The Walnut Boats

At this size, the wooden vessels could hardly be called giant ships, but fitting seventy to eighty people aboard was more than manageable. Furthermore, there were three of them—ample room for every member of the expedition. Everyone tilted their heads up in awe, letting out a long, collective gasp. Even knowing beforehand that Sun Fuping was a National Preceptor gifted with extraordinary arts, seeing such a display with their own eyes still left them thoroughly shaken. He Lingchuan overheard Zeng Feixiong murmur, "So that's what a profound crystal looks like? First time I've ever seen one." His voice brimmed with wonder. "It's green, which just means it's a lower-grade profound crystal," He Lingchuan remarked with characteristic nonchalance. Nian Songyu caught the comment, turning his head at once to ask, "Do you have mid-grade or high-grade ones?" "No, of course not!" He Lingchuan laughed it off. If he admitted to it, wouldn't it just be confiscated on the spot? And who could blame him for being guarded when he actually possessed one? Inside He Lingchuan's storage bag at this very moment lay a profound crystal. Its shade was a dark green, slightly superior in quality to the one National Preceptor Sun had fed to the walnut boat. Profound crystals were the solidified form of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, typically produced only during massive surges of spiritual energy. Once harvested, humans refined and transmuted them, sometimes infusing various ingredients to craft profound crystals of different types and grades. Their applications were vast: replenishing the true power of sorcerers and demons, powering mechanical automatons, fueling formations, and much more. These three walnut boats might look modest, but the price to drive them was steep. A great deal of time had passed since the last massive spiritual energy eruption. Profound crystals grew scarcer with every passing day, their value climbing ever higher. National Preceptor Sun could casually spend one to power walnut boats, whereas He Lingchuan possessed only a single piece—a lavish gift bestowed upon him by an envoy from the northern demon kingdom in exchange for a favor. One treated a luxury as a tool, while the other kept it tucked away like a treasure. Their standing and wealth were miles apart. While He Lingchuan observed with keen interest, Nian Songyu turned to question the sand bandits: "Do you have any other tricks up your sleeves that might help?" Situ Han had also been admiring the walnut boats. Hearing the inquiry, he shook his head vigorously. "There are too many of us. Most of our rustic methods won't do much good." Nian Songyu had merely asked in passing, never expecting them to offer a brilliant solution anyway. But He Lingchuan grinned. "Did you leave your scent buns behind this time?" "We brought them, of course." Situ Han hesitated for a brief moment, glancing at Sun Fuping with an embarrassed look. "It's just that they aren't... refined enough for polite company!" "Saving our skins comes first. Who cares whether it's refined or not?" Nian Songyu looked at Situ Han. "Is it effective? Does it work well?" "Usually, very well." Situ Han patted the boat's hull. "What does it take to get this treasure moving?" Nian Songyu saw no reason to hide it. "A profound crystal." Every second spent moving would burn raw coin. Situ Han pondered for a moment. "If luck is on our side, perhaps the two lords won't need to spend any profound crystals at all." Now even Sun Fuping looked intrigued. "Oh?" Profound crystals were exceedingly rare; conserving them was always preferable. Such things were practically priceless with no open market—an ordinary person could not buy one even with piles of silver. Situ Han modestly emphasized once more, "Only if our luck holds!" "Let us see it then," Nian Songyu said flatly. "If it fails and holds up official business, I will personally throw you overboard to feed the monsters." *Why did I have to open my big mouth!* Situ Han dearly wished he could slap himself across the face. "In that case, everyone, please cover your noses." Cover...? Seeing his eldest son and the bandits pull their face cloths over their noses and mouths, He Chunhua followed suit. Situ Han barked an order backward, and a few sand bandits hauled forward a chest. Opening it revealed a soft cushion inside, upon which rested a bulging, balloon-like object. Nian Songyu peered at it from several angles, entirely baffled. "What is this?" "Has Commandant Nian never seen a pig butchered?" He Lingchuan chuckled. "That is a pig bladder. Blow air into it, and it swells right up. Right now, it's far from fully inflated." Seeing his eldest son look so smug, He Chunhua could not help grumbling inwardly. Since childhood, this boy had enjoyed the finest food and comforts in Blackwater City, living as a standard second-generation noble scion. By rights, he shouldn't have had any acquaintance with a pig bladder either. Yet the rascal had been far too mischievous in his youth; he used to love filling pig bladders to the brim with water, hanging them from the old trees over the main thoroughfare, and waiting for someone he disliked to walk underneath before flicking an iron skewer across... Accustomed to silk robes and lavish banquets, how could Nian Songyu have ever seen such a thing? He rarely even touched low-grade meats like pork. A look of revulsion crossed his brow. "What purpose does it serve?" "It seals tightly. Otherwise, we'd harm ourselves before harming anyone else." As He Lingchuan explained, the sand bandits produced a large slab of cured meat, tied securely with thick rope. They then unfastened the knot cinching the pig bladder and poured its contents onto the cured meat. A thick, viscous, dark-green fluid oozed out, sputtering with bubbles and even releasing a faint wisp of white vapor. The instant it met the open air, the sense of smell of everyone in the vicinity suffered a devastating blow. The stench was like severe athlete's foot stewed in an airtight boot for a month, blended with the body odor accumulated from six months without bathing, and finished with the distinct essence of dead fish and rotting shrimp left to ferment for years in the dingiest corner of a smuggling dock. A masterclass of rancid, musky, and foul, it stank with flair and distinction. Soldiers in the ranks who had failed to cover their noses in time immediately began retching. The most horrifying aspect of this odor was that a single whiff seared itself into physical memory, impossible to forget for a lifetime. Infected by the sight and smell, those who had been desperately holding it in could no longer endure it either, clutching their bellies and vomiting in clusters. Fortunately, the sand bandits swiftly flung the cured meat onto the sand and kicked several handfuls over it. Aided by the desert's fierce gales, the unbearable stench was swept away before long. Everyone dragged in ragged breaths, having never felt that the simple act of breathing was so sublime. Nian Songyu's face went through several shades of pallor. "Preposterous! What on earth is this supposed to do?" His chest heaved with nausea, and only sheer restraint kept him from spewing his guts out. Yet turning to see He Lingchuan beaming with delight, he fiercely suspected the young brat was using this as an excuse to torment him! With a stench so vile, who could possibly remain unaffected? "Look for yourself." He Lingchuan was unfazed, casually pointing toward the hollow where the meat was buried. Everyone looked over, only to see raised furrows erupting through the sand with the hollow at the center, varying in depth but all shooting outward at breakneck speed. Clearly, a multitude of creatures had been hiding beneath the sand, and this single whiff of cured meat had sent them fleeing for their lives in utter panic. Its lethality applied not just to humans, but was equally devastating against aberrant beasts and demons. In fact, because their sense of smell far surpassed that of mankind, the trauma inflicted upon their bodies and souls was exponentially worse. "Scaring off exotic beasts is a decent feat, but what else can it do?" Sun Fuping was somewhat surprised by this display. A toxic stench assault had never factored into his plans; it seemed the rustic methods of country folk had their uses after all. "This alone is far from enough!" Nian Songyu cracked his knuckles. These sand bandits were acquainted with father and son of the He family—could they be conspiring together to make a fool of him? Seeing his expression darken instead, Situ Han had no idea why, and hurried to add, "Wait, just wait a moment longer! The key to crossing the desert is about to arrive!" About to arrive? What was about to arrive?