Next, Lanling did not pay attention to the decree from Rakshasa City, but continued with his previous plan.
The next evening, the Black Devil Banner Lord’s son returned to Black Devil City, saying he had not seen the Little Rakshasa King, and after the head of Princess Dini’s emissary was handed over, no one paid attention to him anymore, nor was there any reply to Lanling.
Thus, regarding the matter of the Black Devil Banner Lord’s resurrection, naturally there was no way to inform him.
Two days later, Rakshasa City sent a second decree.
Ordering Lanling to immediately enter the royal city to propose marriage, to discuss the matter of marrying Princess Shayan. The decree also explicitly stated that immediately after the wedding, the Black Devil Banner would be renamed the Flame Demon Banner, and Lanling would be enfeoffed as Flame Demon Banner Lord.
This was a typical bait of profit.
The decree explicitly stated that if Lanling did not arrive at Rakshasa City to propose marriage within five days, it would represent his active abandonment of this marriage, his active abandonment of becoming Flame Demon Banner Lord, and would not count as the Rakshasa Royal Family violating the Heavenly Demon Blood Oath.
This counted as a threat.
On the third day, the great day of the Flame Demon Banner officially arrived.
All one hundred and sixty-nine tribal chiefs of the Flame Demon Banner would be completely replaced, and the new chiefs would pledge allegiance to Lanling at the summit of Mirror Mountain in Flame Demon City, before the Mirror Demon King.
After the pledge of allegiance, came the inauguration ceremony.
That’s right, the inauguration ceremony for one hundred and sixty-nine new chiefs was not held in Black Devil City, but in Flame Demon City.
Although Black Devil City was much larger, and much more magnificent and grand.
However, Flame Demon City was the capital of the Flame Demon Banner, so the ceremony had to be held in Flame Demon City.
The reason it was held before the Mirror Demon King was because some tricks needed to be played.
…
At the summit of Mirror Mountain, there was a throne carved from stone, appearing simple and primitive.
Lanling sat upon it, receiving the kneeling pledge of allegiance from every chief!
Without doubt, Lanling was a legend, a conqueror.
These newly appointed chiefs might greatly fear Lanling, but they might not necessarily be willing to pledge allegiance to him from the heart, they simply had no other choice.
It began when the first chief knelt before Lanling.
「I swear, I will lead the Silver Tribe, generation after generation, to pledge allegiance to Lord Lanling…」This was the son of the former Silver Alliance leader.
The moment he knelt down, he suddenly felt the surrounding scene change abruptly.
He was no longer at the mountain summit, but in a sky palace tens of thousands of metres high, seemingly the divine hall of an ancient Demon Emperor.
And before him was no longer a stone chair, but a dark throne.
The one sitting upon it was no longer Lanling, but… an ancient Demon Emperor thousands of metres tall.
He was as tall as a mountain, his eyes like stars, his body like a black hole, his breathing like a roar from beyond the nine heavens.
The energy aura released from his body simply made one unable to breathe.
Before him, one felt incomparably insignificant.
This… this was Lord Lanling’s true form? Coupled with recalling how he had once summoned Hell Lightning to strike the Black Devil Banner Lord dead, and then had actually resurrected him again.
Was this truly an ancient Demon Emperor?
The legendary ancient Demon Emperor whose eyes hid stars and whose mouth contained the sun and moon?
The first new chief to come pledge allegiance only felt his entire body trembling, increasingly feeling his own insignificance, and from the depths of his heart an involuntary surge of submission arose.
This was Lanling’s method.
This was also why the pledge of allegiance ceremony was held before the Mirror Demon King.
Because the Mirror Demon King could create such illusions, allowing these new chiefs to receive unprecedented shock and awe, even submission.
Moreover, the so-called illusion was not a pure illusion.
Because no one could create an illusion of the ancient Demon Emperor. And the Mirror Demon King was the Demon Emperor’s shadow, a truly existing image.
Therefore, this image of the ancient Demon Emperor appeared so real, it was fundamentally not something that could be created out of thin air.
「Rise…」Lanling said.
But hearing it in the new Silver Tribe chief’s ears, it was like the earth roaring, like stars whistling.
The new chief raised his head, then clearly felt a star-like light suddenly fly over, drilling into his brain, disappearing without a trace.
This… what was this?
Could it be a spiritual contract, representing one’s pledge of allegiance to His Majesty?
When the new chief stood up, the sky palace disappeared, the dark throne disappeared, the ancient Demon Emperor disappeared.
Before his eyes was still Lanling.
But this new chief, looking at Lanling again, looked up to him as a high mountain, incomparably fearful, incomparably submissive.
Thus, one after another, new chiefs came to kneel before Lanling and pledge allegiance.
