Chapter 1313: Worries

"Why did the Elf King get into trouble?" Yu Yanluo asked curiously.

Kong Qing sighed. "A tremendous honor can turn into a terrible disaster if one is not careful. Being favored by the Golden Crow Crown Prince, chosen to be his consort, and eventually the Demon Empress—that's a dream for countless demon girls. But here's the strange part: our princess, and Princess Xue too, did not like the idea of being the Crown Prince's consort and flat-out refused."

"Being rejected repeatedly was not just a blow to the Golden Crow Crown Prince's pride, but also to the Demon Emperor's. It even made them suspect these families of disloyalty. So, they used the Elf King's recent defeat in battle against the human race as an excuse to imprison him. However, anyone with an ounce of sense can see that occasional battlefield losses are common. It's completely unreasonable for someone of the Elf King's standing to be imprisoned for such a reason. It must be about Princess Xue, a pretext to force him into submission."

Zu An was filled with worry. He hadn't expected Xue'er to face such a difficult situation upon returning to the demon race. How could she choose between her lifelong happiness and her father?

Just then, Yu Yanluo exclaimed, "Was that when Duke Cheng Qin Zheng led a large army? I heard when I was among humans that the demon race had massacred a border city, which enraged the imperial court, prompting them to dispatch Duke Cheng's army."

Kong Qing snorted. "Humans have always been cunning and insidious, always fabricating excuses for trouble. This talk of a massacre is completely baseless. As far as I know, the demon race wasn't responsible; humans simply used it as a pretext to invade our lands."

Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue frowned, clearly displeased with his criticism of humans and unconvinced by his words. The millennia-long animosity between the demon and human races was no laughing matter, and mutual mud-slinging was commonplace. So, his claims might not be true.

Only Zu An felt a stir in his heart, pondering a guess, but immediately dismissed it. Such a thought was simply too shocking.

Yu Yanluo smiled, clearly not wanting to debate the matter with him. "By the way, what's the situation like in the Royal Court now?"

Xing Nu had indeed gathered some intelligence, but due to her identity and the distance, she could only collect superficial information. The specifics of the Royal Court's situation were best known by those native to it.

Whether out of deference to the Yu family's past business ties or for Zu An's sake, Kong Qing did not hold back. He answered directly, "You already know the situation with the Three Great Kings. The next few major powers are the Golden Crow Crown Prince's faction, the Royal Uncle Hei Chi Fei, and Hei Chi Ran, the Clan Elder who troubled you earlier, who is a direct descendant of this faction."

"Besides Hei Chi and his son, you should also be wary of others in the Royal Court these days: General of the Left Guard Ma Tian, a master of the Horse Tribe; General of the Right Guard Niu Dao, a master of the Minotaur Tribe..."

"Minotaur Tribe?" Zu An was startled. So, such a race really existed.

"Yes, what about minotaurs?" Kong Qing asked, puzzled.

"Nothing," Zu An chuckled awkwardly. He certainly couldn't explain to him what a 'pure love party' slicing 'minotaurs' meant.

Kong Qing suppressed his confusion and continued, "Furthermore, there are several Golden Crow royals: Prosperous King Wu Sheng, Leisure King Wu Pei, and Nine Suns King Wu Chengdu, all serving as Martial-Guard Generals. They each command the Golden Crow Guards and collectively assist the Crown Prince. So, it's best to avoid them in advance, lest they cause trouble for you to support the Crown Prince."

Humans and demons had been at war for a thousand years, learning from each other's strengths, and integrating various aspects. Thus, their governmental structures were largely similar.

Zu An couldn't help but inwardly grumble about how casual the titles of these demon kings were. But then, thinking of his own 'Phoenix Man,' 'cuckold,' and now 'Uncle Da Ji,' he suddenly lost the courage to mock them.

Kong Qing unstoppered his water flask, took a sip to clear his throat, and continued, "Besides the Crown Prince's faction, there's also the Second Prince's faction. Although the Second Prince is illegitimate, he possesses profound cultivation and is exceptionally skilled in warfare, renowned as one of the Four Great Demon Generals."

"The Four Great Demon Generals?" Zu An was taken aback.

Kong Qing wondered how this fellow didn't even know such basic common knowledge. It seemed the Serpent Race had indeed greatly declined since the last Medusa Queen's incident, falling apart. "The Four Great Demon Generals are the Second Prince, the Young Golden-Winged Peng King, the Scorpion King, and the Flying Leopard King. Not only are their individual cultivations unfathomable, but they are also skilled in leading armies, earning immense military merits in their campaigns against humans over the years."

"Currently, the Scorpion King is fighting humans on the front lines, and the Flying Leopard King is stationed at the border. The Second Prince and the Young Golden-Winged Peng King remain in the capital. Each of them commands a powerful army loyal to them, so even if the Second Prince and the Golden Crow Crown Prince are at odds, the Crown Prince cannot easily harm him."

