Chapter 164
Chapter 164
“The Jade Balance Army keeps a Register of Notable Objects. Every new addition earns a commendation.”
Perhaps Qin Ying had passed his earlier intelligence test, because General Chen Zhao now laid everything out plainly.
As he spoke, he placed a wooden bowl in front of her, picked up a long-spouted pot, and poured in a white liquid that resembled yogurt, though it was somewhat thinner.
He pushed the bowl toward Qin Ying. “Try it. Salt-fermented beast milk.”
“The two things you brought out today count as a commendation too, however minor. What do you want in return?”
“A Monstrous Beast? An exotic plant?”
Perhaps Han Lie had left a lasting impression on Chen Zhao by trading military merit for Yao Grass and a Xixi Fish, then passing the Yao Grass on to Qin Ying.
As Chen Zhao asked what she wanted, he listed several rare treasures one after another.
Qin Ying was certainly tempted, but after lowering her gaze and thinking for a moment, she answered, “I want a source of water.”
Here in the desert, the Fengshan Elite Cavalry had enough water to sustain the enormous Chongyuan, grow vegetables and Zhuyu Grass, and even allow ordinary soldiers to wash and bathe.
They had to possess a portable source of water.
“A source of water?” One of Chen Zhao’s eyebrows shot up. “Are you sure?”
From his tone, Qin Ying knew there was hope.
She raised a hand, removed her hood, and nodded. “I’m sure.”
Then she picked up the bowl of salt-fermented beast milk Chen Zhao had poured for her and took a small sip.
The beast milk had been fermented with coarse salt. It had little of the usual gamy odor, but tasted salty and sour and still smelled strongly of dairy.
Accustomed to sweet yogurt, Qin Ying did not care for the flavor.
The white monkey with the golden saber strapped to its back, on the other hand, drained its own bowl and cheered on the spot.
Qin Ying tentatively pushed her bowl toward it. The monkey showed no concern that she had already drunk from it and gulped down the rest.
After a brief pause, Qin Ying explained why she had asked for a source of water.
“A child in the Kuxi Tribe nearly died this morning.”
“Unlike the two soldiers from your army, the child’s illness was caused by a problem with the water in the Kuxi Tribe’s cistern.”
“The water is reddish and cloudy, and it reeks of rust. If they keep drinking it, more people will fall ill.”
Qin Ying did not consider herself a particularly good person, but she still possessed a basic sense of humanity.
She could supply them with water from Outside the Box for a while, but the Sand People could not pin their hopes on heaven or some god for generations to come. That was not right.
After hearing her reason, Chen Zhao gave her a long, searching look. “In that case, you’re getting the short end of the deal.”
When Qin Ying looked surprised, he said, “Come with me.”
This time, he personally led the way, taking Qin Ying through the main camp to the logistics encampment.
The source of their water was located very close to the Tuocui Beasts. Along the way, they passed many Gutless People carrying water.
They were all extremely thin, and the two large buckets hanging from each shoulder pole looked heavy enough to snap their waists.
They seemed to have lost even their most basic emotions, working on with numb expressions.
The overseers they passed, however, stopped what they were doing to greet Chen Zhao.
After walking a little farther, Qin Ying could clearly feel the air becoming much more humid.
The view suddenly opened up before her, revealing a large pool that had appeared incongruously atop the dunes.
As such a vital water source, it was protected by layer after layer of guards. They were subjected to several inspections before being allowed near it.
Standing at the edge of the pool, Qin Ying saw a layer of round jade stones covering the bottom.
Chen Zhao laughed heartily. “I suppose Ah Lie never told you. These pieces of Water Jade are what produce the water.”
“Water Jade comes from Tangting Mountain. Wherever it is found, springs flow without end.”
“It’s really nothing all that rare.”
The white monkey beside Chen Zhao rose onto its toes, hoping to see regret on Qin Ying’s face.
It was destined to be disappointed.
Were gold and White Jade truly rare? In desperate circumstances, neither was worth as much as a sip of water or a mouthful of food.
