this is the first time I've known you're the Mermaid Princess of the Sea Clan."

"It's just a title. I rarely stay with the Sea Clan; I live among humans most of the time," Shang Liuyu said. Her expression seemed tinged with regret as she thought of something, but she quickly recovered. "I can't believe you ultimately came to the royal court despite the dangers."

"I know your previous warning was valid, but I also had compelling reasons to come," Zu An mused, wondering how he could enter the Place of the Unknown within the imperial mausoleum.

Shang Liuyu glanced at Yu Yanluo in the distance, who was the center of attention, surrounded by admirers. "Is it for her? She is indeed a very charming person, a focal point wherever she goes, whether among humans or demons."

Clearly, she had often heard of this "most beautiful woman in the capital" title even when she was among humans.

Zu An knew she had misunderstood, but he offered no explanation.

Soon, the Little Golden Peng King walked over, curious, "What are you two chatting about, Princess?"

"I was just curious how he could tell there was a divine-grade treasure inside this stone," Shang Liuyu replied, casually offering an excuse.

"Oh, now that you mention it, I'm curious too." The Little Golden Peng King's gaze fell on Zu An. Although Yu Yanluo had chosen that stone earlier, after it was cut open, even Biyuan's steward was fooled. Yet, Zu An was able to find the Hongyuan Tribulation Gold among the pile of shattered pieces. His discerning eye was truly extraordinary.

Zu An looked bewildered, "I just guessed. Maybe I just have incredible luck."

Shang Liuyu's lips curved into a slight smile.

The Little Golden Peng King was speechless.

To say this person was feigning ignorance, he then boastfully claimed to have incredible luck. For a moment, he couldn't tell if the other party was unwilling to explain or genuinely lucky.

After this interruption, Shang Liuyu returned to the other side, worried that staying by Zu An's side might bring him unnecessary trouble.

After some more time passed, Yu Yanluo bade farewell to everyone, and the group left the Biyuan Estate. Biyuan's steward personally saw them off, even hinting that if they wished to sell the Hongyuan Tribulation Gold in the future, Biyuan could offer a very generous price.

On the way back, the group discussed the matter. Zu An chuckled, "This Biyuan isn't simple either. We clearly heard the Second Prince wanted to buy it in the Immortal Calligraphy room, yet they still secretly undermined him."

Yu Yanluo replied, "Biyuan is indeed very mysterious, but for now, their attitude towards us seems friendly enough, so we don't need to worry about them for the time being. The Tiger Clan, on the other hand, seems to be making great efforts to win us over, likely because of our conflict with the Lion Clan."

"The Tiger Clan and the Lion Clan have always vied for the title of Beast King, but unfortunately, neither is willing to submit to the other. Their strength is currently quite evenly matched, so it's probably hard for either to achieve a decisive victory," Zu An analyzed. "We can foster good relations with the Tiger Clan, but we shouldn't allow them to use us as a pawn to confront the Lion Clan."

Yu Yanluo nodded slightly; she had thought the same.

"Compared to Biyuan and the Tiger Clan, I'm more curious about how you knew there was a treasure in that seemingly worthless stone," Yun Jianyue said, clearly frustrated. "Yan Xuehen had clearly said at first that she would ask directly, but she'd been pretending to be dead all this time, keeping silent, making my blood pressure rise from impatience. So I might as well ask myself."

"That icy woman still can't change her annoying habit; how hypocritical!"

Just as Zu An was about to speak, Yan Xuehen preempted him, "We don't want to hear anything about your 'incredible luck' or anything like that."

"I really am a Son of Fortune, you know," Zu An chuckled awkwardly. "Don't worry, those were just excuses for outsiders. You're all insiders; I wouldn't hide anything from you."

"Insiders..." Hearing this address, the three women had different thoughts.

Yu Yanluo took it as a matter of course. Yan Xuehen's heart skipped a beat, and a faint blush colored her cheeks, but she tried hard not to show it. Yun Jianyue would normally have felt quite natural about it, but ever since Zu An had seen her most intimate side last time, she always felt an inexplicable sense of unease.

Zu An didn't notice their subtle reactions and continued, "The 'Profound Elucidation of Heavenly Marrow' (Di Tian Sui Chan Wei) I obtained from the Marquis Sui's Tomb primarily studies the grand forces of heaven and earth, and naturally, it also describes how to discern stones. After all, these stones are products of the earth's veins."

"According to the records in it, once one cultivates to the profoundest level, they can easily locate primeval stone veins within vast mountains, let alone see through an ordinary unpolished stone."

"Of course, my cultivation isn't high enough yet. I can only vaguely sense that there's something unusual about a stone. The reason I could confirm there was a treasure inside was thanks to this."

As he spoke, he took out a bronze mirror.

The bronze mirror was exquisitely crafted and unique. Yun Jianyue smiled faintly, "And which lady gave you this as a token of love?"

Noticing Yu Yanluo and Yun Jianyue staring intently at him, Zu An's heart skipped a beat. "Don't just make assumptions, Sister. This item is called the 'Qin King's Heart-Illuminating Mirror.' I obtained it from a Place of the Unknown. Legend has it that the Qin King used it to reflect his ministers, revealing whether they were loyal or not. It doesn't have such an incredible ability now, but it seems capable of revealing the contents of unpolished stones, which I only recently discovered."

"That amazing?" Hearing that it came from a Place of the Unknown, the three women immediately grew interested and crowded closer to examine it.

To their surprise, the mirror revealed three peerless beauties—and the crucial point was that they were completely unclothed!