Before long, the carriage arrived at the Beast Race's Imperial Palace. Upon entering, Mo Han followed the First Prince directly to the Grand Hall situated at the palace's very center. The First Prince instructed Mo Han to wait at the entrance while he went in first to report. After only a few moments, a Beast Race guard emerged to inform Mo Han that the Beast Emperor had agreed to an audience and requested his entry.

As Mo Han stepped into the Grand Hall, he found it already filled with numerous Beast Race officials, most of whom stared at him with undisguised hostility. Only the First Prince and the Minotaur Chieftain, whom Mo Han had met before, offered him a slight nod.

Seated squarely in the center of the hall was a figure from the Behemoth royal lineage, clad in golden robes, regarding Mo Han with an air of absolute majesty—this must be the Beast Emperor.

Standing beside the Emperor was a figure completely shrouded in a black cloak, only his eyes visible. Those eyes fixed upon Mo Han, making him deeply uncomfortable.

Mo Han understood immediately that this man must be the mastermind behind the war—the Prophet of the Beast Race.

However, Mo Han dared not show any hesitation. He strode forward quickly, stopped, bowed toward the Beast Emperor, and spoke, "Mo Han, Envoy Extraordinary of the Sky Dragon Empire, pays respects to Your Majesty, the Beast Emperor. May Your Majesty enjoy eternal health and longevity."

It was the Prophet who spoke first, his voice sharp. "Insolent! You stand before His Majesty, our Beast Emperor, yet you refuse to kneel. Do you mean to show contempt for our Beast Race, to look down upon us?"

As soon as the Prophet finished speaking, a chorus of assent rose throughout the hall, accusing Mo Han of slighting the Beast Race.

The Beast Emperor, however, remained impassive, watching Mo Han, his thoughts unreadable.

Seeing the Prophet immediately try to pin the heavy charge of scorning the Beast Race and the Beast Emperor upon him, Mo Han was hardly going to let him succeed.

Yet, Mo Han felt a strange curiosity. Hadn't Shui Ling'er mentioned that the Luminous Jade Tablet would react if the opponent were of the Nether Race? Mo Han was at most twenty meters away from the Prophet, but the tablet remained utterly still. Had his and Shui Ling'er's assumptions been wrong? Mo Han felt a flicker of doubt, but quickly dismissed it: "I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it," he reassured himself.

With that thought, Mo Han spoke up. "You must be the esteemed Prophet, sir?" Hearing Mo Han’s inquiry, the Prophet merely snorted coldly and offered no reply.

Mo Han paid no mind to the silence and continued, "It has long been rumored that the Beast Race Prophet possesses knowledge that reaches the heavens above and the earth below, knowing everything. It seems now that this reputation is perhaps undeserved."

Upon hearing Mo Han’s words, the expressions of everyone in the hall changed drastically. The First Prince and the Minotaur Chieftain both looked at Mo Han anxiously, wondering why he was deliberately antagonizing this figure of authority before negotiations had even begun. Wasn't he simply inviting trouble? If this continued, wouldn't any chance of a successful discussion vanish? But Mo Han had his own strategy: since the Prophet was the instigator of this war, showing him excessive respect would be pointless and would only make Mo Han appear fearful, which would be a disadvantage.

At this point, several officials in the hall were already demanding that Mo Han, for insulting the Prophet, be seized and severely punished. Mo Han, however, remained unconcerned, his smile fixed on the Beast Race Prophet.

The Prophet slowly raised a hand, silencing the agitated crowd.

He spoke in an icy tone. "You are the first person to speak to me in such a manner. If you cannot offer me a reasonable explanation today, then do not blame the Beast Race for punishing your audacious words and deeds."

Hearing the Prophet’s threat, Mo Han remained unhurried. "Esteemed Prophet, since you claim to know everything, you must be intimately familiar with the customs and rites of the Continent?" The Prophet paused, taken aback by Mo Han’s proposition. He couldn't fathom what trick Mo Han was attempting, but he suspected it was not benign. However, to deny his comprehensive knowledge would confirm Mo Han's prior accusation of being overrated.

With this in mind, the Prophet was forced to reply, "Nonsense. Of course, I know them. But what does this have to do with the current matter?" Mo Han responded calmly, "Since the Prophet understands these matters, he must also know that I represent not merely myself, but the entire Sky Dragon Empire and its Emperor. Representing our Emperor, and given that our Sky Dragon Empire stands as an equal nation to yours, I am naturally not required to kneel before His Majesty, the Beast Emperor. This is common etiquette recognized across the Continent, having nothing to do with contempt for the Beast Race or the Beast Emperor. I wonder, since the Prophet is so knowledgeable about these rites, why would he deem my conduct disrespectful? Has the esteemed sir momentarily forgotten, or is there some other intention behind misleading everyone? If this incident were to spread, would it not make the Beast Race a laughingstock for not knowing such basic protocols? Do you not agree with my reasoning, sir?" As Mo Han finished speaking, the Beast Race's First Prince and the Minotaur Chieftain both broke into smiles, and even a number of other officials began nodding in agreement with Mo Han's logic.

The Prophet’s eyes flashed sharply as he absorbed Mo Han’s explanation. A faint reaction emanated from the Luminous Jade Tablet in Mo Han's robe, though it ceased almost instantly. Mo Han, while inwardly puzzled, showed no expression, staring directly at the Prophet without the slightest hint of fear.

The Prophet then let out a harsh, grating laugh. "Envoy, you are indeed as sharp-tongued as the rumors suggest. It is no wonder the Sky Dragon Empire sent you to treat with the Beast Race. Under normal circumstances, you would not need to kneel when presenting yourself before our Beast Emperor. But now, your Sky Dragon Empire is seeking favor from us. Therefore, your status is naturally subordinate to that of the Beast Race. How can you presume to stand as an equal to our noble Beast Emperor?"

Mo Han smiled faintly upon hearing this. "I am afraid I do not understand what 'seeking favor' the esteemed Prophet refers to. Kindly enlighten this envoy."

The Prophet replied plainly, "It is simple. You have seen the might of the Beast Race growing, and now you fear an impending campaign against you, so you send an envoy to beg for peace talks. Is that not so? Is this not the true purpose of your visit?" Mo Han responded mildly, "I initially thought only I was prone to jesting; it seems the esteemed Prophet is also skilled in that art."

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