Chapter 319: The Demon King's Morning Court

The audience hall was silent, with only the slight crackling sound from the fire basin echoing in the empty hall.

Luo Yan, sitting on the high throne, swept his gaze from top to bottom over the lizardman leaders crawling on the ground, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but lift a faint smile.

Among them were Ze'er · Tua, the former high priest of the Holy Armored Dragon Kingdom who now commanded the Assam State; Wuerjia · Wind Roar from the Wind Roar State, who had turned from an initial observer into his loyal supporter; and Xiu'er · Red Scale, the chieftain of the Tide State, whom he had met once at the meeting on the northern coast.

And now, they, who were above ten thousand people, had all become his most loyal servants.

Luo Yan's gaze fell on the face of Aishemata, and he spoke slowly in a gentle yet majestic voice.

"Aishemata · Hamaka, you are the King of the Chosen elected by the Chieftain Society?"

"Yes, supreme Lord Demon King."

Hearing the Demon King's voice, Aishemata raised her head slightly, and the bright golden-green different-colored pupils revealed a look of piety and admiration.

Then she lowered her head gracefully, and continued in a soft and low voice.

"Thanks to your grace, I am honored to be entrusted by the chieftains to temporarily hold the position of 'King of the Chosen' of the Gutafu United Kingdom for a term of five years. In the next five years, I will report the affairs of the Gutafu United Kingdom to you, and convey the supreme will to your subjects on your behalf."

Luo Yan nodded slightly, which was an acknowledgment of this King of the Chosen.

Actually, he didn't find it strange at all that the leader of the Sand Ridge clan was pushed to this position.

After all, when the Great Storm occurred, the twelve states split from the Armored Dragon clan were basically settled in the central desert area to take refuge.

And according to the report of the Great Graveyard acolyte, Aishemata did a very good job in this matter, not only treating the Armored Dragon clan civilians who accepted protection well, but also restraining her clansmen with strong wrists, without taking the opportunity to retaliate against these former enemies.

These Armored Dragon clan chieftains naturally returned the favor. The twelve chieftain states were twelve votes, covering 60% or even 70% of the population of the Jiana Continent.

Plus Aishemata's own high prestige, she naturally became the choice of the public.

And besides her, the second strong competitor was the chieftain of the Tide tribe, followed by Wuerjia of the Wind Roar tribe.

The three tribes themselves were the largest ethnic groups on the Jiana Continent besides the Armored Dragon clan.

Quietly observing the changes in the Demon King's expression, seeing that the adult on the throne had no objections, Aishemata paused for a moment, then continued.

"As for the Sand Ridge tribe... I have entrusted it to my sister, Xiya · Hamaka. Thanks to your care, she has now grown into a leader who can stand on her own... Of course, if you need her to return to your side to assist you, I think she will definitely not refuse."

At the same time as Aishemata's voice fell, Xiya nodded slightly, expressing approval of her sister's statement.

"Birds with high aspirations belong to the vast sky... there is no need to return to my side; I think the Sand Ridge tribe needs her more than I do."

Luo Yan nodded slightly, shifted his gaze to Xiya, who looked humble and cautious, and said sternly,

"Xiya · Hamaka, from today on, you are the chieftain of the Sand Ridge State. I hope you can inherit your sister's ability and make your tribe more prosperous. Please remember, do not let down the expectations of your subjects and your relatives, and I will always watch you."

He would not interfere too much with the selection of chieftains of various states. As long as it was not a political strongman who opposed him or demanded separation from the Gutafu United Kingdom, it made no difference to the Great Graveyard who was the chieftain.

As for the appointment, it was just a ceremony.

Xiya lowered her head and said respectfully,

"Follow the order, Lord Demon King... I will definitely not let down the expectations of you and the Clan Mother, bring long-term prosperity to the Sand Ridge tribe, and contribute the strength of the Sand Ridge clan to you, the supreme one."

Such a strong aura—

After saying these words, Xiya took a deep breath, and her tense scales couldn't help but tremble slightly.

She could clearly feel that compared to the last time they met, this Demon King's power had become stronger by a point!

The aura hidden in his shadow was like the lake water outside Assam City, bottomless!

