Heilong-kou (Black Dragon-Mouth/Pass)
Heilong-cheng (Black Dragon-City)
Censorate (Supervisory Court)
Yuling City (Jade City)
Jingui Town (Golden Turtle Town)
Xuanwu City (Black tortoise City)
No one knew who spotted Lou Zhao and Yin Jixue first, but a loud voice immediately rang out:
"Their Highnesses are here!"
The young man scrambled up from the ground in an instant—it was his first time seeing the Queen of the Black Dragon Clan in person.
Then his eyes casually drifted to the man standing beside her… wasn't that the Great Demon King of the Black Dragon Clan?
He instinctively took two steps back, hoping to go unnoticed by Lou Zhao.
Unfortunately, the Demon King directly grabbed him by the collar:
"Qing Yuan, where do you think you're sneaking off to?"
Yin Jixue chuckled and held Lou Zhao back. "Don't scare him."
Then she smiled kindly at the boy. "Come back to the palace with us. You've been in Black Dragon City for days, and we haven't even properly welcomed you."
If Lou Zhao hadn't mentioned it, she wouldn't have even known that the Azure Luan Empress's nephew was currently in the city.
Qing Yuan originally wanted to refuse, but then he thought—so what if the Great Demon King had caught him? He had just returned and surely wouldn't kick him out.
Plus… the Queen was so beautiful. It was a pity she already carried the Demon King's scent all over her.
He rolled his eyes playfully. "If I go back with you, can I get a Black Dragon Coin?"
Yin Jixue nodded with a smile. "Of course."
She couldn't help laughing. A Black Dragon Coin was roughly equivalent to a hundred yuan. So he could be "bribed" with just a hundred bucks?
At that moment, the system issued a new notification:
[Mission: Establish the first logistics company of the Black Dragon Clan. The mission is complete upon receiving the first order.]
[Reward: 10 Logistics-Use Aerial Transport Crates]
[Item Description: Your city is experiencing a surplus of fruits and vegetables. If seasonal produce isn't shipped out in time, waste will occur. These refrigerated crates support cash-on-delivery across the Demon Realm and come with retina-fingerprint locks. Max net weight per crate: 10 kg. After claiming, crate schematics will be unlocked in the system shop.]
Yin Jixue suppressed her excitement. As soon as they returned, she'd start planning the logistics company!
There was a huge stretch of unused land at Black Dragon Pass that could finally be put to use. And with Shadow Demons' speed and ability to generate multiple afterimages, they'd be perfect for sorting parcels!
Lou Zhao glanced at her, puzzled. Why was she suddenly grinning like a fool?
Qing Yuan waved a claw back at the merchants he'd come with. "Thanks for bringing me to Black Dragon City. Till we meet again!"
With that, he strutted off with Yin Jixue—completely unaware of the chaos he'd left behind.
"Bro, who exactly is that kid in your caravan?" someone asked the team leader.
The caravan leader was dumbfounded. He'd just been paid to escort the kid—how was he supposed to know the kid knew the Demon King? And they even seemed familiar!
He suddenly remembered all the bad things he'd said about Black Dragon City when they first arrived… his face instantly turned pale.
As for the merchants who'd mocked Qing Yuan as a poor beggar and refused to lend him a single Black Dragon Coin? Their faces were even whiter, some of them nearly collapsing from anxiety, terrified that Qing Yuan might go complain to the Demon King for revenge.
No one wanted to get beaten to a pulp just for doing business.
Fortunately, their fears never came true—even after they left the city. That earned Qing Yuan a few more points of gratitude.
Meanwhile, Qing Yuan was currently seated at the palace table, feasting with wild abandon, not even wiping the sauce off his face.
Across from him, a small bowl sat in front of a little white tiger, who had its head buried in the dish, munching away with enthusiastic little chomps.
Strictly speaking, the tiger was ten years older than Qing Yuan—but due to a congenital deficiency, it didn't have the intelligence of a ten-year-old.
Yin Jixue had originally treated it like a baby cub and fed it mashed sweet taro.
