Chapter 448 - 212: Preparing to Leave

Undead Fortress, main building, reception hall.

"Brother Batu, come, come, have some tea." After a flurry of fancy maneuvers, Li Ziyu poured the tea into a tasting cup and gestured for Batubohe, who sat opposite him, to drink.

His eyes swept over the coffee table, the tea tray, and the full set of tea utensils. Batubohe then glanced at Li Ziyu before cheerfully picking up the cup. He took a light sip and savored it, his eyes lighting up. "Brother Li, this tea is something else! It’s so fragrant. I never expected to drink such delicious tea in the Otherworld."

Li Ziyu quickly waved his hand and said modestly, "It wasn’t my doing. Zhang Peng happened to find it in a small Tribe and brought some back. If you like it, Brother Batu, I’ll pack some up for you to take with you."

Upon hearing this, Batubohe quickly cupped his hands in thanks. "Then I won’t stand on ceremony. I could really use this tea. I have to say, the Wasteland has so few resources. Besides meat, all there is to eat is wild fruit. Vegetables are truly scarce, so I really need tea as a supplement."

Li Ziyu nodded in deep agreement. He felt the same way. Eating meat was great, sure, but having it every day, for every meal—it was just too much. Drinking tea could supplement necessary nutrients like vitamins, and it also helped cut through the grease. He picked up the teapot and refilled Batubohe’s tasting cup.

This tea from the Otherworld didn’t just supplement the body’s needs; it also had a powerful stimulating effect. You could even eat the leaves directly without issue. Li Ziyu had tried it—they had a rich, natural, floral fragrance that was quite pleasant.

After two more cups, Batubohe set his cup down, looked at Li Ziyu, and asked, "Brother Li, you didn’t just invite me over for tea, did you? If you have something important to discuss, just say it."

They could communicate through the system chat, but both Li Ziyu and Batubohe felt it was never as reassuring as talking face-to-face. So, when Li Ziyu contacted Batubohe and invited him to his Fortress, Batubohe agreed immediately.

He wasn’t afraid of Li Ziyu pulling any dirty tricks. He had spent some time subtly gathering information about Li Ziyu from Zhang Peng and Liu Xingxing. He felt that Li Ziyu’s personality was a lot like his own: righteous, principled, and protective of his people. There was no deep-seated hatred between them, so a man like that wouldn’t suddenly try to kill him.

Li Ziyu drank the tea in front of him, then spoke thoughtfully, "Brother Batu, as you’ve seen, I plan to bring this entire Wasteland under my control. I’m not against you gathering resources, but more and more Tribes are joining my side. If you continue gathering resources like before, it might become... problematic."

After entering the Wasteland, Batubohe had stayed in contact with Li Ziyu, Zhang Peng, and Liu Xingxing. They all knew how he gathered resources—to put it bluntly, he was collecting "protection fees." At least he wasn’t murdering and robbing people left and right like He Zhiping.

That was fine before, but now the Wasteland was on the path to unification. A large number of Tribes had pledged allegiance to Li Ziyu and were stationed around the Soul Base Stations. He couldn’t just let Batubohe continue collecting "protection fees" from them, could he?

How would the Tribes that had pledged their allegiance view him, the Master of the Undead? Li Ziyu felt it was necessary to have a frank and open discussion with Batubohe. He believed Batubohe would understand.

Sure enough, as soon as he said it, Batubohe understood. He nodded and said, "I get it. So, what would you have me do, Brother Li? Do you need me to leave this area?"

’He’s already laid it out like that. Li Ziyu is asking me to leave. If I can’t get any more resources here, then I’ll just have to find another place to continue my gathering.’

’I have no intention of fighting for dominance. I don’t want to offend Li Ziyu; on the contrary, I want to become his Ally. The Otherworld is vast, and there’s no shortage of territory. If it comes to it, I can just charge back into the Desolate Land of Death and find a new Wasteland.’

Li Ziyu held up a hand, signaling for Batubohe not to be hasty. "I’m not trying to drive you away, brother. I just wanted to talk. You’re from the Central Zone, so you know more than I do. There are things I don’t understand, so naturally, I came to you for answers."

Batubohe could tell there was more to Li Ziyu’s words. He looked at him, confused, and gestured for him to continue.

Li Ziyu continued, "I’ve found a path to the Central Zone. It’s a three-day journey from here. Of course, I’ve only been to the border; I haven’t crossed over, so I don’t know what the situation is like on the other side. But since I’ve found the way, I can’t just let it sit there, right? My own resources are a bit tight right now, and this Wasteland isn’t quite enough for me anymore."

’Oh, I get it. He’s planning to expand.’

Batubohe thought for a moment, then sighed. "Brother Li, I’m not trying to put you down, I’m just being honest. With your current strength, it would be very difficult to gain a foothold in the Central Zone. Unless you plan on becoming a Desert Bandit and going on a Plundering spree. But if you do that, you’ll offend all the Natives in the Central Zone. Raiding is one thing, but you’ll never be able to settle down there afterward."

’If this were before our war with the Mouse Race, then sure, no problem. Li Ziyu could have gone over, and we Transmigrator Lords could have helped him get a foothold. But not anymore. The Transmigrator Lords of the Central Zone have already been defeated. Those who remain are like hunted rats, hiding wherever they can.’

’Going there now without absolute strength would be worse than not going at all.’