Tang Dynasty Demon Suppression Division

A short while later, a waiter carrying a teapot knocked on the door.

"Greetings, Lord Li."

The waiter looked excited; he was Zhou Yuanliang in disguise.

"Brother Zhou, there's no need for such formalities. What's the current situation in Heavenly Demon City?"

Li Yuan waved his hand and set up a barrier, and the two sat down to talk in detail.

"The forces in Tianyao City are now divided into three factions. One of them is the peace faction led by Demon Emperor Molin, who is also the main driving force behind this advocacy of peace talks."

Zhou Yuanliang had been doing business in Tianyao City for a long time and had dealings with some of the high-ranking members of the demon race, so he knew more about them than the spies of the Demon-Slaying Guard.

"The second group is the neutral faction, which consists mostly of veteran demon emperors who have lived for thousands of years. They no longer concern themselves with worldly affairs, but they are highly respected within their clans. Once they express their opinions, they carry significant weight."

Li Yuan nodded repeatedly; this intelligence was very important.

"The rest are Zhu Yan's die-hard loyalists. Although the war has been lost, there are still many demon emperors secretly supporting him, harboring evil hopes to restart the war."

Li Yuan frowned slightly: "In your opinion, what are the chances of a successful peace negotiation?"

Zhou Yuanliang shook his head.

"It's hard to say. There's considerable opposition in the court, especially among some demon generals who are hoping to profit from the war and naturally don't want to see peace talks."

"If you're not careful this time, you could fall into a trap."

After inquiring about other details, Li Yuan finally asked the question that had been on his mind: "How is Yu Ling'er?"

"Miss Yu is alright. I inquired with a merchant who has been doing business with the Mo Lin family for many years, and she is currently safe and sound."

"Mo Lin allocated her a courtyard to live in. Apart from not being able to go out, she was treated quite well."

Li Yuan breathed a sigh of relief: "By the way, do you know anything about the Azure Lotus Demon Saint? Tell me in detail."

"You mean the Azure Lotus Demon Saint!" Zhou Yuanliang's eyes lit up. "Everyone in Heavenly Demon City knows him. He has extremely high prestige in the Demon Court and has a close relationship with the Demon Emperor. However, he never participates in politics, and both sides have to give him some face."

Li Yuan nodded thoughtfully.

Why did the Xuanbing Demon Emperor send him to find the Qinglian Demon Saint? Was it simply because the other party knew a lot, or was there some other deeper meaning?

He always felt that the aloof demon emperor's purpose was not so simple, and it seemed he needed to find an opportunity to meet him.

"By the way, Brother Zhou, do you have any way to get into the Demon Emperor Mo Lin's residence and meet Yu Ling'er?"

Zhou Yuanliang was taken aback: "Seeing Miss Yu is not impossible, but saving someone is probably not an option."

Li Yuan knew his concerns. Even if they rescued the person, this place was thousands of miles away from the Tang Dynasty, and the area along the way was controlled by the demon race, making it difficult to escape back.

"I just want to see her first," Li Yuan said, "to confirm a few things."

"That merchant who delivers goods to Mo Lin's residence is an old friend of mine. He happens to have some goods for Miss Yu to deliver these next few days. You can just pretend to be his deliveryman."

"That's excellent," Li Yuan said, cupping his hands in greeting. "Then I'll trouble Brother Zhou to make the arrangements."

"Alright, sir, wait for my news. I'll let you know when I've made the arrangements."

After discussing it, Zhou Yuanliang slipped out again under the cover of night.

The following day, the Demon Emperor Molin hosted a banquet in the palace to welcome the Tang Dynasty delegation.

The banquet was held in the Heavenly Demon Palace, a hall over ten zhang high, with ancient demon totems painted on the dome and hundreds of eerie blue demon flames burning on the four walls, illuminating the entire hall.

The Demon Emperor Mo Lin sat upright in the main seat, dressed in a deep purple brocade robe, with a refined and scholarly appearance. Upon seeing Li Yuan and the others enter the hall, he smiled and rose to greet them.

"Lord Li has come a long way and must be tired. I have ordered a banquet to be prepared to welcome you all."

