Chapter 71: Storm

Lin Manzhi: "It's okay, having enough water makes it not that uncomfortable."

The journey has been hard, but the gains are worth it.

Mo Lie, who was behind, stepped forward and pushed open the stone gate.

Lin Manzhi led Xi Tao into her own courtyard, leaving the male Beastfolk Mo Lie to silently move things into the courtyard; she swept the courtyard.

The courtyard, untouched for days, was covered with a thin layer of sand dust; she casually opened the locked house door, without removing her cloak, took a broom from inside, and began sweeping the courtyard.

Mo Lie carried six burlap sacks of Meat Jerky from the cart frame into the hall, then turned and hauled three Water Cellars into the kitchen; two of the cellars had already been emptied on the road, so he lifted the empty one and went out to fetch water from the lake.

Xi Tao watched Mo Lie leave, standing in the corner of the courtyard as if she had something to say, and did not move.

She has no friends in the tribe; the other females look down on her for digging Sand-tail Grass Stalks, so when Lin Manzhi left, she suddenly felt out of habit.

Moreover, something in the past few days concerns her directly, and she hurriedly said: "Do you know? While you were away these few days, Xu Feifei and her group seized on the fact that you taught everyone in the tribe to build a Water Cellar, spreading slanders that you were tricking everyone with fresh meat."

Lin Manzhi looked puzzled: "Xu Feifei, who?"

Xi Tao's angry expression faltered for a moment; she looked at Lin Manzhi, who was sweeping, and reminded her: "Xu Feifei is the clan chief's daughter. Last time she came with the chief and a group of male Beastfolk to find you, to support that female for Lang Cang."

Got it... so it was her.

Lin Manzhi's face showed understanding as she recalled Xu Feifei's overbearing manner then, "If Xu Feifei says that, they've already seen the Water Cellar's storage capacity; no one will listen to her, right?"

Xi Tao grew angry at that thought.

She nodded heavily, speaking to Lin Manzhi as if giving a warning: "Exactly. The Water Cellar we kindly helped build has no problem; on what grounds does Xu Feifei blame the water and food shortage on you?"

Lin Manzhi frowned: "I'm blamed for teaching everyone to build the Water Cellar—what's going on?"

Since it also involved money for herself, Xi Tao absolutely did not want to spill more, and, huffing and speaking quickly, continued: "The pond of our tribe dropped to a small puddle in the middle the day after you left; the chief then announced that each household could draw only one Water Cellar every three days. Didn't the Water Cellar we were asked to build require sixteen days to become water‑storing?"

The contradiction lies in the water shortage?

Lin Manzhi set down the broom, looked at Xi Tao and asked: "Hmm, then?"

Xi Tao: "The first batch of Beastfolk's Water Cellars were filled with water without issue. Later, six or seven Beastfolk arrived late; before their Water Cellars could be used, the tribe already prohibited private individuals from going to the lake to store water at home."

Those people built Water Cellars but didn't fill them; they felt shortchanged, as if they built them for nothing?

Xi Tao, thinking of Xu Feifei, clenched her fist in anger; these past days Xu Feifei hadn't come to see her, only stared at Lin Manzhi:

"Moreover, now the desert has almost no prey left; those male Beastfolk can't catch any themselves, and they've lost the chance to store enough water for the dry season to sell for food. Xu Feifei, at this moment, tells those Beastfolk who later built Water Cellars to settle accounts with you—"

Xu Feifei shouted, "Lin Manzhi! Come out for me!"

Xi Tao's words were cut off by a coquettish voice from outside the door, and her complexion turned sour.

Obviously, Xu Feifei had already brought that group of male Beastfolk to settle scores with her.

Xi Tao, startled, ran a few steps to Lin Manzhi's side, grabbed her hand and said, "Let's not open the door; wait for your male Beastfolk to return, we…"

"It's fine." Lin Manzhi patted the frightened Xi Tao's shoulder, walked toward the courtyard entrance, pulled the stone gate open with one hand, and looked outside.

Xu Feifei stood between the two male Beastfolk, looking like the center of a constellation.

Six households still hadn't stored water in their Water Cellars, but those contemptible male Beastfolk, no matter how she spoke, seemed afraid of something and stubbornly refused to follow her to trouble Lin Manzhi.

The two beside her were the ones she promised to form a Bond with after securing compensation from Lin Manzhi, and only then did they follow her.

Xu Feifei, righteous and self‑righteous, as if defending her own male Beastfolk, said, "Lin Manzhi, you finally stopped hiding and dared to come out!"

Lin Manzhi sneered, "Why would I hide?"

Xu Feifei: "…"

Is she planning to rely on being a pheromone‑bearing female so that the male Beastfolk she brought, who were duped for meat, will no longer pursue the matter?

You scum!

Xu Feifei felt a sour, tooth‑aching jealousy rise in her heart.

Having pheromone, so impressive? She equally envies every female with a Pheromone Value!

Before she could start cursing, a cold voice came from beside her: "What are you gambling about at my doorstep?"

Xu Feifei was startled, turned her head to look to the side.

She saw Mo Lie, dressed in black, carrying a Water Cellar, his handsome face half hidden beneath a black Headscarf, expressionless as he approached.

Before Xu Feifei could react, the two male Beastfolk behind her trembled in fear and stepped back a few paces.

Her complexion turned pale, but her fear of the male Beastfolk before her did not outweigh her hatred toward Lin Manzhi—Lin Manzhi's Pheromone Value even makes the species of Beastfolk she seeks different!

Xu Feifei stared at the tall, handsome male Beastfolk before her, eyes blinking, her eyes reddening, "Y‑you, you bully…"

Mo Lie didn't even glance at her, carried the Water Cellar past the doorway into the courtyard, his heavy gaze landing on Lin Manzhi, and in a tone that threatened thin ice, said, "Zhi Zhi, I'm here to deal with them."

That tone sounded a bit ominous.

Lin Manzhi asked uncertainly, "How do you intend to resolve it?"

Xi Tao, seeing Mo Lie return, immediately felt the weight in her heart lift, noticing that the three people outside no longer had the previously aggressive demeanor.

Hearing Lin Manzhi's question, Xu Feifei's eyes reddened slightly as she looked on with a pitiful, fragile expression.

Under the gaze of those present, Mo Lie said coldly and calmly, "They came to block the doorway to duel me to the death; I must accept."

Two inhalations sounded from behind Xu Feifei.

She could barely restrain the pitiable expression on her face, revealing a resentful look.

He can even kill Lang Cang and Lang Feng; only the male Beastfolk seeking death would challenge him to a duel!

Xu Feifei wasn't bringing people to die; she turned to Lin Manzhi, crying, "Lin Manzhi, how can you be so vicious—first cheating them out of meat, then wanting their lives. We came to you to demand back the stolen food; if they die, I will go to Ansen City and report you to the Wushen Temple, even if I die!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Manzhi quickly reached out to grab the black‑haired male Beastfolk beside her; Mo Lie's expression remained unchanged, but his gaze toward Xu Feifei was cold.