At the same time, more than twenty other squads had accepted reconnaissance missions just like Yang Xia and his companions, setting out to investigate the surrounding area. These teams accounted for nearly half the personnel in the first wave of the Expeditionary Corps and were expected to complete a thorough sweep of the area within a ten-thousand-li radius.
In Mannali's Royal City, Fang Qianyuan lounged sideways on the stone throne that had originally belonged to her. He held a disc-shaped metal magical artifact, projecting his divine sense into it to sense the special coded signals that arrived from time to time.
This was a specially made Communication Treasure, currently receiving and recording frequent reports from all sides.
Combining these with what he had learned from his earlier interrogation of Ye'e Mannali, he verified and cross-checked the situation around the Royal City.
Upon learning that the main force had encountered no ambush and had successfully established a foothold through the efforts of several Earth Rank Experts, he finally felt reassured.
Fang Qianyuan put away the magical artifact and told Zuoqiutang, who stood attending him, "Bring that female yaksha here."
He summoned Ye'e Mannali again to ask for more specific information, but when she heard his questions, she looked utterly bewildered. "The subjects under my rule?"
"I don't know either..."
Fang Qianyuan frowned slightly. "You don't know?"
Lin Zaixing gave a dry chuckle and explained on her behalf, "Grand Elder Fang, yakshas may be intelligent, but their civilization remains in the benighted era of primitive tribal rule. They don't register households and subjects as we do, nor do they have government offices, sects, or aristocratic clans."
"This Yaksha Queen probably only knows about the Personal Guards directly under her command and roughly how much tribute comes in from the various tribes."
Fang