Chapter 159: First Move

On the other side.

Lin Manzhi and Mo Lie walked out from the side where they were constructing the planting base; she walked lightly with her hands clasped behind her back, turning her head to the Mo Lie beside her and said:

"Did you know? Holy Maiden Fruit can be harvested multiple times; the first harvest can be used to brew medicinal liquid, and the later harvests are sold as food."

"The yield of Holy Maiden Fruit is quite good. The piece of land you gave me is about fifty mu; each mu can harvest at least three thousand kilograms, and up to four or five thousand kilograms. If we fill the second planting base, that's another hundred thousand warriors we could sustain."

Hearing that, Mo Lie narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze heavy.

If the little female succeeds, and Holy Maiden Fruit is produced on such a terrifying scale, then the problem that has long plagued male beasts' spirit cores in this world will undergo a dramatic transformation.

He looked at Lin Manzhi walking beside him, tiny specks of light shimmering in his blue eyes: "I'm looking forward to it…"

Lin Manzhi, you will usher in a great upheaval.

Central City has been mostly subdued, and the other three factions in Kuangsha City have also sensed something amiss, right?

It's time to act.

Mo Lie let out a light laugh, the tenderness in his eyes turning icy.

…

In the magnificent palace, a deathly stillness hung like a black cloud over the ceiling.

The atmosphere was extremely oppressive, and the three leaders who had terrified the people of Kuangsha City were, for a rare moment, seated together in the same room.

Three chairs were placed around the round table, each of the three sitting at a distance from the others.

The hulking Hu Biao, the tall Fu Lin, and the broad‑hipped Tuo Zong sat, as if a massive phantom beast loomed behind them, evoking a chilling sense of dread.

Fu Lin furrowed his brows, his narrow eyes flashing, his expression gloomy: "Jia Jian hasn't been heard from for a long time; your trade with Central City, like mine, was rejected, right?"

Tuo Zong glared angrily: "Exactly!!"

Hu Biao nodded: "Lately even the tolls paid by merchant caravans passing through the desert have decreased."

That, in any case, is inseparable from the Fierce Sand Escort Bureau of Xicheng Qu.

He hammered the table in mild frustration, looked up at Fu Lin and Tuo Zong, and said bitterly: "Central City's trades always drive the price down for us; we also built an escort bureau! Our escort masters can enter other cities; with money, are we still afraid of not being able to buy food?"

Tuo Zong clapped his hands: "Right, why didn't I think of that! That way we'll never lack food. I've seen the Fierce Sand Escort Bureau bring back a dozen or so wagons each time; we have no idea what's inside, but it's tightly covered with leather so we can't see inside."

Fu Lin: "??"

That's enough.

A vein on his forehead twitched: "I didn't summon you today over food; haven't you noticed the danger?"

Seeming to see through Fu Lin's anxiety, Hu Biao snorted coldly: "Do you think the people of Xicheng Qu would dare strike us? We're not beastfolk like Jia Jian, all name and no substance."

Tuo Zong recalled the intel he'd received, his expression hesitant, and, without agreeing with Hu Biao, said: "You mean the gang from Xicheng seized the area around Central City?"

Jia Jian's Central City follows a commercial style; lately, a particularly ferocious group of male beasts has appeared in each of Central City's districts, sparking border disputes among the districts. One could say Central City now has the upper hand, which was the opposite before.

Previously, Jia Jian had to intervene; his method was to approach them and negotiate with a half‑threat, half‑incentive trade talk: "If you don't keep your subordinates in check, the damage they cause forces me to bleed heavily and buy anew from outside, resulting in fewer food supplies from the outer city, and food prices will rise."

Once the food‑price issue was raised, the local leaders of several districts bordering Central City gave it special attention, generally showing a bit more tolerance toward Central City.

"Central City belongs to Xicheng Qu?" Hu Biao's expression soured, and he slowly clenched his fist.

Fu Lin, having achieved his aim, relaxed his furrowed brows: "Yes."

He glanced over Hu Biao and Tuo Zong, as confident as if he'd seen it with his own eyes, nodded and said: "Xicheng Qu has already swallowed Central City's forces; the next step is up to the three of us."

Hu Biao shivered: "He dares!"

That's actually possible.

The leader of Xicheng Qu has never spoken with them, maintaining a lofty demeanor as if they're beneath him.

His breathing grew heavier as he said: "You contacted us to say all this; what do you plan to do next?"

Fu Lin: "We'll unite and, while they're still tangled in the chaos of taking over Central City, take his life."

Tuo Zong, excited by what he heard, quickly said: "Fine, since the three of us are joining forces, let's divide the spoils in advance; I claim the Fierce Sand Escort Bureau of Xicheng Qu."

With the ready‑made Fierce Sand Escort Bureau, food trade in Central City will no longer be a threat. He knows Jia Jian controls trade with the outer city; without Jia Jian, Central City will eventually decline.

He wasn't sure whether the other two knew this, but Tuo Zong had no intention of kindly reminding them.

Hu Biao sneered: "Oh, then I want all the shops in Central City; as for territory, the three of us will split it equally."

This is the first joint effort among the three regions; compared to two rival commercial hubs, Fu Lin is even more eager to eliminate Kuangsha City's current strongest opponent.

Soon, Kuangsha City will have only three districts; its own territory will expand, altering the power distribution that has long existed in Kuangsha City.

Fu Lin smiled: "Fine, it's settled then."

"We'll return now to gather troops, meet at midnight the next day, and while everyone is lax before dawn, go to Xicheng Qu and kill their leader."

Hu Biao: "Fine!"

Tuo Zong: "Fine."

Blood and slaughter are the only paths to power.

According to the shared rules of the Beastfolk continent, Mo Lie, seeing Lin Manzhi's rapid progress in the planting enterprise, sought to become the little female's backing, accelerating his own rise in power.

Bang!

Uniform heavy footsteps sounded, raising clouds of sand in the night.

Parallel massive desert lizard tribes crawled close to the sand, followed by sand‑dune cat tribes and honey‑jar tribes; a gray giant elephant trailed behind, marching with leader Mo Lie on the campaign against Kuangsha City.

When Fu Lin, Hu Biao, and Tuo Zong anticipated the danger from Xicheng Qu's leader and decided to unite against him, they never expected the opponent to strike them simultaneously.

It was deep night; doors and windows of houses along the route were tightly shut. Male beasts on guard, seeing the massive, looming army, were terrified to the point of paralysis, daring not to run out and report to their own leaders.

Even though no one could send word, the moment the army entered the city, the three City Lords were startled awake by the subtle tremor of the ground.

Tuo Zong rolled out of bed to the window, yawned, and looked at the guards outside: "Did the earth‑dragon beast turn over?"