Chapter 501 502: The Depressed City-Guarding Fox Demons

Therefore, the only thing Chen Dong could think of was that a great demon from the Fox Demon Race at the Divinity Transformation Stage had been injured. But judging by Yun Misha's appearance today, she showed no signs of injury, so it must have been some other great demon.

The reason Chen Dong had stopped and frowned was that he happened to have two of the required Spirit Plants in his storage ring. Of course, these had all been dropped by that tycoon, Feng You.

He now had a pretext to go straight to the City Lord's Mansion—one far more credible than offering some romance novel. Still, Chen Dong hesitated. The notice had just been posted. To go up now would seem too deliberate, too much of a coincidence, forcing him to be cautious. Moreover, his identity couldn't withstand scrutiny, especially since the Spirit Race was so rare among the Demon Races.

Besides, the injury of a Divinity Transformation Stage great demon was no small matter. How could an existence who had cultivated to that realm be harmed by anything ordinary? One wrong move, and he could end up paying with his life.

Chen Dong decided to observe the situation in Immortal Fox City for a couple more days before making a move. Besides, this wasn't the only way to get close to Yun Mengshang, and he was also reluctant to part with such fifth-order Spirit Plants.

Keeping a low profile, Chen Dong opted not to rent a residence and instead chose the most common type of inn. It only cost a single golden leaf for a stay of several days. The only drawback was the lack of a Spirit Gathering Array, making the Spiritual Qi somewhat lacking for a cultivator at Chen Dong's Golden Core Stage.

However, Chen Dong had plenty of Spirit Stones, so he didn't mind the expense. In terms of security, it was also far worse than a private residence, having no protective Arrays at all. If someone were to suddenly attack, even a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage could instantly pulverize the inn into rubble. But it was exceedingly cheap. Since it wasn't built on a Spirit Vein, the Spiritual Qi was naturally thinner than in other places. Still, many who begrudged paying the city's entrance fee in Spirit Stones chose to stay at such inns.

The cities of the Floating Shadow Realm had no such thing as a curfew, since many among the Demon Races and Cultivator populations preferred to be active at night. As a result, Immortal Fox City was nearly as bustling after dark as it was during the day.

A day later, after wandering around for the entire day, Chen Dong had failed to gather any useful information. He did, however, notice many members of the Demon Race beginning to form teams to search for the three Spirit Plants.

His search lasting into the night, Chen Dong was just about to head back to the inn to meditate for a bit when he encountered Yun Mengyan leading a group of Fox Demons who appeared to be city guards.

"Well, if it isn't Brother Li Xu!"

Yun Mengyan and his men greeted Chen Dong, their faces grim and seemingly unhappy.

He then continued, "We really are fated to meet, seeing each other again after just one day. As it happens, the brothers are in a bad mood. Come on, I'll treat you to some drinks!"

Chen Dong had been focusing his search in the area radiating out from the City Lord's Mansion. The closer he was to the mansion, the more likely he was to hear news of Yun Mengshang, so running into Yun Mengyan wasn't surprising. Since Chen Dong wanted to dig up more information anyway, he naturally wouldn't refuse the offer.

They went to a nearby tavern where Yun Mengyan and his men were regulars. The owner welcomed them warmly, but they remained grim-faced, doing nothing but drink heavily.

Right at the start, each man slammed down a full jar of wine. Baffled, Chen Dong asked, "What's happened to make you all so miserable?"

Yun Mengyan took a great gulp of wine and said angrily, "What else could it be? The Demon Race, of course!"

Chen Dong was taken aback. "The Demon Race?"

His face flushed, Yun Mengyan said, "Of course! My Frost Fox Race is against this marriage alliance with the Demon Race. It's a humiliation!"

"If you don't agree, then just don't go through with it!"

Yun Mengyan shook his head. "If only it were that simple. The Demon Race not only injured our Second Elder, but they also bribed the Yellow Fox Race and the neighboring Tiger and Rhino Races. This marriage alliance is pure coercion! Those fools from the Yellow Fox Race only see the benefits right in front of them and are blind to the Demon Race's ambition!"

As he spoke, tears welled in Yun Mengyan's eyes. "Our poor King, forced to compromise for the sake of our people! I only hate that my cultivation is too low, or else I would go and slaughter every last one of those Demons! Compared to the Human Race, the Demon Race is even more detestable!!!"

Yun Mengyan's companion quickly tried to calm him. "That's enough, Brother Meng Yan. Drink up. Say no more!"

But Yun Mengyan was still indignant. "Why shouldn't I speak? I possess royal blood in vain! My cultivation talent is utterly pathetic. I've failed our King! I've failed my own bloodline!"

The other members of the Demon Race sighed in unison and began drinking heavily.

Chen Dong drank along with them, his mind racing. 'Among the factions of the Demon Race, the Fox Demon Race has always been one of the most amicable toward the Human Race. If not for the incident with the previous Fox Demon King, they likely wouldn't be one of the main pro-war factions now. If I can resolve this situation perfectly, the Fox Demon Race might just side with the Human Race.'

But from the current situation, it was clear Yun Mengshang was unwilling; she had only agreed to the marriage for her clan. This gave Chen Dong a headache. Things were back to square one. Even if he successfully got close to Yun Mengshang, it wouldn't be enough to disrupt the Demon Race's overt plot.

Just then, Liu Ling's voice transmitted to him. "What are you mulling over now? I already told you, all you need to do is win over Yun Mengshang to ruin this marriage alliance. Why won't you believe me?"

Chen Dong retorted, "How is that possible? You think this overt plot can be broken just by making her fall for me?"

In his past life, Chen Dong had been the Human King; he knew just how powerless one could be in these situations!

Liu Ling said impatiently, "From the moment the Demon Race appeared in the Floating Shadow Realm, the Fox Demon Race has resisted them. Even as the Human Race suffered one defeat after another, the Northern Domain of the Demon Race has never wavered. Do you know why?"

Other than possessing the power to resist them, Chen Dong could think of no other reason.

Liu Ling continued, "The Frost Fox Race has a Divine Technique that, once comprehended, can guarantee the Northern Domain of the Demon Race will never fall. The Demon Race proposed this marriage precisely to neutralize Yun Mengshang, making her unable to comprehend that Divine Technique."

Chen Dong understood in an instant. 'The Divine Technique must require experiencing deep emotion to comprehend. That was why Liu Ling wanted him to get close to Yun Mengshang.' Furthermore, this plan would allow the Demon Race to extend their reach deep into the other demon clans without spilling a single drop of blood.

Liu Ling said with a sigh, "A whole day wasted. Fine, I'll just spell it out for you. Ever since the last Fox Demon King died, the only one who knows the Divine Technique known as the Frost Dream Realm is the Second Elder of the Fox Demon Race. However, the Second Elder's bloodline is impure—she only has half-royal Frost Fox blood and cannot unleash the Divine Technique's full power. Her recent grievous injury was also the result of a sneak attack by the Demon Race…"