Chapter 39: The Demon King's Observations

T/N:

Heikou (Black Dragon Mouth)

Heicheng (Black Dragon City)

...

Zhong Shang suddenly said, "Hearing it from us alone can't fully convey the magnitude of the changes in Black Dragon City."

Lou Zhao collected his complicated emotions.

"Lead the way."

If what he had seen earlier was just the tip of the iceberg, after witnessing the neatly planned streets and the roads paved with some unknown material, Lou Zhao was left with nothing but astonishment.

But that wasn't all.

"Why is the street so deserted?" It felt like a ghost town.

Zhong Shang replied, "The citizens are all undergoing unified training to form a hunting team by spring."

Lou Zhao nodded, indicating he understood.

After touring the city, Lou Zhao gradually calmed down, but he couldn't help but wonder how his little wife had managed to break through the century-old dilemma of Black Dragon City.

However, it was clear that whatever she had brought to the table must have been the result of some extraordinary opportunity. Regardless, everything she had done was undeniably beneficial to Black Dragon City. Even if he had doubts, he wouldn't confront her directly.

He wanted to figure it out himself.

"Is this the so-called Imperial Censorate you mentioned?"

Inside the Imperial Censorate, Meng Qiu and Lin Zhong suddenly paled. They quickly came out to greet the Demon King.

"Your Majesty, you've returned!"

Meng Qiu and Lin Zhong were thrilled. The last time they had seen the Demon King was during the harsh winter last year when they had caught a glimpse of his back from a distance.

This time, they were standing face-to-face with him.

Lou Zhao said indifferently, "You were the former captains of the guard, right?"

They hadn't expected the King to remember.

"Yes, we were formerly captains of the guard, fortunate enough to have earned Lord Teng She's appreciation."

Lin Zhong also introduced himself as the deputy captain.

"Since the Queen has assigned you official duties, you must take them seriously. The Queen's orders are my orders."

Meng Qiu had thought the King would question them, but instead, he acknowledged their roles. The two loyal subordinates immediately swore to serve the Queen with their lives.

"Remember your oath today." After giving them a stern reminder, Lou Zhao didn't linger and moved on to the next destination.

Meng Qiu and Lin Zhong knelt on one knee, watching the Demon King leave.

From today onward, their positions have been officially recognized by both the Demon King and the Queen. They would assist the Queen in managing Black Dragon City!

Lou Zhao happened to notice a group of children playing around a stone monument.

"What's that stone monument for?"

Zhong Shang smiled. "It's a gift you left for Her Highness, the Queen."

He remembered leaving a beautiful spirit stone before his departure, thinking it would appeal to women. He hadn't paid much attention to what it was.

He had never given gifts before, but he had seen the males of the Qingluan Clan courting females with presents. After beating them up so many times, he had somehow remembered that.

However, he had left the spirit stone simply because it was valuable and could serve as a token, as humans called it.

The old man from the Xuanwu Clan had looked pained when he handed it over, making it the perfect token.

But how had it grown so large?

He remembered it being in a box, no bigger than half his fist.

Then he saw the moving images on the stone monument.

"Is this... a Memory Stone?" Among his many spoils of war, he finally recalled that the spirit stone he had casually given away was a Memory Stone.

Once something was given away, no matter how precious, he never regretted it. But Lou Zhao was puzzled.

He knew the function of the Memory Stone, but projecting recorded scenes required magical energy to activate.

In all of Black Dragon City, aside from him, only a few of his subordinates in the palace could use magic.

And they were all absent at the moment. So who was powering this Memory Stone?

Zhong Shang, unaware of the complexity, cheerfully explained, "This place is called the Open-Air Screening Platform, and it's also a monument symbolizing the love between you and Her Highness, the Queen."

Lou Zhao:?

He suppressed his curiosity. "How so?"

Zhong Shang then recounted the love story of the Demon King and the Queen, as told by the citizens of the city.

Even though the story's version of the Demon King had left on a journey the day after the wedding.

Love stories had always been universally popular, transcending race and nation. No one knew who had started the tale, but it had evolved into its final version.

The Memory Stone was the token of love between the King and the Queen. They had fallen in love at first sight in the human realm, and the Queen had bravely married into the demon realm. Touched by her devotion, the King had gifted her the most precious Memory Stone in the entire continent. To commemorate their love, the Queen used the Memory Stone to record the lives of the citizens of Black Dragon City.

If Yin Jixue had heard this story, she would have pointed out all its flaws, starting with the fact that their initial meeting was completely fabricated.