It wasn't just Xiya who had such a feeling. Wuerjia and many other chieftains standing not far behind her were the same.

Those pairs of pupils secretly looking at the Demon King were all filled with astonishment, and their stiff tail tips curled slightly on the floor tiles.

What terrible power!

As expected of a strong man who could lift the Dragon God Temple to the sky and smash it hard on the ground...

Just by making eye contact with his shadow, they felt as if the blood in their blood vessels had frozen!

The only one who was different was Aishemata.

This lizardman queen was closer to the Demon King's throne and observed more carefully, and the more she observed, the more she felt that Luo Yan's temperament had undergone subtle changes.

It was not just the strength of power, but a throbbing from the depths of the soul—making her heart hard to calm down.

A trace of imperceptible intoxication flashed in those golden-green pupils, and the slender letter rubbed along the edge of the lips.

What a powerful male!

It seems—

Humans are not impossible, right?

The so-called entering the lizardman is the lizardman, this is the tradition of the Jiana Continent, Aishemata convinced herself in just an instant.

Luo Yan didn't notice Aishemata's fiery eyes wanting to lay eggs. After all, the bloodlines of lizardmen and humans were still too far apart, even more than the gap between small demons and humans...

These creatures were completely created by Tafu using the ruthless work of the Zeta Empire.

As for how much DNA Tafu used that originally existed in this world, the little ghost herself probably couldn't say clearly. After all, a thousand years have passed, and except for the lights that can still be on on her spaceship, most of the precision instruments are broken.

That's not something that can be repaired by chanting a few spells.

Confirming the personnel arrangements of the various chieftain states one by one, Luo Yan, sitting on the throne, looked down at the leaders of various tribes and announced in a commanding tone,

"This is the first morning court since the establishment of the Gutafu United Kingdom. I hope that every first Sunday of each quarter in the future, you can appear here like today and discuss state affairs according to today's agenda... regardless of whether I am sitting on this seat."

The leaders were refreshed and remembered this matter seriously.

Seeing that no one had any objections, Luo Yan paused for a moment and continued in a gentle tone,

"Now, please stand up and tell me what work you have done during this period, how these works have been completed, or what problems you have encountered. Don't be restrained, you can say anything, as long as it is about your own interests."

When he finished this sentence, Luo Yan cast his gaze toward Aishemata, who was already prepared.

Those golden-green pupils flickered slightly, Aishemata stood up first, bowed and saluted, and then spoke.

"Reporting to Lord Demon King, the storm brought by the collapse of the Great Barrier has now completely ended, the order of each state has been restored, and the clansmen of each tribe are living peacefully in their own territory... My work during this period has mainly focused on this matter, and the progress is currently quite smooth. The only problem is that this storm has completely changed the topography of the Jiana Continent, and the maps we have been using are not accurate, so there have been many disputes about land among the clansmen of each tribe."

Luo Yan looked at her appreciatively.

"It's good that you can notice this problem. I will instruct my servants to assist you in surveying more accurate maps, and let the acolytes under my command go deep into the grassroots to help you complete the measurement and property registration of the land, as well as arbitrate land disputes."

Aishemata was stunned for a moment, but only understood half of the Demon King's decision.

"Property registration is..."

Luo Yan tried to say in a concise tone,

"Simply put, it is to let every piece of land have a corresponding certificate, and the owner will enjoy all powers except sovereignty on the land granted by the Kingdom... and in return, they need to pay a certain amount of tax to the local chieftain state. As for the form and proportion of the tax, it will be negotiated in the subsequent agenda."

Aishemata's eyes lit up. She was a smart person and immediately saw the benefits behind this rule.

If this policy could really be implemented, the powerful families holding land within each chieftain state would have no secrets from the chieftain, and the land tax would become a sharp weapon for the Chieftain Society to suppress the power of local powerful families!

"Lord Demon King is wise!"

Luo Yan smiled faintly, just nodded slightly, and did not make any words.

It's too early to praise him for being wise now.

There is still a certain difficulty in implementing this seemingly simple but complex policy.

However, considering the extraordinary obedience shown by the lizardmen after being conquered, and even automatically putting the title of "Holy King" on his head, and helping him heat the cold throne... this work should not be too difficult.

