Knight Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence.

Chapter 318 The Powerful Night Wanderer and the Generous Returns from the Trade
Jasper, a legendary necromancer, is the most prominent undead force active in the Grey Mountains region, and his strength is extraordinary.

Su Li couldn't help but pay close attention and asked, "How do you distinguish whether a group of undead is a night-wandering corpse or an ordinary undead?"

Gerson replied solemnly, "That's easy. Jasper also intended to distinguish his Nightwalkers from ordinary undead. So, while ordinary Nightwalkers still wear tattered clothes, the core Nightwalkers, Corpse Demons, and others wear wolf-skin cloaks that are cut in half along their height."

"They also had all sorts of badges, such as fragments of human skin hanging on Jasper's hearse, covered with spider-like writing in Morserib colors. Their soldiers' shields also had faded badges—a dead wolf with a bleeding spear wound."

"Moreover, their tactics are quite distinctive. Their tactics depend on the size of the Nightwalkers. Messengers will infiltrate settlements before the main force, acting like spies. If a messenger is killed, Jasper will maneuver the Nightwalkers to a safer target. His goal is to collect as many messengers as possible. He has no interest in areas where the outcome is not in his favor."

"When at full strength, the Nightwalkers fight by sheer numbers. The main force of the lesser undead will march ahead, clearing the way for Jasper. He always prioritizes heading to graveyards. He has zombies and skeletons create chaos within the settlements while he directs his corpse wagons to any available graveyards or cemeteries. Settlements that surrender to the Nightwalkers are generally left undisturbed. The Nightwalkers will traverse the settlements, taking the dead with them, while ignoring the living who remain inside."

"When conflict is unavoidable, the Nightwalkers will wear down their enemies with waves of lesser undead. The vitality of zombies and skeletons will increase as the corpse wagons approach. Unusually for a necromancer, Jasper tends to avoid sending his minions to their deaths whenever possible, and will send lower-value undead creatures and mass grave corpses to the front lines when a greater threat arises."

"Simply put: Nightwalkers never stop, and their paths are unpredictable unless someone knows where a plague or battle recently broke out. As they move, they scatter around Jasper. The further they are from the corpse wagon, the less stable Jasper's control becomes, making their movements less consistent. Many knights are more likely to encounter these peripheral, stray undead rather than the Nightwalker core itself, and may observe that the wandering undead move with more purpose than these creatures typically do. Fighting and noise will attract other hordes of undead, but rarely will Jasper notice them unless they get too close to the Nightwalker center. In such cases, Mhava will be sent to deal with these intruders."

"So if you want to guard against the Night Wanderers, you must pay attention to gathering intelligence and eliminate any envoys that infiltrate your territory in time. We failed to discover this infiltrator, which is why we were attacked by the Night Wanderers."

After listening, Su Li frowned. With the help of daily intelligence, he had a unique advantage in dealing with this night-roaming zombie, and the envoy who had infiltrated the territory was easily eliminated by him.

However, every advantage has its disadvantage. With the aid of daily intelligence, he frequently engaged in battles and expanded his territory. The large number of battles and battlefield debris made it extremely easy to attract the main force of the Nightwalking Corpses. After all, the plains northeast of Blackfortress contained tens of thousands of monster corpses. Black magic doesn't care whether you burn them to ashes or not; as long as there are souls, black magic can create a large number of zombies and skeletons even if it's linked to ashes. Moreover, Su Li didn't have the resources to cut down a massive number of trees to burn those tens of thousands of corpses.

His entire territory had suffered heavy losses; the population had dwindled, and countless soldiers were wounded. It was extremely difficult enough for the remaining people to care for the wounded and properly preserve the remains of the thousands who had fallen, preventing decay and plague. In such dire circumstances, even coffins were scarce. Therefore, for the tens of thousands of monster corpses, they could only dig a pit and hastily bury them. Only a few very important and fresh remains were preserved and sacrificed by the Father of Grains.

Thinking this way, Su Li looked at Demst. The intelligence had specifically revealed this chosen one of Death God Mor to him, probably so that he could help deal with the aftermath of the large-scale war in the territory.

So Su Li said, "Then you should spend the rest of your time leading Mor's followers and knights to clean up and dispose of the battlefield ruins throughout the territory."

"If you have extra energy, it would be best to go to the territory's Heroes' Garden, open the graves of the fallen soldiers of the territory, and use the divine spell [Last Ritual] to let them rest in eternal peace."

Su Li is increasingly feeling that the believers in Mor are like the people of Cameroon, where there is a sunbathing festival where coffins are opened every seven years to let the dead bodies sunbathe.

