Chapter 1511: I Came at the Wrong Time

Yan Xuehen stepped out, but a flicker of hesitation stopped her. What if Zu An and Yu Yanluo were together? Showing up at their door in the dead of night would undoubtedly invite misunderstandings.

She retreated a few steps, but her mind was in turmoil, making it impossible to resume her meditation.

Finally, she gritted her teeth and continued onward.

Approaching Zu An directly would be awkward; surely, it would be acceptable to simply chat with Yu Yanluo.

Pleased with her cleverness, she found a group of palace maids and inquired about Yu Yanluo's whereabouts.

The palace maids recognized her; as a Grandmaster who had fought in the sky on behalf of the Little Demon Empress, and possessing such a cool, otherworldly beauty, she was impossible to overlook.

They responded respectfully, "Queen Medusa has gone out of the palace to attend to some matters concerning the Snake Tribe."

"Left the palace?" Yan Xuehen was taken aback but quickly understood. The Little Demon Empress must have promised the Snake Tribe favorable terms, and Yu Yanluo needed to return to their stronghold to consult with her people, so the Snake Tribe could send representatives to the royal court to formalize arrangements. Given the Snake Tribe's impending rise in status, the current court staff would undoubtedly be insufficient.

"And Zu An?" she asked, feigning casualness. Then she smiled self-mockingly, realizing there was no need to be so subtle with the palace maids.

"The Regent is stationed near Her Majesty's and the little prince's bedchambers," they replied, "to prevent any miscreants from causing trouble." At the mention of Zu An, the palace maids' faces lit up with excitement. Clearly, tales of his powerful deeds had spread throughout the palace; this world revered strength, especially when embodied by such a handsome figure.

Seeing the little palace maids' starry-eyed gazes, Yan Xuehen mused, "Zu An certainly attracts a lot of attention. My... disciple will likely face countless troubles because of him."

"Regent..." she thought, "that woman truly committed."

As the Mistress of White Jade Capital, she was well aware of the immense power traditionally wielded by regents in the history of the Demon Race.

The thought of Zu An being stationed near the royal bedchambers made her beautiful brows furrow. Did demon women not care about propriety?

Although she was somewhat displeased, she didn't dwell on it. Too much had transpired that night, and it was almost dawn; the little prince was to be enthroned shortly after daybreak. Everyone in the palace was frantically busy, each bearing heavy responsibilities, making it impossible for anything else to be happening.

She thanked the group of palace maids, then, with a light tap of her toes, gracefully floated away.

The little palace maids watched, mouths agape, their faces filled with envy. "If only I were as powerful as Miss Yan," one whispered, "no, even one-tenth of her power would be enough."

"Hmph," another retorted, "your demands are too high, little hussy. For me, I'd be content with just one-tenth of her beauty."

The other maids stared at her. "Isn't your demand even higher?" they countered.

Yan Xuehen, of course, paid no heed to the chattering palace maids behind her. Her figure drifted silently, and she soon arrived outside the Little Demon Empress's bedchamber.

She had always preferred solitude and did not wish for more people to know about her late-night search for Zu An. Thus, she avoided alarming the guards outside the bedchamber, her figure like a wisp of smoke as she swiftly glided into the palace.

Her divine sense slowly expanded, and her gaze soon settled on a side hall. A gentle smile touched her usually icy features; it was Zu An's aura she detected.

She walked briskly towards it, then suddenly slowed her pace, having detected another person's aura.

The Little Demon Empress!

The softness in her eyes vanished instantly. What were a man and a woman doing together, alone in a room, in the dead of night?

However, she quickly dismissed the thought. Zu An was the Little Demon Empress's most trusted ally; it was perfectly normal for her to seek him out to discuss important state affairs.

With this thought, her expression eased. She paused, standing aside to admire the moonlight, deciding not to interrupt their important discussion.

She intended to wait until their conversation concluded before approaching Zu An herself, wishing to avoid any interaction with the Little Demon Empress from beginning to end to prevent potential trouble.