Rarity was a rather limited way to judge anything.
Still, Qin Ying seized on his words. “If it isn’t rare, then please give me several more cartloads, General.”
Chen Zhao merely smiled at her outrageous demand and waved a hand. He actually ordered the officer in charge of the supply camp to give her several cartloads.
It seemed the stuff truly wasn’t worth much.
Qin Ying shook her head inwardly and asked a soldier to go to the Kuxi Tribe and tell them to send people to haul away the Water Jade.
Upon learning that she had obtained Water Jade capable of producing water, the Old Shaman and Aman each came riding a Sand Lizard.
Divided among the different parts of the tribe, the Water Jade Qin Ying had obtained should be enough to meet their basic drinking-water needs.
When the Old Shaman saw clear water streaming over the wooden cart, he threw himself at it.
He scooped up a handful with his sand-caked hands and poured every drop into his mouth.
Then tears streamed down his face.
Qin Ying pulled her hood back up and bade Chen Zhao farewell.
Chen Zhao still refused to give up. “Are you truly choosing Water Jade? You can still choose something else.”
“Yes.” Qin Ying’s expression remained indifferent. His repeated questions were even beginning to annoy her.
The Little White Monkey that had been following at Chen Zhao’s side finally stopped covering its mouth and cackling at Qin Ying.
Instead, it stood atop a dune with its head tilted back, watching her until she left.
After returning to the Kuxi Tribe, Qin Ying first oversaw the proper allocation and delivery of the Water Jade.
Then she began directing the tribe’s people in rebuilding their cistern.
The cistern at the center of the village had been in use for countless years, and the villagers had grown attached to it. Besides, the Kuxi Tribe had only just suffered a major disaster and could not spare enough Able-bodied Adults to dig a new one anytime soon.
They might as well renovate the old cistern.
Qin Ying did not simply toss the Water Jade inside and call it a day. She first had the shallow layer of murky, rust-reeking water cleared away, then widened the cistern slightly.
That step alone required everyone still living in the Kuxi Tribe to pitch in.
Qin Ying made a trip Outside the Box. Under Wangcai’s deeply aggrieved gaze, she opened a can for him to make up for breaking her promise and returning late.
She also opened a newly purchased bag of birdseed for Thunderbird. Thunderbird was superb at cracking sunflower seeds and perched on the rim of the trash can, working through them one after another.
After feeding flames to the pack of Hou, Qin Ying finally put something in her own stomach as well.
She then carefully researched the matter on her phone, worked out a feasible plan for an erosion-resistant lining, and made notes on a water filtration system.
After the sun rose the next morning, the Old Shaman followed her instructions and led people down into the Ancient Chishui Riverbed to excavate chalk.
They coated the inside of the cistern with chalk to reduce seepage.
Meanwhile, Qin Ying taught Aman how to make charcoal.
Just as the renovations were progressing smoothly, a cry of surprise rang out from among those widening the cistern.
A half-grown child digging at the sandstone with a stone shard suddenly met no resistance. He had broken through the side of the cistern and opened up a hollow space.
Cool wind whistled through the gap, carrying an overpowering metallic tang of iron.
The child pressed an eye to the opening, then jerked in surprise. “I dug into a stone house!”
He did not know how to describe the crimson stone corridor he had seen, so he simply called it a stone house and began shouting about it.
An adult beside him leaned over to take a look as well.
Red light seeped through the palm-sized hole. Peering inside revealed a corridor of crimson stone lined with archaic stone carvings.
Red patches of rust covered the corridor. Damp and clammy, it had been connected to the Kuxi Tribe’s cistern for countless years, and its floor was completely encrusted with rust.
Had Qin Ying not brought back Water Jade and rebuilt the cistern, the people of the Kuxi Tribe might never have discovered such a strange place beneath their village.
The Old Shaman did not dare make a decision on his own and hurriedly summoned Qin Ying down into the cistern.
The smell of the rust-laden draft pouring through that tiny opening was growing stronger by the moment.