Mor's followers also possess this ability; by chanting solemn requiems over corpses, they can ensure that the soul is transported to Mor's domain and guarantee that the corpse will not become the target of any necromancy. If the target of divine magic is an enemy with undead or construct characteristics, it will be destroyed.

Durmst's next top priority is undoubtedly to ensure the safety of the territory's Heroic Cemetery, and then it's time to clean up the mass grave in the north of the city.

This task gave Durmst a major headache: "This isn't something our Blackguard Knights are good at. We'll have to get the Shroud Order. My lord, I've heard you're the all-knowing one in Blackwood Territory. You should keep an eye out for intelligence on this and recruit one or two members of the Shroud Order to handle these kinds of matters. The Shroud Order frequently travels to the border princely territories to deal with battlefield remnants and mass graves. They're easy to spot; their banners usually have a sacred symbol of a black gate, and they wear a black rose on their chests."

“Alright, I’ll keep an eye on that.” Su Li nodded to him and said, “But before that, you’ll have to lead the Black Guard Knights through some hard work.”

Since Su Li said that, Demst had no choice but to agree, and then said, "That damn Jasper really knows how to cause me trouble. Maybe we should get rid of him sooner rather than later."

"Eliminate a legendary necromancer?" Su Li wasn't very confident about this challenge: "Just how strong is he? Do you know anything about him?"

Durmst shook his head: “Very little is known about old Jasper—the mysterious figure who leads the Nightwalkers. He sits atop the hearse, urging his minions to endlessly search for new victims, with almost nothing but two silver eyes gleaming in his rotting grey robes. Every place the Nightwalkers pass through has its own story connected to him.”

"According to one of the stories, old Jasper was once just a corpse collector who accepted a task from Reverend Moore to collect the bodies of those who had fallen victim to a plague known as the Scarlet Tremor. Jasper believed that Moore's blessing would protect him from the plague when he accepted the job. But slowly, red spots appeared on his skin, and his muscles began to twitch. In a fit of rage, he stole corpses and sold them to doctors, wizards, and even less honorable men. For this crime, Moore's priests cursed him to never rest. Even today, he continues to travel, seeking revenge by stealing the dead that Moore cared for."

Other stories say that old Jasper was a necromancer who delved too deeply into this forbidden art. Arrogant and conceited, he attempted a spell far beyond his capabilities, ultimately tearing his own soul to pieces. Now he wanders the world searching for his fragments, while the emptiness within him draws the dead to his side. Another story says he was an actor who fooled the mages of the Amethyst Academy. A cursed conman, a survivor of the vampire war, a fallen apprentice of Frederick Van Hale; various tales swarm around this lich like flies.

"The truth, even if it exists, is uncertain. It's even doubtful whether old Jasper himself remembers the truth. The people of the old world only know that he had one goal, a task he had to complete or he would be a wanderer forever. The dead he collected were the price he had to pay, and he was almost finished collecting them."

Is his mission almost complete? Doesn't that mean he'll become exceptionally powerful?
Su Li felt an immense pressure, like dark clouds pressing down on a city, looming over her heart. In this desperate and dark world, crisis was always present for everyone.

However, he didn't have a good solution to this. Jasper and the Night Wanderer were elusive and mysterious. Su Li didn't know where they were, and even if he did, the Black Forest Territory couldn't defeat them, and even with two dwarf allies, they might not be able to win.

Therefore, Su Li could only focus all his efforts on increasing his strength, because in this world, being strong is the only true principle.

Su Li then led the ministers of his territory into the conference hall with Ge Sen, where they formally signed a series of transaction contracts between the two forces.

First, Industry Minister Sharif and Gerson formally signed a clear labor contract, with the Grayrock Clan providing Blackwood with 300 elite-level dwarven engineering masters, 400 regular-level engineers, and 700 miners with strength no less than that of regular-level miners.

The Hessian Territory promised to house all the miners at the iron mine outpost at the foot of the Grey Mountains and not send them to the Black Pine Forest. They also promised to cover the miners' monthly wages and food expenses.

The two sides signed a wager agreement: if they mined more than 100 kilograms of vibranium each month, the Hessian Territory would provide them with an additional incentive of up to 700 barrels of extraordinary Bergman Flame Brew. If they mined less than 100 kilograms of vibranium, they would have to compensate the Hessian Territory with one piece of vibranium rune armor that month.

Then, the Treasury Steward and the Seal Keeper of the Territory, Lauen, signed an arms trade contract with them. The Black Forest Territory would sell them 60 Thunder Muskets and 1 mortar every month, while the Gray Rock Clan would provide Suli with 60 sets of armor and 1 set of Vibranium Rune Armor. The remaining difference would be paid by remittances from overseas Chinese.

