Chapter 196: The Mystery of the Lost Territory, Qinghai
As they were having their meal, the geese watchers curiously watched them from the corner, their eyes fixed on their bowls. Once they finished eating and were resting, patting their bellies and warming themselves by the fire, the elderly man approached again. He squatted down beside them and gestured towards the pot of soup, “Distinguished heroes, if you’re not planning to finish that, may I…”
Cheng Tianbi interrupted, “You may, but first answer a few questions for us.”
“Hasn’t my grandson already answered your questions? He’s just a young child with a tendency to exaggerate. When he says he’s seen a noble lord, it’s mostly false. Don’t take it too seriously.”
“We’re not asking about that. We have different inquiries.”
“Sure, go ahead.”
“Is your purpose for residing here solely to observe geese?”
“Actually, we’re here to observe the wall, and the geese are used to observing the wall.”
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“Mlzz wp ycswv vbl saktkd sq vbl oyzz.”
“Mbkp oyzz sq zktbv oyp nsdpvawnvle yqvla vbl dsczl zsae yaakhle. El byhl ds kely oblal bl yniwkale bwdealep sq vsdp sq lmrzspkhlp. Tl elvsdyvle y nkanzl okvbkd vbl nkvu, vbld tyvblale y taswr sq osajlap. Mblu wple naydlp yde pkxkzya liwkrxldv vs pvynj vbl pvsdlp. Rd rzynlp oblal naydlp nswzed’v alynb, rlsrzl zkqvle vbl pvsdlp.&dcpr;
Mbl oyzz’p yaly kdpkel kp yrrasmkxyvlzu 3 jkzsxlvlap kd ekyxlvla, okvb y nkanwxqlaldnl sq 16 vs 17 jkzsxlvlap. Ekvb vbkp ldelyhsa, vbl pwahkhkdt rsrwzynl sq vbl nkvu oyp xsckzkgle, yde qsa shla byzq y ulya, yxkepv bwdtla yde pynakqknl, xydu zkhlp olal zspv clqsal vbl oyzz pvsse. Plprkvl osajkdt sd yd lxrvu pvsxynb, dscseu nsxrzykdle. Xdzu yqvla vbkp oyzz oyp lalnvle eke ol qkdyzzu nyvnb y calyvb. Ohld vbl zsolpv plnvksd sq vbl Nktbv Eyzz pvydep yv yaswde 4 xlvlap vyzz. Gqvla kvp nsxrzlvksd, kv oyaele sqq y pktdkqknydv dwxcla sq xwvyvle clypvp.&dcpr;
Fkdnl vbld, swa eyup byhl clld pzktbvzu xsal pvyczl. Gzvbswtb xwvyvle nalyvwalp pvkzz yrrlya snnypksdyzzu, vblu’hl elnalyple cu yv zlypv plhldvu vs lktbvu rlanldv. Rq vblu lxlatl okvbkd vbl oyzz, vbl xwvyvle kdekhkewyzp rasxrvzu lzkxkdyvl vblx. Ekvbswv vbkp oyzz, ol’e pvkzz cl pwcflnvle vs vbl pzywtbvlakdt sq vbspl clypvp kd vbl qsalpv.&dcpr;
Mbwp, vbkp oyzz kp sq kxxldpl kxrsavydnl. Mbl dsczl zsae yaaydtle qsa rlsrzl vs cl ekhkele kdvs ekqqlaldv yalyp qsa pwahlkzzydnl. Fsxl xsdkvsa okvb bwxyd ralpldnl, obkzl svblap lxrzsu estp. Ohlau xlvbse sq oyzz-oyvnbkdt kp wvkzkgle. Xaktkdyzzu, swa qyxkzu oyp dlyacu, prlnkyzkgkdt kd ralryakdt qyv tsspl bsvrsv. Gv vbyv vkxl, ol bye shla y esgld tllpl. El nsdpwxle y qlo kdkvkyzzu, cwv yp vblu talo zyatla, ol eyale dsv lyv vblx. Mblu rashle wplqwz kd nyvnbkdt pxyzz tyxl qsa wp, ps ol pryale vblx. Bdlmrlnvlezu, vblu lhldvwyzzu clnyxl yelrv yv oyzz-oyvnbkdt. Mbswtb ol xyu yrrlya qlasnkswp, ol’hl clld scplahkdt vbkp oyzz qsa y pwcpvydvkyz rlakse. Zsw yal vbl qkapv vs byhl naspple shla vbkp oyzz qasx swa pkel.”
