Chapter 352: Interlude: A Little Tune

Just as the dust rose from the carriage of Prince Kelin heading north, a storm woven by his own hands was sweeping through the Shengcheng with a precise and cold rhythm.

Inside a private study.

Luo Yan was sitting under the warm lamplight, his expression focused.

As the executor of the plan, he was playing a dual role.

In the eyes of the public, he was the author of the widely popular *The Travels of Baron Kexi*, using impassioned words to pave a bed of public opinion for his own revenge.

Behind the scenes, he transformed into the coldest "debt consultant" of the Spire Bank, uniting with that group of sharp-nosed merchants to begin casting a net over the assets held by the Devoire family.

His pen tip glided elegantly across the paper, composing a new chapter for the highly anticipated *The Travels of Baron Kexi*—in that story, the respectable Baron displayed extraordinary perseverance in a desperate situation, using wisdom and piety to move Saint Xisi, causing the storm to subside and the rain to clear.

His words were filled with praise for hope and the Holy Light, enough to move any reader, especially those believers who revered the Holy Light.

Likewise, he used delicate brushstrokes to outline a world full of exotic customs, and through one vivid character after another, made those longing for adventure fill with infinite reverie for that strange continent, laying the cornerstone for the "Jana Dream."

And on the other side of his desk lay another, completely different "manuscript"—it was a list from the Spire Bank regarding all the assets and liabilities of the Devoire family.

When the "little fish" of the Bai Lu District had finished sucking up the shrimp in the lotus pond, a big fish in the true sense finally began to enter the fray.

Marguerite Tangtaisi had already made contact with President Barkeli of the Spire Bank; this cunning citizen, having understood the hidden meaning in the *New World Daily*, immediately handed a sharpened knife to the respected Prince.

Usually, even the greediest merchants would not dare to lend money to nobles easily, but it was a different story if this noble had left behind a handle and had offended another more powerful noble.

It was not just the barons of the Bai Lu District who wanted to climb the big tree that was Prince Kelin; the citizens of the Shengcheng had long since begun to curry favor with this Prince, and they were far more proactive than those country bumpkins from the suburbs.

Whether it was the President of the Spire Bank himself or the nobles standing behind this bank, they were full of confidence regarding this profitable merger.

The only thing left undecided at the moment was how to carve up the meat on this cutting board.

As the spokesperson for the Demon King, Baron Kexi naturally had to take back everything he had lost and carve off the largest share...

Just as Baron Kexi was writing the second chapter of hatred and punishment, another key actor also stepped onto the stage.

Sir Edmond Tangtaisi, this newly promoted and highly anticipated "reformer," in an exclusive interview with the *Holy Light Daily*, launched a public questioning of Hogan Nora, President of the Imperial Royal Bank, with a posture of grief and restraint.

He cleverly contrasted his own "unfair encounter" of being denied a loan with the "inside story" of how the country barons of the Bai Lu District could easily borrow huge sums far exceeding their repayment ability, and finally threw out that sharp question that pointed straight to the heart and was enough to stir up class antagonism—

"Why would an enterprising reformer hit a wall against the rules, while in front of the barons of the Bai Lu District, those iron-clad principles are as if they don't exist?"

These remarks were like a stone thrown at the stained-glass windows of the Cathedral, causing an uproar.

Every resident of the Shengcheng knew this unwritten rule, but most people would edit their own memories to seek peace in their spiritual world.

Now someone had poked through this layer of window paper, and it was a sufficiently noble Sir, and in a reasonable and logical way.

A commercial dispute that was originally ordinary was immediately elevated to the height of the contradiction between commoners and nobles, attracting the attention of the Senate representing the nobles and the Officer Faction representing the citizens.

Facing the surging public opinion pressure, the reaction of Hogan Nora, President of the Imperial Royal Bank, was exactly as Edmond had expected.

As if he had discovered this problem for the first time, he showed thunderous rage in public, shouting, "This is outrageous! Must investigate strictly!"

Of course, he had no right to investigate nobles; at most, he could bully the President of the Bai Lu District branch, the powerless Mr. Hake Alton—that country bumpkin who coveted his position as President of the head office.

But this was enough.

A smart person always only does what is within their duty, being as hard as granite when they should be hard, and as soft as a maggot when they should be soft.

