The scorching sun made for an uncomfortable, shallow nap. Sha Yi couldn’t bear sitting for long—the harsh sunlight felt like needles and flames on her skin, forcing her to scramble to her feet.
But in that very moment of rising, her sharp eyes caught something unusual. At the edge of a low-lying area below the slope, the grassland’s color had subtly darkened. That morning, the entire slope had been a fresh, vibrant green, but now, one patch had deepened into a dark emerald, starkly contrasting with the surrounding greenery. Moreover, the grass there was noticeably sparser.
It was puzzling.
Glancing up at the blinding sun, she recalled the morning and the recent rains. A bold idea flashed through her mind—could the sparse grass and darker hue be linked to moisture levels, perhaps due to higher salt concentration?
The thought spurred her into action. She immediately called for Xigu, who scrambled over eagerly. But after examining the spot she pointed out, Xigu shook his head, explaining that while the soil there was hard, the edges were prone to collapse, sometimes even caving in.
No wonder no one ventured there—everyone knew the ground was unstable. Yet, precisely because of this instability, Sha Yi became convinced: this had to be the mineral salt deposit they were searching for!
Before she could fully analyze it, a deep, muffled boom erupted from the suspicious area. Reflexively, she widened her eyes and spotted two figures standing near the color-divided patch—one of whom resembled Saina.
From her vantage point, nothing seemed amiss, but the person below was frantically waving and shouting for her to come down. Saina remained silent, simply watching her.
Eager for the salt, Sha Yi hesitated no longer. She tucked the small, blue-purple-speckled ore from the boulder into her pocket and descended the slope. Behind her, Xigu quickly followed, rallying others as well.
When she reached Saina, she was stunned to find a crack splitting the grassy boundary, revealing a hollow beneath. The earlier boom had come from below, as if something massive had crashed underground.
From above, the fissure was nearly invisible, and even the soil texture was unclear up close. After some thought, Sha Yi decided they needed to peel back the turf.
But for these ancient people on the flat grassland, the task was daunting.
The crack extended toward the sparse patch, meaning the sod had to be lifted from the edge to expose the cavity. Yet, with the underground conditions unknown, no one dared to simply smash the turf inward. Moreover, the soil was thick, and brute force was unlikely to break it. The most practical solution was precisely what she suggested—peeling it back.
The challenge was their position relative to the lifting direction. To pry the sod upward, she realized the simplest method was to lever it open. A sturdy, long tree trunk, propped at an angle with some height, could serve as a fulcrum. Combined with the ancients’ raw strength, it would be the most efficient approach.
She explained her plan, but the concept of leverage was lost on them. Fortunately, they understood the tools needed and swiftly gathered everything: a thick, robust log from the edge of the eerie forest, and for elevation, they even hauled over the boulder she had sat on earlier.
Sha Yi was astonished but calmly directed them on placement and execution. Working together seamlessly, they effortlessly pried up the thick, hard sod and tossed it aside.
The moment the sod landed, the ground beneath it collapsed.
Amidst the clatter of crumbling earth, the sound of rushing water followed. The group exchanged bewildered looks, but Sha Yi’s attention was fixed on the gray-yellow crystals lining the exposed cavity wall. Her excitement surged—especially when she heard the water from the collapsed side.
The mineral salt was confirmed, and the water meant no laborious diversion or waiting for rain to fill the pit. They could simply lower buckets tied with thick vines, haul up the brine, and be done!
For the first time, Sha Yi felt fortune had smiled upon them. The recent storms and the horrors of the forest no longer seemed so unbearable.
As the collapse settled, dozens of small, rodent-like creatures—somewhere between rats and squirrels—scurried out of the irregular pit. The group erupted in joy, scrambling to catch them. Only a few escaped in the chaos.
Sha Yi seized the moment to inspect the pit.
The exposed salt deposit lay about four to five meters deep, with another two to three meters of naturally accumulated brine below—likely formed by the recent heavy rains. The brine was murky with high salt content, making its true depth unclear.
The collapsed side, however, held no salt—just groundwater, now steadily flooding in. Given half a day, it might raise the brine level significantly. But time was short; their priority was extracting and transporting the brine swiftly.
Without hesitation, she directed everyone to gather and haul the water back to the cave.
Having witnessed her “divine” fire-making and now her ingenious leverage technique, the group was in awe. Even Xigu obeyed without question, and the team worked tirelessly, hauling water with unwavering efficiency.
Wiping sweat from her brow, Sha Yi finally relaxed. If her earlier theories about the salt had been speculative, the reality now reassured her anxious heart.
In this ancient era, she might lack physical strength compared to others, but her knowledge of civilization surpassed them all. She desperately hoped this wisdom could improve life for herself and those who had taken her in—equipping them to face nature’s harshest challenges.
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