Yet, as the story spread, it moved every adult demon in the city. Countless single female demons were inspired, yearning to meet a romantic partner like the King.

"Where did this story come from?" Lou Zhao couldn't help but wonder. Had his little wife fallen in love with him at first sight?

Then he remembered how much she seemed to adore his face. Falling in love at first sight must have been because of his looks!

Zhong Shang thought for a moment. "It was pieced together from rumors. The female demons in the city started wanting to settle down because of this story, so we didn't stop it."

They also hadn't reported it because they enjoyed listening to it themselves.

So, Yin Jixue, as the protagonist of the story, had no idea what the citizens had been imagining in their free time.

Lou Zhao's ears perked up at the latter part of Zhong Shang's explanation. The birth rate of the Black Dragon Clan had been the lowest for over a century.

The total number of marriages and births across all Black Dragon Clan cities in a year didn't even match the annual numbers of a single Xuanwu Clan city.

It was clear how dire the situation was.

The root cause was the harsh and bad conditions of the Black Dragon Clan. Reproduction required a large reserve of food, and the timing couldn't be during winter. There was also a lack of clean medical environments, leading to high mortality rates during childbirth.

However, any child that survived and grew up would have a higher innate talent than their parents.

It was survival of the fittest.

Given these circumstances, many Black Dragon Clan families were composed of unrelated individuals who chose not to have children.

So, when Lou Zhao heard that single female demons were now willing to marry, he approved of Zhong Shang's approach.

If love stories could encourage female demons to start families, he could go to the Qingluan Clan and copy a few more.

Returning to the main topic, Lou Zhao saw the so-called Open-Air Screening Platform and immediately realized it wasn't the Memory Stone he had given. Yet, it bore traces of the Memory Stone.

He didn't approach it, observing it clearly from twenty meters away.

The screening platform was playing footage of the literacy class's final exams.

Zhong Shang had forgotten to mention the literacy class, so he took this opportunity to explain.

Lou Zhao was surprised. "You're saying she's teaching every citizen to read? Even the demons outside the city can come to study?"

"Her Highness's exact words were, 'Anyone who wants to learn can come.'" Later, except for a few older students who couldn't keep up, everyone who attended the first class continued without missing a session.

The Queen had mentioned that an elderly class would be established for those who couldn't keep up, easing the pressure on classroom seating.

If Lou Zhao had initially been merely grateful and curious about Yin Jixue's actions, he now felt genuine admiration and respect for her.

He didn't find her decisions idealistic; instead, he deeply agreed with her approach.

The population of Black Dragon City wasn't large, and for rapid development, civilization couldn't be left behind.

He had visited the main cities of the other three clans and some lesser-known tribes. They already had clear social hierarchies, with knowledge monopolized by the rulers. Ordinary demons and slaves had no access to education, leading to widespread ignorance and narrow-mindedness.

This kind of prosperity and wealth was enjoyed by the upper class, while the lower classes suffered.

His people had shared both the good and the bad with him. Born in Black Dragon City, they had never complained, firmly believing that the city would improve one day. Their trust in him had allowed Lou Zhao to travel far and wide without worry, searching for solutions.

So, the idea of keeping his people ignorant was something he could never accept.

And his little wife's vision aligned perfectly with his, which brought him a certain sense of joy.

"Is this the final exam you mentioned? What's its purpose?"

Zhong Shang explained the necessity of the final exam as proposed by the Queen. Lou Zhao nodded thoughtfully.

He wanted to see how his little wife's mind worked. How could she come up with ideas that were both innovative and practical?

What caught his attention the most were the exam papers on the desks.

"Paper-making? No one would believe it if you told them this was created by humans."

Zhong Shang agreed. "Indeed, it's a marvel. Just using tree bark and bamboo, they've created such thin writing material."

"Do you know how it's made?"

Zhong Shang: "Her Highness demonstrated it once."

Just as he was praising his little wife, Lou Zhao noticed a problem. How could something so important be casually revealed? Couldn't she be a bit more cautious?!

Sensing the King's displeasure, Zhong Shang quickly added, "There's a paper-making factory and a printing factory in the city, both fully managed by Her Highness."

Lou Zhao's sudden irritation was dispelled by this statement.

After touring the city, Zhong Shang led the King outside the city walls.

He sighed. "The military training should still be ongoing. Even if the citizens don't join the hunting team, they need to cultivate the fighting spirit of our Black Dragon Clan. We've finally reached this day."

"Yes, we've finally reached it." It was all thanks to his good fortune. The changes in Black Dragon City had nothing to do with him.

They deliberately avoided the training grounds.