As for whether to investigate to the end, that was for the big shots to decide; even if he had already seen the ending, he would never rush up easily.

With the intervention of the Procuratorate, the investigation results came out quickly, and by pulling the radish, the mud was brought out; the harvest effect was astonishing!

The Royal Mounted Police rushed into Hake Alton's mansion and found tens of thousands of gold coins from the interlayer of the walls—this was definitely not wealth that a person with an annual salary of less than one hundred gold coins could possess!

Hake's face was ashen, and he confessed to his crimes without reservation.

It was precisely when he was processing the loan for Baron Devoire that a "fatal procedural oversight" occurred—he did not collect the original land deed of Baron Devoire as required, thereby opening a convenient door for the latter's illegal secondary mortgage.

Not only that, driven by greed, he also used his position to take a kickback from the barons of the Bai Lu District.

The Imperial Procuratorate submitted one copy of the materials to the Shengcheng High Court and one to the Senate. The public prosecution against Hake was already a nail in the coffin, but the accountability of the nobles required the Senate's nod.

The Senate had no reason to shield an obscure country noble, especially since this guy's extortion in the Bai Lu District had already caused local social instability and had also offended the citizens of the Shengcheng at the same time.

Although they did not strip Baron Devoire of his sacred title, they tightened the rope around his neck even more strictly—ordering him to immediately repay all outstanding debts and approving the Imperial Procuratorate to seal and freeze the assets under Baron Devoire's name.

The Imperial Royal Cavalry moved into Baron Devoire's manor.

Seeing the Imperial flag fluttering on the roof of the manor's main building, those farmers and small farm owners who had lost their land vented their anger.

Although the lost land would not return, the villain had finally met his retribution.

As for the Devoire family.

Although they and their servants were still allowed to stay in the manor temporarily, this was merely the decency left to them by the Senate.

They had to find a new residence as soon as possible and move out before the new owner moved in.

At the same time, two other nobles in the Bai Lu District were also implicated. Although their debts were not as huge as Baron Devoire's, they were also forced into the predicament of selling land to repay debts.

This was not the most fatal part.

What was truly fatal was that because the Bai Lu District project had been marked with a question mark, under the panic selling of the citizens, the land deeds in their hands had almost become waste paper.

To pay off the debts, I'm afraid they would have to pay more blood than usual...

Just like that, under the sharp blade of public opinion and the noose of debt, a hunt against the country nobles of the Bai Lu District officially opened its bloody curtain.

The real liquidation had just begun.

——

Outside the carriage window, the first snow of the Aus Empire fell silently.

Fine snowflakes descended from the lead-gray sky, draping the rolling hills and bare woods in a new coat of plain white. The whole world seemed to have quieted down, leaving only the drowsy rustling sound of carriage wheels rolling over the thin layer of snow.

However, the young dragon Tafu inside the carriage had no time to appreciate this snow scene unique to the North.

She curled her small body into a ball, burying herself deep in a warm "nest" piled with several expensive furs, looking listless.

This had to do with her bloodline derived from the "meat lizard"; the cold weather would constantly remind her that it was time to hibernate, making her instinctively want to fall into a deep sleep.

Flipping over impatiently in the warm blanket, she complained in a low voice with a thick sense of sleepiness.

"Damn it! I hate snowy weather!"

Leaning against the soft cushion reading materials, Luo Yan looked up from the book upon hearing the sound.

He looked with great interest at the "dragon pig" curled into a ball and raised a question that had puzzled him for a long time.

"I'm very curious, if the growth rate of the meat lizard is so slow, why did your Zeta race choose to use it as... uh, a source of nutrition?"

Mentioning the superiority of the Zeta race, Tafu's sleepiness was instantly dispelled by half.

She proudly raised her small head from the furs, sneered, and said in a tone of "you primitive civilization creatures cannot understand."

"Do you think we are like you raising pigs, only pursuing speed and quantity? We pursue nutritional balance! The tail of the meat lizard can provide all the amino acids needed by the Zeta race, and the meat is delicious. We will specifically get a habitable planet to free-range them... What are you looking at me for? I won't give you any to eat! Don't even think about it!"

Halfway through, she looked at Luo Yan vigilantly, subconsciously protecting her tail with her wings, as if it would be snatched away by this evil Demon King in the next second.

