Chapter 25: A Cup of Plain Water for Twenty Cents

The scene just now terrified the white dog, making it yelp and then turn and run. The monster chased straight after it, and both soon vanished behind the sand dunes.

A security escort in the rear party cursed loudly. One less client to escort meant a corresponding reduction in his pay.

This was the Serpent Dragon Desert's greeting to everyone.

For all the teams witnessing this, the previously relaxed atmosphere instantly evaporated.

Zeng Feixiong withdrew his gaze and murmured, "It's his fault. On Red Cliff Road, children and dogs must both be kept on a leash."

"I've never seen such a large 'Yellow Dab' before," He Lingchuan gasped. His original body often hunted and knew that a 'Yellow Dab' wasn't a fish, but a monster lurking in deserts and Gobi regions, specialized in ambushing small passing animals. In the desert, it could freely dive and surface, moving faster than any four-legged creature. However, these creatures were usually only slightly larger than a dog; even if they became demons, they shouldn't be that size!

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

That made sense. So, although sand panthers also hunted in the Serpent Dragon Desert, they typically resided and bred in the Western Mountains.

The magnificent desert, after a long gaze, seemed unchanging. The journey was calm yet boring; as long as one didn't step off Red Cliff Road, the only challenges were hot winds, scorching sun, and sandstorms. For prepared and experienced teams, these were tolerable.

After three full days of travel, the team finally reached Baiyuan Station. This was a relay station on Red Cliff Road, serving as a resting point for passing merchants and travelers. Its predecessor was an ancient city. Of the more than ten ancient cities in the Serpent Dragon Wasteland, only a few remained a hundred years later. Baiyuan City itself had long been swallowed by yellow sands; it was later comers who excavated its old foundations and built several rows of houses along Red Cliff Road. Like Red Cliff Road, the ancient city's area was safe from attacks by vengeful spirits and monsters, making it an excellent stopover for merchants and travelers.

As the team entered Baiyuan Station, He Chunhua hurried to negotiate with the station official. Indeed, Blackwater City had established a post station here, managed by dedicated personnel. However, regulation here was very loose, not as strict as within the Great Kite Kingdom. In times and places like this, the power of money became evident.

Baiyuan Station allowed passing merchants and travelers to pitch tents, and also sold food and water. If one desired a bit of luxury, small cabins were available for rent. Naturally, the Serpent Dragon 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 wanting to engage in this trade first had to establish connections with the station official, and then go to great lengths to transport goods to this barren land. With various costs piled on top of each other, a basic package of one steamed bun plus a bottle of fresh water sold for thirty copper coins—not expensive, right? A bowl of lamb soup with shredded bread, the kind with just broth and no meat cubes, sold for two silver maces—not expensive, right? A small cabin for an overnight stay, rented for five taels of silver—you'd feel like you got a bargain, wouldn't you? And if you wanted a hot bath in the desert to wash away the dust and fatigue of the journey—Grand Master Sun, Commander Nian, and Young Master He all desired this, so Governor He had no choice but to spend lavishly.

This single expense alone could buy five acres of prime farmland near Blackwater City, a permanent property.

After a bath and eating a few deluxe meals to his satisfaction, He Lingchuan finally felt re-energized. Despite his robust physique, he had been utterly exhausted by the past three days of travel, unsure how many more hardships lay ahead. In contrast, He Chunhua still seemed to have plenty of energy, clearly not as weak as he appeared.

He Lingchuan also bought a few meals for Zeng Feixiong; otherwise, the man, being short on funds, would have had to eat cold steamed buns with the soldiers. Zeng Feixiong felt uneasy and repeatedly declined, but He Lingchuan's resolve outweighed his resistance, so he eventually accepted with a sense of indebtedness, repeatedly expressing his gratitude.

He Lingchuan, however, knew that this man was straightforward but not reckless, and since he was leading the troops into the desert this time, he patted his shoulder and said, "Eating well and drinking well gives you the strength to work. Our safety, my father's and mine, is in your hands."

"Lord He and you have shown this humble officer such great kindness and resolved my future troubles. I shall repay this even if it means my life!"

"No need for such extreme words," He Lingchuan chuckled. "By the way, I heard your father was the only survivor who returned from the Serpent Dragon Ruins?"

Zeng Feixiong's expression dimmed 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 from then on; even the Great Shaman couldn't cure him. No one knows what happened to them. All he ever mutters is one word—'water'."

"Water?" The desert was indeed short on water. What terrible suffering had Zeng Feixiong's father endured to be so fixated on water even after losing his mind?

Just then, Sun Fuping called for them, summoning the various leaders to his cabin for a meeting. A guard brought in a large amount of yellow sand from outside and poured it onto the tabletop, quickly creating a simple sand table.

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

"Red Cliff Road originally connected to Serpent Dragon City," he explained. As a military supply route, it had to connect soldiers and provisions right to the city. "Not long after the Serpent Dragon Wasteland became a desert, nearby mountains collapsed, obliterating this road."

He drew a circle on the sand table: "To reach Serpent Dragon City, we'll have to take a detour and enter through the gap in Yingfan Mountain."

This detour was not part of Red Cliff Road, greatly increasing the dangers they were about to face.

In comparison, the past three days of travel had felt like a vacation.

Next, everyone discussed various countermeasures.

Although the He father and son had their differences with Sun and Nian, with their lives at stake, they discussed with exceptional focus.

He Lingchuan listened silently until the discussion was nearly complete, then voiced a long-standing perplexity: "As an isolated enclave, Serpent Dragon City held out for thirty-two years despite being surrounded by enemies, which is truly incredible. So, what was the ultimate reason for its fall?" This was also a mystery of the Serpent Dragon Desert; neither historical records nor local legends offered a definitive account. Only storytellers offered far-fetched explanations. "Could it be, as the locals in Blackwater City claim, that Serpent Dragon City lost its backbone because Zhong Shengguang died of illness?" People tend to find reasonable explanations for unsolved mysteries. Zhong Shengguang had defended Serpent Dragon City for over thirty years, aging from a robust young man to an old one through sheer endurance, and years of warfare could severely damage one's body and mind. This explanation was, for He Lingchuan, the most plausible among the many legends he had heard. He was very curious about the truth.

"From the clues I've gathered, that legend actually holds some truth; Serpent Dragon City did indeed lose its backbone," Sun Fuping poured himself a glass of water—fresh water that cost twenty copper coins per glass. "But it wasn't Zhong Shengguang; it was General Hong!"