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)
...
Yin Jixue had barely spent half a day with her mother and family before a steady stream of guards began requesting her attention.
Seeing how genuinely busy her daughter was, the Empress Dowager waved her off to handle state affairs, telling her to leave behind just one maid.
Yin Jixue left Fengxiu.
The Empress Dowager thought Fengxiu was just an ordinary maid and took her hand to ask many questions about her daughter's life—mostly about whether she was eating well, living comfortably, and whether her relationship with her husband was harmonious.
Fengxiu answered everything clearly and patiently.
The Empress Dowager, satisfied, patted her hand.
"That's good. Seeing Xue'er living well in the Demon Realm puts my mind at ease."
...
Yin Jixue sifted through the student registration lists.
Across the Black Dragon Clan—outside of Black Dragon City—only a little over 600 adolescents had been counted. The number was shockingly low.
Still, now that everyone had enough to eat and wear, the birth rate was slowly picking up. And given that the Demon Clan didn't suffer from aging, it was at least some good news.
Well, not exactly no aging—it's just that demons lived so long they could continue reproducing over centuries.
Then, Lou Zhao coldly dropped a truth bomb: aside from the Demon King, all demons were biologically limited to a maximum of three children. After that, no more.
This restriction had existed since the Demon Clan's creation and had yet to be broken.
But even so, there was no need to override it. Demons understood that overpopulation would only hurt their survival.
They were more forward-thinking than modern humans, making Yin Jixue feel a bit inadequate in comparison.
Just then, Lou Zhao fixed his gaze on Yin Jixue's face. She looked up, puzzled.
"What is it?"
Lou Zhao moved closer. Yin Jixue tried to push him away.
"My parents are still here—it's broad daylight, don't try anything!"
Lou Zhao rested his hand on her stomach, tilting his head curiously.
Bai Baobao jumped into Yin Jixue's lap and leaned in too.
A bad feeling rose in Yin Jixue's heart.
"Don't tell me… there's a baby in there?!"
No, please no! She did not want to be a mother so soon!
"There's nothing," Lou Zhao replied, disappointed. "I was just testing. Looks like I still haven't worked hard enough."
Yin Jixue pushed him away.
"I don't want kids for the next couple of years—I'm still a kid myself!"
Bai Baobao nodded solemnly in agreement. No need for a little brother.
Lou Zhao flicked Bai Baobao on the forehead. "And what are you nodding for? Your dad doesn't even want you. You're a stray we picked up."
Bai Baobao opened his mouth to bite Lou Zhao, but for some reason, Lou Zhao didn't dodge. Not wanting to lose face, Bai Baobao settled for chewing on Lou Zhao's finger like a teething toy. He wouldn't bite—it was his meal ticket, after all.
Yin Jixue quickly intervened, "Take your hand out! Fingers have germs. He'll get diarrhea."
Lou Zhao pouted, "So now you think I'm dirty?"
She had to coax the little one and pacify the big one. With this chaos, having a child was out of the question. Maybe in a few centuries.
There was still plenty of time ahead. Let the Demon Realm flourish first, and then they could think about children.
...
Dragon One and the other shadow guards had finally been released. They wept when they saw the Emperor.
They never wanted to go back to Black Dragon Pass, especially not to that cursed amusement park.
But they were now familiar with the city and eagerly took the Emperor sightseeing and sampling local foods.
Yin Jixue became a hands-off host, joining her family only for dinner. The rest of the time, they enjoyed the city on their own.
The Empress Dowager and Retired Emperor fully embraced local customs. They strolled around like any ordinary family.
The Empress Dowager quickly observed that her daughter wasn't neglected in the Demon Realm—it was just that demons didn't travel with attendants or guards. Her daughter was highly respected and quite safe.
The Retired Emperor noted that the Demon Clan was far from the brutal savages described in rumors. Aside from their appearance, they weren't so different from humans.