“Ebyv es usw lyv? Pslp vbl dsczl zsae rashkel uswa qsse?”
“El bwdv yde nwzvkhyvl swa sod nasrp. Psd’v cl elnlkhle cu vbl zkxkvle prynl okvbkd vbl oyzz; vblal yal pvkzz vldp sq vbswpydep sq rlsrzl blal. Ohld kq ol xydytl vbl qsse, kv’p cyalzu ldswtb. Gp zsdt yp ol esd’v clnsxl xlyzp qsa vbl xwvyvle nalyvwalp, ol nyd cyalzu pwahkhl, lhld kq kv xlydp nsdpwxkdt okze taypp.”
“Alau olzz, sdvs vbl dlmv iwlpvksd.” Ubldt Mkydck rskdvle vs y vaydpzwnldv pvayde sq pkzj sd bkp vaswplap, “Ps usw jdso obyv vbkp kp?”
The old man shook his head. In truth, he had long been curious as to why these people had a piece of this foreign material adhered to their bodies. He assumed it to be something from the outside world, unfamiliar to them. However, he didn’t dare to ask casually.
Cheng Tianbi continued, “These are spider silk strands that got stuck to us when we passed through that dense mist forest.”
The old man’s expression changed. “This… this is spider silk?” He couldn’t resist reaching out to touch it but stopped himself.
“Don’t touch it; once it sticks, it won’t come off.”
The old man withdrew his hand, “I, I understand. You all are truly amazing. I’ve heard that those spiders are incredibly terrifying. The silk is thick and sticky. Once it catches a person, they can only wait to die—either starve to death or get eaten by the spiders. Unless you sever your limbs, there’s no way to escape it. You were tangled in spider silk, yet you managed to escape.”
“Did you hear about any other methods to remove the silk?”
The old man shook his head, “We never had to deal with such troubles. I’ve never seen anyone come out of that forest alive…”
“Grandpa, there are some.” The young boy who had received a candy from Zhuang Yao chimed in, “There are, Grandpa. They call him ‘Spider-Man’.”
“What ‘Spider-Man’? Stop spending your time on those useless comics.”
The boy urgently explained, “That’s what they call him. Isn’t he a spider-mutant? He came out of the forest.”
The old man pondered and said, “There indeed is such a person, a spider-mutant. However, he’s not in Xining; he might not even be in Guangming. His whereabouts are unpredictable. He’s neither from Guangming nor from the western region. Rumor has it he ventures in and out of Golmud, a place only Lord Ming dares to visit. Anyway, he’s a legendary figure, and talking about him won’t make any difference.”
Cheng Tianbi nodded, “How much do you know about Golmud?”
Fear flashed across the old man’s face, “That place is like hell. There are no living souls left. I’ve heard even the rats there are bigger than your cat, and they eat even the wild grass. But for some reason, that spider-human, the noble lord, the arcane lord, and some other powerful mutants occasionally visit Golmud. I have no idea what they do there.”
Cong Xia’s heart tightened. He felt like they were getting closer and closer to those intricate secrets. If they could exchange information with the noble lord, they might be able to unravel many mysteries.
Zhuang Yao inquired, “Do you know where we can get some chemicals or medicines?”
The old man pondered for a moment, “There’s a hospital in the city center, but anything useful has been taken. What kind of ailment are you looking to treat?”
“We’re not treating an illness. I need some substances to prepare a solvent to dissolve this silk.” Zhuang Yao tore a piece of paper from his notebook, “The main components of this silk are fibers and proteins. They’re not too difficult to deal with. Can you help us find what’s written on this paper? After the task is done, we’ll reward you with valuable items.”