Many traditions of the Great Graveyard, although inherited from Hell, have essential differences from Hell in organizational structure.

This has nothing to do with players, but his consistent decision—building temples on every street!

He never requires his believers to go to the temple to pray at every worship time, but will require his acolytes to select believers who will come to pray every Sunday, and use the power of the temple to help them become the condensation nuclei of each block.

It started from Beifeng City, and most of these "condensation nuclei" scattered at the grassroots level have received the grace of the temple.

They are not only the reserve force of the acolyte army, but also the hands and eyes of the Great Graveyard temple deep into the grassroots.

This is a sharp weapon that most feudal dynasties do not possess and have never imagined—

He established a strong organizational system on the basis of faith itself!

Although the church systems of Hell and the Empire have also developed quite completely, they have only developed to the extent of the late Earth Renaissance, which is like a draft compared to this leading-edge system.

In this strong organizational system, his acolytes will no longer just play the role of traditional clergy, but will also play the role of "godfathers."

And those believers influenced by the "godfathers" naturally possess attributes far exceeding ordinary believers.

In the rule of the Gutafu United Kingdom, he will continue to test this system and gradually improve the loopholes in this system.

Land reform might become a good opportunity.

Luo Yan's gaze then turned to Xiya · Hamaka, the chieftain of the Sand Ridge State, signaling her to speak.

"Lord Demon King," Xiya bowed respectfully, then said, "Just as Queen Aishemata said, our current work is mainly focused on the relocation of the disaster-stricken people. Currently, the order in the central desert area has been basically restored, and the clansmen of the Sand Ridge clan are returning to their respective pastoral areas... In addition, according to your instructions, we plan to build our state capital near the Twin Tail Rift Valley. Including the construction of water conservancy facilities, they are all in preparation."

"Very good." Luo Yan's voice was calm and full of majesty, "It seems you have long-term plans for the future, and I am very gratified."

Hearing the words of praise, Xiya raised her head slightly, the nervous mood eased a little, and a heartfelt smile bloomed on her face.

Following the report of the work was Ze'er · Tua of the Assam State. This former high priest had integrated into his new identity and planned the reconstruction work of Assam City in an orderly manner.

Luo Yan saw all the things he said, so he didn't ask too much.

With the help of players, the problems faced by this most severely affected Holy City were the smallest.

It won't be long before the shore of the Shenghu will return to its former prosperity.

The next to speak was Xiu'er · Red Scale, the chieftain of the Tide State. This lizardman with gills and fins looked calm, but his face carried excitement and gratitude that could not be hidden.

"Lord Demon King, the Tide clan has restored fishing, and thanks to the strong support of the Wind Roar State and the lifting of the Great Barrier, the fish catch we have hunted in the past month is more than in the past half year!"

In the past, when the Great Barrier existed, many fish schools entering the territorial waters of the Jiana Continent from the outer ocean would leave with the ocean currents after spawning, making it difficult to find traces, and even the most abundant fishermen could only sigh at the ocean.

But now, with the help of wind lizards, they can not only accurately locate fish schools, but also chase them to the deep sea hundreds of kilometers away!

Influenced by this, the fish catch of the Tide clan has become so abundant that not only is it enough for themselves to eat, but after sharing a part with the Wind Roar tribe, they can also take it to other tribes or Deadwood Port to exchange for some wild game on land or strange things.

Such good days, they didn't even dare to think about it before!

Luo Yan smiled upon hearing this.

"I am happy for you to see that the cooperation between the Tide State and the Wind Roar State is so smooth. However, I also want to remind you to remember to maintain restraint and avoid overfishing, so that your prosperity will last long."

Xiu'er · Red Scale hurriedly nodded solemnly in response.

"Follow your teachings, I will definitely strictly restrain my clansmen."

Luo Yan nodded and instructed,

"It's not necessary to give up eating because of choking, just leave the mesh of the fishing net larger."

He believed that even if he didn't tell them about such small things, they would pay attention.

But... if he doesn't say it, how can he reflect his importance? How to reflect his care for each tribe?

This is the first morning court of the Gutafu United Kingdom after all, and the practical significance and symbolic significance are equally important.

