Chapter 28: A Cup of Clear Water for Twenty Cents

The recent scene frightened the white dog, which yelped and immediately ran off. The monster directly pursued it, and both soon vanished behind the dunes.

A porter in the rear contingent cursed under his breath. One fewer client meant his wages would be slightly reduced. This was Dragon's Coil Desert's greeting to everyone. The relaxed atmosphere among all the teams witnessing this immediately dissipated.

Zeng Feixiong withdrew his gaze and muttered, "It was his fault. On Red Cliff Road, both children and dogs must be leashed."

"That's the largest Yellow Flounder I've ever seen," He Lingchuan gasped. His original self often hunted and knew that Yellow Flounders weren't fish, but monsters that lurked in deserts and Gobi plains, specifically ambushing small animals that passed by. They could freely submerge and surface in the desert, moving faster than four-legged creatures. But these creatures were usually only slightly larger than a dog; even if they became demons, they shouldn't be that size!

"This is Dragon's Coil Desert," Zeng Feixiong said, having escorted caravans through it many times and grown accustomed to its dangers. "Vengeful spirits influence everything here. Even intelligent monsters, if they stay in the desert too long, become corrupted."

That made sense. So, while sand leopards also entered Dragon's Coil Desert to hunt, they must usually reside and breed in the Western Mountains.

The magnificent desert, after a long look, remained unchanged. The journey was calm and uneventful; as long as you didn't step off Red Cliff Road, you only had to contend with the hot wind, scorching sun, and sandstorms. For well-prepared and experienced teams, these conditions were tolerable.

After three full days of travel, the team finally arrived at White Wall Station. This was a relay station on Red Cliff Road, used by passing merchants and travelers to rest. Its predecessor was an ancient city. There were over a dozen ancient cities in the Dragon's Coil Wilderness, but few remained a hundred years later. White Wall City itself had long been swallowed by the yellow sands. Later arrivals excavated its old foundations and built several rows of houses along Red Cliff Road. Within the ancient city limits, just like on Red Cliff Road, there were no attacks from vengeful spirits or monsters, making it an excellent stopover for travelers.

As the team entered White Wall Station, He Chunhua hurried over to negotiate with the stationmaster. Yes, Blackwater City maintained a post station here and assigned special personnel to manage it. However, regulations here were loose, not as strict as within the Great Kite Kingdom. In such times and places, the power of money became evident.

White Wall Station allowed passing merchants to pitch tents, and it also sold food and water. For those who wanted to indulge, small cabins could be rented. Naturally, Dragon's Coil Desert itself had no water sources, so all food ingredients, fresh water, and building materials had to be transported from Blackwater City. Where there was demand, there was business. Those wishing to engage in this trade first had to establish connections with the stationmaster, then go to great lengths to transport goods to this barren land. With various costs piled high, a basic meal of one steamed bun and a bottle of fresh water sold for thirty copper coins—not expensive, right? A bowl of mutton stew with flatbread, the kind with only fat but no actual meat, sold for two silver coins—not expensive, right? A cabin for an overnight stay, renting for five taels of silver, would make one feel like they got a bargain, right? And if you also wanted a hot bath in the desert to wash away the dust and fatigue of the journey—

Grand Tutor Sun, Commandant Nian, and Young Master He all desired this, so Commander He had no choice but to spend lavishly. This single expense alone could buy five *mu* of prime farmland near Blackwater City—permanent real estate.

After bathing and eating a few luxurious meals until he was half-full, He Lingchuan finally recovered his strength. Even with his strong physique, he had been quite exhausted after three days of travel, and he wondered how much more hardship lay ahead. In contrast, He Chunhua still appeared at ease, clearly not as frail as he seemed.

He Lingchuan also bought several meals for Zeng Feixiong; otherwise, being short on money, Zeng would have had to eat cold steamed buns with the soldiers. Zeng Feixiong felt uncomfortable and declined several times, but Young Master He's insistence was greater, so he ultimately accepted with a sense of indebtedness, repeatedly expressing his thanks.

He Lingchuan, knowing that Zeng was straightforward but not reckless, and that he was leading the troops into the desert this time, patted his shoulder and said, "Only with good food and drink will you have the strength to work. Our safety, my father's and mine, is in your hands."

"Lord He and you have shown this humble general great kindness and resolved my future troubles. I will repay you with my very life!"

"Sacrificing your life is a bit much," He Lingchuan chuckled. "By the way, I heard your father was the only survivor who returned from the Dragon's Coil Ruins?"

Zeng Feixiong's expression darkened slightly. "Yes, twenty years ago, someone offered a large sum for him to be a guide, and he was the only one who returned alive. But he lost his sanity afterward, and even the Great Shaman couldn't cure him. No one knows what happened to them; all he does is constantly murmur one word: 'Water.'"

"Water?" Water was indeed scarce in the desert. What terrible ordeal had Zeng Feixiong's father endured to obsess over water even after losing his mind?

Just then, Sun Fuping called for them, gathering a few leaders for a meeting in his cabin. A guard brought in a large amount of yellow sand from outside and poured it onto the table. A simple sand table was thus prepared.

"We're almost at the end of Red Cliff Road," Zeng Feixiong gestured on the sand table. "The day after tomorrow, we'll leave the main road and enter the desert. The real test begins then."

"Red Cliff Road originally connected to Dragon's Coil City," he explained. "It was a military transport route, meant to bring soldiers and supplies right to the city's edge. Not long after the Dragon's Coil Wilderness turned into a desert, nearby mountains collapsed and destroyed this road." He drew a circle on the sand table: "To reach Dragon's Coil City, we have to take a detour and enter through the gap in Yingzhen Mountain."

This detour was not on Red Cliff Road, and the dangers they were about to face increased significantly. In comparison, the past three days' journey felt like a vacation.

Next, everyone discussed various countermeasures. Although the He father and son had their differences with Sun and Nian, given that their lives were at stake, they discussed the matters with extreme focus.

He Lingchuan had been listening silently, and only when the discussion was almost complete did he voice a long-standing question: "As an isolated enclave, Dragon's Coil City held out for thirty-two years despite being surrounded by enemies—truly remarkable. So what finally caused its fall?" This was also a mystery of Dragon's Coil Desert; neither historical records nor local legends offered a definitive explanation. Only storytellers provided some far-fetched theories. "It couldn't be, as the locals in Blackwater City say, that Dragon's Coil City lost its backbone because Zhong Shengguang died of illness?"

People tended to find a reasonable explanation for unresolved mysteries. Zhong Shengguang had defended Dragon's Coil City for over thirty years, literally aging from a strong young man to an old one, and years of warfare could cause immense physical and mental damage. This explanation was one of the more plausible legends He Lingchuan had heard. He was very curious about the truth.

"From the clues I've gathered, that legend actually holds some truth; Dragon's Coil City indeed lost its backbone," Sun Fuping said, pouring himself a cup of water—fresh water that cost twelve copper coins per cup. "But it wasn't Zhong Shengguang, it was General Hong!"