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墨書 Inktalez
"Spit, spit, spit!"
Bai Yujing took a sip of the water drawn from the well and immediately realized that it was bitter and astringent. This was not a freshwater well but a seawater well, connected underground to the ocean.
After dawn, Bai Yujing and the others arrived here again, this time fully armed and carrying a large number of bags. However, today they only needed to investigate the situation here; the specific follow-up actions would have to wait for Li Hao's equipment to arrive. The well Bai Yujing was currently examining was not the largest one in the village center but rather the first water well discovered by Bai Yujing and the others yesterday.
Lin Ruoqiao also tasted the water drawn with a bucket and frowned at its bitterness. "What use is this well? It's too bitter to drink!"
Bai Yujing leaned over the edge of the well to look inside. "Who says it's useless? Perhaps this well isn't meant for drinking water."
"Not for drinking water? What else can a well be used for?" Lin Ruoqiao asked.
"Hand me the flashlight!" Bai Yujing took the flashlight and shone it on the walls of the well, checking every corner while answering Lin Ruoqiao's question.
"Ancient wells had many uses. For example, in ancient times, wells were interconnected and served as combat tunnels. Some royal tombs were also referred to as wells. I remember reading in a book that wells were considered graves for nobles; even today, we refer to them as golden wells. The people of Chu called King Chu's tomb 'Inoue.' In Tang Dynasty, Han Yu wrote in 'Record of Yicheng Post Station' that there was a well northeast of the post station, said to be King Zhao's Well—King Zhao being King Zhao of Chu, where 'well' means 'tomb'!"
Lin Ruoqiao looked at Bai Yujing with newfound respect. "I didn't expect you to know so much!"
"Not really; I just enjoy reading various books in my spare time and browsing geography magazines or ancient history online. It's just a hobby," Bai Yujing said as he examined the well wall and immediately noticed an indentation on its side.
"Li Hao, pull me up a bit. Hold on tight; I'm going to lean into the well. Don't let me fall!" Bai Yujing placed the flashlight on the ground and said to Li Hao.
Li Hao patted his chest. "Don't worry; I've got you."
Bai Yujing leaned down, reaching further inside but still falling short. "A little lower."
Li Hao and Lin Ruoqiao held onto Bai Yujing's feet tightly and lowered him down a bit more. Bai Yujing immediately shouted, "That's enough!"
Looking at the side wall, Bai Yujing indeed found an indentation covered in moss. He wiped away the moss with his hand and saw a small square opening with a circular ring inside. Grabbing this ring, Bai Yujing felt around before pulling hard, but it didn't budge at all. However, he sensed that this ring could be moved; he just couldn't exert enough force because his feet were dangling.
"You two hold my feet steady," Bai Yujing said before trying again but still failing; this thing couldn't be moved with just a little strength, and his position wasn't conducive for pulling it open.
Bai Yujing quickly tied a rope around the ring and then pulled it up. "Let's all pull together!"
Li Hao looked at the things inside the well and felt a bit uneasy. The situation from yesterday had put a lot of pressure on him, and he was reluctant to come over this morning. It was Bai Yujing who told him that unless he understood the situation here, he wouldn't be able to resolve his physical issues, which was why she had dragged him over. After looking at it, Li Hao frowned and said, "What is this? It can't be a mechanism, right?"
Lin Ruoqiao was also very curious, but unlike Li Hao, she felt very excited. "How thrilling! Is there a treasure down there?"
Bai Yujing immediately said, "Stop daydreaming. On the count of three, let's pull together!"
"One, two, three, pull!"
The three of them exerted their strength together, and soon they saw the rope tightening around the circular ring, slowly pulling it outward. As the ring moved, Bai Yujing felt something below being activated, followed by a rumbling sound.
"Don't just stand there! Pull harder! Pull it all the way!" Bai Yujing shouted when she noticed that Li Hao and Lin Ruoqiao were distracted by the sudden noise. The two snapped back to reality and joined Bai Yujing in pulling with all their might. Finally, they heard a clunking sound, and Bai Yujing immediately let go of the rope and looked into the well.
Bai Yujing quickly discovered that a whirlpool had formed in the well. The whirlpool spun continuously while the water level kept receding. The sound of water splashing echoed as it sank into the ground below, eventually disappearing into darkness.
Bai Yujing watched until it was no longer visible, while the splashing sound continued for a long time before fading away. She exchanged glances with Li Hao. "There really is a mechanism!"
At first, Bai Yujing had only guessed, but now that the evidence was right in front of her eyes, she had to admit that this village was not simple; something crucial must be hidden underground.
Bai Yujing leaned over the well and shone her flashlight downwards but couldn't see the bottom. The dark well seemed to swallow all light. Lin Ruoqiao immediately came up and pushed past Bai Yujing and Li Hao.
"Move aside! Let me check the depth!" Lin Ruoqiao leaned over the well and threw a plastic flashlight down.
After nearly three seconds, it hit the bottom. Lin Ruoqiao checked her stopwatch. "Over fifty meters—close to sixty meters!"
"How can it be this deep?" This wasn't a highland area or a mountain; it was by the sea. The water resources in this area were particularly abundant. Not to mention whether it was necessary to dig such a deep well; once you reached deep enough, you would directly connect to an aquifer, making it difficult to go deeper. Moreover, considering how long the village and well had been there, they certainly didn't have such advanced equipment when they dug it.
Li Hao asked, "Should we go down and take a look? We brought rope with us; sixty meters should be enough."
Bai Yujing immediately replied, "Sure, you go down! I'll keep watch for you!"
Li Hao hesitated for a moment and awkwardly smiled. "Forget it; let's wait until we have our equipment! I had someone bring over a drone and underwater detection equipment; we can use those to take a look later."
Bai Yujing asked, "About when will we arrive?"
"Probably tomorrow morning, at the earliest it will be in the afternoon. By then, it will almost be dark, so let's avoid this place after dark! It's too eerie here at night," Li Hao replied.
Bai Yujing nodded, "Alright, let's first check how many wells there are here and draw a map of the village. Then we can label the position of each well; these wells might be key clues."
Li Hao immediately asked, "What do you think these wells are for?"
Bai Yujing thought for a moment, "I can't be sure yet, but I feel like they are similar to what was written above the Water Script, used for capturing and imprisoning Fishmen. Let's clarify their locations first."
The three of them quickly divided their tasks and finally figured out the layout of Shuiyuan Village. There were a total of fifty wells in the village, arranged in a grid pattern, plus the large well in the center of the village, making it fifty in total.
"It really is the Well Water Palace," Bai Yujing remarked after looking at the layout, which was very similar to what was described on the oil paper.
Li Hao immediately asked, "Do you know how to break this water palace?"
Bai Yujing confidently replied, "No! It doesn't specify anything above; it only provides an introduction!"
Li Hao and Lin Ruoqiao were momentarily speechless. "Then what's the point? This is completely useless!"
"How is it useless? At least we know what this thing is for now! We can analyze a lot from its name!"
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