Yan Xuehen frowned. "Do none of these kings have specific names?"

Kong Qing glanced at her suspiciously but still explained, "The demon race is different from humans. Among demons, those with more noble statuses are often referred to by their titles, and everyone takes pride in this. After all, having everyone acknowledge that you embody a title proves your strength and ability to command respect."

Zu An realized, 'No wonder the rage points I received earlier didn't show specific names. So, that's why.'

"Additionally, there's the Young Demon Empress's faction. The Young Prince serves as the Grand General who oversees the army and also supervises the Royal Court and its officials. Unfortunately, the Young Prince is too young. Although the Young Demon Empress is very shrewd, many believe she gained her position through seduction and don't truly recognize her authority."

"Of course, there are also the Devil, Dragon, Sea, and Beast races, whose statuses are highly respected. However, their main power lies in the provinces; they are merely temporary visitors in the capital..."

Yu Yanluo said gratefully, "Thank you, Mr. Kong, for clarifying things. Otherwise, we would truly be completely in the dark."

"You're too kind, Madam. Our two races have always been on good terms, and there's also Young Master Zu's connection," Kong Qing smiled. "The Royal Court is in turbulent times now; it's always better to have another friend than an enemy."

Hearing his meaningful words, Yu Yanluo's heart stirred. Even the Peacock Royal Family felt a strong sense of crisis, indicating that the Royal Court was indeed fraught with hidden dangers.

"Madam, why not stay temporarily at our Peacock clan's estate?" Kong Qing invited.

"No need. The Serpent Race also has some modest properties in the Royal City," Yu Yanluo replied with a smile, declining the offer. Staying at the Peacock clan's estate would lead others to believe they had pledged allegiance to the Peacock Ming King, affecting their independence in future interactions with other races.

"Then I'll escort you there. The Royal Court is quite vast, and newcomers can easily get lost." Kong Qing didn't insist, clearly having anticipated this outcome.

"We appreciate your trouble then, Mr. Kong." Yu Yanluo bowed slightly.

Next, Xing Nu provided an address, and Kong Qing led the group there.

Upon reaching their destination, they found that although the location was prosperous, the courtyard was exceptionally dilapidated. Dead branches, withered leaves, and much accumulated snow lay everywhere, with only one or two elderly serpent servants dozing off.

"Please excuse the mess, Mr. Kong," Yu Yanluo said, feeling a bit embarrassed. When her mother had an accident, she hadn't returned to the Serpent Race, causing what was once a large tribe to remain in disarray and decline. She hadn't expected their office in the Royal City to be so dilapidated.

Not only had she lost face before the Peacock clan, but she had also made Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue witness a spectacle. She wasn't worried about Zu An, knowing he wouldn't mind, but she didn't want to appear weak in front of those two women.

"You overstate it, Madam. With your return, the Serpent Race will surely be revitalized. I'll arrange for some people to come and clean up later, and bring some daily necessities as well." Kong Qing chatted with them for a while longer, then stood up to take his leave, no longer disturbing their peace.

After seeing Kong Qing and his group off, Yun Jianyue remarked, "That Kong Qing is quite the smooth operator."

"Otherwise, he wouldn't have been sent to Cloudmidst Commandery to handle matters there," Yu Yanluo said.

Yan Xuehen frowned slightly. "Given his enthusiasm, your Yu family must have taken good care of him in Cloudmidst Commandery back then."

Yu Yanluo knew that Yan Xuehen's sense of righteousness made her dislike such interactions with the demon race, so she explained, "He had very little direct contact with the Yu family back then, primarily through the Jian family. After all, the Duke and I were husband and wife in name only, so he was merely being courteous to me. However, more than that relationship, I believe his enthusiasm is because of Ah Zu."

Seeing the three women's gazes turn to him, Zu An gave an awkward smile. "Kong Nanwu and I only met once..."

He briefly recounted their encounter in the capital. "In my opinion, his friendliness is likely due to us giving the Golden Crow Crown Prince a good beating earlier. The Peacock Ming King had to resign, and his clan inevitably harbors some resentment."

"That's quite possible," the women nodded, accepting his explanation. After all, no matter how they thought about it, he couldn't possibly be so charming as to make the Peacock Princess throw herself at him.

Soon after, finding an excuse, Zu An went out alone. Having just heard Kong Qing's description, he was very worried about Xue'er's current situation.

The Elf King's Mansion was not hard to find. Zu An asked the doorkeeper to inform Xue'er that an old friend of Mingyue had come to visit. The doorkeeper didn't make things difficult for him, instead saying, "You've come at an unfortunate time. Princess Xue was summoned to the palace early this morning and hasn't returned yet."

"Still not back?" Zu An looked towards the horizon. The sunset glow was almost gone, and it was getting dark. Why wasn't she back yet?