Chapter 1310: Great and Small Demon Queens

The man looked refined, but when he opened his mouth, his teeth were surprisingly black, giving off a sinister aura.

Zu'an frowned; he could already sense the man's unfriendly attitude towards them from just a few words.

Given Yu Yanluo's peerless beauty, men typically reacted with unconscious kindness towards her, hoping to leave a good impression.

Such an attitude could only signify a pre-existing animosity between them.

The man was young, yet held a position like Zongzheng, clearly indicating a powerful family background. "Wait," Zu'an thought, "Zongzheng? The official who manages the imperial clan members?"

Just then, Star Slave's spiritual voice transmission reached Zu'an's ear: "This Zongzheng is called Hei Chi Ran. His father is the current Grand Minister of Works, Hei Chi Fei. Additionally, he is the current Imperial Uncle, as his sister is the Demon Emperor's original wife, the Great Demon Empress, and the Crown Prince is her son."

Zu'an realized, 'No wonder.' He had defeated the Golden Crow Crown Prince earlier, which severely damaged the Crown Prince's reputation. How could the Crown Prince's maternal relatives not bear a grudge?

Yu Yanluo was clearly implicated because of him.

"Wait," he mused, "if there's a Great Demon Empress, does that mean there's also a Lesser Demon Empress?"

However, the current situation wasn't conducive to asking further questions.

Hei Chi Ran casually surveyed them, then stated coldly, "The Demon Emperor has decreed that private fights between clans are forbidden during the assembly. You have openly violated this. Guards, seize them and throw them into prison to await judgment."

"Yes, sir!" As he spoke, the Golden Crow Guards stepped forward, preparing to seize them.

Zu'an said in a deep voice, "Your Excellency, you haven't even asked a single question. Apprehending people indiscriminately right away hardly seems justifiable."

"Who are you?" Hei Chi Ran squinted at him, his mouth full of black teeth looking particularly offensive.

'No wonder his surname is 'Black Teeth',' Zu'an thought. 'How fitting.'

The Lion Clan members nearby chuckled, "It seems he's some 'Big Stick General' under Queen Medusa."

Hei Chi Ran snorted coldly. Due to his official position, he had some knowledge of important titles within various clans and had never heard of any "Big Stick General." It was clearly an irregular title, so he naturally dismissed it. "Anyone can just call themselves a general these days," he sneered. "This is a conversation for high-ranking officials like us; where do you get off interrupting?"

Zu'an's expression turned cold. This fellow truly deserved a beating. He had dared to strike even the Golden Crow Crown Prince, let alone this insignificant Zongzheng.

Just as he was about to retaliate, another troop of cavalry suddenly galloped from a distance. "Where is the scoundrel who injured my elder brother?" a voice boomed. "Do you dare to fight me!"

No sooner had the words been spoken than the cavalry troop galloped into view. Unlike Hei Chi Ran's resplendent golden armor, this troop wore dark armor and exuded a strong aura of ferocity, clearly developed from years of battle experience.

The leader wore a voluminous black cape embroidered with black and gold crows. He stood eight feet tall, looked majestic and resolute, with an imposing bearing. Sitting atop his tall warhorse, his presence was even more extraordinary.

Zu'an's expression grew serious. This man's aura was extremely powerful; he was already at the Grandmaster stage, and in no way inferior to the Golden Crow Crown Prince Zu'an had previously encountered.

The knowledge he had received among humans always stated that the demon race was in decline and no longer a significant force. Yet, in the demon realm, he saw that the younger generation was proving to be exceptionally talented, one after another. Although Grandmasters Yan and Yun had explained that their strength came from bloodline inheritance, limiting the total number of experts, his personal experience suggested their numbers were far from few. He wondered if they would become a great disaster for humanity in the future.

Upon seeing this group, Hei Chi Ran's expression changed slightly, though he quickly concealed it. "Why has the Second Prince come?" he asked.

Zu'an's heart stirred. The Second Prince – this was the Golden Crow Crown Prince's younger brother. He had certainly accumulated many enemies. First, the Lion Clan came seeking revenge for their brother, and now the Golden Crow's younger brother was here to avenge his elder brother?

The Golden Crow Second Prince said in a deep voice, "I heard the Snake Clan's delegation has arrived at the imperial court, so naturally, I had to come and see which human could defeat my elder brother, the Crown Prince. I believe that human probably used some trickery or scheme. As his younger brother, I will defeat him and avenge my elder brother."

Hei Chi Ran's eyelids twitched. Although this fellow kept claiming he was seeking revenge for his elder brother, his loud voice and every word were emphasizing to others that the Crown Prince had been defeated by a human.

The Crown Prince couldn't win, but he came and claimed victory. To put it nicely, it was brotherly affection and respect, but anyone familiar with the imperial court's politics knew well that this was simply an attempt to step on the Crown Prince to build his own reputation.

So Hei Chi Ran replied with a less than pleasant tone, "The Second Prince doesn't need to trouble himself with this. I just inquired, and that human has already returned to human society."