The Ministers of Works and War had fully integrated. Natural extroverts, they asked every demon they passed about anything curious they saw—completely unafraid, maybe because they were old enough not to care about consequences.
Demons, too, had never seen humans before. The two sides simply observed one another like rare animals, then politely parted ways.
Some demons only realized afterward: Wait, weren't those the Queen's human relatives? I should've been more enthusiastic!
The two ministers' favorite hangout became Black Dragon Tower.
Everything inside was brilliantly designed—far beyond human capability.
Especially the Spirit Communication Tablets, which rendered carrier pigeons obsolete. In wartime, they would be a strategic game-changer.
But unfortunately, only demons could use them. The two ministers sighed—this was exactly the kind of thing humans envied: demons could build anything they wanted. Humans, meanwhile, had only ideas but no means.
That, they concluded, was the fundamental difference between the two races.
...
Across the other three demon clans, over 4,000 adolescents had been counted, completely eclipsing the Black Dragon Clan.
Still, once the youths of Black Dragon City were added, their number reached about 800, including older children.
Even though the term start was scheduled for the next semester, the other Demon Kings had already tallied their students and asked Yin Jixue if they could send them early.
She didn't agree immediately but consulted with the teachers.
The teachers said it was fine, as long as room and board fees were paid. It was, after all, their chance to earn extra income.
Since there was no objection, Yin Jixue approved it.
The school had just been completed, and the early arrival would help kids acclimate. It was like make-up classes during the break.
For this term, they'd focus on school rules and discipline. Anyone who wanted to stay would have to behave.
From Tiesheng, good news also arrived. He had upgraded the flying vehicles to carry up to 2,000 passengers—and they were now almost as fast as fighter jets.
Everything he dared touch, he had redesigned. Parts he didn't dare modify were left alone.
Yin Jixue had Lou Zhao consult with the other three Demon Kings—did they want to send their kids personally or have Black Dragon City's aircraft pick them up?
It was free of charge—more about showing off their tech than saving coin.
Xuanwu and Qingluan clans opted to deliver the kids themselves. The Xuanwu elders wanted a look around, while the Qingluan Empress had ulterior motives.
The Winged Tiger King, however, just sent a message and flopped down—he wasn't worried at all. His youngest son was already living in Black Dragon City and thriving. The boy was growing stronger every day and had even managed to take on human form. It wouldn't be long before he spoke a fluent language.
The Tiger King didn't visit because he couldn't think of a worthy gift. Since the Queen and Demon King seemed to like Bai Baobao, he simply "gave" them his son as a godchild, feeling like he was getting the better end of the deal.
He had no idea his son had completely forgotten about him.
The flying transport to the Winged Tiger Clan took just ten days round trip, thanks to Tiesheng's upgrades—Yin Jixue was thrilled.
At this rate, Tiesheng might one day invent an airplane, revolutionizing Demon Realm travel.
Kids from nearby cities were brought by bus.
First-year tuition, lodging, and meals were all free. In the second year, they'd be charged, but exemptions were possible with valid reasons.
While watching a movie in the plaza, Yin Ao overheard some demons discussing school policies. He was stunned.
The Demon Clan waives tuition and meal fees for poor students?
In Yinchao, that was unthinkable.
The Demon Palace was flush with money. As trade flourished, tax revenue poured in. Farming wasn't taxed—only large-scale farms paid dues, and subsidies were even provided.
A far cry from Yinchao's system.
Yin Ao didn't even dare imagine what would happen if they tried such policies back home. They were too bold. And he had no one to share these thoughts with.
Even telling the Retired Emperor would just get him branded a dreamer.
The Demon Realm is for demons. How could humans imitate them?
Just then, the Ministers of Works and War came shuffling over awkwardly.
They had something to say—neither knew how to start.
"Your Majesty, we were just browsing Black Dragon Tower and thought… perhaps we could bring back some of the Demon Clan's clothing?"
