"Comrade, why are you looking at me like that?" Duan Fengbuer sized up Qian Jin with a lazy grin. "Are you perhaps offering me a cigarette?"

Qian Jin responded by kicking out at Duan Fengbuer. "Anything happening these past few days?"

Duan Fengbuer deftly dodged the incoming kick and replied languidly, "What else could be happening? Just those families coming around to suck up to you, I suppose? Oh, right! The Elemental King and the Undying Monarch have also dispatched demons."

Qian Jin stretched out his limbs lazily. His original objective for entering the Demon Realm was to infiltrate the bloodline families of the Undying Monarch to steal something. Unexpectedly, by acting so high-profile—and thanks to the groundwork laid by the Serpent Emperor Pan Hongji—he had stumbled into so many events and gained so much advantage without even realizing it.

"Oh, and one more thing!" Duan Fengbuer suddenly interjected. "You need to watch out for your nv demon, be careful she doesn't get in a bad mood one day and sneakily slit A-Bao Liu's throat."

Qian Jin’s mid-stride foot froze in the air. While Lucifer Flow and Mune Zhence held adversarial positions, their relationship shouldn't have deteriorated to the point of drawing blades against each other, should it?

"You don't know yet, do you? A-Bao Liu these past few days... hehehe," Duan Fengbuer chuckled. "He's been leveraging that silver tongue of his, along with his supposed brotherhood with you, to expand his influence among the upper echelons of the demon race outside..."

"This is..."

Qian Jin paused, then immediately understood. Mune Zhence was now viewed as a demon by the current upper crust, and furthermore, one who used to be from the very bottom tier. Therefore, it was perfectly normal for a low-ranking demon to inquire about the affairs of the higher ranks.

In their eagerness to curry favor with this low-tier demon, the higher-ranking demons naturally spilled all sorts of intelligence. After all, they were all demons! What harm was there in sharing a bit of gossip?

But the cruel irony was that this low-tier demon was a false demon! Every day, while mingling with those demons—almost every time they ate, drank, chatted, or amused themselves with the nv demons—he managed to collect secret intelligence that even the Black Dragon Guard couldn't uncover.

The family backgrounds of the demon generals stationed across the territories, along with the personalities of their immediate family, advisors, and retainers—while perhaps inconsequential to others—were Mune Zhence's specialty. Through this intelligence, he could deduce even more critical information.

Lucifer Flow also fully grasped the threat posed by the Sixth Prince, Mune Zhence, who might not appear overwhelmingly powerful in a direct confrontation but whose mind was exceptionally sharp.

Kill Mune Zhence? Qian Jin could actually believe Lucifer Flow capable of such ruthlessness, given the vast gulf in their potential benefits.

"This is..." Qian Jin sighed. "Can we perhaps try to persuade him to tone it down? After all, Flow brought us in..."

Chekfulitt silently rose and walked out of the courtyard. Watching the supremely handsome Blood Demon's retreating back, Qian Jin suddenly understood what he was about to do.

Less than an hour later, Mune Zhence reappeared in the courtyard, looking thoroughly disheveled with over a dozen fresh tears in his clothes.

"Damn it... did Cool-Che lose it?" Mune Zhence gasped for breath, still attempting to maintain his supposed composure. "He suddenly dragged me to an empty spot, pulled out his blade, and started hacking at me. Luckily, I'm fast enough to run."

"Hahahaha..." Duan Fengbuer laughed so hard he collapsed onto the ground, pounding the floor. "That's the 'Cool Bro' telling you that if you keep hitting on people everywhere, he’ll actually draw blood and kill you. You should know, my little concubine, besides me and my comrade, she can’t beat anyone... Damn it! Concubine, what are you doing? You nearly killed me..."

Duan Fengbuer carved a magnificent arc into the ground as he dodged rapidly around the courtyard. "Are you insane?"

"Who is your concubine?"

Chekfulitt shot Duan Fengbuer a glare filled with annoyance, clearly ready to unleash the Fallen Angel bloodline and engage the Hydra bloodline if Duan Fengbuer didn't correct his erroneous term immediately.

"Sometimes when Comrade speaks, the pronunciation is off..." Duan Fengbuer feigned injury, feeling aggrieved that his small attempt to gain favor had almost resulted in him being splattered across the steps.

"Qian Jin has an accent issue," Chekfulitt glared at Duan Fengbuer. "You are doing it deliberately."

"Damn it! Is there any sense of propriety left in the Stellar Court?" Duan Fengbuer complained loudly. "We're all men! If you want to be Comrade's concubine, I can just say a few words and you..."

"Gentlemen..." Mune Zhence looked at the group helplessly. "I'm the actual victim here, aren't I? Can someone bandage me up? Look at the gashes; I almost died."

Qian Jin pulled out some ointment from the Battle Realm and tossed it over. "That should be enough. If you push things too far, it will be difficult to explain to Flow."