Sensing the tone of both parties, Zu'an thought, 'It seems I misunderstood. These two sides don't have a good relationship at all.'

"He actually went back?" The Golden Crow Second Prince was greatly disappointed. "That's right, after defeating Crown Prince, how would he dare come to the imperial court to die? Hahaha~"

Leaving a string of arrogant laughter, he galloped with his cavalry towards the city. It seemed that with the person who defeated the Golden Crow Crown Prince absent, no one here, combined, could spark his interest.

Hei Chi Ran's face darkened, almost turning as black as his teeth.

He roared angrily, "What are you all staring at? Seize them!"

"Yes, sir!" As if startled awake, the Golden Crow Guards immediately lunged towards the Snake Clan members.

The Snake Clan's guards drew their weapons, preparing to resist. However, the disparity in strength between the two sides was vast, and they were in the imperial court. If a real conflict broke out, probably none of them would survive.

At this moment, Zu'an directly stepped in front of everyone and let out a loud roar: "Who dares?"

This loud roar was like a sudden clap of thunder, causing the Golden Crow Guards to turn pale and many of their mounts to rear up in fright. The scene immediately devolved into chaos.

Lion Min and his brothers exchanged confused glances. 'How is this guy's roar so similar to our royal clan's unique skill, the Lion's Roar?' they wondered.

But how could this be possible? Few in the Lion Clan were even qualified to learn it.

Seeing this, Hei Chi Ran said grimly, "What? Do you intend to resist arrest?"

Yu Yanluo stepped forward and said calmly, revealing a Golden Crow Token: "As a clan leader, I was invited by the Demon Emperor and came to attend the assembly, holding this Golden Crow Token. Yet, before even entering the imperial court, I'm to be arrested and imprisoned. Is the Demon Emperor inviting us clan leaders here for an assembly, or is he using this as a pretext to round up all of us?"

They were now close to the imperial court, and other clan leaders or representatives from smaller clans were passing by. Hearing this, they all echoed her sentiments, feeling a sense of unease for themselves.

Seeing the aroused public sentiment, Hei Chi Ran's expression changed, and he worried about causing a major incident. He quickly said, "Don't spread alarmist rumors. It's a fact that you injured someone just now, and you have indeed violated the Demon Emperor's decree. Therefore, we request you return for investigation. As for whether you are guilty, the Demon Emperor will judge. What? Are you questioning the Demon Emperor's wisdom?"

In his heart, he sneered, 'If they're truly arrested, I'll just detain them for a while first. The Demon Emperor is busy with myriad affairs; how could he concern himself with such a minor matter?'

Yu Yanluo had managed a large clan for many years and was accustomed to the treacherous tactics of officialdom. How could she be easily fooled? "We naturally wouldn't dare to question the Demon Emperor's wisdom," she said. "However, the Demon Emperor appoints so many officials precisely to share his burdens. If the Demon Emperor had to personally inquire about every matter, I'm afraid he might blame Your Excellency for dereliction of duty."

Hei Chi Ran's face was grim. 'This vixen truly has a sharp tongue,' he thought.

Yu Yanluo did not give him a chance to argue and continued, "Who was it that struck first just now? There are many people passing by here; Your Excellency can verify that."

At this, Lion Min, who was nearby, said coldly, "Of course, you were the ones who struck first, weren't you?"

After speaking, his sharp gaze swept around, and an oppressive aura directly spread out.

The people from the smaller clans instantly fell silent, as if frozen. Who would dare to risk offending the powerful Lion Clan to speak up for justice?

Yu Yanluo's delicate brows furrowed. This was indeed a bit troublesome.

Zu'an let out a laugh. "Using a Grandmaster's power to intimidate others," he scoffed, "as if anyone couldn't do the same."

As he spoke, an equally powerful oppressive aura spread out, even more terrifying than Lion Min's.

Now, not only the Lion Clan princes but even Hei Chi Ran's expression changed. 'When did the Snake Clan become so powerful?' he wondered. 'An irregular general under them actually has Grandmaster cultivation.'

If the man's appearance and even cultivation hadn't been different from what the Golden Crow Crown Prince had described, Hei Chi Ran would have even suspected that this fellow was the one who defeated the Crown Prince.

Just as the two sides were in a standoff, a chime of jade ornaments and wind bells sounded, and a refreshing fragrance permeated the air.

Several exotic beasts pulled a magnificent perfumed carriage past, accompanied by numerous eunuchs and palace maids. The outer perimeter was guarded by elite Golden Crow Guards, vigilantly watching for potential dangers.

A gentle breeze swept by, and the light gauze around the carriage danced, as if stirring one's heartstrings.

Around the carriage roof were various pearl curtains and bells, and the pleasant music just now came from these small ornaments.

And through the dancing gauze, a graceful and enchanting silhouette could faintly be seen seated within the carriage.

Upon seeing this carriage, a group of people dismounted. Hei Chi Ran led them in bowing and exclaimed, "Greetings, Lesser Demon Empress!"