Chapter 26: Wang Hu's Embarrassment

T/N:

Heikou (Black Dragon Mouth)

Heicheng (Black Dragon City)

...

This trip could only be described as a case of "unpredictable weather." They were forced to find a cave to hibernate and protect themselves, using their flying artifact to block the cave entrance while praying that someone passing by would discover them.

Fortunately, they were rescued.

Wang Hu touched the bed beneath him, which was emitting warmth. "This is strange. How can a bed generate heat on its own?"

He jumped down and examined it closely but couldn't figure out how it worked.

If there was anything unusual, it was that the bed was made of some special material they didn't have in Winged Tiger City.

Giving up on uncovering the bed's secret, he turned his attention to the room.

It was simple—very simple.

The entire room had only a bed, a table, and two chairs. Such a modest room paired with this peculiar bed—who had saved them?

The window was a sliding wooden one. He pushed it open and propped it up with a small stick.

The street outside was unlike anything he had ever seen. The road was smooth and even, and the houses across the street were the same height as the one he was in.

Their merchant group was a small joint venture managed by three cities. Besides him and his two brothers, there were merchants from Black Tortoise City and Azure Phoenix City. They had traveled to many places, but they had never seen a city like this.

Three-story buildings weren't enough to shock him, but what stunned him was that as far as he could see, every building was three stories tall.

Could this be a mysterious commercial city they had never visited before?

His face lit up with excitement as if he had discovered a treasure trove. However, the door wouldn't open no matter how hard he tried.

His excitement gradually cooled. He had been imprisoned.

What Wang Hu didn't know was that this door had hinges on the top and bottom, designed for one-way passage. The hinges could only be opened from the inside when moving items in or out.

The design of this door was inspired by Yin Jixue's childhood memories of living in the countryside, where every household had latch doors—not only for security but also to ensure guests' privacy.

When the room was occupied, the outer padlock would be removed. When guests left, the door would be locked and unlocked again when they returned.

Wang Hu's mind raced with conspiracy theories, but he wasn't panicked. Killing them would mean offending the four Demon Kings, but why were they being locked up?

His stomach growled, and he shouted without much hope, "Is anyone there? I'm starving!"

As expected, there was no response. He concluded that the captors were after wealth, not their lives. Enduring a bit of hardship in exchange for safety wasn't a bad deal.

To his surprise, there was soon a sound at the door, followed by a knock.

He quickly pressed against the door. "Is someone there?"

Outside, Qiu ju was holding a bowl containing a sweet taro.

"Guest, please open the door."

Wang Hu said urgently, "I can't open it! I'm locked in! If you save me, I'll give you a lot of money!"

Though puzzled, Qiu ju used the method taught by the construction team, using a metal strip to slide the latch open through the door crack.

The door opened, and Wang Hu breathed a sigh of relief. When he saw Qiu ju, he was stunned.

Had the mastermind behind their kidnapping even captured Black Dragon's people?

Qiu ju handed him the bowl. "Here's the food you asked for."

Wang Hu hesitated when he saw the contents of the bowl. It was something he had never eaten before.

He looked around. The hallway was eerily quiet. He couldn't help but ask, "Where is this? Who brought us here?"

Qiu ju frowned. "Lord Tengshe brought you back. How could you be so ungrateful?" With that, she placed the bowl in Wang Hu's hands and left.

Tengshe?

Of course, he knew Tengshe, but Tengshe had rescued them?

So, this was Black Dragon City?

No way!

He had been to Black Dragon City last year, and there wasn't even a place to stay. How could this be Black Dragon City?

As he turned around, he accidentally bumped into the door, causing it to close.

With a "click," the latch locked.

He tried pulling the door, but it wouldn't open.

Mimicking the method he had just seen, he slid the latch to the side, and the door opened automatically.

Wang Hu: "..."

Oh no, he had misunderstood.

His stomach growled again, and Wang Hu turned his attention to the sweet taro.

"Gulp."

He couldn't stop salivating.

It wasn't poisoned, so he might as well eat it.

For all he knew, this might be the only food Black Dragon City had, and they had given it to their guests.

He took a bite without much hope and froze. What... what was this?

Why was it sweet?

He ate quickly, finishing the sweet taro in less than three minutes.

"Burp..."

He muttered to himself, "I didn't expect something so big to be so filling."

When he returned, he would trade for more, though Black Dragon City might not have any to spare.

The state of Black Dragon City was common knowledge. If it weren't for the relationship between the four Demon Kings, their merchant group would never have come here.

Every time they visited, they lost money, almost like they were doing charity. They sold food to Black Dragon City at low prices, almost giving it away for free.

This wasn't their decision but a rule set by the merchant guild.

Last year, they had come in early spring, left without taking anything, and simply left some supplies behind.

Realizing that he had indeed wronged his rescuers, Wang Hu decided to make amends. He opened the door and made his way downstairs.

The familiar cold wind confirmed that this was indeed Black Dragon City.

Qiu ju was in the lobby on the first floor, looking after her child. In the center of the lobby was a large stove, one meter in radius, burning coal.

Since there were no guests at this time, the main door was slightly ajar, and the entire lobby was warm.

Wang Hu felt sweat forming on his back. He had put on all his heavy clothes, fearing the cold outside.

Now, he wanted to take off a few layers but felt embarrassed, especially with the landlady and her child downstairs.

"I'm sorry. I misunderstood," Wang Hu admitted, explaining his mistaken assumptions. Qiu ju didn't hold it against him.

Qiu ju said calmly, "As long as it's a misunderstanding, it's fine. If you're hot, take off your coat. You'll catch a cold if you go out like that."

Her child had had a high fever a few days ago, but fortunately, there was a clinic in the city, and the fever had subsided by midnight.

Wang Hu felt even more awkward. She wasn't making a big deal out of it, but he was the one feeling embarrassed.

"I have a question. Is this Black Dragon City? I don't mean anything by it, but I was here last year, and it's completely different now."

Hearing that he had been here last year, Qiu ju's attitude softened.

"Of course, this is our Black Dragon City. If you're curious, you can go out and look around. If you don't know the way, I can find you a guide. No charge."

Qiu ju waved at the door, and Gousheng ran over.

"This guest from Winged Tiger City wants to look around. Take him on a tour, and you can have lunch at the canteen."

Gousheng had been looking for an excuse to go out and play, and now he had found one.

Seeing that a child was to be his guide, Wang Hu quickly offered one of his coats to Gousheng.

"Kid, put on my coat. Don't catch a cold."

Gousheng refused immediately. He wouldn't even wear long johns when his mother told him to, let alone a coat.

Wang Hu had no choice but to put on his coat and follow Gousheng outside.

"Black Dragon City has changed so much!" Wang Hu couldn't help but exclaim after walking down one street.

Gousheng, speaking with the bluntness of a child, said, "Of course! Our Black Dragon City will have its merchant group soon, and you'll be amazed!"

Wang Hu didn't dare underestimate it. Black Dragon City had transformed in less than a year. Just the western part of the city, where they had stayed before, was now a bustling residential area.

And the roads—cleared of snow and perfectly smooth. In previous years, the snow would have been knee-deep, and they would have needed leg coverings just to walk.