Chapter 146: I Promise Not to Take Detours

It is well known how obsessed the bear tribe is with sweets; if Agave can bribe Xiong Kui to obey, keeping him is also necessary.

The reason we didn't kill Xiong Kui outright before was that we hadn't figured out how to deal with the forces behind him; Cha Lan is a Supernatural Male Beast, and with his current strength it is not easy to expose him before him.

He used to care about nothing; now that Lin Manzhi is involved, he can no longer act recklessly and disregard the consequences as he once did.

Now that Agave has subdued Xiong Kui, the trade line between Jia Jian and the Sajin City behind it can silently and smoothly fall to me.

Mo Lie set down the bowl in his hand, his brows lowered, and said, "Come up with a way to lure Xiong Kui out, creating an opportunity for a private encounter."

Hua Zheng beside him felt very confident about this.

Now that we have this sweet honey water, it should be enough to strike at Xiong Kui from within Central City District, right!

He flashed a fierce glint in his eye and chuckled lightly, "Simple, I'll go bind him and bring him out."

Lin Manzhi: "?"

"You think any brown bear could escape after being offered a bowl of icy, sweet honey water in the dry season." Hua Zheng turned his head to Lin Manzhi and said, "The greatest military force in Central City is Xiong Kui; Sajin City only cares about profit. Once we deal with him, Central City will be ours."

Lin Manzhi: "…"

She glanced at the fierce‑looking Hua Zheng before her, then turned to the expressionless Mo Lie beside her, her face showing a bewildered expression.

Simple, brutal, and effective.

"Didn't you say we should be low‑key… aren't you afraid of arousing Jia Jian's suspicion, fleeing early, and allying with the other three leaders against us?" Lin Manzhi asked hesitantly.

Mo Lie narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "The other three leaders won't agree so easily."

He puffed out his chest, and Hua Zheng, with a giggle, said, "I'll personally keep Jia Jian's pangolin under watch; it can't run away."

Lin Manzhi: "…oh."

With these two reliable Supernatural Male Beasts by her side, Lin Manzhi believed dealing with Xiong Kui would go smoothly, for when someone's martial power is unmatched, it can crush any scheme.

Lin Manzhi quietly lowered her head, standing by the table, and said nothing more.

Mo Lie's gaze fell on Lin Manzhi.

In a pure white robe, with black hair and eyes, a pair of slender, cold‑white hands rested on the edge of a large earthen jar; the lowered silhouette appeared delicate and harmless.

So obedient…

Mo Lie walked over, his arm close to the shoulder of the Little Female beside him, lifted his hand to smooth the white veil on her head, his lips curling slightly: "I think Hua Zheng's suggestion won't work, Zhi Zhi you help me think of a way that can be… a bit more low‑key?"

Lin Manzhi was startled by the words, turned her head toward Mo Lie and said, "I think it's better to let Xiong Kui come to us on his own rather than kidnapping him."

"Xiong Kui stays by Jia Jian's side all day, inseparable, and he is the Beastfolk who contributes the most wealth to Sajin City; he listens to Jia Jian," Hua Zheng interjected, "If we want Xiong Kui to leave Jia Jian, the walking gold nugget, …"

Mo Lie: "Shut up."

—You previously didn't like these winding, convoluted things.

Hua Zheng looked at Lin Manzhi, pouting plaintively.

Lin Manzhi: "I promise not to go around…"

Between the two, Lin Manzhi would unhesitatingly stand on Mo Lie's side.

…

Opposite the Wushen Temple in Central City.

All passing Beastfolk were dumbfounded, heads tilted, eyes wide, wondering if they were seeing things wrong.

In the square before the Wushen Temple, a very simple large shed had been erected; in its shade stood a wooden table laden with many small jars, and eight muscular male beasts stood behind the table.

It was clearly a street vendor, a makeshift stall set up in a poor area.

The Wushen Temple is so sacred; the square directly opens onto a wide boulevard, and no one has ever set up a stall at the temple. The temple guards exchanged puzzled looks.

What's going on? Should we report this to the Witch Matriarch??

In the early morning, the Wushen Temple is the most crowded place in Kuangsha City, with people lining up to buy raw elixirs; the temple guards are busy maintaining order and have little time to act, planning to drive the stall away once they're done.

Thus, the Beastfolk who entered the Wushen Temple immediately spotted the abrupt large shed.

Moreover, the male beasts inside the shed were shouting at the top of their lungs:

"Don't miss it if you pass by; our new shop just opened, featuring a massive giveaway of Agave water, each cup only costs one Beast Coin! Limited quantity! First come, first served! Hurry!"

The Beastfolk were bewildered by this unheard‑of sales pitch; as the repeated slogan echoed, the stall ahead was already packed with people frantically buying, nearly coming to blows.

"Did you hear that, what kind of water is it?"

"Whoa! That jar must hold at least a big mouthful; outside this would sell for two hundred Beast Coins!"

"One Beast Coin?? Really!!"

The Beastfolk, the moment they fell a beat behind, snapped to their senses and rushed to the stall to buy water; regardless of what kind of water it was, at that price snapping it up was a big profit.

Jia Jian arrived at that moment, brow furrowed, stepping down from a camel beast in front of the Wushen Temple; his keen business sense made him take notice of the stall.

He had a large group of subordinates with him, then pointed at one and ordered, "You go check which shop dared to come to Central City and steal my business without my permission."

The subordinate, receiving the order, stormed toward the stall; halfway there, the stall's business seemed already sold out.

The eight male beasts moved swiftly, immediately packing up and leaving without looking back.

A group of Beastfolk followed behind, apparently lured by that water, intending to go to the new shop to tend to business.

When they heard Lin Manzhi's bold suggestion to promote the new shop at the Wushen Temple, even Hua Zheng was extremely nervous.

His sharp eyes spotted Xiong Kui and also saw newcomers, so he immediately packed up and left.

Now the new shop opened opposite the largest commercial street in Central City, truly as Lin Manzhi literally said—no detours.

However, after lying low for a few days, Jia Jian usually stays in his leader's mansion and rarely goes out, let alone patrols shops.

This place was where Mo Lie had learned Jia Jian came daily.

As the effects of the raw elixir spread, countless merchant caravans and male beasts flooded here just to buy the elixir, making it even harder to snatch the temple's raw elixirs.

Even as the leader of Central City, he had no face to approach the Shamaness in the Wushen Temple for a private purchase; the Lord of Sajin City also heard about it and immediately demanded a hundred vials from Jia Jian, but Jia Jian had none!

The Wushen Temple limits each person to one vial; that's the rule.

So, to buy more, they had to personally bring subordinates to queue, and also keep an eye on them to prevent secret purchases that aren't reported to him.

So, Mo Lie arranged for people to be here, no need to step forward on your own, because—