[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence":3,"chapter-warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-16":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Warlord: Starting with Daily Intelligence",{"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},2338479,4572,"Chapter 16: Ironclad Fire Lizard!","warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-16",16,"\u003Cp>He entrusted the task of chasing ducks to Thomas, telling him to go exterminate pests in the farmland of several wealthy households.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gervas gathered Knight-Leader Lei Meng and his knight retainers and left the castle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, before departing, he instructed Captain Laurens to keep watch over any unfamiliar travelers in town today, ensuring the blacksmith and his son remained in town awaiting his return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately afterward, he headed straight south toward the Storm Domain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the shrubbery five li south of Wheatfield Town, Gervas and his men moved swiftly through the undergrowth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Magic grass mushrooms were not hard to find; though their faint magical glow was invisible by day, their rich fragrance could be clearly smelled as soon as one came within a meter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord, I’ve found another one!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord, I’ve found one too!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From within the shrubbery, the exclamations of joy from his men echoed frequently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After half an hour of gathering, all the magic grass mushrooms in the shrubbery had been collected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His men piled the magic grass mushrooms together—good heavens, there were fully seventy or eighty stalks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So many! My lord, each magic grass mushroom is worth at least ten silver coins, so this lot is worth at least seven or eight gold coins!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lei Meng, who had once served as Viscount’s Knight-Leader, had broad experience—he had seen Viscount Patrick specifically purchase ten for his eldest heir, spending one gold coin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had even commissioned a caravan to procure them, for such plants, which enhance elemental magic affinity, were truly rare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“About right, but I’m keeping all of these for myself, so no need to count their value. Lei Meng, pick five for yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is too precious! My lord, I haven’t earned any merit yet—I cannot accept such a reward!” Lei Meng quickly shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who says you haven’t earned merit? Have you forgotten the monster you slew yesterday? Besides, your rapid physical improvement makes the domain safer!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, my lord, for your grace!” Under Gervas’s persistent insistence, Lei Meng finally accepted the five magic grass mushrooms with gratitude, causing the knight retainers to stare in envy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, everyone understood this was the privilege of a Title Knight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They themselves weren’t even ordinary knights—they simply couldn’t compare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t envy them. When you advance to knight rank and earn merit, your rewards won’t be any less!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next, Gervas led his men further south.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to intelligence, a Scalefire Lizard would give birth at the edge of the Death Mountains, within the Black Pine Forest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was a third-rank beast; if they could capture its offspring, whether to raise or sell, its value would exceed a hundred gold coins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But since it lay near the Death Mountains, the area had long been abandoned by humans, making progress extremely difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the beast roars echoing from the rolling peaks ahead pressed heavily upon them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roar!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a beast roar suddenly came from the southeast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord, that sound is close—no more than two li away!” Lei Meng immediately warned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s go see. Yueyue reported to me today that a third-rank Scalefire Lizard is giving birth nearby.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lei Meng opened his mouth to speak but fell silent, seeing his lord’s unyielding expression—he dared not say more as a subordinate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the Black Pine Forest appeared ahead. Lei Meng led the way, and the group cautiously entered the forest’s depths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After carefully climbing over a dirt mound, a fiery “hill” suddenly loomed before them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly, the five knight retainers widened their eyes, clamping hands over their mouths, terrified their cries might summon mortal danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least eight meters long, and standing two meters high at the shoulder, its body was covered in dark red scales, radiating a primordial, ferocious aura that overwhelmed them all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was precisely the Scalefire Lizard Gervas sought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, the Scalefire Lizard was less than thirty meters from them, twisting its body repeatedly among the trees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aaaoo!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the Scalefire Lizard let out a long cry, its first offspring was born.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over half a minute later, a second Scalefire Lizard cub emerged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two cubs were each about one and a half meters long, their dark red scales identical to their mother’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roar!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the two cubs were safely delivered and the mother lizard began licking them, she suddenly lifted her head toward a nearby thicket and emitted a low, aggressive growl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rustle!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No sooner had she roared than the thicket shook violently, and a massive beast wolf leapt into the clearing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beast wolf was about two meters long and one and a half meters tall, its claws and fangs gleaming with a metallic silver sheen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Third-rank Ironclaw Wolf!” The knight retainers’ voices trembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If provoked by the Scalefire Lizard, one might still survive by fleeing fast enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But against the Ironclaw Wolf, neither fighting nor fleeing offered any hope—only death awaited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roar! Roar! Roar!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After appearing, the Ironclaw Wolf’s target was unmistakable—the newly delivered Scalefire Lizard mother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both were third-rank beasts; consuming this Scalefire Lizard might even allow the Ironclaw Wolf to ascend directly to fourth rank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After circling the Scalefire Lizard several times, the Ironclaw Wolf finally launched its attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Scalefire Lizard mother, though larger, could only defend passively, forced to protect her cubs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, roars filled the Black Pine Forest, and countless tall black pines were shattered and crushed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were snapped and crushed under the impact of the two beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gervas and his men watched, hearts pounding—third-rank beasts were truly formidable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Lei Meng would have no choice but to turn and flee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the battle raged, both sides bore wounds. The Ironclaw Wolf had expected an easy meal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had not anticipated that motherhood had awakened in the Scalefire Lizard an unprecedented ferocity—she fearlessly traded blows, even at the cost of her own body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing no advantage, the Ironclaw Wolf immediately sought to retreat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Scalefire Lizard, eyes red with rage, would not let it escape so easily—she charged recklessly in pursuit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Left behind, the two cubs cowered in a nearby thicket, whimpering anxiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now! Lei Meng, take one! Migen, you take the other!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the risk was high, the opportunity was rare—the stronger the Scalefire Lizard, the less Gervas wanted to let it go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group swiftly circled behind the two cubs and charged forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lei Meng handled one alone; Migen and the five knight retainers took the other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The instant they pinned the cubs, they slipped pre-prepared ropes over their mouths like nooses for crocodiles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was to prevent the cubs from crying out and summoning their mother, buying time for their escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the group bound the cubs together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No time to waste—the group fled immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lei Meng slung the one-and-a-half-meter-long cub over his shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Migen and the five knight retainers jointly lifted the other cub.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten minutes later, the group burst out of the forest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without pause, the moment the two cubs were placed on the cart, they spurred their horses into a wild gallop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To mask their scent, Gervas scattered chili powder along the route.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roar! Roar! Roar!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just one or two minutes after they fled, a continuous, mournful roar erupted behind them—the Scalefire Lizard mother’s cries sent flocks of birds soaring from the surrounding Black Pine Forest.\u003C\u002Fp>",1216,"2026-06-20T22:44:01.160Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","11233d96f1b219d4273d57f70237dc7bf1af8015ac464403e74a07612d2d5362","warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-17","warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-15",521,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwarlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-cover.jpg"]