My wife is an immortal black snake.

Page 233

His capabilities have been proven—he is indeed very capable. He's not just a capable leader; he might even be able to use his abilities to make the Ursus Empire the only truly powerful nation in the world. Of course, this is all contingent on him not dying from assassination or disease along the way.

Simply being "capable" isn't enough to make him a "good man." What are the most important qualities of a good man? It's being family-oriented and having a good personality!

Is Mr. Yang Hao's personality bad? Very good. To be honest, Ms. Norson herself has seen countless rulers, but a ruler like Yang Hao—with a good personality, approachable, occasionally making risqué jokes, and despite some strange fetishes, still loving his people—is currently unique.

Putting aside his personality, let's talk about whether he's family-oriented—he's definitely a good family man. If he weren't, that black snake would have had countless conflicts with him long ago. And if he weren't family-oriented, the gentle and happy expression on his face when he talked about [Koschich] wouldn't be fake...

Yes, Ms. Norson knows that people can fake that happy expression at any time—but she also knows that if a person can fake that happy expression their whole life, then what's wrong with saying that he is truly a family man?

And more importantly, if he didn't care about his family, would Margarita still have a chance? Definitely not—Ms. Northum knew her reasoning was damn contradictory, but that was the truth: Margarita was the family he initially considered, and that black snake mother came later, but that didn't stop the man from still caring about Margarita!

So, this is a good man who is capable, has a good personality, is family-oriented, and already holds a high position...

These four conditions alone would already filter out 99% of the men in the world, but if that were all, there are two more important issues regarding a Blood Demon's criteria for choosing a mate:

1. Lifespan.

2. His blood.

There's not much to say about the former—this man is striving for immortality, and it seems he's already made some progress. Becoming an immortal is only a matter of time, and in Ms. Norsen's opinion, that's no longer an issue.

The latter is even less noteworthy—his blood is a delicacy worthy of a state banquet. Just the price of his blood alone would be enough to make countless blood demons in the Blood Demon tribe willing to pay outrageous sums to keep this man at home and take good care of him, just so they could drink his blood every day...

So...Ms. Norsen finally understood what was going on with her recent changes. It turned out it was her body's instincts as an older, unmarried blood demon at work!

That's exactly what she meant! Ms. Northon was well aware that she had mentioned that "partner selection" criterion when she was considering it! And to be honest, she had indeed been single for far too long. Normally, if this were another man, Ms. Northon might have hesitated for a moment but then readily accepted, but the problem was...

The problem is, this is the man Margarita likes...

"Ms. Northon? Aren't you going to drink it? And..."

Ms. Norsen's gaze towards Mr. Yang Hao became conflicted.

This is the man Margarita likes.

She was Margarita's teacher.

All the meticulous preparations she had made for Margarita were intended to ensure that Margarita could live a happy life with her man in the future—but the problem is, now Ms. Northumbery's body seems to be trying to cheat on her apprentice.

This is fucking weird, really weird... Norsen, you can't... you can't do this...

How can there be such a morally bankrupt teacher who cheats on their own student?! This is absolutely unacceptable...

Norsen, oh Norsen, you really can't do that—

"Ms. Norson? Are you feeling unwell? Why don't you rest for a while?"

“…”

Fuck you?! Don't try to seduce me with your "good guy" act at a time like this, you little brat! So what if he's a "good guy" you might only see once in a few hundred years? I'll endure it for centuries, but—

.......

......

At that moment, Ms. Norson suddenly recalled a sentence she had said long ago.

What I despise most is a scoundrel who steals a man from a baby who hasn't been weaned!

...

Her expression turned unusually strange: because she suddenly understood why that thousand-year-old black snake would stoop so low as to compete with Margarita, this immature child, for a man...

If good men like this were so easy to find...would it really be a once-in-a-century occurrence? Besides, that old black snake is over a thousand years old...

Hiss... This, Norsen's judgment is wrong.

The man who could make the Duke of Kosiché so eager to take her home, even to the point of wanting to personally snatch her away, and not only take her home but also want to keep her by his side all day long, must be a rare man, one in a hundred years.

This is a once-in-a-millennium good man... No wonder my body acted on its own!

So...which one? Margarita? That...ahaha...what?

This man is really too complicated... Can you handle him?

Gudong.

Ms. Norson swallowed hard.

At this moment, she had no intention of betraying Margarita's trust, it was just... just...

Gu...

“Ms. Norson? Isn’t this too close…”

Her body was burning hot from the blood she had just drunk.

