Volume One, Chapter Sixty-One: Dongsha Village

They traversed the yellow sands, bathed in wind and dust. After emerging from the ruins, Mo De and Mu Qing journeyed south together, and finally, five days later, they left the sea of desert behind and once more set foot on solid ground.

At the southernmost edge of the desert, they had entered the territory of Huaxia. The scattered patches of green in their field of vision made their eyes blur with delight. The grandeur of the great desert was undeniable, but the endless repetition of its scenery weighed heavily on the heart.

After half a day’s trek through the wilderness, they discovered a village beside a dried-up riverbed.

It must be said, in this perilous world where monstrous beasts roamed and disasters struck without warning, those who refused the safety of the Secure Zones and instead chose to remain scattered in settlements like this were people of tremendous courage and no small measure of strength.

As they entered the village, Mu Qing’s keen senses immediately noticed the high quality of the “Beast-Repelling Barrier” encircling the settlement. It seemed, too, that something deep beneath the earth was guarding the village from below.

She cautioned Mo De to be wary, and he, of course, understood. Entering the village and seeking shelter was tantamount to stepping onto another’s territory—while showing respect, one must never let down one’s guard. Gently touching the small barrier at the village’s edge, Mo De and Mu Qing began to “knock,” waiting for the villagers to respond.

Their sudden appearance at the outskirts disturbed the villagers, who quickly gathered at the entrance, crowding together and chattering about the two young strangers outside.

“Tugen! Tie Zhu! What are you two gawking at? Get back to work!” An aged voice called from behind the crowd, and as the villagers, caught up in their lively discussion, heard it, they quickly parted to make way for the speaker.

At the sound of the village chief’s reprimand, the two burly young men took off at a run toward the east side of the village. Unlike the other idle villagers, they still had tasks to attend to.

An elderly man, leaning on a cane, shuffled out from behind the crowd. His hair and beard were completely white, he wore simple hemp clothes and black cloth shoes. Though he appeared quite advanced in years, his voice rang with authority and vigor.

“May I ask your name, Elder?” Mo De removed his sand mask and hood, offering a friendly smile as the old man approached and halted.

“My surname is Shang, given name Qingwen. I am the chief of East Sand Village. And you two young friends are...?” His voice was deep, his expression gentle, his sharp eyes narrowed as he studied the young man before him.

“My surname is Qin, given name Mo. This is my sister, Qing. We became separated from our caravan in the Tidal Storm and ended up here. We’d like to trouble your village for a few days of shelter until the lunar tidal phase passes and we can contact our group again.” Mo De spoke smoothly, spinning his tale without hesitation. Behind him, Mu Qing forced herself to maintain a serious expression, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

“Oh? A caravan that continues its journey even during the lunar tide... could it be...?” Shang Qingwen mused, scrutinizing Mo De, but the young man only smiled faintly, offering no further explanation.

“Do you have any proof?” The old chief was not so easily swayed by such vague claims.

“Nature’s bounty brings wealth in bloom,” Mo De suddenly lowered his voice, murmuring softly to the elder.

“So you’re indeed friends of the Guild. Qin Mo and Qin Qing, I must apologize for my earlier test.” Hearing this, the suspicion in Shang Qingwen’s eyes faded slightly. To know the current Guild’s “merchant passphrase” meant they were likely connected to the organization.

As a vast commercial empire spanning several continents, the Guild handled nearly every aspect of daily life. Even remote villages like East Sand, on the edge of the desert, were regularly visited by Guild merchants, trading goods and maintaining ties.

Each merchant not only brought supplies but also delivered a secret code to these distant outposts. In times of crisis, Guild members could use this code to gain refuge in such settlements.

The phrase “Nature’s bounty brings wealth in bloom” was the Guild’s passphrase during this lunar tidal phase.

Since their identities posed no major concern, the old man allowed them to enter and rest in the village.

“Cuihua, take our guests to find an empty house on the east side to rest.” Shang Qingwen beckoned to a girl of seventeen or eighteen to lead Mo De and Mu Qing. “Once you’re settled, Cuihua will explain the village rules. If you need anything, you may tell her directly.”

“Go on, scatter! Back to your work, no need to stand here gawking!” With a wave of his cane, the old chief dispersed the crowd and ambled home, accompanied by a middle-aged woman and an elderly, white-haired lady supported on her arm.

