Chapter 130: Can Still Pull This Off

The Fierce Sand Escort Bureau, which everyone has laughed at, is opening today; its doors are wide open, and the shop is clean and bright.

Lin Manzhi and Mo Lie arrived, and Hua Zheng followed them into the Fierce Sand Escort Bureau; the three sat in a room facing the street.

She entered the room with no outsiders, removed the veil from her head, then walked to the window, cracked it open to look out onto the street, her long lashes drooping in a slight curl.

Sure enough, not a single customer dared to come in.

All the shops along the market street are bustling, but the Fierce Sand Escort Bureau has no visitors; inside sit only the muscular escort masters.

Having previously discussed the current situation with Mo Lie, she now sees the circumstances and isn't in a hurry.

Lin Manzhi lifted her eyes to the azure sky, gauged the time in her mind, then turned to Mo Lie: "The Fierce Sand Escort Bureau has enough attention now; the time is right—should we let them make their move?"

Mo Lie sat calmly in his chair, legs crossed, his deep blue eyes lifting to look at Lin Manzhi by the window, his gaze as cold as snow on a mountain peak yet tinged with interest.

He held a shield‑shaped iron plate set with a dark‑blue crystal, tossing it intermittently into the air: "At their pace, they've already entered the city from East City."

He hadn't expected the Wooden Female to devise such a brilliant way to boost business.

In the room, Hua Zheng, eyes bright with excitement, said: "Wooden Female, when are we going out? I really can't wait."

Lin Manzhi stood at the window and turned back.

Her face still bore the distinctive markings that the Wooden Female makes easy to remember; she pulled the cloth over her shoulders around her head, revealing only a pair of black eyes:

"Alright, then let's head to the Wushen Temple now."

The pre‑opening hype for the Fierce Sand Escort Bureau has succeeded; now we'll immediately launch the opening "find‑sponsor" campaign to keep the buzz going.

Opening an escort bureau in the lawless desert of the Beast World, she had long expected that no one would visit at opening, and perhaps there would be little business for months.

To earn Beast Coins through the bureau would require a long period to build the Fierce Sand Escort Bureau's reputation and fame before the business could become profitable.

Lin Manzhi opened the bureau to make money; she has no time to wait.

To that end, Lin Manzhi recruited her own people to pose as clients knocking on the bureau's door.

The Fierce Sand Escort Bureau conducts honest, proper escort business—not the renamed 'bandit' style they imagine—and she feels no shame in this marketing.

On opening day, Lin Manzhi first sent a group of small merchant caravans to line up at the bureau's entrance for escort masters, then arranged several large caravans from outside the city to do the same.

Finally, fearing insufficient attention and persuasion, Lin Manzhi prepared to go herself to advertise the Fierce Sand Escort Bureau.

Hua Zheng thought of the schemes Lin Manzhi devised for the bureau and was utterly impressed:

"If you go to the Wushen Temple and find Su Witch Matriarch, we can definitely purchase a batch of raw elixirs. Then we'll bring them back to the Fierce Sand Escort Bureau and hire escort masters. Before long, the whole of Kuangsha City will know that someone hired the bureau's escorts to transport raw elixirs—this will surely draw everyone to the bureau. Brilliant!"

Raw elixirs are the hottest commodity in Kuangsha City right now, limited to 200 units daily, still snapped up by everyone; Hua Zheng, as a delivery beast, won't receive special treatment from Su Li.

Only the Wooden Female can personally request the raw elixirs for her master; then Su Li will nod in agreement and gladly hand them over.

During their negotiation, Mo Lie, who had been seated, rose and walked straight to Lin Manzhi, lifting a hand to pull the veil‑cover over her, then said to Hua Zheng: "Compared with arranging people to pose as caravans, I'd rather be the one creating the illusion of trouble for the caravans; that's far more intriguing to me."

Lin Manzhi squinted, her voice tinged with a smile: "Of course we need a suddenly appearing enemy; otherwise how can we showcase the Fierce Sand Escort Bureau's 'might' to everyone?"

Mo Lie lowered his gaze at the facing Lin Manzhi, and from the close distance saw clearly the lively, cunning spark in her stark black‑white eyes.

He raised his hand, casually stroking her head, his fingertips sliding to the back of her neck before withdrawing, his touch gentle and lover‑like, his eyes holding a clear smile: "Hmm, everything will go as you wish. It's true that it attracts beastfolk interested in raw elixirs; you needn't fear, I'm here."

Don't worry… anyone who dares approach you along the way, I will tear them apart.

Lin Manzhi met Mo Lie's gaze, and a vision of 'how many surprises you still have I don't know' flashed in her mind, making her shiver under his stare.

She smoothed her cloak, turned toward the doorway, and without looking back said, "Alright, don't keep them waiting; we should get started."

Mo Lie said nothing and followed.

Hua Zheng, who had been waiting eagerly, raised both hands in approval and immediately followed Lin Manzhi downstairs.

The three—Lin Manzhi, Mo Lie, and Hua Zheng—in the second‑floor room left through the bureau's back door; meanwhile, the first Deputy Escort Head Ning Tie, seated on the first floor with no customers, remained unhurried in the shop.

Meanwhile.

In the bustling market of Xicheng Qu, suddenly more than a dozen small parties of two or three appeared.

They were all wrapped in cloaks, each carrying a box as tall as a person; some groups of four or five guarded two boxes. Though their cargo was modest, they were clearly small merchants.

They didn't all arrive at the Xicheng market simultaneously; they came from different parts of Xicheng at different times. A few arrived earlier, strolling with their goods until they reached the Fierce Sand Escort Bureau.

They halted.

The entrance of the Fierce Sand Escort Bureau was wide, with a line of towering beastfolk standing there; outside the street a crowd of beastfolk peered in, yet none dared to enter.

At that moment, three small caravans dressed in drab gray, each lugging a single cargo box, lowered their heads and rushed toward the bureau's doorway; their rapid steps stood out starkly among the otherwise motionless crowd.

Just as the three were about to reach the bureau's street, a quick‑eyed beastfolk grabbed one of them and whispered:

"Hey! You're courting death—charging in without checking where this place is? Aren't you afraid you won't get out…?"

The three members of the halted caravan stopped; he didn't lift the veil covering his head, but his hoarse voice carried a note of desperate sorrow.

He said, "We came from Sajin City; our goods were robbed in the desert, and a caravan of twenty is now down to just the three of us inside Kuangsha City…"