Chapter 1223: Qingqiu Kingdom Lord

The shopkeeper replied, “Because the season for producing Cyanflame Flowers has already passed. Cyanflame Flowers are needed in many applications, such as making pigments, alchemy, and medicine. Various tribes have a huge demand for them and have already acquired most of the available stock. Moreover, the yield of Cyanflame Flowers isn’t particularly high, so it’s naturally hard to find a single one now.”

If it weren't for Yu Yanluo’s beauty, he wouldn't have bothered explaining so much.

At this moment, Yun Jianyue, who was nearby, suddenly asked, “I hear your Queen is a famous beauty. Is that true?”

The others' hearts stirred; they knew she was seizing the opportunity to gather information.

They knew very little about Qingqiu Kingdom at the moment. Even Yu Yanluo, having been away from the demon race for a long time, had limited knowledge.

Hearing her ask about their Queen, the shopkeeper’s eyes immediately lit up. “How could that be false? Our Queen is widely recognized as the most beautiful woman in all of Qingqiu Kingdom.”

“Could it be that everyone flatters her just because she’s the Queen?” Yun Jianyue said with a smile, deliberately provoking him to try and extract more information.

“Of course not. It’s not just our own people who say so; many visitors from other tribes sincerely praise her beauty,” the shopkeeper said. “Furthermore, she became Queen because her bloodline is the purest. The purer a fox’s bloodline, the more beautiful they are.”

“You should know that even the Demon Emperor was moved by the beauty of the previous Queen. However, due to the fox tribe’s tradition that the Queen cannot marry outside and must only take a consort, the matter was dropped. The current Queen, compared to her mother, is truly a case of the student surpassing the master.”

Zu’an was a little curious. “Then who is the current Queen’s father?”

The purer the bloodline, the more powerful one becomes. The key question is how to maintain that purity.

Surely it’s not through sibling unions, is it?

The shopkeeper shook his head. “That, I’m not clear about.”

Yun Jianyue found it strange. “You don’t even know who your Queen’s husband is?”

The shopkeeper said nonchalantly, “What’s strange about that? Among our fox tribe, women are revered. That person is merely a male concubine brought into the Queen’s harem. How could he be called a husband? A male concubine is hardly worth our extra attention.”

Zu’an’s expression was odd. He thought to himself, ‘You’re also a man, aren’t you? Yet you speak of these things as if they’re self-evident.’

Yun Jianyue, however, laughed. “Hearing you say that, I’m starting to quite like this place.”

The shopkeeper seized the opportunity and said, “Ladies, why don’t you join our Qingqiu Kingdom? With your beauty, you could marry many men at once; you’d basically have your pick.”

Although the women wore veils, their figures were graceful and alluring, and their features were as exquisite as a painting. Anyone with sight could tell they were certainly stunning beauties.

As he spoke, he leaned closer. “How about me? Don’t mind that I’m a bit ugly, but I’m very gentle, and I have a large merchant guild as dowry, enough to ensure you a lifetime of wealth and glory. You could even hire other handsome men you fancy…”

Zu’an’s eyebrows twitched. He finally couldn’t help but push the shopkeeper aside, then pulled the others away from the guild.

Yun Jianyue leaned back, laughing heartily. “Brat, are you jealous?”

Yan Xuehen, standing nearby, also blushed slightly. For some reason, she was quite pleased to see him flustered.

Yu Yanluo also smiled. “The customs of the fox tribe are indeed quite unique; it’s perfectly normal to find them hard to accept at first.”

After chatting and laughing for a while, the group began to discuss their next steps.

Yan Xuehen frowned. “Why do I have a persistent feeling that someone is deliberately leading us towards the Qingqiu Royal Palace?”

The others had the same feeling, especially recalling the divination by the chubby Taoist priest just now. They all sensed a strong undertone of conspiracy.

Yun Jianyue said, “In my opinion, rather than being led by the nose, we should just rob the goods from this guild. That would directly break the deadlock.”

Yan Xuehen glared at her angrily. “All you think about is fighting and killing, just as expected of a demonic sect sorceress.”

Given her nature, she naturally couldn’t accept such an idea.

Yun Jianyue said coldly, “This world is inherently about the strong preying on the weak. For someone who grew up in luxury like you, saying that sounds a bit like ‘Why don’t they eat cake?’”

