Chapter 32: Take Action

Lin Manzhi has been extremely busy these past few days, busy drying meat jerky and collecting Beast Coins; almost every day a few male beasts come to the yard looking for her to fix the water cellar.

She thought the water cellar business would be booming, but didn't expect it to be this booming.

Not to mention, the Beastfolk are quite perceptive; regarding the benefits of a water cellar, they didn't wait to see her water cellar fully in use or how long it could last—they all rushed over.

After sending off another Beastfolk, Mo Lie skillfully carried the Small Exotic Beast meat toward the kitchen, while Lin Manzhi went back to tally the results of these days.

She is now dressed in local attire: a beige fitted short‑sleeve top with a skirt, plus a headscarf that shields the sun.

At home she casually drapes it over her shoulder; when she goes out she unfolds the headscarf and wraps it around her head, which can also cover her whole body.

Mo Lie's new clothes are also a beige long robe with gathered sleeves; a tight belt perfectly showcases his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs.

Pleasant to the eye, Lin Manzhi pulls her gaze back, sits in the shade beneath the Water Pavilion in the yard, holding a small branch blackened at the tip, and scribbles on a smooth wooden plank inside the house.

So far, over these days she has helped thirteen households build water cellars, nine of them bringing fresh meat, and four bringing Beast Coins.

The nine households contributed a total of ninety Small Exotic Beasts, and the four households paid a total of eight thousand Beast Coins.

After deducting the thirty percent given to Xi Tao, she now has sixty Small Exotic Beasts at home, having processed roughly 2,400 jin of meat, which is now drying outside as meat jerky.

There are 5,332 Beast Coins.

She glanced at the seven households still waiting in line behind; if we keep building water cellars like this, we won't have to worry about food for the whole dry season.

Sure enough, wherever we go it's still about doing business and making money.

Lin Manzhi, in a good mood, lifts the corner of her mouth; she doesn't need to busy herself with building water cellars, and these past few days she and Xi Tao have been digging Sand‑tail Grass Stalks as usual.

The speed and proficiency have increased; each day they can collect about eighty stalks, and the income stays steady at 2,000 Beast Coins.

They also sold some of the extra Small Exotic Beast skins from home, but the skins aren't valuable; sixty pieces fetched only 200 Beast Coins.

In the meantime she spent some, buying Shiny Rice for five hundred Beast Coins, then a Small Ceramic Pot to hold the Shiny Rice, plus some miscellaneous daily supplies.

So, after calculating, her current savings amount to over 16,000 Beast Coins at home.

In such a short time to earn so much, Lin Manzhi feels ecstatic; making money has a magical power that lifts the spirit.

She puts down the branch and wooden board, stretches lazily, and stands up invigorated, "Alright! Today we'll also work hard digging Sand‑tail Grass Stalks to earn Beast Coins!"

Mo Lie, hearing the voice, steps out of the kitchen, looks at the energetic Lin Manzhi, and then at the abundance of meat strips hanging in the yard.

This kind of leeching feeling is unbearable.

He has been handling Small Exotic Beasts these days, all the common kind here called Sand Shell, and recalling Lin Manzhi's reaction the last time she ate a Terror Bird.

He could hunt some to store; Terror Bird eggs taste even better, and he wants to bring a few back for her to try, though it may require traveling farther.

As the sun crossed the horizon, Lin Manzhi walked into the hall, grabbed her bag, stepped out, and saw Mo Lie cloaked in a robe waiting for her in the yard.

Mo Lie said, "Zhi Zhi, I'm heading out today and will be later than usual; I'll come pick you up before noon."

Lin Manzhi, carrying the small bag, walks closer, reaches to pull the headscarf draped over her shoulder up onto her head.

Mo Lie hasn't had time to go out these days; he just drops her off at the Rock Wall and returns, handling the Small Exotic Beast meat at home lest it spoil.

Staying in the small courtyard for so long, he wants to go out and clear his mind.

She smiled, "Alright, go ahead without worry; when you return, I'll make lunch today. You've worked hard these days."

Mo Lie was momentarily stunned.

He had intended to say that he had already pre‑roasted some meat and placed it on a plate, so they could eat some upon return, but the Little Female's home‑cooked meal was more tempting, so he kept silent.

He raised an eyebrow, a faint glint in his eyes, and said, "Zhi Zhi cooking lunch herself? I'm looking forward to it."

He slipped into the kitchen, grabbed a dagger, and also packed the roasted meat into a clean leather bag, then nonchalantly walked over, taking the Little Female to the Rock Wall.

She comes here daily, so she's quite familiar with the area; therefore she no longer comes with Xi Tao every morning, as their waking times differ.

Lin Manzhi and Mo Lie say goodbye at the Rock Wall, and, brimming with excitement, she turns and heads toward the growth area of the Sand‑tail Grass Stalks.

In this barren place, such valuable stalks exist; she wonders if selling them outside would fetch a higher price.

This time she came alone, thinking there's an empty slot in her storage, she puts the dug Sand‑tail Grass Stalks into it, not knowing their use, but habitually plans to store some.

After digging a dozen or so stalks, Xi Tao yawned and came over; she looked down at Lin Manzhi's empty bag and said, "Manzhi, you got up so early. One Beast Husband is fine, but two Beast Husbands sometimes keep me up late at night."

While saying that, Xi Tao squatted down, a curious expression on his face, and asked, "Where's your Beast Husband? How many times does he… each night??"

Lin Manzhi blinked lightly; hearing her close friend bring up bedroom matters, the inexperienced her didn't know how to respond.

She could only smile without replying.

Xi Tao let out a chuckle, seeing Lin Manzhi's thin‑skinned face, and said no more.

The two continued to dig diligently as always.

In the desert.

Mo Lie walks at an unhurried pace through the golden desert; occasionally a few Small Exotic Beasts dart out of the sand, flinging their limbs and fleeing swiftly, and he does not chase.

He looks human, traversing the endless desert, tiny as a speck, and as he walks it seems he is searching for easy prey, which is why he hasn't acted yet.

The scorching sun hangs overhead, and ahead a boundless Desert Rock Belt stretches beyond sight.

The weathered Black Sandstone forms a natural maze, a place Terror Birds like to nest; Mo Lie walks alone through a narrow crevice, and his ear twitches slightly.

The next second, a hot gust rushes close, lifting the beige headscarf from his head; Mo Lie darts behind a sandstone outcrop.

A massive, sharp wolf paw, glowing with a forest‑white light, materializes out of thin air; a second later it slams onto the sandstone—Bang! —the hard Black Sandstone shatters instantly, scattering around.

Revealing a huge yet agile Gray Wolf landing lightly, Wolf Peak's strike misses; it lowers its head, nose pressing the ground, its claws silently clamp, sinking a small dent into the sand.

Wolf Peak has been waiting for this chance for a long time; its eyes blaze with ferocity, glaring fiercely at the prey that could win female favor.

The size disparity is huge; Mo Lie, at 1.9 m tall, is now only at the level of the Gray Wolf's chest, which stands about four meters high.

He calmly turns his head slightly and sees another Gray Wolf emerge from behind a Black Sandstone wall, one ahead and one behind.

"Yo, Mo Lie."

Gray Wolf Cangfeng opens its mouth to speak.