139: Chapter 137 Construction Begins and the City Lord's Collection

Zhang Mu was silent for a while, eventually saying nothing but patting his shoulder: "Stay here with peace of mind."

After speaking, he led the two of them back the way they came.

Just as they stepped through the gates of the City Lord's Mansion, Lia rushed over with open arms: "Brother... Zhang!"

Squatting down to pick her up, Zhang Mu stroked her head and gave her twitching cat ears a little rub: "Have you had breakfast yet?"

"Lia has already eaten." As if worried Zhang Mu wouldn't believe her, sitting on his arm, she hurriedly patted her little tummy.

He weighed her in his arms; perhaps because the food was good, the Little Cat Girl had gained quite a bit of weight.

She was also growing taller quickly; her head was already reaching his chin.

"Lia, where did you go?!" the Second Madam's frantic shout came from the main hall.

Immediately after, her anxious figure rushed out of the hall door, and her hurried pace only slowed when she saw Lia being held by Zhang Mu.

"Sister Palina, I'm here." With her arms around Zhang Mu's neck, she waved her other hand.

It seemed the two of them were getting along well.

Happily handing Lia over to her, Zhang Mu felt he was exceptionally wise.

Ten days ago, through an intermediary, he purchased a large amount of vegetables and wheat in the name of donating to disaster areas, and then Zhang Mu immediately returned to the Other World.

Afterward, using the excuse of a funeral, he threw tantrums all day at the various madams and young ladies in the City Lord's Mansion, eventually driving them all away.

Only the Second Madam, Palina, always maintained a submissive and weak demeanor, accepting any abuse, which gave Zhang Mu a headache.

He couldn't find a suitable excuse.

He had no choice but to stall for the time being, and he still hadn't found a reason by the time he personally brought Lia into the City Lord's Mansion.

One day, Soren saw Zhang Mu irritably tapping on the desk and, upon asking and learning about the situation, said with a smile that there was no need to drive away the Second Madam.

Given the "City Lord's" personality, it would be very abnormal for there not to be a single madam in the mansion.

If he really forced the Second Madam away, he would have to look for a wife again, which would be even more annoying.

Zhang Mu simply kept Palina.

He hadn't expected that Lia, who extremely disliked interacting with the maids and Guards, would actually get along quite well with her.

Moreover, Palina took very good care of Lia, so Zhang Mu dropped the idea of driving her away.

Watching Palina's back as she hugged Lia and disappeared into the main hall, Zhang Mu turned and asked Domit, "How are things on Mr. Mi He's side?"

When picking up Lia, Zhang Mu told Mihe about his plan, proposing that the entire Resistance Army relocate to the plains near Gur City.

Mihe agreed decisively.

This had been going on for a few days, and thinking that the construction was about to start and the matter of expanding food production needed to be expedited, he asked Domit, who had a sound transmission crystal.

Hearing the inquiry, Domit took out a crystal ball from the Storage Pouch at his waist and gripped it tightly.

After a while, he opened his eyes: "Mr. Mi He will arrive at the area Soren selected in about two days."

"Hmm..." Zhang Mu pondered for a moment, walking toward the backyard with his hands behind his back, "Domit, get them settled."

Soren, go with him, plan out the living quarters and suitable farmland for cultivation."

"City Lord," Soren spoke to stop him, "You said this morning that plenty of food would be delivered tomorrow; I need to make some preparations in advance."

"Just come find me tomorrow morning."

Zhang Mu waved his hand with his back turned, strode into the study, and looked around at the four walls and bookshelves.

Damn it, I haven't found anything after searching for so many days. Where is that bastard's secret room?

It wasn't that he hadn't suspected other parts of the City Lord's Mansion.

But according to Soren, the City Lord didn't have his own room; before marrying the Little Madam, he always stayed in the First Madam's bedroom.

Later, he alternated between the First and Little Madams' rooms.

Other than that, he mostly stayed in the study.

Based on this, he guessed that the secret room must be in the study.

He circled around a few more times, twisting vases and fiddling with books, but saw no movement.

Zhang Mu was getting a bit impatient, wondering if he should find an excuse to tear the study down.

"City Lord," Palina called out softly from outside.

Sitting behind the desk, Zhang Mu picked up a piece of gray paper and pretended to read: "Enter."

"Creak."

Palina carried a silver tray and squeezed through the door sideways.

"The chef said you didn't go to the dining room for lunch, so I brought it to you." Placing the tray on the desk, she turned to leave.

"Wait." Zhang Mu stopped her, asking while looking at the report in his hand, "Is Lia asleep again?"

"Yes."

Zhang Mu, who had asked casually, frowned and looked up: "How long has Lia been sleeping per day lately?"

"About thirteen hours."

"Tomorrow, call the priests affiliated with Gur City to the City Lord's Mansion."

Knowing what he meant, Palina said somewhat awkwardly, "I already called them yesterday, but they..."

"Hmm?"

"They said that even if it's the City Lord's command, they will never treat a demi-human."

"Heh." Zhang Mu grinned, "Send someone over and say that if I don't see them in the City Lord's Mansion before the sun rises tomorrow,"

I guarantee I'll hang all their heads on the flagpoles in front of the Gur City gates and let the birds peck them into skeletons."

Palina faced hesitation: "They are, after all, the Vice City Lord's subordinates..."

"Just do as I say."

"I understand." Bowing slightly, she turned toward the door.

After taking a few steps, she suddenly stopped, her gaze falling on a vase on a wooden base to the right.

Zhang Mu noticed keenly and looked over, discovering it was because he hadn't put the vase back in the center of the wooden base after moving it while searching for the so-called secret room.

"The servants should be replaced; they can't even handle such a small thing." He spoke in a feigned tone of displeasure.

"I know it's the City Lord's favorite vase; please don't be angry, I will discipline the servants carefully." Palina pleaded on their behalf.

He had wanted to take this opportunity to reasonably drive away the old servants of the mansion, but seeing her panicked face, Zhang Mu shook his head: "As you wish."

She seemed very happy; her bow before leaving was much deeper than usual.

When the door was closed and the footsteps faded into silence, Zhang Mu tossed the gray paper aside and stood up to walk over to the vase.

Looking at the painted patterns on the vase: "The City Lord's favorite vase?"

There was no denying the vase's expense, but something that could be bought with gold coins shouldn't be a Magister's favorite item.

But he had checked this vase carefully and found nothing unusual.

Where was the problem?

Recalling the ways treasures were hidden on the Saul Continent, Zhang Mu suddenly lifted the vase and smashed it onto the floor.

"Crash—"

The vase shards scattered in a mess, and the wall on the right immediately radiated light.

When the light vanished, a pale blue light gate emerged on the wall.

"World?" Zhang Mu was somewhat surprised.

A storage space where the entrance is a light gate; only a 'World' is like that.

"I didn't expect him to actually have a World."

Muttering to himself, Zhang Mu strode into the light gate.

Behind the door was a room of about ten square meters.

On the right was a long low cabinet, its surface neatly lined with various magic items and weapons. On the left were more than ten stacked wooden boxes.

Ignoring the magic items and weapons, Zhang Mu opened a wooden box; inside were rare herbs.

To him, herbs didn't have much value. He continued opening the blind boxes, and seven or eight consecutive wooden boxes were filled with herbs.

It wasn't until he moved the top boxes and opened the first of the three boxes on the bottom layer that he finally saw the magic books he was currently in desperate need of.