Chapter 1181: Hidden Concerns

Xingnu had her subordinates prepare clean water and towels for everyone. Soon after, she spread a layer of wool carpet in the carriage.

Various exquisite pastries and fruits were quickly arranged on the table, and the cutlery was crafted from either jade or ivory. Various precious sandalwood incense sticks were lit around them, emitting a delicate and pleasant scent. It made one feel invigorated and apparently aided cultivators in their practice.

Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue secretly exchanged glances, noting that Yu Yanluo's daily life was indeed exquisitely luxurious. Although both had high status, one originated from a Taoist sect and the other from a demonic cult; neither paid much attention to such daily life details. Compared to Yu Yanluo, the two women seemed a bit like country bumpkins in this respect. However, they also noticed Yu Yanluo's normal expression and realized she wasn't deliberately showing off, which brought them some relief.

At this moment, Xingnu heard Yu Yanluo's question and couldn't help but glance at Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue, looking troubled.

Yu Yanluo said, "They are all our own people; you can speak freely."

Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue looked peculiar. Had they heard her say this a day ago, they would likely have become hostile. However, after their recent shared combat experience and their connection to Zu An, saying this seemed perfectly acceptable.

Xingnu glanced at Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue with some surprise. As Yu Yanluo's personal maid, she naturally knew her mistress's social circle. These two women were stunningly beautiful and captivating, with exceptional temperament. If they were Yu Yanluo's friends, Xingnu would surely know them. Therefore, they could only be Zu An's friends. She quietly asked, "Are these two Master Zu's lovers?" At the same time, she was filled with admiration, thinking, "Master Zu is truly remarkable, surrounded by confidantes of this caliber. The crucial thing is that his wife shows no displeasure at all. Would any other man dare believe it?"

Yu Yanluo was startled. Fortunately, Xingnu had used a chi transmission for her voice. Yu Yanluo hastily warned, "Don't talk nonsense! Make sure you never offend these two in the future, understand?" These two were not to be trifled with. One, though a leader of the righteous path, had chased her down in a way that was still fresh in her memory. The other, needless to say, was a notorious fiend of the demonic path. She feared her clansmen, unaware of the danger, would offend the two women, and even she wouldn't be able to protect them.

Xingnu stuck out her tongue, then began to answer Yu Yanluo's previous question: "After we left the city, we came directly to this mine. But we didn't expect an anomaly to occur below. With the arrow on the string, we had no choice but to proceed, so we bravely went down. Along the way, Yu Bin and his group helped us, but unfortunately, they got lost protecting us..."

Zu An and Yu Yanluo exchanged glances, sighing softly.

Yu Yanluo took out Yu Bin's blood-stained memento and sadly said, "They have probably been killed." She then briefly recounted their discoveries along the way.

"What!" Xingnu's face turned pale, and she began to sob uncontrollably.

Yan Xuehen, standing by, remained silent. She had previously been fixated on the distinction between demons and humans, yet humans like Yu Bin had risked their lives to protect the serpent people. The serpent people's profound grief upon learning of their deaths was clearly not feigned. Had her previous convictions been wrong? Yun Jianyue, on the other hand, was considering something else. The Yu family members were full of vigor and spirit; with their cohesion, even if the Yu family temporarily collapsed, they would surely rise again before long. Helping Yu Yanluo during her current difficult phase would certainly greatly benefit the Holy Cult in the future.

Yu Yanluo patted Xingnu's head and said, "When we return, ensure their families receive generous compensation. Also, in the future, I will erect a hero's monument for these brave warriors so that all members of the Yu family will remember their sacrifice."

"Thank you, Madam," Xingnu said gratefully, wiping her tears.

Yu Yanluo sighed, "This is what I owe them; there's no need for thanks."

After the two women had calmed their emotions, Xingnu continued, "Later, our group also encountered an attack by those strange worms in the mine. Many people were killed or injured. We managed to kill one, but it was like stirring up a hornet's nest. More and more strange worms arrived. Just as we were sinking into despair, a terrified roar suddenly echoed. Those strange worms seemed to have received some summons and retreated, disappearing. That's how we escaped with our lives."

