Chapter 139: Long Time No See

Mo Lie's ability is earth-type; in the desert he also commands a Beastfolk army of twenty thousand, which is vastly different from the previous situation of only two people, one sickly and one frail.

Lin Manzhi quickly drafted two copies; after Su Li left, she authorized Wen Jing to receive the supplemental contract for the lettuce medicinal plant in Su Li's place.

When she went downstairs carrying the two contracts still wet with ink, Mo Lie, who had been muttering earlier, also returned.

The black‑haired beast who had just returned from the desert did not seem to have any careless sand on him to Lin Manzhi; she only felt a sudden brightness before her eyes.

She saw the black‑haired beast leisurely unfastening his Black Cloak; beneath the dark hair, his slightly pallid face was handsome, and standing in the hall paved with white stone, he made the entire chamber look like a meticulously arranged luxury‑brand runway.

Lin Manzhi placed her hand on the wall and slowed her steps as she descended the stairs.

Mo Lie, whose hand gripping the long sword was wrapped in black cloth, lifted the sword aside and, at an unhurried pace, untied the cloth from his hand.

Hearing footsteps, he looked toward the sound, his eyes flashing a deep blue reminiscent of a bright sky in the well‑lit room, and in a low voice said, "I hunted an exotic bird and brought it back; shall we have fresh grilled meat for lunch today?"

Lin Manzhi lifted the corner of her mouth, her expression cheerful, "Sure, I'm happy today; I'll cook lunch."

"Alright, I'll clean the exotic bird," Mo Lie nodded, showing no interest in the little female regarding this matter.

He placed the untied black cloth onto a chair; his now uncovered hand was pale and slender, the finger joints unpronounced, the palm without thick calluses, looking like a pampered hand, yet it concealed terrifying power.

He picked up the long sword leaning against the wall again and turned toward the backyard to prepare the ingredients.

Today Hua Zheng assisted Lin Manzhi with affairs, while Mo Lie went to the camp in the desert outside the city to take charge, leading his subordinates deeper into the desert to hunt, and personally captured the exotic bird and brought it back.

The exotic bird was a wing‑footed creature over two meters long, covered in hard scales, its chest pierced by a spear; after removing skin, scales, and bones, about two hundred jin of fresh meat could be taken.

Here the fresh meat is simply cut into large chunks, brushed with a bit of salt, placed on a rack to roast; the meat has a slight fishy and salty taste, but to a beast it is flavorful.

Lin Manzhi rarely cooks, but each dish she prepares is refined and unique, removing excess fishiness and leaving only pure meat aroma; each piece's saltiness is just right, far tastier than ordinary grilled meat.

Hua Zheng swallowed hard, "……"

"I'll cook it myself! Meal! I also want to stay!"

Facing Hua Zheng's eyes full of hunger for food, Lin Manzhi remembered an important matter she hadn't mentioned, handed him the contract, and said, "Take this and have Su Li and Wen Jing sign it, then leave it with you; bring it back to me tomorrow."

Hua Zheng was startled.

"Why wait until tomorrow?"

He hesitated briefly; regarding the Wooden Female's words, he gradually began to obey as he does with Mo Lie.

Hua Zheng quickly took the two contracts and left; Lin Manzhi turned her steps and hurried toward Mo Lie in the backyard.

A huge exotic bird lay on the rocky ground, looking to Lin Manzhi like an ancient dinosaur, only slightly smaller.

Mo Lie stood beside the exotic bird, raised his sword and cleanly dissected it, preserving the entrails, heart and liver, while the meat was cut into small pieces and set aside.

The remaining intestines and stomach were tossed into a clay jar; these would not be discarded, as other Beastfolk outside would scramble for them.

Normally Beastfolk from other territories rarely eat these organs and would discard them, but in Kuangsha City, once cleaned they become one of the foods for the dry season.

The blood had long since dried, so the courtyard was not bloody.

Lin Manzhi lifted the hem of her skirt with both hands and walked toward Mo Lie.

Mo Lie raised his eyes and looked at Lin Manzhi.

She walked forward with her head down, long hair draped over her waist, a long veil over her shoulders fluttering in the breeze, subtly outlining a graceful figure, revealing a pair of sandals that exposed her slender, white ankles.

Walking among a pile of pale fresh meat, one instinctively feels she does not belong here; she should be standing in a luxurious hall piled with jewels.

He straightened up, set the long sword down, and whispered, "I'll finish right away, be good, go wait inside the house."

Lin Manzhi lifted her head, her wide black eyes filled with joy.

Under Mo Lie's gaze, she drew near, released a hand holding her skirt, eagerly reached for his hand, and said, "Forget these for now, come upstairs with me; I have something important to tell you."

She finished without waiting for Mo Lie's response, walked straight toward the house, and vaguely added, "It should be good for your Spirit Core, right…"

Mo Lie felt a bit dazed by the words.

"Is it as he thought?"

"But… could it be too soon?"

The Concentrated Spirit Dew they had extracted was only three hundred years old, and only a few months had passed; they now hoped to accelerate it into a thousand‑year‑old Concentrated Spirit Dew.

Mo Lie's blue eyes gradually came back to focus.

"Unlikely."

At that moment, Lin Manzhi pulled Mo Lie back into the house; away from the open view, she immediately retrieved from the Space Warehouse the bottle of potion containing Concentrated Spirit Dew, removed the cap, and handed it to Mo Lie's mouth.

"This potion I refined today, drink it quickly."

Mo Lie lowered his gaze slightly; from his perspective, her eyes sparkled as she tilted the porcelain bottle a few degrees, seeming both urging and expectant.

He slowly bowed his head, asked nothing, and drank the contents of the bottle from her hand.

"Wait… this potion is off!"

At that moment, his usually expressionless composure cracked, a fissure appearing, his pupils constricted.

He felt his Spirit Core being infused with a warm‑water‑like flow, comfortable as a seed immersed in mist, bringing a sense of rebirth.

"What's stranger is—"

He sensed the long‑missed energy that fuels his Beast Transformation and powers his ability!!

"Silence."

The invisible sand dust in the air abruptly halted, as if restrained by some unseen force.

Then, the tiny drifting dust that had been still surged out the window, and Lin Manzhi felt the room suddenly brighten by a degree.

"Huh?? What just happened in the room? It feels like the world was washed clean by water, so clear it shines."

This sensation, a strong shiver of excitement rising from deep within the soul.

"Control the entire earth."

Mo Lie closed his eyes, felt the barely perceptible flow of energy in his Spirit Core, his handsome face showing contentment, he took a slow deep breath, then reopened his eyes.