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)
Since Yin Jixue had said so, Lou Zhao didn't doubt her.
He'd eaten all kinds of terrible things before—even poison didn't work on him.
With that mindset, the Demon King picked up a piece of the spicy tofu and put it in his mouth. His brows instantly furrowed.
What a bizarre taste—it was like his mouth had caught fire. His tongue even went a little numb.
But once the burn subsided, a lingering fragrance filled his mouth.
Before he realized it, he'd taken a second bite, then a third. By the time he snapped out of it, he had already eaten half the plate of spicy tofu.
Yin Jixue rested her chin on her hand, smiling sweetly. "Tastes good, right? I told you I wasn't lying."
Lou Zhao nodded. "It's delicious. I've never eaten anything like this in the demon realm. The name even sounds like a dish from the human world. Why does it fill us demons up?"
After all, demonkind had long known that human food—even if tasty—couldn't truly satisfy them. If it could, humans probably would've gone extinct ages ago.
"It's because the seeds were modified—just like how we can grow crops on scorched earth now. Normally, these things wouldn't be ready for harvest until half a year later. But some of the demons who took up farming suddenly awakened a talent for it. As long as the crops are carefully tended by them, they grow super fast—the growth cycle has been cut by almost half."
Especially vegetables—they were growing like crazy. Lettuce now looked like stalks of celtuce, and soybeans had grown to the size of yellow peaches. The demonfolk caring for them thought that's just how veggies were supposed to look.
If Yin Jixue hadn't personally provided the original seeds, she might've believed it too.
She'd originally planned to assign some helpers to the farms, but seeing how smoothly everything was going, and after getting input from the farmers themselves, they all politely declined and just asked for more delivery carts.
The only downside was that the city's consumption power was still too low. Every day, they produce more fruits and vegetables than people could eat. Some leafy greens, once overripe, could only be used to feed wild boars and horned rabbit-goat beasts.
Not long ago, they wouldn't have dared dream that Black Dragon City would one day have enough vegetables to feed pigs.
But it all came so suddenly. Many demon folk still found themselves absentmindedly pinching their arms to make sure it wasn't a dream—that they hadn't already died and ascended to some sort of paradise.
One elder used to say: "Only in paradise can one live without worry."
And now… they were living without worry. They no longer feared hunger or cold. While their clothing wasn't fancy, the wool from the rabbit-goat beasts kept growing in waves, and the cotton would be ready for harvest in a month. One day, they'd all wear brand-new clothes.
Lou Zhao had never imagined that the demon race could still undergo atavistic evolution.
But that was exactly what was happening.
It was a good thing. The more powers demons had, the stronger their race became. But ever since their decline, only the reigning Demon Kings had ever shown atavistic traits.
"I don't know what caused their reversion," Lou Zhao said, "but it's a good thing. You're the Black Dragon Clan's lucky star."
Yin Jixue leaned her cheek on her hand and shook her head. "It's probably because of each individual's constitution… and because they're finally eating well. That might've triggered it."
"All of this changed because of you…"
She didn't finish her sentence, because the second and third dishes had just arrived.
It was the dishes most loved by foreign traders: Boiled Sliced Meat and Hot & Sour Shredded Potatoes.
After introducing the names and cooking methods, she gestured for Lou Zhao to continue eating.
Sure enough, once Lou Zhao tried the food, he couldn't stop. By the time he looked up again, half the dishes were gone.
"You're not eating?"
"Watching you eat already makes me feel full. Normally, I'd be hungry by now, but today… nothing. If I hadn't wanted you to come try the food, I probably wouldn't have eaten till evening."
Lou Zhao knew the reason—his spell had taken effect. From now on, they would share their fates, even sickness and pain.
But he would never allow the Queen to share his suffering.
That old geezer had said the spell wouldn't succeed on the first try, but look at him—it worked perfectly the first time!
Trying to act casual, he added, "If you ever don't feel hungry, it's fine to skip meals. It won't hurt your health."
Yin Jixue: ???
"There's an old saying," she countered, "'Food is as vital as iron and steel.' Even if I'm not hungry, eating is still part of the routine."
Lou Zhao glanced at her nervously. "But what if… you're not exactly human anymore?"
Yin Jixue: I feel like you're insulting me… and I have evidence.
She had a faint suspicion that Lou Zhao had done something to her—probably when he held her hand in the study. After he left, her fever and dizziness had vanished like magic.
Watching Lou Zhao pretend to stay calm while nervous, she found it both annoying and funny.
"Even if I'm not human anymore, I still like the ritual of eating meals. Now drink some strawberry juice—your lips are looking a little swollen from the spice."
He was the one who'd messed with her, yet somehow looked more anxious than she did.
Not that Yin Jixue was careless—she simply trusted that Lou Zhao wouldn't harm her. Still, she planned to ask Old Mo about it later. If there was any chance her condition might cause Lou Zhao harm, she had to know. After all, he was the strongest force in the entire demon race.
Yin Jixue had no appetite, so Lou Zhao didn't hold back. Like a gust of wind sweeping the fields, he polished off every dish on the table. If Yin Jixue hadn't stopped him, he probably would've drunk the leftover spicy broth from the boiled sliced meat and spicy tofu dishes too.
She handed him a handkerchief. "The royal kitchen knows how to make all of these dishes. But since you're outside the city during the day, just eat at the canteen. You can order from the menu—they'll put it on my tab. Normally, demons have to pay with contribution points—well, now it's Black Dragon Coins."
Lou Zhao frowned. "Too much hassle. Why not just give me a food card? Don't you have to keep track of everything anyway? Might mess up the accounts."
Yin Jixue chuckled. What a thoughtful boyfriend.
"No need. You only eat two meals a day. If they can't keep track of that, they didn't study hard enough."
After dinner, the kitchen brought out a giant bowl of fruit salad—every seasonal fruit you could think of was in there.
As the sweet fragrance drifted over, Yin Jixue suddenly found herself with an appetite again.
She began introducing the fruits by name and describing their traits while eating them with a little wooden skewer.
Lou Zhao mimicked her and took a bite, eyes lighting up in delight. He liked these juicy and sweet fruits.
Yin Jixue, seeing his enjoyment, smiled. "There's fruit in the palace too. Ask the kitchen to make you some when you come back at night."
Lou Zhao's stomach was like a bottomless pit—he devoured all eight main dishes and then finished off the entire fruit salad, leaving Yin Jixue with barely a taste of each fruit.
She couldn't help glancing at his stomach—not a single bulge. Seriously, this guy could make anyone envious.
Meanwhile, the Azure Luan Clan's young man was still scouring the city, begging for a single Black Dragon Coin. He promised a lavish reward in return, but since none of the caravans recognized him, they didn't trust him enough to lend him a coin.
It just so happened that today was Lou Zhao's first day back at work. After dinner, he and the Queen strolled back to the palace.
And that's when they ran into the young man—who was currently rolling on the ground, making a scene.
"Well, well, what wind blew this one into town?" Yin Jixue asked with a raised brow.
From his outfit, she could tell he wasn't a local.
She turned to Lou Zhao. "Do you know him?"
"I've seen him before. Let's take him back to the palace—can't have him putting on a show here in the streets."
Judging by his manner and attire, he wasn't of low status.