Subsequently, the religious order of the territory signed a purification agreement with the dwarves. Humans would assist the dwarves in purifying the mines contaminated by the ratmen and would be responsible for healing and restoring the poisoned dwarves. Not only would monks from various churches participate, but even the territory's wizards would lend a hand. After all, in terms of purification capabilities, the territory possessed an unparalleled advantage thanks to the extraordinary plant, Stardew Orange. Furthermore, the territory also possessed the mythical material, Wokkatric's Scale, which could burn away all filth and impurities within a 3-meter radius, including poisons and germs.

According to the agreement between the two parties, as long as humans help the dwarves purify a mine tunnel, the dwarves will exempt 120 elite dwarves from remittances for 10 years!

This means that Su Li only needs to help the dwarves purify a mine tunnel to recruit a heavy-armored elite dwarf squadron or a Thunder Musketeer squadron, all without maintenance fees.

This was one of his most satisfying deals. Su Li remembered that the Grayrock Tribe had at least 5 to 7 usable mines. If the Black Forest Territory could purify these mines within a few years, it would gain at least 5 squadrons of dwarven soldiers. At the same time, the Grayrock Tribe's wealth would increase significantly. This would undoubtedly earn them immense gratitude and goodwill, solidifying the alliance and potentially leaving a legacy of benefits for centuries to come.

These deals made it clear that the Blackwood Territory could not stand idly by and watch the dwarves perish. Therefore, High Squire Hilde reached another garrison agreement with the Grayrock Tribe. The territory would send a provincial legion to garrison below the Grayrock Tribe's Ash Peak, a legion no smaller than three armed squire companies and a 60-man knightly band.

Their numbers weren't the key issue; the crucial point was demonstrating the Black Forest Territory's stance: if Grayrock Fortress were attacked, the Black Forest Territory would uphold the military alliance and stand with them through thick and thin, regardless of whether the opponent was a roaming troll tribe, a powerful army of night-walking corpses, or the rat-man plague clan. While actively getting involved in war wasn't something Su Li liked, he understood the principle of mutual dependence.

If this dwarf tribe perishes in the siege of the evil legion, then in a year or two, Su Li will have to fight alone, facing the surging undead, rat hordes, or greenskins.

In addition to these important agreements, the two sides also signed more than a dozen smaller agreements. For example, if the Black Forest Territory were to gather enough Ether Gold to forge a rare-grade armor, it would hire a master blacksmith from the Grayrock Clan to participate in the forging process, and the Black Forest Territory would provide generous compensation for this.

When the Grayrock Clan traded with caravans east of the Gray Mountains, the knights of the Blackwood Territory would provide them with guards for the caravans, especially the sizable dwarven rangers and butchers employed by the Blackwood Territory. Their presence at the Gray Lady's Pass provided a strong guarantee for the trade route. An agreement was reached in which the Blackwood Territory would grant them preferential tariffs, and so on.

The negotiations lasted until 2 p.m., and Gerson got all the strategic agreements he wanted, so a smile couldn't help but appear on his usually stern and dignified face.

After all the agreements were reached, he smiled and reached out to shake Su Li's right hand, saying, "My big friend, the strength of your Black Forest Territory is truly beyond my imagination. Just like this conference hall, it is magnificent and awe-inspiring."

That's natural. Su Li smiled as he looked around the conference hall. This was a magnificent new conference hall that the dwarves of the territory had rebuilt for Su Li after Archibald destroyed the old one.

The room alone occupies an area of ​​over 4500 square meters. To put that into perspective, it is 60 meters long, 76 meters deep, and 34 meters high. A 30-meter-long black pine table can only occupy a small area in the middle right of the room.

The rostrum completely abandons the load-bearing column structure, with the dome supported by a cantilevered steel frame, creating a visually striking "boundless sky". From any corner, the view of the rostrum is unobstructed, symbolizing the open-mindedness and inclusiveness of political decision-making.

The ground was covered with a 3-centimeter-thick pure wool red carpet, woven by the most skillful weavers in the territory, with 120 million stitches per square meter, which not only eliminated the sound of footsteps but also implied the noble majesty at its zenith.

Behind the stage, the backdrop wall is 18 meters high and is inlaid with a 35-meter-long epic mural, "The Blazing Sun Illuminates the Mountains and Rivers," which depicts a magnificent scene of a golden knight under the banner of the beautiful goddess of the blazing sun, trampling through a battlefield of corpses and blood, crushing countless demons and monsters.

