Chapter 280: Can't Sit Still

Lin Manzhi reached out, pulled Mo Lie's hand apart, and naturally leaned into his embrace, then, not understanding, asked, "What are you worried about?"

Mo Lie held Lin Manzhi's hand, sliding it slowly down her back, his voice low, "Our offspring."

Lin Manzhi: "... Oh."

She's only in her twenties and never imagined becoming pregnant right now.

It's said that once you become a mother, you spend every day revolving around the child, so hard you have no life of your own.

Although in the Beastfolk world the male beasts care for the young and the females are daily tended by the Beast Husband, she doesn't mind having a child with Mo Lie, but she believes she can conceive naturally at her own pace and will never take any potion.

Let's skip this topic for now.

Lin Manzhi lowered her head, thinking of the twenty‑something Soul Cocoon Divine Pills in the space, sighed, "This trip netted twenty‑four Soul Cocoon Divine Pills, but the dragon sap in the Wushen Temple is scarce. I think selling the pills is best left undone."

Mo Lie lowered his head and, soothingly, kissed the soft top of Lin Manzhi's hair.

He knows Lin Manzhi previously intended to use the Soul Cocoon Divine Pills as a rare cure, trading them with other lords for more treasure.

"The rarer it is, the more valuable; with its healing effect on the Spirit Core, a single Soul Cocoon Divine Pill will spark competition among the great lords. You can fetch a good price, Zhi Zhi," Mo Lie said casually.

Lin Manzhi: "You're right; these potions are emergency life‑saving meds for the male beasts."

Now she has herbal material that treats Spirit Core frenzy, and even substitutes for all the Wushen Temple's potions, yet she still lacks the Soul Cocoon Divine Pill.

Moreover, compared to easy money, she would prioritize the warriors in the two territories.

Lin Manzhi, thinking of the dragon sap reserves in the Wushen Temple, knows any future exchange will cost more and might fail: "We should keep them for our own emergencies."

Mo Lie: "Fine."

He lowered his gaze at Lin Manzhi in his arms, his voice unintentionally gentle: "I'm listening, Zhi Zhi."

Lin Manzhi's trip to the Wushen Temple yielded more than just potions.

At least she confirmed the medicinal use of Cuan Qiong and secured a joint cooperation pact with the continent‑wide Wushen Temple; future earnings will exceed what she hoped to make by selling Soul Cocoon Divine Pills.

When Lin Manzhi returned to Kuangsha City, the dry season had already begun.

On the empty plot of the Planting Base, the golden sand had been covered by green pasture grass, and a thousand small fluffy Exotic Beasts shipped from Ten Thousand Beasts City were grazing there under a Beastfolk's watch.

Temperatures rose, and the Beastfolk of Kuangsha City resumed their early‑morning, evening, and late‑night activities.

The first thing Lin Manzhi did upon returning was summon her most capable planter, Xiang Sa, and assign him to lead a team to the Ansen Territory to plant medicinal herbs.

Xiang Sa was thrilled by the assignment; he didn't even know what herbs the seeds were, but his planting bases had already expanded to the An Sen Da Lu.

After Lin Manzhi's rather unprofessional guidance on planting herbs, Xiang Sa confidently claimed he had learned everything—how to choose soil, how to plant, how to tend the medicinal herbs.

Finally, after consulting Mo Lie, Lin Manzhi planned to plant ten thousand ginseng, one thousand Eucommia trees, ten thousand Gastrodia, twenty thousand Cuan Qiong, ten thousand vine thorns, and ten thousand Notoginseng.

At that time, Xiang Sa led two thousand planters, while Mo Lie assigned Hu Biao to lead three thousand Beastfolk soldiers to escort the seeds to the secret medicinal‑herb planting base in the Ansen Territory.

After the major task of planting medicinal herbs was settled, the watermelons and Hami melons in the planting base entered a great harvest.

The two thousand mu of melons ripened; the first batch was harvested for three straight days, with caravan after caravan of camels shuttling loads, a long line of fully‑laden wagons that made the people of Kuangsha City indescribably happy.

In the scorching dry season, these medicinal melons not only soothe the Spirit Core but also refresh the whole body, making them the Beastfolk's favorite herbs right now.

The melons are abundant, so there's no worry about unsold stock; this batch is sold in Ansen City and Kuangsha City, while the remainder is traded by the Wushen Temple, Ten Thousand Beasts Continent, and Lei Ting Continent.

……

Xing Yuan City.

Yin Xuan has been monitoring Kuangsha City; for some reason its Agave beer hasn't been mass‑produced, only available within Kuangsha City and Ansen City.

This let Yin Xuan breathe a sigh of relief; he no longer sent anyone to Kuangsha City to investigate, as long as it doesn't affect the Xing Yuan Continent's strong brew.

Yin Xuan assumes he will no longer have dealings with Kuangsha City.

The Wushen Temple in Xing Yuan City recently released two medicinal melons called watermelon and Hami melon, priced at 8 gold coins each, sparking a rush among the city's nobles.

Luo Lai Caravan shops also stock these two melons, selling them for twelve gold coins!

This instantly caught Yin Xuan's attention; he deeply understood that such high‑priced herbs would not be snapped up without special benefits.

Soon, Prime Minister Xing Bei presented him with the two hot‑selling melons. He grasped a watermelon, applied gentle pressure, and with a crisp "Crunch!" the emerald‑striped fruit split in his palm, releasing an unprecedentedly enticing fragrance.

He couldn't resist taking a bite of the pink flesh; the unsuspecting sweet watermelon nearly made him choke.

This, this, this is simply delicious!

As a regional overlord, all kinds of meat and fruit from the continent arrive at his table, yet none compare to the juicy, refreshing watermelon; a single bite of its sweet, fragrant juice soothes the scorching dry season, comforting him from head to toe.

He originally intended to test the melons' medicinal effects, but the great hall remained silent, only the alternating "Crunch! Crunch!" of biting melons and occasional slurping could be heard.

Though conquered by the watermelon, Xing Bei remembered his duty and reported to the lord: "I've compared prices; these watermelons and Hami melons are cheapest in Kuangsha City at just 2.6 gold coins each. I think Kuangsha City must have cultivated them."

"The Ten Thousand Beasts Continent also has watermelons; I heard they're ten gold coins each," Xing Bei emphasized, "The Luo Lai Caravan is backed by the Lei Ting lord; he sells them at the highest price, earning a lot of food and Beast Coins on our Xing Yuan Continent."

Yin Xuan calculated in his mind, immediately furrowing his brow: "A price difference of several times? Just buy watermelons in Kuangsha City, bring them back, and make that much profit!"

He hadn't cared about trading with Kuangsha City, but after calculating the resale profit, he said without exaggeration that it equates to the annual tax revenue of a hundred tribes.

"Buy—must go to Kuangsha City to buy!"

Aside from the Xing Yuan Continent, Sa Xin City and Ao Dai City couldn't sit still after seeing these two melons.

Lin Manzhi received news in succession; three lords rushed to visit, hoping to purchase watermelons and Hami melons.