However, looking at her vigilant appearance, Luo Yan just smiled faintly.

"It's fine, I don't eat animals that can talk anyway."

So he only eats the tail.

It seems this Zeta Empire is even more civilized than he imagined.

Only in this way, Luo Yan was even more curious in his heart; how many planets' worth of tails would it take to support the consumption of the Zeta Empire's citizens?

And just as he was pondering, Tafu was furious. This guy was small, but her temper was not small at all.

"Animal! You dare to say this great one is an animal?! You, you have, have such great courage!"

"You have it too," Luo Yan replied distractedly, ignoring the "Dragon God's" anger, closed the book and placed it on his knees, and continued to ask with interest, "Then, how do you raise meat lizards? You can't wait a hundred years every time."

The racial superiority of the Zeta civilization once again gained the upper hand; Tafu suppressed her anger, puffed out her small chest and said proudly.

"The secret is naturally in the feed!"

Without waiting for Luo Yan to ask, she continued in a boastful tone.

"In front of the number one Zeta technology in the universe, there is nothing that cannot be done! We will drive a starship to the vicinity of the atmosphere and conduct global pheromone release below! Whether it is animals or giant dragons on the entire planet, they will accelerate their metabolism, whether it is reproduction or growth! In this way, giant dragons with longer lifespans can just happen to grow thick tails during the harvest period, while other creatures can provide rich food for the giant dragons in a shorter life cycle... This is called a complete ecological farming system, you can't imagine it, right?"

Luo Yan looked at her in surprise and said with sincere admiration.

"Amazing, amazing... what is the formula for this pheromone?"

"The formula is—what do you want to do?! Don't even think about it!!!" Tafu, who almost let it slip, reacted with a start, eyes staring fixedly at her master.

"Don't be excited, I just asked casually. Anyway, with the technological strength of this world, it can't be made. If you are reluctant, forget it." Luo Yan smiled and said indifferently, reopening the *Travels of the Rode Kingdom* he had been reading halfway.

Before entering the Academy State, he would pass through the Rode Kingdom, which bordered the Ryan Kingdom.

There were vast forests and rugged hills here. If the Ryan Kingdom was the home of knights, then this was the home of great swordsmen and mercenaries.

Although he would not stay here for too long, he was equally interested in the local customs here... just as he was interested in Tafu's hometown.

Who knows, one day he might have the opportunity to spread the Demon King's corrosion there, so knowing it early wouldn't hurt.

"Hmph hmph, it's good that you know." Tafu thought about it and felt it made sense, so she quieted down, curled her tail and changed to a comfortable position.

She had already decided to outlive this guy!

How could a human's lifespan outlive a giant dragon?

Thinking of this guy becoming an old man lying on the bed dying, she couldn't close her mouth with excitement and started singing in her heart.

Luo Yan could naturally guess what she was thinking, but it wasn't worth it to be on the same level as an immature brat, so he just read quietly.

Until a while later, Hearing You You suddenly appeared beside him, shouting excitedly, "Demon King, your believers have increased again!"

Only then did Luo Yan enter a meditative state, his consciousness returning to that starry sea of consciousness, confirming once again the gains of his trip to the Shengcheng.

【

Godhood: Luo Yan

Legend Factor: Demon King of Lei Ming County, Demon King South of the Wan Ren Mountain Range, the generous, wealthy and benevolent Prince Kelin, the commoner councilor born in the Demon God Temple, the enterprising reformer...

Influence Share: 0.1% (↑0.01%)

Overdraft Limit: 0%

Domination Efficiency: 100%

】

There was one more legend factor.

It seems that after he left this time, his believers had shaped a new title for him again. Luo Yan's gaze moved downward, and when he saw the "Influence Share" column, his breathing suddenly quickened for a moment.

0.1%!

For a thousand years, the faith map on this planet that had never been shaken had been pried open by him at a corner, and this also meant that he could finally condense a "Seed of Purple Crystal"!

He remembered that Elder Zakuro of the Dragon family had the strength of the Purple Crystal level; the ceiling of extraordinary power on this planet was getting closer and closer to him.

Digesting the excitement in his heart, a smile tugged at the corner of Luo Yan's mouth, he casually closed the faith power interface, and said slowly.

"The Shengcheng is worthy of being a treasure land of feng shui; in just one month, my influence on this planet has more than doubled."