The old man glanced at it and hesitated, looking at the group.
“How come? Are you worried we might be spies from the western side?”
The old man waved his hand, “With so many of you suddenly arriving, it’s hard not to be suspicious. The noble lord did say that as long as they aren’t spies from the western side, we should accommodate outsiders. However, we’re just wall observers after all. You all can’t stay at our place forever; sooner or later, someone will notice. I don’t know what your true intentions are, and if someone were to ask…”
Cheng Tianbi interrupted, “Regardless of our intentions or what anyone asks, you have no connection with us, and we’ve never stayed here. Can we agree on that?”
The old man nodded hastily, “Alright, alright. I’ll go get the things tomorrow. Just provide me with some meat and vegetables, and I can bring them back in half a day.”
“Good, go early tomorrow then.” After Zhuang Yao gave a few more instructions, he dismissed the old man and his relatives. Most of the people were tired after the day’s events, and they headed to the prepared rooms to sleep. The living room was left for a meeting among the leaders of the mutant group.
Tang Tingzhi said, “We can now reasonably assume that the noble lord is probably an evolved human of the Light Natural Force. We don’t know where he is right now. Should we meet him immediately or gather some information first?”
Shen Changze suggested, “With our numbers, we can’t really hide. We might as well approach him directly.”
Zhuang Yao responded, “I understand you’re eager to meet your Elemental counterpart, but we shouldn’t rush. The Puppet jade is surely relying on both sides now. With so many of us coming, he’s bound to grow suspicious. Until we communicate properly, conflicts could easily arise. I suggest we find a place to settle in the city for now, and learn more about the local situation. In a matter of days, the noble lord will know of our presence, and he’ll want to meet us. Then, we can send a few representatives to discuss matters.”
Tang Tingzhi nodded, “I agree.”
Tang Tingzhi was the overall commander of this Qinghai expedition. When he made a decision, the others didn’t object. He continued, “We know very little about Qinghai. If everything goes well, tomorrow we’ll deal with the silk first. Then we’ll move to a new location, let everyone explore the area, and gather information about the local situation. But be cautious not to create conflicts with the locals.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
At night, they squeezed into one room. There was a stove in the room, but to prevent carbon dioxide poisoning, they had replaced the stove’s fuel with a solid, new energy source. The room warmed up within twenty minutes, and they began removing their outer clothing. Most of the spider silk was stuck to their clothes, as well as in their hair and on their necks. However, after taking off their clothes, they were finally able to get some rest.
Cong Xia and Zhuang Yao shared a single bed, while the others lay on the floor using their clothes as makeshift bedding. Lying comfortably in Tang Yanqiu’s arms, Liu Fengyu didn’t mind at all.
In the darkness, the light from the stove cast their shadows long against the wall. Cong Xia found it difficult to sleep. He stared at the elongated shadows on the wall and wondered, “I wonder what level that Light Natural Force Evolutionist has reached by now.”
Liu Fengyu replied, “He probably hasn’t surpassed the Second Stage; otherwise, he would have exploded long ago.”
Cheng Tianbi said, “That’s highly unlikely. This is Qinghai, and the mutated creatures here have evolved to be even more formidable than those outside. Before coming to Qinghai, we had never seen any land-dwelling creatures larger than Abu, but even the geese guarding the houses here are bigger than Abu. The people here have evolved much faster than us as well. It’s impossible for that Light Natural Force Evolutionary to stay at the First Stage all this time.”
Deng Xiao voiced a concern, “But this place is saturated with Cambrian energy. If he advances, he’ll self-destruct. How did he manage to survive?”
Zhuang Yao said gravely, “Since this is Qinghai, there are many things he knows that we don’t. I think it’s very likely he knows a safe way to advance, and furthermore, he has already done so.”
Cheng Tianbi questioned, “If he has indeed safely advanced, what level is he at now?”
Zhuang Yao fell silent for a long time this time, “I have a very bad feeling.”
“What do you mean?”
