Chapter 168
Chapter 168
“This underground cistern must have been Di Shang’s prison.”
“But you accidentally let it out.”
Chen Zhao took Qin Ying for a member of the Sand People and spoke as though it were only natural.
Qin Ying didn’t care about any of that. What mattered was how to seal the prison again.
“Without a weapon, how are we supposed to lock it back up?”
That mercury-like droplet wasn’t a creature of flesh and blood that could be harmed by blades.
Were they supposed to deal with that thing barehanded?
Chen Zhao said, “Haven’t you already figured it out? Di Shang detests rust.”
He paused and looked at Qin Ying.
Perhaps because he was thinking of Han Lie, who was still out on a mission, Chen Zhao’s attitude toward her was relatively mild.
“Come on. Let’s take a look at the Kuxi Tribe’s cistern.”
With that, he selected several soldiers to escort them and led Qin Ying toward the cistern.
The Tent-Guard Monkey he kept also remained close to Qin Ying the entire way.
As they approached the cistern, the Tent-Guard Monkey raised its head and sniffed the air.
Its face resembled a dog’s, with a long, pointed muzzle and narrow nasal passages that gave it a highly developed sense of smell.
Amid the odor of rusty water, it detected the scent of metal.
It bounded forward a few steps, pointed at the marks on the ground, and chittered at Chen Zhao.
Chen Zhao had removed his armor and wore only cloth garments. He crouched to examine the marks, and his brow immediately furrowed.
“What could possibly be down there that would make Di Shang return to its nest despite the rusty water?”
Qin Ying shook her head. “I don’t know.”
“We experimented with live sand rats before. Every time, lumps of rust sealed their mouths and noses.”
Qin Ying recalled the dream she’d had, and the rust-covered humanoid creatures in it.
The memory made her instinctively uneasy.
She had already told Chen Zhao what she’d seen, describing it as a prophetic dream.
But Chen Zhao clearly disliked the Sand People Shaman’s mystical posturing and hadn’t taken it seriously.
They followed that droplet of Di Shang down to the bottom of the cistern.
Chen Zhao carried the rusty jar from earlier, intending to try capturing it with the same jar again.
The soldiers he had selected took objects resembling lanterns from the backs of their belts.
They twisted the palm-sized lamps, and the cold glow of the Migu Flower instantly illuminated the cistern.
Qin Ying looked around and found a wooden stick leaning against the wall, roughly the length of a baseball bat.
She hefted it a couple of times and found it fit comfortably in her hands. Then she dipped one end into the rusty water on the ground, turning it into an improvised weapon.
Chen Zhao noticed from the corner of his eye and gestured to one of the soldiers. “Give her a lamp.”
A cold-glow lamp containing a blooming Migu Flower was handed to Qin Ying.
She glanced around, then copied the soldiers of the Fengshan Elite Cavalry and hung the lamp at her waist.
After that, she gripped the wooden stick like a baseball bat and headed down.
The Kuxi Tribe’s cistern had a narrow wooden staircase that creaked beneath their feet, and it was considerably colder there at night.
When Qin Ying and the others reached the bottommost level, the light from the Migu Flower Lamp revealed that the small hole in the wall, which had been sealed with wet mud, had been opened again.
Light spilled through from the rust-red corridor beyond.
Rusty water that had yet to drain away covered the floor, its icy chill rising over Qin Ying’s toes.
She didn’t show any disgust. Before Chen Zhao could give the order, she removed her outer robe, soaked it in the rusty water, and draped the dripping, rust-water-soaked garment over herself.
Seeing this, Chen Zhao nodded unconsciously before ordering, “Do as she did.”
He also rolled through the rusty water himself.
The Little White Monkey standing guard with a knife cherished its fur and was extremely reluctant. Chen Zhao stroked its head. “Be good. I’ll give you candy when we get back.”
Only after receiving that promise did the Little White Monkey roll through the filthy rusty water.
Its white fur, originally as fluffy as cotton candy, immediately became filthy and dripping wet.
Once that was done, Chen Zhao leaned close to the small hole and peered through it.
The sight of the red stone corridor beyond made his expression darken by degrees.
“Was this stone corridor originally submerged in an underground cold spring?”
“The cold spring dried up because of Hanba.”
The rust prison that should have remained underwater had been exposed, causing the prison to fail.
Chen Zhao fell silent, repeatedly changing angles as he examined the rust deposits on the corridor walls.
Only after a long while did he nod. “That’s right.”
He narrowed his eyes, trying to make out the stone carvings on the walls.
But the rust was far too thick for him to see them clearly.
After thinking for a moment, Chen Zhao suddenly said, “Widen the opening. We’re going in to take a look.”
