Chapter 119: Underground Karst Cave |
The two of them discussed the key points for dealing with the Giant Toad again and decided to go up the mountain tomorrow for a field survey to find suitable ambush points and further discuss the details.
Before leaving, Wang Yun hesitated for a moment and asked, "Is your team still recruiting?"
Qin Ziwen smiled, "Sure, as long as their character isn't too bad."
Wang Yun said, "His character is definitely trustworthy. He was a member of my old team, called Xiao Pang. He's very strong, and he was the one who helped provide the glass bottles I collected."
"That's fine. Just bring him directly tomorrow." Qin Ziwen nodded.
This feeling of being trusted made Wang Yun somewhat dazed.
After Qin Ziwen left, Wang Yun looked at Yang Cunshen. "Cunshen, what do you think of this new team?"
Yang Cunshen was concise. "The man beside him is a master. As for him, the contact was too brief to comment rashly."
Wang Yun nodded thoughtfully.
However, this was the first time using this type of card, so the location choice needed to be cautious.
Considering the mining area had three mineral deposits, all of which basically extended underground, the structure of the underground cave might conflict with them. Therefore, Qin Ziwen ultimately chose to use it in the blank area on the side of his Master Bedroom.
The area extending outward from the Master Bedroom had a 20*20m blank zone that had been left unused.
So, Qin Ziwen decided to use the Underground Cave in this vacant area, which also meant he wouldn't have to worry about it potentially affecting other buildings on the surface.
Using this card required selecting a 2*2m blank area.
Qin Ziwen chose a spot in the lower left corner, close to the Master Bedroom.
As the card was used, the entire blank Expanded Area was enveloped in a faint layer of white light.
When the white light dissipated, the target area now had a stone cave entrance leading underground.
The entrance was narrow, and both sides were dry.
A wide, rubble-strewn path extended downward.
Taking out the flashlight that had been charged with solar power, he walked down the slope. The further down he went, the wider it became.
After a few steps, Qin Ziwen discovered the path was actually spiral-shaped.
After circling around twice, the view suddenly opened up. An underground karst cave with hanging stalactites came into view.
The terrain was open and flat, surrounded by tall stone walls. The height of this karst cave was roughly three to four meters. In the edge area, there was even a Stream flowing along the corner of the wall.
Water droplets seeped out from leakage points in the wall, carving out solution grooves on the surface that converged on the ground at the corner, forming a small water flow along the wall.
The water flow converged deep within the karst cave, ultimately disappearing into a small crack in the corner.
The area of the underground karst cave wasn't a neat four hundred square meters. After walking a full circle, Qin Ziwen could confirm the underground area far exceeded four hundred square meters.
Some stone pillars supported the cave, plus its irregular shape.
It was probably a case of "four hundred square meters of interior space," with the built-up area exceeding four hundred.
Combined with the special environment of the underground karst cave, the temperature here was lower than the surface, about seven or eight degrees cooler.
The air wasn't stuffy; it was ventilated here.
Plus, there were still seepage points. If modifications were made, another water collection point could probably be added.
Returning to the surface, Qin Ziwen saw it was still early. He went to the Celestial Star Arrow Gallery to practice archery.
After practicing for half an hour, he put down the Compound Bow.
After these past few days of practice, he felt his archery skills had made significant progress. His accuracy when using the Compound Bow had improved a lot compared to before.
Putting down the bow, he took out a towel to wipe the sweat from his forehead and looked at Qin Ziwu, who was still diligently practicing beside him.
Compared to him, his Younger Brother practiced the bow basically whenever he had time. His archery skills had also made remarkable progress.
At a distance of forty paces, he could basically guarantee hitting the Straw Target.
After taking a shower, Qin Ziwen went to the Tavern.
He had been quite busy these past few days and hadn't come for a few days.
He placed the Flashlight inside the Lantern and hung it on the signboard at the entrance.
Not long after, footsteps sounded outside.
A hand secretly lifted the door curtain, revealing a somewhat weathered and authoritative square face. He looked at the layout inside the room, his eyes somewhat dazed and carrying a trace of confusion.
"Husband, in this desolate wilderness, there's actually a tavern in the middle of the night. Be very careful." A gentle woman's voice came from outside the curtain.
"I know. I'll go in and take a look first. You all wait for me outside." He walked into the room, his left hand resting behind his back. He looked around, his gaze finally locking onto Qin Ziwen behind the counter.
When he clearly saw Qin Ziwen's face, a flicker of imperceptible shock flashed in his eyes.
He sat down, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the table. "Innkeeper, bring some hot dishes, and two bowls of clear water. No need for wine."
"Alright. My shop is small and doesn't have much food. Please make do, guest." Qin Ziwen went to the back kitchen, boiled half a piece of preserved meat, sliced it, brought it up, and also brought two large bowls of warm water.
After serving the food, Qin Ziwen felt some expectation. Someone wearing official robes like this was probably an official from ancient times, right? Would he tip more silver?
The official-robed man took a bite of the preserved meat. It was a bit salty, so he drank two big mouthfuls of warm water.
Then he raised his head, his eyes carrying a complex look. He hesitated for a moment and asked, "May I ask, do you have... Da, Daliyuan Small Bread?"
Qin Ziwen's hand trembled. He looked up at the man in official robes and hesitated. "Odd functions remain odd, even functions remain even?"
The official-robed man's eyes were full of confusion.
Qin Ziwen asked again, "Big hammer, eighty?"
The official-robed man looked around left and right, puzzled. "Innkeeper, are you selling hammers? Eighty wen each?"
Qin Ziwen stopped testing. He thought for a moment, staring at the official-robed man's face. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck his mind. The figure of that Scholar appeared in his thoughts. The two faces overlapped, bearing some resemblance. "So it's you."
Seeing Qin Ziwen recognize him, the official-robed man immediately sighed. "Twenty-three long years have passed. I never expected you, innkeeper, to still look exactly as you did back then."
Qin Ziwen laughed inwardly. It's only been nine days here for me, of course I look the same. But he didn't explain.
"Wait a moment." Qin Ziwen finished speaking and went out from the back kitchen. He found the Book Case in the corner of the living room, picked it up, patted off the practically non-existent dust, and then returned to the tavern.
The official-robed man was still sitting in his original spot.
When he saw the Book Case Qin Ziwen brought in, his expression froze, and his face fell into reminiscence.
He opened the Book Case, found the pair of new hemp shoes inside, took them out, and tears began to fall.
He suddenly asked Qin Ziwen a question. "Innkeeper, back then when you invited me to stay... did you truly only want me to stay here?"
"Nonsense. Couldn't you see I was the only one working? I saw you looked honest and were a scholar, so I wanted you to stay and be an accountant, doubling as a Waiter and Manager on the side."
"Hahahaha." The man laughed heartily upon hearing this. "Innkeeper, would you like to hear my story?"
Qin Ziwen glanced at the sky outside. "Go ahead, but don't make it too long. I'll need to close up and sleep soon."
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