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)
Qinglong (Azure Dragron)
…
It was bound to be a chaotic morning.
All the bedding in the royal bedchamber was stripped and taken away, replaced with a fresh set. As for Bai Baobao—he was being punished, standing in the corner in his little tiger form.
Yin Jixue was filled with regret.
But before she could wallow too long in it—Teng She and Gou Chen returned!
"You already finished repairing the road?" she asked in surprise.
Had they made it back so fast? Did they not run into any danger or obstacles?
"Yes," Teng She reported. "As soon as the road was cleared, we returned to report."
They both looked quite haggard, likely from days of sleeping rough, exposed to wind, sun, and rain.
"You've worked hard. I'll give you both a month off! There's a new amusement park at Black Dragon Pass—you can go have some fun."
Teng She and Gou Chen perked up instantly. They'd missed the Black Dragon City Food Festival entirely, unaware of all the amazing food and entertainment, so this came as welcome news.
Yin Jixue also handed them each a dining voucher for the revolving restaurant.
"Have a proper meal first. It's at the top of Black Dragon Tower."
When they left, the city had already been flourishing.
Now? It had exploded in growth. There were even foreign-run shops in the city.
Originally, storefronts weren't allowed to be leased to Outlander merchants. But ever since many native businesses relocated to Black Dragon Tower, some demon residents began leasing their old shop spaces.
Of course, selling them outright was still strictly forbidden.
Meanwhile, the Shadow Demon Construction Team had reached terrifying levels of efficiency.
They had completed the towering Black Dragon Tower in just a few days.
Now, under the Queen's orders, they had begun building a new residential complex just outside the city gate, along the route from Black Dragon Pass. Each building was six stories tall.
Compared to the building at Black Dragon Pass, this was practically next door.
However, ownership of these new apartments wasn't permanent. Buyers would be granted a 200-year usage right, with all property managed by the Censorate.
When word got out that new housing outside the city was being built specifically for foreign traveling merchants, many merchants who had planned to leave quickly sent their goods back to their home tribes.
"Can we pay first and come back when the houses are ready?"
Within days, the Censorate's real estate office was swarmed by merchants hoping to pay upfront. They wanted to reserve units in advance.
But the staff wouldn't allow full payment—only deposits were accepted. Once construction was complete, they could pay the balance. If they changed their mind, only 20% of the deposit would be refunded.
These merchants were desperate to hand over their money—but no dice. They were stuck in Black Dragon City, waiting anxiously.
Then, on the third day, the notice came:
"The houses are finished."
The merchants were dumbfounded.
"Houses? They mean the real houses?"
"Built in three days? What'd they use—branches and leaves?"
"No way those houses are as sturdy as the ones in the city."
They were uneasy. Sure, the city's outer area was protected by the Demon King's barrier, and no beast would be foolish enough to attack…
But still, no one wanted to pay a high price for some shoddy shack.
Heads hung low in resignation.
"Whatever. It's Black Dragon City—no one dares go against them. Let's just pay."
The mood was sour.
Why did Black Dragon City have to develop so fast?!
If only they'd bought land here back in the day… Now, all they could afford were the leftovers outside the city.
Optimistically, maybe the houses would get rebuilt one day.
They had already lowered their expectations.
But then came a surprise.
The Elder quietly slipped into the Censorate's real estate department.
"I'd like to buy a house."
Fifteen minutes later, he walked out beaming with keys in hand.
He had already secretly inspected the houses outside the city. They were built exactly like the ones inside. Once he furnished it, he'd have a perfect place to retire after stepping down.
He hadn't even told Bai Buer about it.
When the traveling merchants finally finished paying and went to inspect their new homes… they were utterly slapped in the face.
Brand new. Solid construction. Unbelievably it had only taken three days.
Black Dragon City's construction speed was insane.
But stepping inside was what truly stunned them.
They had all paid for the largest floor plans, averaging 100 square meters per unit.
For reference, the staff dorms had much smaller units—30 or 40 square meters for a family, 20-square-meter shared rooms housing four to six demons.
This? Worth the money.
Spending 50 Black Dragon Coins to buy a house with a 200-year lease was a far better deal than buying a truck for 30 coins, especially since they couldn't drive.
Plus, Black Dragon Pass now required passing a driving test to operate a vehicle—fail, and you'd crash for sure.
(Of course, that was mostly a scare tactic. The cars were equipped with autopilot, the same system used in flying vehicles.)
Still, it was to prevent clueless merchants from zooming around town and injuring civilians.
The 100-square-meter homes were fully modern inside.
A foyer at the entrance, kitchens with faucets and sinks, and living rooms with sofas, and coffee tables.
Beds were rubber and soft like clouds. Closets were built into the walls with sliding doors. The master bedrooms even had vanity tables and matching nightstands.
There were no kang beds (traditional heated platforms), but the floors were fitted with radiant heating—though the merchants didn't know what that was yet, they had basically snagged an incredible deal.
Later on, these homes would rent for 50 Black Dragon Coins per room.
That's when things would get exciting.
With this batch completed, the Shadow Demon builders could now move on to their next project: the new residential district in the city's west.
Previously, the old buildings there had been demolished to make room for Black Dragon Tower. The entire surrounding area still needed rebuilding.
The outer neighborhood had just been their practice round—now it was time for something more refined.
These new in-city homes had to match the city's aesthetic and offer true comfort.
Indeed, these were the relocation buildings for internal immigrants. Lower-ranked demons like the Outer Clan, Shadow Demons, Night Demons, and the reclaimed Blood Demon Tribe would all be moving in.
As for the dormitories near the mines, those would be reserved for newly arriving workers from Black Dragon Pass or other cities.
Since this housing was for their people, the Shadow Demons slowed down the pace and customized layouts to their liking.
The Night Demons and Blood Demons also submitted design requests. Since they'd all been neighbors before and had good relationships, the builders took every suggestion to heart.
Rows of six-story buildings sprang up inside the city. Each had a small front garden, fences, and gates. The rooftops were planted with greenery—a symbol of life blooming within the city.
Today, Yan Ye came home for the first time in a while.
Because his family had been moved into the city, he had to come back to figure out the new route.
Trailing behind him was a persistent tag-along.
"Ye-Ye gege, is your new house super big? Can I sleep over tonight?" asked Lian Ze, blinking his big eyes at him.
Ever since his sister Lian Rui became the Prophet's disciple, she'd been too busy to spend time with him. Thankfully, Yan Ye and Lian Ze were classmates, so the boy wasn't too lonely.
Yan Ye stuffed his hands in his pockets. "How would I know? I haven't been home yet."
Lian Ze tugged on his sleeve. "Think about it—aren't you excited?"
"It's not my home anymore. I'm Her Majesty's guard now. My home is the Demon Palace."
Even though he said that, a subtle excitement stirred inside him.
Since leaving home… he had never once returned.