“Why let outsiders in at a time like this?” The old woman’s steps were shaky, but her voice was surprisingly youthful.

“If they know the merchant passphrase, I have no reason to turn them away,” Shang Qingwen replied as he led the way.

“But what if they’re imposters?” the old woman grumbled, vexed by his stubbornness.

“Then nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine out of ten thousand would be genuine. I don’t need to repeat how important the Guild is to us. Without their supplies, East Sand Village might survive, but never so peacefully.” Opening the door, he found several children waiting inside.

“Any movement from the guests on the east side?” Setting aside his cane, Shang Qingwen sat in an old armchair and lit a hand-rolled cigarette.

The old woman settled on the kang with the help of the middle-aged woman, fanning away smoke and complaining, “Don’t smoke in front of the kids.”

Without protest, Shang Qingwen stubbed out the cigarette and tucked it back into its battered tin case.

“Tugen told Sister Huang Yun the first group of guests are still the same, holed up in their room and never coming out,” a little girl in a red jacket, her hair in braids, reported crisply.

“Sister Feng says Brother Tie Zhu is always distracted and lazy—she doesn’t want to be partnered with him for watch duty anymore.” A boy with spiky hair tattled first, then gave his report. “The second group of guests comes out for walks now and then, but they haven’t left the east side or wandered elsewhere in the village.”

The other children eagerly reported the village’s news and, once finished, each received a piece of candy from the silent middle-aged woman.

“Off you go, then. Oh, and Lingdang, you and Gou Sheng tell that blockhead Tie Zhu that if he slacks off again, I’ll break his hands and he’ll be a bachelor for life,” the old woman called after the red-jacketed girl to pass on her message.

Lingdang agreed, barely understanding, and ran off after the boy with spiky hair.

Once the children had gone, Shang Qingwen stroked his snowy beard in silence. The middle-aged woman got up, closed the door gently behind her, and returned to the smithy on the village’s west side.

The little house was left with only the elderly couple.

“Go ahead and smoke now, no one’s here to bother you,” the old woman huffed.

“I’ve lost the craving,” Shang Qingwen replied, not even glancing at his battered cigarette case.

“Who are you sending to check on the new guests? The idle folks in the village need something to keep them busy,” the old woman said, stretching out her legs and rubbing them.

Shang Qingwen rose from the armchair and sat on the kang, massaging her legs.

“Let Cuihua keep an eye on them. My instincts tell me they’re not much of a threat.”

“But you can’t leave them unwatched,” she countered.

“That’s why I sent Cuihua. I know the importance of precautions.” His hands pressed more firmly, stimulating the acupoints on her legs, loosening bones and blood.

“Hiss… easy, easy! My old bones can’t take your rough handling,” she protested as heat flowed through her legs, easing the cold that had settled deep in her marrow.

“Sensation is a good sign,” Shang Qingwen said, a smile creasing his weathered face.

“With that smile, your wrinkles could crush a mosquito,” the old woman teased, letting him massage her legs.

“Yingyu, do you think this lunar tide will really reach full strength? Things outside don’t seem much different from before,” he asked, bending his finger to scrape gently along her shin.

“Still worrying about natural disasters? Better worry about those caused by men. The bandits to the west aren’t a joke,” Yingyu said, frowning. “Many villages have sealed themselves off before the tidal phase, maxing out their defenses and every barrier they have, but you’re still letting strangers in.”

“Man-made disasters are nothing next to nature’s fury.” Shang Qingwen sighed. “What I fear most is the unpredictable changes this lunar tide might bring. If something happens, even one more pair of hands to help resist disaster could make a difference.” It was clear he allowed the outsiders in so that, if the village faced a crisis, there would be more strength to weather the storm.

After all, aside from the particularly unusual third group of guests, none of the others could be certain they’d survive the increasingly treacherous lunar tides alone, or find another human outpost.

“As you wish, then.” Seeing she could not persuade him, Yingyu relented. She knew her husband had his plans and let him be. “Take a break now, enough massaging. You’ll need your energy for the assembly later.”

“No rush,” Shang Qingwen shook his head gently. “This is how I relax.”

“You old rogue…”