Of course.

These influences were not necessarily all contributed by the Shengcheng; some came from the Jana Continent on the other side of the vast ocean, and even from Hell and Lei Ming City where he first started.

The Demon King's corrosion was gradually penetrating people's hearts, and the seeds he buried in people's hearts were also gradually sprouting and growing into a new big tree.

This could be seen from the growth of Lumier, Tichi, and even the Marguerite Tangtaisi family; the changes in their life trajectories were all because of his influence.

Including the Temple Knights who went to the Jana Continent in the name of Saint Xisi to spread civilization and faith—those young men would sooner or later become his believers!

And this would be a continuous and slow process.

"Hehe, it's mainly because Demon King operated well!" Hearing You You laughed beside him, sincerely offering a compliment.

Luo Yan smiled faintly.

"Don't praise me, your praise always makes me feel like I'm narcissistically looking in the mirror."

"Eh?? Will it be like that?"

Not bothering with the shocked Hearing You You, Luo Yan closed his eyes again, and when he opened them again, the cozy carriage came into his view once more.

He cast his gaze outside the window; the towering mountains and endless pine forests had turned into gentle hills and windmills.

In the distance, quiet cottages were vaguely visible, a few wisps of cooking smoke rising straight in the chilly air, and then they turned into towering city walls and folk houses with red bricks and bright tiles.

This was the southern border of the Rode Kingdom, far less prosperous and bustling than the Shengcheng, but it had a unique charm.

Luo Yan knew that they were about to arrive at the first destination of this trip—Quartz City.

He had once heard Count Xierfen mention inadvertently in a chat about art that this city was a commercial hub in the south of the Rode Kingdom, famous for its unparalleled craftsmanship.

The best pianos in the Empire were produced here.

It is said that this city gathered a large number of handicraftsmen and merchants from the Empire, with a total population of over one million.

Equivalent to saying, this was the "Lei Ming City of the Rode Kingdom."

The carriage finally slowed down at a place where the outline of the city could be seen, and Sarah's gentle voice also came from outside the carriage at the same time.

"Your Highness, we are almost there... do you need to notify the local lord?"

Luo Yan's identity at this moment was still a Prince, and this identity was written on the "Pass" and certified by the Senate.

According to the customs of the Empire, when a Prince arrives in a vassal state, the local lord should give corresponding courtesy according to the title.

However, Luo Yan did not intend to disturb the local lord.

The Rode Kingdom was not the goal of his trip, just a stop on the journey; he preferred to experience the local customs outside the Shengcheng as a traveler.

"No need, Sarah, just find an inn outside the city to stay... prepare a cloak for Tafu later, don't let it scare the locals."

Sarah said respectfully.

"Yes, Your Highness."

The carriage continued to move along the country road, and the shining emblem made countless farmers look up and pay attention, but it did not attract their attention too much.

The merchant caravans from the Empire also had the emblems of various families printed on them; they often saw the carriages of the Valencia family and the Castellion family appearing here.

They were just a bit strange, not having seen this purple moon before.

It didn't take too long, and Sarah soon found a clean and simple inn next to a camp gathering a large number of adventurers and merchants outside the city.

Stopped the carriage.

Luo Yan, wearing a cloak, handed the luggage, reins, and tips to the inn's waiter, and then, with Sarah and Tafu, who also covered their figures with cloaks, stepped into the lobby on the first floor of the inn.

The lobby was bustling with noise, crowded with loud mercenaries and adventurers, and some suspicious people sitting in the corners, peddling useless amulets to those adventurers with clear eyes who looked like rookies.

This place was surprisingly like Lei Ming City.

Luo Yan found an inconspicuous spot by the bar and sat down, ordering a glass of local ale.

Just in the corner of the inn, a bard was holding an instrument like a lute, and began to sing with a mellow and slightly vicissitudinous voice.

"Come, traveler from afar, and sit by my side,

The hearth fire will warm your knees stained with wind and frost.

I will pluck the Rode lute and sing you a song of past sorrow,

Sing of how the majestic tower was buried by fire."

"Its fleet was once a mobile city-state on the sea,

Thousands of flags kissing the salty waves.

Its king wore a golden crown, standing on the head of a giant dragon singing:

'Look! My authority, even the tides bow at my feet!'"

