Crossing to Live in the Wilderness Plains 120
Chapter 120
Asu explained the situation to everyone. Everyone knew that the saltpeter would dissolve upon contact with water. They were already halfway from Salt-Water Tribe, and they certainly didn’t want their hard work of carrying luggage for so many days to be ruined in an instant.
They chose a high ground not too far away from the acacia tree where they were staying. This spot was also at a distance from the river, ensuring that even if the river levels rose, the water wouldn’t reach them. Axu led the team to cut down branches from the acacia tree to use as stakes and quickly set up a rectangular shelter frame. To prevent it from being scattered by the wind, the leaves used for rain protection on top were securely tied down with ropes.
Just as they finished laying the leaves on top, a strong wind carrying a faint burnt scent and the sound of approaching thunder swept over them. The sky grew darker, and the glaring flashes of lightning seemed to streak right before their eyes.
Aze frowned, set down the cattail leaves he was holding, and nimbly climbed to the top of the acacia tree. When he got clear view of the distance, his pupils dilated. He shouted down to Ahxu, who was in the process of hoisting branches onto his shoulder to take back for building the rain shelter, “Ahxu, there’s a fire on the plains.”
Aze’s words were like a switch. As soon as his words fell, all the beastmen froze in place, momentarily stunned. Ayan and Ahxu then both climbed up the acacia tree, and when they saw the situation ahead, they couldn’t help but furrow their brows.
“Chen Qi, we need to evacuate from here.” Ahxu said with a grave expression as he jumped down and called back the beastmen who were still gathering cattail leaves to cover the shelter.
Chen Qi pondered for a moment and did not immediately respond. Instead, he had Aze carry him up the tree to take a look for himself.
The distance was covered by dark clouds, and the sky was pitch black, making it difficult to distinguish whether it was the clouds or dense smoke. Only a thin line of orange-red firelight indicated that the plains were being ravaged by a massive fire.
The fire appeared to still be very far away from their location, so distant that Chen Qi could only barely see a glimpse of it with his eyesight. Had Aze not mentioned there being a fire, even if Chen Qi had climped up the tree and looked around, it wouldn’t have occurred to him that there was a wildfire.
Crossing to Live in the Wilderness Plains (CLWP) is translated by Betwixted Translations. The site you’re reading this chapter on stole our translation.
However, the wind was blowing from the direction of the fire. With the fire following the wind’s course, it was only a matter of time before it would reach their location.
The sky above was also covered by thick, dark clouds, and lightning was striking close by. A heavy rain could start pouring down on them at any moment.
After some calculation in his mind, Chen Qi came down from the tree and found Ahxu. “It will take some time for the fire to reach here, and it’s about to rain. Whether the fire can spread this far is still uncertain. The rain shelter is almost ready; let’s finish setting it up before we evacuate.” He reasoned that if they left now, not only would they lose the saltpeter, but all their carefully refined salt would also go to waste.
Ahxu hesitated a bit. Having lived on the plains, he had witnessed fires there and understood how terrifying they could be. Once trapped by fire, even the swiftest female might not be able to escape. Worried that Chen Qi did not grasp the horror of fire on the plains, he shared his concerns with him.
Chen Qi understood Ahxu’s concerns and reassured him, “Don’t worry, we’ll leave as soon as we notice anything wrong.” Chen Qi had estimated that, given their speed, as long as the fire had not reached them yet, they should have enough time to escape.
Ahxu discussed with Ayan a little bit more. Although Ahxu was still a little worried, but ultimately, they reluctantly agreed to Chen Qi’s suggestion. Ayan instructed Ayu to stay at the top of the acacia tree and keep an eye on the fire. If the fire reached a dangerous proximity, Ayu was to signal them immediately.
When they resumed building the rain shelter, everyone’s movements were even more efficient. Despite the visible anxiety on their faces, their actions remained orderly and composed, as they continued their work methodically.
The air pressure continued to drop, and the humidity increased, making the clouds seem as though they were about to crash down from the sky. This oppressive atmosphere made it feel like it was difficult to breathe.
All the luggage containing salt, saltpeter, gypsum, and other materials that could not be exposed to rain was already placed under the rain shelter. Several sturdy wooden racks were built inside the shelter to keep all the luggage elevated from the ground. Some waterproof cloth bags were torn open and used to cover the luggage, and several layers of cattail leaves were carefully arranged on top of them to prevent any accidental water droplets from wetting the contents.
The rain shelter was tightly enclosed with leaves all around, and these were securely fastened with ropes. Even strong winds were unlikely to dislodge the leaves covering the shelter.
Chen Qi had everyone clear the underbrush around the rain shelter to create a simple fire belt. Although the beastmen were quick, just after they had cleared a small area, Ayu, who was constantly monitoring the fire from the treetop, signaled them. Immediately, everyone hurried back under the acacia tree to grab their luggage. Aze carried Chen Qi, and the group swiftly evacuated the area.
Crossing to Live in the Wilderness Plains (CLWP) is translated by Betwixted Translations. The site you’re reading this chapter on stole our translation.
A drop of water landed on Chen Qi’s nose. He reached up to touch it and looked up at the sky, which seemed as dark as night. Another drop fell on his forehead. A flash of lightning streaked before his eyes, followed soon by a deafening clap of thunder, as if giving a signal for the downpour to begin. More and more droplets started to crash down from the sky.
After walking for about half an hour and seeing no signs of the fire, the group finally stopped. Ahxu quickly climbed up a nearby acacia tree to survey the surroundings and then rapidly descended.