It can be said that all of this was both a symbol of wealth and a manifestation of the lord's authority and power.

Throughout the entire territory, apart from Su Li's manor and castle, no one else has such magnificent rooms.

Within this magnificent conference hall alone, there are hundreds of powerful, golden-clad knights guarding the area, their halberds gleaming.

All of this vividly demonstrates to the Grayrock Clan the power of this human ally.

这也促成了灰岩氏族直接向苏离出售了10套振金符文战甲！这批战甲交易最大的目的就是缓解灰岩氏族目前的饥谨状态，黑森领紧急调拨了140万斤粮食、1000多桶麦酒和500头牛羊支援给灰岩氏族的矮人。另外苏离近期获得的187枚矮人誓约金也全部交付给了他们。

This 700 tons of grain is basically the maximum amount that Su Li can mobilize. After all, it is almost harvest season now, and the grain harvested last winter has been almost depleted after being consumed this spring.

After the grain was successfully delivered to the Grayrock Clan, the dwarves, who had suffered from hunger for many years, were finally able to receive 200 jin (approximately 100 catties) of grain per person. This wasn't much; half-grown boys could eat their fathers out of house and home. Although these dwarves were short, they had very high body density and were exceptionally sturdy; even the women's waists were more than twice the size of a human's.

They could easily eat several kilograms of black bread in one meal, so they still had to mix gravel into their food to ensure they wouldn't go hungry in the future.

However, as long as they can hold out until the Black Forest Territory welcomes this bumper harvest, their predicament will be completely resolved. As the richest granary on the border, the Black Forest Territory produces enough grain to meet the needs of both humans and dwarves, and can also continue to sell it to others.

Meanwhile, the Gray Rock Clan, having escaped famine, began to mine ore with full force, which would further enhance the military strength of the Black Forest Territory.

After purchasing the vibranium rune armor from the Grayrock Clan, Su Li's number of vibranium rune armor finally exceeded one squadron!
In fact, as early as the end of last year, the territory had produced and repaired 120 sets of vibranium rune armor, an achievement that the Minister of Industry and the master forging masters emphasized at the meeting.

However, a significant portion of these 120 sets of vibranium rune armor were sold to the Sunfire Knights; Su Li recalled that this single order alone purchased 14 pieces. Then, the territory continued to release batches as local specialties to enhance its reputation. Therefore, the secular army of the Black Forest Territory possessed fewer than 100 sets of vibranium rune armor.

After two months of production this year, plus the trade with the Grayrock Clan, Su Li finally has a squadron of rune-armored knights under his command.

The half-griffin knights in the territory have now all completed their equipment upgrades, and are generally equipped with perfect-grade weapons. This is equivalent to being a super elite force with gold combat experience, gold swords, gold armor, and gold shields.

They were just waiting for the Yangyan horse armor to be fully changed. Then, one charge from them would be enough to rout two or three squadrons of enemies. As for creatures like goblins, gnomes, and inferior beastmen, they wouldn't even need to be specifically slaughtered. The mere presence of high-ranking soldiers would instill fear in them, causing them to flee in terror.

After the meeting with Ge Sen, Su Li hosted a banquet to entertain them, and then the two sides officially parted ways.

The main reason was that Ge Sen was in a hurry to return to the fortress with the food. Although he did have more wealth in his treasury than Su Li, gold, silver and ore were not enough to fill their stomachs.

This profoundly demonstrates what it means when wealth cannot circulate; it is nothing more than a pile of scrap metal.

This is why each territory attaches great importance to commercial trade, as it can greatly promote the prosperity of the territory.

Therefore, if Blue Mirror Territory dares to close its borders and raise tariffs by more than 100%, war will inevitably break out!

With this pressure in mind, Su Li took a short rest and then continued with full energy, starting the last agenda item of the day: heading to the Black Forest Griffin Engineering Academy.

The improvements to gunpowder technology here can effectively enhance the power of the Hessian artillery. At the same time, Su Li is also curious about the special significance of the engineering college that Oliver, the iron-fisted prime minister, has been promoting day and night.

This is a project that Oliver has been working on since he entered the territory; it is the result of his painstaking efforts.

It is also the most sacred place of the Verena sect. Just as the sacred sites of the Church of the Dawn Goddess are suburban farms and ponds, and the altars of the Lanor Church are brothels and casinos, then the sacred sites of the Church of the Goddess of Learning and Justice are undoubtedly colleges, universities and libraries.

As a matter of course, this magnificent building, the sacred site of the Church of Verena, which cost tens of thousands of gold crowns, will also produce a series of powerful effects.

(End of this chapter)