Just as the two women seemed about to quarrel again, and Zu’an was about to intervene, a cavalry squad galloped up.

What was striking was that every cavalry member was female, with fluffy ears and gently swaying tails—all fox women.

Fox women were inherently charming, and a group of beautiful young maidens together was truly a delight to behold.

However, the most captivating was the one leading them. Unlike the others who rode horses, she rode a tall white deer.

Her eyebrows were like emerald feathers, and her skin like mutton-fat jade.

Her face was set against peach petals, and her hair coiled like golden phoenix strands.

Her autumn eyes sparkled with allure, and her slender fingers were like spring bamboo shoots, displaying a bewitching grace.

Cascading red silk ribbons floated with vibrant colors, and high-set jade and pearl hairpins gleamed brilliantly.

The group was astonished. Could any fox cavalry leader be this beautiful?

If the Queen of Qingqiu was hailed as the foremost beauty, what must *she* look like?

But what shocked them even more was that the cavalry unit stopped in front of them. The leader dismounted with an elegant flip, the jade pendants hanging from her slender waist swaying and clinking together, a truly melodious sound that made their hearts flutter in response.

The stunning woman nodded slightly to the group, then approached Yu Yanluo. “Queen Medusa, it’s not often you visit. How can I not extend my hospitality?”

Yu Yanluo’s expression showed surprise. “You are…”

The exquisite woman smiled faintly, pressing her lips together. “I forgot to introduce myself. I am Tushan Yu.”

Tushan was the royal surname of Qingqiu Kingdom, and the Queen of Qingqiu Kingdom was named Tushan Yu.

No one doubted her identity, for with such grace and charm, there could hardly be anyone else like her in all of Qingqiu Kingdom.

However, Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen were astonished. They had initially assumed the Queen of Qingqiu would be the most enchanting vixen in the entire kingdom, a captivating enchantress capable of overturning worlds. Yet, before them stood someone who seemed like a youthful, vibrant maiden.

Although she was incredibly beautiful, she didn’t exude any hint of sensuality. On the contrary, she appeared exceedingly pure, like a girl next door, even possessing an innocent shyness that involuntarily evoked feelings of tenderness.

Zu’an, however, was much more natural in his reaction, as Tushan Yu’s aura felt somewhat familiar. He had felt the same way about Daji when he met her previously.

He wondered if her innocence was genuine, or if she had already mastered her charm arts to a level nearly comparable to Daji’s.

“Yu Yanluo of the Snake Tribe.” Yu Yanluo also smiled at her. She didn’t ask why the other party recognized her; after all, this was the fox tribe’s territory.

“I’ve long heard of your esteemed name, Elder Sister. Meeting you today, you are even more beautiful than the legends say.” A flicker of admiration crossed Tushan Yu’s eyes.

“Your Majesty flatters me too much. I think it is *you* who are capable of toppling kingdoms…” Yu Yanluo also engaged in polite, reciprocal flattery.

Soon, others in the vicinity also heard the news and rushed over. Seeing several stunning beauties vying for attention, their mouths watered, and they exclaimed that the trip was well worth it.

“It’s too noisy here, Elder Sister. Why don’t you come with me to the palace for a chat?” Tushan Yu invited. “Since you’ve made the effort to visit Qingqiu Kingdom, you must allow me the chance to host you.”

With the invitation put so eloquently, Yu Yanluo found it hard to refuse. “Then I’ll trouble you.”

Tushan Yu glanced at the others. “Are they all your friends, Elder Sister? Please, they should come along too. Your friends truly are remarkably gifted individuals.”

Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue remembered the divination from the fat Taoist priest. With the sudden appearance of the Queen of Qingqiu, they wondered if the prophecy was about to be fulfilled through her.

So they all observed the eye contact between Tushan Yu and Zu’an. However, her gaze merely swept over Zu’an before moving away, as if he were just an object.

Instead, her attention was fully on the two women, whether out of astonishment at their demeanor or to ascertain their cultivation levels.

The two women suddenly recalled the shopkeeper’s words about Qingqiu Kingdom being a matriarchal society where men were subservient to women. This reaction from the Queen was perfectly normal.

After all, in human society, during gatherings of imperial nobles, no one paid much attention to the concubines accompanying them.

Thinking of this, the two couldn’t help but smile faintly. So, Zu’an was having his moment today too.