After learning about it, An Ge couldn't help but sigh. The demon race was incredibly prolific. Judging from their bloodlines, the demon royal family could probably field a medium-sized army. Perhaps if you randomly bumped into a demon in the capital, they might be a member of the royal family.
Because there are so many members of the royal bloodline, the demon race values strength more than bloodline when it comes to status. If someone only has bloodline but no strength, they can at most be a wealthy and idle demon, but if someone has strength but their bloodline is impure, they can threaten the status of many others.
People like Lu Yan, whose bloodline is closer to that of the Demon King and whose talent is great but who is only a half-demon, are regarded as thorns in the side and a nuisance. Therefore, he has been subjected to a lot of contempt since childhood.
No wonder Lu Yan's attitude was so strange when the topic of mixed blood was brought up in West Asia.
Upon arriving in the capital, An Ge didn't want to cause any further trouble, so she and the witches traveling with her tried to keep a low profile. However, given her appearance, it wasn't easy to remain inconspicuous.
A stunningly beautiful witch arrogantly raised her chin. "You're a concubine chosen from the Conquest City? I didn't expect to find someone so good-looking in such a remote place. But let me tell you, looks alone don't guarantee you'll rise to the top."
An Ge asked curiously, "Who are you?"
"Hmph, my father is a demon general, and I am also a demon cultivator. I will soon be a fourth-rank demon soldier." The woman said arrogantly, hoping to see panic on An Ge's face.
She knew that her strength and status were not enough, but few of the people who came to the inn were of high status, so she might as well win them over in advance so that she could compete with those noble witches in the future.
An Ge was taken aback. She genuinely wanted to keep a low profile. "Ha! What kind of status do you think I have? Your father is a Demon General, and so is mine. Anyone can rely on their father's connections. I'm prettier than you, and stronger than you. What are you so smug about?" After saying that, she looked at the growing number of onlookers and snorted coldly.
"I see that most of you have little cultivation. Even if you were chosen, you're just relying on your looks. If you want to live well, you need powerful backers. I'm not one of you, but I'm just giving you a heads-up because we're not demons from the capital. We're about to enter the palace, so you can figure out what to do."
Enraged by the provocation, the witch was about to teach An Ge a lesson when she was so frightened by the aura emanating from An Ge that she took a step back. This aura could not possibly be the strength of a mere demon soldier.
"Hmph, just because I don't want trouble right now doesn't mean I can't, you understand?"
The provocateur nodded repeatedly in fright. She had only wanted to establish her authority by relying on her family background and strength, but she hadn't expected to run into such a tough opponent.
Having dealt with a dim-witted witch, An Ge turned and left arrogantly, perfectly embodying the image of a spoiled young lady with a bad temper. Sure enough, in the following days, no one dared to provoke her again; in fact, quite a few demons even tried to curry favor with her.
Indeed, keeping a low profile is not advisable in the demon realm; might makes right. After all, demons are different from humans; the latter compete on cunning, while the former compete on strength!
After spending two days at the inn, An Ge had successfully become the leader among the group of young ladies-in-waiting. Even the witch who initially didn't get along with her had become her little follower.
"Boss An, are we really going to get out of here alive?" Tian Qian, the witch who had provoked her at the inn, asked nervously, clutching her sleeve.
Do you want to be chosen?
An Ge's words startled Tian Qian. She had originally thought that she was also a demon cultivator and that she might be able to make a name for herself based on her looks. However, after An Ge's analysis, she gradually realized how ridiculous it was to place all her hopes on an unknown demon.
No wonder her parents and mother looked disappointed when she insisted on participating in the talent show.
"No! I want to go home."
“Then I’ll take you back,” An Ge assured her.
Compared to noble witches, witches from ordinary families have more options, at least they are not raised as tools for arranged marriages from childhood.
Ange could have released them before they entered the palace, but that didn't solve the problem at its root. If they left, the entire family might be implicated.
She also wanted to find out about the Demon Clan's palace, and as a candidate for the imperial concubine selection, she wouldn't arouse suspicion. For some reason, An Ge felt that these selections were a bit off, and even the entire Demon Clan's royal family seemed somewhat strange.
Lu Yan had told her that although the Demon King disliked him in the past, he at least wouldn't oppress the people arbitrarily. However, what she saw in the Demon Realm was completely different from what Lu Yan described. In particular, she had heard that in the last hundred years, the Demon King had become increasingly senile, even handing over power to the eldest prince.
An Ge didn't think the Demon King was too old to move or senile. For a demon whose cultivation was equivalent to the Nascent Soul stage of a human, even if he didn't care about worldly affairs and was looking for a successor, he wouldn't choose a successor who was such a scourge to the demon realm.
Upon entering the palace, ordinary young ladies-in-waiting would stay in a side hall, where they would be selected by the royal family. An Ge followed the main group towards the side hall, encountering another group along the way. Judging from their attire, these were likely noble ladies from the demon race.
Because there were guards watching, the noble ladies did not dare to make sarcastic remarks easily. They glanced at her disdainfully, but were stunned when they saw An Ge's appearance.
An Ge seemed oblivious to the wariness in everyone's eyes and obediently walked into the side hall. She didn't want to waste her energy dealing with these witches; if Hu Jiu knew she was embroiled in palace intrigue for an unknown man, his jealousy would surely flare up.
One advantage of having these palace maids under her control was that it made her actions much easier. On her first day of settling in, An Ge decided to investigate the palace.
"An Ge, you'd better not go. The palace guards are all demon generals; it's far too dangerous," Tian Qian said worriedly. She hadn't expected An Ge to be so bold. With her strength, wandering around the demon palace was practically suicide.
An Ge smiled. Tian Qian was a bit arrogant, but kind-hearted. She was somewhat glad that she had been too soft-hearted and hadn't beaten the villain to death like in the novel.
"I lied to you last time when I told you my strength was that of a demon soldier. Don't worry, the royal palace isn't dangerous to me."
Tian Qian's eyes widened in surprise, "You!"
"Shh, don't open the door to anyone tonight, okay? I'll be back soon."
Although An Ge possessed the cultivation level of a Nascent Soul cultivator, she dared not be overconfident and only released her divine sense to cautiously explore the path. She hadn't walked far before she noticed something was amiss.
No matter how powerful the Demon King is, the entire palace shouldn't be without many guards. But so far, all they've encountered are a few scattered demon generals; they haven't even met a single demon commander.
At first she was cautious, but after investigating, she completely let loose and even began to doubt whether she was too inexperienced.
Perhaps the demons are just that different, and the royal palace doesn't need so many guards?
"Sigh, if only Lu Yan were here, he would have noticed the problem immediately." An Ge sighed and looked towards the center, where the Demon King's residence was.
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