Chapter 145: What Protected Land?

For Lin Manzhi's proposal, Mo Lie's face showed no surprise, "How much land do you want? I'll have people build it."

The whole Xicheng Qu and this desert together make up one quarter of the continent; you could say land is the thing they lack most now.

When Mo Lie planted the agave into a large wooden barrel, dug a hole in its bulb, and after taking Lin Manzhi out, he summoned a subordinate to arrange the construction of the planting area.

When Xiang Sa and Xiang Zhuang received the leader's summons for the first time, they rushed over excitedly, only to hear the new leader say, "I've selected a plot outside the city; you take people and quickly build a high stone wall on all four sides of that plot to protect the land."

Xiang Sa was bewildered: "Protect... the land?"

He didn't hear wrong, right? Is there any need to protect the sand outside Xicheng?

Besides sand it's just sand??

If only brother could stay calm, Xiang Zhuang mustered courage and looked at the leader, saying, "Doing something like this doesn't seem right..."

Xiang Zhuang thought the leader was giving them a tough order, a pointless task in the dry season; he'd never heard anyone build a wall just to protect sand, the sand outside the city is as plentiful as seawater, no one would steal dust.

Now Mo Lie gives this task to the two brothers, so they must lead men in daylight under scorching temperatures of sixty to seventy degrees, sweating profusely, to the rocky hills to transport stones, and labor to chisel the rocks into sizes suitable for building houses.

If they work long in the heat, even their male beasts would have to shed a layer of skin.

"No one wants that plot outside the city, and besides the whole area belongs to you, leader, so there's no need to build a wall to protect it," Xiang Zhuang dared to say.

Lin Manzhi thought for a moment and explained, "No, I want to use that land to grow things."

Xiang Sa and Xiang Zhuang had already noticed the female beside Mo Lie, but her tightly wrapped attire hid her appearance.

He was about to ask what they were going to plant.

Mo Lie said coldly, "I don't like others questioning my orders; this is the first and last time."

Xiang Sa saw the leader speak and quickly grabbed Xiang Zhuang, who was still about to say something.

Ah, back then he was also the leader of Xicheng Qu; in a short time the world changed, and now he has to follow others' commands.

Having been the boss before, Xiang Sa knew what the leader disliked and wouldn't clash with him, "Yes, I will definitely complete the task as you command."

Mo Lie's expression was indifferent: "Build according to the dimensions I give; if substandard you need not return to Xicheng Qu."

Xiang Sa: "……"

No, it's just a tormenting job, why worry about dimensions?

Xiang Sa muttered to himself.

He didn't take Lin Manzhi's words about using the land for planting to heart; there has never been a concept of cultivation here— even if a Beastfolk suddenly wanted to plant something, they wouldn't choose a desert.

If something could be grown in the desert, it wouldn't be a sea of fine yellow sand now.

He meekly replied, "Yes."

Xiang Sa and Xiang Zhuang returned with downcast faces, leading a hundred Beastfolk warriors; he comforted himself that at least he had subordinates again.

It's just building a few hundred walls, simple.

The planting base Mo Lie chose actually remains in Xicheng Qu; because it's near the outskirts, previous fights between the male beasts outside the city often spilled over, causing few Beastfolk to want to settle there.

The surroundings are broken, corroded walls eaten by sand; now that Xicheng Qu is under Mo Lie's control, his outside camp is close, and the area has become stable.

The terrain here is flat, no tall buildings, and the nearby residents are weak races; it's the road he often takes back to the city, so the whole area is relatively safe.

When Xiang Sa and Xiang Zhuang saw the ruins, Lin Manzhi said she wanted to plant, and Mo Lie gave her the entire plot, about fifty mu.

What they need to build isn't ten‑meter‑high walls but hundred‑meter‑high city walls, to effectively keep the land‑dwelling male beasts out; later they'd also have to assign men to defend the sky above the walls against those beasts.

A planting foundation built to this safety level can be described as constructing a planting kingdom.

Indeed, building a planting base in the desert isn't a one‑or‑two‑day task; Lin Manzhi followed Mo Lie to observe, was taught to dig pits and lay foundations, then she could do little else but wait.

She saw the ruins and didn't ask much, assuming it was only a few mu in size, unaware of what kind of planting base Mo Lie had built for her.

……

Lin Manzhi heard the agave had completed its first water collection and, curious, followed Mo Lie to the lettuce planting area.

The agave produced only one plant; the others were startled by the sudden appearance of something in the greenhouse, ran to ask how to care for it, and Lin Manzhi told them not to worry, so they asked no further.

Lin Manzhi didn't ask either; that agave was all given to Mo Lie, whatever he does with it is his decision, but she could count on one hand how many people could enter the lettuce greenhouse, and she had a vague sense.

The person in charge, as expected, was Hua Zheng; he stood holding a round‑bodied ceramic jar, and when he saw the two approach hand‑in‑hand, he immediately rose to greet them.

"Incredible! That round ball keeps spouting water nonstop, that's so amazing!"

Mo Lie also found it marvelous, but showed no expression; he walked to Hua Zheng, lifted the lid of the jar, and lowered his head to look inside.

First he smelled a faint sweet scent wafting from the jar, then saw a thin yellow‑cloudy water inside.

Lin Manzhi stepped closer and looked into the jar; despite her age, she had never drunk agave water before.

"Let's taste what it tastes like first," she said, and Mo Lie and Hua Zheng naturally agreed.

The three quickly left the lettuce greenhouse, returned to their lodging, and Lin Manzhi fetched three small bowls and spoons from the kitchen, filling each with a full bowl of agave water.

She handed one to Mo Lie, then cradled her own bowl and took a sip.

It was clear, refreshing, and sweet, like drinking a beverage; its sweetness matched honey water, and it resembled freshly squeezed cane juice.

"Delicious," Lin Manzhi said, her eyes showing the satisfaction of tasting sweetness, a stark contrast to the two nearby leopard‑type male beasts who disliked sweets.

Mo Lie took only a small sip and stopped; watching Lin Manzhi finish her full bowl, he lifted his hand and carefully used a handkerchief to wipe the agave honey water from her mouth.

Hua Zheng, still holding his bowl, finished the agave honey water that tasted sweet to the point of bitterness for him.

He shook his head, "If this thing gets taken out, Xiong Kui would go crazy."

Lin Manzhi said, "Make sure this isn't left out too long, or it'll turn sour."

"Alright, I've noted it," Mo Lie squinted slightly; in that instant, the several plans he had considered for luring Xiong Kui out to kill him vanished from his mind.