Water droplets had already soaked his hair, sliding down his forehead to his face. Ahxu casually wiped the water from his face and said, “The rain is too heavy; I couldn’t see clearly where the fire has reached, but there should be no problem in this area.”
“What should we do now? Should we find a tree to take shelter under from the rain?” The rain was getting heavier and more intense, hitting their faces with stinging pain.
“No, we can’t take shelter under a large tree,” Chen Qi shook his head. “Lightning tends to strike the tallest objects, and taking shelter under a tree isn’t safe.”
Chen Qi picked a cattail leaf, which wasn’t very large but just enough to cover the head. He handed it to Ahxu and continued, “Tell them to find a spot away from the trees and crouch down, try not to be the tallest object in the vicinity. These cattail leaves are not big, but they can still provide some shelter from the rain.”
Ahxu didn’t understand why they wouldn’t use the ready shelter of the trees. Having never seen lightning strike a tree, he naturally couldn’t grasp the danger Chen Qi was warning about. He was just about to voice his confusion.
Just as Chen Qi finished speaking, another bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, closer this time, illuminating the surrounding area as if it were daylight. The flash of light was followed by a deep, booming sound that seemed to explode right next to everyone’s ears. A burnt smell lingered in the air. When the group looked in the direction where the lightning had disappeared, they saw a tall acacia tree a few hundred meters away split in half. Its once lush green leaves were now charred black, and flames that had started to lick up the trunk were quickly extinguished by the heavy rain. Thick smoke rose along the trunk, dispersing in the rain with the wind.
Ahxu gulped hard, casting a somewhat fearful glance at the acacia tree he had just climbed, which was only a few meters away. Everyone promptly and unanimously moved away from that spot.
“Let’s do as you said,” Ahxu said, his face a bit pale as he went to relay the instructions to the others.
The group immediately sprang into action, finding a relatively open area to crouch down. Although their hide backpacks were somewhat waterproof, they had already gotten soaked through in the relentless rain. The beastmen didn’t all huddle together but dispersed in pairs. As the rain grew heavier, the cattail leaves they used as makeshift hats to shield themselves from the rain became ineffective.
Chen Qi took off his camouflage clothing, revealing a vest underneath made from wool cocoon cloth, which was much softer than the camouflage fabric.
Chen Qi gestured for Aze to crouch next to him. He then positioned the large leather backpack in front of them to block the wind. Since the contents inside were already soaked, he figured they might as well use it to shield themselves from the elements.
Crossing to Live in the Wilderness Plains (CLWP) is translated by Betwixted Translations. The site you’re reading this chapter on stole our translation.
After Aze crouched down, Chen Qi placed a cattail leaf on his head and another on his own. He then propped up his camouflage jacket over their heads. The rain, which had been painfully pelting them, was instantly blocked from reaching them. “It’s not much, but at least it will keep some of the rain off,” Chen Qi said as he pulled Aze closer, looking apologetic. He had never seen rain before and had thought that this world did not have such a phenomenon. Had he known earlier, he would have made umbrellas.
The two men were very close, and when Chen Qi spoke, Aze could feel his breath on his face. Aze was already thoroughly soaked by the rain, and now, with Chen Qi’s every breath, he felt a ticklish sensation on his face. He reached out to adjust the camouflage clothes Chen Qi was holding up, trying to cover him more, but unfortunately the clothes were not waterproof and raindrops still managed to fall on Chen Qi, causing Aze to frown involuntarily.
The heavy rain obscured everyone’s vision, and the only sounds were the rain and intermittent thunder. Everyone crouched in the bushes, silently watching the lightning flash across the sky, both near and far, worried about when it might strike close again. Fortunately, until the rain gradually subsided, there was no repeat of the lightning striking down as it had earlier.
The rain lasted for nearly three hours. As the clouds gradually dissipated and the thunder faded into the distance, everyone breathed a deep sigh of relief. After tidying up a bit, the group returned to the rain shelter they had constructed. Due to the immense amount of precipitation, water had pooled in the grass, splashing up with each step they took.
The rain shelter constructed by the beast people proved very effective. Apart from some of the top branches and leaves being slightly displaced by the wind, there were no signs of it falling apart. The fire that had been spreading towards their location was extinguished by the heavy rain a few hundred meters away.
Since the rain hadn’t completely stopped, Chen Qi only opened a small opening to the rain shelter. The luggage inside, being elevated from the ground, had not gotten wet. He took out a set of dry clothes from his own luggage to change into, then grabbed some dry firewood and a pottery dish. He instructed the others to go to the shelter to change their clothes while he chose a spot that wasn’t waterlogged—previously cleared as part of the firebreak—to start a fire. He poured a large dish of water, which they had brought back earlier but hadn’t used, onto the fire to boil. He added sliced wild ginger to the water. After being drenched all afternoon, everyone needed a bowl of ginger soup to ward off the chill.
Ahxu led the group in checking the luggage that had gotten wet, most of which consisted of plants they had picked along the way. Concerned that prolonged exposure to rain might spoil them, they spread out clean cloths under the acacia tree and placed all the wet items on them to air dry a bit. Given the day’s events, continuing their journey was not feasible, so they hoped at least to salvage what they could by drying their belongings.
Words from the Translation Crew
Miiya: Sorry for the long delay. Enjoy. There’s another chapter already setup for next weekend.
Translator: Miiya
Editor: Miiya
Proofreader: Yume
Editor stepping into the realm of MTL translating, starting with CLWP. Support this translation with a Ko-fi. Three Ko-fis will add an extra chapter from the stockpile to the next weekly release.
I was so sad I thought that the salt had gotten wet
Thanks for translation