Chapter 79: The Future Has Already Changed
"Master, the... the Day of Rotation is approaching."
The Day of Rotation was just one month away.
Bai Ling was reminding her master that time was running out.
Li Meng, who had stepped to the front of the main bed, did not bully Bai Ling.
He climbed onto the bed, rolled over, and fell asleep beside Bai Ling.
Watching her master sleep soundly beside her, Bai Ling breathed a sigh of relief.
The Goblin in front of her was becoming increasingly intimidating.
"Bai Ling, you should know about the Swamp Crocodile King, right?"
Li Meng, with his eyes closed, suddenly asked a seemingly irrelevant question.
Bai Ling looked down at her master beside her and nodded lightly.
"The Swamp Crocodile King is our sacred beast. It is inherently ferocious and difficult to communicate with. I promised many conditions before it agreed to protect the Northern Marshlands. Once high-level magical beasts invade, it will take action!"
Bai Ling's reply made Li Meng's expression shift slightly.
"So that's how it is!"
The Northern Marshlands was the domain of the Swamp Crocodile King.
Logically, there shouldn't be any space for the Lizardmen to survive.
But the Swamp Crocodile King coexisted with the Lizardmen.
Although they maintained a hunter-and-prey relationship, the Swamp Crocodile King did not actively attack the Lizardmen's tribe.
Li Meng opened his eyes and turned to look at the soft and curvaceous Bai Ling beside him.
"Not long ago, I encountered it. It is now my subordinate. I named it 'Yue E'!"
"That... that's impossible!"
Bai Ling's startled cry suddenly rang out in the wooden house.
She looked at her master beside her with an expression of disbelief.
Seeing Bai Ling slightly lose her composure, Li Meng grinned.
"Nothing is impossible. It's a fact!"
Bai Ling hesitated to speak, her expression shifting repeatedly.
Although she said it was impossible, Bai Ling still believed it deep down.
The Goblin beside her had no reason to deceive her—it served no purpose.
"Bai Ling, do you think the Black Mountain Tribe will launch a large-scale invasion of the Northern Marshlands?"
Hearing this, Bai Ling's face turned pale.
Her voluptuous body trembled, almost losing its balance.
Bai Ling appeared panicked and avoided meeting Li Meng's gaze.
Grinning, Li Meng lay flat on the bed, hands resting behind his head.
"I've said it before: I'm a smart Goblin. I know everything!"
"You must be curious why I led those male Lizardmen to the Northern Marshlands two months ago."
Bai Ling's body trembled, and she stared intensely at her master.
Fear flickered in her eyes.
She feared hearing news from the Goblin beside her that would shatter her resolve.
"They're all alive!"
Seeing Bai Ling's reaction, Li Meng knew what she was thinking.
Li Meng recalled that night when the male Lizardmen of the White Scales Tribe were nearly exterminated.
That night, Bai Ling's face was filled with despair—a rare sight on a Lizardman.
It was difficult to discern emotions on the round faces of Lizardmen, but that night, despair was evident.
"Phew!"
Bai Ling took a deep breath.
Her arms, weak, propped her up on the bed as she panted heavily.
Her emotional turmoil had left her body limp.
She had been terrified just moments ago. Truly frightened.
"I built a Wooden Stockade Stronghold in the Northern Marshlands. The Black Scales Tribe, Gray Scales Tribe, and White Scales Tribe Lizardmen have all been relocated there. That's what I've been doing these past two months."
Bai Ling didn't react much to this revelation.
She sat up straight and leaned forward slightly, her hands massaging Li Meng's legs.
Bai Ling's sudden action brought a relaxed smile to Li Meng's face.
After a day of running around, his legs were indeed sore.
Bai Ling's massage brought relief—a tingling comfort.
"Since Master has subdued the Swamp Crocodile King, there's no need to worry about the threat from the Black Mountain Tribe!"
Bai Ling knew better than anyone how powerful the Swamp Crocodile King was.
If the Swamp Crocodile King was willing to heed her master's commands, the Black Mountain Tribe would have no chance unless they mobilized their entire tribe.
"Are there any powerful individuals in the Black Mountain Tribe?"
Bai Ling shook her head lightly.
"I'm not sure. The White Scales Tribe hasn't interacted with the Black Mountain Tribe in a long time."
Since Bai Ling claimed ignorance, Li Meng didn't press further.
Whether it was true or not didn't matter.
What mattered was that Li Meng already knew the outcome.
If the Black Mountain Tribe had strong individuals, they wouldn't have been forced to summon the Savage God, Akuya.
If the invading Black Mountain Tribe army had powerful warriors, Bai Ling wouldn't have fled in panic.
Even if there were strong individuals, their power wouldn't change the course of the war.
Time passed little by little, day after day.
In the following days, Li Meng stayed in the tribe, not venturing out.
Occasionally, he visited the woodworking workshop to teach Gobu Da more carpentry skills.
He also visited the Iron Cavern a few times.
Gobu Ge needed to quickly master the knowledge of high-carbon and low-carbon steel smelting.
Without Lizardman laborers, the Iron Cavern's efficiency had dropped.
Gobu Ge had to assign subordinates to mine and chop wood for charcoal production.
Half a month later, Gobu Di and Gobu Shi finally arrived at the tribe.
A new day began, and by morning, the tribe was bustling.
The Goblins' noisy shouts were chaotic.
Nearly two thousand Goblins gathered outside the Throne Cave Dwelling.
A sea of green bodies filled a vast expanse of forest.
Among the ranks were not just Goblins but also female Lizardmen.
A year had passed, and only thirteen female Lizardmen had died.
The deaths weren't entirely unrelated to the Goblins, but they weren't primarily their fault either.
---
Eleven had died of illness, and their deaths had clear causes.
Due to continuous pregnancies, their bodies had been overburdened and weakened.
This was partly related to the food provided by the Goblins.
Lizardmen mainly relied on fish as their staple food.
Fish from water sources provided the essential nutrients they needed to survive.
Eating only magical beast meat couldn't meet their nutritional requirements.
Over time, they succumbed to illness.
As for the remaining two, one had drowned.
While bathing in the river, she slipped, hit her head on a rock, and fainted.
The river carried her away, and by the time the Goblins caught up, she had already drowned.
The last female Lizardman died in the Iron Cavern when a falling rock crushed her.
At the doorway, Li Meng raised his hand and waved.
"Move out!"
With a thunderous shout, Li Meng's voice reverberated across the area.
Instantly, the tribe erupted with the sound of marching feet.
A dense crowd of Goblins surrounded the Lizardmen, surging westward.
As far as the eye could see, it was a forest of spears and a mass of moving figures.
"Bai Ling, go now. The Lizardmen in the Northern Marshlands need your leadership!"
Behind Li Meng, Bai Ling silently stepped forward.
The waiting Goblins hurriedly surrounded her, following the main force.
Watching the departing Goblins of his tribe, Li Meng grinned.
"Now, it's time to address the Adventurer Squad incident!"
Once Gobu Di and Gobu Shi reached the Northern Marshlands' Wooden Stockade Stronghold, the stationed forces there would number four thousand.
With Yue E's support, the stronghold would be impregnable.
"System, begin Life Simulation!"
Li Meng spread his arms and took a deep breath.
He was certain that the future had already changed.
Ever since he led the Goblins to the Northern Marshlands, the trajectory of the future had shifted.
Otherwise, it would have been impossible to encounter Yue E.
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