The Minister of War had been glued to the down jackets. These garments, if distributed at the borders, could prevent soldiers from freezing to death at night.
Yin Ao responded coolly, "If you want them, ask the Princess. Why come to me?"
They were too embarrassed to bother her—she was already so busy.
Still, word reached Yin Jixue. She declined to give away demon clothing but agreed to teach them how to make down jackets and cotton clothes.
She gave the Minister of War a temporary Mini Spirit Tablet, telling him to keep an eye out for incoming messages.
Eventually, Wu Xiang, who had just gotten off work from the clothing factory, called them.
She had received Yin Jixue's message at noon, instructing her to help the humans.
To her surprise, the ones on the other end were two scruffy, bearded old men. She'd thought all humans were pretty boys.
Gou Fugui, her husband, peeked in but saw nothing. Jealous, he stomped off to make dinner.
Wu Xiang gave a clear and thorough explanation. The Minister of War listened while the Minister of Works took notes.
Only when her husband called her to eat did she end the call.
Gou Fugui casually asked, "Who were you talking to earlier? Why not let me see?"
"His Highness asked me to teach two human elders how to make down jackets and cashmere sweaters. They're old enough to be your grandpa. You're not jealous, are you?"
Gou Fugui scowled. "Of course not! Why would I get jealous of a grandpa?!"
Wu Xiang, knowing to save face for her man, didn't say anything more.
...
The first batch of kids from Black Dragon Bay arrived.
Their hometown was still under construction—this was their first time seeing a city full of big buildings.
They didn't dare run around, afraid of breaking something.
Most were undersized, malnourished. Some were 15 or 16 but looked barely 12.
Kids from Black Dragon Pass were also transferred in. Only those born in Black Dragon City would start school after finishing preschool.
No tuition was collected this term. The focus was just on familiarizing the students with the campus and each other.
This was the one school uniting all four major demon clans. Preemptive mingling would make future class divisions easier.
These children had lived sheltered lives, unable to roam freely—small demons made prime prey for higher-level beasts.
Now at school, they weren't shy at all. Being away from home made them cheerful.
Of course, some kids were homesick and huddled off to the side, unwilling to make new friends.
The entire student body was placed into a single preschool class.
Even Winged Tiger cubs who had sat in on classes before hadn't understood much. They had to obediently start in preschool, too.
Kids were grouped by age, even if the curriculum was the same. No one wanted to be the oldest in the youngest class—it would be humiliating.
The teachers' warning made everyone nervous.
Among the new arrivals were a pair of rare fraternal twins from Black Dragon Bay: Haibei and Haibao, a boy and a girl, both ten years old.
Led to the main teaching building, they were amazed by the enormous structures, nothing like home.
Black Dragon Bay was still being built, and they'd left before they could even move in.
They hadn't wanted to come. Their parents were building the house, and they could've helped.
Plus, the kids from Black Dragon Bay barely knew each other—the houses were too spread out. The Xuanwu Clan kids even decorated their clothes with pearls and shells. Haibei and Haibao had already forgotten what their classmates from the ride over looked like.
The twins stood holding hands at the back of the group. It wasn't until class assignments were finished that a teacher noticed them.
"What's this? Two more? Hiding back here—we almost missed you!"
"They look alike. Must be the twins from Black Dragon Bay."
"Yeah, send them to the Children's Class. They don't look over ten."
Haibei gathered her courage. "We are ten this year."
Qingyuan, who'd been pulled in to help with enrollment, smiled warmly. "Ten is still young. Off to the Children's Class you go."
They didn't know what that meant, but the teacher's smile was so lovely, they followed her in a daze.
Inside, they found that everyone looked like them, even someone who waved and called out,
"Haibei! Haibao! Sit over here!"
The twins glanced at the teacher, and Qingyuan nodded, smiling. "If you've got friends, go ahead and sit with them."
The pair shyly walked over to their not-so-familiar classmate and sat down.