The old glory of Lorain City

Weng Ling cast a dubious glance at the two individuals.

"Such peculiar names. Where did they come from?"

Normally, the only route to the abandoned forest would be through the Lorran city. However, due to the recent disturbance caused by the city guards, she had conducted a thorough inspection within the city and found that no strangers had passed through in the recent days.

So, these two youths either lingered in the forest all along or...

Came out from the Misty Forest?

"Heh, impossible! That place is..." Weng Ling shook her head, dismissing the ludicrous thought.

"I rescued them from a goblin camp," Night Threefold, clad in the clothes handed over by the old man, spoke from a distance away.

"They cannot write or speak."

"These cursed goblins!"

Seeing the two young men with numb expressions, Weng Ling suddenly conjured a vivid image of the brothers having their arms chopped off by ferocious goblins, the limbs thrown into a pot, and their tongues severed for soup. She expressed her anger at the gruesome scene.

As for the question of where they came from, she had already pushed it to the back of her mind.

"So, that's why you got injured? Really, couldn't you have returned to the city for my assistance?"

"No time," Night Threefold shook his head.

Hearing his response, Weng Ling fell into silence for a few seconds.

Clearly, this guy had shown a cold and timid side the last time, but unexpectedly...

"Your wound..."

"A minor injury, nothing serious!"

When he struggled earlier, some of the applied ointment had fallen off. Glancing at the wound, Weng Ling noticed it wasn't as horrifying as the damage to the armor suggested, at most a minor injury.

Another man who romanticizes scars as a form of charm!

After labeling Night Threefold, Weng Ling promptly abandoned any intention of treating him.

"Alright, I came today to bring you some clothes, blankets, and medicine. You left in a hurry this morning, and I forgot to tell you that it gets quite chilly here at night."

Weng Ling pointed towards a distant area where a flicker of firelight emerged, indicating that her people were organizing things there.

"Oh, thank you."

Although the sensation of warmth and cold had diminished due to his undead nature, Night Threefold still acknowledged the gesture.

"By the way, what are you planning to do here? Why build a house on this side of the nameless graveyard?"

Weng Ling suddenly noticed the adjacent Necrotic Farm and inquired curiously.

"Even dug furrows for farming. Are you planning to grow something here? But what kind of fertilizer are you using? It stinks!"

A Necrotic Farm not emitting an unpleasant odor was impossible. However, it was merely a foul smell, not an actual cadaverous stench.

"Oh, I thought since I have some free time, why not plant some vegetables to improve the diet? Besides, Old Gu is an excellent farmer. As for why I chose this place..."

"Secret."

Night Threefold mysteriously declared, having reached the limits of his fabrication.

"Isn't Old Gu your steward? In this day and age, stewards have to be good at farming too?"

Weng Ling cast a suspicious glance at Old Gu, who timely produced a hoe and proudly raised his skull.

"Never mind... Since you're planning to grow vegetables, I'll have someone bring you some seeds tomorrow. But if you really manage to grow something, you must sell me some. I'm tired of chewing on dried meat and bread every day!"

"Aren't you a lord? Why eat so simply?" Night Threefold wondered.

Weng Ling gave him a disdainful look.

"Looks like you've been in the forest for too long and don't know anything. The Lorran territory is only that large, and the biggest lumber resource has been occupied by goblins. The remaining areas can barely yield enough crops to feed the city. How can I lead in extravagance? Goblins are fierce, aren't they?" Night Threefold questioned.

"Otherwise? Don't think that killing a dozen goblins makes them easy to deal with. In fact, during the harvest season, they emerge to wreak havoc. Lorran's soldiers can barely defend themselves, and spreading out in this forest is like delivering themselves as meat. Forming a group, they can't even find a piece of goblin loin cloth, making it impossible to completely exterminate them."

"In the end, Lorran had no choice but to build a wall and hire some forest patrollers. However, even with these measures, during the harvest season, a lot of crops still fall victim to goblin mischief."

Night Threefold had never delved deep into the forest, nor had he witnessed the terrifying sight of hundreds or thousands of goblins charging together.

In reality, there were at least tens of thousands of goblins in the forest, but no one could survive to accurately count their numbers.

Taking over Lorran's territory, the biggest challenge Weng Ling faced was the goblin issue.

"You mentioned lumber resources. Are they valuable?" Night Threefold suddenly asked.

"Is your mind only filled with money?" Weng Ling rolled her eyes, countering his question.

Night Threefold pondered for a moment, initially inclined to nod, but seeing Weng Ling's expression, he pursed his lips and refrained from speaking.

Seeing this, Weng Ling sighed and explained, "Almost every region has its specialties. The prosperity of Lorran's territory is based on this forest. Leveraging the wood and wild resources inside, Lorran City has become one of the most affluent cities around. However..."

"I don't know when, but suddenly this entire forest outside Lorran was covered in mist. The goblins occupied the remaining timberland, and the trees that could be considered lumber were long gone, leaving only bushes and crooked-neck trees with no real value. Even the forest's wildlife had been consumed by the goblins. If not for them, Lorran City wouldn't have declined so rapidly."

"As the newly appointed lord of Lorran, regaining control of this woodland is my goal. Once the goblins are eradicated, the timber from the forest can be safely transported out, and Lorran City's glory will undoubtedly be restored. People can then return to a life of happiness!"

Weng Ling stood tall, fervently expressing her aspirations.

Night Threefold nodded, "Well, lumber does seem to sell well."

"Hey! Is that what I was talking about? Can't you focus on what people are saying? Will you ever catch the main point?" Weng Ling fumed.

"Main point?"

Night Threefold pointed to the remaining twenty-plus logs after constructing the Necrotic Farm.

"How much can this pile of wood sell for?"

Weng Ling: ...

Night Threefold didn't get the answer he wanted. After seeing Weng Ling off, whose face turned red, he sat by the side of the Necrotic Farm and absentmindedly picked up a freshly baked, soft bread, sniffing it.

This was specially brought by Weng Ling.

"Have I gone too far?"

Night Threefold asked the emotionless old skeleton.

Forget it, she's a cleric, and I'm an undead. It's better to have less contact.

Shaking his head, Night Threefold stood up.

Undead didn't need sleep. In this long, endless night, he had a lot

 of work to do.

But before that, he needed to clarify one thing, something that had been on his mind all day.

Without understanding this matter, he would rather leave this forest directly.