Chapter 42: Leave Him Behind?

Sha Cheng asked, "What about Wolf Peak and Lang Cang? Why didn't we see them this time?"

"They…" Tribe chief Luo Ji hesitated, then said, "They were fighting beasts in the wild a few days ago and were killed." Sha Cheng's face was incredulous, and he shouted, "What?"

Wolf Peak and Lang Cang are the only two fairly strong beasts in this tribe; their caravan this time is carrying goods gathered from various tribes along the way, heading to the most chaotic Kuangsha City in the desert.

After breaking away from the great tribe, for safety it had always been Wolf Peak and Lang Cang who, together with the tribe's beasts, joined the caravan's escort.

Chief Luo Ji wore an embarrassed expression and rubbed his hands.

"Tsk, how did they just die."

Sha Cheng furrowed his brows so tightly it seemed they might die; he wasn't grieving Wolf Peak's death, but was irritated because the death could cause him trouble.

Kuangsha City has no lord; its inhabitants are desperate outlaws who lick blood from knife edges, commit murder, plunder, and every kind of evil, and they especially like to target caravans of all sizes.

"This time, when our caravan arrived, we saw a few groups of desert bandits on the road. They stalked us for a while, were discovered, killed over a dozen people, then fled."

He looked at the chief and, irritated, said, "The caravan carrying goods to Kuangsha City must pass that place again; everyone knows those death‑defying bandits will come back. At this point, the two strongest combatants of your tribe have actually died??"

The caravan carries fine fabrics, precious medicinal plants, and large quantities of Blood Salt, all of which are enviable to everyone.

For resources, even the Luo Lai Caravan, rumored to have a Supernatural Male Beast behind it, will shed its outer layer when it reaches the lordless Kuangsha City's sphere of influence.

They aren't afraid of the Luo Lai Caravan's people coming after them; after stealing goods they dash deep into the desert, enter Kuangsha City and dampen their presence, like a single grain of sand mixing into the desert—hard to locate.

Most importantly, they don't loot everything; they leave most of the cargo, making it hard for the caravan to give chase, and ensuring the Supernatural Male Beast wouldn't come personally just for a few goods.

As for small caravans without backing, they don't have Luo Lai's luck; encountering desert bandits means being killed and robbed completely.

As the tribe's former hunting team leader, chief Luo Ji once served in the Luo Lai Caravan's Guard Squad and knows how difficult it is for a caravan to cross this desert.

Now that he's older, he can no longer serve in the Guard Squad, and the caravan wouldn't hire him anyway.

He awkwardly touched his nose and suggested, "How about… you select more Beastfolk for the escort team this time?"

Sha Cheng sneered, his irritation boiling, and said coldly, "Just your tribe's herd of herbivores, you want to pick more to send to their deaths?"

Chief Luo Ji fell silent.

He knew Sha Cheng looked down on the beasts of their tribe, because the stronger ones had left after adulthood to find a way out; who would stay in this barren, stingy wasteland?

Only the weak, less capable beasts remain here.

After receiving this news, Sha Cheng kept sinking lower, then a flash of insight struck his mind; he looked at Luo Ji across from him and asked, "Who killed Lang Cang and Wolf Peak? Is he still in your tribe?"

Chief Luo Ji lifted his head and said, "You want to recruit him into this escort team?" Probably not…

"Take me to find him," Sha Cheng interrupted, standing up directly.

In the weak Luosangya Tribe, Sha Cheng's word was law; feeling superior and not taking the other side seriously, he naturally didn't care about what Mo Lie might say.

"Fine." Chief Luo Ji, accustomed to such an attitude from the strong, said nothing more, got up, and led him toward Mo Lie's family's direction.

After going to see the caravan from the incoming tribe, Lin Manzhi began planning how to hitch a ride on the Luo Lai Caravan to the city.

She knew that in this lordless place there were even fewer constraints of humanity and morality; a lone female entering the city would encounter many unimaginable things along the way.

From her reading experience, following the Luo Lai Caravan was the best opportunity.

Lin Manzhi thought, separating from Xi Tao, she walked toward home.

When she entered the courtyard, she saw a tall figure in a Black Cloak standing at the doorway, looking as if about to leave.

"You're awake. A caravan arrived in the tribe; I just went with everyone to take a look," Lin Manzhi said as she hurried closer.

While speaking, she reached out to steady the beast's arm before her, the muscles under her hand tightening.

Mo Lie removed the black cloth wrapped around his head; his lowered blue eyes, like the crystal‑clear sea of the far north, looked at the female before him with an unprecedented gentleness.

He slightly curled the corner of his lip and asked, "What do you want to use the caravan for?"

Huh?

She didn't expect the beast in front of her to guess her thoughts, but she had nothing to hide and instinctively said, "I… didn't I plant a lot of Lettuce?"

Mo Lie: "And then?"

He, without showing emotion, slowly led the female into the shaded house and asked, "Do you want to sell to the caravan?"

Lin Manzhi cheerfully followed Mo Lie, saying, "That would be a second‑hand resale with the Luo Lai Caravan as the middleman; the profit margin they earn would be larger than mine, which is not worthwhile."

Mo Lie tilted his head slightly.

He quickly clarified the situation Lin Manzhi described.

Among many caravans, they always price based on the strength of the Beastfolk; Lettuce has never been seen here, but both its taste and that faint, almost imperceptible soothing feeling are rare and precious commodities.

Mo Lie lifted his gaze, his lake‑calm eyes settling on Lin Manzhi, and asked, "You want to go into the city with the caravan and sell the Lettuce yourself?"

"I asked, the Luo Lai Caravan departs tomorrow; Xi Tao said they don't allow Beastfolk to follow behind their caravan."

Lin Manzhi propped her chin, smiling, and said, "But that's fine; I'll pay a protection fee. I'm sure they won't refuse the Beast Coins they receive."

Hearing that, Mo Lie lowered his eyes.

Having spent so long with her, he knew the female before him was very determined and hard to sway.

"Follow the caravan into the city? What about him?"

My Spirit Core is injured to the point that even moving is difficult; she won't bring this burden of me along.

He felt an uncontrollable surge of violent anger toward himself, as if a treasured thing he wanted to hold tightly in his arms was about to slip out.

In his mind, an image suddenly appeared of himself alone staying in the yellow sand, watching the female's departing silhouette, his heart briefly pausing.

Lin Manzhi looked at Mo Lie, not knowing why the beast before her suddenly exuded a terrifying, gloomy aura.

She steadied her mind, and with a smile in her black eyes said, "Mo Lie, let's go into the city together; after we sell the Lettuce we'll buy spirit‑restoring medicine."

Mo Lie was startled.

This was something he hadn't expected.

He thought the female before him would leave him here.