Chapter 248: Chapter 241 Cabinet Meeting_1
After departing the mercenary estate mounted on Feiying, Yan Xing didn’t rendezvous with his personal guard unit; instead, he flew directly to the Eternal Domain. In less than ten minutes, his domain came into view. Feiying’s speed was truly exceptional.
From afar, the Eternal Domain appeared as a territory where the city’s defensive systems hadn’t kept pace with its expansion. Even before the second city wall was completely repaired, numerous temporary houses and tents had already sprung up outside it. On the southern side of the domain, a large market had formed along the newly constructed road.
The people camped outside the city walls were not direct subjects of the Eternal Domain. Some were Werewolf Tribes that had migrated from the Thunderous Swamp, while others were merchants from Nuta City. For instance, the Werewolves of Red Mud Wetland had long since completed their war indemnities. However, unwilling to leave the Eternal Domain, Duan’er had shamelessly relocated his entire tribe there. The Red Mud Wetland gradually militarized, becoming the Eternal Domain’s staging ground facing the Thunderous Swamp.
Li Zhua had previously discussed migrating his tribe to the Eternal Domain with Yan Xing, but Yan Xing hadn’t responded at the time and later became too busy, forgetting the matter. Consequently, when Li Zhua saw that Duan’er had completed the war indemnities and migrated his tribe, he followed his example and moved the Stenchwater Forest tribe over as well. The Stenchwater Forest then became a special military training ground for the Eternal Domain.
Duan’er and Li Zhua were two Clan Leaders particularly close to Yan Xing. Witnessing the Werewolf Tribes from Red Mud Wetland and Stenchwater Forest moving into the Eternal Domain, other Werewolf Tribes sensed there must be advantages. However, these other Werewolf Clan Leaders were more restrained; they didn’t move their entire tribes but sent a considerable number of clan members to the Eternal Domain to claim land, intending to secure a foothold first. Additionally, Werewolf Clan Leaders from deep within the Thunderous Swamp who yearned for the Eternal Domain also dispatched their subordinates. Many came to admire the splendor of the Eternal Werewolf Tribe, and a large number of them became permanent residents.
It could be said that the Eternal Domain, possessing high-ranking Werewolves and being wealthy and powerful, was gradually becoming a sacred land for the Werewolves of the Thunderous Swamp. Thus, a portion of the Werewolves unknowingly left the swamp and ventured once again into the grasslands.
Apart from Werewolves, the largest external population in the Eternal Domain consisted of humans from Nuta City. Even before the road connecting the Eternal Domain to Nuta City was completed, some adventurous merchants had found their way there. Yan Xing envisioned his domain as a commercial city, so he strongly encouraged merchants to come and even asked Gao Sipa to offer them assistance. The Eternal Domain’s hospitality attracted even more human merchants.
Coincidentally, large numbers of Werewolves also arrived near the Eternal Domain, bringing swamp herbs, animal skins, bones, and various other local specialties. Human merchants brought cloth, wooden goods, pottery, ironware, and oil. A market between the swamp dwellers and humans naturally formed. With the Eternal Domain maintaining order, Swamp Tribe members didn’t need to fear being cheated by humans, nor did humans need to worry about the Swamp Tribe stealing from them.
As the Eternal Domain’s market developed and the Thunderous Swamp highway was constructed, the number of Lizardmen coming to the Eternal Domain also gradually increased. The Eternal Domain truly began to flourish. With the increase in prosperity, more displaced people joined. In a short time, the number of direct human subjects of the Eternal Domain surpassed ten thousand. The direct Werewolf population also exceeded five thousand. Including the Werewolves and humans affiliated with the areas surrounding the Eternal Domain, the population within Yan Xing’s territory exceeded twenty thousand and was still rapidly increasing.
From the sky, Yan Xing observed his domain, his heart filled with joy at its vibrant vitality. At the same time, he felt the pressing need to implement urban reforms quickly. Otherwise, he thought, if the population increases further, these reforms will undoubtedly lead to major problems.
After circling the domain on Feiying, Yan Xing landed on the rooftop of the newly built Lord’s Mansion. The Lord’s Mansion was located at the center of the Eternal Domain, enclosed by the inner city walls. The main structure was a three-story, courtyard-style building with four towering towers at its corners. Behind the Lord’s Mansion were the Guards’ Barracks, Chui Chui’s Alchemy Laboratory, a central networking room, the Energy Generator Tower, and other core facilities, all protected within the inner city walls.
As soon as Yan Xing jumped off Feiying’s back, he said to the guard who greeted him, "Notify all Domain Cabinet officials to meet in the Lord’s Council Hall."
Although Yan Xing had been mainly focusing on Nuta City recently, he still made a point of returning to the Eternal Domain every day or two to manage its affairs. Administrative heroes cultivated by the Domain Academy were appointed as officials in various departments of the domain. Awakened combat heroes and Mages discovered by the Magic Tower became commanders at various levels of the domain’s military. Moreover, heroes recruited from taverns filled various other vacancies.
The Lord’s Council Hall was a room on the third floor of the Lord’s Mansion, approximately the size of a classroom. Sunlight flooded in through broad glass windows, making the council hall extremely bright. At the center of the hall was an oval-shaped conference table. Yan Xing sat in his designated seat, tapping a finger on a laptop on the conference table as he browsed through information about his domain. The alchemical automaton Laura moved around the conference table, adjusting several other laptops prepared for the Cabinet officials, while a servant placed drinks on the table.
Once Laura, the alchemical automaton, had switched on all the laptops and finished setting them up, she took an empty seat next to Yan Xing.