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)
…
Outside the city, Lou Zhao encountered both the Night Demons and the Shadow Demons, and the sight genuinely surprised him.
Strictly speaking, the Night and Shadow Demons weren't originally part of the Black Dragon Clan. They had once submitted to the clan's immense power over a thousand years ago—but only because they had no choice.
Later, as more and more of the Black Dragon Clan's lands turned to scorched wastelands, its once-great glory crumbled. They couldn't even protect their people, let alone continue looking after the Night, Blood, or Shadow Demon tribes.
Over the past millennium, everyone had assumed those tribes had either fled to the Xuanwu Clan or Qingluan Clan. Who would've thought they were still here—still on Black Dragon territory, and now quietly brought back?
Lou Zhao didn't dig too deeply. If his queen had brought them back, she would have her reasons.
But the moment he returned to the palace, his good mood soured.
Yin Jixue was sick.
"You call this taking care of her?" Lou Zhao scowled as he stormed into the bedchamber.
Yin Jixue was being held in bed by her handmaidens, reluctantly propped up against her pillows with a blanket draped over her shoulders as she reviewed paperwork on a small desk.
She only had a mild cold, yet everyone was acting like she was made of glass.
Hearing the footsteps, she instinctively called out, "Ruoshui, I told you I'm fine."
She didn't expect the person who walked in to be him—the one she had been yearning for all this time.
Yin Jixue set down the letter and rubbed her eyes.
"Am I seeing things? Can you hallucinate in broad daylight? There's no way Lou Zhao would come back two months early…"
Lou Zhao's expression was stormy as he gently but firmly tucked her back into the blanket. "You're not seeing things. I told you to take care of yourself. How did you end up sick?"
That voice—it was unmistakably his. Her boyfriend was back!
Yin Jixue was so happy she started babbling, her eyes sparkling from within the blankets.
"I'm fine! It's just a little chill from the wind. Weren't you supposed to come back in the summer? Why are you here so early?"
Lou Zhao leaned over her. Yin Jixue bashfully closed her eyes, only to feel his hand press against her forehead.
"You've got a fever. And you're still saying you're fine? Did they not look after you properly?"
Awkward.
Yin Jixue grabbed his hand. "It's not their fault. I probably soaked in the hot spring too many times these last two days and didn't dry my hair well afterward."
In demonkind, only children caught fevers—and their fever medicines didn't work on humans. Demon kids ran fevers with body temperatures exceeding 50 or 60 degrees Celsius. That was considered normal, a natural part of their physiology.
Yin Jixue's 37-degree fever barely counted. They didn't even have suitable meds for her. She couldn't take the ones made for demon children either.
Human bodies were just too fragile. Lou Zhao didn't want her suffering, even from something this minor.
"I'll go to the human realm and find a doctor to serve you exclusively."
Yin Jixue shook her head. "A doctor won't help. I'm usually very healthy—I didn't get sick once all winter. It's just the seasonal change. I wasn't paying attention, that's all."
Lou Zhao saw that she didn't seem too bad, and finally relented.
He sat with her for a while, staying close as she read through her letters. All the while, his gaze never left her.
After a bit, Lou Zhao stood up. "I've got something to do. I'll be right back."
Yin Jixue didn't want him to go but figured he had important business. She reluctantly let him leave, though deep down, being sick made her a little needy. She wanted her boyfriend to stay and pamper her.
Meanwhile, Old Mo was enjoying the sunshine at the factory when—bam—he was yanked up by his collar.
No need to guess who it was.
"Hey hey, let go! You just got back and already you're manhandling me?" Old Mo patted his rumpled collar. "I didn't even do anything this time, you brat. No respect for your elder."
Lou Zhao set him down, eyes serious. "Tell me the incantation."
Old Mo didn't even glance at him. "Which incantation are you talking about?"
Wasn't it embarrassing enough that the Great Demon King didn't know a spell? Coming at him with this attitude—utterly lawless. Why didn't his little wife just lock him up and teach him some manners?
"You know the one. It's not in my inherited memories. It must predate the last few kings. I've searched, but I can't find it."
Old Mo fell silent, thinking. The last Demon King hadn't used it either. But this brat wouldn't be asking if it weren't important. What spell could it be?
"You're making this hard. The last king's been gone for ages. Just tell me what it's for—I might be able to help."
Lou Zhao hesitated, then said quietly, "She's sick. I want to take on her pain."
Old Mo suddenly understood. So it's that spell.
No wonder. None of the past Demon Kings had ever used it. They had all sacrificed their blood and bones to create successors—not lovers.
In short, a long line of confirmed bachelors.
"You sure it's her? And you won't regret it? If you change your mind later and want to break the bond, you'll lose at least half your power. You'd be unfit to stay Demon King."
Lou Zhao didn't blink. "Even if I'm not the Demon King, I can still defeat them."
Old Mo sighed. "Fine. You've made up your mind—I won't stop you. The spell is…"
"This incantation only works if both parties are truly connected and genuinely in love. If your feelings aren't pure, it might not work the first time. Not a big deal if it fails, though—you can just pretend you were trying something fun."
He made it sound casual, but every word was aimed straight at the heart.
Lou Zhao turned and left without another word. Old Mo hesitated, but ultimately said nothing.
He wanted to tell Lou Zhao to ask for Yin Jixue's consent first. After all, they'd be bound for centuries, maybe millennia.
But knowing Lou Zhao's personality—he never gave up on what he wanted.
In the end, it was between the couple. As an elder, it wasn't his place to interfere.
Lou Zhao was gone for about thirty minutes. Back in her room, Yin Jixue couldn't concentrate. Eventually, she ignored everyone's protests and got out of bed, heading to the study.
They'd only set up a temporary marriage registry yesterday. Today, she needed to assign a construction crew to build a permanent Marriage Registration Center.
But the crew who had been repairing Black Dragon Pass's city wall had already been reassigned to work on the two highway routes outside the city.
The road construction team had split into two, each going in different directions. For their safety, Tengshe and Gou Chen personally led each group as supervisors.
With the crews stretched thin, they might need to recruit more workers soon.
After handling those details, Lou Zhao returned.
He frowned. "Why aren't you still in bed? What are you doing out here?"
Yin Jixue shrugged helplessly. "I can't just lie around. It's just a chill, not even a real cold. Hot water will fix it."
Lou Zhao gave up arguing. Instead, he held out his hand. "Give me your right hand."
"You got me something?" Yin Jixue asked, thinking he'd brought her a gift.
But Lou Zhao just took her hand and held it gently. He closed his eyes, staying silent for a long moment before finally opening them again.
Yin Jixue used the opportunity to shamelessly admire his face.
Slurp. A visual feast.
"What are you doing? Being all mysterious." She looked at her palm—nothing there. But it felt a little… weird.
Lou Zhao's expression was calm. "Nothing. Just left a mark—so I can find you later."
Yin Jixue didn't suspect a thing. "Can you do that?"
She joked, "Then should I leave one on you too?"
Lou Zhao replied, "No need. If you want to find me, just say my name three times in your heart—I'll hear it."
So mysterious. What exactly had he done to her hand?