While they were talking, the scribe of the audience hall was brushing and writing on the side with a quill pen.

Every word he says now will be written into the book in the future.

After a slight pause, Xiu'er · Red Scale hesitated for a moment, then spoke again:

"Lord Demon King, there is one more thing I have to report to you... although you may already know."

Luo Yan guessed what he wanted to say and said casually,

"Is it about the human fleet?"

Xiu'er nodded, his expression solemn,

"Exactly..."

That was a behemoth he had never seen before. Each ship had the volume of a deep-sea giant beast, and on both sides of the hull stood metal tubes as dense as teeth, which could not only spray thunder light but also make earth-shaking noises.

In terms of power alone, it seemed to be on par with the "rocket" of the Demon King Army!

Looking at the solemn Xiu'er, Luo Yan didn't care, just smiled faintly, and said in a gentle tone,

"Don't worry about these fleets, the corrosion of the Great Graveyard has already spread to their interior. However, waiting for the spread of corrosion takes a certain amount of time. It is best for you not to provoke them in these two years, and just keep your distance from them according to my instructions."

Seeing that Lord Demon King had said so, Xiu'er's expression was slightly stable, and he was slightly relieved.

Although he didn't know where Lord Demon King's confidence came from, he thought that the supernatural power that could lift the Dragon God Temple to the clouds would not be afraid of a few warships.

After all, the former is the power of a god, and the latter can only be counted as supernatural.

At this moment, the chief of the Fierce Sun tribe, who had been waiting in silence, suddenly looked up and said with an anxious expression.

"Lord Demon King, the subordinate also has important matters to report... Although we have moved back to our ancestral land, our herds have suffered heavy losses, and the remaining grain is running out! If there is no support from other tribes, I fear we will find it difficult to survive the coming days on our own strength."

Having said this, he swallowed his saliva, looked at the chieftain of the Tide tribe beside him with embarrassment, and smiled shyly,

"Since you have caught so many fish... can you lend us some first? When our little goat cubs grow up next year, we will definitely pay you back!"

When the chieftain of the Sun tribe finished speaking, Xiu'er's expression stiffened slightly, and the scales between his brows couldn't help twitching.

It was true that they had surplus grain, but if they were to give it to another tribe for nothing... he didn't think his clansmen would listen obediently.

As for paying back next year, he didn't put this sentence into his ears at all.

It is well known that there is no such thing as borrowing and returning between tribes.

Either it is paying with one hand and delivering the goods with the other, or why pay back what you borrowed based on your ability?

What's more, it wasn't just the Sun tribe that was facing a grain shortage. If he was the good person, wouldn't the little dried fish that his clansmen had worked so hard to save be divided up?

Seeing that Xiu'er ignored him, the chieftain of the Sun tribe showed a disappointed expression, and then looked at the chieftain of the Assam State with hot eyes, trying to get some help from this "big money."

As the head of a clan, he knew clearly how huge the grain reserves of the Armored Dragon clan who knew how to farm were!

Seeing a group of lizardmen looking at himself, Ze'er, the chieftain of the Assam State, also twitched his mouth.

After a long silence, he sighed and faced Luo Yan and said,

"Lord Demon King, the storm caused by the collapse of the Great Barrier not only destroyed the granary of Assam City, but also destroyed large areas of farmland around the Shenghu... You have also seen the situation here. We are barely able to protect ourselves, and I fear it will be difficult to squeeze out extra grain to support other tribes."

The hall fell into a brief silence, and the atmosphere seemed a bit heavy.

This fragile United Kingdom seemed to have faced a huge test just as it got on the right track.

And what these lizardmen didn't know was that this honorable Lord Demon King was even thinking about squeezing some surplus grain from their pockets and selling it to the Imperial General to do a favor.

But now it seems that there may not be much left to squeeze from these lizardmen.

Perhaps the Armored Dragon clan did have huge grain reserves before, but after this wind blew and the flood soaked, I fear that many grain reserves were also destroyed.

They are not only backward in planting technology, but also primitive in grain storage technology.

After all, under the protection of the Great Barrier, they didn't need to consider the influence of extreme weather at all.

No way.

General Hamilton's grain can only be changed from spot goods to futures.

