Chapter 103 "Da Qing"

Sinbad thought it was just a threat, but he didn't expect the other party to be serious.

When the Aosha warriors began to execute this order, a conflict broke out. More than fifty pioneers refused to accept such an unreasonable disposal and fought with the captors.

However, without weapons, they were soon defeated by the Aosha's clubs and shields, stripped of their clothes one by one, and pressed into the sand.

Tulam personally carried out the whipping.

Seeing their clansmen suffering, some clans were ready to move, but they stopped in front of the Graycastle people's iron pipe weapons.

Everyone had heard about the oasis watchdogs being defeated overnight.

Even the cavalry that came and went like the wind failed to break through the Graycastle people's defense line.

What they relied on was the exquisite gray iron weapon in their hands.

For a time, screams rose and fell on the shore.

Fortunately, Aosha did not intend to kill the victims. The backs that were beaten to a bloody pulp were treated with herbs after being displayed to the public, and then wrapped tightly with gauze—the cold Evil Moon was not a period of high incidence of epidemics. As long as they were strong enough, there should be no problem in surviving.

Karon and most of the clansmen looked rather ugly, only Muli's face was full of rejoicing.

After watching the execution with lingering fear, everyone went to the depths of the sand in two columns under the guidance of the whistle.

During this period, Tulam didn't say a word, but everyone consciously maintained the order of the team.

When he arrived near the iron tower, Sinbad saw a disappearing oasis, or rather a pool—it was probably the watering place for the advance team that Tulam mentioned. The pool was no longer shaded by trees, only a few clumps of withered yellow bushes remained. The bottom of the pool was extremely shallow, only about one person tall. Perhaps decades ago, it was still a vibrant oasis, but as the Yin River water veins became increasingly depleted, its ultimate fate was to turn into a handful of yellow sand.

This pool was barely enough to be used by the hundreds of people who came here to work, let alone support the tribe's reproduction. Now there was still accumulated water, but it was because of the only remaining stream in the underground aqueduct. When summer came, the oozing water source would not be enough for the sun to dry... Even if it was just left there without drinking, it would quickly evaporate into a dry and cracked valley floor.

Sinbad had seen many such oasis ruins.

In other words, if the Graycastle people could not find a new water source in the next two or three months, they would have to withdraw from this place, let alone build a new town.

Tulam didn't hide this point. He walked beside the team and shouted loudly, "Did you see this pool? For the next period of time, all the water we drink will come from here. Whoever wants to pee, get away from here, understand!"

"Then... what about food?" someone asked.

"Someone will transport it over. If you think it's not enough, you can also go fishing," Tulam replied.

After temporarily not having to worry about food and drink, the various clans also calmed down a lot. Everyone dispersed in twos and threes and set up camp according to the requirements of the Aosha managers.

Quickly dismantling and assembling tents was a survival skill that every sand dweller had to master. A small sheepskin tent that could withstand the cold could accommodate three to six people, and the required parts were usually carried by one person. Only four women from the Fishbone Clan applied to come to work, so they set up the simplest triangular tent, that is, three tents were arranged in a triangle, fixed to each other with hemp rope, with the doors facing outwards, which could serve as mutual vigilance.

In the afternoon, the whistle sounded again, and Tulam gathered everyone and took them to a place near the coast.

Sinbad was surprised to find that the Northerners had turned this place upside down.

Everywhere in the flat sandy land, there were short wooden poles standing, with white ropes tied to the center of the poles, enclosing large rectangles, like dividing territory. Each square was a hundred steps long and wide, or even longer.

The most incredible thing was that these squares seemed to be almost the same size, and every corner was neat and tidy. No one knew how they maintained consistency within a hundred-step distance.

He roughly counted, and the white ropes delineated as many as fifty or sixty squares. The Graycastle people, holding strange tools and drawing back and forth, were still constantly inserting new wooden poles, seemingly intending to extend them all the way to the end of the line of sight.

"You've finally arrived," one of the tall men walked up to Tulam. "My name is Concrete, a former member of the Royal Capital Stonemasons' Association... Ah, you shouldn't have heard of this name, after all, not many people in Graycastle know about the Stonemasons' Association. Fortunately, His Majesty is benevolent and willing to take us in, otherwise we wouldn't know where to stay... Uh no, these things can be said later," he coughed twice and patted the other person's shoulder. "In short, I am in charge of the Endless Cape construction project. You should be the manager designated by Echo xiaojie?"

Echo? Isn't that the nickname of Zuo'er.Silvermoon, Your Honor? Sinbad exclaimed in surprise. This Graycastle man, who called himself Concrete, was actually equal in status to the clan leader?

Tulam's smile was a bit stiff, probably not used to the other party's nagging and etiquette. He took a step back slightly and bowed his head in salute, "You can call me Tulam. As for these little brats, just tell me directly what they need to do. If anyone dares to be lazy, I will definitely punish them severely."

Obviously, he had received instructions from the Aosha clan leader in advance, and his attitude towards Concrete seemed quite respectful, but Sinbad knew that what made the other party show such an expression were the Graycastle warriors staring here.

"Very good," Concrete opened his arms and said, "Young men, there are no taverns or women here - cough cough, I mean that kind of women, so put all your energy into the construction of the new harbor! The first task for you is very simple, it is digging pits! Do you see those white squares? Dig out the sand inside and pile it to the side. As for how deep each pit should be, just below the knees!"

No one responded to his call, and the scene was silent for a while.

"Are you all deaf!" Tulam raised his eyebrows and roared, "Why don't you go to work!" Although his tone was irritable, his eyes were mixed with a trace of pride.

"Wait..." Concrete raised his hand to stop him. "Don't worry, I haven't explained to them why they are digging this pit."

"Sir, you don't have to explain to them—"

"No, no, no, I strongly agree with a sentence that His Majesty Roland said, that is subjectivity... that's right, subjective initiative!" Concrete clapped his palms suddenly. "It roughly means that once people know why they are working, their work efficiency will be greatly improved. So listen carefully... these pits are related to whether we can take root here in the future! These pits—" he paused, "are the key to turning seawater into fresh water!"

Hearing these words, the crowd suddenly became restless.

"The principle is very simple, it's no different from boiling water, but only His Majesty Roland can think of this—introduce seawater into the pit, use the sun's heat to heat it and turn it into water vapor, and then collect them to get clean drinking water!" Concrete gesticulated with enthusiasm. "If you don't understand, you can understand that the sea is water mixed with salt, so it is bitter and astringent. As long as the salt is separated, the entire Whirlpool Sea can be used by us!"

Is, is that possible? Sinbad was stunned in place. Not to mention whether the second half of the conclusion was correct, how can you collect something as ethereal as water vapor?

"Of course, its output is very limited. One square area can also meet the needs of a dozen people, so we need to build a large number of conversion sheds to supply the hundreds of workers stationed here!" Concrete clenched his fists and said, "You should feel lucky! His Majesty pays special attention to the construction plan of Endless Cape. This is also the second town personally named by him besides Neverwinter City! In order to celebrate the unification of the Extreme South, His Majesty has given it the name 'Da Qing'—and you are not only the builders of Da Qing Port, but also its first residents!"