"Sect Master, unusual movements have been detected near Broad Cloud Peak. It seems many mountain folk have chosen to join them."
Inside the City Lord's Residence in Biyuan City, several members of the Heavenly Dragon Gate who looked like advisers solemnly reported something they had just learned to the Centipede Daoist.
They had drawn this conclusion from repeated sightings by their scouts, combined with searches and sweeps that had turned up empty.
"Oh? Is he relocating the mountain folk?"
The Centipede Daoist could not help looking moved by the news.
"That appears to be the case. By our estimates, they have taken in nearly ten thousand mountain folk in just five days. Mechanism Puppets have also been scattering leaflets everywhere, asking the mountain folk to find their own routes to the Market District. They are doing it in the name of the Great Shaman those mountain folk worship."
They handed the Centipede Daoist a leaflet they had picked up in the mountains. He took one look and immediately understood what was happening. "That Li Chen! He's actually taking in those Shaman Folk!"
Someone said, "It seems they don't want us acquiring too many people to turn into human materials."
"While alive, those mountain folk can serve as slave workers and cannon fodder. Even in death, they can be used as human materials. They're quite useful. If he succeeds in relocating them and leaves the mountain forests uninhabited, we'll immediately lose out on thousands upon thousands of Human-Head Centipedes."
"Exactly, Sect Master. We cannot let them keep doing this."
The Centipede Daoist understood that reasoning, of course. He looked at the others. "Then how do you think we should respond?"
Elder Zhu stepped forward and bowed. "Sect Master, we have been sweeping through the various tribes lately. Although we have not