Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 1475 - 1468: Wujing Yv

Chapter 1475: Chapter 1468: Wujing Yv

Since they were venturing deep into the jungle, the people of the Ghost Race brought with them a lot of smudge fat. This smudge fat, a mixture of a unique smoky oil, is made by blending smoke dust and animal fat and then adding a few spices, primarily used to protect the skin from mosquito bites.

The effectiveness of this smudge fat is extremely good. Although it’s somewhat uncomfortable when applied to the skin, once it’s on, it essentially forms a complete barrier against mosquitoes.

Cheng Ziang had a profound impression of this, as before applying the smudge fat, he would always hear the annoying buzzing of mosquitoes and flies around his ears. No matter how hard he tried to swat them away, these pesky little insects were relentless. If he let his guard down for just a moment, the mosquitoes would crawl into his ear canal, an utterly hair-raising experience.

After applying the smudge fat, not to mention mosquitoes, even ants a meter away on the ground would take a detour upon detecting the scent, daring not to approach.

Moreover, most importantly, the volatilization rate of the smudge fat is not fast. If it is not accidentally wiped off, it can last for about two days, which can be considered a daily necessity for the people of the Ghost Race when home or traveling.

After leaving the village, it was customary for Cheng Ziang and the others to finally remove their masks. Although these masks were quite comfortable, they still preferred to show their true faces.

Previously, Cheng Ziang had asked the villagers to custom-make masks for them. In gratitude for the trio’s kindness, the Ghost Race decided to use the best materials for crafting. However, the entire production process takes at least ten days, so they would not be able to retrieve their masks for a while and would have to wait until they returned to the village.

The group trudged along the muddy road, on their way to Wujing Yv. They had only one horse-drawn cart for transporting goods; the others had to walk around the cart, including guests like Cheng Ziang and his companions—all had to walk.

The Advance Team had traversed Snow Mountains and crossed deserts; they’d also ventured into primeval forests many times. However, this environment was new to them, with rain almost constant throughout the journey and no sign of the sun appearing—clear days were rare.

Humidity had all but become their daily state. Every time they arrived at a resting point, the first thing they did was light a bonfire to dry their clothes. Just sitting in front of the fire turned their clothes into a steaming mess as if they were boiled, emitting thick water vapor.

A mix of sweaty odor with smudge fat, coupled with the damp, moldy smell, created an indescribable aroma around them. If they hadn’t grown accustomed to it, they’d probably be desperate to jump into a pond and thoroughly wash their bodies from head to toe.

But they were also fortunate, for from the village to Wujing Yv, they arrived in just eight days without encountering any attacks or potential floods and landslides.

The large city of Wujing Yv of the Ghost Race is near the ocean but is not a coastal city. The entire city sits on a plain delta, very flat in topology, with some rolling hills only to the northwest.

Observing Wujing Yv carefully, Cheng Ziang felt the city was somewhat reminiscent of both the Wood Elf Kingdom’s Divine Wood Town and the previously abandoned Lipei.

The entire city is surrounded by walls, with a dense tropical rainforest outside them. The city also has a very high greenery rate, around 70 percent.

The reason why Wujing Yv resembles Lipei is that, whether the city walls or the buildings within, all of it is very ancient. It seems that the city was not built by the Ghost Race, but they inhabited this city and then gradually developed and expanded it.

Vines grow profusely in the gaps of the walls and buildings, while the rough rock faces are covered in lush green moss, giving the entire city an exceptionally vibrant feel.

The Ghost Race’s sense of city defense is not high, and the city defenses of Wujing Yv are virtually non-existent. The walls are only four to five meters high, and it would be easy to climb over them by simply finding a tree outside the city. The city’s guards are sparse too, with only two sentinels stationed at the city gates, and they are mostly for show, hardly ever checking those who come and go.

Such a lax attitude towards city defense is understandable, considering Aximiya Island is situated far from the mainland, with no major enemies invading, it’s natural not to be on constant alert.

As for the Faceless barbarians, Cheng Ziang heard about them during his journey from the Ghost Race. They said that the area around Wujing Yv has the fewest Faceless barbarians, not because they are reluctant to live nearby, but because they suffered heavy losses after being repeatedly encircled and suppressed by the Ghost Race army. Thus, they trembled at the mention of Wujing Yv, daring not to offend lightly anymore.

From this perspective, the military strategists of Wujing Yv are quite adept in defense, knowing that the best defense is a good offense. After beating the Faceless barbarians into submission, the city’s security naturally didn’t need to be as stringent.

But despite the seemingly slack security system of Wujing Yv, the city is actually home to some of the most elite troops of the Ghost Race, equipped with the most advanced weapons on the entire island.

The origin of this military force can be traced back at least to the period of the Kyushu Empire’s invasion, with many soldiers descending from generations of military families, becoming actual military households.

After the defeat of the Kyushu Empire, the Ghost Race inherited a large number of advanced weapons and equipment. By refining these weapons and equipment, the Ghost Race maximized the efficacy of weapons from the age of cold arms. So, despite appearing like primitive tribes, the Ghost Race actually possesses military power comparable to that of the continent.

Take their Iron Heart Wood Waist Knives, for example, Cheng Ziang was fortunate enough to borrow one from the Ghost Race guards and found that it was quite comfortable to wield, much more so than traditional metal knives. Although it was not as sharp as the long knives they were equipped with, it was not far off, especially since the metal blades from Kedal were in themselves a sort of anomaly.

According to the guards, processing these Iron Heart Wood Waist Knives is very challenging due to their hardness, almost equivalent to steel. The best way to process them is either to saw or to burn and then grind the carbonized parts. That’s why the blade is predominantly jet black.

These Ghost Race waist knives are generally straight and irregularly shaped; while the design can’t be called exquisite, it has its own unique aesthetic appeal. When Cheng Ziang got his hands on the knife, he couldn’t help but think of an opportunity to shamelessly ask the Ghost Race for one to take back for collecting, or to take to Lipei for research.

Upon arriving at the outskirts of Wujing Yv, Cheng Ziang put on a mask, as it would help avoid many unnecessary troubles.

Although the guards at the city gate were rather lax, they still inspected the tributes thoroughly. However, they did not check the accompanying personnel much, since everyone wore masks and it was hard to discern identities.

These Ghost Race guards, dressed in cloaks with hats and wearing Iron Heart Wood long knives at their waists, looked quite striking, exuding a flavor of martial heroes.

After the inspection, the guards let them enter, paying no mind to Cheng Ziang and his companions. Despite Cheng Ziang’s large stature, as long as those entering the city were not Faceless, they generally did not interfere further.

Passing through the city gate and entering the city, Cheng Ziang and the others saw this highly green city for the first time and couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.

The buildings in Wujing Yv were mainly constructed from granite, in an architectural style somewhat similar to Lipei, where the houses were primarily made of elongated stones stacked together, bonded with a special adhesive.

The entire city was covered with stone-paved roads, meaning one need not worry about muddy paths as soon as they stepped inside.

Despite the somewhat antiquated look of the city’s architecture, upon closer inspection, Baiyue was amazed to find that the city’s layout was ingeniously crafted. The city was low at the edges and high in the center, with an exceptionally advanced drainage system. Thus, despite frequent rain, there was little standing water throughout the city. All the rainfall flowed down the terrain into drainage channels, then was discharged out of the city.

There will always be someone better, it seems. Cheng Ziang and Baiyue finally understood Luo’er’s reverence for the unknown. For this city had indeed shocked them profoundly; they had never imagined that the Ghost Race, with their limited productive capacities, could possess such a finely and uniformly structured city.