"True enough..." Mune Zhence caught the ointment and began applying it while watching Chekfulitt and Duan Fengbuer’s spectacle. He continued, "I’m also considering that Flow’s patience is probably wearing thin. If I keep poking around, she might actually send the Dark Division after me."

"You keep an eye on those two; I need to attend to some things." Qian Jin walked toward the exit. "As long as no one dies, no arms or legs get broken, and our identities aren't exposed, let them do as they please."

Mune Zhence nodded slightly. While life seemed easy among the demons these past few days, who wasn't under immense pressure? They were surrounded by demons! A single slip-up, and none of them would survive! Wasn't that precisely why he had to work so hard gathering intelligence?

Only when actively scouting information could he become fully immersed, forgetting the constant peril of being in the Demon Realm where death was always imminent.

Duan Fengbuer and Chekfulitt clashing with their weapons was also a form of stress release, especially for Chekfulitt, who had been suppressing the urge to visit Princess Yunara for days since returning to the City of Fallen. That level of restraint was enough to drive anyone, demon or otherwise, insane.

For several consecutive days, the petitioners from various demon territories never managed to see the rumored Master Jiliu Feijing. The President of the Mages' Guild, throwing all pretense aside, simply requested a guest room and took up residence at Qian Jin's dwelling.

The day of the Royal Contest was drawing ever nearer. Once they survived this not-too-long night, the Royal Contest would begin. Casinos throughout the City of Fallen had already opened their books, taking bets on which prince or princess would take first place in the competition.

Qian Jin blew a speck of dust off a model and nodded gently. These past few days had been dedicated first to alloy technology, then to carving, and finally, the magic device he desired had taken shape. It was fortunate he had spent some time in the Demon Realm; otherwise, gathering so many necessary materials would have been truly difficult.

Creak...

The door opened slowly, and moonlight, like spilled mercury, rapidly flooded the dimly lit floor of the room.

Qian Jin looked up to see an old demon standing outside. His voluminous golden magic robe signaled a noble status, and the softly glowing Full Moon Magic Crystal in his hand was an unmistakable symbol of authority.

Dressed like this, if he were in the Zhence Dynasty... Qian Jin thought for a moment and immediately deduced the identity of the old mage: he was likely the Grand President of the Mages' Guild. Such attire suggested an equivalent status even in the Zhence Dynasty.

The Full Moon Magic Crystal! The Tianquan Gold Stone formed the staff’s body, its intricate inscriptions each a masterpiece from a renowned artisan, and the forty-six celestial crystals embedded in the staff possessed a value almost beyond measure in gold.

"You are...?"

"Mages' Guild President, Sutaier," Sutaier bowed slightly, forcing a smile onto his face. "You must be Master Jiliu Feijing?"

"President Sutaier, greetings." Qian Jin inclined his head slightly, feeling a flicker of emotion as he met Sutaier's gaze.

Although both were presidents, theoretically, such courtesy was appropriate. However, the man before him commanded a guild system roughly five times the size of his own; their influence was separated by two massive tiers, and this was a Blood Demon supposedly descended from Lucifer's line.

"Tell me, Sutaier," Qian Jin said abruptly, "how about I also become the President of the Mages' Guild? What do you say, President Sutaier?"

Sutaier, who had not yet fully straightened his back, froze entirely, staring at Qian Jin. That opening statement was utterly stunning!

Never mind lacking mental or magical power; even if he possessed both, such an assertion was impossibly arrogant! Every word Sutaier had rehearsed dissolved in his mind.

"President Sutaier, do you know a female mage named Biluo?"

"Of course, I know her," Sutaier replied, looking at Qian Jin with profound confusion. "She is a supreme magical genius among the younger generation of the Zhence Dynasty! It's a pity our Lucifer Dynasty doesn't have one... Why would Master Jiliu Feijing suddenly ask about her?"

Qian Jin stated plainly, "I imagine you must have heard that Biluo comes from a lineage of mages, correct?"

"Naturally, Elven bloodline! Sadly... her bloodline power never manifested," Sutaier’s expression shifted from admiration to regret, then settled into envy. "Yet, this mage, whose bloodline power failed to awaken, is far stronger than those who did awaken."

"That's only natural. Biluo is my Senior Sister," Qian Jin said, curving his lips upward. "Although her bloodline awakening failed, my Master used a special technique to burn her latent internal bloodline power, turning her into someone who surpassed those with awakened lines despite never manifesting hers."

"Senior Sister?" The wrinkles on Sutaier's old face suddenly smoothed out completely as he stared at Qian Jin in utter astonishment. "Master, you say Biluo is your Senior Sister?"

"Indeed!" Qian Jin recited, almost word for word, the explanation he had discussed with Lucifer Flow upon entering the Demon Realm. "My Master has two male disciples and two female disciples. The men are myself and Qian Jin! The women are Biluo and my other Senior Sister, Han Yue Mubing!"

"The Zhence Dynasty has another genius mage?" Sutaier almost dropped the magical scepter in his hand onto the ground.