This blood is incredibly spicy. Although Ms. Norsen likes the spiciness, it's clear that if Margarita drinks it later, it will be very bad. Even though she no longer needs to drink blood, will the child who doesn't like spicy food be able to drink it?

...

Ms. Norson lowered her head and looked at Mr. Yang Hao's body. Unconsciously, her body was already very close to his, and her right knee was inadvertently pressed between his legs, gently pressing against his swollen area.

...

...

“...I mean...your blood is too spicy.” Ms. Northon looked up and muttered to the embarrassed man.

"Huh?" Mr. Yang Hao didn't realize what had happened to his blood—after all, it makes sense; what normal human would have a craving for their own blood? And normal humans don't have the same sensitive taste buds as Blood Demons. "My blood has become spicy? What's going on—no, is this normal?"

No matter how much they drink, they won't be able to taste the flavor that only the Blood Demon knows... In other words, even if they were lying at this moment, Mr. Yang Hao wouldn't be able to detect it... right?

Ms. Northumber smiled. If there were a mirror now, she would certainly see her face turning red—red with anticipation of what she was about to do.

"This is very abnormal. Normally, we would need to use seasonings with added chili powder to achieve this level of spiciness in the blood..."

"Oh?! Does that mean there's something wrong with my health? I'll have to call the doctor today..."

"No, it's not necessary. Solving this problem is quite simple..."

"Eh?"

Ms. Northumber licked her lips, and then, in front of Yang Hao's astonishing appearance, she unzipped his pants—

　 As she watched the swelling thing, accompanied by Mr. Yang Hao's scream, she swallowed hard.

Just using my hands... considering how much blood I drank...　

As long as I don't go inside... there shouldn't be any problems, right?

.......

Ms. Northumbers has gone down a path of depravity from which there is no turning back.

Meanwhile, in the distance, Margarita, who had just hunted a huge beast for her Sanae, was worrying about how to bring it back.

Chapter 145

　 ...

...

On the afternoon of December 8th.

When Yang Hao returned to his bedroom and sat on the sofa with a bewildered expression, holding his phone and staring at the ceiling, he still hadn't recovered from what had just happened.

What the hell just happened?! In his confusion, Mr. Yang Hao could only vaguely recall that he seemed to have been... uh? by Ms. Norsen.

The drastic reason that it could lead to disaster was given by her...

"...My God...this seems to be the first time...aside from Koschche using Green's cat tail, this is the first time someone..."

This seemed to be the first time Yang Hao had ever been touched by someone's hands—really. Although he had already experienced many strange and unusual ways of playing with his tail, like... tail, tail...

However, this experience of being rubbed by another woman, even someone she had never been intimate with, and having her hand pressed against her lower abdomen for the first time...

This is the first time ever.

So Mr. Yang Hao's head is still spinning, especially when he recalls how Ms. Norson strangely fiddled with the mucus afterward and then put it in her mouth to savor it. He is even more confused now.

"...What the hell did I do..." Mr. Yang Hao lamented. That was Margarita's teacher! Yang Hao, are you really the kind of person who would go after the teacher of someone you like? Even though you weren't the one who did it, you were the one who was attacked, but really, you shouldn't have just accepted it like that!

Even if you hold it in for a long time, it's still the same!!

Yang Hao inwardly berated himself for his "bad deed," but when he recalled Ms. Norsen's raw yet subtly sophisticated charm, like aged vinegar that had been fermented for a long time... he couldn't help but perk up again: it really wasn't his fault; he was a man who had survived the "strangulation" of Koschche and Monica. Not to mention that his body was now stronger and more robust due to the enhancement, so it was perfectly normal for his desires to be stronger now.

To use an analogy, it's like a glutton who eats three bowls of rice every day suddenly only eats one bowl one day—it's perfectly normal for him to feel hungry for a while afterward, right? So... he really... can't help this kind of physiological reaction.

If Sonia were here, things would be fine... But now that Sonia isn't here, and the pony isn't here either, Karina, while feeling shy, also wants to proceed at her own pace. He's too embarrassed to let Monica take time out of her busy schedule to "experience her master's prowess," so... he's really been holding back for a long time.

"..."

He was now reflecting on his mistakes like a wise man. But this wise demeanor lasted only a few minutes... before he was disturbed.

dong dong dong.

"Mr. Yang Hao? May I come in?"

It was Karina—who, with Yang Hao's permission, had replaced Theresa as his secretary. Miss Karina arrived carrying a huge pile of work to be done that day. The stack of papers, nearly half a person's height, made Mr. Yang Hao sweat profusely: he realized that a significant portion of it was domestic matters that he *must* handle.

