Chapter 192: Your Territory

At that moment, Hou Meng suddenly realized that the male beasts beside him, the muscular males in the room, were not much different from him; their eyes were sharp, their demeanor relaxed, and they were not frightened at all by his aura.

Hou Meng's pupils trembled, meaning that the male beasts in this room were not inferior to him in bloodline or perhaps even in strength!

After exchanging words with Xiang Sa, Hei Cheng's robust body sat upright on the high table, staring at the unfamiliar male beast at the counter, "Hey, didn't you see it says each person can only buy one drink and one portion per day? If you're looking for trouble in the Shanhai Tavern, you're courting death."

Inside, the ferocious male beasts drank Agave beer, all their gazes fixed on Hou Meng at the counter; with Lord Lin's shop now open, any impertinent troublemaker would be ground into minced meat.

Hou Meng: "......"

Although he thought himself strong, there was no way he could walk out alive under this group's onslaught.

Damn!

Facing this reality, Hou Meng fled for his life, snatched the money pouch he had left on the counter, and bolted out of the terrifying Shanhai Tavern.

The Shanhai Tavern's first day of business ended earlier than Lin Manzhi had expected; according to the Beastfolk's rest schedule, the tavern operates during the hottest midday period.

Because only five hundred servings of Agave beer and cherry radish are offered daily, the male beasts under her command snapped them up instantly; the Shanhai Tavern's entrance was crowded, drawing in more passing customers.

Just after Mo Lie entered the back kitchen, Lin Manzhi finished teaching them how to make pickled side dishes; after washing up, she followed him to the front counter to check the situation, where the cashier Beastfolk informed them that today's prepared stock was completely sold out.

After all, they were warriors under the Kuangsha City lord; even before the dishes were ready, they chose to pay first and then sit or stand in the Shanhai Tavern waiting for the delicious food.

The attracted strangers, seeing this, unconsciously also followed suit, paying first and then waiting for the food.

At the Shanhai Tavern's entrance, passing Beastfolk, mocking the unheard‑of practice of paying before seeing food, suddenly caught the scent of food drifting in the air and stared with widened eyes:

"This Agave beer is so expensive; I've never heard of it before. It smells delicious; I want to try it,"

But at the entrance they were stopped by a towering male beast guard, "Sorry, today's Agave beer is sold out. If you want to drink, come early tomorrow and queue."

The blocked Beastfolk planned to spend a fortune to shop inside, but found that even with money they couldn't buy it, which only heightened their curiosity.

Claiming an effect like the artificial Female Pheromone, could it be real? Otherwise how could it be so pricey and disappear so quickly?

Especially after smelling the special fresh fragrance in the air, the tavern kept echoing praises like "delicious", "the beer is superb", "feels so comfortable".

It made everyone's cravings turn into a distinct hunger...

After closing, Lin Manzhi tallied today's revenue: five hundred Agave beers for 2,500 gold coins, and cherry radish for 100 gold coins.

Now even the warriors under her command cannot be satisfied with the Shanhai Tavern's goods, indicating huge commercial potential.

Lin Manzhi closed the lid of the money‑filled wooden box and lifted her gaze forward.

Now the Shanhai Tavern has closed for the day; the staff cleaned the tavern and left, the empty beer cans taken from above the counter will be brought back before opening tomorrow, everything is arranged.

She stood up, looked at Mo Lie beside her and said, "Let's go back. If nothing comes up later, I won't have to come here again."

Mo Lie nodded.

He left his seat, turned as he and Lin Manzhi walked out of the tavern, suddenly thought of something, and looked at her, "Want to go for a stroll?"

Lin Manzhi slowed her steps, glanced at the bustling street ahead, "Shopping?"

Mo Lie's expression softened as he nodded, "Hmm, Kuangsha City is now yours. Zhi Zhi, you've been busy with no time; will you accompany me today?"

Lin Manzhi felt a flutter, "Sure, let's take a walk together."

"If you get tired walking, you can sit on my back," Mo Lie said, gazing at the Little Female's black eyes, a slight smile curling his lips gently, "Only you can sit on my Beast Form."

Lin Manzhi blinked her thick, long curled lashes, almost blurting out that she was already tired, couldn't go on, needing the mighty leopard's back—

The words luckily got stuck in her throat; she suddenly recalled that she really liked Mo Lie's leopard form, but Mo Lie was in human shape, and the two walked hand in hand slowly.

It's a date!

That thought made Lin Manzhi's heart swell with a sweet feeling like biting into an exquisite dessert.

She faced Mo Lie, extending a pale hand, "Alright, then hold my hand now."

Mo Lie's gaze fell on her sparkling black eyes, a slow smile curving his lips; he reached out, clasped her hand, his five fingers slightly spread, and said, "Alright."

Lin Manzhi, led by Mo Lie, swayed their clasped hands in good spirits as they walked into the somewhat crowded street.

This was Kuangsha City's most bustling commercial district, the stone‑slab pavement polished smooth by foot traffic, split into inner and outer roads.

The wide central street, wide enough for ten vehicles side by side, served as a dedicated passage for the massive Beast Forms of male beasts, while the lanes near the shops were now filled with Beastfolk and humans alike wearing cloaks.

Lin Manzhi looked closely; the majority of the crowd were the various Merchant Caravans in uniform attire, groups of a few to a dozen, and on the central road male beasts rode their camel Beast Forms, hauling cargo side by side.

On both sides of the road, the shop façades of painted stone bricks were vivid; two‑story shop doors stood open, and Beastfolk draped in cloaks selected goods inside.

Lin Manzhi noticed warriors clad in leather armor wielding spears patrolling the street, a stark contrast to the earlier bustling yet chaotic atmosphere.

With a lord‑supervised territory, at least overt fights and lootings would no longer occur everywhere.

The commercial district was noisy and lively; Lin Manzhi, hand in hand with Mo Lie, walked slowly down the street. The lord's appearance was rarely seen, so no one realized that the person in the black cloak was their lord.

She, too, wore a black cloak that shielded the sun, moving through the crowd with ease, and could hear murmurs of discussion among the people.

"I went to the Shanhai Tavern today; it was so crowded I couldn't get in. Outside I smelled the fresh scent of Agave beer, and I have to say, just the aroma—without any artificial Female Pheromone—makes me want to buy it and drink!"

"Wow, I went today too; from outside I saw others drinking it from crystal glasses! The serving was a bit small, and I heard it costs five gold coins per cup—so pricey."

"You don't get it. I went early today, couldn't hold back, squeezed in with the crowd and bought a cup. *Sss*… that taste was even more comfortable than drinking artificial Female Pheromone—so stimulating!"