Heilong-kou (Black Dragon-Mouth/Pass)
Heilong-cheng (Black Dragon-City)
Heilong-yuan(Black Dragon Wall)
Heilong Bay (Black Dragon Bay)
Heilong Ridge (Black Dragon Ridge)
Censorate (Supervisory Court)
Yuling City (Jade City)
Jingui Town (Golden Turtle Town)
Xuanwu City (Black tortoise City)
Qinglong (Azure Dragron)
…
Midway through the Labor Day holiday, Black Dragon City unveiled a new product—one so innovative that no other demon clan could replicate it.
This groundbreaking item was a modified version of the traditional transmission stone, now renamed the Lingtong Device, or colloquially, "Little Lingtong."
But that wasn't all—before its official release, the device would be introduced through a full-scale product launch event.
The Lingtong wasn't invented by Tiesheng himself, but rather by one of his apprentices, who had made key improvements to the original transmission stone. The enhancements were specifically designed to prevent demons from treating the device as a mere magic crystal, which was often the fate of standard transmission stones.
And it wasn't an impossible worry—after all, transmission stones were made from magic crystals. But thanks to the upgrades, the energy inside a Lingtong was no longer sufficient to be used as currency. However, if resold as a secondhand device, it could likely still fetch a high price.
The launch event was set for May 5th, the very next day. The keynote speaker? None other than Shi Gantang, the young designer behind the Lingtong.
Both Yin Jixue and Lou Zhao would be attending in person to support the release.
This wasn't some minor gadget—it had the potential to revolutionize communication for the entire demon race.
While Demon Kings did have specialized channels for communication, they rarely used them unless necessary—it consumed a significant amount of demonic energy, and no one was eager to waste that chatting with someone annoying.
Ordinary demons had it worse: they relied on trained Qingluan messenger birds, merchant intermediaries, or grueling long-distance runners.
Even Elder Turtle had to personally return home just to send a message to his people.
Demon Kings could only communicate remotely with sworn subordinates whose lives were tied to theirs—like Tengshe, Gouchen, or Feng Xiu Ruoshui—and even then, only they could be contacted by Lou Zhao, not the other way around. The farther the distance, the more demonic energy was consumed—so unless it was an emergency, that method wasn't used either.
That's why the emergence of the Little Lingtong was so monumental. It could fundamentally reshape the future of demonkind's communication.
…
Yin Jixue and Lou Zhao spent the morning helping each other pick out formal attire for the event.
Ever since the clothing factory began producing original designs, Yin Jixue had made sure Lou Zhao's wardrobe kept pace. She couldn't very well wear cute new dresses every day while the Demon King wore the same old outfit.
(Not that she'd admit this was just an excuse to indulge her dress-up-the-husband obsession.)
She had submitted many fashion reference books to the school, including modern designs like suits.
She'd long imagined Lou Zhao in a well-tailored suit—but hadn't yet found a fabric fine enough for him. Anything ordinary would feel like an insult.
Their formal clothes were all made from high-quality fabrics obtained through merchant trades. Their pajamas, though, were still good old cotton.
Yin Jixue had also taken a break for the holiday. But she and Lou Zhao hadn't gone anywhere—they were newlyweds and enjoyed nothing more than lazing around together.
Call it a spark of passion or the relief of a long drought meeting spring rain—it had quickly become impossible to stop.
With the weather warming up in May, Yin Jixue wore dresses with slightly higher collars to cover up any "evidence" of the past few days.
Suddenly, she asked, "Do demons even have miscarriages?"
Lou Zhao reassured her, "Only if the mother suffers a serious injury. It's very rare otherwise."
Yin Jixue wasn't done. "But what if a demon doesn't want the baby after getting pregnant?"
Lou Zhao shook his head. "That doesn't happen. Demons don't dislike younglings."
Demon cubs were growing fewer and fewer, making them one of the realm's most treasured assets. Of course, that didn't mean people pulled their punches in a fight.
So, with that cleared up, there was no need to develop demon-specific contraceptives. Let nature take its course.
…
The launch event was held in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building of the Demon Palace. It was spacious enough to accommodate merchants from many clans.
This used to be Lou Zhao's former office, though after his departure, the eaves had grown thick with cobwebs, since cleared out in preparation for the event.
This was likely the first time any merchants had entered the Demon Palace—and through the main gate, no less.
True to its reputation, the palace of the Black Dragon Clan—the most opulent of all demonkind—was enormous. On foot, the journey across it could take half a day.
Some merchants immediately regretted not riding a shared bike inside.
Just then, the sound of automobile engines echoed through the halls.
Public transport buses had been arranged to shuttle guests to the event venue.
Meanwhile, young Shi Gantang was pacing beside Tiesheng.
"Master, I don't know what's wrong—my hands won't listen, and I can't calm down."
Tiesheng, having once stood in his shoes, clapped a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"What are you afraid of? This conference is a mark of our honor. You better not embarrass me."
Shi Gantang took a deep breath to pump himself up.
"Let me go over my notes one more time."
He had prepared backup notes just in case he forgot his speech halfway through.
Fortunately, that didn't happen.
Aside from a moment of stage fright when he saw the sea of black heads before him, once he noticed the Demon King and Queen seated in the front row, he steadied himself.
"Good day, everyone. I'm Shi Gantang, your keynote speaker today. We're proud to introduce a new product—the Lingtong Device, also affectionately called Little Lingtong. Its main features include…"
After a detailed introduction, he moved on to the live demo.
"Would anyone like to volunteer for a hands-on trial?"
"I will!" called out a voice—it was Jingui, an attendant to the Xuanwu Lord.
Lou Zhao cast him a sidelong glance, clearly recognizing him. After all, he'd once beaten Jingui within an inch of his life. That turtle shell was so thick it took three days and three nights before he cracked.
Jingui took the Lingtong and stepped outside the hall. Shi Gantang dialed his number.
Following the instructions, Jingui tapped "Answer," and suddenly, a floating screen appeared before him.
"What in the—?!"
Jingui was stunned.
How could this device project the image of someone still inside the building?
The real shock came next.
Even when Shi Gantang turned the device toward the crowd, the screen only displayed his face—it wouldn't capture anyone else.
But the audience could all see a live image of Jingui hovering in midair.
"This device transmits both voice and image. You can not only hear the other party's voice, but also see their appearance—no matter how far apart you are."
A merchant quickly asked, "How do you make it work over long distances?"
Shi Gantang smiled.
"Because the paired devices are crafted from the same source material. That's how they maintain the link over great distances. It's similar to how transmission stones used to work. I'm sure you've heard of those?"
The merchants all nodded.
Who hadn't heard of transmission stones? They had once been as legendary as flying machines—a staple of ancient demon tech, widely used thousands of years ago.
But after the last known stone disappeared, the technology was lost.
No one knew where transmission stones originally came from. Only Lou Zhao had inherited the knowledge to create them.
"You're saying this can replace transmission stones?"
Shi Gantang shook his head.
"No—it surpasses them."
The launch event left the merchants in awe.
If they could get their hands on a Lingtong, they'd be able to contact family and trade partners no matter where they were.
No more lining up for Black Dragon Express just to send a message.
Eventually, the retail price of the Lingtong was announced: 66 Black Dragon Coins.
Not a small sum—one could buy a house in a suburban neighborhood outside Black Dragon City for that price.
But the utility was undeniable. Unless they had a rock-solid excuse, every merchant there had to buy one.