But the problem is that there aren't any good long-range communication devices on this land, and even if there were, they wouldn't be installed on this land-based ship, right? What's going on here?

Seemingly noticing Mr. Yang Hao's confusion, Miss Karina, panting, placed the stack of papers on the desk, wiped the sweat from her face, and then smiled:

"I copied this down by hand while listening to Lord Kosiché's explanation using a communicator, you know? Well, the long-range communicator I'm using isn't as convenient and practical as your mobile phone, and it's greatly affected by distance and interference, not to mention the cost... So I'd like to borrow your phone to help you out, is that alright?"

"Oh, of course..."

Yang Hao silently handed over his phone—then took it back: "But is it okay if I call Koschche first?"

"Of course you can. And I suggest you also discuss these documents with Lord Koschche. Um, please feel free to call me if you need anything, I'll be working right here."

"Okay, Karina, you go ahead and get busy..."

Karina was working at another desk in Yang Hao's room. Watching her diligently studying her archaeological data, Yang Hao broke out in a cold sweat, thinking, "I'd better not tell her about what happened today."

After briefly glancing at the documents she had sent him, copied in her neat and tidy handwriting, he dialed Koschich's number and, after a few rings, received a response from Koschich:

"Honey? Did you receive it?"

"Ah, yes, I received it. But... do I have to handle all these things?"

"The bad thing is, it's true: because all of this is related to your finances, and although Her Majesty Catherine, the newly established cabinet, and I do want to deal with it... the problem is that no one really understands your thoughts. Although I know most of your ideas, it would be most dangerous for someone like me, who is only half-baked, to handle it—so I have no choice but to leave it all to you."

"...Oh, I see. Okay, I understand now. Are you free now? I need you too."

“Of course. I’ve been waiting for you in the meeting room—and Green is waiting for you too. She can offer some good advice as well.”

"—Please thank her for me and tell her that my doll-making skills are also progressing rapidly."

"okay."

While Kosiché relayed the good news to Miss Green on Yang Hao's behalf, Mr. Yang Hao began to browse through his first job in the "economic" field—

He then discovered that this was an economic issue related to the new nobles of Ursus, the new nobles supported by Her Majesty Catherine.

They wanted to break free from Ursus's control and establish a new market economy based on "freedom and democracy"—simply put, they wanted autonomy, freedom to trade with foreign countries, freedom to control their own city's taxes, and a reduction in taxes levied on the Empire.

...

Moreover, Yang Hao discovered that the worst-case scenario was that they vaguely intended to attract infected laborers and then discard them after using them... As for where they would dump the wounded infected who might die in a few days, Yang Hao could see the term "Duchy of Koschche" in the intelligence.

...This won't do—so Yang Hao made a decisive move and included these new nobles in the list of mischievous kids that "must be eliminated in the next fifty years."

Moreover, there are many more economic and political issues that Mr. Yang Hao needs to deal with—and not only economic and political issues, but also military issues that will start to give him headaches.

Because within the empire, several army group leaders, with the support of their former noble lords, have developed ambitions to become warlords.

Chapter 146

Warlords—this was something Yang Hao absolutely could not tolerate. If, in a sense, he could still tolerate capitalists acting as obedient children, plundering foreigners' wealth right under his nose, then warlords? Sorry, if you're even showing signs of that, it means you're about to be completely purged—the kind that purges all your factions along with you. After all, you're trying to become damn warlords.

Having an army, having the ability to wage direct war, and most importantly, representing a group that seeks to seize power—perhaps they say they are loyal to His Majesty the Emperor today, but who knows if they will bow down to the Victorians tomorrow and help them fight against their own country?

Moreover, putting aside the issue of loyalty, the fact that warlords indulge their own soldiers is a problem... Yang Hao's hard-won economic achievements could very well be ruined by their misdeeds—so no matter what... it would be better to get rid of warlords as soon as possible.

"...But the problem is that the Empire has just gone through a civil war...We need to recuperate, and apart from using [secret means] and political support...we cannot go to war. At least not now."

"...His Majesty and I think so too. But they may not be willing to stay quiet for the next few decades."

"If they wanted to, they wouldn't be warlords... Sigh, let me think about it... Let me also look at the statistics."

"Ah."

Kosiché responded softly on the other end of the communicator. Then, Yang Hao sighed heavily, slumped onto the sofa, and furrowed his brow as he meticulously reviewed any statistics that might be related to the warlords—perhaps their troop strength, their supporters, the scope of their operations, and the favors the Ursus Empire owed them...

In summary, after thoroughly reviewing everything, Yang Hao derived the following key pieces of information: