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)
…
The Qingluan Empress and the Sixth Princess took in the sights of Black Dragon City's new streets from the back of a tricycle.
Demons bustled back and forth along the wide avenues—completely at odds with the rumors that this place was poor and desolate.
Black Dragon City was by far the most prosperous city they had ever visited—more so even than the Imperial Capital of the human realm.
The Empress had never come here before. Any previous dealings were always conducted with the Demon King visiting the Qingluan Clan in person.
The Sixth Princess sighed, "Elder Sister, I once heard that no demon wanted to come to Black Dragon City. But it seems those rumors were unreliable."
The demon pedaling the tricycle chimed in, "Oh, the rumors were true back then. But the way things are now, it's all thanks to our Queen—Her Highness led us to wealth and prosperity."
The Sixth Princess was intrigued. "And what's her background?"
"Oh, our Queen? That's a long story… She's a human princess, sent here as part of a peaceful marriage…"
The Empress scoffed with disdain.
"If that's the case, what could your Queen possibly want from marrying into the Black Dragon Clan?"
The tricycle driver looked a bit bewildered. "I'm not sure. But the bond between our Demon King and Queen is really strong. Maybe that's why? Plus, the Queen is gorgeous—she and the King are a perfect match."
Every demon in the city wished they could look like the Demon King.
Sadly, lower demons were born ugly. Most could only hope that after atavism, they might get a fresh and prettier face.
The mention of beauty immediately piqued the Empress's interest.
She murmured, "Now I am curious to meet your Queen."
The Sixth Princess quickly sent a private voice transmission only the two of them could hear.
"Elder Sister, she's already the Queen of the Black Dragon Clan. Please behave! Don't you have enough with your 58 palace consorts?"
If the demon race were ever on the brink of extinction, one clan that would survive was the Qingluan Clan—because the Empress laid two eggs a year, each with a different bloodline father. As long as they were handsome, she was willing.
Not all of the eggs had hatched either—nearly 200 were still in storage.
Of course, the throne of the Qingluan Clan could only be passed on to the eldest daughter.
"You worry too much," the Empress said airily. "I just want to see her. I won't go stealing anyone's lover."
The Sixth Princess still felt uneasy. She hoped her sister would keep her word.
Soon, they arrived at the currency exchange. The Sixth Princess handed over all her valuables but only got twenty Black Dragon Coins in return.
She frowned. "Why so little? I gave you so much."
"My apologies, esteemed guest. That's our fixed exchange rate. But trust me—twenty Black Dragon Coins are enough to buy everything in the city."
With that reassurance, the Sixth Princess let it go.
She generously tipped the tricycle driver two Black Dragon Coins. The poor man was stunned.
"This is way too much! That's several days' wages for a worker!"
The Sixth Princess waved it off. "It's a tip. Now show us around the city."
The driver happily accepted. "Would you two like to find a place to stay first? We've got lots of new inns."
The Empress wasn't particularly interested, but the Sixth Princess asked, "What kind of inns do you have? They better have some unique features."
"Oh, definitely," the driver beamed. "There's Chrysanthemum Inn—their food is top-tier, and they're always booked by merchant caravans. If you want to eat there, you need a reservation a day in advance. But with me, no line."
"There's also Far Traveler Inn. It's got a bus stop at the door, and bike shares lined up on the street. Hop on a bike, and you can get anywhere. They've even got parking—but you two probably don't need that as tourists."
"Then there's Lucky Inn. A bit pricier, but the service is amazing. Free food and drink while you stay. Those limited bath products that traveling merchants fight over? Free for guests. You even get perfume samples when you leave. If you've got money, don't miss this one."
"Lastly, Corner Inn—they've got great wine and it's right beside Wine Alley. The building's one story higher than the rest, so you get a view of the plaza and most of the city."
"There are more, but they're all in the pamphlet. These four were the first to open and are all reliable picks—you can't go wrong."
In the end, the Empress and Sixth Princess chose the famed Lucky Inn with the best service.
They had already tried some of the skincare products sent from the city before but were still curious about the local bath products—especially the limited-edition ones.
And the perfume samples? A huge selling point.
The Sixth Princess loved perfume—but her sister always snatched the good ones first.
Even the shampoo she was left with was a scent she didn't care for.
As they approached the inn, a delicious aroma wafted through the air.
The Sixth Princess sniffed. "Mmm, what's that smell?"
The tricycle driver laughed. "That's from the Gourmet Festival—just half a street away. A few turns and we'll be there."
The Empress said coolly, "Let's check in first."
She had already caught Qing Yuan's scent.
Lucky Inn lived up to its reputation.
The moment they stepped inside, a female demon welcomed them with the grace of a palace maid. The attentive service was every bit as refined as a royal household.
The Sixth Princess was very satisfied. A room here costs just three Black Dragon Coins—well worth it.
She got an even bigger surprise after entering her room—the bath wasn't just a big wooden tub, but a fully built-in pool.
It could be filled with hot water too. Turn the handle left for cold, right for hot. Since she had time to spare, she began filling it for a soak.
A staff member knocked on the door and brought in a set of sleepwear.
"This is a temporary set. If you like it, you can purchase it for one Black Dragon Coin."
The Sixth Princess barely glanced at it—just plain, unpatterned cloth. Not her style.
"Leave it there," she said, tossing a Black Dragon Coin casually. "Keep the change."
But the staff member bowed politely. "Our policy doesn't allow us to accept tips. We appreciate your generosity, though."
The Sixth Princess mumbled Fool but mentally raised her opinion of the innkeeper.
Despite being a commercial business, the inn's service rivaled that of royal maids—and they didn't even care about money. That put her at ease.
Once the maid left, the water was nearly full. She tested the temperature—it was too hot.
She instinctively reached for the plain cloth nearby to wipe her hand. The fabric was shockingly soft.
The Qingluan Clan prided itself on its textile expertise, but even she, the Sixth Princess, had underestimated this plain-looking cloth.
"This isn't something from the Qingluan Clan…"
She let in some cold water until the bath reached the perfect temperature.
Stepping down the stairs into the pool, she let out a satisfied sigh.
After bathing, she put on the sleepwear.
To her astonishment, the material was unbelievably comfortable. Who on earth had made this fabric? It was practically a direct challenge to the Qingluan Clan's position in the textile world.
Meanwhile, in the room next door, the Empress was growing more and more intrigued by Black Dragon City.
Now dressed in a bathrobe and holding a wine glass of grape wine sent by the inn, she looked every bit the queen she was.
She had tasted grapes a few days ago and had instantly fallen in love with this sweet fruit wine. Paired with a crystal wine glass, it looked as luxurious as she deserved.
Swirling the wine, she looked down at the street through the window.
"Black Dragon City… how interesting."