Sparse cheers rang out in the inn, and the noisy crowd stopped talking one after another, casting curious glances at the bard.

The bard plucked the strings, saluted the people with his eyes, and then raised his volume, making the voice like the churning fire in the fireplace.

"However, a crimson star of disaster tore through the velvet curtain of the night,

That was not a meteor, but the angry eyes opened by the firmament.

Rain of fire, with the smell of sulfur descended from the sky,

Burning every sail, every cable bright!"

"The giant ship wailed and broke in two on the boiling sea,

Like a helpless beetle crushed by a giant god!

That unsinkable legend, that majesty that made the ocean submit,

All ended in that mighty fire, ended so hurriedly!"

"The king's crown shattered into seven pieces, scattered on the scorched soil.

People no longer sing the name of the Dragon God, because there are new names worth their continued singing.

They build new high walls on the old ruins,

Using rusty swords to divide new hatred and borders."

"So, drink this bitter ale, my friend,

Don't mention that old dream that never returns.

When the wheel of fate brings down fire, everything turns to nothing,

Leaving only the bard's song, singing in the cold wind!"

After the song ended, there was a moment of silence in the tavern, followed by enthusiastic applause.

The bard stood up, smiled and bowed to thank everyone, and a little apprentice beside him cleverly carried a tattered hat, shuttling between the tables and chairs, asking the guests for tips.

Copper coins were thrown into the hat by the guests one by one; these adventurers who didn't know if they would have their next meal were the least lacking in this small money.

Luo Yan felt that this poet sang really well; the epic sense and tragedy contained in the ballad were far from comparable to those love songs of illness and groaning compiled by the nobles of the Shengcheng.

He also smiled and took a silver coin from his purse, flicked his finger, and the silver coin drew a beautiful arc in the air, accurately falling into the apprentice's hat.

The little apprentice saw the shiny silver coin, his mouth couldn't close with surprise, and he hurriedly ran over to thank Luo Yan repeatedly.

"Thank you! Sir! Wish you a pleasant day!"

"You're welcome, can you tell me the name of this song?" Luo Yan nodded slightly and said politely.

"This is a folk song of the Rode Kingdom, called *Ballad of the Crimson Disaster Star*, it is a sea shanty, taken from an ancient prophecy! Legend has it that the fiery red star covered the earthy yellow star, the sky-covering warships turned into ashes and sank into the white waves, and since then the vast land has entered a new era."

For the sake of the huge reward of a silver coin, the apprentice said excitedly, almost forgetting his work.

Until a cough came, he hurriedly ran to the next table.

Unlike the smiling Luo Yan, Tafu, hidden in the shadow of the cloak, was gnashing her teeth in anger, wishing she could eat everyone in this room.

She naturally heard it; this song clearly sang the story of the destruction of the Holy Armored Dragon Kingdom, and that was exactly the biggest embarrassment when she was "Dragon God Gutaifu" in her previous life!

It's a pity—

Due to the "master's order," she could not speak in front of outsiders, so she could only bury her small head deep under the cloak, gnashing her teeth silently.

Luo Yan naturally saw her excitement.

He picked up the wine glass, gently pressed the restless little head under the cloak with his other hand, and smiled to comfort her.

"What are you excited about, they are not singing about you."

Tafu looked at him with doubtful eyes from the gap in the cloak, as if asking: "What is that?"

"Since it is a folk song of the Rode Kingdom, what is sung is naturally the story of the Rode people themselves."

Luo Yan did not answer this question directly, but took a sip of mellow ale, his gaze looking at the strange land outside the window covered by wind and snow.

"Everything that happens today is actually what happened yesterday, and it is also what will happen tomorrow."

The prosperity of the Shengcheng is built on vast poverty, just as the luxury of the Demon King is built on the sloppy foundation of the Goblins... and this is destined to be unsustainable.

Although a fire that burns everything may not change anything, when everyone is longing for this fire to come, it will happen.

Obviously, his coming to this world was not an accident, including Lin Te·Aisake, including Gutaifu, and including the bloodthirsty Chaos—

This is precisely the "thought of the crowd" from the hearts of countless people longing for change.

Lin Te·Aisake obviously guessed this, so he calculated that he would definitely come here.

As for Luo Yan himself.

That was naturally discovered a long time ago. ===== CHAPTER 353 =====