As she spoke, the other three women glared at Zu An, their expressions a mix of blame and a hint of shyness. It was clear they all realized that the death worms had retreated because Zu An had given those disgusting drugs to the mother worm, and they were all rushing back to "attend" her.

Zu An gave an embarrassed smile. "Although the process was convoluted, the outcome is generally positive, isn't it? Xingnu, since the mine has completely collapsed, we plan to follow you to the serpent tribe and detour back to the human world from there. Is there anything we should be aware of?"

Xingnu was a little surprised. She glanced at Yu Yanluo, and seeing no sign of her stopping her, she said, "The demon race and the human world are separated by the Great Snow Mountain. The Great Snow Mountain is a forbidden land of life; entering its depths means certain death, so communication can only happen through other means. There are some secret passages, such as the teleportation array between our serpent tribe and the bottom of the Yu family mine. However, such passages are extremely hidden and can only be found by chance."

Hearing her say this, Zu An was startled. No wonder the tunnel he had just walked through felt somewhat different from an ordinary mine shaft; he hadn't expected to have traversed a space-time tunnel akin to a wormhole. He looked at Yun Jianyue and Yu Yanluo, whose expressions were normal, as if they had known all along. He couldn't help but feel a little ashamed. At the time, his attention had been entirely on the heavy oppressive feeling behind him, and he hadn't carefully observed his surroundings.

Xingnu continued, "Besides those hidden passages, the public channel for communication between the demon race and the human race is through Barren City."

"Barren City?" Zu An was curious. While he had been catching up on knowledge of the Great Zhou Dynasty, he only knew roughly about the demon race and had never heard of this city.

Yu Yanluo helped explain, "Barren City is in the southeast of the demon realm, serving as a buffer zone between the demon and human races. It's also notoriously lawless. Both demons and humans who want to enter each other's territories pass through Barren City, a place where all sorts of people congregate, making it very dangerous."

At this point, Yun Jianyue added, "That's not so bad, but the bigger problem is that going from the serpent tribe to Barren City seems to require passing through the Demon Royal Court." Given her and Yan Xuehen's cultivation, even with their injuries, they should have recovered some strength by the time they reached Barren City, so they naturally wouldn't fear its dangers. However, if they had to pass through the Demon Royal Court, where experts were abundant, particularly the Demon Emperor, who was an expert on par with Zhao Hao, they couldn't defeat him even at their peak. Passing through there would be far too dangerous.

Yan Xuehen's delicate brows furrowed slightly, clearly having come to the same conclusion.

Xingnu, however, didn't understand. "What's the trouble with passing through the Royal Court? In my opinion, the biggest problem is actually within the serpent tribe itself."

"Within the serpent tribe?" Not only Zu An but also Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue were curious. Wasn't Yu Yanluo the clan leader? What trouble could there be?

Xingnu explained with a worried expression, "Although Madam possesses the Medusa bloodline and is the nominal clan leader, she has always preferred to stay among humans and rarely returns to the serpent tribe. She merely assists in managing the scarce living supplies for the serpent tribe in Yunzhong Commandery. The actual affairs here in the serpent tribe are managed by some influential elders. Over time, Madam has only held a nominal title, and the real power of the serpent tribe rests in the hands of those elders. Among the elders, Elder Bai and Elder Qing are the most powerful. They have always been ambitious. In the past, they relied on Madam for living supplies and might have outwardly obeyed. But now that Madam has lost influence in Yunzhong Commandery and returned to the serpent tribe's territory, they might harbor ill intentions."

Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen, both leaders of their respective sects, immediately understood the gravity of the situation. Yu Yanluo was clearly being undermined by the power factions below her.

When Zu An heard "Elder Bai" and "Elder Qing," his expression initially brightened. However, upon learning they were two old men, he immediately lost interest.

"When soldiers come, generals will stop them; when water comes, earth will cover it. Let's return to the tribe first," Yu Yanluo said calmly. Having just confirmed her relationship with Zu An, they were in the honeymoon phase. As long as she was with him, other troubles seemed trivial.