Chapter 6: The Graveyard Demon Reborn

Upon hearing this, Tordina and Dierdre spoke in unison, "We want them."

Li Bin nodded in satisfaction, then pushed open a window behind him. Outside lay the empty southern district, where Sannei was currently busy with something unknown.

"See there? Sannei has figured out how to summon Graveyard Fiends in the last couple of days, and he's out there experimenting. I asked him to prepare two of them. If you both want one, I can let you each have one to use," Li Bin explained with a smile.

Tordina and Dierdre immediately stood up, excitement written all over their faces. Li Bin smiled again and added, "No need to get so excited. I do have some conditions, though."

"Master, please instruct us," Tordina responded at once.

Li Bin spread a map before them and pointed as he spoke, "Here is our City of Ghost Butterflies. To the north lies Lidas' spider city. She sent news back with the ghost crows a few days ago—her city has now been named Assea, and it’s already a level-2 village. But as for the other three directions from the City of Ghost Butterflies, we have no idea what lies there..."

He paused, and Dierdre quickly said, "Master, do you mean for us to scout the way for you?"

"That's part of it," Li Bin replied, nodding slightly. "I have a few requirements. First, each of you will take two battalions of Will-o'-the-Wisp slaves. I want you to claim every mineral resource you find along the way and start production immediately."

"Understood," Tordina and Dierdre answered in unison.

"Next, since you now have your own Graveyard Fiends, it’s as if you both have your own villages. Seventy percent of the revenue from your Graveyard Fiends and spoils of war along the road will go to you—forty percent for developing your Graveyard Fiends, thirty percent for recruiting troops, and the remaining thirty percent must be handed over to me," Li Bin said sternly.

"Third, I’m giving you recruitment rights up to level 4 for the city’s military units. That means you can freely recruit units of level 4 and below. If you want to recruit stronger forces, then raise your own rank and contribute more to the city."

Tordina and Dierdre said nothing more, merely nodding to show their understanding of Li Bin’s arrangements.

Seeing this, Li Bin said nothing further. After they selected their directions, he let them go.

Once the two had left, Reed emerged from a hidden door at the back of the room. He asked, "Master, why are you dividing your forces? Wouldn’t it be better to keep them working under you?"

"That won’t do, not now," Li Bin replied with a wry smile. "You’ve seen it yourself—I'm already overwhelmed with all the matters in the city every day. How could I find the time to explore the surrounding territories or collect vast amounts of resources?"

He paused, then added, "Besides, I want to see their true abilities—to judge who is more suitable to become a city administrator."

"You want to choose a city warden from among them?" Reed frowned.

"Only if they become elite heroes. As they are now, they’re only fit to be internal affairs heroes," Li Bin said, shaking his head.

Seeing this, Reed didn’t press further and instead said, "By the way, Master, that ghostly fellow named Reynard sent a letter for you."

Li Bin took the letter and burst out laughing. "Reed, it looks like your bone dragon might soon become a reality. Reynard says the organization is about to hold a grand exchange conference. The undead scorpions I made are highly regarded by some mage-type lords, and Reynard wants me to provide a few in exchange for whatever I desire."

"Does that mean you’ll be able to get a bone dragon soon?" Reed asked excitedly.

"That’s still uncertain. After all, bone dragons are at least level 11 units. Whether I can get one remains to be seen," Li Bin mused. "But at least now we have hope, don’t we?"

"Indeed," Reed replied, unable to suppress a smile at his own excitement.

The summoning of the Graveyard Fiends went smoothly. Three days later, Tordina and Dierdre each received a Graveyard Fiend equivalent to a level-1 village, and after bidding farewell to Li Bin, they set out on their respective journeys.

Tordina chose to head east, advancing two hundred kilometers straight away to secure the border before turning back to deal with resources and mines left behind.

Dierdre chose to move west, advancing slowly and consolidating defenses as she went. Though her progress was slower, her harvest was no less abundant.

During these days, Reynard also visited once, using internal organization currency to take five undead scorpions from Li Bin. Li Bin also placed an order for bone dragons with Reynard, though he still wasn’t sure how many bone dragons his undead scorpions would buy.

In the days that followed, as the territory expanded, Li Bin became busier than ever. Every morning, three ghost crows would bring intelligence from Tordina, Dierdre, and Lidas, followed by a flood of requests and demands.

There were always issues: new Will-o'-the-Wisp slaves needed for newly occupied mines, patrols required for newly opened roads, supplies to deliver to subjugated tribes as promised, and so on. All these matters, big and small, landed on Li Bin’s desk. Even the redeployment of a couple of Will-o'-the-Wisp slaves to clean the streets needed his signature, and these endless trivialities drove him nearly mad.

He wished he could drop everything and lead his troops on an expedition, but he simply couldn’t. The City of Ghost Butterflies was his main stronghold and his very foundation. If the city didn’t prosper, he’d be no better off than a rootless wanderer.

What he wanted most now was an internal affairs hero to help him—a person to whom he could delegate all but the broadest strategic decisions.

But for now, that wish was out of reach. While Li Bin was thus occupied, a spectral servant drifted through the wall of the city hall and into his office.

"What is it now?" Li Bin didn’t even look up; there were too many documents awaiting his signature.

"Master, there are signs of an unidentified force appearing to the south," the ghost servant reported quickly.

"What?" Li Bin pushed aside his paperwork and stood up at once. The southern region of the City of Ghost Butterflies was the only area he had yet to explore. The appearance of other forces there meant the resources and mines in that direction might already have fallen into another lord’s hands.

"Bring me the map! And what's the situation? Tell me everything," Li Bin commanded, ordering the ghost servant to summon Sannei and Reed while he reached for the map.