Chapter 197: Got It

He entered, saw a small bulge curled under the blanket on the bed, and the handsome man silently curled his lips.

Mo Lie slowly approached, set the water cup he was holding aside, and sat at the bedside.

Mo Lie reached out, brushed the top of the Little Female's hair hidden in the blanket, and asked, "Thirsty? Want to drink some water first, then sleep a bit more?"

Lin Manzhi, under the blanket, said: "……"

No, what am I hiding from?

She ripped the blanket off her head, opened her eyes to see Mo Lie's calm expression, let out a hum and slowly sat up, "I'm not sleeping, I'm getting up."

Mo Lie's thin lips twitched, and the delighted, satisfied smile in his eyes hid within the dim light of the room.

He placed his hand behind Lin Manzhi's back to help her down, his dark eyes casually saying, "Zhi Zhi, Agave liquor is really good. We promised last night to taste it again next time; I'm already looking forward to the next time with you."

Lin Manzhi paused with the hand that held her clothes, then pretended nothing and continued picking up the outer garment, saying, "We'll talk about it later."

Forget it! Never! No next time!

Once, twice, she realized that her current body was a total wreck, while Mo Lie drank and was fine.

Hehe…

When not drunk she could still control each night's affairs, but after getting drunk her reason flew away, and she would never refuse Mo Lie; she was just exhausted the next morning!

Lin Manzhi now lacked the courage to change clothes in front of Mo Lie, as if she didn't notice his lingering gaze, and she took the clothes toward the washroom to change.

Drinking to the point of harming the body isn't a joke, after all.

……

Hua Zheng, with Su Li, rode nonstop to the Lord's Residence's council hall.

The temporary Lord's Residence complex sprawled widely in Xicheng Qu, bearing an ancient historic feel worn by centuries of sandstorms, making it hard to believe this is the power center of Kuangsha City.

Su Li's mood was complicated.

She quickened her pace and said to the guide ahead, Hua Zheng, "Hey, Kuangsha City isn't that poor, is it?"

"Even if Kuangsha City is desolate, the other five factions of Kuangsha City have all been taken by you; why didn't you choose a more splendid Lord's Residence?"

Thinking of everything she'd heard and seen since entering Kuangsha City—the potions and medicinal plants, all things she'd never before encountered—Su Li's eyes grew distant, and she sighed, "You guys never lack money, do you? Your Lord's Wife is truly impressive; just the sale of raw elixirs brings in a lot, not to mention the Holy Maiden Fruit and Agave beer business…"

She grew increasingly shocked as she spoke:

"I never imagined that in this desert you would grow medicinal plants that astonish the whole world."

Hua Zheng, hearing the praise, grinned proudly, glanced back at the Shamaness, didn't tell the outsiders about the Lord's Residence's construction, and quickened his steps forward.

He was insanely interested in Agave beer and cherry radish! He didn't expect that after only twenty‑something days away, Lord Lin would bring out more good stuff!

In the corridor leading to the council hall, beneath each massive rock pillar that two people could embrace, stood a Beastfolk guard; as they walked to the hall's entrance, the guard's gaze swept the two arrivals from head to toe, saw Hua Zheng, then placed his right hand on his left chest and bowed:

"Lord Hua War General."

Hua Zheng nodded at the guard, his eyes brimming with excitement.

From the corner of his eye he saw Su Li and led her forward to deliver the task.

Mo Lie didn't want to be far from Lin Manzhi; the council hall was set in the courtyard before the residence, guarded tightly. Upon reaching the hall, a guard stepped forward to report, and shortly after emerged to lead the two inside.

Soon, Hua Zheng and Su Li entered the council hall and saw the lord of Kuangsha City.

The scorching noon sun pierced through the dragon‑god eagle statues on either side of the massive doors, flooding the hall with bright daylight.

The cold, handsome lord sat upon a gemstone‑carved throne, legs slightly apart on the floor, black hair cascading from his shoulders, a black robe enveloping his tall, sturdy frame, and deep blue eyes.

Seeing her again, he still gave Su Li a powerful sense of oppression that made her from the heart dare not underestimate him; this aura even surpassed that of the other lords she had encountered.

Such presence makes it natural that his strength could seize Kuangsha City and become its lord.

Su Li felt it didn't match the rumors that Kuangsha City lacked strong figures.

Having stayed in Kuangsha City so long, she knew well how the five chiefs operated, so she understood it must be due to his overwhelming strength.

Su Li's confidence rose high, yet when facing the Kuangsha City lord, her demeanor grew increasingly tense as she carefully walked into the hall.

Mo Lie tilted his head slightly, his gaze fixed toward the side.

Lin Manzhi sat beside him, lazily yawning, her sleepy eyes opening as she tried to stay more awake.

Seeing Su Li walk in, her eyes lit up, and she reached out to tug Mo Lie's sleeve, "Hua Zheng and the others are back!"

Mo Lie, in turn, grabbed Lin Manzhi's hand that had pulled his sleeve, and lowly replied, "Mm."

Su Li: "……"

All of a sudden, that terrifying oppression vanished like a bubble, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Mo Lie lowered his eyes coldly, looking toward the people entering the hall.

Before he could ask, Hua Zheng, from the moment he entered, excitedly like a victorious warrior, shouted at speed, "Master, Hua Zheng escorted Su Shamaness to the Mountain Classic Beast Temple, and has now returned with Su Shamaness and four portions of Dragon Exhaust, successfully completing the mission!"

Even though she'd long known they'd use Concentrated Spirit Dew to trade for Dragon Exhaust, Lin Manzhi couldn't help but let out a light cheer.

Yay! Great, with Dragon Exhaust they can get Concentrated Spirit Dew, and Mo Lie's Spirit Core can finally be fully healed~~

Mo Lie slightly curled his fingers, gently flicked Lin Manzhi's palm, and she pressed down her upturned mouth, pulling her hand out of his.

"Please inspect it," Hua Zheng carefully took a red wooden box from his chest.

Mo Lie, expressionless, said, "Bring it over."

Hua Zheng lifted the box with both hands and presented it upward; Mo Lie reached out, took the red wooden box, opened it, and saw a row of tiny glass bottles inside, each holding dark‑red, magma‑like droplets silently settled at the bottom.

She still remembered the original novel's description of the heroine Fang Yue Dan obtaining Dragon Exhaust:

【The potion in the bottle is like a solidified dusk, dark red as lava, yet strangely still.

It is not a liquid, but more like some kind of living thing.

Viscous plasma contains fine gold sand sediment, occasional tiny bubbles rise, and when they burst against the glass wall they emit a faint sound like cracking bones.

When light passes through, one can see filamentous dark currents sluggishly writhing inside the potion, like countless sleeping snakes. At the very bottom lie several near‑black crystals, resembling dried blood clots, or refined sins.

When the bottle is shaken, those dark‑red droplets briefly float, like the awakened eye of an abyss, then slowly settle back into deathly silence.】

Finally, after watching for a few seconds, Lin Manzhi took a deep breath, rose from her seat, and confirmed this was the "Medicine Guide" she had been missing.

She took the wooden box from Hua Zheng's hand, looked at Su Shamaness standing in the hall, her jet‑black bright eyes filled with gratitude: "Su Shamaness, thank you for helping me obtain the Dragon Exhaust; you've had a hard journey."