Chapter 13: Ways to Make Money

There were no tables or chairs at home, so Mo Lie took a hide blanket from the room, spread it on the rocky floor of the kitchen, and the two of them sat on the ground.

Lin Manzhi tried the roasted great exotic beast meat again; it was very tough, like eating undercooked beef tendon, and chewing it hurt her cheek muscles to the point she couldn't tear it apart.

She gave up after one bite, picked up the fragrant roasted small exotic beast meat, then took the lettuce that was on the stove stone and placed most of it on Mo Lie's side.

Mo Lie paused imperceptibly, stared at the green leafy vegetable that shouldn't appear in the barren land, and without changing his expression, mimicked Lin Manzhi by tearing it off to eat it raw.

As the lettuce leaf entered his mouth, the swallow seemed to bring a slight coolness that instantly dispersed the body's stagnant heat, and even the cracked spirit core felt a chill.

It was quite extraordinary.

On the surface, Mo Lie ate without showing any reaction.

Lin Manzhi watched the scene secretly, and she breathed a huge sigh of relief inside.

Fortunately the other party didn't ask; otherwise she wouldn't know what excuse to use to placate him, and a suitable excuse would be hard to find.

She also didn't want to keep the vegetables in the space uneaten; what meaning would that land have then?

She still didn't want to reveal the existence of a space farm to Mo Lie, but since they eat and live together, he would eventually see the vegetables, so it was better to bring them out early.

Mo Lie asked nothing; that was truly great.

Having resolved her nervous worries, Lin Manzhi calmly enjoyed the delicious food before her.

Since being forced to set out right after waking, she tasted fresh hot roasted meat for the first time; a small bite of lettuce‑wrapped roast was very satisfying.

Mo Lie beside her also had a much better appetite than before; it seemed that the Spiritual Repair Agent, though unable to heal his spirit core, clearly had a good pain‑relieving effect.

The Spiritual Repair Agent is so expensive; this makes the urgency to earn money even heavier!

After finishing her meal, Lin Manzhi immediately went to look for the neighbor Xi Tao; seeing this, Mo Lie silently followed her, and shortly they arrived together at Xi Tao's courtyard.

Cihe opened the courtyard gate and, upon seeing the tall figure behind Lin Manzhi, involuntarily stiffened, daring not to slight the female, and rigidly ushered Lin Manzhi inside.

The first floor of Xi Tao's house has four rooms; the hall is spacious, the walls are painted with colorful patterns, and in the center lies a smooth exotic beast carpet, its brown patches of varying shades sewn together, appearing very slick and cool.

Xi Tao sat on the exotic beast carpet, her pupils trembling slightly.

—The other party is a lifesaving male beast! With Wife Master beside him, he won't suddenly develop murderous intent.

Convincing herself internally, Xi Tao swallowed her dry throat, her gaze fixed only on Lin Manzhi, and said, "You, you may sit."

"Thank you, we have intruded," Lin Manzhi said, leaning against the exotic beast carpet, reaching up to tug Mo Lie's sleeve.

Mo Lie restrained his aura and sat silently to one side.

Lin Manzhi glanced at the sunlight outside the window and stopped the polite small talk: "Xi Tao, I just wanted to ask, around here, what ways can a female also earn Beast Coin?"

Xi Tao looked at the fair‑skinned, beautiful female before her, and a sidelong glance caught the faint aura of the black‑haired male beast beside her.

She said seriously, "The male beasts of my family usually go hunting in the tribal lands outside the city. I can only pick some grass stalks at the edge of the tribe's territory, clean them, and sell them to the Yang Suo Shop. Yang Suo is a male beast in the Luo Lai Caravan; as long as the stalks are intact, the Beast Coin he offers is quite good."

Isn't that just digging wild vegetables?

In her previous life Lin Manzhi never worked the land, but she had played farming games, so she could say she was somewhat knowledgeable about agriculture.

She developed an interest in digging wild vegetables, and since the vegetables could be exchanged for money, her interest grew even more.

After thinking it over, Lin Manzhi asked, "Could you show me the places within the tribe where grass stalks are harvested? If convenient, I'd like to accompany you."

Xi Tao's whole body tightened.

Lin Manzhi thought for a moment and said, "If it's not possible, that's fine."

If that grass‑stalk gathering spot was discovered solely by a female, it wouldn't be easy for her to go along, after all it's a money‑making job.

Xi Tao shook her head repeatedly: "It's not that it's impossible; the grass stalks belong to the tribe, and any female can freely gather them, it's just…"

She stammered, "It's… him, that… he won't be following you, right?"

The "him" referred to Mo Lie.

Lin Manzhi: "…"

She forgot that the other seemed very afraid of Mo Lie.

She turned her head aside, her gaze landing on the male beast beside her.

He sat cross‑legged, his back straight, his features illuminated against the light, lines graceful, unable to hide his extraordinary handsomeness.

Mo Lie had become accustomed to everyone avoiding him.

He would stay still, lift his gaze to sweep across the opposite figure, his sharp blue eyes glaring, instantly giving a sense of danger.

As a rare supernatural male beast, Mo Lie had been with a warrior squad fighting civilians, beasts, and enemies since childhood; he essentially grew up immersed in seas of blood and skeletons, carrying an unconscious murderous ferocity.

The Xi Tao opposite and the two Beast Husbands, upon a glance, trembled, their blood nearly freezing.

Only Lin Manzhi felt nothing.

She smiled and said, "Actually Mo Lie is quite nice; you don't need to fear him."

Mo Lie replied lightly, "Hmm, I won't hurt you."

At this point Xi Tao relaxed a bit, trying to break the face‑to‑face tension, and hurriedly said, "I'm about to go out to gather; Lin Manzhi, would you like to come with me?"

"Sure, it's still early, perfect time to go out," Lin Manzhi replied.

That was her plan: to start digging grass stalks and selling them for Beast Coin from today onward; the sooner she earned money, the better.

Afterwards, Lin Manzhi rose with the three neighbors, and after exiting the courtyard gate, Cihe and Cichuan transformed at their own gate into two three‑meter‑tall yellow‑brown sand rats.

They lowered their forelimbs, allowing Wife Master Xi Tao to grasp their brown fur and climb onto their backs; they turned their heads, their glass‑brown eyes as large as blue balls, to look at Lin Manzhi.

They waited motionless.

Xi Tao also stuck her head out from the sand rat Beast Husband's back, fearing a terrifying black panther might appear nearby, and chose to speak first.

She looked at Lin Manzhi with a hesitant yet hopeful face, "The tribal area is quite far from here; if you don't want to climb up, my Beast Husband's back is wide…" (so the black panther male beast could sit on the other back).

Lin Manzhi felt a slight inclination.

She had sat on a male beast's back here before, knowing how fast a male beast can run; in this Beast World there is no rule that only her own females may ride his back.

Now having a kind Beastfolk to give her a ride is a great thing.

Lin Manzhi was about to nod in agreement when a hand suddenly clasped her waist, pulling her backward; the strength was just right, letting her fall into a wide, sturdy embrace.

In the scorching, desolate land, a faint chill like ice wrapped around her whole body; caught off guard as she was suddenly embraced at the waist, Lin Manzhi was momentarily stunned.

"No need, you lead the way."

A deep, pleasant male voice sounded from behind, and Lin Manzhi only later realized that Mo Lie had one hand around her waist.

As the other spoke, the chest pressed against her shoulder quivered slightly; the voice had little inflection, yet somehow made her ears feel hot.