But fortunately, the Great Graveyard has dark elves, as well as chemical fertilizers and tractors, so planting grain is not too troublesome.

Luo Yan thought for a long time and said,

"I have already understood your problems, and the grain shortage is indeed a trouble... and this is also one of the main purposes of my summoning you this time."

The chieftains raised their heads one after another, and a trace of expectation appeared in their surprised eyes, waiting for Lord Demon King to continue.

And Luo Yan was not polite, and said straight to the point,

"In the past, most of you relied on extensive planting and nomadic life as the main source of food, and this backward production method cannot resist the natural disasters outside the Great Barrier. But it doesn't matter, we happen to have what you lack, which can help you take fewer detours."

Luo Yan paused, looked at Aishemata, and continued,

"In addition to land measurement and property registration, I will instruct my servants to teach you advanced farming techniques at the same time. Including nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers, the life-system magic of dark elves, and tractors that replace livestock, etc."

As his voice fell, the chieftains showed confused expressions, exchanging doubtful glances with each other.

Including Aishemata.

Although she had heard Xiya say that Lord Demon King would help them transition from a nomadic society to an agricultural society, she still had too many confusions about the specific details.

She understood life-system magic, and the Jiana Continent also had similar "seal" magic that could accelerate growth, such as the seal of rejuvenating life vitality, which could not only help plants rejuvenate, but also help animals rejuvenate and accelerate the reproduction of herds.

However, these spells all have more or less problems, especially when acting on fruit trees, the trees only grow in size and do not bear fruit.

It is a good use to accelerate the expansion of pasture, but if you want to convert pasture into meat, the cycle experienced is still a bit long and cannot be achieved overnight.

Luo Yan ignored their confusion.

After all, for people with no foundation, it is too difficult to understand the role of chemical fertilizer.

Even dark elf girls as clever as Sherry and Helen spent some effort to understand the mystery of life contained in it.

Skipping the unnecessary explanation, Luo Yan promised the leaders of various tribes directly,

"With these technologies, your corn will ripen five or six times a year, and the Gutafu United Kingdom will have endless grain, and can also export surplus grain to various ports on the New Continent, and even the Empire's mainland, in exchange for wealth you have never possessed or imagined."

"Of course, we will not provide these technologies to you for free. Except for the needs of your respective tribes, the surplus grain produced by the technology provided by the Great Graveyard temple must be sold to the Great Graveyard temple. This is mainly to prevent disorderly competition, but you can rest assured that we will give you an absolutely reasonable price."

The chieftains were confused. Although none of them understood what chemical fertilizer was, what a tractor was, and didn't know what "export" meant... but since it was Lord Demon King's promise, it must be very powerful.

As for the others, they didn't care much, after all, many things didn't even have a basic concept.

The chieftain of the Sun tribe, who was most anxious, reacted first and said gratefully: "Since Lord Demon King has already made arrangements, our Sun tribe will definitely cooperate fully and obey your command!"

Including Queen Aishemata, the chieftains of other tribes also expressed their agreement one after another.

"Obey Lord Demon King's will!"

Seeing that all the chieftains stood firmly on his side, Luo Yan nodded with a smile.

"Very good, since you are all so cooperative, then this matter is happily decided."

After speaking, he looked at Ze'er, the chieftain of the Assam State.

"I will leave the spread of technology to my subordinates, which will be a long-term process. And now, I need to open up a piece of farmland immediately to solve the grain shortage faced by various tribes. Assam City has ready-made irrigation canals, and I want to start from here."

Now?

Is there enough time in such a short time?

Although Ze'er didn't quite believe that Lord Demon King could do it, he still nodded respectfully.

"The minister is willing to provide all help to His Majesty... You just need to give an order if you need the minister to do anything."

At the same time, he added a sentence in his heart, whether it can be done is another matter.

After all, he couldn't turn out grain that didn't exist.

However, Luo Yan didn't make it difficult for him to do such a thing, just ordered him a small job.

"Don't be so nervous, this is not a very difficult thing for you. I just need you to help me mobilize 30,000 laborers, and then pick 200,000 mu of farmland that can still be used on the edge of the Shenghu, which is enough."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 320 =====