Not long after Jin Nuo left Five Saints Town, he was angrily summoned back by Niu Er, Tax Officer. Upon learning that the Sky Dragon Palace had "flown" away, Jin Nuo’s first reaction was to burst into laughter. This almost made the infuriated Niu Er, Tax Officer faint for the second time. In fact, this situation couldn’t be blamed on Jin Nuo; likely even Emperor Long Teng would have had a similar first reaction upon hearing such news. But as a proud Dragon Knight, Jin Nuo still understood the importance of maintaining a good relationship with the Ministry of Revenue’s tax officer. So after secretly wiping away the tears of laughter, he looked up at the sky. Only then did he realize that what Niu Er, Tax Officer said was indeed true. Later, he ordered his men to find out the whereabouts of the Sky Dragon Palace, and the news brought back by the scouts turned his laughter into sheer panic. The spies stationed around Fengdan County had witnessed with their own eyes the Sky Dragon Palace flying into the territory of Fengdan County. "Flew to Fengdan County? You mean the Fengdan County south of the Xuan Beast Ridge?" Jin Nuo found it unbelievable that the Dragon Palace "flew" away, and yet, quite incidentally, ended up in Fengdan County. The recent events surrounding Fengdan County had already been enough of a shock to Jin Nuo. First, the neighboring Bailu County suddenly changed hands, and then all the Imperial Army’s spies stationed in Fengdan County were eradicated, leaving it as a blind spot for Imperial information. The news about Fengdan County and the true identity of the new lord were all mysteries. The only bit of information came from a drunken merchant at Helen Tavern, who let slip that the new lord of Fengdan County was a delicate and frail youth. For the past few days, Jin Nuo had repeatedly surveyed the area around Xuan Beast Ridge to formulate a plan on whether or not to attack Fengdan County. "Oh my, Lord Jin Nuo, if the Sky Dragon Palace has flown to Fengdan County, that would be very bad," Niu Er, Tax Officer’s reaction was much greater than Jin Nuo’s. As an Imperial Tax Officer, he had a deeper understanding of the Imperial tax laws and property rights laws than the average person. According to the regulations of Imperial Law, any personal domains granted to lords by the Monarch of the Empire give the lords ownership of everything within their territories. This included the rights of development and ownership of the airspace, territorial waters, and underground mineral resources. Now, the only way to retrieve the Sky Dragon Palace was to go there while it had just "flown" over and claim it back. "What’s there to be afraid of? I’ve already laid out a detailed plan. As for that impostor lord whose hair hasn’t even grown full, just wait till my Black Beauty gives a shout within ten miles of his domain, and all of Fengdan County will tremble thrice," Jin Nuo’s temper also flared. Although he didn’t know what despicable methods the other party used to steal the Sky Dragon Palace, one thing was clear: Imperial properties are sacred and inviolable, and that tax-resistant lord must be subjugated. Once Jin Nuo made up his mind, he immediately dispatched troops. Before departing, he wanted to bring along his good brother Little Brother Yue to gain some experience, but not even a shadow of him could be found. Perhaps he had accepted a mercenary mission; thinking this, Jin Nuo led more than a thousand elite Imperial soldiers and fifty Imperial War Beasts, traveling day and night over the Xuan Beast Ridge, heading straight for Fengdan County. Over there, Fengdan County seemed completely unaware of the arrival of the Imperial Army. The populace was only curious about the sudden appearance of a dragon-shaped palace in the skies above Yunluo Lake (originally Ice Lake, renamed to honor the county’s foremost investor, Miss Yun Luo). In other areas, people might have been terrified and scrambled to flee, but this incident in Fengdan County was like a small stone cast into the ocean, stirring up a minor ripple before quickly subsiding. Some folks from other counties were somewhat unaccustomed and inquired discreetly among the locals. The local residents impatiently lit a Blue Snow Candle, "Have you seen this kind of light anywhere else?" The outsiders hurriedly shook their heads. "Have you seen pigs that plow fields?" the locals went on to point at the Stone-eating Fragrant Pigs tilling the hardy ice soil in the spring fields. The outsiders shook their heads even more vigorously. "Then have you witnessed Lord Beast God personally reveal himself?" the locals then pointed to the statue of the Snake-haired Gorgon erected by the shores of Yunluo Lake. The outsiders nearly shook their heads off. "This is Fengdan County, under the protection of the Beast God. That palace is the residence of the Beast God; it’s nothing to fuss about," the local resident explained with utter devotion. Of course, this story about the Beast God Palace originally came from the Lord Mansion, and was personally told to the servants by Chief Steward Hongling. Soon, not only the residents of Fengdan County but also passing merchants and foreigners accepted this account. They couldn’t help but believe it; after all, just a year and a half ago, Fengdan County was a desolate place where not even a bird would poop, and even the Dark Beasts found unworthy to look at. Now, with the protection of Lord Beast God, Fengdan County, alongside its neighbor Bailu County, has become widely renowned for its wealth. The picturesque Yunluo Lake, clusters of Arrow Bamboo in various colors, the finely crafted Blue Snow Candles, the locally exclusive roast Xiang Pig, and the creamy, rich beer that brims with bubbles. All these attracted merchant groups from the Ruison Federation and neighboring Duchies, sprouting up in the domain like bamboo shoots after rain. Thanks to the encouragement policy of the local Lord, a large number of craftsmen and artisans moved into Fengdan County. They brought with them not only a populous boom but also an unprecedented vitality to Fengdan County. The old stone houses were replaced with beautifully detailed glazed tile homes, the muddy, frozen paths gave way to spacious carriage roads, and no more Xuan Beast Tides; even the residents who fled to other places returned, now Fengdan County boasts of nearly 150,000 permanent inhabitants. Of course, the outside world, especially the Dragon War Empire, was not very informed about this. Even the true Lord of Fengdan County, the Young Duke Yue Minzhi of the Dragon War Empire, had only recently received the new information about this fief. "Young Master, this information was sent from the vicinity of Xuan Beast Ridge just a day ago," Housekeeper Hongling of the Dragon Battle Duke Mansion said as he handed a letter and the latest information about the domain’s revenue and situation to Yue Minzhi’s hands. The normally composed Yue Minzhi was taken aback. More than half a year ago, when Chief Steward Hongling went to Bailu County seeking aid and was mocked and driven out of White Crane County by Viscount Mo’er, he had no choice but to return to the Imperial City, hoping to find Yue Minzhi and devise some way to help the domain through its difficulties. However, Yue Minzhi was in training at the Imperial Reserve Camp at the time and truly couldn’t spare a moment. By the time he briefly returned home on leave, he received such a letter. Facing this letter, Yue Minzhi and Hongling both had the same reaction: How could this be possible?