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)
...
After all, she was the Empress of Qingluan City — of course, Yin Jixue had to personally accompany her.
Naturally, Lou Zhao stuck close by her side.
To let the Empress see for herself that the distance between the two cities wasn't far, Yin Jixue had Ruoshui drive her car to carry the guests, while she took the vehicle prepared for Lou Zhao.
Lou Zhao's new car had just been delivered, and he hadn't even touched it yet.
Yin Jixue didn't want her "rival in love" touching Lou Zhao's car, so she'd rather lend out her own.
Sitting in the back seat, the Empress frowned slightly. "Queen Consort, you're not riding with us?"
Ruoshui explained, "There's limited seating, so you and Her Highness the Sixth Princess will share a car."
The Empress was displeased but said nothing more.
The Sixth Princess sat on pins and needles. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was off — surely her royal sister hadn't set her sights on the Queen Consort's partner?
The Sixth Princess was incredibly anxious, praying that her royal sister wouldn't ruin this collaboration.
Before Lou Zhao even started the car, a black blur shot toward them — a little tiger cub leaped straight into Yin Jixue's arms.
Yin Jixue chuckled as she rubbed the chubby cub.
"You came too, little one?"
Lou Zhao snorted. "It's gotten so fat now that even the elders of the Winged Tiger Clan might not want to claim it."
The little tiger was heartbroken and turned its backside toward Lou Zhao in protest.
Yin Jixue gently smoothed its fur. "Don't say that about our little one. Eating more just makes it cuter!"
Lou Zhao pouted. Too bad dragons didn't have fur — his little wife loved anything fluffy.
If only his true form were furry too, the little tiger wouldn't even stand a chance at stealing affection!
A ridiculous idea popped into his head: maybe he could have the textile factory next door make him a fluffy outfit for his true form.
No, no, that would be way too stupid. Lou Zhao forcefully shoved the thought away.
All this was the little tiger's fault.
Along the way, the Empress and the Sixth Princess witnessed firsthand what "Black Dragon City Speed" really meant.
The Sixth Princess couldn't help exclaiming,
"Royal Sister, did you see that? They're growing crops on scorched earth!"
The Empress replied coolly, "I'm not blind."
Still, she was curious — how had Black Dragon City managed it?
But anyone with a brain would realize that they would never be told such secrets.
It was said that the seeds used in Black Dragon City came from the Queen Consort's dowry.
They had tried planting human-world seeds but achieved nothing.
So the "dowry" story was probably just a cover, but she couldn't figure out what the real reason was.
The road from Black Dragon City to Black Dragon Port was smooth and flat, identical to the roads inside the city.
The Empress couldn't even recognize the material used to pave it — whatever it was, it made for a flawless surface.
There were simply too many unknowns about Black Dragon City.
And likely, they would never find out all its secrets.
It was a pity she hadn't fostered closer ties with the Black Dragon Clan before.
If she had married the previous Demon King, she might have had family connections now.
But thinking about how the other two clans also only maintained superficial ties with the Black Dragon Clan, she felt a bit better.
At least the Qingluan Clan had Qingyuan studying here — that counted for something.
The car quickly reached Black Dragon Port, just as the Queen Consort had described.
Tall walls, pristine new buildings — it was like a smaller version of Black Dragon City.
There were plenty of caravans from the Xuanwu Clan coming and going.
The Sixth Princess leaned forward eagerly.
"What are they doing here?"
Ruoshui explained, "This is our Black Dragon Clan's logistics transfer hub. Goods like fruits and vegetables are transported from here to the Yuling City of the Xuanwu Clan. Caravans can hitch rides and rest here for a while."
Black Dragon Port was closer to the Xuanwu Clan.
The fruits and vegetables were picked two days in advance — by the time they arrived, they were perfectly ripe for consumption.
Moreover, the road leading to the Xuanwu Clan was currently under construction — handled by the Shadow Demon construction crew.
Once completed, the logistics would be even faster.
The Sixth Princess quickly asked, "Can the Qingluan Clan purchase goods too?"
Ruoshui shook her head. "It should be possible. You can inquire at the logistics center.
Small quantities require placing an order in advance through Black Dragon Express.
Large quantities will have to wait until the road is finished."
The Sixth Princess frowned. "Then why are you building a road to the Xuanwu Clan first and not to us?"
Ruoshui replied calmly, "Logistics prioritizes ground transportation. Black Dragon Port serves as the central hub, expanding outward to nearby areas — currently focusing on short distances. If we eventually develop something like an aircraft for air transport, then we can have direct routes to the Qingluan and Winged Tiger Clans."
Of course, another reason for building the road was to make it easier for demons from Black Dragon Port to open shops in Yuling City — but that part didn't need to be shared.
The Sixth Princess smiled sweetly. "Then we'll await good news from Black Dragon City."
Those old turtles were getting such a good deal.
They were shrewd merchants — no doubt they'd jack up prices once they got their hands on Black Dragon City's goods.
Upon entering the city, they already spotted several familiar Xuanwu Clan traders setting up shops.
Black Dragon Port wasn't as bustling as Black Dragon City yet, but its future looked very promising.
The Sixth Princess was now truly anxious —
Whether or not her royal sister intended to meddle with the demon king's marriage, she immediately rushed over to Yin Jixue.
"Can the Empress and I purchase shops under our names?"
Another success — Yin Jixue had successfully promoted Black Dragon Port!
"Of course," she answered with a smile. "You can register at the City Lord's Mansion ahead.
Each demon may only own one shop and one residential property. Would you like to buy a house as well?"
The Sixth Princess looked at the Empress.
The Empress gave a slow nod.
"Then we'll buy property too! Queen Consort, do you have any location recommendations?"
Yin Jixue didn't plan to trick them.
"I suggest the street near the City Lord's Mansion. It's quieter there, and the plaza and schools aren't in that area's development plan."
The Sixth Princess was overjoyed. "Schools? Can we send Qingluan Clan children too?"
Before Yin Jixue could reply, the system issued a sudden task.
[Mission: Establish a school for demons and acquire 2 million units of Faith Energy.]
[Reward: Complete educational facilities package.]
[Item Description: The Black Dragon Clan has formed a rudimentary civilized society.
However, demons overall remain in a savage, uncivilized state.
Lead the next generation to shed their illiteracy and build a civilized demon race.]
Really? Building a civilized demon race?
What next, shake hands before a fight?
[Zzzzt... Beep... Host...]
Yin Jixue thought she was hallucinating.
[I am System 001...]
Yin Jixue covered her mouth in shock.
She hurriedly responded to the Sixth Princess:
"The school will be open to all demon clans. Please wait for the official announcement.
Sorry, I need to step away for a moment."
Yin Jixue rushed off, with Lou Zhao following close behind.
Once they reached a secluded spot, Lou Zhao immediately set up a barrier.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Yin Jixue shook her head. "The system just spoke. Watch the surroundings for me — I'm going to try communicating with it."
Lou Zhao nodded solemnly, staying alert.
The Empress had wanted to follow, but sensing the barrier's presence, she wisely stayed put.
The Sixth Princess was buzzing with excitement.
"Royal Sister, I think we should send all our young Qingluan disciples to that school!"
The Empress replied calmly, "You will be in charge of this matter."
Receiving full authority, the Sixth Princess immediately started mentally calculating how many suitable young ones the Qingluan Clan had.
At first, she only planned to send the royal bloodline.
But after seeing how even the low-born demons in Black Dragon City could experience bloodline reawakening, she decided she wouldn't underestimate ordinary bloodlines again.