Murong Castle! Astin Gureil

Murong Earldom.

As one of the first earldoms to be enfeoffed, the Murong Earldom occupied an incredibly vast territory.

In terms of sheer area, it was not even inferior to the domains of some marquises.

However, in Su Changge's view, the first Earl of Murong was not exactly the most tactful of men.

Otherwise, his territory would not have been allocated to the region bordering the northern part of the Star Dou Mountain Range.

Not to mention the southern side of the Star Dou Mountain Range... the massive number of soul beasts within the Star Dou Great Forest.

The soul beasts gathered in the northern part of the Star Dou Mountain Range alone were enough to easily destroy an entire kingdom.

Soul beast stampedes were constant!

This was the reason the Murong Earldom had never been able to develop.

It was also the reason the Murong bloodline had withered away.

The Murong line had never produced a top-tier soul master; every generation, any earl who reached the strength of a Soul Emperor or Soul Saint almost invariably died in battle.

It would be strange if this bloodline didn't wither.

The carriage traveled along the wide main road, only slowing down as it approached an ancient castle built in a Western fantasy style.

Murong Ruyan pulled back the curtain and pointed toward the castle, "Changge, that is Murong Castle."

Su Changge's fingers stroked Murong Ruyan's smooth leg, his deep gaze fixed upon the imposing Murong Castle.

Murong Castle! Built on the edge of an abyss.

There was only one path leading to the front, while the rear of the castle dropped into a bottomless chasm.

In a world of conventional warfare, it would be impossible to conquer without tens of thousands of troops.

But he was currently in the Douluo World.

A world where the extraordinary power of soul power existed.

Whether a castle was strategically perilous or not didn't actually matter much.

"The Young Lady has returned!!!"

As the carriage entered the castle gates, the entire Murong Castle instantly erupted into a frenzy.

Maids and guards from within the castle swarmed forward, nearly blocking the path ahead.

As Murong Ruyan stepped out of the carriage, Su Changge's gaze swept over the crowd of maids and guards; he could understand their eagerness.

Firstly, it was based on the long-standing prestige of the Murong line.

Secondly, though it was cruel, it was the reality.

After Murong Boda died, the soul masters he had patronized, along with his core generals, had almost all been poached or assassinated by the viscounts and barons surrounding the Murong Earldom, leaving behind only a few small-fry soul masters.

Murong Ruyan, this newly promoted Soul Master, was their only hope for the future!

"Ah? It's a man! It's actually a man!"

"The Young Lady is actually sharing a carriage with a man, and have you noticed? The Young Lady seems quite close to him..."

"Shut your mouths! Is the Young Lady someone you can gossip about at will?"

Murong Ruyan waved away the maids and guards on either side and led Su Changge toward the main hall.

As soon as they entered, Su Changge's gaze was captured by a woman wearing a black hollow-out dress.

Austine Gulaire, Murong Ruyan's stepmother and the widow of Earl Murong Boda.

Pale skin? A top-tier beauty.

Su Changge looked Austine Gulaire up and down, his gaze like a blade sweeping over her slender waist and the hint of cleavage visible at her chest.

Austine Gulaire sensed Su Changge's gaze, a flicker of shame and anger rising in her heart, This man Ruyan brought back, though handsome, is truly a rude ruffian.

"Austine, this is Su Changge, a noble and extraordinary soul master, and also the fiancé I have chosen."

"Changge, I don't need to introduce Austine to you, do I? After all, I've mentioned her to you many times on the way back."

"Su Changge greets the Countess!"

Su Changge performed an aristocratic salute, taking Austine Gulaire's jade hand and brushing his lips against her snow-white skin.

In an instant, Austine Gulaire felt as if she had been electrocuted; she quickly pulled her right hand back, her heart fluttering and unable to calm down for a long time.

How long had it been?

Ever since that old thing Murong Boda died, how long had it been since she had such intimate contact with a man?

"Austine! If there is nothing else, we will go and rest first."

"Hunting for a soul ring this time was a brush with death; I am truly exhausted."

Murong Ruyan seemed to sense the change in Austine Gulaire, reaching out to hook her arm through Su Changge's to forcefully assert her claim, while secretly pinching Su Changge's waist hard.

She knew that given the personality Su Changge displayed—his unscrupulous and cold-hearted nature—even if he married into the Murong Earldom, she would not be the only woman in his future.

Who would have thought Su Changge would be so unrestrained.

And her opponent had emerged so quickly!

Murong Ruyan pulled Su Changge toward the bedroom.

"Changge, let me tell you, stay away from that wicked woman Astin Gulaire in the future. She... you won't be able to handle her."

"If you truly have needs in the future, I can help you select a few outstanding maids..."

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

Over these two weeks, aside from his nightly efforts at "plowing the fields," Su Changge spent his days primarily assisting Murong Ruyan in managing the affairs of the Count's territory.

Agriculture! Military affairs! Commerce! Infrastructure! Finance!

As long as it concerned the vital lifelines of the territory, Su Changge had gained a thorough understanding of it.

The actual situation of the territory was far worse than what Murong Ruyan had initially described.

Beyond the lack of capable generals and usable soldiers, the territory's finances had shrunk rapidly following the death of Murong Boda. Various mineral deposits within the domain had been seized or purchased at low prices by neighboring Viscounts and Barons under various pretexts.

The soul beast trade, which had previously accounted for thirty percent of the revenue, had come to a complete standstill due to the massive exodus of soul masters. The number of visiting merchants had dropped by more than seventy percent compared to previous years.

Almost all of them had shifted their business to the territories of the neighboring Viscounts and Barons!

Regarding agriculture, because they were near the Star Dou Mountain Range, there was little arable land to begin with. By being frugal, they could barely manage self-sufficiency, leaving absolutely no surplus grain to sell...

According to Su Changge's estimation, if they continued on this current path, even without external interference, the territory would completely collapse in a year at most.

"This ledger is truly a mess."

Su Changge sighed, tossing the account book in his hand to the side.

The Murong family's territory was vastly different from the other Count-level domains he had heard of.

At best, it only held an advantage in name; in terms of overall foundation, military strength, and population, it was roughly on par with the nearby Viscount territories.

"Changge, I... I'm sorry. It's all because of my incompetence; otherwise, you wouldn't have to worry so much."

Watching Su Changge's weary expression, Murong Ruyan leaned down with a look of guilt, crouching before him.

"It's fine, these are all minor issues!"

"They aren't impossible to solve."

Su Changge pressed Murong Ruyan's head down slightly, his mind racing with countermeasures.

Multitasking at its finest!

While he didn't have much expertise in the way of political maneuvering, he had read plenty of books!

There would always be a way to solve this.

So, should he start with agriculture? Or should he begin with the military?