After a full six hours, one hundred and sixty-nine chiefs had finished pledging allegiance.
Every single person had received a soul-shaking baptism.
…
In the evening, in the new great hall of Flame Demon City castle.
Before countless people, one hundred and sixty-nine chiefs swore to take office.
One hundred and sixty-nine chiefs, reciting a three hundred and sixty-five character oath, then formally assumed office as the new chiefs of one hundred and sixty-nine tribes of the Flame Demon Banner.
After the new chiefs took office, the first assembly of the Flame Demon Banner opened.
All chiefs, all high-level civil officials, all officers at the thousand-commander level and above attended!
At this time, the entire Flame Demon Banner had over six hundred thousand troops, so officers above thousand-commander level exceeded seven hundred people, plus all chiefs, all high-level civil officials, a full thousand people.
The entire assembly had only one content, that was the formal establishment of the Flame Demon Council.
No elections, no raising of hands, all Flame Demon Council members were all appointed by Lanling.
The first Flame Demon Council had eight members total, Suo Mo serving as Council Chairman, Heizhou as Vice Chairman.
Suo Mo, Duo Duo, Gou Li, Heizhou, Yuan Tan, Xie Li, Chi Huo, and Chi Yan were the first term Flame Demon Council members.
Even after the future Flame Demon Empire was established, Lanling did not plan to reorganise the council into a cabinet.
Perhaps a separate cabinet would be built, but the council would absolutely not be abolished.
From now on, the Flame Demon Council would become the highest authority of the Flame Demon Banner, and even the future Flame Demon Empire. Not only having the highest political power, but also diplomatic power, military power.
Not only was the Flame Demon Council established, but Suo Mo was also appointed as Flame Demon City Lord.
In the future, three more super cities would be built.
Among the five great cities, all tribes in four great cities would continue to maintain the previous hunting production method.
Flame Demon City would serve as a special zone, carrying out a completely new production method, changing from hunting to planting, processing, breeding, fishing, and so on. Not only developing agriculture, but also primitive industry, mysterious energy industry, and so on.
So in this assembly, no one spoke, everyone only passively received, listening to Lanling issue one command after another.
All who received commands also had no choice, only swearing before everyone that they would certainly complete the tasks assigned by Lord Lanling.
And these plans of Lanling, these commands issued, were mostly his ideas, then transformed into real plans by the team led by Yin Ji.
Lanling in the human kingdom, first served as city lord, then governor, and finally became regent of the Fury Wave Kingdom, having certain governance experience.
And the Flame Demon Banner was almost a blank sheet of paper, drawing patterns on a blank sheet was the hardest, and also the easiest.
Even if Lanling did poorly, it would still be better than the previous Black Devil Banner that approximated a primitive society.
A full ten hours later, the first Flame Demon Banner assembly ended.
Whether it was successful or not was unknown, because every person held files of varying thickness.
Above were listed the task targets they needed to complete, they must complete them.
Once unable to complete, immediately step down.
And if they did not do it, then directly lose their heads, with no room for negotiation.
The Flame Demon Council, five great cities, one hundred and sixty-nine tribes, these three administrative levels, constituted the state apparatus of the Flame Demon Banner.
Although primitive and rough, it was still better than nothing.
After the meeting ended, this rough state apparatus began to truly operate.
Without doubt, this was a great moment.
And his six hundred thousand great army, accurately speaking thirty thousand centaur army, would become his machine of violence.
Whether the centaur army was the whip of world destruction was still hard to say, but now it would certainly be the sharpest whip of the Flame Demon Banner.
Next, an inspection team composed of over five thousand centaur cavalry would travel day and night to inspect every tribe, every military camp of the Flame Demon Banner.
Once discovering any existence violating Lanling’s commands, any organisation not executing tasks, they would immediately raise the butcher’s knife, killing first and reporting later.
These five thousand centaur troops would be like a terrible whip, lashing this rough state apparatus of the Flame Demon Banner to continuously spin, just like whipping a top.
…
For three whole days and nights, Lanling continuously received various chiefs, various generals, issuing one task after another.
For dozens of hours straight, without a moment of rest.
After basically all matters were explained, he convened the Flame Demon Council members for a closed-door meeting.
There was only one topic, should Lanling go to Rakshasa City?
Apart from the three centaur khans, the other five people’s opinion was unanimous, Lanling could not go to Rakshasa City, including former Black Devil Banner Lord Heizhou.
“I have considerable understanding of the Rakshasa Royal Family, the sovereign’s actions have already touched their reverse scales, once you go to Black Devil City, you will certainly be placed under house arrest, gone and never returned!” Heizhou said.
This was also the opinion of Suo Mo, Gou Li, Duo Duo, and Yuan Tan.
Everyone unanimously agreed that once Lanling went to Rakshasa City, he would absolutely never return.
And the three centaur khans were displeased with this retreating behaviour, in their view, even if it was a mountain of blades and sea of fire, the great master would tread as if on flat ground, there was no person in the world, no place that could block the master’s footsteps.
Shrinking back, retreating, was absolutely not the style of the great Moon Demon God, the great Sea Demon Fire God.
“Sovereign, even if you do not go to Rakshasa City, the Rakshasa Royal Family also cannot do anything to you.” Heizhou said: “Even if you do not marry Princess Shayan, Rakshasa City will not take military action against you anymore, at least they will tacitly acknowledge your existence, and even have to pinch their noses and acknowledge your Flame Demon Banner.”
Heizhou was not wrong.
If placed before, Rakshasa City would have sent out millions of troops to destroy Lanling.
But now, with the demon race great war imminent, the Rakshasa Royal Family could not make large military movements even while pinching their noses, much less send out a million troops to attack Lanling’s Flame Demon Banner.
Because the Tiansha Clan was eyeing them covetously, as long as a civil war broke out in the Rakshasa Clan domain, the Tiansha King would very likely set the Rakshasa Clan as the first conquest target, everyone knew the logic of picking the soft persimmon.
So according to the present situation, even if Lanling did not go to Rakshasa City, the Rakshasa Royal Family was helpless, only able to settle accounts after autumn.
“But, if the master does not go, wouldn’t it make the people of the world look down upon our great god?” Khan Xie Li said angrily: “Our master is supreme, is omnipotent, how could there be a place he dares not go?”
The words were crude but the reasoning was not, if Lanling dared not go to Rakshasa City, the only thing damaged would be his prestige.
You took the Black Devil Banner territory, but do not even dare to go to Rakshasa City, then your promise and future would stop at this area of the Black Devil Banner, this is called being content with a small corner.
“Master, why do you wish to marry Princess Shayan?” Heizhou asked.
Lanling said: “First, to make our Flame Demon Banner more legitimate, with the identity of the Rakshasa King’s son-in-law, all people on the Flame Demon Banner territory will submit to me from the heart.”
Heizhou said: “But according to your strategic deployment, when the first phase tasks are all completed, everyone on the Flame Demon Banner territory will probably only know the sovereign, and not know the Rakshasa Royal Family.”
That was certain, Lanling’s violent brainwashing technique was no joke.
One hand holding a knife, one hand holding meat.
If you are a Flame Demon citizen, you eat meat, if not, you lose your head.
Plus the power of his newly built state apparatus, within at most three to five years, the tens of millions of people on the Flame Demon territory would only know Lanling, and not know the Rakshasa Royal Family.
“Second, after I become Princess Shayan’s husband, after the Rakshasa King dies, the Little Rakshasa King dies, Princess Shayan dies, and I lead the great army to sweep across all demon banners of the Rakshasa Clan domain, then I will rightfully become the new Devil King of this domain.” Lanling said: “Just like before, after I defeated Naishu’s million-strong army, after capturing Black Devil City, I still could not obtain the million square kilometres of the Black Devil Banner territory. Even if I killed most of the people on the Black Devil Banner territory, I could not obtain their submission. I only through the Heavenly Demon Blood Oath, only by making you, Black Devil Lord, pledge allegiance, could I truly obtain the Black Devil Banner territory.”
Once these words came out, everyone understood.
Princess Shayan’s husband, a member of the Rakshasa Royal Family, to Lanling was a prop, a decorative prop.
Also giving the conquered a reason to kneel and pledge allegiance.
Thus, marrying Princess Shayan became quite crucial.
“Therefore, I must certainly go to Rakshasa City, and this woman Princess Shayan, I must certainly marry.” Lanling said.
Heizhou said: “But, once you go, you will not come back.”
Lanling said: “Command!”
Instantly, all eight Flame Demon Council members stood up.
“After I enter the Rakshasa Royal City, if I do not return within seven days, twenty thousand centaur troops, three hundred thousand Flame Demon troops, immediately invade the Blue Devil Banner territory to the west, putting on a show of wanting to charge into Rakshasa City.” Lanling said: “Seven days, as long as I do not return, immediately start war. Do not occupy any land, only massacre wantonly, killing all the way through, putting on a show that the Rakshasa Clan domain is about to erupt in a great civil war.”
“Yes!” All members of the Flame Demon Council said.
This was the role of the Flame Demon Council.
It would become the brain of the Flame Demon Banner, even if Lanling was absent for a short time, this brain could still maintain the Flame Demon Banner’s operation, and could already carry out Lanling’s will.
After dawn broke!
Lanling rode a three-headed chimera beast, heading to Rakshasa City to propose marriage!