[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-black-dragon-necromancer":3,"chapter-black-dragon-necromancer-black-dragon-necromancer-chapter-36":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Black Dragon Necromancer",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2312796,4521,"Chapter 36","black-dragon-necromancer-chapter-36",36,"\u003Cp>The date was February 11, 1147 of the Red Moon Calendar; after eight months of investigation and analysis by the Veil’s Eye, the assessment report on Emperor Gruen of the Luo Sen Empire appeared on Sakavi’s desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This report directly determined whether Sakavi would decide to eliminate the emperor. With territory expanded, many things required caution—no more brute-force charges like before. Professional tasks belonged to professionals: the drow handled investigation and intelligence gathering, while the deep gnomes handled data analysis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the deep gnomes’ analysis, this operation was feasible—but the risk was too high, and there was nothing worth seizing. Since the experts said it could be done, why not try? If they didn’t act now, their subordinates might stop working hard next time. People worked hard to gather intelligence; treating it like toilet paper would make anyone furious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When this report arrived, Verna told a curious story: when she first escaped from Sodapessel City, it was thanks to her fiancé, Sinnerd Obsidian, then the Luo Sen Empire’s Minister of Intelligence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had agreed to serve Sinnerd and her subordinates on the condition that the Luo Sen Empire provide them refuge. Interspecies marriages weren’t uncommon, but Sinnerd planned to overthrow Gruen—only for his own men, eager to seize power, to betray him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the time, Verna was in Skullcrusher City. She paid with half her forces to get Sinnerd out of the city. When she realized she could no longer stay, she fled to Lord Rast of Weilincheng. The ambitious but incompetent Lord Rast mocked the disheveled drow matron, despised her dark and treacherous methods, and refused to shelter her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why Verna came to serve Sakavi. Gruen’s men had already come knocking, demanding she hand over Sinnerd. With no other options, Verna sought protection from the Black Dragon—and that’s why Sakavi later saw people searching for her in Weilincheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Logically, this was her personal affair; Sakavi shouldn’t interfere. But since Verna was his subordinate, he felt obligated to resolve all her lingering problems. So he asked her: did she wish to continue this unfinished marriage?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Verna’s reply was blunt: the debt from that time had been settled in Skullcrusher City—there was no need to care for him anymore. As a collateral branch of the Obsidian family, Sinnerd’s clan was powerful; she merely feared offending them, which was why she hadn’t revealed his whereabouts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, Verna was over four hundred years old; she’d already borne three children in the Underdark. Sinnerd was likely no older than fifty. They were truly mismatched. Sakavi knew Verna wouldn’t bring this up for fun—it contradicted her nature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Verna, do you think we should support Sinnerd as the next Emperor of the Luo Sen Empire?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Samo Koro lacks control over the Luo Wangting and has no powerful family backing—it doesn’t serve our interests.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But Sinnerd is younger and a greater threat. Verna, understand this: we didn’t plan to kill Gruen to create trouble for ourselves.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The real troublemakers are Wendi Sha and Pugelin—that’s why they prefer backing Samo Koro. A man without family support can’t pressure them much. All we need is time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re right, Verna. I was too hasty. We built this territory because we lacked people. When we’re fully grown, we can face any threat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On May 19, near the outskirts of Skullcrusher City, two green figures appeared to be in fierce argument. Gruen roared: “Groverian, what do you mean? Do you know who you’re speaking to?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wendi Sha suddenly flew in from afar and shouted: “Why waste words with him? We don’t have much time. The War God Church is already on the way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two more figures arrived from different directions, blocking Gruen’s escape route. Unprepared for danger here, Gruen had brought few guards and no weapons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three dragons wasted no time—immediately attacking. Gruen had only his usual sidearm, and he was overwhelmed. As he parried Sakavi’s claw, a blast of dragonfire struck his face. With no time to dodge, he activated his technique: Steel Array.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fidemina, I’m getting roasted! Can’t you watch where you’re firing?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wendi Sha laughed loudly: “Don’t worry—you’re all bone, no meat. No dragon would eat you, hahaha!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taking advantage of their mockery, Gruen turned and flew toward Skullcrusher City—when a bolt of lightning pierced his heart. Then a claw crushed his skull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Groverian, watching Sakavi pursue the guards, asked: “This area is under surveillance. Whether you kill the guards or not, the Luo Wangting will know it was us. Is killing them even necessary?