Although the roads outside the city weren't paved, the dormitories were built on flat land, with smooth cement surfaces in front of each building.

Zhong Shang pointed toward the cafeteria. "The place with smoke is the cafeteria. The first and second cafeterias of Black Dragon City, specifically providing meals for the mining site."

"Where's the magic crystal mine?"

He had been in Black Dragon City for so many years but had never known about the existence of a magic crystal mine.

Zhong Shang pointed in the direction, and only then did Lou Zhao sense it.

"This magic crystal mine is buried deep. You can only feel it ten meters underground."

This was due to the entrance. Otherwise, unless an earthquake caused the magic energy to leak, who would have thought there was a magic crystal mine fifty meters underground?

Halfway there, Zhong Shang suddenly remembered. "Oh, right. This winter, Black Dragon Mouth came seeking help. Her Highness took in their elderly, weak, women, and children. They're living in the buildings at the very back."

The dormitories were assigned based on the order of arrival.

Lou Zhao: "What about their food?"

Zhong Shang replied cheerfully, "They're provided with heating and food, the same as our citizens."

Lou Zhao was skeptical. "Does Black Dragon City have enough food?"

Zhong Shang guessed the King hadn't seen the sweet potatoes yet, so he led him to the cafeteria.

The cook, Li Na, recognized Zhong Shang but had never seen the Demon King.

"Give me two sweet potatoes."

Although Zhong Shang was a teacher, he was also a member of the palace.

Li Na didn't ask questions, bringing over two steaming bowls, each containing one sweet potato.

"This is our food. The last harvest was two months ago, and we'll have another next month."

He then remembered he hadn't yet reported to the King that the barren land could now grow sweet potatoes. The Queen had done so much for Black Dragon City.

Yin Jixue's ears felt warm. "How strange. Is someone talking about me behind my back?"

First, she ruled out the citizens. It must be the Demon King!

Today, the Demon King was dressed formally. Yin Jixue thought about it and decided not to dress too casually either.

As soon as she stepped out, Feng Xiu, Ruo Shui, Teng She, and Gou Chen were all waiting outside, startling her.

She composed herself. "What's going on? Aren't you following the King around?"

Teng She spoke first. "Without the King's summons, we can't appear before him at will."

Ruo Shui asked worriedly, "Your Highness, are you feeling unwell?"

Yin Jixue was puzzled. "No, why? What's going on?"

Ruo Shui bit her lip, and Feng Xiu lowered her head. "It's about your neck. I told her."

Yin Jixue waved it off. "It's not a big deal. It was an accident. Your King wouldn't intentionally harm me."

After Yin Jixue repeatedly assured them that the King hadn't deliberately hurt her, Teng She and Gou Chen left.

"Your Highness, I was so worried about you." If it weren't for the scarf around Yin Jixue's neck, Ruo Shui would have wanted to see if there were any marks.

Yin Jixue had to comfort her. "It's fine. He apologized last night. I checked in the mirror this morning, and there are no marks. What about you all? Why are you standing at the door?"

Feng Xiu sighed in relief and walked beside Yin Jixue.

"We were thinking that if the King had hurt you, we would take turns sparring with him to avenge you."

Yin Jixue tested the waters. "You'd take turns, or all four of you at once?"

Feng Xiu blushed. "Even all four of us together couldn't withstand a single move from the King."

Yin Jixue patted Feng Xiu's shoulder. "I appreciate the sentiment, but he's your King. You don't need to go that far for me."

She was doing this for Feng Xiu's sake. Fortunately, the Demon King was a magnanimous ruler. If it were anyone else, Feng Xiu would have been accused of treason, punished severely, or even executed.

Feng Xiu remained silent, and Yin Jixue took it as agreement.

Arriving at the school, she learned that the Demon King had gone out with Zhong Shang.

Yin Jixue took a deep breath to calm herself. Don't be nervous. If he disapproved of her taking the initiative , he would have come back to scold her immediately.

The fact that he hadn't returned yet could only mean he was either captivated or wanted to see more.

Today, she had come to catch up on demon culture and history during the holiday. Having to attend cram school during a break—was there any queen more unfortunate than her?

However, after reading for about twenty minutes, she finally couldn't take it anymore and put down the bamboo scroll.

"The characters are too small. They're making me dizzy."

The bamboo scrolls were crammed with characters, written closely together to fit as much text as possible.

She decided to make pencils as soon as possible. Carrying a brush around was inconvenient, and one mistake could ruin an entire sheet of paper.

Pencils would allow for repeated use of paper and significantly increase writing speed.