Chapter 156: You Scared Me

Lin Manzhi smiled and nodded, refusing the Guard Squad male beast's outstretched hand that wanted to help her carry the pottery jar, and followed him toward the main hall.

The council hall is a very spacious flat‑topped building; between the massive columns in front of the hall doors runs a corridor, the Rock Wall is painted a uniform light mud color, and the simple sculptures make this structure, covering over two thousand square meters, appear solemn and grand.

The hall's entrance is a five‑meter‑high double arch, linen curtains hang in the room, and at the deepest levels of the staircase a lavish seat is placed.

Inside the hall stand Hua Zheng and several other male beasts that Lin Manzhi recognizes but cannot name, while Mo Lie sits above them, lowering his eyes to listen to what they are saying.

A Guard Squad male beast stands at the doorway, straightening his back as he shouts, "Leader, the Female Lord has arrived."

After reporting, he turns his body and stands back by the door.

Lin Manzhi walks closer at a slower pace, carrying the pottery jar in her hand and bearing the scorching sun for more than half an hour; although a sun‑shielding veil covers her head, her chest still breathes a little more heavily than usual.

…Why announce it so loudly! Now everyone is looking over.

She thinks, a bit embarrassed.

Seeing Lin Manzhi's tiny figure by the doorway, Mo Lie rises directly from the seat and walks toward her.

He feels a pang of tenderness.

Hua Zheng turns toward Lin Manzhi, lifts his hand with a smiling face and waves, "Lord, you've come to see the leader."

Lin Manzhi gives a slight nod in response to Hua Zheng.

The male beasts in the hall, regarding the sole female beside the leader—some have seen her, some have only heard of her—now see Hua Zheng greeting this lord so familiarly.

One gray‑haired, buzz‑cut male beast whispers, "I heard everyone say that she single‑handedly founded the Fierce Sand Escort Bureau, right?"

Hua Zheng nods without much enthusiasm, adding in his mind.

It's not just the Fierce Sand Escort Bureau; she also procured the main medicinal plant for the elixir and the Dragon Tongue Honey Water!

The two other male beasts nearby also whisper in admiration, "I never expected to meet the legendary female beside the leader today; truly she's unlike anyone else."

"Indeed, indeed, such an outstanding female is practically a perfect match for our leader."

They openly flatter in the hall, while Lin Manzhi, listening, remains silent: "……"

Her steps toward the hall become slower, and she lifts her head to meet the few inquisitive gazes cast from within, as if waiting for her to shed the white, ornate veil and reveal her face.

She slightly lowers her head, pulling the veil tighter around herself.

After all, she no longer paints a disguise on her face; now she relies solely on physical covering when she goes out.

Previously she disguised herself because of weak strength and a desire to hide; now, without a disguise, she feels unaccustomed to being exposed, especially when strangers are present.

At this moment, Mo Lie approaches, his gaze landing on Lin Manzhi's hand holding the pottery jar.

He instinctively lifts his hand, reaching to take the item from Little Female's hand; his other hand lifts slightly, hovering protectively behind her waist, and he whispers, "Let me carry it."

"Mm… mm." Lin Manzhi regains her composure.

She follows Mo Lie's pace, crossing the spacious hall toward the staircase leading up to the seat; each step is designed taller to suit the male beasts' height, with one level equivalent to two modern flights of stairs.

Lin Manzhi's outer veil reaches down to her feet; as she ascends the stairs and lifts her foot, the overly long skirt touches the ground first, and she inadvertently steps onto her own veil, causing a slip.

Her heart races as she suddenly loses footing, and before she can steady herself, she tumbles forward.

Seeing her head and knees about to smash into the hard rock floor, Mo Lie reacts instantly, his hand striking out with force.

His figure bends slightly, and the hand that was protecting behind Lin Manzhi's waist pulls her back.

Startled, Lin Manzhi instinctively shuts her eyes tightly; the imagined pain of falling never comes, and her whole body crashes into Mo Lie's broad, slightly cool chest.

She pauses, then reopens her eyes, her pupils widening slightly with lingering shock, "You scared me."

Mo Lie wraps his arms a bit tighter around Little Female's waist, his lashes drooping, his deep‑blue eyes showing a faint, barely perceptible worry: "Don't be afraid, I'll lead you."

As he says so, he clasps Lin Manzhi and carries her up several steps, walks a few strides to the edge of the spacious, ornate seat, his hand gently pushing at her waist; guided by his grip, Lin Manzhi settles directly into the foremost seat of the hall.

The four standing in the hall watch silently; aside from Hua Zheng, the other three wear dazed expressions, and seeing the cold leader like this, they can't help but think the leader is now two people.

Lin Manzhi lifts her head and sees three faces with slightly dilated pupils; recalling that everyone watched her almost‑fall just now, she feels a little embarrassment.

Among the four in the hall, she's only a bit more familiar with Hua Zheng.

She's also heard Mo Lie speak of the other three: the twenty‑thousand warrior army is divided into four legions of five thousand each; Hua Zheng leads one legion of five thousand, and the other three are legion commanders selected from the warrior legions.

The Fierce Sand Escort Bureau's six hundred members, together with the men Xiang Sa brings, aim to accelerate the construction of the Planting Base; the number of male beasts has risen from just over a hundred to a thousand warriors for the building project. These two groups were split from the legions early on, becoming separate forces within the legions.

Now the Central City has been seized by the immobile armaments; although Jia Jian's military strength is modest, he has the wealth to sustain tens of thousands of powerful male beasts of the race, and he has selected fifteen thousand newcomers from his forces to merge into his garrisons.

The four desert garrisons all require expansion; the fifteen thousand newly recruited warriors will be split among the four major legions. Mo Lie and the four legion commanders in the hall are discussing the allocation of these soldiers.

Hua Zheng, commander of the First Legion, has followed Mo Lie since childhood; he is a loyal close‑quarters guard, trained with a warrior philosophy that emphasizes the ferocity of carnivorous races and mastery of slaughter.

He is Mo Lie's strongest main force; this time six thousand were added directly, while each of the other three legions received three thousand.

The urgent matter of subduing the Central City's forces has been largely arranged.

Mo Lie stands aside, glances at the pottery jar in his hand, and, thoughtful, lowers his gaze toward Lin Manzhi.

Lin Manzhi looks up, lightly winks at him, and says, "These are the elixirs refined over the past few days, brought to you as a reward."

Mo Lie looks at the Little Female on the seat, his eyes deepening slightly.

He lifts his hand and shakes the pottery jar, recalling that it's Little Female's token; instantly, the irritation in his mind is soothed like a breeze, and he asks, "Hmm, is this a liquid that can soothe the Spirit Core?"

The other four perk up their ears, while Hua Zheng's eyes sparkle with anticipation as he watches the pottery jar in Mo Lie's hand.

Lin Manzhi's brief awkwardness fades as she talks with Mo Lie, but another issue arises: staying indoors, the white long robe feels somewhat heavy.

They're all comrades, after all, so there's nothing much to hide.

"Exactly." She lifts her hand to untie the cloth covering her head, revealing jet‑black eyes, skin as white as jade, lips like flower petals, and a cascade of long black curls draped over her waist.