Chapter 42 - The Lone Commander of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

T/N:

Heikou (Black Dragon Mouth)

Heicheng (Black Dragon City)

Censorate (Supervisory Court)

...

Of course, Lou Zhao wouldn't go work in a factory. With nothing else to do, he started following Yin Jixue around. Though she found it exasperating, she had no choice but to let him be.

After the New Year, the temperature plummeted to extreme cold. Once they made it through this period, the weather would gradually warm up, though it wouldn't fully recover until May.

During the coldest days, the city came to a complete standstill. Even patrols inside and outside the city were given a break, leaving only the city guards on duty indoors. On days this cold, even demon beasts wouldn't dare venture out.

Yin Jixue stayed firmly indoors, not stepping foot outside. The stove in her room never went out, and the maids came in every half hour to add more coal.

Bundled up from head to toe, she kept herself busy by categorizing all the seeds she had.

The system had given her seeds for human food crops, with descriptions stating they had been modified to grow in any soil and could be consumed by any species.

She sorted the seeds by priority. Rice was at the top of the list. As a southerner, she was more familiar with it, but whether it could grow in scorched earth was another question.

Next came wheat, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, soybeans, and others, along with some "freebies" like chili peppers, garlic, and mushroom spores.

At this rate, Black Dragon City was on its way to becoming an agricultural hub.

Since she couldn't go outside anyway, she decided to write down the planting methods. This way, she wouldn't have to explain everything herself later—she could just hand it over to the Supervisory Court.

Despite its lofty-sounding name, the Supervisory Court was responsible for very down-to-earth, practical tasks related to people's livelihoods.

A term popped into Yin Jixue's mind: *township civil servants*.

Outside the city, in the dormitories, the elderly, women, and children of Black Dragon Mouth were experiencing their first good New Year. They no longer had to worry about freezing to death in their sleep or going hungry. This kind of life was something they hadn't even dared to dream of.

All of this was thanks to Black Dragon City's help.

Outside, the wind howled, slamming against the wooden windows with a *bang bang* sound, but they weren't worried.

With the doors and windows tightly shut, the rooms were airtight. They sat on their beds, wrapped in blankets, with the beds themselves radiating warmth. Since coming to Black Dragon City, they had never suffered from cold or hunger again.

But they knew that spring was coming, and they weren't permanent residents of Black Dragon City. When the time came, they would have to return.

If only there were a way to stay, at least so their children could survive in Black Dragon City.

The snowstorm lasted for five days and nights. Yin Jixue spent the entire time hunched over her desk, writing and drawing. At first, Lou Zhao watched her, but as time went on, he grew bored.

He tried to make small talk, but Yin Jixue, absorbed in her work, only gave him perfunctory answers. Eventually, Lou Zhao got up and went outside for some fresh air.

"Come out and spar with me. Let's see if you've improved," the Demon King's voice rang out outside, followed by Teng She's response.

Yin Jixue paused, then smiled and continued copying the key points of crop cultivation.

She had never actually farmed before, and here she was, dreaming of planting rice in March. According to the planting guide, Black Dragon City wouldn't be suitable for rice until at least May or June.

There was no sound of fighting outside. Yin Jixue rubbed her sore shoulders and peeked out through the curtains.

Not that she was curious or anything—she just needed a break.

The Demon King, dressed in dark blue, was easy to spot in the snow. Their fight was silent, leaving no traces in the snow. Truly, they were demons.

Unsurprisingly, Teng She lost. He managed to hold out for three moves against the Demon King, which was impressive in its own right.

Yin Jixue let the curtain fall.

At first, she had been captivated by the Demon King's looks. Their second interaction had left her feeling that he didn't respect her and that they couldn't interact as equals. But now, she felt like he was more like the rebellious kid in class back in school.

After his warm-up, the Demon King returned to the room, bringing a wave of cold air with him.

Lou Zhao casually brushed the snow off his shoulders. "Are you done?"

Yin Jixue wasn't sure what he was up to and eyed him suspiciously.

Lou Zhao asked cautiously, "You've written so much. Isn't there something I can do?"

Yin Jixue: ???

She tried, "How about you go to the Supervisory Court? I don't need any help here."

She didn't dare let the Demon King near the crops. She was afraid he'd ruin the seeds.

Lou Zhao raised his voice, "Why can they do it but not me?"

Yin Jixue sighed, "You said it yourself—they're here to serve me. Can you at least act like a king?"

A mascot should do mascot things, like staying put and looking pretty.

Suddenly, Yin Jixue had an idea. "I can create a special department just for you! Then you'll have something to do!"

This wasn't the answer he expected. Reluctantly, he leaned in closer. "What department?"

Yin Jixue picked up her brush and wrote three large characters: "Ministry of Foreign Affairs! How about that?"

Lou Zhao was completely lost. "What does the Ministry of Foreign Affairs do? Can it make use of my abilities?" He was, after all, very powerful.

Yin Jixue spun a web of cuddles, using all sorts of lofty terms to describe the ministry's functions. She practically implied that "he who controls the Ministry of Foreign Affairs controls the world." The pie she painted was big enough to last the Demon King a lifetime and sure enough, he was thoroughly dazzled.

"Fine, set up the department as soon as possible. I don't need any assistants. I can handle it alone." The Ministry of Foreign Affairs lived up to its reputation. It was even more powerful than the position of Demon King! No wonder the other three clans didn't have one. He was truly the strongest!

On the surface, it was called the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but in reality, it was just a way to make the Demon King responsible for maintaining relationships between cities and selling goods.

Yes, selling goods. Since he could fly so fast, he could handle the distribution of Black Dragon City's products. It was safe and reliable, and no one would dare cheat him.

Though the Demon King was content to be a lone commander, Yin Jixue still assigned him two assistants out of courtesy—two soldiers from the palace whom she recognized but couldn't name.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was set up on the other side of the palace, where there was plenty of open space. If this were an ancient palace, that area would be considered the outer court, including the throne hall and its front square.

The square alone covered 50,000 square meters, with fifty historical-looking warehouses on each side. To put it bluntly, they were a bit run-down.

Yin Jixue rarely passed through this area because it was too large and required too much walking. It was a half-hour walk from the living quarters, and she wasn't used to being carried in a sedan chair—though they'd have to make one first.

As for the grand hall, which symbolized Black Dragon City's majesty, it wasn't currently in use. The Black Dragon Clan didn't hold meetings, and with transportation being so difficult, who had the energy to trek over mountains when they were barely getting enough to eat?

The other three clans often used the palace for meetings—a small annual meeting that required the city lord's attendance, and a larger one every five years that included anyone of importance, even merchants.

Once the snow melted, the Demon King would temporarily lift the barrier, and the construction team would come to renovate these warehouses into new buildings. That would become the Demon King's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Even if it was just a lone commander, at least it had the appearance of importance. The Demon King would probably stop hovering over her.

On the Demon King's first day in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Yin Jixue forwarded him a letter from the Supervisory Court containing public feedback.

After the first snow, the city's operations resumed.

After reading the letter, Lou Zhao learned that the temporary refugees from Black Dragon Mouth wanted their children to stay in Black Dragon City.

He immediately stamped his approval and, feeling rather pleased with himself, went to find Yin Jixue.

Unexpectedly, Yin Jixue countered, "Have you thought about who will take care of these children if they all stay?"

Lou Zhao replied matter-of-factly, "They're just a bunch of kids. Surely some of the citizens will be willing to help."