Li Yuan also smiled and clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"Lord Molin, you are too kind. I have come on the orders of the Emperor of the Great Tang to discuss peace talks. I hope you will take good care of me."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two took their seats. Li Yuan looked around and noticed that Zhu Yan was not present, and he had already made up his mind.

After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere in the hall gradually became subtle. The two countries had been at war for a long time, and there were many hostile glances among the guests.

A demon general suddenly put down his wine cup and said in a sarcastic tone, "I heard that the Tang Dynasty sent a greenhorn as its chief envoy. I didn't believe it, but seeing it today, it's true."

"It seems the Tang Dynasty truly has no one left, sending a young man to negotiate with us."

The room fell silent, and many demons looked on with expressions of anticipation.

Chu Yunhe frowned, about to slam his fist on the table and stand up, but was stopped by a look from Li Yuan.

He put down his wine glass and said unhurriedly, "I am indeed young, but do you all think you're afraid of a young man like me?"

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly became tense. The demon general's face stiffened, and he wanted to say something, but Mo Lin gave him a faint glance, so he had no choice but to shut his mouth in a huff.

Mo Lin raised his glass with a smile.

"Lord Li, you are a young hero. I have long heard of you. Come, I will toast you."

Li Yuan raised his glass in response, which eased the tense atmosphere slightly.

Suddenly, a clear voice rang out from the entrance of the hall: "Uncle Molin, I have a request."

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a slender demon woman walk into the hall. She was dressed in a purple feathered battle dress, with a cold and beautiful face and an air of arrogance between her brows.

Mo Lin smiled and said, "Lang Huan, what brings you here today?"

The woman walked into the hall, bowed to Mo Lin, but her gaze fell on Li Yuan.

"I have heard that Li Yuan, the envoy of the Great Tang Dynasty, is hailed as a genius that comes along only once in a century. I am not very talented, but I would like to humbly ask him for a few pointers and see just how amazing this genius of the Great Tang Dynasty really is."

She said this, but her expression was full of disdain, clearly not taking Li Yuan seriously.

An uproar immediately erupted in the main hall.

Langhuan Demon Queen is one of the most talented demons among the younger generation in Tianyao City. Her parents are both veteran powerhouses in the late stages of the demon race, and she has enjoyed a great reputation since childhood.

She was born as a demon general, and in just over five hundred years she had already reached the realm of demon emperor, far surpassing her peers among demons of the same age.

Among the younger generation of demons, she was almost invincible.

Li Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly, but did not reply. He simply looked at Mo Lin, knowing that in this situation, one should follow the host's lead.

Mo Lin smiled and said, "Langhuan has always been keen on exchanging skills. Lord Li, there's no need to force yourself. Young people are a bit too hasty."

He appeared to be speaking up for Li Yuan, but in reality, he was fueling the flames.

Li Yuan knew perfectly well that the demon race admired the strong, and if he refused, he would be seen as weak and easily bullied, thus losing the dignity of the Tang Dynasty.

But if he agreed, it would suit the wishes of some people who wanted to watch the show.

Li Yuan put down his wine cup and stood up: "Since Miss Langhuan has so sincerely invited me, I will make a fool of myself."

The atmosphere inside the hall instantly became lively, and everyone stood up and rushed to the square outside the hall.

The Demon Queen of Langhuan gracefully landed in the center of the open space, crossed her arms, and looked at Li Yuan with arrogance.

"I've heard that you've killed several demon emperors. Today I'll see if it's true."

Even if a young man in his early twenties started cultivating from the womb, he could not possibly kill the Demon Emperor.

Therefore, she suspected that Li Yuan had a powerful background and that all his achievements were fabricated, with the aim of promoting him to higher positions.

Isn't this the kind of thing humans love to do?

Li Yuan stood with his hands behind his back and said calmly, "Please."

A hint of annoyance flashed in Langhuan's eyes.

"This human is too arrogant. He doesn't take me seriously at all." She sneered, and her figure suddenly turned into a blur, rushing towards Li Yuan like a ghost. A dark blue light was aimed straight at Li Yuan's face.

So fast!

Among the younger generation of demons present, almost none could see her movements clearly.