Genius in the whole system: The useless young lady dominates the world

Although the wine was sour and the grilled meat was a bit dry and tough, it was enough for those of them who needed to replenish their energy and blend into the environment.

At the next table sat three lithe leopard demons with sleek, well-defined muscles. They wore light leather armor and had curved knives at their waists, looking like hunters who made their living in the Forest of Ten Thousand Beasts year-round. They drank and whispered among themselves, glancing warily at Lu Lingxi and Yao's group from time to time.

Feng Xiao seized an opportunity, picked up his wine glass, and walked towards the table of leopard demons with a familiar smile on his face.

"Brothers, you look familiar. Are you also people who often work in the Forest of Ten Thousand Beasts?" He clinked his wine glass against an empty glass on the other side of the table. "I am Feng Xiao, and a few brothers and I just came from the south. We are not familiar with this Forest of Ten Thousand Beasts. We would like to ask you about the recent situation in the forest and how the harvest is."

He handed over a glass of freshly ordered beer, adopting a very humble posture.

The three leopard demons exchanged glances. The one in the lead had a hideous scar on his face. He looked Feng Xiao up and down a few times, then glanced at Lu Lingxi and Yao's table, seemingly assessing their strength and threat.

He paused for a moment, then finally accepted the wine Feng Xiao offered, tilted his head back and took a swig before mumbling, "It's alright, I won't starve, but I won't get rich either. The forest has been rather unsafe lately, there are a lot more ferocious beasts, and several old hunters have perished there."

He paused, then changed the subject, "But you lot look unfamiliar. Are you from the south? The south is in a lot of chaos right now. I heard that His Majesty Lietian's army is there suppressing rebels, and there's fighting everywhere. You guys actually managed to get here unharmed. You're quite lucky." His tone carried a hint of probing.

"Sigh, don't even mention it!" Feng Xiao immediately showed a lingering fear on his face, lowering his voice as he said, "That's right, we barely escaped with our lives, taking a huge detour, specifically choosing those hidden paths in the back alleys, just to get away with it. Those traitors were truly audacious, daring to defy His Majesty Lietian, they were simply courting death!" He deliberately raised his voice by half a sentence, his face showing just the right amount of "awe," "His Majesty Lietian is the chosen one, his divine power is unparalleled, I think, before long, the entire demon realm will be unified and stable under his wise leadership!"

Hearing Feng Xiao's "praise," the scarred leopard demon seemed to relax his guard a little. He chuckled, a fleeting, almost imperceptible sarcasm flashing in the depths of his eyes. He didn't respond, simply waving his hand and silently drinking his wine, mumbling, "Alright, alright, enough of this nonsense. The outer perimeter of the Beast Forest is alright, but don't go deeper. There are big guys inside, and we brothers can't afford to mess with them. Let's finish eating and leave quickly. This town isn't a good place either." After saying that, he fell silent, clearly not wanting to discuss it further.

Seeing this, Feng Xiao didn't press the matter further. He thanked the man and returned to his seat with his wine glass. Although the other party didn't reveal any more valuable information, his subtle reaction already explained a lot—at least, not all demons truly supported Lie Tian.

Just then, a few suppressed arguments came from the other end of the tavern, which quickly subsided. Lu Lingxi Yao appeared to be sipping her ale, but in reality, her mental energy was constantly locked onto the various sounds inside the tavern. She caught a few fragmented, deliberately hushed conversations:

"...Have you heard? Rift Sky City is forcibly conscripting soldiers again, apparently to form some kind of 'Demon Hunting Army,' specifically to deal with those stubborn old fogies who refuse to submit, and...and that 'remnant of the Crown Prince'..."

"Crown Prince? Which Crown Prince? The one His Majesty Emperor Hong disappeared back then? Wasn't it said that he died out there long ago? It's been so many years..."

"Who knows! Anyway, the higher-ups have given a strict order that the checks have been extremely strict lately. Any suspicious demons must be reported immediately, and anyone who dares to harbor them will be punished as an accomplice!"

"Tsk tsk, what a murderous aura! I think Lie Tian is afraid, isn't he? Afraid that person will really come back and take his place?"

"Shh! You're asking for trouble, kid? How dare you say something like that? Be careful what you say, or the Wolf Fang Guards will hear you and cut out your tongue to feed the dogs!"

"Sigh... This world is unbearable. There are countless exorbitant taxes and levies, and they conscript men at the drop of a hat. Now, even speaking a word requires trepidation... When will this ever end..."

"Let's wait. Maybe one day His Majesty the Emperor... or that Crown Prince will actually fight back. Then there will still be hope. Otherwise, we can only endure this..."

"Keep your voice down! Drink! Drink!"

……

These scattered whispers, filled with fear and anticipation, sketched a clear picture in Lu Lingxi Yao's mind: Although Lie Tian had taken control of the situation, his rule was not stable, with numerous internal conflicts and boiling public resentment. He publicly declared that Di Hong was dead and the Crown Prince had been missing for many years, but secretly he was also conducting a large-scale search for the so-called "remnants of the Crown Prince." This precisely shows that he was wary of Di Lin's existence and might even have received some information about it.

The people at the bottom of the demon realm live in dire straits, daring not to speak out against their anger. Even so, some demons still yearn for the return of orthodoxy deep in their hearts.

Nalan Rongzhi (Lang Qing)'s eyes grew even colder. Lie Tian's actions and the suffering of these lower-level demons reminded him of the days when he was hunted down and wandered in the Demon Realm by Nalan Yi. A sense of shared misery and disgust arose spontaneously.

Di Lin (the dog demon) lowered his head and silently tore at the roasted meat in his hands. No one could see his expression at this moment, but his slightly trembling shoulders and the bluish-white color of his knuckles from the force revealed the turmoil in his heart. His father was imprisoned, his people were suffering, and he, the crown prince who should have borne everything, had been wandering outside for many years and had even lost his memory at one point... A huge sense of guilt, anger and responsibility weighed on his heart like a heavy mountain.

Feng Xiao looked at Di Lin's appearance, a look of worry flashing in his eyes. He gently touched Di Lin's arm and gestured for him to calm down.

Preliminary intelligence gathering has been completed. The small, remote town of Falling Stones served as a window, allowing them to glimpse the true face of the entire demon realm under the rule of Rift Sky—oppression, fear, and widespread suffering.

“We shouldn’t stay here any longer.” Lu Lingxi put down her wine glass and gestured to everyone with her eyes. “We have enough information. The next step is to contact the informant Feng Xiao mentioned.”

Baihu (Xiong Han) stuffed the rest of the roasted meat into his mouth, took a big gulp of ale, and was the first to stand up, still with that rude and reckless manner.

Feng Xiao tossed a few demon crystals onto the table, just enough to pay for the drinks. The seven of them left the tavern called "Drunken Dream Abyss" discreetly, just as they had come.

Next, they need to find the secret contact point hidden in Falling Stone Town, which is still loyal to the Demon Emperor Hong, based on the clues provided by Feng Xiao, and try to gain the other party's trust and obtain more intelligence to pave the way for subsequent actions.