Chapter 226: I Take Her

From the start, Mo Lie handed over all the property he had acquired into the hands of Wife Master Lin Manzhi.

At this moment, Lin Manzhi had just inventoried the now abundant storeroom and couldn't help but be impressed.

When she toils planting and selling crops, her average daily income sometimes can't even match the sudden riches from "tourist reception."

Indeed, having become a famous tourist spot, she can earn money even while lying down.

Seated in the council hall, Lin Manzhi calculated the wealth received during this period and was somewhat astonished.

In the depths of fate, she felt that ever since returning to Kuangsha City, her luck had become invincible—selling Lettuce never attracted trouble, Mo Lie's conquest of Kuangsha City went smoothly, and the issue of another lord eyeing the medicinal plants was resolved in a way beyond scientific explanation.

She blinked in disbelief and turned to look at Mo Lie sitting beside her.

The promised villain script seems to have turned into a reborn‑villain feel‑good tale??

At that moment, Hua Zheng passed through the first gate, walking from the open courtyard into the council hall.

Sunlight streamed through the columned hall sculpted with white Beast God eagles, and part of it seemed to follow Hua Zheng through the tower gate into the restored ancient council hall.

This grand hall clearly dates back to ancient times, built by ancestors in Beast Form; its height alone reaches sixty‑six meters, covering three thousand square meters, with two rows of ninety‑nine towering columns supporting the flat roof above.

In Human Form, Hua Zheng walked deeper into the hall, a journey that would take some time.

The magnificent hall's soaring dome depicted vivid skies and mountains; at the far end, behind a white jade long table, the lord's thrones stood side by side, their seats of white jade linked by gold, backs inlaid with translucent imperial‑green jade, and the armrests topped with gold‑crafted leopard faces.

Lin Manzhi sat on a complex, orange‑and‑blue patterned cushion; the seat was large enough for her to lie down on, appearing a notch smaller than Mo Lie's neighboring chair, yet no one could overlook her.

Especially Hua Zheng, who had been by Mo Lie's side the longest, bowed simultaneously to Mo Lie and Lin Manzhi.

He lifted his eyes, barely able to hide his joy, and quickly said, "Lord, Lord's Wife, I have followed your command and driven back the prey sent from the Wushen Temple out of the desert; I have now placed them in a sand area west of the city."

Hua Zheng had truly never seen such a unique herd of prey; his mind heated up and he couldn't stop talking: "The Beastfolk of the Ten Thousand Beasts Continent must have used some method, because how else could they raise so many prey? They were brought back alive and especially docile! The Exotic Beasts are larger than the Beast Forms of some male beast races, yet they don't attack humans at all. Heavenly Beast God, I've never seen prey so cooperative that they go straight to the mouth! I have no idea what they eat…"

Mo Lie lifted his hand, sealing a thin parchment roll, glanced up at Hua Zheng in the hall, and cut off his endless chatter: "Speak of business."

Lin Manzhi smiled and said to Hua Zheng, "You handled this matter well. Oh, and bring up the tally of the prey; I want to see the loss."

Hua Zheng hurriedly took a thin parchment roll from his waist pouch, stepped forward, placed it on the table and pushed it toward her, his excitement still fresh, and said, "I've counted ten times. When we first entered the desert and received the prey, we cross‑checked the list and had someone tally it once. After corralling them into the enclosure, I, together with the Ten Thousand Beasts Continent people, performed a final count and confirmed. In the process, 326 small fluffy meat Exotic Beasts and 4,867 Exotic Beasts were missing. The cargo in the carriage has been inspected and is now placed in the front hall awaiting your confirmation."

Mo Lie took the thin parchment roll, handed it to Lin Manzhi beside him, and asked calmly, "What about the Beastfolk who delivered the goods?"

Hua Zheng stood before the desk, after handing over the items he stepped back a few steps, and replied, "This time, the party delivering the prey consists of three Shamanesses and a contingent of ten thousand Beastfolk warriors from the Ten Thousand Beasts Continent. I have led them to reside in the guest‑receiving Kana Fo Hall. Do you wish to summon them now?"

Mo Lie: "No need."

Hua Zheng nodded, then suddenly thought of something, his face showing anticipation: "Shall we slaughter the prey now? We have no fodder; the prey can't survive long, and the lean meat will diminish."

Kuangsha City has no experience raising prey; even though Hua Zheng saw people from the Ten Thousand Beasts Continent offering withered dry hay along the way, they have none in the desert.

If one wishes to keep live prey, calculating the cost of raising them shows it's cheaper to buy a prey elsewhere.

Mo Lie's expression remained cold as he nodded, "Process the Exotic Beasts promptly, sell a portion of the fresh meat in shops throughout the city, turn the surplus into Meat Jerky, and retain one hundred of the small fluffy meat Exotic Beasts."

"Understood." Hua Zheng nodded obediently, his voice loud, his face showing a sense of abundant harvest.

During their conversation, Lin Manzhi examined the list of quantities on the thin parchment roll and saw that this escort involved the Lion Guard Legion under the Ten Thousand Beasts Continent's lord, the Lion‑Griffin Hand; her eyes brightened.

She turned to Mo Lie, set the thin parchment down and said, "The missing prey exceeds the contract numbers; we need the Beastfolk of the Ten Thousand Beasts Continent to bring another batch of prey to make up the shortfall. I intend to negotiate another fodder deal with them; what do you think?"

She deliberately emphasized the fodder, hinting at something else—making one think of the dried grass harvested from the meadow in her personal space, known only to the two of them.

Mo Lie's blue eyes unintentionally softened, and he was about to speak.

At that moment, Hua Zheng, who always diligently recorded every word Lin Manzhi said, looked at the Lord's Wife above and earnestly pledged, "Yes, Lord's Wife, I will escort you to the Kana Fo Hall right away, and also have the Lion‑Griffin Hand return to replenish the missing prey."

Mo Lie's gaze darkened as he looked at the quick‑answering Hua Zheng and said coldly, "You don't need to go."

Hua Zheng let out a puzzled "eh", glanced at the lord behind the desk who seemed suddenly displeased, and asked, "But didn't you say that I am in charge of all matters concerning this Ten Thousand Beasts Continent transaction?"

Mo Lie: "I will take her."

Hua Zheng: "…"

Mo Lie, in a cold tone, said, "You are tired; return and rest."

Hua Zheng: "Yes!"

Ah! How dangerous—my excitement made me forget to watch the lord's expression.

I almost seized the lord's matter just now, didn't I?

Hua Zheng felt a chill in his heart, suddenly embarrassed as if he wanted to dig a hole and hide in it.

He obviously knows that the master's vulnerable spot is his female side; just now he had positioned himself between the two, and his over‑excitement could blind others.

He said cautiously, "Um… shall I first arrange for someone to handle the prey, then return to rest?"

Mo Lie, with an indifferent expression, replied, "Mm."