Chapter 178: Blackwater Underground City
Chapter 178: Blackwater Underground City
“Great Xia Abyss City?”
The female archer frowned. “Never heard of it.”
Probably because Gao Jing’s attitude seemed decent enough, she decided not to harp on his earlier rudeness. “My name is Ling Ling.”
“Ling Ling?”
Gao Jing was surprised. “You’re a descendant of one of the Nine Ancient Clans?”
Fire, Moon, Spirit, Wind, Water, Witch, Lineage, Emperor, and Mountain – the Nine Ancient Clans, the shared ancestors of all Great Wilderness Humans!
For thirty thousand years, countless royal houses and nobles of the Great Wilderness have been descendants of the Nine Ancient Clans.
Ling Ling nodded. “Yes.”
She obviously took great pride in her surname and heritage, unconsciously puffing out her chest.
Too bad no matter how much she puffed, it was still flat as ever.
Gao Jing wasn’t focused on that. “Are there many Ancient Remnant Clan descendants in Qinghe City?”
Ling Ling found his question a bit odd. Pouting, she said, “Aren’t you an Abyss Dweller yourself?”
Ancient Remnant Clan, Ancient Descendant, Abyss Remnant Clan – all referred to the Abyss Dwellers.
The humans who migrated underground to survive and multiply during ancient times.
In others’ eyes, Gao Jing was naturally one of the Abyss Dwellers, no matter which Abyss City he came from.
The thing was, Gao Jing himself really didn’t feel much connection to that identity.
He was from Blue Star!
Realizing his question might have been strange, Gao Jing smiled. He took off his backpack and opened it.
He pulled out a small box of a drink and offered it to this proud Spirit Clan descendant.
Ling Ling blinked, confused. “What is this?”
“It’s a drink for you,”
Gao Jing replied matter-of-factly. “Thanks for helping me earlier.”
Before coming to Qinghe City, Gao Jing already knew this Giant city held many Abyss Dwellers.
For example, the large merchant Zhiqi was the leader of a caravan from Qinghe City itself.
But Ling Ling was the first Abyss Dweller he’d met since arriving in Qinghe City.
And a descendant of one of the Ancient Great Clans!
Gao Jing was quite interested in her.
Not the romantic kind of interest, but he wanted to learn more information about the Abyss Dwellers through her.
This female archer just seemed rather aloof.
Gao Jing promptly whipped out a technique to break the ice.
Ling Ling shook her head.
She wouldn’t take food from a stranger, especially a man.
Even though the “drink” in Gao Jing’s hand looked very unique.
Gao Jing wasn’t fazed by the refusal.
He brought his hand back, peeled the straw off the drink box, pierced the seal, and started drinking it himself.
Ziluu, ziluu… He drank it happily.
For some reason, it looked delicious.
Gao Jing observed her reaction and took out another box. “Don’t worry, I’m not a bad guy.”
Being bad isn’t written on someone’s face!
Ling Ling scoffed inwardly at Gao Jing’s words, but her left hand, seemingly on its own, reached for the drink box.
She hesitated.
Gao Jing encouraged her. “Try it, it’s really tasty.”
Under Gao Jing’s coaxing and the small temptation, Ling Ling, half in doubt, peeled off the straw. She copied what he had done, stabbing it into the box, then cautiously took a tiny sip.
This archer girl was careful.
The slightest unpleasant taste, and she would spit it out immediately.
But the next moment, she pursed her lips, her pretty, sharp eyes narrowing into crescents in pleasure.
One sip, two sips, three sips…
Soon, she was drinking happily just like Gao Jing, two little dimples appearing on her cheeks.
Slurp! Slurp!
In the blink of an eye, Ling Ling drained the entire box. She sucked hard, and the straw made an empty gurgling sound.
She paused.
“It was really tasty,”
Ling Ling couldn’t help showing a hint of shyness. “What is this drink called?”
She had never tasted anything like it – sweet and tangy, with a creamy milk flavor.
It was truly delicious!
Gao Jing smiled. “Mongli Sour Sour Milk.”
He pulled out two more boxes. “Have some more if you like.”
“No, no, it’s alright,”
Ling Ling waved her hand hastily. “Thank you. This must be very expensive?”
Just the colorful box itself felt incredibly novel to her. Besides the writing she couldn’t read, it even had a lifelike picture of a person printed on it!
Only nobles could probably afford something like this.
“Not expensive,”
Gao Jing insisted, pushing both boxes into her hands. “I just arrived in Qinghe City. I don’t know much about this place. Can you tell me some things?”
