The Lord Demon King is Unfathomable!

Just as Mr. Feistin was having a pleasant conversation with the Family Head of the Melusine Family, other major families capable of influencing the political landscape of Demon City were also taking their own actions.

Including demons fishing in troubled waters.

And families trying to get a piece of the pie from the reshuffling of the Black Wind Castle and Magic Crystal Cannon industry.

This lucrative slice that top-tier families disdain is something those in the second and third tiers have long coveted.

If the Lord of Black Wind Castle showed even a hint of weakness, they might have already rushed in.

However, the recent change in the wind has left them indecisive.

Luo Yan's high-profile counterattack at the hearing forced them to suspect that the Padric Family had already secretly chosen sides; otherwise, it's hard to explain where this guy's confidence came from.

Soon after, the interview with Luo Yan by the "Abyss Times", and the Truth Department's announcement to investigate the defeat at Seldo Port, came one after another, which couldn't help but awaken their distant memories.

That was last year.

At that time, it seemed that the "Magic City Daily" reported on the issue of the Gate of Chaos.

It seemed to be the initial confrontation between the Demon King of Thunder County and the Dragon family that once dominated the Maze of Thunder County, and the result of that confrontation ended in a miserable defeat for the latter.

Although it was just the second son of the Dragon family, Xino, who took action at that time, anyone could see the shadow of Kamu Dragon, the Family Head of the Dragon family, behind that conflict.

This time, Kamu has moved from behind the scenes to the front stage.

Although the latter's strength is far ahead of the Demon King of Thunder County, who can guarantee that the results will be different this time?

Many people lost money on the arena bets back then.

Back then, it was just a small gamble for fun, but this time it might not be.

It's better to wait and see...

While the situation in Demon City was twisting and turning like a cloud, Black Storm, at the very center of this game, was peaceful and harmonious. The goblin laborers and Hell Dwarf artisans living there seemed completely unaffected by the struggle.

In fact, not only that,

their lives even improved.

With the establishment of the goblin community committee, the number of goblins fighting each other diminished greatly, and losses outside of work-related injuries shrank to a fraction of what they were before.

Not only that, the unmanaged water pumps, rickety stairs, and frequently clogged vents were all improved, and the latrine waste was finally being cleaned.

Snick's muddy methods weren't popular among the goblins, but they were effective enough.

Whether to prove he was useful, to prove he was "holding the reins of power," or maybe both, he indeed solved many problems.

And with the goblin community's issues resolved, at least half of Black Wind Castle's problems were settled.

After all, before Luo Yan noticed this domain, the vast majority of its troubles were caused by the goblins' carelessness in life and love for taking petty advantages.

As for the remaining trouble, it was the alcohol-loving Hell Dwarves.

Every time they got dead drunk, they'd do something foolish and careless, either getting themselves killed or killing an unlucky passing goblin...

However, with the enactment of an accumulative tax on alcoholic beverages, this situation was effectively alleviated.

With Hell Dwarves' alcohol tolerance, drinking low-alcohol beverages couldn't get them drunk no matter how much they gulped.

And if it was high-alcohol drinks, they'd go bankrupt before getting drunk...

...

At nightfall, the Magic Crystal Lamp Posts above Black Wind Castle slowly extinguished, replaced by street lights gradually lighting up.

Shadows and mist intertwined on the streets, immersing the area in a dreamlike haze.

At that moment, the "Cup of Hell" tavern was bustling with life.

Hell Dwarves and goblins who just got off work from the factories poured into the place, filling the cramped space with noise and the stench of sweat.

This tavern was known for its cheap and plentiful drinks, making it a good place for the lower-class laborers of Black Wind Castle to spend the long nights. The sound of wooden cups clinking was constant, accompanied by rough laughter and the songs of drunken men, forming a unique symphony of the Underworld.

Yet, in a corner of this tavern, a worried Hell Dwarf hunched his shoulders, holding a cup of murky beer, muttering discontentedly over and over.

"Is this bloody horse piss?"

Baruk murmured, slamming the cup down on the table, splashing foam around.

The goblin bartender behind the counter glanced at him, wiping a cup with a cloth, and said with a smile,

"There's more than horse piss here; a cup of 'Dragon's Roar' will let you forget all troubles. Want to consider a cup? Or perhaps 'Lord Demon King'."

Demon King...

Baruk chewed on the name, face sour as he complained.

"No thanks! Can't afford it!"

The very mention of the Demon King irked him!

Back in the day, he didn't need those fancy cocktails; just a few cups of hearty potato spirit were enough to make him forget the day's tiredness and worries.

But now, he had to run to the damn toilet a dozen times a night just to get rid of all that water.

"Ah... I recognize you," the bartender's eyes flickered in the dim light as he recognized Baruk's face, playfully said, "you're that guy who shouted for beer subsidies at the Lord's meeting and got thrown out by the guards... didn't you bring this upon yourself?"

"Shut up!"

Unable to take the joke, Baruk glared fiercely at the goblin bartender, who immediately dared not speak another word.