But Lou Zhao had told her that Winged Tiger Clan stomachs weren't that fragile. They could eat normal food just fine.
So now, the little tiger ate whatever they ate—and it had no trouble keeping up.
Qing Yuan, though focused entirely on the food, still noticed when the little tiger's bowl was empty and would automatically pick out more for it, saving Yin Jixue the effort.
Neither Yin Jixue nor Lou Zhao had much appetite—Lou Zhao had already eaten, and Yin Jixue was saving room for her evening fruit salad.
It took fourteen full dishes to satisfy these two little gluttons. Truly, only pure-blooded demons could eat like that.
Yin Jixue glanced at the tiger's bloated belly with concern.
"Is it really okay for him to be that full?"
Lou Zhao waved it off. "He'll be fine. Just let him run a few laps."
Qing Yuan leaned back, stroking his stomach and letting out a long, satisfied belch.
"Back at the inn, I didn't bring enough supplies, so I didn't dare eat my fill," he said nostalgically.
Yin Jixue gave a small sigh. "Since I married into the demon race, I've never met the other Demon Kings. And I've never met you either."
Qing Yuan had such a simple, cheerful disposition—it wouldn't be boring having him around the palace.
"If I'd known you were so nice," he grinned, "I would've just told you who I was and moved in with you."
Lou Zhao shot him a cool glance.
"She's my Queen."
Qing Yuan blinked innocently. "Everyone knows that. I just think Her Highness looks a lot like my eldest sister."
His sister was the eldest princess, heir to the Azure Luan throne.
Yin Jixue quickly stepped in before the two could start bickering.
"Qing Yuan's probably just homesick. It's your first time away from home, right?"
Qing Yuan nodded. "Mother never let me run around. The farthest she's ever taken me was to Xuanwu City."
A little kid, indeed.
Yin Jixue patted his hand gently. "Sorry to make you rough it in the palace for now. There are no aircraft here, so it'll take a bit if you want to return. But we can send a letter for you."
Qing Yuan had no intention of going home. If he hadn't run out of money, he could've kept playing in Black Dragon City for another six months.
Qing Yuan's residence was arranged on the opposite end of the palace. It would take ten minutes by bike to visit him.
That was no accident—Lou Zhao simply didn't like him and intentionally put him far away.
Having one little tiger was more than enough. Bringing in another adorable tag-along? No thanks—he didn't want the Queen's attention split.
Yin Jixue asked him, "How are relations between the Black Dragon Clan and Azure Luan Clan?"
Lou Zhao thought for a moment. "Not bad. The Azure Luan Empress once tried to marry the previous Demon King of the Black Dragon Clan… but ended up defeated by him. Afterward, she made it clear that she'd marry no one but him."
Yin Jixue's eyes lit up. "Damn. No wonder all your Demon Kings are single—Black Dragon Clan is built differently."
Lou Zhao added, "A year later, the Azure Luan Empress gave birth to two daughters. Their father was that little tiger's older brother."
Yikes… what a scandal.
"But the two sides never became enemies," Lou Zhao continued. "Maybe because they felt bad about the whole thing. They've been quite generous in supplying food."
That touched on the Black Dragon Clan's painful past. Yin Jixue patted his shoulder.
"Let's just pack Qing Yuan some local specialties before he leaves. Consider it a return gift for their generosity."
Black Dragon City's specialties weren't limited to glass and paper.
These days, the city had everything—nearly self-sufficient. While cars and bikes were flashy, the true treasures were still its fruits, vegetables, and textiles.
Lou Zhao took the opportunity to play pitifully and wrapped his arms around Yin Jixue's waist, rubbing his head on her shoulder like a clingy child.
Outside the city, more and more factories were being established. The workers had even carved out a great river, which now served as the border between the forest and Black Dragon City.
Upon returning, Lou Zhao's first order of business had been to set up a protective barrier inside the border. While not as powerful as the palace's barrier, it ensured that as long as he lived, no beast could breach the city.
A single massive tree trunk served as the only path in and out for the hunting parties.