“Well… Then I’ll take you to see Blackwater City.”
Feeling somewhat awkward, Ling Ling offered. “All the Abyss Dwellers in Qinghe City are there.”
Having accepted his favor and even his gift, she felt she owed Gao Jing a debt that needed repaying.
Without realizing it, her earlier vigilance and suspicion towards Gao Jing had faded away.
The archer girl led Gao Jing to a corner of the loft. She bent down and lifted a floorboard.
A deep, dark passage descending into the depths immediately appeared before Gao Jing.
Ling Ling slung her bow across her back and drew a dagger from her belt.
She rubbed her thumb over a white crystal embedded in the dagger’s pommel. The crystal began to glow with a soft white light.
“Follow me.”
Ling Ling entered the passage first.
Gao Jing followed closely behind, stepping down the wooden staircase.
The walls on either side of the passage were made of hard wooden planks, like they were inside a partition.
It made Gao Jing feel like a rat.
“Blackwater City is beneath Qinghe City…”
Ling Ling explained as she led the way. “Underground is safer than above ground.”
Most Abyss Dwellers lived in the Blackwater Underground City here, and they usually came to the surface at night.
Because for Abyss Dwellers, Qinghe City during the day was very dangerous.
Like the Red-Eye Crows Gao Jing had encountered earlier.
These crows originally lived in the wild mountains and forests.
After Qinghe City was built, they followed the Giants and became permanent residents of this city.
There were many of them, they were quite tricky, and they held grudges fiercely.
Red-Eye Crows ate almost anything.
Millet, fruits, insects, carrion, and the eggs of other birds were all on their menu.
Because they adapted and multiplied so quickly, there were now more Red-Eye Crows than Giants in Qinghe City.
Thus, their need for food grew huge.
Abyss Dwellers became targets for the Red-Eye Crows’ attacks!
Many newly arrived Abyss Dwellers ran to the surface, eager to see sights they’d never witnessed before.
But just after soaking up the sun for a moment, they’d be snatched away by Red-Eye Crows swooping from the sky and pecked to pieces.
What a tragic death!
Red-Eye Crows could be said to be the biggest enemies of the Abyss Dwellers.
But the Giants in Qinghe City were also a huge threat. Even if they didn’t mean any harm, they might accidentally step on, swat, or hurt the tiny Abyss Dwellers without realizing it.
And in the eyes of most Giants, Abyss Dwellers ranked just a bit higher than rats or crows.
Only a very few Abyss Dwellers ever gained their recognition and respect.
Gao Jing asked, “Like Zhiqi?”
“You know Zhiqi?”
Ling Ling was surprised. “He’s a great merchant from Wuzhi Abyss City, an honored guest of Qing Kui, the Qinghe City Lord, the leader of the Qinghe Merchant Caravan, and one of the seven stewards of Blackwater City.”
Sounded impressive!
Gao Jing rubbed his chin. “Did some business with him a few times.”
“Everyone says no one can ever get any advantage from Zhiqi.”
Ling Ling said very seriously. “They say his heart must be dark!”
Gao Jing had a feeling she was insulting him.
But he had no proof.
He trailed after this archer girl, descending constantly within the dark, narrow passage, switching staircases four times in all.
It felt like navigating a maze.
After about half an hour, they reached the end of a tunnel.
A wooden door appeared ahead.
Intricate totemic patterns were carved into its surface.
“We’re here.”
Ling Ling slid the dagger she was holding back into her belt at her waist, then pushed the wooden door open with both hands.
Bright light and a wave of noise instantly rushed towards them!
Before Gao Jing stretched a busy street filled with people. Row upon row of simple earthen huts and stone houses filled the view.
Most of these buildings were crude, even ugly, like they’d been thrown up without planning.
Walls were mostly an earthy yellow or dark yellow. Dust swirled on the paths, and Abyss Dwellers in all sorts of long robes moved about.
For Gao Jing, stepping out of the passage, it felt like stepping into an ancient desert capital.
But this was underground.
Thick stone pillars held up a high ceiling. The pillars looked like they’d been gnawed into existence by some beast – jagged, uneven, and tilted, with an extremely rugged, primitive look.
Interestingly, mushrooms of all sizes grew on the surface of these pillars.
It was the light emitted by these mushrooms that illuminated this city buried deep beneath the earth!
“Welcome to Blackwater City.”
The archer girl gave Gao Jing a bright smile. “The free city that belongs to us!”