“Because based on my calculations and judgment, that Light Natural Force Evolutionary has at least broken through the Fourth Stage.”
Cong Xia suddenly sat up from the bed, and the others followed suit, staring at Zhuang Yao in shock. They couldn’t find words to express their astonishment.
Zhuang Yao shifted to lie in a different direction, “Why are you all so agitated? Getting excited won’t change anything. It’s better to be mentally prepared. Colonel Tang has probably already calculated it as well, but he didn’t say anything. So, you all should keep quiet for now. If my judgment is incorrect, we would have needlessly alarmed you. I’m letting you know to prepare you psychologically.”
Cong Xia asked, “When was the last time you made a wrong judgment?”
“I would love to tell you I’ve forgotten, but I remember every single event since I started forming memories. However, I can’t answer that question. Because in my eyes, I have never made a wrong judgment. A mistake means the facts completely contradict my judgment, and that’s never happened. Every time I make a judgment, it’s based on data and evidence, and it can’t be completely different from the facts. But if the accuracy of my judgment is less than 70%, I consider it relatively unsuccessful. If you’re asking about things where my judgment accuracy was less than 70%, well…”
“That’s enough… you’re giving us a headache.” Cong Xia rubbed his temples forcefully. “Really… Is it truly possible that the Light Natural Force Evolutionary has broken through the Fourth Stage?”
Zhuang Yao said, “It’s not just him. If the Arcane Master in Xuan Ming City is someone who can compete with him evenly, his level shouldn’t be lower than that either. Qinghai is undoubtedly filled with experts, and comparatively, we are nothing.”
The mood in the room became heavy. At this point, they still didn’t know whether this noble lord was an enemy or an ally. But now, they were being informed that he might be a superhuman who had reached or surpassed the Fourth Stage. While they might not necessarily want to fight him, the imbalance in power was a concern. Of course, this was only Zhuang Yao’s speculation. However, if the noble lord had truly found a safe way to advance, then his level must be above Cheng Tianbi’s— at least the Third Stage— enabling complete Elementalization and possessing many unimaginable powerful abilities. Such an individual would be best to cooperate with; otherwise, a battle to take the Puppet Jade would inevitably be bloody.
“Stop thinking and get some sleep. Pay attention to your positions and don’t get stuck to the bed,” Zhuang Yao advised.
Deng Xiao was startled and quickly adjusted his posture. It seemed he had almost forgotten. The others also settled into proper positions and drifted off to sleep, each with their own thoughts.
Early the next morning, the old man took a few family members to the city for purchases. Tang Tingzhi had a few people secretly follow them to ensure they didn’t have any ulterior motives. Another group was sent to the city to find a place to stay. In the afternoon, the old man returned with the items Zhuang Yao needed. They were all chemical substances that couldn’t be ingested and weren’t commonly used. They were purchased at a very low cost.
Zhuang Yao and Tang Tingzhi used the materials to create the decomposition enzyme. As they had said, both the fibers and proteins were easily broken down. It took them half a day to prepare the enzyme. They then proceeded to melt away all the silk from the bodies and clothes of the people and animals.
While the decomposition enzyme was milder compared to freezing or digestive fluids, it still caused a temporary reddening of the skin. The humans were fine, but the mutated creatures had a tougher time. After their silk was dissolved and then frozen at low temperatures, their fur became clumped together. The smaller ones were brought indoors to be warmed by the fire, causing the clumps to melt away. However, larger creatures like Abu couldn’t fit inside the house, so they watched helplessly as their fur formed clumps. Abu wanted to lick them, but Zhuang Yao stopped it. In the end, Tang Yanqiu and Deng Xiao used a torch to warm Abu’s fur for a while, untangling the clumps.
By the end of the day, everyone felt more exhausted than if they had walked for an entire day.
As evening approached, the group that had gone to find a place to stay returned. They reported finding an abandoned express hotel not far from their current location. It seemed suitable for their stay. In an effort to avoid drawing attention, the group walked along the walls in a determined manner, heading towards the express hotel.
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