bookbashuk Chapter 399 is free.
Chapter 399 is free.
The registration process was much simpler than Zhou Da had imagined.
Wang Rui asked him his name, hometown, and skills, and also inquired about the names and general situation of the group of refugees, noting everything down on the stack of papers. The whole process took less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea; there was no questioning, no body search, and he didn't even glance at the short knife at Wang Rui's waist.
After registering, Wang Rui smiled at everyone and said, "Okay, registration is complete. I'll take you to your accommodation. As for meals, it's at Xian Shan Fang. Just walk that way," he pointed out the window, "see that building with smoke coming out? Just give your name there, it's free."
Free.
Zhou Da pondered these two words, momentarily at a loss for words.
Wang Rui had already stood up and was walking towards the door: "Let's go, I'll take you to find your accommodations first."
Zhou Da followed behind, and the group of refugees followed timidly as well.
Wang Rui led the group along the smooth cement road, with the refugees following behind. Their feet tread carefully on the hard, smooth ground, as if they were walking on ice.
"What...what's this ground made of?" The young man couldn't help but squat down, touching the ground with his rough fingers. He then looked up at Wang Rui, his eyes full of confusion. "How come it's so flat? How come it doesn't hurt my feet at all?"
"Cement," Wang Rui said.
"Water...mud?" The young man chewed on the two words, his brows furrowing. "Water and mud can be made into something like this?"
Wang Rui smiled but didn't explain. He knew he couldn't explain it.
The group continued walking forward.
As they passed a row of low houses, a woman suddenly stopped and pointed to a silver-white pipe at the base of the wall, below which was a shallow water trough.
"What...what is this?"
Wang Rui looked in the direction she pointed.
It is a simple outdoor handwashing basin, used by people to wash their hands after work.
"Wash your hands." Wang Rui walked over and turned on the faucet.
"Whoosh—"
Clear water gushed from the silvery-white pipe, shimmering in the sunlight.
The group of refugees froze on the spot as if struck by lightning.
The woman opened her mouth wide, her cloudy eyes widened, and her lips trembled, but she couldn't utter a single word.
The young man even jumped back a step, bumping into an old man behind him, and the two almost fell over.
"Water...water..." he pointed to the pipe that was still flowing water, his voice weak, "The water came out by itself!"
Wang Rui turned the tap back on, and the water flow stopped abruptly.
"This is called a tap," he said. "You can turn it on and get water without digging a well."
"No, we don't need to dig a well?" The woman finally found her voice, but it trembled violently. "Then...where will the water come from?"
Looking at the group of people's surprised and delighted expressions as they stared at a water tap, Wang Rui suddenly remembered Xiaoshi Village two months ago.
When Shi Lao Si and his friends first saw the water tap, they had the same expression. Even more exaggeratedly, an old lady knelt down on the spot, kowtowed to the water tap, and chanted "The Dragon King has appeared."
He was both amused and exasperated. It took him a lot of effort to help the person up. He explained that it had nothing to do with the Dragon King; it was just a pipe connected to a river in the mountains.
However, as more refugees arrived, Wang Rui became too lazy to explain again and again, and simply said it was the work of immortals.
"...divine methods."
However, those four words alone caused a stir of shock and amazement among the crowd.
Zhou Da stood at the back of the crowd, without saying a word.
He had lived most of his life, seen the beacon towers of the northern frontier, the palace of Tianjing, and witnessed the so-called "immortal masters" flying and disappearing into the earth. But those things were too far removed from him, as if they belonged to another world.
But this...
This faucet,
It was right in front of him. He could reach out and touch it.
Wang Rui led them to continue walking forward.
After walking for a while, the road ahead suddenly opened up.
A huge building appeared before everyone's eyes.
Calling it a "building" isn't quite right; it was a "giant." Three stories high, entirely white, with walls of glass on the front that reflected dazzling sunlight. In front of the building was a neatly trimmed lawn with several white tables and chairs. A few people dressed in strange clothes were sitting there, slowly drinking something from their cups.
The group of refugees froze once again.
Even Zhou Da was stunned this time.
He had seen the tallest building in Tianjing.
That was the capital city headquarters of the Immortal Alliance, very tall, with carved beams and painted rafters, flying eaves and brackets—the most magnificent building in the entire capital. But this building before me…
What is this made of? Why is it so white? Why are those windows so big? An entire wall is made of windows, wouldn't the wall collapse?
"Is this...is this a celestial palace?" the man carrying the child murmured, his voice so soft it was as if he were afraid of waking something.
Wang Rui glanced at the building—the International Hot Spring Hotel.
"It's not a palace," he said. "It's... a place to live."
"A place to live?" The young man's voice trembled. "A place for people to live?"
Wang Rui nodded.
The refugees fell silent.
They looked at the enormous, snow-white structure, then at their own tattered clothes, and suddenly felt like a pack of wild dogs who had strayed into a fairyland.
Wang Rui seemed to sense their unease and added, "You don't live there."
The refugees breathed a sigh of relief.
Wang Rui didn't notice the change in their expressions and continued walking forward.
As they passed the white building, the group of refugees practically jogged. They dared not look, dared not stop, and dared not even breathe loudly, as if if they slowed down even slightly, they would be swallowed up by that behemoth.
Zhou Da walked slower.
He stared at the people sitting at the white tables and chairs, at the glasses in front of them. The glasses were transparent, as transparent as ice, and the liquid inside was clearly visible. He saw someone pick up a glass, take a sip, and then lean back in his chair, squinting in the sun.
That posture doesn't resemble that of a celestial master.
It looks like...
Like the brothers who, after surviving a battle on the battlefield, would lean against a hillside and bask in the sun.
But when they sunbathe, they hold rough porcelain bowls in their hands, filled with the lowest quality, murky wine.
Zhou Da withdrew his gaze and continued walking forward.
After walking for a while, a place surrounded by iron railings came into view.
Several children were the first to run over, lie on the railing, and stay still.
Inside stood many colorful wooden horses, red, white, and gold, fixed to round pedestals. Next to them was a row of small, colorful carriages, one after another, like a centipede crawling on the ground.
"Those are a carousel and a miniature train," Wang Rui said. "They're for children to play on."
The young man stared wide-eyed: "Can we go in?"
"It's not open now, we'll have to wait until later."
The group of people lay on the fence, motionless for a long time.
The children stared intently at the colorful objects, as if they were gazing into a dream.
Zhou Da stood at the back of the crowd, looking at the children.
He suddenly remembered that long ago, he had a son. He died when the boy was three years old, and he didn't even get to see him one last time.
"...Let's go," he said.
The group of people then came to their senses and hurriedly followed.
But those children were still looking back.