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I haven’t fought anyone in a long time. This was fun.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What Sakavi didn’t say was: the truth didn’t matter—only the living’s interests did. Gruen was covered in burns, his chest struck by lightning—these wounds couldn’t be hidden. They’d be leverage in future negotiations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Luo Wangting would craft a story—based on where Gruen died and his wounds—to explain his death to the public. To maximize future gains, Sakavi never used necromancy. He fought hand-to-hand, appearing fiercely engaged, while actually holding back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On August 20, the coronation of the new Luo Sen Emperor, Sinnerd Obsidian, proceeded as scheduled. All the empire’s nobles and ministers gathered to discuss suppressing the rampant bandits. Sakavi offered to deploy ten thousand rapid-response troops from the Dukes’ Lands, led personally by Chief of Public Security Tali Lightfeather.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To others, they were bandits. To Sakavi, they were invaluable population assets. His administration could always find suitable work for anyone. More people meant more troops—Sakavi wholeheartedly approved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the preceding months, Pugelin had held dozens of negotiations with the Luo Wangting and the Church over the new emperor’s identity, eventually settling on a compromise: Sinnerd Obsidian would become emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Luo Wangting insisted Pugelin had been too crude—Gruen was covered in wounds, killed outside the city, making it hard to cover up. They demanded a different candidate. Pugelin held firm: his men took great risks—no substitution allowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long before Sakavi decided to back Sinnerd, he ordered the Veil’s Eye to bribe Luo Sen elites to promote Sinnerd at the right moment. The War God Church’s public alignment with the Luo Wangting was also arranged by Sakavi—he had sent Cardinal Krasuna to the Saint Lucard Cathedral ahead of time, who relayed Sakavi’s stance—though without naming Sinnerd as the intended choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this new emperor was no fool. Within five days of his coronation, he issued a series of sweeping reforms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Decree on Military Merit and Land Redemption: declared that portions of noble lands, forfeited for “failing to fulfill protective duties during turmoil,” were reclaimed by the state. Nobles wishing to retain titles and lands must pay a massive “Loyalty Tax” or supply large numbers of able-bodied conscripts. Simultaneously, commoners and merchants could now earn “Military Merit Titles” and “Donation Titles” in exchange for money or battlefield achievements, granting land and noble status.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Act on Military Reorganization and Border Strengthening: abolished the old, fragmented military system built on noble private armies. Established a new “Imperial Legion” under direct imperial command. Conscription was mandatory; officers were appointed professional soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Edict on Local Militias and Bandit Redemption: authorized and encouraged towns and villages to form “Local Militias,” funded initially by local resources. The empire would reimburse, reduce taxes, or even grant noble titles based on Jiaofei  results (measured by bandit heads or ears). A general amnesty was declared: common bandits who surrendered weapons and submitted to reorganization would be pardoned and assigned to imperial construction teams or frontier colonization units.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Imperial Courier Route Security Law: designated several core “Imperial Courier Routes,” rebuilding fortresses and stationing new legion troops at key nodes. Created the “Merchant Escort Tax Police”—a force combining tax collection and military duties, dedicated to route security, funded directly by “Security Taxes” levied on caravans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Law on Trade Route Revival and Concession Rights: announced that for the next three years, tariffs on all trade along designated “Imperial Courier Routes” would be halved. For the most profitable goods (salt, iron, magical materials), “concession rights” were introduced: only “Concession Merchants” who paid massive deposits to the empire could operate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Decree on Reviving Abandoned Towns and Colonization: declared that any person who reclaimed and managed abandoned towns or lands would receive ten years of tax exemption and de facto ownership.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the emperor’s reforms, Sakavi felt he had backed an extraordinary man—but Wendi Sha and Pugelin were no pushovers. By the time the new emperor’s reforms bore fruit, Sakavi’s own domain would be firmly stabilized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the emperor was moving toward state monopolies on strategic goods, Sakavi signed new trade agreements. This model was temporarily beneficial to his territory—Grap had been struggling for years to secure grain.\u003C\u002Fp>",1441,"2026-06-20T13:10:04.638Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","566efc6f4cf664ae7b31d9fe4df29677a9232899d3c4436ef28a5ea42dc20818","black-dragon-necromancer-chapter-37","black-dragon-necromancer-chapter-35",145,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fblack-dragon-necromancer-cover.jpg"]