Chapter 78: The Crispy Rabbit Head
On the afternoon of the next day, Gobu Yi returned.
Accompanying him were hundreds of Lizardmen women and children.
The arrival of the White Scales Tribe Lizardmen caused a commotion in the Wooden Stockade Stronghold.
"It's the White Scales Tribe!"
"What exactly do the Goblins plan to do by gathering us all here?"
The long line of Lizardmen entered the Wooden Stockade from the southern gate.
This caught the attention of the other two Lizardmen tribes.
For a time, discussions spread among the Lizardmen in the stronghold.
Now that all three tribes were gathered, it was hard not to speculate on the Goblins' motives.
"Boss, I'm back!"
On the other side, Gobu Yi cheerfully climbed up a watchtower.
From a distance, he had already spotted the Boss standing on the watchtower.
Hearing Gobu Yi's breathless voice behind him, Li Meng grinned.
"Well done, Gobu Yi, Gobu Zhang, and Gobu Sheng. I'm leaving this place to you. Keep a good watch on those Lizardmen."
With the Day of Rotation approaching, Li Meng needed to go back to make some preparations.
"Boss, where are you going?" Gobu Yi asked curiously.
Li Meng turned to look at the towering wooden structures within the stockade.
"Of course, I'm returning to the tribe!"
Li Meng had initially thought of instructing them to stockpile more food.
But on second thought, he abandoned the idea.
The food brought back by the hunting teams was mostly carcasses, which would start to rot within three days.
Although Goblins had powerful digestive systems and could consume even heavily decayed and maggot-ridden meat, the same couldn't be said for the Lizardmen.
Their digestive systems required fresh food.
Plans for making jerky and dried fish would have to wait for now.
If the tribe wanted to launch expeditions in the future, they couldn't afford to hunt as they traveled; it was too time-consuming.
They needed long-lasting, portable food supplies.
"I'll be back soon!"
With that, Li Meng turned and leaped off the watchtower.
The ground was soft, and even from a height of fifteen meters, he landed silently.
Landing firmly, Li Meng darted into the water.
Wherever he passed, the water beneath his feet froze into ice.
In an instant, a trail of ice stretched across the marshlands, leading far into the distance.
Heading east, it took Li Meng less than three hours to reach the forest on the eastern shore.
What took the Goblins two days of travel, Li Meng accomplished in mere hours, showcasing his incredible speed.
Li Meng didn't linger in the eastern forest and continued upstream.
In the afternoon, near the Goblin River, in the northern forest.
The forest was dark and eerily quiet.
Surviving in the dense Goblin Forest was an art.
To live, one had to first learn silence.
Suddenly, a rustling sound came from a bush, and the leaves swayed gently.
The next moment, a flash of white darted out of the underbrush.
It was a small white rabbit.
Judging by its size, it was an ordinary animal.
It hopped to a colorful mushroom and stopped, sniffing it.
The fragrant aroma of the mushroom made its mouth water.
Opening its mouth, it moved to take a bite.
But before it could, a dark shadow flashed past.
The rabbit was snatched up, its head bitten off in an instant.
The crunching sound of chewing echoed through the forest.
"The bones are so crispy!"
Running through the forest, Li Meng grinned.
Compared to magical beasts, ordinary animals were far more delicious.
Even their bones were crispy—a delightfully crunchy sensation.
Hours later, in the western forest near the tribe.
A tall green-skinned figure emerged from the woods.
"Not bad!"
Li Meng said, gazing toward the tribe in the distance.
It wasn't far—only about three hundred meters.
The tribe resembled an island amidst the forest, with a blank clearing surrounding it.
Beyond the wooden walls, dense trees were visible, forming a thick barrier.
The wooden walls encased the tribe, with guards standing vigilant on top.
Every fifty meters, massive triple-bow ballistae were mounted on the watchtowers.
"Boss is back! Boss is back!"
Li Meng's presence was quickly noticed by the Goblins on the wall.
Peering closer, they confirmed it was indeed the Boss.
The Goblins, who had been dozing off, suddenly became energized.
Li Meng entered the tribe through the western gate.
A pungent smell of pig manure greeted him as soon as he stepped inside.
Walking through the tribal forest, Li Meng frowned.
"It seems I need to have Gobu Qiang move out and build a new pig-rearing settlement quickly!"
Li Meng had long planned for this.
He didn't want his base to turn into a cesspool.
Despite being a Goblin in this life, Li Meng still valued cleanliness.
The tribe had numerous dry toilets, each equipped with a septic pit.
Although simple, they were effective in processing waste, needing only periodic cleaning every few years.
"Boss! Boss!"
Before he could leave the forest, Gobu Mo and Gobu Gao hurried over.
"Boss, you're back!"
The two large Goblins fawningly approached Li Meng.
"Did anything happen while I was away?"
Gobu Mo and Gobu Gao quickly shook their heads.
"Boss, everything's fine. Nothing happened at all," Gobu Mo replied obsequiously.
"Good. Go notify Gobu Di and Gobu Shi to lead all the Goblins to assemble at the Throne Cave Dwelling!"
Upon hearing this, the two large Goblins' eyes lit up.
Excited, they turned and ran out of the tribal forest, disappearing quickly.
Compared to two months ago, the tribe hadn't changed much.
Aside from the addition of an outer wooden wall, the internal structures remained the same.
As he walked, Li Meng arrived at the Throne Cave Dwelling.
Looking at the distinctive structure, Li Meng grinned.
He thought of Benben, the simple-minded Ogre who loved guarding the entrance.
According to the simulated future, Benben would return with a group of Ogres.
This meant Benben had gone to find his kind.
Compared to Goblins, Li Meng preferred the simple-minded Ogres.
Their foolishness made them honest and unwavering in their loyalty.
"Bai Ling, I'm back!"
Reaching the door, Li Meng kicked it open.
The door banged loudly, startling the Lizardmen women inside.
They had been huddled together, chatting about something.
Seeing the familiar and intimidating figure, they scattered in fear.
Li Meng strode into the Throne Cave Dwelling, his gaze sweeping over the Lizardmen women.
He noticed something strange.
Without the male Lizardmen, they seemed to be faring poorly.
Their chests were wet, and the room was filled with a rich milky aroma.
Looking at Bai Ling lying on the main bed, Li Meng smiled and walked toward her.
Seeing her master approach, a trace of fear flashed in Bai Ling's eyes.