Her nature preferred quiet, and she disliked such interpersonal dealings.

She stood there for an unknown duration until a cold gust of wind swept a leaf onto her head.

Plucking the leaf from her hair, Yan Xuehen felt a flicker of surprise. The Demon Race inhabited the northern territories, and it was currently winter, yet green leaves adorned the trees here. It truly spoke to the Demon Royal Family's immense wealth and power that they cultivated so many trees native only to the Jiangnan region within the palace grounds.

"How have they been talking for so long without finishing?" she wondered.

Initially, out of courtesy and pride, she had refrained from using her divine sense to probe inside, but now curiosity was beginning to get the better of her.

In truth, had it been anyone else, Yan Xuehen's nature, refined by years of cultivating the Emotionless Grand Pure Technique, would have dismissed such a thought entirely. But when it concerned Zu An, her heart felt as if it were being scratched by a cat.

After a brief hesitation, she rationalized to herself, "I'll just check to see if anything unexpected is happening inside. Perhaps Zu An sustained internal injuries from defeating those Grandmasters earlier, and they're only now manifesting..."

With that thought, she could no longer resist and swiftly extended her divine sense into the room.

For a Grandmaster, divine sense was akin to sight; even through walls, they could perceive everything within its reach.

"Huh, why is the Little Demon Empress on the ground? No, she appears to be kneeling."

"What's wrong with Ah Zu? His eyes are closed, and he looks like he's in pain?"

Yan Xuehen was startled and instinctively took a few steps forward, but then her expression suddenly became peculiar. Zu An's face seemed to show more pleasure than pain. What were these two doing, so close to each other?

From her vantage point, the Little Demon Empress's back was turned, and her figure was obscured, making it impossible to see clearly.

So she extended her divine sense further into the room, deciding to shift her angle for a better view. What she saw made her beautiful eyes widen instantly; the scene before her truly astonished her.

She saw the Little Demon Empress with her head bowed, her hands cupping something...

"This is possible?"

"That woman isn't afraid of choking!"

Ultimately, Yan Xuehen's aura was too ethereal, too transcendent, imbuing her with an air of detached aloofness. Everyone treated her like a celestial being, speaking to her with utmost caution, behaving with the utmost propriety lest they display anything vulgar that would earn her disdain. Combined with her upbringing, her experience in such matters was utterly virginal; even after her intimacy with Zu An, she understood little more than an innocent maiden.

Had it been Yun Jianyue, from the Demonic Cult, she likely would have guessed what the two were doing simply from seeing their backs.

But despite her purity, upon witnessing this scene, she understood exactly what was happening. Her face darkened, and around her, a visible layer of frost instantly crystallized.

Rage from Yan Xuehen: +999, +999, +999...

Zu An had already sensed Yan Xuehen's divine presence entering the room, but in his state of ecstatic bliss, his reactions were a few moments slower than usual.

Only when he saw the off-the-charts rage value in the system did he snap back to full awareness.

"Oh no!"

Yan Xuehen's eyes seemed filled with ice as she immediately turned and departed.

Panicked, Zu An instinctively rose to pursue her.

The Little Demon Empress had just felt a chill, instinctively pulling at her clothes and wondering why it had suddenly grown so cold. She was entirely unprepared for Zu An to abruptly stand up.

She covered her mouth and recoiled to the side in pain, clutching a table and coughing violently.

Seeing her reaction, Zu An felt a pang of apology. To simply walk away in this situation would be truly deplorable, potentially creating a rift between them and hindering future cooperation.

He quickly patted her back gently to help her regulate her breathing. Once she had somewhat recovered, he rushed out, but her whereabouts were unknown; how could he possibly catch up to Yun Jianyue?

"What's wrong?" A sweet, delicate voice inquired from nearby. It was the Little Demon Empress, adjusting her clothes as she emerged, her expression forlorn. Clearly, the sudden turn of events had left her bewildered, making her wonder if she had done something wrong.