At his command, the three soldiers guarding him sprang into action.
The hole that the Kuxi Tribe’s Sand People would have needed tools to widen was dug open by their bare hands until it was large enough for one person to stoop and squeeze through.
Qin Ying marveled inwardly.
Perhaps because she had proven herself rather quick-witted earlier, Chen Zhao offered a rare patient explanation. “Don’t listen to all the mystical nonsense those Sand People spout.”
Only after saying this did he realize that Qin Ying was also one of the Sand People. He didn’t apologize, however. After a brief pause, he continued, “Di Shang may sound mysterious, but what makes it troublesome is the damage it causes by devouring metal and stone.”
People with different knowledge and circumstances viewed the same thing in completely different ways.
The Old Village Chief had spoken of Di Shang with mystical awe, but as far as Chen Zhao was concerned, the only troubling thing about it was that it damaged military equipment and weapons.
Once again, Qin Ying realized that the Jade Balance Army was fundamentally different from ordinary people.
Just then, one of the soldiers squeezed through the widened opening and stepped onto the rust-encrusted stone corridor.
Chen Zhao told the other two, “You two stay here and stand guard.”
His gaze fell on Qin Ying.
He was about to order her to remain outside as well, but before he could speak, Qin Ying ducked down and slipped through the opening.
She had long wanted to see what was inside. Now that she had bodyguards and a guide with her, of course she had to go in and broaden her horizons.
Her movements were so quick and smooth that by the time Chen Zhao reacted, she was already standing in the rust-colored stone corridor, pretending to study the wall beside her.
Seeing from her shameless expression that she clearly wouldn’t come back out even if he called her, Chen Zhao let out an incredulous snort.
Still, he didn’t have anyone drag Qin Ying outside, tacitly allowing her to accompany him this time.
He patted the dog-faced Little Monkey beside him on the back of the head, signaling it to follow Qin Ying and protect her.
Qin Ying didn’t wander around or touch anything recklessly. She stood before the wall on the right, studying the stone sculptures encased in rust.
Her nose was filled with the damp, metallic reek of rusty water.
The stone corridor was wide enough for a two-shafted horse cart. Both sides appeared to have once been decorated with stone carvings and murals, but they were now completely covered in rust.
Qin Ying desperately wanted to pry off a piece and see what lay beneath those rusty lumps.
After thinking it over again and again, however, she forced herself to keep her hands still.
Chen Zhao ducked inside as well. The two soldiers left outside took off their outer robes, which had been soaked by the rusty water, and used them to seal the entrance.
Unlike the well-behaved Qin Ying, who hadn’t touched anything, Chen Zhao acted with far less restraint.
The Tibetan fox-faced man narrowed his eyes and studied both sides of the corridor for a while before pointing to a spot on the wall.
As though testing her, he asked Qin Ying, “Look over there. Do you see anything unusual?”
Qin Ying’s robe was still soaking wet, and she was so cold that her breath misted white. She followed the direction of his finger.
After a long moment, she said hesitantly, “There’s something buried under the rust. It’s square, like… a Coffin.”
A Coffin embedded in the wall.
Chen Zhao nodded in satisfaction and strode forward.
He thrust his bare hand into the red rust and wrenched off a chunk.
His movements were so reckless that Qin Ying feared he would get tetanus just from watching him, but Chen Zhao simply tore the rust away from that section of the wall.
Sure enough, a small stone coffin was hidden inside.
Brushing the debris from his hands, Chen Zhao said with certainty, “It’s a flexed burial.”
Qin Ying wanted to step forward for a closer look.
But the instant she moved, a blob resembling silver slime shot out from the rust and hurtled toward her.
Qin Ying spotted it from the corner of her eye and cursed inwardly.
Did this wretched thing think she was the easiest one to bully? Why did it have to target her specifically?
She tightened her grip on the wooden stick soaked in rusty water.
The Little White Monkey guarding her still held a grudge against Di Shang for taking a bite out of its blade. With an angry squeak, it leaped up and struck at Di Shang.
Di Shang took a blow from the back of Little White Monkey’s blade in midair. Before it could even land, Qin Ying’s wooden stick slammed into it.
With a textbook home-run swing, Qin Ying sent the glob of Di Shang flying.
Chen Zhao had been watching the commotion with amusement, but when he saw the thing hurtling straight at his face, his smile froze.
“You damned girl! Where are you aiming?”
Cursing inwardly, he abruptly dropped into a crouch.
Splat! The fist-sized lump of Di Shang struck the rust-sealed stone coffin and flattened against it like a silver glutinous-rice cake.
Chen Zhao rose, still about to curse, when the stone coffin creaked.
A hand completely encrusted in rust reached out from inside and seized the flattened Di Shang.