Chapter 266: People Really Can't Be Compared

To make a good impression before the Lord's Wife, everyone steeled themselves, exerted great effort, and in five days they dug a river two meters wide and six meters deep.

Next, Lin Manzhi continued to have them build a large lake at the river's end, roughly in the middle of the desert.

Under her guidance, after digging a big pit, Xiang Sa and the others repeatedly hammered on the sand and brought back some high‑viscosity red earth to plaster it; at that time Lin Manzhi was teaching the tribe how to construct water kilns, and that skill is now being applied here.

With water, green plants naturally sprouted around the lake's sand, forming an oasis. The oasis didn't conflict with the pasture she was planting; it actually added scenery, which was quite nice.

These days Lin Manzhi both instructed Xiang Sa and the others, and had the Sand Wolf Guard Squad scatter pasture seeds bought from the space across the desert.

After finishing the pasture‑seeding task, twenty days had already passed.

When they received word that Su Li had an urgent matter and came to see her, Lin Manzhi and Mo Lie had just finished breakfast, their faces showing surprise.

She thought for a moment, then turned to Mo Lie and said, "Shall we go to the study and have Su Li come over now?"

Mo Lie nodded, "Alright."

……

Su Li was led into the Lord's Residence.

Unlike last time, she was escorted by a guard through the magnificent and lavish complex, passing a massive tower gate and towering stone pillars before arriving at the rear hall of the Lord's Residence.

She felt anxious; in the past she would have praised the opulent architecture, but now she had no mood to admire it. The brief wait at the doorway for the guard to report inside felt endlessly long to Su Li.

Fortunately, the Lord's Wife of Kuangsha City did not turn her away.

Su Li took a deep breath and hurried from the doorway into the hall.

Lin Manzhi's clear, gentle voice came from inside: "Su Shamaness, long time no see."

Su Li's heart tightened as she looked toward the voice.

Mo Lie sat expressionless behind the desk; Lin Manzhi was walking around the desk toward her, a calm smile on her face that gave a reassuring feeling.

Lin Manzhi approached, reached out and took Su Li's wrist, leading her forward.

A cushioned chair had already been set in the hall; Lin Manzhi naturally guided Su Li to sit and, in a casual chat, asked, "How have you been lately?"

"I…," Su Li forced a smile, feeling deeply moved as Lin Manzhi led her to sit in the hall's chair.

Logically, Lin Manzhi's status had now changed; the other party was now the Lord's Wife of two continents, arguably the most honored and powerful female in the world.

Yet when Lin Manzhi saw her this time, her demeanor was unchanged from before; she even got up from her seat to greet her and arranged a seat for her.

And that Lin Ling! She hadn't become the Great Witch yet, but already considered herself superior to them, arrogantly suppressing her.

People really can't be compared!

After guiding Su Li back to the desk and sitting down, Lin Manzhi looked up at Su Li's uneasy expression and asked, "Su Shamaness, is there something troubling you?"

Mo Lie lifted his gaze, glanced at Su Li seated nearby, and idly tapped his fingers on the armrest, producing a faint, rhythmic "tap‑tap" sound.

In the silent great hall there was a subtle pressure; although the powerful black‑haired lord above exuded a terrifying aura, his mere silent presence seated there, face to face, was enough to instill great psychological fear.

Su Li dared not look at the icy Mo Lie, turned to Lin Manzhi, and quickly said, "I'm here on the Great Witch's orders, inviting Lord Lin to go to the Mountain Classic Beast Temple."

Mo Lie's expression remained unchanged as he slightly raised an eyebrow.

A flash of surprise crossed Lin Manzhi's fair face; she immediately thought the opportunity was good, then concealed her astonishment, lifted her gaze with a smile toward Su Li and asked, "The Great Witch wants to see me?"

Her eyes fell on Su Li's face; her dark pupils were bright and gentle as she asked, "The Great Witch is after the medicinal plants I cultivated, right?"

Su Li, stiff and a bit nervous, nodded, already intending to have Lin Manzhi become the Great Witch, and she lowered her posture.

"The medicinal plants you hold far exceed the amount of elixirs in the Wushen Temple; the Great Witch greatly admires you. If her health weren't poor, she might have come to Kuangsha City herself instead of sending me now to ask you to go to the Mountain Classic Beast Island."

Lin Manzhi asked smoothly, "I wonder, Su Shamaness, have you been promoted to Holy Shamaness?"

The Great Witch should have passed away at the end of the dry season; if it were the past, the Holy Shamaness would now be Fang Yue Dan, but the plot has changed greatly, and the Beastfolk's lifespan cannot be extended.

Su Li seemed to have suffered a major blow; her shoulders slumped despondently, her dry, slightly peeling lips moved, "No… there is no female who receives more attention from the Great Witch than I do."

Lin Manzhi slightly furrowed her brows.

Seeing Su Li's current state, far less confident than before, it was clear that the Great Witch's position was what had struck her.

Su Li has the medicinal plants she provides as support; who could surpass her?

Lin Manzhi was about to ask.

Su Li straightened, lifted her head again, her somewhat gaunt face looking at Lin Manzhi, and said eagerly, "Please, go to the Mountain Classic Beast Temple, no matter what."

Lin Manzhi lowered her eyes and did not answer immediately.

She naturally wanted to go to the Mountain Classic Beast Temple, after all the Dragon Exhaust she desired could only be obtained by trading with the Great Witch, and the final clue to the Huo Mother Elixir she was tracking pointed straight to the Mountain Classic Beast Temple.

She turned her head toward Mo Lie, seemingly asking his opinion.

Mo Lie turned his head and stared steadily at the Little Female, his deep blue eyes like a calm sea, his thin lips slightly upturned.

In that moment, meeting Lin Manzhi's gaze, he seemed to understand the unspoken meaning.

He rested his hand on his chin, a faint smile at the corner of his mouth as he looked at Lin Manzhi, "Zhi Zhi, wherever you want to go, I'll accompany you."

Su Li held her breath slightly, looking at Lin Manzhi, her eyes brightening with hope.

Just as imagined, persuading Lin Manzhi was all that was needed.

Lin Manzhi and Mo Lie reached a joint decision; she turned to Su Li again and said, "Since the Great Witch personally invited me, I'm certainly delighted to go to the Mountain Classic Beast Temple."

Su Li let out a heavy sigh of relief, her heart strengthening a belief.

The Lin Manzhi before her could produce medicinal plants that altered the existence of elixirs; even if she couldn't refine elixirs, she could assist unconditionally and would spare no effort to help her become the Great Witch.

Unaware that Su Li held this thought, Lin Manzhi agreed to go to the Wushen Temple, then suddenly recalled something.

The one competing with Su Li for the Great Witch is Lin Ling.

"Come to think of it…," Lin Manzhi asked slowly, "I'm curious—what has Lin Ling done in her rivalry with Su Shamaness that outweighs your achievements of providing Holy Maiden Fruit and Lettuce?"